Spore crushed by negative reviews over DRM flap

Mon Sep 8, 2008 5:06PM EDT

See Comments (24)

Electronic Arts' Spore is being praised by critics... and trashed by customers. No, it's nothing to do with the game, which sounds pretty fun and fascinating (I've yet to receive a copy), but over the DRM used to protect the game from being pirated: As I write this, the game has 748 reviews at Amazon.com. 689 of them are one-star ratings. Ouch.

The issue involves a DRM program called SecuROM, which limits the number of times a program can be installed. The exact operation of SecuROM isn't completely understood (in part because it behaves differently from version to version and can be tweaked further after that by the manufacturer), but critics say that, in the case of Spore, the DRM ensures that the game can only be installed three times, whether you've uninstalled it or not. And if you tweak your PC by installing a new video card or other hardware or reinstall your OS, you may have to use up another license as a re-authorization of the game. If you run out of licenses, you have to call EA to beg for another one.

Info from EA has been conflicting so far. According to analysis from Texyt, the company's online support page says that users are limited to "three concurrently active" licenses but hints that this only means you can install it three times within a ten-day span; after that the licenses would become freely available for installation again. (No one knows yet since the game is so new.) The EULA, however, says only one copy can be used at a time. The most problematic issue in all of this: Nowhere is SecuROM mentioned in Spore's documentation.

EA has been in hot water over SecuROM numerous times, most recently with the PC version of the game Mass Effect, which required re-activation of the installed game every 10 days. After buyers threw a fit, EA removed the 10-day activation system while still maintaining a three-installs-only restriction.

Does DRM like this make you less excited about the game... or anything?

Comments on Spore crushed by negative reviews over DRM flap

Post a Comment

Join in the discussion. Here you'll see the comments in the order they were posted.

  • 6 Posted by thefisherworks on Thu Sep 3, 2009 10:04PM EDT Report Abuse

    Some of the reviews are also talking about the DRM disabling CD writers and other devices on their systems. Spore sounded really cool to me, and I was thinking about getting it, but won't consider it now.

  • 7 Posted by nighteye23 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 7:38PM EDT Report Abuse

    Funny how they put some of the most restrictive DRM on their games, yet it is soooo easy to download a pirated copy without it. What exactly is the DRM doing to help against piracy? lol, me thinks its actually pushing piracy. I might give mine up and pay for the game if they dump the DRM. Until then... pirated copies FTW!

  • 8 Posted by dehnger2u on Thu Sep 3, 2009 3:40PM EDT Report Abuse

    Wont buy from them anymore. They got me on BIOSHOCK and MASS EFFECT. I change hardware A LOT. And I restore Backups from time to time....both of those cost me a way to play anymore without calling EA. I say the heck with their games. Remember WE bought the games? WE shouldnt have to deal with that kind of trouble after shelling out 50 bucks for the game.

  • 9 Posted by dubyac99 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 3:49PM EDT Report Abuse

    Comment to other posters here: If that many folks have complained, then something is wrong! Stop trying to rationalize negative comments. If is looks like "S" and smells like "s" and tastes like "s" then it's probably "s." Use your brain. There wouldn't be that many negative reviews if it wasn't really bad.

  • 10 Posted by d_gunde on Thu Sep 3, 2009 3:50PM EDT Report Abuse

    Spore is great, too bad DRM does the opposite of what it's supposed to. When it's easier to pirate the game then actually buy it, there's a big problem.

  • 11 Posted by joe_schembrie on Thu Sep 3, 2009 4:38PM EDT Report Abuse

    I bought a copy of the game for my PC, but after reading the comments I'll return it unopened. I can live with the limited installs, but there's no way I'm going to install a background program that can never be removed. I think of this and then how Google Chrome reads everything you type on your computer and saves it forever. What the heck is wrong with the computer industry? They used to just want to take over the markets, now they want to control and monitor every computer and user.

  • 12 Posted by aa4mw on Thu Sep 3, 2009 2:43PM EDT Report Abuse

    A quick check of pirate/crack sites reveals a half dozen "cracked" versions out there. I have no idea if they work or not though. Sigh.

  • 13 Posted by agustin2489 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 2:47PM EDT Report Abuse

    Somehow I think EA might have to remove that form of DRM with a patch later on. It's such a great game that I know I'd want my copy to not have DRM like that.

  • 14 Posted by rchanbrown99 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 8:31PM EDT Report Abuse

    In protest, everyone should download the pirated version, which has no Secure ROM and no install limit. For the first time, the pirated version may be higher quality than the original version! When they remove DRM, then buy the game. Secure ROM is about $. Hurt them where it counts and tell publishers that they will not get our $ if they use DRM. That is the ONLY way they will listen. Publishers need to be more afraid to use DRM than to not use it.

  • 15 Posted by purdone on Thu Sep 3, 2009 8:22PM EDT Report Abuse

    People are actually mad they can't steal it? I guess none of these people go to a gas station or supermarket because you're expected to pay for your items at those places as well.

  • 16 Posted by msuspartan1984 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 7:29PM EDT Report Abuse

    "People are actually mad they can't steal it?" NO!!!! Read the posts, it appears very easy to "Steal" it. It was stealable 2 days before it's release. They are mad because they are being penalized for wanting to buy the legit copy. They are mad because they want a legit copy, but not one that limits their use and which EA thinks prevents pirating. Considering the crack was available 2 days before release, I would say the prevention did not work.

  • 17 Posted by royale_18 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 8:53PM EDT Report Abuse

    I don't understand why companies dump so much time and effort into DRM. There's usually cracks out moments after the DRM is implemented. There's a far greater community of anti-DRM folks out there that have a greater pool of resources than any DRM company can match. This is especially silly if pirated DRM-free copies are already available. Clearly the current DRM strategies are ineffective. Maybe the software industry needs to go back to the drawing board on this one. Right now, the only people that are benefitting are the DRM companies themselves.

  • 18 Posted by nfldraftman on Thu Sep 3, 2009 7:36PM EDT Report Abuse

    DRM, specifically the install limit, really isn't about piracy, it's about the secondary market. EA wants people who want to buy the game, to buy a brand new copy from a retailer, not used from someone who originally bought the game because there is no profit for the publishers and game companies. They know the game will be pirated, and they know there is little they can do about it - at least at this point. This is their way of maximizing sales long-term for the games they are publishing as best they can under the current state of things. I am not defending it - I hate DRM install limits and once you purchase a copy of the game you should be able to install it for personal use as many times as you like, and if you want to uninstall the game and not play it you should be able to transact to sell with someone who does - but that is what they are doing here, in practical terms.

  • 19 Posted by lmsappr on Thu Sep 3, 2009 6:55PM EDT Report Abuse

    OMG... A company tries to protect itself from piracy and file sharing( The ONLY reason this issue would be coming up within 2 days of release ) and everyone is up in arms? GTFO How about you try to be an upstanding consumer and not rip-off a company that offers a product to make some money.

  • 21 Posted by djtoil on Thu Sep 3, 2009 3:45PM EDT Report Abuse

    @24 No one is whining because they can't steal this game. In fact, many have noted that it's pretty easily downloaded without the offensive DRM; That would be the stealing. What they're upset about is the assumption by EA that anyone who buys the software must be ready to pass it on to a zillion other people, and must be prevented from doing this by having malware installed on their drive along with the game they purchased. The bottom line is: EA is hearing loud and clear that people don't want the hassle of this nasty software on their machines, they don't like to be assumed to be thieves because they're buying a computer game, and they are speaking out to warn people of EA's DRM installation. I bet EA loses more sales because of the DRM than they would have lost to piracy. No self-respecting geek would allow this kind of malware on their machine.

  • 23 Posted by cjkneel on Thu Sep 3, 2009 3:26PM EDT Report Abuse

    You know this makes me think of a situation I am currently going through. I get to test Norton and Symantic products on a quarterly basis and then get a free NFR version, but with the new 2009 products I cannot activate the products offline. This is the main reason that I did not buy BioShock. It is a great game but I keep my gaming system off the net and currently have no internet at home due to where I live. I have 500+ DVD movies I have purchased, 2500 CDs, 250-300 games and I have purchased them all for my pleasure, but I expect to be able to install them and use them as I please on my own systems for my own entertainment. One more reason to buy other products or persue other hobbies.

  • 24 Posted by gonzo71320032 on Fri Sep 12, 2008 4:46PM EDT Report Abuse

    Boo hoo. Sure EA spent 10's of millions of dollars on Spore. Why should I be expected to pay for it? Seriously, you can reinstall it at least 3 times. Since I have only reinstalled 1 program 2x in my life, I could care less.

More Posts: First Prev 1 2 Next Last

Post a Comment

Sign In to Post a Comment

My Tech

Please enable your browser's cookies to activate the My Tech column.

Also on Yahoo! Tech

Computers Home Office Wi-Fi & Networking Phones & PDAs Cameras & Camcorders TV & Home Theater Portable Audio
 

Site Map | Tour | Subscribe to Yahoo! Tech

Question and Answer content at Yahoo! Tech is written by Yahoo! users at Yahoo! Answers. Yahoo! does not evaluate or guarantee the accuracy of any Yahoo! Answers content. For more information, read the Full Disclaimer.

Opinions expressed by the Advisors are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of Yahoo! Inc. Yahoo! receives no compensation from any manufacturer or distributor nor does it compensate any Advisor for the coverage of any product or service in any Advisor's content.