The hated DRM software known as SecuROM is included as part of Crysis Warhead‘s Steam release — despite the fact that Steam acts as DRM in its own right.
To its credit, Valve clearly notes that Warhead uses third party DRM and will have limited installations of up to five machines. This is contrary to publisher EA’s usual methods of hiding the use of SecuROM in its products.
While Steam is usually trusted to be free of SecuROM — a program criticized for software conflicts, RAM issues and “draconian” restrictions — this isn’t the first time that it’s appeared on Valve’s service. 2K’s BioShock also included it — a subject of controversy which caused much backpedaling and alleviation attempts from the publisher.
This kind of strikes me as thoroughly pointless behavior, and the continued insistence on using SecuROM by EA does very little to endear it to its customers. With the ongoing Spore controversy, you’d think that Electronic Arts would learn its lesson. Apparently it has not. SecuROM has proven itself to be utterly useless in attempting to stop piracy, and with Steam providing its own DRM, its inclusion in Warhead is without merit.
