Comments on: Spore And The Great DRM Backlash

By: Magoo

Magoo — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 18:49:31 +0000

There is one thing no one is mentioning that may save some people’s headaches about SPORE. Maxis, the developing company have made a tool to deauthorize computers so you can continue to install without using EA…. you can find it on Spore’s Web Page under Spore in the News. Though this probably doesn’t solve the spyware issue of SecuROM, it does allow for more installs

By: Magoo

Magoo — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 18:15:34 +0000

I disagree with a statement made here. My Girlfriend bought the Galactic Edition and between her and me we have three computers. The first time we installed on her laptop we mistakenly thought some files were missing, because the Spore did not offer to make a desktop shortcut and only appeared in the Games portfolio. That used up one use of three. We reinstalled on her same computer, and now are scared to use it again because the CD may be useless. WE DID buy the product. We did have an interest. But now she has and I don’t because honestly the games too expensive anyways… for ten hours maybe of gameplay, you are paying $50.00!

By: FeRHaD

FeRHaD — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 19:47:11 +0000

You wait long time for a game and then you get what you didn’t deserve. You buy the game, you’re restricted in many ways; you download it from torrent you’re free than ever.
I can’t understand those companies; videogame, music, movie producers… All think they do what they can to prevent their products illegal sell, however, on the contrary they just provoke more people to use their products illegally.

By: A honestidade não compensa?

A honestidade não compensa? — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 13:12:57 +0000

[...] Spore And The Great DRM Backlash @ TechCrunch [...]

By: ema

ema — Sun, 05 Oct 2008 05:40:21 +0000

betiful post and betiful comments i have bougth spore long ago vbefore i knew about DRM now i im screwed i just hope that i can play it and tha EA go into senses soon

By: Buying a license, not a game | REVIEWGAMESPOT.COM

Buying a license, not a game | REVIEWGAMESPOT.COM — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 04:49:15 +0000

[...] others so correctly remarked, it is a bad situation when the pirated version of the game is perceived as better (not just better [...]

By: Buying a license, not a game | REVIEWGAMESPOT.COM

Buying a license, not a game | REVIEWGAMESPOT.COM — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 04:49:14 +0000

[...] others so correctly remarked, it is a bad situation when the pirated version of the game is perceived as better (not just better [...]

By: Buying a license, not a game | FlashMMORPG.com

Buying a license, not a game | FlashMMORPG.com — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 18:30:56 +0000

[...] others so correctly remarked, it is a bad situation when the [...]

By: Spore - too clever for its own good? « andrewlewin: let me think about that …

Mon, 29 Sep 2008 22:15:44 +0000

[...] I suspect but might take some time to happen, and maybe not at all. Certainly the furore about the overly-restrictive digital rights management system (that limited the software to three installs) hasn’t helped its reputation among gamers, who [...]

By: Spore y las consecuencias del DRM | CANVAS

Spore y las consecuencias del DRM | CANVAS — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 19:46:34 +0000

[...] TechCrunch Etiquetas: DRM, pirata, [...]

By: Dave C

Dave C — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 07:59:08 +0000

LOLOL YES! Nice.

By: Dave C

Dave C — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 07:58:27 +0000

Honestly all of the propaganda and talk about spore over the years has pissed me off to the point where I’m not going to buy it. The game was showcased years before now and I find it pretty ridiculous. It took them like 7 years of development to make the game and I’m sure they’ve hacked plenty of features out that are going to be released in the “Spore: House Party” and “Spore: Livin’ Large” expansions. Maxis + EA = a game with 10 expansion packs. Forget that noise.

By: Andy Wong

Andy Wong — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 03:58:54 +0000

The best way to stop piracy is to hobble the pirated version, not the official one.

Excellent. Erick.

By: Tamir Berkman

Tamir Berkman — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 01:37:49 +0000

Great post Erick. I’m wondering if the solution you suggest for Spore can work for music? How about some online perks with your legal music? maybe an Easter egg in the form of band special T-shirt, VIP tickets for their next gig or a special widget for your blog/social community profile?

By: KOPN Tech Radio » Blog Archive » On the game SPORE, Digital Rights Management on games and music

Mon, 15 Sep 2008 22:44:48 +0000

[...] how Electronic Arts planned to limit illegal copies of the game using a DRM scheme called SecuROM. This revelation was all that it took for several anti-DRM zealots to “bomb” Amazon with … Many of the posters actually admit to not having played the [...]

By: Izkata

Izkata — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 18:56:07 +0000

Actually, that’s not true. A lot of people have already burned through the installations just trying to get it to run, and they were never “refunded” installations when the un-installed it.

By: Izkata

Izkata — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 18:54:51 +0000

Guess what? Spore does use the CD-Key system. Then 3 installs was put on top of that. Then SecuROM was put on top of even that….

By: Izkata

Izkata — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 18:40:50 +0000

To be a little less insulting…

The problem isn’t solely with 3 installs, although that is a big one.

The problem with 3 installs is that a lot of people are having trouble getting Spore to work in the first place (myself included – I’m already on my second install), or upgrade their computers quite a bit anyway. And no one knows what triggers a second “install” – changing the CPU? Changing the graphics card? Both have triggered new installs in other DRM-laden games.

The other problems are with SecuROM itself. It has corrupted my Sporebin.exe file, and I cannot play the game. The same with an enormous amount of other people. Not to mention the philosophy behind it, that EA is treating its paying customers as thieves.

By: Izkata

Izkata — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 18:32:22 +0000

So far, they’re sweeping it under the rug and refusing to face anything. They won’t even look at the debug logs that are generated when people’s games crash.

By: Izkata

Izkata — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 18:28:58 +0000

“If the games were cheaper, say priced at $20 rather than $50, how much would that reduce demand for free version of game? ”

Pitiful little in this case, as the DRM is the majority reason Spore is getting pirated.

By: Sometimes a cucumber really is just a vegetable « Op cit.

Sometimes a cucumber really is just a vegetable « Op cit. — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 18:28:06 +0000

[...] Spore And The Great DRM Backlash: Will DRM doom Spore, the most-anticipated video game in years? They may not be buying it, but players are definitely playing it . . . . [...]

By: Izkata

Izkata — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 18:22:11 +0000

You, too, are forgetting what happened to a large amount of people, like myself:

SecuROM has corrupted my Spore install. I can’t play it anymore because of the DRM. So I’m downloading a superior product just so I’m able to play the game I bought.

By: Izkata

Izkata — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 18:18:34 +0000

I am downloading Spore right now. Care to learn why?

I bought it without realizing how much DRM was in it. I have a clean WinXP installation (I’m primarily a linux user). Spore DOES NOT WORK. SecuROM has corrupted the binaries and I can’t do anything in-game.

By: Spore-player

Spore-player — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 17:36:41 +0000

Waits, I have Spore installed on 5 computahs already?
Is this affecting only American people or what?

By: Spore Spawns Discontent | Intrepid.com.au

Spore Spawns Discontent | Intrepid.com.au — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 16:05:20 +0000

[...] can read more about the backlash on TechCrunch, and for more about DRM in general I highly recommend and article by Matt Martin from [...]