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Spore copy protection officially explained and de-bunked
It's easier to curse the darkness than light a candle.
Actually, I might have butchered the saying, but that's the appropriate way to put it when it comes to the copy protection issues with Spore, Electronic Arts' amoeba-to-universe sim that supposedly limits you to three installs before shutting down for good. But while everyone else is cursing up a blue streak (witness the 2000 one-star ratings on Amazon.com), MTV's gaming blog and Ars Technica decided to light a candle.
MTV published some reassuring comments from an EA spokesperson who avoided some of their questions, but said the copy protection restrictions were going to be eased up in the "near future". She also said that if EA were to ever shut down the Spore servers, they'd patch out the DRM first so people could still play. How thoughtful, especially considering EA's poor track record for keeping servers around for old games.
Ars Technica's practical look at the issue was much more illuminating than the corporate platitudes MTV passed along. They poked around at how the actual copy protection works, trying multiple installs, contacting customer support, and even pretending to rent the game to get a new authentication code. They had no problem getting the game up and running, at least not related to copy protection. Ars Technica had the following conclusion:...we left wondering if the DRM controversy might be more philosophical in nature than rooted in any real-world inconveniences.
Well, yeah, duh. But just because I haven't stubbed my toe yet doesn't mean I don't have a problem with sitting in the dark. *&!@#&*!
By Zeus at 1:00 PM ON 09/17/08
I was a little baffled with Ars Technica's philosophical comment.
If gaming has taught us anything, it's that fans outlast companies. We're still enjoying RPGs from developers who haven't existed in ten or twenty years. The corporate line seems to be, "Hey, it's just like CD-copy protection!" But a CD-ROM lasts 100 years. If EA lasts half that, I'll be surprised.
By baxterpunch at 1:44 PM ON 09/17/08
Picked up Spore last night, it was quite suprising when your spaceship buzzed my nest in the creature phase, Tom. I tried to throw a stick at it, but that didn't work out.
By Tom Chick at 5:31 PM ON 09/17/08
We'll be back.
By malkav11 at 6:10 PM ON 09/17/08
"We'll patch it out before the servers go down." I've heard that before. From everyone with server-based DRM, in fact, including Steam. It's an easy thing to promise. It hasn't actually failed to materialize, yet, because all of the people using this sort of protection are still around with their servers running. But it doesn't have any particular guarantee behind it either, and so it's not enough to affect my purchasing decisions. Maybe once they actually *do* patch it out....
By markgreyam at 8:38 PM ON 09/17/08
I'm picturing some handycam style footage of some dishevelled guy from the corporate division of EA, half undone tie and shirt untucked, closing the temporary fence erected around the EA monolith. As he pushes down on the padlock, some nerd with a voice like the scientist from the Simpsons enters the scene, standing close enough to him to make sure he is in the cameras view and says "So HEY when can we get the DRM removing patch now that EA is closed down with the big BANG and the wayHEY?".
And mister spokesperson slams the now closed padlock down against the fence, turns around and grabs said nerd by the collar on his DIGITAL RESTRICTION MANAGEMENT tshirt, yanks him close so he is an inch from the nerds face and yells
"WHAT DO I CARE YOU STUPID LOSER, THERE ARE PLENTY OF CRACKS FOR THE GAME ALREADY OUT ON THE INTERNET, GO GET ONE OF THEM"
By zimmitti at 8:13 AM ON 09/18/08
I think I'm only going to buy games with online DRM at this point. Bottom line is even if I'm only "renting" this game I've already gotten my money's worth. The sign-in process was simple, a heck of a lot simpler than some disk based DRM systems. Lemme tell you it's wonderful when you have to get a new frakking drive at home to run a game you made yourself because the disc DRM chokes with a few brands of drives from such unknown manufacturers as "Sony"(has anyone even heard of these guys?).
The problem with Spore isn't the DRM, it's checking off Tom as a buddy and then having his disgusting, mongrel creatures keep popping up and spreading disease on your planets.
zimmitti:
I think I'm only going to buy games with online DRM at this point. Bottom line is even if I'm only "renting" this g...More »