EA Epic Fail

[CrimsonAegis]

Sins of a Solar Empire has sold 500k copies so far and is completly DRM-free.
Stardock is against DRM and none of their games have any DRM whatsoever. Sins of a Solar Empire does not require the disc in the drive when you play it, and you do not need a connection to the internet.

Stardock's Gamer's Bill of Rights:

The Gamer's Bill of Rights:

Gamers shall have the right to return games that don't work with their computers for a full refund.
Gamers shall have the right to demand that games be released in a finished state.
Gamers shall have the right to expect meaningful updates after a game's release.
Gamers shall have the right to demand that download managers and updaters not force themselves to run or be forced to load in order to play a game.
Gamers shall have the right to expect that the minimum requirements for a game will mean that the game will play adequately on that computer.
Gamers shall have the right to expect that games won't install hidden drivers or other potentially harmful software without their consent.
Gamers shall have the right to re-download the latest versions of the games they own at any time.
Gamers shall have the right to not be treated as potential criminals by developers or publishers.
Gamers shall have the right to demand that a single-player game not force them to be connected to the Internet every time they wish to play.
Gamers shall have the right that games which are installed to the hard drive shall not require a CD/DVD to remain in the drive to play.

Stardock is the model by which every other game publisher should base its policies. They will definitely have my business in the years to come.

 

[CrimsonAegis]

Hopefully, EA will drop this crap about DRM since it seems that it does more harm than good to their sales. However, Secrucom...I installed Mass Effect not to long ago and uninstalled it a while back. Does anyone know if SecruCOM stays on the PC after the game is gone?

In response to your question, yes, SecuRom stays on your computer after you uninstall your game and it is very difficult to remove from your computer. To remove it, go to This website and follow the instructions. SecuRom 7 is the most insidious copy protection that exists and, from now on, I am boycotting any games that have this protection.

Spore looked very interesting, but I will not be buying it due to the DRM restrictions. Quote from an article on PCmag.com:

Like the PC version of Mass Effect before it, Spore's DRM limits owners to only three activations of the game after installation. The point is to prohibit software pirates from sharing and reusing activation codes over and over, but it also means that if a user happens to uninstall and reinstall Spore more than three times for completely legitimate reasons, they'll have to contact Electronic Arts customer support to request and have approved a new authentication on a case-by-case basis.

Also, activations are used up by upgrading hardware or your operating system. Upgrade your video card? You just used up an activation. Upgrade your os from Vista Home to Vista Ultimate? You just used up another. Have your operating system completely mess up and have to reinstall? Sorry, you have used up all your activations and have to call EA support to get another activation.

Oh, and there is no guarantee that you will actually get another activation, I been reading comments on Amazon, and some people have said that they legitimately used up their number of activations, called EA support to request another, and EA denied their request.

Recommended reading:
Response from EA about DRM, an Amazon discussion.
Amazon flash mob mauls Spore DRM

And, What they don't want you to know about Securom

 

[Tattis]

Bleh, this is why i'm only buying games from Valve. No more silly install limits.

The funny thing is that Steam is a form of DRM in itself. The difference is just that Valve makes it difficult for pirates without treating every customer like a criminal in the process. Not only that, but they do it in a way that provides other conveniences for customers. They've actually designed a DRM that people have come to like. EA has done the opposite. Their DRM treats everyone like a criminal and has major inconveniences to boot (you know, that whole not being able to play the same you purchased thing).

It doesn't shock me in the least that there is such backlash over Spore's DRM. Considering the flack both BioShock and Mass Effect got over it (both of which removed their DRM restrictions, I believe), you'd think EA could've come up with something better with Spore. I have to say, I find it slightly amusing that all EA has done is encouraged far more people to pirate Spore than would've without the DRM and, at the same time, they're royally pissing off their customers who didn't pirate. It's really no wonder EA is looked so down upon by gaming consumers.