zhevox

zhevox

I'm 16, living at home, and my parents won't allow me to have internet access on my gaming computer, so if the process of online authentication becomes standard, that means I can't play PC games anymore...

smash_crush

ryudo2053

canuter

What about Sims 3 though? What's the reason for a game like that to need authentification each TEN DAYS?!

And WHY is it that we still can't get any ANSWERES on what information is being collected into those ENCRYPTED data that SecuRom is sending out?!

As long as they're using SecuRom I won't be giving them MY money!

vernababy

"You'll have to authenticate the game during the first two months of its existence, and after that we'll release an update which will allow you to play the game without authenticating. Additionally, if you own the game, you can send in your DVD and we'll send you one without the DRM on it for 10 bucks."

You know what? I'd buy the game. EA could still protect its important first week of sales, and legitimate, paying customers could buy the game without being afraid that they won't be able to play it a few years down the road.

Or do what Bungie did with Marathon: Pledge to release the game and its assets as open source in five years or so.

Just give me some kind of assurance that I won't be paying good money for a game I won't actually be able to play in a few years. Or if my Internet connection goes down. Or for a number of other reasons.

L_K_M

L_K_M

Lyner

It's starting to look better to grab a cutlass and sail the seven seas!

Maverynthia

What they need to do is make it more accessible and convenient for buyers as an incentive. Not having to have the disc in the drive is along the right line of thought, but it's hardly enough.

As someone who does pirate games (I simply can't afford to take a $60 gamble every time something comes out that looks half decent), I can tell you Steam has caused me to buy a lot more games than I probably would have otherwise through sheer convenience.

weables

As I said in the Mass Effect comments: People, they have just pulled your leg. "We are going to ask all your family to sign a paper everytime you play stating its authenticity, and you will be allowed to play for 4 hours before another authentication check is required". And two days later: "Oh, if you didn't like that, well, we will just do like bioshock did. 'Cause that was all perfectly right, wasn't it?"
I can't believe you are falling for it.

EloraHRanma

So all this fuss is because a bunch of senile people cant keep track of a dvd? Does anybody even care about having the dvd in the drive?

Oasx

- We'll re-authenticate when a player uses online features, downloads new content or a patch for their game.
- You will be unable to patch your game after a patch release, if the servers are down or overflowed, or discontinued (from now, in 5 years)

- The new system means you don't have to play with the disc in your computer. And if you are like me, always losing discs, this will be a huge benefit.
- Yea, is called digital download.

- You'll still be able to install and play on multiple computers.
- For a limited period of time. From now, to the serverd final shutdown.

- You can play offline.
- Oh thanks, that has to be a new feature no one has think about!

Horrible decisions, that will not stop piracy, but that will disable your game the key days (the release days) and in the near future, as soon the auth servers are removed.

Tei

Should I be worried that this worries me the most? Something about raising my creature, only to have it get mobbed by an army of walking penises with butts for eyes? At least I can now suffer this indignity without SecuROM bothering me...

Pezdispenser

slyzxx786

And with Spore (for those that like chiming in but not actually knowing anything) you would want to connect online at least sometimes in order to download user content anyways. It's one of the major draws to the game.

Impurethinker

Ra is on That 70s Show

WraithSama

MattB

Hasn't changed my mind at all. I'm still not buying the game.

MattB

VirginiaWopster

JustFrozen

SeedyROM

Ah well, today VICTORY!

Brackynews

maraxusofk

arstal

That's great news. Personally I'm all for online activation If I'm allowed to stop swapping the discs in my drives.

I_fit_in

Spiderbait

Sooku

UFO

This is more marketing garbage. This is not designed to stop piracy but to gather information about customers habits.

lame, lame, lame.

Anaxymander

"what happens if EA stops supporting the Authentication" That is a valid question and I think executives answer it to themselves (but not publicly) that by the time the authentication servers would go off line for a game:

A) There will be cheap shovelware versions of the game out with hardly any copy protection at all for $9.95.

B) Cracked versions of the game will have been available without any copy protection for at least a year or more.

So they aren't staying awake at night worried about it.

Zazu_Yen

Rebochan

That's pretty much something the lawyers can argue about. I'm pretty sure a copy of the game with the protection removed is illegal, so you're playing an illegal version of a game you own. I don't have a problem with it but copyright lawyers are a breed apart, who knows what they'd do.

@Jelster: I have also bought games I want to support, and then played them on Gametap because I didn't need the disc (Psychonauts). Although it's not perfect, you still have to be online to start the game.

@badasscat: "Now I've pretty much just given up on PC games altogether."

That's a shame, Bioshock is AWESOME at 1440 x 900 on a 40' LCD. But I too am gaming more and more on consoles now that I can just download the games overnight and the visuals are getting as good or better then the average PC can manage. (Uber PC gamer with dual water cooled GPU cards are welcome to froth at the mouth, but I'm going to ignore you).

Zazu_Yen

hrabbit

And honestly, this is a pretty sensible execution of copy protection in the online age. I much prefer it over a clunky codebook ala Zak McCracken, et al. As long as it doesn't force you to be online all of the time and has no penalties if you opt not to use the online features, this strikes me as a reasonable way to try to use the internet to help stop software piracy. I actually think back in the day, piracy helped the industry, but its fully come into its own now and its benefits are far outweighed by its harm. This method sounds entirely unobtrusive and doesn't limit the consumer's ability to fully enjoy their product. Sounds fine to me.

The hang-up is as @Athest notes what happens if EA stops supporting the Authentication. That's been the rub with these kinds of online authentication systems in the past. But I'm willing to give software developers some latitude given that they should be aware of the flack directed at folks like Microsoft who forced DRM on people and they decided to stop supporting it. Surely, they can issue a patch in the future that shuts down the DRM in the software. (though, if the online content isn't being supported anymore, it might not be an issue anyway).

BStu

However, seeing these companies listen to the community and removing these moronic validations every 10 days is very good news.

Even I can agree with the one-time check on install to play. I can't believe I'm about to type this, but good for EA.

endlessoul

Moonshadow101

Athest

shadydentist

Bootes

homernoy

But seriously, I lost most my interest in this game years ago. I am now just an on looker, glancing at the news going, "we'll that will be nice whenever it actually comes out."

Narynan

Grimhound

Piracy isn't the problem. DRM is the problem.

And yes, I've also "pirated" a game I bought to get around the DRM. (I'm not sure that's the correct term to use; if you own the game, then you own the game, whether you then *also* download it or not.) It started with downloading a NoCD patch for basically every game I bought. Eventually that often didn't work anymore, so I'd have to just get the whole game. All so I could play without having the stupid CD in the computer.

Now I've pretty much just given up on PC games altogether.

badasscat

w1nters

NullsRevenge

In a similar vein I've also bought games I already own for a second time via Steam because its nice to have them in one downloadable pack rather than spread over many discs in the attic.

Jelster

ichiban1081

Translation: same limited number of installs BS as MEPC.

durrem

Walker

tazz77

planetidiot

krizoitz

blim

Azriel77

Azriel77

Perhaps I need to adjust the foil in my hat, but were I an executive who wanted to keep these kind of locks on my game - but also wanted to keep people buying it - this is exactly what I would do.

Dunny0

DaoKaioshin

Jindujun

超外人

flynsk

The_nub_next_door

As long as they dont limit the amount of installs I can have they still have this buyer.

Jindujun

So it seems like a no-brainer to the execs, they sign on inspite of what some of their own people are telling them and SecuROM has them do a press release to help sell their service to more companies (See, Mass Effect is going to use it...).

But then the public freaks out because the SecurROM system is, in effect, punishing people who BUY the software for the people who don't. In fact the only way to NOT get punished by the timed on-line re-registration is to PIRATE the game.

Yes, SecurROM can be used as a valid reason FOR pirating. Have you ever pirated a game you BOUGHT just so you don't have to put up with the copy protection? I have.

So then the execs see the other side of the story they wisely back down. No-brainer decisions are often call such for a very good reason.

Zazu_Yen

The_nub_next_door

Anyway, I can kind of live with a single install authentication but I'm a little cautious over how they plan to manage offline and multiple installs.

Question. If piracy is such an issue why can't the software publishers and MS/Linux/Apple get together and form an organisation that can develop a secure, multiplatform gaming OS. Pipedream maybe but it beats all the pissy hand wringing they do about piracy.

Jelster

If you don't use a horribly inconvenient copy protection scheme, such as requiring the game disk in the tray, which causes drives to spin so very loudly and be a bother, then people won't need to crack them. gamecopyworld and the like won't host cracks for games that get around authentication measures unless it includes a no-CD. Some games that use online-only methods of authentication never see a white-hat crack, and thus don't see nearly as much piracy as other games.

SilverStar95

ByeBye

The_nub_next_door

Don't get me wrong, I love the idea of playing without the disc, but what kind of idiot has a reoccurring problem of losing discs? Even when I was 10 years old I didn't misplace my windows 3.1 disc based programs.

gameware

I didn't really care about Mass Erect but I'm glad they decided to ditch it on Spore.

hamandcheeseUK

Señor Vorpal Kickass'o

Anto103

Actually, this sounds like quite a sound form of copy protection for most PC games, authentically only when going online, downloading new content and patches.

I guess the only issue that its has to be authenticated online, but this could a be a nice step in the right direction.

exkon

The fall of SecuROM.

And Console gamers, continue playing without having to worry about this kinda stuff.

All is good.

karasu is my homeboy

duckmouth

Lot Krotan