Boycott Bioware!!!!

[SUBMAN1]

Ongoing permanent DRM internet checks every 10 days forever! This is rediculous!!!!!!! :down::down::down::down: I know it will be cracked, but to buy the game is to support this nonesense!!!! I'll play the game, but I won't pay for it if its this bad! Its not like I can't afford it, it is the hassle of DRM when I know the pirate version will be free of it! And I won't be supporting the company with my $$$ if I don't purchase it!

http://www.theinquirer.net/gb/inquirer/news/2008/05/07/mass-effect-wins-award-worst-pc

-S

Mass Effect DRM goes too far

M.E. phone home (every ten days)

By Wily Ferret (http://www.subsim.com/articles/flameAuthor/gb/inquirer/news/2008/05/07/mass-effect-wins-award-worst-pc): Wednesday, 07 May 2008, 7:44 AM

PC GAMERS WHO have had their fill of online activation headaches with Windows will be pretty miffed to hear the latest anti-piracy scheme being dreamed up by top games publishers.


In a post on Bioware's forums, producer Derek French has confirmed that two of the biggest PC titles of the year - Will Wright's Spore and the Xbox 360 conversion of Mass Effect - will require ongoing, rolling 10-day activation over the internet.


"Mass Effect uses SecuROM and requires an online activation for the first time that you play it," French says. "After the first activation, SecuROM requires that it re-check with the server within ten days (in case the CD Key has become public/warez'd and gets banned). Just so that the 10 day thing doesn't become abrupt, SecuROM tries its first re-check with 5 days remaining in the 10 day window. If it can't contact the server before the 10 days are up, nothing bad happens and the game still runs. After 10 days a re-check is required before the game can run."


Just to re-iterate that point, you will need to re-activate your copy with the publisher every 10 days. Forever.


So a few pertinent points. If you don't have the internet, you can't play these games - probably not so much of a big deal in these days of ubiquitous broadband, but a bugbear for a few, nonetheless. Many will say that this is a pretty outrageous invasion of privacy that significantly worsens the PC gaming experience - for example, installing the games on a laptop and then heading off on holiday could result in a complete lack of gaming action.


The DRM will let you install the game on three different machines before having a paddy. Bioshock, last year's standout PC title, allowed up to five activations and only one online check at installation. And, of course, as with that title last year, if the activation servers go down you can kiss goodbye to playing your nice new game on launch day.


And if it so happens that the DRM's makers go out of business in a couple of years, you can forget about ever playing your game again in the future, as there will no servers to activate with.


It's also significantly more onerous than the DRM even on Windows installations - which, given that the OS costs around five times the cost of a PC game, seems strange. It's another reason to simply find a version of the game that is hacked to bypass activation - common sense dictates that using legit software shouldn't be more hassle than pirated software.


Gamers who are miffed at the latest move in anti-piracy measures can express their displeasure here (http://masseffect.bioware.com/forums/viewtopic.html?topic=628375&forum=125). Or they could just not buy the game.

[Ducimus]

That is going way too far. What if you decide to tuck the game away for a few months, or even a year, and then decide to play it again?

That BS would seriously drive me into looking for a warez version then put up with that crap, and i've never D/L or used a warez/torrent distribution, EVER. This however would encourage me to do so.

[SUBMAN1]

That is going way too far. What if you decide to tuck the game away for a few months, or even a year, and then decide to play it again?

That BS would seriously drive me into looking for a warez version then put up with that crap, and i've never D/L or used a warez/torrent distribution, EVER. This however would encourage me to do so.Pretty much my thoughts as well. I am a stickler for owning the original boxed game to keep up my collection, but this one would drive me to download a securerom free version!

-S

[antikristuseke]

Boycot the publisher not the developer. EA should be the target in this case, not Bioware because devs dont really have a say in the DRM used in most cases. Anyway i'm probably going to do what I usualy do, buy the game but play it cracked.

[darius359au]

Boycot the publisher not the developer. EA should be the target in this case, not Bioware because devs dont really have a say in the DRM used in most cases. Anyway i'm probably going to do what I usualy do, buy the game but play it cracked.

EA are great at this kind of rubbish ,To play the EA digital download of Rail Simulator you need to be connected to the internet all the time, and have their launcher active or it wont run! To add insult to injury, their charging the same price as a boxed version anyway so you dont save any money and get hassled for your troubles.

[antikristuseke]

Indeed, EA's digital distribution has been a huge stinking pile of fail.

[Ducimus]

When it comes to EA and my dislike of their practices...... words fail me. There is no way to accurately describe in the english language, my disgust of EA.

[CaptHawkeye]

Bioware and all other PC developers can blow me. I love how they piss millions of dollars into their games to get 3 extra textures out of X dude's pinky and then wonder where all their money went when they don't get Halo-esque sales. Maybe you *******s wouldn't take so much damage from pirates if you didn't bankrupt yourselves with every new game? "Nah, we'll just find more totally useless security measures that just end up being draconian."

[antikristuseke]

Bankrupting themselves with every game they develop is exactly why they are still in business. I salute your ignorance, kind sir.

[CaptHawkeye]

Bankrupting themselves with every game they develop is exactly why they are still in business. I salute your ignorance, kind sir.

:roll: If you have to bankrupt yourself repeatedly to stay in business, then congratulations! Your business practices SUCK. Especially if you don't NEED to spend that much money...ever. But nah, devs like to blow off millions on simple graphical boosts and then complain when they don't make instant profit. I guess I should feel bad that they're a bunch of idiots then shouldn't I?

I mean, the developers of Sins of a Solar Empire were smart enough to keep development costs low and as a result have had zero issue making profit on their game. You don't see them whining like Cevat Yerli does and complaining that PC gamers are just mean poopy heads who don't like him because he can't figure out how to develope a game without selling his house and car.

[iambecomelife]

Boycot the publisher not the developer. EA should be the target in this case, not Bioware because devs dont really have a say in the DRM used in most cases. Anyway i'm probably going to do what I usualy do, buy the game but play it cracked.

EA are great at this kind of rubbish ,To play the EA digital download of Rail Simulator you need to be connected to the internet all the time, and have their launcher active or it wont run! To add insult to injury, their charging the same price as a boxed version anyway so you dont save any money and get hassled for your troubles.

Are you serious? Wow. All they're doing is making more and more people turn to piracy, including consumers who usually wouldn't do consider it.

[goldorak]

You know what ? I keep my 50-60 € and EA just lost 50-60 €.
You're never going to convince pirates (or the large magority of them) to start buying games, but its very easy to annoy honest customers so much that they stop buying your games. I'm in this second category and that's why in recent years I've only bought protection free games that interested me that is.

[jumpy]

Medal of Honor Airborne was the last EA game I bought; there won't be another for me.
Not because of drm, but because although the game looks nice and plays quite well in its single player format, since I had it from release the number of times I've successfully been able to connect to an online game can be counted on the fingers of one hand.
That says 'not fit for purpose' to me.
Like everything else, they knocked out an unfinished product aiming to secure as much profit as possible.
Sorry EA, I loved the MOH series (I still play Spearhead online) but you've killed it so badly that even after 3 patches, Airborne still doesn't work. :dead: :down:

...RIP MOH franchise...

[ReallyDedPoet]

With regards to this discussion and some specific posts in this thread, I want remind
folks of the following from the SUBSIM FAQ & Rules:

SUBSIM Review has a longstanding policy against software piracy. We do NOT allow discussion or even mention of warez, abandonware, peer-to-peer game swapping, illegal download sites, or rip-off websites. Nothing will get you banned faster than pointing people to illegal software distribution sites. Don't ask for serial numbers, manuals, or cracks. Any admission that you have in your possession illegal software can and usually will result in revocation of your Radio Room forum account. Support computer game programmers buy legally purchasing their work. They have to eat too, you know.

RDP

[antikristuseke]

Bankrupting themselves with every game they develop is exactly why they are still in business. I salute your ignorance, kind sir.

:roll: If you have to bankrupt yourself repeatedly to stay in business, then congratulations! Your business practices SUCK. Especially if you don't NEED to spend that much money...ever. But nah, devs like to blow off millions on simple graphical boosts and then complain when they don't make instant profit. I guess I should feel bad that they're a bunch of idiots then shouldn't I?

I mean, the developers of Sins of a Solar Empire were smart enough to keep development costs low and as a result have had zero issue making profit on their game. You don't see them whining like Cevat Yerli does and complaining that PC gamers are just mean poopy heads who don't like him because he can't figure out how to develope a game without selling his house and car.

I guess my sarcasm escaped you.

[CaptHawkeye]

Bankrupting themselves with every game they develop is exactly why they are still in business. I salute your ignorance, kind sir.
:roll: If you have to bankrupt yourself repeatedly to stay in business, then congratulations! Your business practices SUCK. Especially if you don't NEED to spend that much money...ever. But nah, devs like to blow off millions on simple graphical boosts and then complain when they don't make instant profit. I guess I should feel bad that they're a bunch of idiots then shouldn't I?

I mean, the developers of Sins of a Solar Empire were smart enough to keep development costs low and as a result have had zero issue making profit on their game. You don't see them whining like Cevat Yerli does and complaining that PC gamers are just mean poopy heads who don't like him because he can't figure out how to develope a game without selling his house and car.
I guess my sarcasm escaped you.

Oh, well then. :) It did. My detector is ****ty. But it's hard to keep it running all the time when I meet lots of people who actually MEAN IT when they say things like that.

[kiwi_2005]

Been a big discusion in another forum i visit on this, gamers like everywhere else are refusing to buy the game. Bioware must of listened cause they have dropped 10-day reauthentication.

http://masseffect.bioware.com/forums/viewtopic.html?topic=629059&forum=125

Official BioWare/EA Response to DRM Discussion

There has been a lot of discussion in the past few days on how the security requirements for Mass Effect for PC will work. BioWare, a division of EA, wants to let fans know that Mass Effect will not require 10- day periodic re-authentication.

BioWare has always listened very closely to its fans and we made this decision to ensure we are delivering the best possible experience to them. To all the fans including our many friends in the armed services and internationally who expressed concerns that they would not be able re-authenticate as often as required, EA and BioWare want you to know that your feedback is important to us.

The solution being implemented for Mass Effect for the PC changes copy protection from being key disc based, which requires authentication every time you play the game by requiring a disc in the drive, to a one time online authentication.

This system has an added benefit of allowing players to seamlessly play the game without needing the DVD in the drive.

Key points---

•This solution allows gamers to authenticate their game on three different computers with the purchase of one disc. EA Customer Service is on hand to supply any additional authorizations that are warranted. This will be done on a case-by-case basis by contacting customer support.

• Games are authorized to the machine when the player installs and launches the software for the first time.

• We’ve all had those times when the discs get lost or scratched and you can’t play a game you’ve bought because you need a working disc in the drive. With the new system players will no longer need the disc to play the game, but can instead simply retain the disc as back up for re-installation.

FAQ---

Q: What is the difference between the old PC disc authentication solution and the new online model?

A: Two things have changed:

• First, authentication of discs has now gone from the physical format to the online format, freeing the need for consumers to have a disc in the drive at all times.

• Second, with online authentication consumers now connect to the Internet the first time the game is launched and are required only to reconnect if they are downloading new game content.

Q: Will EA or BioWare take any personal information from my computer during an authentication?

A: Absolutely not. We do not take any personal information from your computer. The system simply verifies that a valid CD key has been provided and assigns that activation to that PC.

Q: What happens when I’ve reached the maximum # of computers for my game and I need more, say due to theft of computer, computer crashes, etc?

A: EA customer service is on hand to supply any additional authorizations that are warranted. This will be done on a case-by-case basis by contacting customer support.

Q: Why are BioWare and EA implementing this new authentication process?

A: This serves to protect our software from piracy. It has the added benefit of allowing consumers to activate the game on multiple machines without needing the DVD in the drive when playing the game.

Q: Did BioWare and EA change their mind on requiring that the game be re-authorized every 10 days?

A: BioWare has always listened very closely to its fans and we made this decision to ensure we are delivering the best possible experience to them. To all the fans including our many friends in the armed services and internationally who expressed concerns that they would not be able re-authenticate as often as required, EA and BioWare want you to know that your feedback is important to us.

Q: If the game isn’t going to require an authentication every 10 days, will it ever require re-authentication?

A: Only if the player chooses to download new game content.