AfterDawn: News

Users have more complaints about Spore DRM

The Consumerist has posted an article on another crippling feature of Spore's SecuROM DRM which outlines how the game allows for only one profile per install meaning if multiple family members or friends living in the same house want to have their own individual online personas, they will have to purchase an entire new copy of the game.

The official Spore manual however reads that "You may have multiple Spore accounts for each installation of the game." An EA spokesperson has posted however that the manual is a misprint and and there is only one profile allowed per purchased title. "That section in the manual was a misprint and will be corrected in future printings of the manual. There is one Spore registration/account per game/serial code so you are correct in that you cannot make multiple accounts at this time. I have sent your guys' feedback to the game team though since I can understand the desire to share a game on a system that you entire family uses," reads the post on the official Spore forums.



This latest news is very disheartening as it is common practice for most PC games to allow different user profiles with different saves in case family or friends want to both play in the same household but don't want to buy a $50 USD game twice.

As if the game and EA's use of DRM weren't in the news enough already.

Written by: Andre Yoskowitz @ 14 Sep 2008 18:31

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• 21 comments

• varnull

  Quote:That section in the manual was a misprintErrr.. yeah right.. like Amazon just "happened" to lose a load of negative comments about the drm..
  
  Best excuse ever to get a pirated copy.. and give EA the finger.

  14.9.2008 19:53 #1

• seegee

  I would be happy to PURCHASE Spore. My wife would love it. However we like easy and simple installations ( and re-installations when something goes wrong). But with DRM on Spore, we will just purchase something else. And yes, when it comes to DRMs and other roadblocks to ease-of-use, people will go for the illegal downloads, not necessarily because they are free, but because they are easier to work with. As for my wife and I, we have purchased previous EA games but we won't even bother with Spore. EA's loss and we don't care.

  14.9.2008 20:50 #2

• SuckRaven

  This is idiocy at its finest. The game was cracked about a week or so before official release, so once again it will only be the ignorant consumer that gets shafted. The people that were not going to pay for this game to begin with, will have a nice DRM free copy.
  
  The most sickening part, is that EA has said that this will be how they release all future PC titles. Sad, sad, sad, and total bulls*it.
  
  I agree with varnull saying, Quote:Best excuse ever to get a pirated copy.. and give EA the finger.I think the negative comments on Amazon were returned after a short time though.

  14.9.2008 20:56 #3

• matt87622

  Simply put ea is gay. This does not surprise me, In a couple of months they will be spewing out more crap and slapping the nfs title on it again...

  14.9.2008 23:05 #4

• fgamer

  Funny thing is, I started to actually buy this game to support it but after hearing about the DRM in place I changed my mind and plan on downloading it off of TPB for free. EA won't be getting any of my money! I also told my brother not to buy it either, so looks like they lost allot of potential buyers due to it's DRM.

  15.9.2008 00:33 #5

• windsong

  A guy on BluesNews forum made an interesting theory..that EA is primarily testing the PC market (less profits than consoles) to see what the gamers will put up with..and that eventually they will bring this type of DRM to consoles, where a game is tied to ONE machine. No resell value at all. More profits since everyone in the family will have to purchase a separate game for themselves, and over time..multiple copies since EA will refuse to honor requests for additional install keys beyond, say, 7 or 8.
  
  I must have played Baldurs Gate II every year since release..and installed it 35 times on separate PCs. This was a store bought game I had purchased..not a pirated copy.

  15.9.2008 02:20 #6

• 13thHouR

  lets hope the taketwo deal is not completed before the release of gta4 as purchasing 3 copies of the game so each family member can create their own profile is beyond anti-consumer.

  15.9.2008 02:54 #7

• BcMester

  Quote:...allow different user profiles with different saves in case family or friends want to both play in the same household but don't want to buy a $50 USD game twice.And what if there are 3 kids in the family and all of them wants to play this damn game? Only one can at a time, and even if the parents consider forking out $150 for 3 copies, what will they install all of them on? Do they have to buy 3 computers as well?! Correct me if I'm wrong but I highly doubt that multiple copies of the game can be installed on the same PC.
  
  If you haven't read the comments to the Consumerist article: Kid 1 starts a new game with his own creature, makes some progress, then Kid 2 wants to play. He can make a new creature but only using his brother's login, and within the same universe his brother already started.

  15.9.2008 03:27 #8

• SSW

  Quote:Correct me if I'm wrong but I highly doubt that multiple copies of the game can be installed on the same PC.
  Why not? Just in different folders. The DRM shiz f's up everything, so I'm not so sure about that though. But for example, I've got Warcraft 3 on two different locations on the same HDD AND partition.

  15.9.2008 04:17 #9

• 13thHouR

  Maybe the outlandish 3 install limit DRM is just there to hide this by creating a media frenzy away from the more anti-consumer move.
  
  Its the start of pay per play for each family member, obviously studios and publisher see the ability for the entire home to play one game is a loss of revenue, just as sony rolled out with their PSN release of warhawk, so is it no surprise then that the DRM SecuROM is another part of Sony's evil work.

  15.9.2008 04:24 #10

• kyo28

  Originally posted by 13thHouR: Maybe the outlandish 3 install limit DRM is just there to hide this by creating a media frenzy away from the more anti-consumer move.
  
  Its the start of pay per play for each family member, obviously studios and publisher see the ability for the entire home to play one game is a loss of revenue, just as sony rolled out with their PSN release of warhawk, so is it no surprise then that the DRM SecuROM is another part of Sony's evil work.I'll agree that the DRM on Warhawk should tie a download to a console, but allow various accounts on the same console to play the game. I can certainly understand they wanted some form of restriction to be installed, as game-sharing is becoming a bit of problem on PSN, but they should have gone about it a different way.
  
  However, where Spore is concerned, your anger should be directed at EA. They made the decisions regarding which restrictions and DRM to implement, not Sony. When a person gets killed by a gun, we also don't arrest the gun makers but the person who fired the shot, no?

  15.9.2008 05:03 #11

• 13thHouR

  Originally posted by kyo28: I'll agree that the DRM on Warhawk should tie a download to a console, but allow various accounts on the same console to play the game. I can certainly understand they wanted some form of restriction to be installed, as game-sharing is becoming a bit of problem on PSN, but they should have gone about it a different way.
  
  However, where Spore is concerned, your anger should be directed at EA. They made the decisions regarding which restrictions and DRM to implement, not Sony. When a person gets killed by a gun, we also don't arrest the gun makers but the person who fired the shot, no?Actually yes you should focus your anger at the people making the weapons, it's the ppl behind the curtain that is destroying this world in the name of globalisation and profit, that is a very poor comparison. if walmart didn't sell ammunition, then columbine massacre would probably not have occurred.
  
  If there wasn't ppl ready to make items just to rape us of our freedoms then this would not be an issue!
  
  If the arms trade did not exist.....
  
  http://www.schnews.org.uk/schmovies/index-smash-edo.html

  15.9.2008 05:38 #12

• varnull

  Quote:However, where Spore is concerned, your anger should be directed at EA. They made the decisions regarding which restrictions and DRM to implement, not Sony. When a person gets killed by a gun, we also don't arrest the gun makers but the person who fired the shot, no?I suppose.. but you can still go into a gun shop and sell the same gun.. it isn't tied to only you and you can use it anywhere as many times as you want ;)
  If you look a bit you will find that sony have a major interest in EA.. something like 28%.. who is pushing who over this drm? I don't have any direct quotes (because that kind of industry connivance is always a state secret almost) but there is a gut feeling that sony is testing the drm water with EA before they use it on ps3 games so they don't manage to destroy the secure 3rd place they have in that market....
  
  I really am struggling to understand how they can think this kind of restriction is going to benefit the,. I have a few old EA games and none were bought new. generally I liked them so I did buy a few golf games for consoles new over the years because of the quality of the used games. Taking away this part of the market will push young gamers away from their brand.. Will you go and spend £25-40 on a game with no track record.. that you can only use yourself and which has no resale value whatsoever?
  
  I doubt it.. word is spreading, they are going to destroy their business.. and will blame "piracy" instead of their own greed and stupidity and downright disrespect for their customers..
  
  I use "customers" because a "consumer" is somebody who eats.. you purchase games and disks and TV's.. you consume food and drink.. once you have eaten/drunk it it has no resale value (except to the explosives and fertilizer industry.. and they buy in bulk from the people you pay to take it away.. hehehe) OOOooo.. theres a good parallel.. a game with drm = the stuff you pay the sewage companies to take away ;)
  

  
  
  Free open source software = made by end users who want an application to work. Im an a$$hole too.. and Im very proud of the fact.

  15.9.2008 05:43 #13

• 13thHouR

  Don't you love EULA's!
  
  
  Quote:3. Transfer. You may make a one time permanent transfer to all your rights to install and use the Software to another individual or legal entity provided that: (a) the technical protection measures used by the Software supports such transfers; (b) you also transfer this License and all copies of the Software; (b) you retain no copies of the Software, upgrades, updates or prior versions; and (c) the receiving party accepts the terms and conditions of this License. You may not be able to transfer the right to receive updates, dynamically served content, or the right to use any online service of EA in connection with the Software. You may not be able to transfer the Software if you have already exhausted the terms of this License by authenticating the Software on the allowed number machines. Subsequent recipients of this License may not be able to authenticate the Software on additional machines. EA may require that any end user of the Software register the Software online as a condition of use and/or purchase additional licenses.

  15.9.2008 06:20 #14

• susieqbbb

  I find this stupid.
  
  Ok even if you place DRM with secu rom one issue comes up There are ton's of applications that remove secu rom technology out of games.
  
  Funny huh.
  
  Secu rom not so secure huh.
  
  This is ea for you tons of security and no brains.

  15.9.2008 07:35 #15

• mspurloc

  EA plans to get around the negative reviews by dropping the price on its deluxe editions.

  15.9.2008 13:35 #16

• DXR88

  heh, drop the price all you want. i'm still going to get what i paid for, i will never buy spore, i was hoping to buy Mafia 2, i loved the first one. we will see if they change there tactics, if not well there always TBP.
  
  i would really hate to hurt the Developers(Gathering)because of EA's money Hungry tactics.
  
  People always have the power to crush the opposition. Whats a King With No People to rule or no followers to follow Him.

  15.9.2008 15:15 #17

• borhan9

  This game CD/DVD should be taken out of the box and then used as a coaster for your hot or cold drinks.

  15.9.2008 17:59 #18

• kyo28

  Quote:Actually yes you should focus your anger at the people making the weapons, it's the ppl behind the curtain that is destroying this world in the name of globalisation and profit, that is a very poor comparison. if walmart didn't sell ammunition, then columbine massacre would probably not have occurred.
  
  If there wasn't ppl ready to make items just to rape us of our freedoms then this would not be an issue!
  So the next time a drunk driver kills a person in a hit-and-run, police shouldn't track him down but instead we should sue both the company that produced the beer as well as the car manufacturer and not the irresponsible driver?
  
  The end responsibility lies ALWAYS with the person or company that used a certain tool in a certain way, not the person or company that created said tool.
  
  It's not Securom that limits the installs to only 3, it's EA that limits the number of installs to 3, USING Securom. The decision to limit the number of installs was EA's and EA's alone. They could just as well have used Securom as a means to prevent disc copying and allow unlimited amounts of installs.
  
  I know it's popular among some users of this site to demonize and critize big companies like Sony at the slightest drop of a leaf. However, in this case the big culprit is EA. Sony merely provided a tool but the decision on how to use that tool was EA's and EA's alone.

  19.9.2008 08:43 #19

• 13thHouR

  Originally posted by kyo28 : So the next time a drunk driver kills a person in a hit-and-run, police shouldn't track him down but instead we should sue both the company that produced the beer as well as the car manufacturer and not the irresponsible driver?
  
  The end responsibility lies ALWAYS with the person or company that used a certain tool in a certain way, not the person or company that created said tool.
  Neither cars nor beer are designed to harm, or take away peoples rights, that is one of the stupidest analogies ever. It's a classic bait and switch'esk analogy, used by politicians and corporate scum.
  
  Its on a par with the sony PR Ferrari one, why is the ps3 is the best, because it cost more. what would you rather the expensive Ferrari or the cheap Ford?
  
  "If you poke a bear and it eats you. Is it your fault or the bears?"
  
  If the tools for murder and anti-consumer behaviour were not there to begin with, this would not even be an issue.

  19.9.2008 11:19 #20

• DXR88

  We as humans have something other animals don't, a proactive Decision making ability.
  
  Right and Wrong, Good and Evil, are very vague
  
  here's on that my grandfather used to tell me.
  
  There was a bum on the corner by a ma & pa shop, always begging he never got much just enough to buy some PetriBread. however one day a man in a old french chariot gave the bum 100 dollars, back then 100 dollars was dame near enough to buy a small house. The bum never was seen again, on the side of the Ma & Pa Shop are 4 bullet holes.
  
  Good deeds can go bad, Bad deeds can be Good.

  19.9.2008 20:56 #21