EA copy protection taken to new heights

[Anubis]

Originally posted by: YEPP


What are your thoughts.

2 more games i will NOT be buying

 

[Edge1]

OMFG they JUST DON'T GET IT. While their silly copy protection schemes will stop Joe casual PC gamer from making a "backup" for himself or his buddy, the undefeatable hydra in crackerworld will crack and release this game for the masses. I'm sure they can't wait to, especially now. Punishing the legit consumer...this sounds a lot like music DRM.

Not that I have the time to play it anytime soon, but I was still considering pre-ordering Mass Effect. Well, not anymore. These guys need to take a lesson from Stardock.

Aren't some of the bestselling, most popular games free of hardcore copy protection? I don't get their logic. Seems too fraught with potential problems for the legit buyer. Plus its just offensive and intrusive. I have the money to buy games and support PC gaming. I can't support this. /rant

 

[Xavier434]

The online check thing pisses me off because I feel like I should be able to play Mass Effect even if my internet connection is down. For the record, I never buy from Steam either. What really makes me upset is the 3 time activation on different computers part though. This is a real pain in the ass for those of us who upgrade often. On top of all that, I agree with others about the intrusive arguments. I won't know what else they will be stealing from me or how secure their methods are. All I need is for some hacker to use their methods to steal crap on my computer or place something malicious on it.

 

[skace]

Originally posted by: Modeps
Its easier to attack EA because they're a big corporate giant instead of Valve who is a beloved "indie" company... oh wait, EA publishes Valve products for console systems. Scratch that.

I'd rather the games get released on Steam than have to use any more versions of SecuROM.

 

[Modelworks]

Even worse.
What happens if in the future they remove the authentication servers ?
Your purchase becomes a coaster.

 

[Anubis]

Originally posted by: Modeps

Originally posted by: Schadenfroh

Originally posted by: Modeps
Every time you want to play a game on Steam, it validates. So how is this much different?

Agreed, I prefer this approach to the "CD Check," amusing when games have both online authentication that check for duplicate CD keys in use (like multiplayer games) AND a CD check.

Fortunately, they finally realized that there is no need for a CD check with online authentication.

Its easier to attack EA because they're a big corporate giant instead of Valve who is a beloved "indie" company... oh wait, EA publishes Valve products for console systems. Scratch that.

not everyone LOVES Valve & Steam

 

[Schadenfroh]

Originally posted by: skace
I'd rather the games get released on Steam than have to use any more versions of SecuROM.

Bioshock is on STEAM and the one sold on it uses not only the SecuROM that is present on the standalone retail, but also the STEAM DRM. So, when you buy Bioshock on STEAM, you get both

 

[Xavier434]

Originally posted by: Anubis

Originally posted by: Modeps

Originally posted by: Schadenfroh

Originally posted by: Modeps
Every time you want to play a game on Steam, it validates. So how is this much different?

Agreed, I prefer this approach to the "CD Check," amusing when games have both online authentication that check for duplicate CD keys in use (like multiplayer games) AND a CD check.

Fortunately, they finally realized that there is no need for a CD check with online authentication.

Its easier to attack EA because they're a big corporate giant instead of Valve who is a beloved "indie" company... oh wait, EA publishes Valve products for console systems. Scratch that.

not everyone LOVES Valve & Steam

Ya, I never buy from Valve or Steam either. What a lot of people who are supporting this sort of thing need to ask themselves is this, "Where is the line drawn and who is going to draw that line?" You may be ok with EA's decisions when it comes to security measures now, but what about the future? Who is regulating what they can and can't do? What laws are protecting us and are they properly defined and properly enforced?

 

[Modelworks]

More info than what was in the OP.

The explanation of the copy protection is this: "After the first activation, SecuROM requires that it re-check with the server within ten days (in case the CD Key has become public/warez'd and gets banned). Just so that the 10 day thing doesn't become abrupt, SecuROM tries its first re-check with 5 days remaining in the 10 day window. If it can't contact the server before the 10 days are up, nothing bad happens and the game still runs. After 10 days a re-check is required before the game can run." So, while the game doesn't require the DVD to run (unless you don't have an Internet connection) it will still check with a server every ten days to ensure your key is still valid. And this is on top of the fact that users are allowed only three activations of the game.

So you can use the game without the internet, but it has to have the dvd in the drive, and the game has to be activated online.
But its still got that screwed up activation crap that is required and you can only install the game 3 times for the life of the product !
WTF ?
Are they absolutely insane ?


They really need to look at the new dongle technology.
There is quite a bit of it that remains very hard to near impossible to crack.

From the bioware forums, Derek French:

Quote: Posted 05/03/08 16:51 (GMT) by Olegdr

Pray-tell what is exactly deemed public?

When we find a CD Key on a warez site or publicly posted somewhere. Like if you posted your CD Key for public consumption here on our forums.

Quote: To how many friends am i allowed to borrow my legally purchased copy, before you ban me from playing it?

I believe that the SecuROM settings are for up to 3 activations.

There is no banning or such if you go beyond the 3 activations, it just won't activate. If you run into any issues with this, you will be able to contact EA tech support and they will help you resolve any problems you have getting your game to run, including issues with SecuROM.

Just won't activate ? Great, and all we have to do is contact EA to play a game we paid for .

There are no external programs with SecuROM. It is completely contained in the wrap of the executable. There are no other programs or processes that run, other than was is with MassEffect.exe

Translation: It will be cracked in 24 hours or less.

Quote: all the people who have issues with the copy protection(issues in any form) will probably go to the internet groups so they don't have to deal with it. Sorry for the slight-rant.

Its a perfectly legitimate concern. EA has assured us that they have their auth systems and customer support staff in place and ready for the launch of Mass Effect PC. Anyone having issues with getting MEPC activated will be able to contact EA Support and get their problem resolved.

EA has assured them of customer service ?
Oh I feel so much better now !

 

[Bateluer]

Originally posted by: Edge1

Not that I have the time to play it anytime soon, but I was still considering pre-ordering Mass Effect. Well, not anymore. These guys need to take a lesson from Stardock.

Also makes me want to buy Sins of a Solar Empire now, even though I likely won't have time to play it.

Hmm, I just check Wikipedia, seems Stardock is based in Michigan, my home state.

 

[Xavier434]

Originally posted by: Modelworks
More info than what was in the OP.

The explanation of the copy protection is this: "After the first activation, SecuROM requires that it re-check with the server within ten days (in case the CD Key has become public/warez'd and gets banned). Just so that the 10 day thing doesn't become abrupt, SecuROM tries its first re-check with 5 days remaining in the 10 day window. If it can't contact the server before the 10 days are up, nothing bad happens and the game still runs. After 10 days a re-check is required before the game can run." So, while the game doesn't require the DVD to run (unless you don't have an Internet connection) it will still check with a server every ten days to ensure your key is still valid. And this is on top of the fact that users are allowed only three activations of the game.

That makes me feel a little better, but it still sucks for the reasons you mentioned.

 

[hooflung]

I will definitely steal this game, period. I won't even pay for it if I like it. I was waiting for this game for a long time and enduring the 360 fanboi rants about how good it was and how exclusive it was. Now that we get it they pull this kind of rubbish. No thanks. EA... have a grenade salad and a middle finger sandwich.

 

[BrunoPuntzJones]

I'm sure that once you are locked out after you go on vacation you'll have to pay a $10-$15 activation fee to get the game going again.

 

[AMDZen]

Originally posted by: QuantumPion
If they do this then I might pirate it out of spite, even though I can afford to buy it legally and would have otherwise.

I just cancelled my pre-order of Mass Effect.

Being that KoTOR and KoTOR II are two of my favorite games. I purchased them both on my Xbox and on the PC. I also bought Jade Empire on both my Xbox and PC. The PC versions are of course, better, and I bought all of them also because of Mods and other advantages PC games have.

I don't have a 360 and hadn't planned on buying one either.

Any way if it gets cracked I might consider buying it. I use "No-cd" cracks on every game I've ever bought any way because that annoys the hell out of me. Or I might just do as you've already suggested.

 

[AMDZen]

Originally posted by: Jax Omen
Prediction: Spore will be the most-pirated game this year. Mass Effect would be up there except everyone who cares already played it on Xbox.

Not me. Haven't bought a next gen console yet and have no reason to. The only reason I was going to buy a 360 at first would have been Oblivion and a few other games I have on PC any way. Not to mention that Oblivion would be worthless without mods IMO. I didn't even play it seriously until the modding community was WELL underway, and also until I had a better computer that could handle it. Every other game I wanted to play on 360 got released to PC. And contrary to what people have said, Gears of War is awesome on PC I think. Don't know if its better then 360 but the graphics are better. I was actually going to buy a 360 with my tax returns because of Mass Effect and luckily read that it was getting released right before I pulled the trigger and bought an e8400 and 4 GB or RAM instead. The only new reason to own a 360 for me that's come along is GTA:IV which will be on PC soon enough.

Also even if I had a 360 I would of bought Mass Effect on PC any way because, if history is any indication, there will be some awesome mods for it and the PC version would be much better regardless.

Originally posted by: Jax Omen
And yeah, it makes me want to pirate it. Instead, I'll probably buy the game then run a crack to circumvent the intrusive DRM. It's what I did with Bioshock >_>

I did the exact same thing with Bioshock :laugh:

 

[VashHT]

This is pretty ridiculous, I'm guessing it won't work right when i comes out, kinda like with Bioshock. I remember reading the Bioshock forums, with all the reassurances that "all you have to do is call tech support", and then all the really pissed off responses that people were being led in circles by the support and they couldn't play their legally purchased games. I wouldn't be surprised if this was cracked before it came out even, someone always manages to get a copy of these games like a week before release.

 

[shingletingle]

I know everyone considers EA terrible and all, but still, I find it really hard to believe they decided the 10-day check and 3-activation limit was a good idea. What the hell are they doing?

 

[s44]

Originally posted by: Modelworks
Even worse.
What happens if in the future they remove the authentication servers ?
Your purchase becomes a coaster.

Wrong -- this is Bioware we're talking about. A no-check patch is certain at some point long before servers go down.

 

[s44]

Originally posted by: Xavier434
Ya, I never buy from Valve or Steam either. What a lot of people who are supporting this sort of thing need to ask themselves is this, "Where is the line drawn and who is going to draw that line?" You may be ok with EA's decisions when it comes to security measures now, but what about the future? Who is regulating what they can and can't do? What laws are protecting us and are they properly defined and properly enforced?

A better question is, who's going to protect us from not having any PC games in the future?

It isn't going to be you lot.

 

[Edge1]

Originally posted by: AMDZen

Originally posted by: Jax Omen

And yeah, it makes me want to pirate it. Instead, I'll probably buy the game then run a crack to circumvent the intrusive DRM. It's what I did with Bioshock >_>

I did the exact same thing with Bioshock :laugh:

Yeah, I guess that is a way of being legit (buying it) and still getting around the damn protection. Maybe that's the way to go. I still hate to reward EA for this though.

 

[SunnyD]

Originally posted by: mcturkey
The truly amazing thing is that the recording industry, for all their ineptitude in regards to suing their customers into oblivion, has actually wised up in regards DRM. Why the hell can't other industries recognize DRM does nothing but anger the real, paying customers. Someone who is going to pirate your product is going to do it regardless. Unless you go with Steam (which the community trusts enough to be around for quite some time, and has proven fairly innocuous), don't waste my damn time with DRM.

EA abandons their games pretty quickly. Any other developer and I might not be so disgusted here, but unless expansion packs are released for this game, the auth servers will be gone within a year or two. This "only authenticate 3 times" crap proves I'll be cracking Spore at some point during my time with it.

Thing is, the recording industry also gets buttloads of money for songs outside of music sales. They get broadcast and usage royalties, among other things. The gaming industry, with the exception of subscription-based-games, get NOTHING other than the initial sale of their title.

I'm not saying DRM is good, particularly not this model. But it is the livelihood of the developers here, they aren't going to get royalties from any sort of licensing deals or broadcast agreements here...

 

[Anubis]

Originally posted by: s44

Originally posted by: Xavier434
Ya, I never buy from Valve or Steam either. What a lot of people who are supporting this sort of thing need to ask themselves is this, "Where is the line drawn and who is going to draw that line?" You may be ok with EA's decisions when it comes to security measures now, but what about the future? Who is regulating what they can and can't do? What laws are protecting us and are they properly defined and properly enforced?

A better question is, who's going to protect us from not having any PC games in the future?

It isn't going to be you lot.

Xavier said basicialy the same thing i would have,

if PC Gaming dies i honestly dont think i would care

 

[venkman]

Here is what will happen

1)The game is released with DRM
2)People get fed up with the DRM and avoid it
3)Sale sucks
4)EA Blames Piracy
5)No Mass Effect 2 on PC

 

[Xavier434]

Originally posted by: s44

Originally posted by: Xavier434
Ya, I never buy from Valve or Steam either. What a lot of people who are supporting this sort of thing need to ask themselves is this, "Where is the line drawn and who is going to draw that line?" You may be ok with EA's decisions when it comes to security measures now, but what about the future? Who is regulating what they can and can't do? What laws are protecting us and are they properly defined and properly enforced?

A better question is, who's going to protect us from not having any PC games in the future?

It isn't going to be you lot.

There are many issues which need to be addressed when it comes to securing the future of PC Gaming in order to make it more profitable. Piracy is one of those issues. However, the solution to piracy should never make the experience of being a legit user less convenient and more troublesome. All of these "DRM band aid" solutions are not working. That's for sure.

On a personal note, I would be upset if PC gaming died but not that much as long as all of the types of games that are traditionally more PC oriented move to consoles which I am sure they would. I am also confident that we would see more games on consoles which utilize a keyboard and mouse for those who "must" have that. The only two things that I would miss is the mod communities which may only be a temporary problem and the fact that playing on my PC means the rest of my family can enjoy the TV at the same time.

 

[lupi]

Lol


Lol


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Lol



And people didn't like steam, and it stunted their early development for a couple years, because of the online required issues. Now EA comes up with a once a week'ish activation scheme. Lol. EA could be trusted about as much as my dog to keep activation servers up as long as the customers wanted.

At least now we have nominations for the top 2 coasters of the year.