Your Solution to EA's bs DRM used for Mass Effect and Spore

[bladester1]

First off, I realize that there are articles that talk about this issue and that some people probably gave their ideas/solutions, but I think that us Escapist can put our heads together and hopefully find a better way, even if no one will listen to us.

For those of you who do not know what EA is doing, you get 3 installs until your CD key does not work anymore. Uninstalling and re installing does not use one up as long as you do not make any major modifications to your computer.

So, I was thinking and I came up with this idea. They should make it so you can only install it on 3 computers, but when you uninstall the game you have to re-enter your CD key and then they give back the install you used, so you can install it on another computer or the same computer after re-formating your hard drive or other modification.

 

[wilsonscrazybed]

First off, I realize that there are articles that talk about this issue and that some people probably gave their ideas/solutions, but I think that us Escapist can put our heads together and hopefully find a better way, even if no one will listen to us.

Right now PC gaming companies don't have much choice. DRM like this has been going on forever in the audio software market. Be thankful the games don't ship with a USB access key. That is truly a pain in the butt for legitimate users.

 

[NewClassic_v1legacy]

First off, I realize that there are articles that talk about this issue and that some people probably gave their ideas/solutions, but I think that us Escapist can put our heads together and hopefully find a better way, even if no one will listen to us.

For those of you who do not know what EA is doing, you get 3 installs until your CD key does not work anymore. Uninstalling and re installing does not use one up as long as you do not make any major modifications to your computer.

So, I was thinking and I came up with this idea. They should make it so you can only install it on 3 computers, but when you uninstall the game you have to re-enter your CD key and then they give back the install you used, so you can install it on another computer or the same computer after re-formatting your hard drive or other modification.

This would fit better in Gaming Discussion. But it's a pretty solid idea to prevent users from spreading software too badly. So long as you stay on the right side of the law, it won't be a big deal. Mountain out of molehill topic, really.

Also, the topic title is very confusing, too many acronyms, not enough clarification.

 

[shatnershaman]

I prefer the "This box only" DRM. Key codes and the like (like losing the little manual!) scare me off of PC gaming. Only Relic and the bargain bin bring me back.

 

[The Thief]

For Mass Effect, depending on your morals you can pirate a copy if you ever get screwed out of your activations. Yeah, it's kind of ironic.

As for Spore, I'd say go with Khell's solution.

 

[fulano]

You can just do as many people are doing. Pirate it.
If you already bought it you can do it, though I'm not sure that will settle well with most people's morals, nor am I endorsing it, but the option is there.

Or just hack the damn thing, there's a reason why people can download those very kind of games right now off of torrent sites and play them. It's not pretty, maybe not even legal, but once you own the thing, you own it. You are not illegally distributing it, you just want to install the damn thing again.

 

[BlueMage]

First off, I realize that there are articles that talk about this issue and that some people probably gave their ideas/solutions, but I think that us Escapist can put our heads together and hopefully find a better way, even if no one will listen to us.

Right now PC gaming companies don't have much choice. DRM like this has been going on forever in the audio software market. Be thankful the games don't ship with a USB access key. That is truly a pain in the butt for legitimate users.

Actually, that'd be a fairly simple solution. Install the game, plug a USB key in (small, so cheap) and viola, play the game.

 

[wilsonscrazybed]

Actually, that'd be a fairly simple solution. Install the game, plug a USB key in (small, so cheap) and viola, play the game.

They used this with some high-end music software, it's a real pain in the ass if you have a defective key, or it breaks. Plus, it didn't stop hackers from breaking the copy protection and making emulators that did the same thing.

 

[shatnershaman]

Why bother with punishing DRM. No matter how much you put it will be cracked. All you need is light DRM for casual users.

 

[The Thief]

Why do they even need DRM on spore anyways? Isn't it focused more on online?

 

[zacaron]

I have a solution to the problem... I think my uncle uses a program you can download of the internet to create a VR image of the CD in your computor so you dont need the CD and then if you are doing a big mod to your computor just put it on a USB and put it back when your finished modding. hope this helps/works I am going to try it for spore.

I will let you know if it works.

 

[DeadlyFred]

They did what now? You can only install the game 3 times and then it "doesn't work" ? Hah. I know who's not getting any of my damn money. I pity anyone who goes along with this Gestapo BS. I really do, you're not only being blatantly insulted but ripped off in the process. Is it mentioned on the package that you can only install the game, a game YOU paid for, three times? If it does not, I pray someone sues these people. Ridiculous.

There are plenty of better ways to deal with the problem, many of which are already used. In fact I was reminded of one while reinstalling Battlefield 2 today (oops, 2nd install--only one left! *eyeroll*): Simply tie the CD key to an on-line account (they use this for registering expansion packs). Hell, doing it this way means you don't even need to actually HAVE your key on-hand for a subsequent installation as it is already associated with the account you use to sign in to the game.

 

[Altorin]

They did what now? You can only install the game 3 times and then it "doesn't work" ? Hah. I know who's not getting any of my damn money. I pity anyone who goes along with this Gestapo BS. I really do, you're not only being blatantly insulted but ripped off in the process. Is it mentioned on the package that you can only install the game, a game YOU paid for, three times? If it does not, I pray someone sues these people. Ridiculous.

There are plenty of better ways to deal with the problem, many of which are already used. In fact I was reminded of one while reinstalling Battlefield 2 today (oops, 2nd install--only one left! *eyeroll*): Simply tie the CD key to an on-line account (they use this for registering expansion packs). Hell, doing it this way means you don't even need to actually HAVE your key on-hand for a subsequent installation as it is already associated with the account you use to sign in to the game.

it only counts against your 3 total if it's installed onto a different machine.

I'm not condoning them, I hate it, and if Spore were on Consoles, I'd avoid it like the plague, I may still buy Spore.

I'm just clarifying so you know exactly what you're complaining about, cause you seem to be off the curve on this issue.

 

[GloatingSwine]

Why bother with punishing DRM. No matter how much you put it will be cracked.

Time.

Because most videogames sell their highest volume in the first two weeks of release, the point of a restrictive DRM system is to prevent one day or zero day cracks, where a game appears online as soon as or even before it hits the stores. If you can hold the hordes of robbing scum off for a week or two, your sales will shoot up.

The most recent evidence of this is Bioshock, which sold almost as well on the PC as it did on the Xbox 360, because for a couple of weeks after release there wasn't a cracked version available.

Compare that to Call of Duty 4, where console version sales (For either version seperately) far outstripped PC sales, but pirated keycodes online on the PC far outnumber legit ones.

That last part is telling as well. Titan Quest's makers Iron Lore reported that roughly 85-90% of all online players of their game were using a pirate copy. If they'd even been able to double the units sold by preventing people from robbing the game, the studio might still be around now.

 

[DeadlyFred]

I'm not off any curve. The very notion it exists in the first place is pretty much condemning enough, frankly. I don't care if some sort of pagan ritual has to be conducted in order for one of the installs to be used up. Such a system should not be there at all, period.

 

[scarbunny]

My personal solution for Spore is the same as Khell's. However if between now and release I some how become affected by hype then I'll pirate it.

As for Mass Effect the easiest way for me was to buy it on the xbox.

 

[clarinetJWD]

The big problem here isn't limited installs, but no way to recover activations. For example, with the current scheme, if I install Spore (which I have already pre-ordered, btw) and then need to reformat my PC (which I do at least twice a year...I like that new PC smell.), that counts as a new PC, and burns an activation.

What I would like to see is this: I install Spore and use one of my activations, I install it on my Media PC and laptop as well, using all 3. When I get a new PC or need to reformat, I uninstall it, and it contacts the server to reinstate one of my activations. It wouldn't be hard, and would be just as effective against piracy, except that it doesn't completely work against the end user.

While I'm on the subject... To all PC game developers: Microsoft has a saved games file in the user's documents or personal file for a reason. Please, please use that to make restoring our progress in a game after reformatting much simpler.