Spore is good, DRM is bad, shut up already (edited for repentence)

[Rabid Toilet]

I don't think the OP is ragging on people complaining about the game itself, only those who say the game sucks because of the DRM.

Using the impenetrable fence situation; just because you can't get to the house, it doesn't make it a bad home. It's the fence's fault you aren't enjoying your purchase, not the house itself.

 

[Limos]

I don't think the OP is ragging on people complaining about the game itself, only those who say the game sucks because of the DRM.

Using the impenetrable fence situation; just because you can't get to the house, it doesn't make it a bad home. It's the fence's fault you aren't enjoying your purchase, not the house itself.

EXACTLY!!!

That's what I'm talking about, it's when people say the game is terrible BECAUSE of the DRM, I'm trying to tell people that the game is good DESPITE the DRM.

 

[The Poet]

Ok, gonna ask again, what is DRM?

 

[Jamanticus]

Ok, gonna ask again, what is DRM?

Digital Rights Management....Here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DRM

 

[Limos]

Ok, gonna ask again, what is DRM?

DRM, or Digital Rights Management, is the security put in place to stop people from pirating the game. Unfortunatley for Spore the DRM is so abnormally invasive that it only inconveniences the people who bought the game, but Pirates don't have to deal with it at all.

Taking the analogy from earlier posts, it's a fence standing between you and the House(game) you bought.

 

[The Poet]

Alright, thanks for the definition, but I really felt that there was something invasive about Spore unless I missed it looking at my collection of porn... I mean...

 

[Jamanticus]

Using the impenetrable fence situation; just because you can't get to the house, it doesn't make it a bad home. It's the fence's fault you aren't enjoying your purchase, not the house itself.

I wholeheartedly agree- it could be the best house ever, but if you can't get inside, it might as well be in another universe... Hence the stealing of houses

And Limos, the whole retarded cousin bit with the house made my analogy complete- thank you.

 

[ElArabDeMagnifico]

Ok, gonna ask again, what is DRM?

 

[Alex_P]

Well, the game ratings on a site like Amazon refer to its quality as a complete product. Since you can't buy the game without the DRM, how the DRM affects your user experience is directly relevant to your review.

For example, I liked playing Mass Effect. However, trying to use the product I bought also a horridly tortured installation process (unrelated to DRM, if you're wondering). Why shouldn't that factor into my evaluation of whether the product is actually worth your time and money?

-- Alex

 

[scoobyduped]

Unfortunatley for Spore the DRM is so abnormally invasive that it only inconveniences the people who bought the game, but Pirates don't have to deal with it at all.

Oh the irony.

 

[Limos]

Well, the game ratings on a site like Amazon refer to its quality as a complete product. Since you can't buy the game without the DRM, how the DRM affects your user experience is directly relevant to your review.

For example, I liked playing Mass Effect. However, trying to use the product I bought also a horridly tortured installation process (unrelated to DRM, if you're wondering). Why shouldn't that factor into my evaluation of whether the product is actually worth your time and money?

-- Alex

I approve of the Amazon rating protest shenanigens. It's when people on forums say the game is bad without giving a reason. Or if they do give a reason it's the DRM and then they blame the developers or Will Wright.

 

[Limos]

Unfortunatley for Spore the DRM is so abnormally invasive that it only inconveniences the people who bought the game, but Pirates don't have to deal with it at all.

Oh the irony.

It's odd isn't it? I'm not quite sure what EA thought to accomplish with this but it certainly backfired on them. I wish Maxis and the other game developers would ditch EA.

 

[meatloaf231]

It's like bitching about how terrible your waffles are because the box they come in is hard to open. The packaging might be a pain in the ass but it doesn't determine whether or not the game is good.

It's more like if you went into a nice restaurant, but before they let you enter they put an ankle cuff on you to track your position to make sure you don't leave without paying. Then, the waiter who brings you dinner sands there and watches you eat, again to make sure you don't leave without paying.

Sure the food is still good, but you know that the waiter and the ankle cuff are there, not trusting you.

 

[Rabid Toilet]

Well, the game ratings on a site like Amazon refer to its quality as a complete product. Since you can't buy the game without the DRM, how the DRM affects your user experience is directly relevant to your review.

For example, I liked playing Mass Effect. However, trying to use the product I bought also a horridly tortured installation process (unrelated to DRM, if you're wondering). Why shouldn't that factor into my evaluation of whether the product is actually worth your time and money?

-- Alex

Still, would you say that Mass Effect was a bad game, or that you didn't like the installation process?

In a review of a game such as this, the player's concerns about the annoying installation should definitely be noted, but it should be kept seperate from how they felt about the game itself. If someone is so put off by a technical hurdle in getting the game that they refuse to put up with it, they should still know about the quality of the game, so they can decide if it's worth pirating or not.

Saying that the entire game is bad based on hardships of getting it to play would dissuade people who could enjoy the rest of the game by getting it through another means.

 

[Limos]

It's like bitching about how terrible your waffles are because the box they come in is hard to open. The packaging might be a pain in the ass but it doesn't determine whether or not the game is good.

It's more like if you went into a nice restaurant, but before they let you enter they put an ankle cuff on you to track your position to make sure you don't leave without paying. Then, the waiter who brings you dinner sands there and watches you eat, again to make sure you don't leave without paying.

Sure the food is still good, but you know that the waiter and the ankle cuff are there, not trusting you.

True enough, but I think it's more like the waiter is hiding behind a potted plant and pretending we don't see him. If nobody told you he was there you MIGHT not notice him. Casual gamers probably don't know what we are talking about and find this whole controversy very confusing.

 

[Alex_P]

I approve of the Amazon rating protest shenanigens. It's when people on forums say the game is bad without giving a reason. Or if they do give a reason it's the DRM and then they blame the developers or Will Wright.

Fair enough.

-- Alex

 

[Limos]

Well, the game ratings on a site like Amazon refer to its quality as a complete product. Since you can't buy the game without the DRM, how the DRM affects your user experience is directly relevant to your review.

For example, I liked playing Mass Effect. However, trying to use the product I bought also a horridly tortured installation process (unrelated to DRM, if you're wondering). Why shouldn't that factor into my evaluation of whether the product is actually worth your time and money?

-- Alex

Still, would you say that Mass Effect was a bad game, or that you didn't like the installation process?

In a review of a game such as this, the player's concerns about the annoying installation should definitely be noted, but it should be kept seperate from how they felt about the game itself. If someone is so put off by a technical hurdle in getting the game that they refuse to put up with it, they should still know about the quality of the game, so they can decide if it's worth pirating or not.

Saying that the entire game is bad based on hardships of getting it to play would dissuade people who could enjoy the rest of the game by getting it through another means.

On that same note you could argue that EVERY game is terrible because you have to *gasp* pay money for them! And they expect you go and actually get it from a store, and it comes on a physical disc. Plus you need the system. They even expect you to pay for electricity!! Look at all those technical hoops you have to jump through just to play the game.

 

[Rabid Toilet]

If nobody told you he was there you MIGHT not notice him. Casual gamers probably don't know what we are talking about and find this whole controversy very confusing.

True, other than knowing I only have two more installations, the DRM really hasn't affected me at all. If I hadn't heard about it already, I wouldn't know it was there until my third installation when my disk blew up.

 

[Limos]

If nobody told you he was there you MIGHT not notice him. Casual gamers probably don't know what we are talking about and find this whole controversy very confusing.

True, other than knowing I only have two more installations, the DRM really hasn't affected me at all. If I hadn't heard about it already, I wouldn't know it was there until my third installation when my disk blew up.

Yeah, that would be like going to the all you can eat buffet but after your first three trips to the buffet they suddenly boot you out. Even though all you got was a salad, some soup, and an extra spoon.

 

[Jamanticus]

Keep these analogies coming, Limos- this thread is getting good...


Is the DRM worse here [Spore] than, say, in Battlefront II?