Spore, EA, DRM, etc.

DaFox · Post by **DaFox** » 01 Oct 2008, 09:15

[quote]http://news.softpedia.com/news/EA-Admits-Pirated-Copies-Do-Not-Equal-Lost-Sales-94516.shtml

EA sees the light?

That is encouraging news. And this right here is the key to the entire issue:

"... the company is getting ready to shift its approach so that it rewards the customer rather than punishing everyone for the sins of pirates."

Paying customers deserve to be treated like gold--with respect and courtesy. This is how businesses of all sorts thrive, and game companies can as well. I hope whoever at EA is leading this change will continue to push the company toward valuing its customers--if it keeps going in the right direction they'll be earning my dollars.

Thanks for the link.

Yep that quote was the number one reason that I had to show you guys this.

Post by **Paradigm Shifter** » 01 Oct 2008, 19:09

Paying customers deserve to be treated like gold--with respect and courtesy.

How can I vote for you becoming the new CEO of EA?

cheezgear · Post by **cheezgear** » 01 Oct 2008, 20:16

I canceled my pre-order for Red Alert 3 today, I'll buy it when my instinct to boycott EA ends, so hopefully that's when the game will become DRM free (like Bioshock is now) and 30 dollars, otherwise I'll keep my 50 dollars to buy a game that I'm not "renting".

DaFox · Post by **DaFox** » 02 Oct 2008, 00:39

[quote]Paying customers deserve to be treated like gold--with respect and courtesy.

How can I vote for you becoming the new CEO of EA?

I'd vote.

Post by **GeneralAdmission** » 02 Oct 2008, 00:56

Hey guys, thanks for the vote(s) of confidence. :mrgreen:

I canceled my pre-order for Red Alert 3 today, I'll buy it when my instinct to boycott EA ends, so hopefully that's when the game will become DRM free (like Bioshock is now) and 30 dollars, otherwise I'll keep my 50 dollars to buy a game that I'm not "renting".

FYI-Bioshock is not DRM free. It still has SecuROM and it still needs activation for every install. What they removed was the activation limits, so you can install it as many times as you want as often as you want.

cheezgear · Post by **cheezgear** » 02 Oct 2008, 05:48

Hey guys, thanks for the vote(s) of confidence. :mrgreen:

[quote]I canceled my pre-order for Red Alert 3 today, I'll buy it when my instinct to boycott EA ends, so hopefully that's when the game will become DRM free (like Bioshock is now) and 30 dollars, otherwise I'll keep my 50 dollars to buy a game that I'm not "renting".

FYI-Bioshock is not DRM free. It still has SecuROM and it still needs activation for every install. What they removed was the activation limits, so you can install it as many times as you want as often as you want.

Well of course SecuRom is still installed, I more of meant that I can install it as many times as I like, I probably should have worded it better...

chabooka · Post by **chabooka** » 02 Oct 2008, 06:02

[quote]Hey guys, thanks for the vote(s) of confidence. :mrgreen:

[quote]I canceled my pre-order for Red Alert 3 today, I'll buy it when my instinct to boycott EA ends, so hopefully that's when the game will become DRM free (like Bioshock is now) and 30 dollars, otherwise I'll keep my 50 dollars to buy a game that I'm not "renting".

FYI-Bioshock is not DRM free. It still has SecuROM and it still needs activation for every install. What they removed was the activation limits, so you can install it as many times as you want as often as you want.

Well of course SecuRom is still installed, I more of meant that I can install it as many times as I like, I probably should have worded it better...

secuROM doesn't really bother me. I just can't accept the installation limits. I also remembered that i have $5 down on red alert 3 at gamestop, i should get that back and not buy red alert 3 until EA is ready to stop punishing me.

To be honest...i don't even feel like playing spore anymore just because of all this grief it's been causing every gamer around the world.

Post by **GeneralAdmission** » 02 Oct 2008, 07:24

Well of course SecuRom is still installed, I more of meant that I can install it as many times as I like, I probably should have worded it better...

Just wanted to make sure you didn't walk into a purchase that wouldn't meet your expectations. When I heard the DRM had been removed I was happy...until I read the actual press release.

cheezgear · Post by **cheezgear** » 03 Oct 2008, 00:32

[quote]Well of course SecuRom is still installed, I more of meant that I can install it as many times as I like, I probably should have worded it better...

Just wanted to make sure you didn't walk into a purchase that wouldn't meet your expectations. When I heard the DRM had been removed I was happy...until I read the actual press release.

Yeah, I guess its not SecuRom that bothers me, like Chabooka said, it's just the punishments(5 installs) that I hate. Otherwise I have no huge problems with it...although it would be nice to be prompted about the installation of it when installing my games, or even a logo on the back of the box. Probably wouldn't be too good for sales with that stamped on the back....so I can see why its not on there.

Post by **GeneralAdmission** » 03 Oct 2008, 02:52

although it would be nice to be prompted about the installation of it when installing my games, or even a logo on the back of the box. Probably wouldn't be too good for sales with that stamped on the back....so I can see why its not on there.

And that right there is another key issue. Game companies KNOW that some customers will look at a box, see DRM info, and decide NOT to purchase the game, so the information on the box is as minimal as possible or non-existant. At the same time, PR people rarely broach the issue beyond "we don't know if the DRM hurts sales."

I'm happy that DRM disclosure is getting better--though I wish they didn't have so much to disclose. :shock:

Mergatroid · Post by **Mergatroid** » 03 Oct 2008, 20:10

I also have a special place of hate in my heart for WoW because it single-handedly killed my LAN group. :evil:

If you can't beat em....

PM me for server and character names if you ever want to play :).

DaFox · Post by **DaFox** » 06 Oct 2008, 20:39

http://www.tomshardware.com/spore-drm,video-305.html

Entertaining watch and some good points are made.

Post by **GeneralAdmission** » 12 Oct 2008, 20:23

Very lucid perspective on the state of the industry:
http://www.gamecritics.com/mike-doolittle/piracy-on-the-pc-where-do-we-go-from-here

Mokbol · Post by **Mokbol** » 15 Oct 2008, 06:28

I know why EA does what they do, I think it's guaranteed that if they continue down this road, the backlash will only increase. Penalizing paying customers because of the actions of pirates is just bad judgment, and they are polarizing the industry's customer base. For me, I'm sticking with Brad Wardell's camp: pirates don't get a vote. Has no one at EA read Stardock's forums? The folks there LOVE Stardock because the games are great and they get treated as customers, not criminals. I'm not a marketing or PR professional, but I know that winning your customer's trust and respect is like sinking a self-replenishing goldmine

DaFox · Post by **DaFox** » 15 Oct 2008, 06:37

http://biz.yahoo.com/paidcontent/081014/1_328572_id.html?.v=1

I personally don't like DRM. It interrupts the user experience. We would like to get around that. But there is this problem called piracy out there.

:roll:

Post by **GeneralAdmission** » 15 Oct 2008, 08:09

@Mokbol-
Did you mean to write a response to my comment, or was that just a QTF? ;)

DaFox,

Wow, EA really is hell-bent on shrinking their customer base. Why in the world would a company summarily terminate offline-only capabilities? Most gamers probably are connected to the web, but there must be a decent portion who aren't, or who have very limited connectivity. This decision at best will result in some lost customers...at worst in a lot of lost customers. Plus, implementing online connectivity in games takes more work, not less. Truly baffling, though EA excels in that department.

He sees the growth of gaming constrained mostly by piracy and the difficulties in getting in-game ads right.

LOLed at this line.

Growth in gaming, Mr. Riccitiello? Don't you mean growth in profits? Most GAMERS wouldn't describe in-game ads as growth in games. Then again, maybe I don't know what I'm talking about. Seeing giant posters for the movie I Am Legend in the tunnels of Hellgate:London was obviously aesthetic genius.

Post by **GeneralAdmission** » 22 Oct 2008, 18:27

http://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/gears-of-war-2-leaked-on-torrent-sites

Gee, I didn't know the 360 had a piracy problem.

Perhaps Cliffy and Epic will resort to selling full-size arcade machines. :wink: Not so easy to torrent those babies, is it? :lol:

-------------------------
What the heck is up with security around RC and gold master game discs? These devs and pubs cite the #1 reason for SecuROM/DRM as preventing 0-day piracy, yet apparently there's an army of butterfingered employees who all get a chance to handle the product before release.

Here's a tip, EA. Dump the cost of SecuROM, invest in some real security service (or ninjas) to handle the discs. If an unauthorized person touches them...Boot to the Head!

First day sales success...cha-ching!
No DRM leash on legit customers->makes happy customers->makes more cha-ching!
(this assumes you don't release electronic dung, of course)

DaFox · Post by **DaFox** » 22 Oct 2008, 18:56

http://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/gears-of-war-2-leaked-on-torrent-sites

Gee, I didn't know the 360 had a piracy problem.

Perhaps Cliffy and Epic will resort to selling full-size arcade machines. :wink: Not so easy to torrent those babies, is it? :lol:

-------------------------
What the heck is up with security around RC and gold master game discs? These devs and pubs cite the #1 reason for SecuROM/DRM as preventing 0-day piracy, yet apparently there's an army of butterfingered employees who all get a chance to handle the product before release.

Here's a tip, EA. Dump the cost of SecuROM, invest in some real security service (or ninjas) to handle the discs. If an unauthorized person touches them...Boot to the Head!

First day sales success...cha-ching!
No DRM leash on legit customers->makes happy customers->makes more cha-ching!
(this assumes you don't release electronic dung, of course)

The 360 Piracy scene is decently sized, on one of the sites I go to for FC2 the stats are:
360 - 286+57 snatches
PC - 890 snatches

But yeah, screw dude huge.

Mesh · Post by **Mesh** » 22 Oct 2008, 19:37

Not so easy to torrent those babies, is it? :lol:

Actually, I remember an article one time of someone somehow getting an arcade version of I think street fighter IV and making a home / console out of it.

Regardless of DRM, the main cause of piracy that I've seen are internal leaks which would get the disc copies 'out there' regardless what drm is on it.

DaFox · Post by **DaFox** » 22 Oct 2008, 21:04

Regardless of DRM, the main cause of piracy that I've seen are internal leaks which would get the disc copies 'out there' regardless what drm is on it.

That happens more so on the 360 side than on PC I notice. The last 2 major leaks for PC were Assassins Creed and Mass Effect.

While the 360 has already seen 2 major leaks in the last month.

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Spore, EA, DRM, etc.

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Spore, EA, DRM, etc.

Spore, EA, DRM, etc.

Spore, EA, DRM, etc.

Spore, EA, DRM, etc.

Spore, EA, DRM, etc.

Spore, EA, DRM, etc.

Spore, EA, DRM, etc.

Spore, EA, DRM, etc.

Spore, EA, DRM, etc.

Spore, EA, DRM, etc.

pirates don't get a vote

Spore, EA, DRM, etc.

Spore, EA, DRM, etc.

Spore, EA, DRM, etc.

Spore, EA, DRM, etc.

Spore, EA, DRM, etc.

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