Blogger unable to comprehend Spore DRM controversy
Inevitably, not everyone understands why some (or a lot of) people get their knickers in a twist over the current batch of DRM which is being used by EA. Check out this blog for an example of someone who doesn’t see the reasons.
I agree on a few points, mainly that it isn’t a problem for me, now, to live with the activation, or even having to authenticate the game every 10 days. The problems pile up when I think ahead, however, and when I think about how I’m being treated. Basically, what keeps cropping up is how I’m not being trusted as a customer, and how I just know that I will not be able to play the game in a few years, after EA tires of maintaining their key activation servers. Not to mention the fact that if I try to contact EA in 5 years and ask them for an extra install permission key, they’ll all go “huh?” or laugh at me.
I also can’t help but feel like it’s not just there to limit piracy, but also to limit second-hand sales, or even games renting, both of which inevitably will have an impact on the bottom line of a game.
Basically, what EA is doing is transferring ownership of a game from the consumer (i.e. you), to the producer/publisher (i.e. them), and you are now playing at THEIR behest. They can (or at least could while the game was checking its status every 10 days) revoke your right to play the game at any time. Actually, I think they still might, as I believe Spore authenticates itself every time you connect to the online content.
This is what most people are getting so pissed over.
Then there are people like me who get pissed over having drivers installed into the OS without my knowledge or authorization, which is just plain rude and borders on being illegal. That’s personal property they’re messing with there.
DRM might very well have its place, but Sins of a Solar Empire, Galactic Civilization II etc have shown that if a game doesn’t suck, people will buy it, regardless of whether or not there is DRM on it.
It might also be that galciv2 and soase are aiming at a more mature audience which is more willing to pay for games, unlike teenagers which just want instant gratification NOW, no matter what they must do to get it..