AfterDawn: News

EA follows Ubisoft, will sell titles with 'always on' DRM

Following in Ubisoft's footsteps, Electronic Arts has confirmed that upcoming games from the publisher will include the very controversial "always on" DRM scheme that forces gamers to be connected to the Internet at all times or lose the ability to play their games.

The first EA title to include the DRM will be Command & Conquer 4.



While gaming, if you ever lose connection to the Internet, or even if EA's servers go down for any reason, you will not be able to play C&C4, not even in single player mode.

Ubisoft learned the hard way that the system is flawed and does nothing but push legitimate buyers over to pirated versions, which allow for full playback without DRM, but it seems clear that EA will have to learn the same lesson on their own terms.

Written by: Andre Yoskowitz @ 18 Mar 2010 18:08

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• 23 comments

• nonoitall

  Quote:Those who cannot learn from history are doomed to repeat it.
  

  18.3.2010 18:32 #1

• Morreale

  This should work out great with the reliable EA servers...
  

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  18.3.2010 18:47 #2

• jos22

  well it not like we need an other reason to not buy an EA games. 99% of their titles are utter crap movie tie ins or simply changing a single number on front of the box ie all thier crap sports games.
  
  at least it be fun watching the warez teams of cracked take out their servers. but know ea they not only charge you full price for the game but also a fee for the servers..
  
  I say if EA and UBi want to use this they should foot the bill for internet connections

  18.3.2010 18:49 #3

• Mysttic

  LOL... NO surprise here. none. Other than what, not restricting the amount of installs as well?

  18.3.2010 18:49 #4

• DVDBack23

  Originally posted by Mysttic: LOL... NO surprise here. none. Other than what, not restricting the amount of installs as well? Hey Mysttic, I looked into it and it appears there will be NO limit on installs.
  

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  18.3.2010 18:59 #5

• ZippyDSM

  And I will purchase the non DRM version.
  

  Until lobbying is a hanging offense I choose anarchy!
  Ah modern gaming its like modern film only the watering down of fiction and characters is replaced with shallow and watered down mechanics, gimmicks and shiny-er "people".
  http://zippydsmlee.wordpress.com/

  18.3.2010 19:03 #6

• llongtheD

  Well its been such a trouble free and smashing success with ubisoft, why wouldn't they follow?
  I really hope consumers wise up and force these kinds of policies into extinction with complete aviodance of products containing this type of DRM.
  

  If your fish seems sick, put it back in the water.

  18.3.2010 20:56 #7

• bam431

  Ugh....
  

  18.3.2010 21:45 #8

• Pop_Smith

  The need to be connected to play single player is ridiculous. If I take my laptop on vacation there are going to be periods where I can't find a reliable Internet connection.
  
  During such periods it's occasionally nice to play a game for ~20-30 minutes and having to be connected to the internet basically eliminates this possibility. I will be getting a DRM-free version of this ASAP.
  

  http://www.megavideo.com/?v=V1VZAD0O <-- Brian Regan "Take Luck" video.

  19.3.2010 02:16 #9

• Arbiter297

  Looks like I'm not buy Command and Conquer 4 now EA great way to loose your costumers.

  19.3.2010 04:13 #10

• frenchegg

  I think this all might be part of a bigger plan, so they can say look we are trying to stop priacy but it keeps getting cracked, please help us government officals.
  
  If they prove they have tried every avenue then maybe the goverment will step in and pass legislation which they have been trying to get through anyway, maybe that's what they are hoping for cause it will be craked I'm sure and I'm sure they know it to.
  
  Maybe I'm wrong and EA are actually really stupid as this is pushing people towards priacy even if they didn't want to go that route in the first place.

  19.3.2010 09:02 #11

• Josipher

  one idiot..2 idiots..3 idiots..instead of counting sheep count software companies at night
  

  mods go home

  19.3.2010 12:42 #12

• Amak

  They are at least doing it half right: CnC 4 has an online component. But this DRM crap is still BS...
  

  19.3.2010 13:42 #13

• nintenut

  Ha, fantastic...
  The big publishers seem to be excreting valid reasons for piracy at the consumer level out of every stinking orifice these days.
  

  
  

  19.3.2010 21:51 #14

• KillerBug

  What if the people in charge of these companies are playing the futures market on their own companies? You could make a lot of money by destroying your own company.
  
  Or perhapse they are opposed to intelectual property laws...and these titles are a form of protest?
  
  They certainly are not trying to stop piracy; no one is that stupid.
  
  ...And they are not trying to get people to petition their congressmen for tougher laws against piracy. When you force everyone to become pirates, support for anti-piracy legislation dries up completely.
  
  I stopped buying PC games a couple years ago, I do miss the keyboard/mouse combo...but I just could not agree with all their DRM...and now those forms of DRM are not even considered bad. If "Always On" DRM takes over, it is only a matter of time before the next level of intrusion becomes standard.

  20.3.2010 01:39 #15

• lissenup2

  Well well well................I am a fairly avid proponent of buying the games that you really like. For me, AvP 2010, Bioshock2 and 1 or 2 others MAYBE but sure as HELL is hot...............I ain't buyin' into this. I will jack everything and get a "no cd crack"0 because internet connections go down from time to time............especially if you're a Comcast user and booting me from a game because of that is simply intolerable.
  
  Almost seems like Ubisoft and EA have hired politicians to make these ridiculous decisions.

  21.3.2010 01:53 #16

• lissenup2

  Originally posted by KillerBug: What if the people in charge of these companies are playing the futures market on their own companies? You could make a lot of money by destroying your own company.
  
  Or perhapse they are opposed to intelectual property laws...and these titles are a form of protest?
  
  They certainly are not trying to stop piracy; no one is that stupid.
  
  ...And they are not trying to get people to petition their congressmen for tougher laws against piracy. When you force everyone to become pirates, support for anti-piracy legislation dries up completely.
  
  I stopped buying PC games a couple years ago, I do miss the keyboard/mouse combo...but I just could not agree with all their DRM...and now those forms of DRM are not even considered bad. If "Always On" DRM takes over, it is only a matter of time before the next level of intrusion becomes standard. Soooooooooo................now you only buy console games??????
  
  By all means......have fun with that. 60 bucks for a game that NEVER reduces in price, where PC games start at 50 (very very few 55-60) and 3 months later they're down to 40.
  
  Besides, first person shooter games are meant for the PC using a mouse and KB. Almost impossible to do subtle movements like aiming with a controller. I think most agree that games using this DRM of "constant on internet connection" will NOT work out in the long(ish) run and most won't adopt up front anyhow.
  
  Let's not forget that the pc has the use of the BEST controller ever...........the XBox 360 controller so the best of both worlds have come together.

  21.3.2010 01:59 #17

• Pop_Smith

  Originally posted by lissenup2: By all means......have fun with that. 60 bucks for a game that NEVER reduces in price, where PC games start at 50 (very very few 55-60) and 3 months later they're down to 40. Have you ever checked Amazon? They regularly discounts games by ~$5 dollars within a week and, with the exception of a few games, they come down to $40 within two months, sometimes even less and in a shorter time frame, just like PC games.
  

  http://www.megavideo.com/?v=V1VZAD0O <-- Brian Regan "Take Luck" video.

  21.3.2010 02:46 #18

• hobo155

  I certainly will not be buying this. Pirating it seems like the wise consumers choice. My guess is that in 10 years I would no longer be able to use the game. If they can guarantee that the servers will be up until the day that I die or my money back then OK, perhaps I would consider purchasing it.

  21.3.2010 19:21 #19

• gnovak1

  Originally posted by Pop_Smith: Originally posted by lissenup2: By all means......have fun with that. 60 bucks for a game that NEVER reduces in price, where PC games start at 50 (very very few 55-60) and 3 months later they're down to 40. Have you ever checked Amazon? They regularly discounts games by ~$5 dollars within a week and, with the exception of a few games, they come down to $40 within two months, sometimes even less and in a shorter time frame, just like PC games. I'll add my 2 cents also. I have also defected to Xbox and Xbox live because to me, PC gaming is doomed. These game prices for console games do go down but you have to be willing to wait a few months. I'm in no hurry to get that latest title. I have other xbox games to play until the new ones go down in price. I also buy used games which have never given me a problem.
  
  I know abandoning PC games is bad, but i have a feeling other game companies will follow suit and join in on this DRM disaster.

  22.3.2010 13:32 #20

• Mez

  I feel comforted by that information!

  25.3.2010 14:27 #21

• ebgeer (unverified)

  As my favorite saying goes:
  
  Assume makes an ASS out of U and ME. And Ubisoft can take the cake this time around. I'm not sure there was much research done on their part about connectivity and a constant online connection and for that matter about who the people are that are buying their games. I am someone that doesn't pirate things-I provide the cash to the individual that deserves the dollar. And by assuming what they did Ubisoft not only alienated their buyers, but pissed them off. They also pissed the people off that bought the collectors edition but did not need to because it was given freely at a later point for the companies wrong doing. The more rights you take a way from a consumer the more they have to adapt...adapt in this case is piracy. For myself, I actually had a really strong interest in picking up this game..but now...we'll have to see where they take this. My hope is a re-released no-drm version or at least a patch to by-pass it. Ubisoft has some good games...and EA has some good games on the way and if they keep adapting this drm non-sense, then they will continue to lose customers and in the end money. They lose money from the loss of sales due to pirates, but they are adding to the fire by including crap like this all based on an assumption. If they would have done a 20 person survey they could have got a better idea, than they had of what they were going to do to their good name.

  30.3.2010 10:51 #22

• cawatch

  spam edited by ddp

  27.4.2010 01:44 #23