Poll: I bet hardly anyone is even affected by the Spore DRM

[Dramus]

I don't really get the issue with DRM, probably because I only play games on one computer. I can see their frustration, though. They want to keep pirates from stealing their games, but the more they try, the more it just makes the pirates pirate. I don't think the Stardock method would work on a large scale simply because the respect they get for taking a stand would not transfer if everyone were doing it.
OH! I just got an idea. Why not make it so you just type the code every time you run the game? Obviously you'd need to make it so the disc would have to be in for that to work, but then you could run it on any number of systems and be fine. Anyone see any problems with this?

 

[RKRigney]

@slycne

If blizzard went out of business no one would be able to play WoW because the servers would be down, so that argument makes no sense.

 

[SimuLord]

Honestly, I think more companies should try Stardock's method: Simply don't include any sort of DRM. As has already been established, it works about as effectively as using a sharpened stick and harsh language to fight a tank, so why even have it? It just punishes the legitimate customers.

On the other hand, Stardock's policy is "Our customers are our fans, so treat them as such." They don't play Big Brother, monitoring everyone and ready to initiate a witch hunt like EA and SecuROM. This is what Stardock does: They simply don't include any sort of DRM, and kindly ask torrent sites to not put pirated copies of their games up. You just have to complete an online activation with a valid serial number to download patches and updates. You can play their games WITHOUT doing this, and you don't even need to have the CD in your PC to play their games. You just need to do the activation if you want patches and other free updates (They support their games with tons of free extra content for download).

You know what the damnedest thing is? It works. Stardock's games have among the lowest rates of piracy in the entire industry. It is true that their games aren't exactly multi-million copy sellers, but they are still successful (Sins of a Solar Empire sold 500,000 copies worldwide so far since it came out earlier this year) and aren't pirated nearly as often as big budget, high profile titles with copy protection all over them.

This just further reinforces the idea that a good chunk of people turn to piracy BECAUSE of the draconian DRMs that make paying customers jump through hoops for having the sheer audacity to support the company by buying their game.

Stardock does it, and Paradox Interactive does it too. The phrase I'm looking for is "me likey".

 

[ElArabDeMagnifico]

There are so many reasons as to why you would have to install a game more than once, if not 10 times.

You think everyone just blows all of their installs in one week? It's mainly an issue about when you run out of times you need to install over time.

-but crack it, it saves you so much time and effort.

 

[ChromeAlchemist]

Ive no idea what all this DRM shit is so if someone could explain il be very greatful!

DRM or Digital rights management refers to some means of access control that a company or publisher holds on their products. In the case of Spore, you are given a set number of times that you can install it. If you use those up then you need to contact the company to request additional.

i think i shouldn't be paying full price for something that i don't completely own, i mean its like if i put a car in storage a certain number of times, it stops working. Didn't they try crap like this with Mass Effect? and do they charge you for additional activations/installs? i assume they do.

 

[wewontdie11]

It ruined my life! Because I now can't re-sell the game and I cant pay for my life saving heart transplant and to have my puppy returned to me by his kidnapper!

Nah I don't see what the big deal is. Just don't uninstall it once you've done it once and you should be fine unless you need to buy 2 more new PC's because the other ones broke in a matter of months.

Could be a bit annoying if for some reason it won't install once but I'm sure there are ways and means around that without parting ways with more cash....aren't there?

Plus lots people are just going to pirate it anyway so the DRM wont matter one jot to them anyway.