Spore Contains SecuROM DRM

http://www.theinquirer.net/gb/inquirer/news/2008/09/10/spore-seeds-rootkit

And a lot of people aint happy with it either I know Mass Effect has 1 and BioShock didn't know The Sims has 1 I just installed it and removed and everything seemed alright on my PC.

(goes off to a rootkit check).

oh yeah, A LOT of people are up in arms over this DRM.

Spore is now one of the most pirated computer games ever.

You should check out the reviews on amazon.com. Many, MANY people have left 1 star reviews. Many of which is directly because of the DRM. Other people gave it a 1 star, since the game was changed SOOO much since the 2005 tech demo that they showed us.

So you have people pirating the game, simply because of the DRM. ( Which honestly...That's a BS story to begin with. In most probability, they was going to Pirate the game anyways. Their just using DRM as a post hoc excuse. )

And then you have people pirating the game because the game changed sooo much from the original tech demo, That they don't feel that the game is longer worth the money, since they arn't getting what they were told they would get, 3 years ago.

And people don't care so much about online, because all that really does is send over creature data to you, that others created. The thing is, you can go to the spore website, and browse their user created creature database. And the creature data is saved as a .PNG file! ( yes, a image file. ) So people just go to the site, find cool creatures they like, right click, save the file. and pop it into their creature folder. BAM, you have the entire online feature, with the click of the right mouse button.

Makes me wonder if Spore, and Sim City Societies would have come out the way they did, if Maxis was never bought by EA....

Oh well, as long as i don't re-install my legit copy of the game more than 3 times, i won't have to call EA tech support, so i can get a new license. Luckily, i tend to leave games installed on my computer for a LONG time, simply because once i'm done playing it, i forget to uninstall it. So it really shouldn't effect me.


EDIT: Wait...Spore installs a Rootkit??? Anyone know what this rootkit does? Does it only check for emulation devices ( such as alcohol 120% ), or does it do more? If it only checks for emulation devices...then whatever. But if it is sending out data, or messing with other stuff....well, i won't be very happy.

Maxis didn't make Sim City Societies and it's not surprising that Spore would change over 3 years. What game hasn't? It's still the same game really. The only bad thing about it is Securom.

Frankly, I don't give a flying crap about DRM. If I got the game legit and reinstall it three times, then uninstall or format for the fourth time (before I'm just tired of the game) I'll just have to contact EA...big freakin deal..just an email or the like with a bit of numbers to show your legit and you get another three installs.

I mean really...do you have to reformat/reinstall that much? I do once a year (for upgrades and the like)...that gives me three years of play time before I have to say, "I need a another key please". Unless I have a bad issue and I have to reformat/reinstall two more times premature? Well I just have to contact EA for another key...which is hardly out of the way.

I understand why people are upset for the fact of "punishing the legit customer etc. etc" reasoning...but really doesn't bother me.

If I like the game, and all of it's "features" are enough for me to enjoy, I will buy it and support.

I just don't see it as such a big deal as it is being made out to be.

Buy it if you like it...don't buy or support it if you don't like it. Simple....move on. I've past up many of good games because of gameplay, graphix or whatever didn't appeal to me....do I go off somewhere and bash it? NO, just moved on to somthing else.

I kinda see all this as an opening to vent disimination, years of frustration twards the game indutries big wigs, a oppertunity(sp) to stick it to the man, and a way to show off how idealistic one can be.

Hardin said:

Maxis didn't make Sim City Societies and it's not surprising that Spore would change over 3 years. What game hasn't? It's still the same game really. The only bad thing about it is Securom.

Click to expand...

The changes in the game over the 3 years, is almost equivalent as the differences between Sim City 4000, and Sim City Societies.

very simply, they dumbed it down A LOT.

Why? Dunno, they havn't said yet. Maybe if they gave the players an explanation as to why so much was taken out, maybe people wouldn't have gotten as annoyed. It could have easily been a technological problem, or would have required CPU power that only high-end users would own, thus shunning out 90% of the gaming market. Don't know. They haven't told us.

At the same time, the players never got any news from EA/Maxis saying that the features that really made us drool in the '05 tech demo, was taken out. ( at least, I'm not aware of them telling us anything of the sort. ). So it appears as if they took out a lot of the features, didn't say anything, and just let the players assume those features would still be in the game.

Again, I don't recall them every telling us about the changes. They may have...and i could be 100% wrong on this.

But it would be like if WarHammer online cut out PVP in the retail version, but not telling anyone, and letting the players find out for themselfs.

zexmarquies01 said:

The changes in the game over the 3 years, is almost equivalent as the differences between Sim City 4000, and Sim City Societies.

very simply, they dumbed it down A LOT.

Why? Dunno, they havn't said yet. Maybe if they gave the players an explanation as to why so much was taken out, maybe people wouldn't have gotten as annoyed. It could have easily been a technological problem, or would have required CPU power that only high-end users would own, thus shunning out 90% of the gaming market. Don't know. They haven't told us.

At the same time, the players never got any news from EA/Maxis saying that the features that really made us drool in the '05 tech demo, was taken out. ( at least, I'm not aware of them telling us anything of the sort. ). So it appears as if they took out a lot of the features, didn't say anything, and just let the players assume those features would still be in the game.

Again, I don't recall them every telling us about the changes. They may have...and i could be 100% wrong on this.

But it would be like if WarHammer online cut out PVP in the retail version, but not telling anyone, and letting the players find out for themselfs.

Click to expand...

You're exaggerating. I've been following this game for a long time and it's still one of the best games I've ever played. I can't blame Maxis for wanting it to cater to a more casual crowd as well. That's just what Maxis does. They make games for everyone. It seems I'm the only one on this message board that actually likes the game. Maybe I should stop coming here for a few days until everyone stops talking about Spore. Here's a response from Will Wright about the "dumbing down".

In an interview published by MTV, Spore designer Will Wright responded to early lukewarm reviews and criticism that the phases of the game had been dumbed-down and so were too simple by explaining:[70]

We were very focused, if anything, on making a game for more casual players. “Spore” has more depth than, let’s say, “The Sims” did. But we looked at the Metacritic scores for “Sims 2″, which was around 90, and something like “Half-Life“, which was 97, and we decided — quite a while back — that we would rather have the Metacritic and sales of “Sims 2″ than the Metacritic and sales of “Half-Life.”
—Will Wright

I enjoy the game Hardin you are not alone...I reconize how much this game has to offer for something never offered like this before. Damn good job on this game IMO.

Always going to have haters at everyturn when a game is this successful, fun, easy to use, playable on a ton of different rigs under par or above par, stable, very engaging for the inmagination. Oh yes there will be haters...can't let them upset you if the are that upset about a video game imagine how upset real life make them...heh heh.

I won't pirate it, but I certainly won't buy this game now either. No rootkit spore for me.

zexmarquies01 said:

oh yeah, A LOT of people are up in arms over this DRM.

Spore is now one of the most pirated computer games ever.

So you have people pirating the game, simply because of the DRM. ( Which honestly...That's a BS story to begin with. In most probability, they was going to Pirate the game anyways. Their just using DRM as a post hoc excuse. )

Click to expand...

I have to disagree with this whole-heartedly. I was so excited for spore but stay away because of the DRM. I have a laptop and a desktop and all of a sudden there goes 2 installs. Crashes happen etc. I havent downloaded the game. But it is VERY TEMPTING. I particularly liked a suggestion I saw that said they were going to download the game and then mail EA a cheque for like $50.

I like to buy my games, not rent them. They can go sit on a finger and rotate until they get their heads on straight. I dont mind authenticating with a server, or using cd keys or any other form of anti-piracy crap but once you limit the number of times I can install the software that I purchase you lose my business. Just the way it goes

Frogbones said:

I enjoy the game Hardin you are not alone...I reconize how much this game has to offer for something never offered like this before. Damn good job on this game IMO.

Always going to have haters at everyturn when a game is this successful, fun, easy to use, playable on a ton of different rigs under par or above par, stable, very engaging for the inmagination. Oh yes there will be haters...can't let them upset you if the are that upset about a video game imagine how upset real life make them...heh heh.

Click to expand...

I'm glad I'm not alone. I guess I just get worked up too easily.

Ehh...you cant hype a game for 3 years an expect everybody to actually like what they get when they do get it.

I could see spore being a game i would really enjoy. And perhaps I will break down one day. It has nothing to do with being a hater. In fact I have owned every game that Maxis put out (excepting the Sims2). By far I have logged the most hours playing their games. I am truly saddened by the way they are treating me as a very loyal customer. Such a pity. I'll stick with my $20 copy of Fate and a few other games that didnt treat me like garbage for supporting them

Frogbones said:

Frankly, I don't give a flying crap about DRM. If I got the game legit and reinstall it three times, then uninstall or format for the fourth time (before I'm just tired of the game) I'll just have to contact EA...big freakin deal..just an email or the like with a bit of numbers to show your legit and you get another three installs.

I mean really...do you have to reformat/reinstall that much? I do once a year (for upgrades and the like)...that gives me three years of play time before I have to say, "I need a another key please". Unless I have a bad issue and I have to reformat/reinstall two more times premature? Well I just have to contact EA for another key...which is hardly out of the way.

Click to expand...

I went through this exact same thing using the securom crap. You get 3 installs, **that is it**. I talked to them for a few weeks to try and get another key, they absolutely refused. I went out and bought the CD version instead and did a chargeback to get a refund.

Stratus_ss said:

I have to disagree with this whole-heartedly. I was so excited for spore but stay away because of the DRM. I have a laptop and a desktop and all of a sudden there goes 2 installs. Crashes happen etc. I havent downloaded the game. But it is VERY TEMPTING. I particularly liked a suggestion I saw that said they were going to download the game and then mail EA a cheque for like $50.

I like to buy my games, not rent them. They can go sit on a finger and rotate until they get their heads on straight. I dont mind authenticating with a server, or using cd keys or any other form of anti-piracy crap but once you limit the number of times I can install the software that I purchase you lose my business. Just the way it goes

Click to expand...

Yeah, I agree. I don't mind authenticating online, CD keys, or any of that, it's the install limit I have a problem with. You are right, we are essentially renting the game for $50. It's also sad that people who payed for the game (like myself) are subjected to these constraints while people who pirate it don't have to deal with it. How is that treating your customer right? I mean, I could kinda understand using these methods if they actually worked, but EA HAS to know they aren't going to work! I mean Spore was pirated the day it was released, people in the US could download the game for free sooner than they could buy the game in stores. That is not an effective copy protection scheme, it ONLY hurts paying customers.

Spore is a good game and I am enjoying it, but the DRM is a huge problem. I'm just hoping they increase or remove the install limit in a future patch (like 2K did with Bioshock). DRM like this makes me appreciate Stardock more and more, I wish more companies would switch to the Stardock way of thinking (Customers are not criminals).

I did one digital purchase of a game and ran into this limited cd key issue way back on a Heroes M&M game. Got my CD key with a simple email (was ****ed the whole time).....BUT it was the first and last time I got a digital purchase.

Frogbones said:

I did one digital purchase of a game and ran into this limited cd key issue way back on a Heroes M&M game. Got my CD key with a simple email (was ****ed the whole time).....BUT it was the first and last time I got a digital purchase.

Click to expand...

Well, you had a better experience than me...I will also never buy a game online again.

thideras said:

Well, you had a better experience than me...I will also never buy a game online again.

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Wait, so you bought Spore through EA's Online Store (Download Version) and they refused to give you another install? Did I understand you correctly?

Not to sound like an ***, but sure glad I never bit into the hype machine for this. Just about everybody I know is pirating it lol.

This is the exact reason why I'm avoiding those games for the PC. Steam is bad enough requiring internet connectivity in order to play most of the Valve games... I seriously have no desire to have EADM revalidating my license every time I try to play... and then on top of that this SecuROM BS.... I'm pretty sure i'm not the only one having a problem with 50 different services running in the task manager just for these BS licensing scemes.

Sure there is alot of piracy out there... I understand why they do this... it still irks me that I'm considered guilty of game piracy until proven otherwise.... I don't steal games... i've purchased every one that I have.

until they fix things and get a clue... EA and whoever else comes up with this crap can stuff they're games where the sun doesn't shine, I don't care how good the game is.... if i REALLY have to play it, i'll buy it used for my 360 at some point.



~ Gos

Leviathan41 said:

Wait, so you bought Spore through EA's Online Store (Download Version) and they refused to give you another install? Did I understand you correctly?

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It was not spore, it was another game.