N/A

Spore itself is a tarnished gem, a simplistic but fun experience that needs some polish; especially with empire management and the rate of events in the space stage.

The game deserves better than the negative attention Securom has brought, with the right patches it would be a truly memorable experience.

I really hope this doesn't result in the game getting abandoned by EA.

Put 'em in the clink

In civilised countries it is a crime to tamper with people's computer. We need to put an end to malware like SecuROM or Sony's rootkit, well, at least in the EU. The most effective way to deal with this malware is to put those responsible for its spread behind bars.

Dead On

Dead on. The only people getting screwed here are the people who are paying for the game.

I can't belive after all the flac Sony coped over the rootkit fiasco the same isn't occuring with this SecureROM gargage. As far i can tell Its effectively the same thing apart from the fact that securerom didn't rip their product off from a hacker rootkit.

I was thinking of buying this but since i've heard this i think i'll just download it. Screw EA.

If anyone has the details of the developers\artists please pass them on so i can send them their cut directly bypassing EA. As a consumer i dont actually see what value add EA are providing in any way.

Maybe someday it will dawn on them....

...How many people would have NOT bought the game if a cracked version WASN'T available?

Maybe there will be a time when EA and the likes will humbly have to say "Thank you Mr. Pirate...."

Spore Infection

The gaming companies really have to start better testing the games before release. I purchased spore a few days ago and i can't even play it because it crashes on start up. The crash is very common and thousands of other user's are also experiencing it. Funny thing is, apparently the crash is related to Securom as using a cracked exe allows the game to start.

SONY

They did it once, they do it again.
They got sued last time and lost some money. It should happen again.
Though I doubt even if they get sued and pay again they would learn.
M.

Curious

Let's just hope enough people have enough spunk to sue EA out of existence, they don't make games anyway, they buy the distribution rights then take over the whole ownership and they and everybody (good job journalists) pretends they created the damn game(s).

And what's this dismissal of EULA's crap by companies lately? first it's google with their ridiculous EULA and ridiculous claims it was 'an accident' and it isn't really valid retroactively (yeah tell that to a lawyer) Then it's EA saying they can just leave out mention because they are 'too lazy to bother' and think that's perfectly legal and OK.

Bioshock is 2K Games Not EA

Bioshock is 2K Games Not EA. Just thought you might want to correct that.

Spore not up to the hype

I had a look at spore, and was very disappointed(sp), after the hype I was convinced it was one of the greatest games ever released, it still is ... for 12 year olds and middle aged men.

Anyone after a more serious title, more sinister graphics and more depth and spore is weak, it disapointed me with its limitations in what you can create and how scary/real the results are, it also has key limitations in gameplay, what has music got to do with religion (as per the many interviews and reviews on how game play advances and one stage affects how to progress to the next)

I hope they can bring an adult version of the game out for the rest of us.

Prices

In addition shops selling the product in stores for £35 and EA daring to ask for £40.

There is no way I am paying over £30 for a game with spores resource simplicity, it's robbery.

Woolworths sold it for £30 and were sold out, is the extra £5 per sae really worth it Game, Zavvi, and the rest?

And why is a digital copy £40 EA you are taking the piss, haven't you noticed people in the UK have no money...

You've taken a great concept, killed it by making it accessible to anyone who can use a mouse, and then removed content so you can sell it on in £5 addons, I hope the addon market flops, but like sims it probably wont, as I feel this is daylight robbery.

Same thing happening on amazon.co.uk

Except Amazon have been deleting all the reviews on a periodic basis resulting in a higher score for the game.

They are also deleting negative reviews on the .fr and .de sites to, in effect, bump up the scores.

EA's response has been to accuse people of having a 'flashmob' on the reviews or being "petulant youths".

Given the difference between scores on metacritic between reviewers and users, there also seems to have been a bit of a sweetner campaign going.

I've spent a good few hours trying to get the BOUGHT game working correctly on a system with a Radeon 9800 graphics card and an ATI 64 based system. It's buggy as hell, locks up, black screen etc. Searching for info on fixing reveals numerous others with the same problems.

And of course, due to the Securom, it can't be sold on - as the buyer wouldn't know how many (if any) activations are left. EA have sold a badly written software rental as a full price product.

Overly restrictive, pointless DRM, yes..

But not a rootkit.

I was going to buy it

But now I'm not. These systems are just too much hassle and I do have different computers I uise in different locaions and will inevitably be reinstalling on them all at some stage. If I'm totally honest I think I will just download a cracked version instead - less hassle and I totally hate DRM both on principle and from a technical standpoint.

what a load of bull

I didn't even want this game, but now I think I'm going to pirate it, I may never play it, but I'm going to download it.

Screw you EA

Piracy for the masses

maybe when people reach the limit once or twice they will have no choice but to look for other ways to play the beloved game. Maybe once they get fimiliar with cracks they will also get familiar with downloading and acquiring software that alternate way.

I actually bought it...

No seriously and it worked.

The only time it messed my PC up was when I left the install disk in the DVD drive... that actually froze the boot until I removed it and no I didnt have it set to boot from CD in BIOS.

But the issue is not how it is now, its how it is a few years from now when EA have lost interest and I find I have not paid for a game to play whenever I want but paid for a lease on a game which has expired.

John Riccitielo's EA, has it reformed? Will be interested in seeing how EA Maxis handles some major complaints about the balance of the game as well. Will it be more of the Battlefield school of thought ie "lump it and buy the next one pls/thx" or will it be more considerate of the customer. I have already boycotted several EA titles and decided to give them another chance. Its make or break time for EA afaiac and its not just about this one game but all future releases wearing the EA logo.

blatant disregard for customer concerns

isnt it obvious to the software companies? people do not like DRM and they will avoid it.
i was going to buy the game but i'm not now.
pirates will probably remove the DRM parasite making the pirated version more desirable.
youve shot yourselves in the foot and should learn a valuable lesson: look after your customers and they will look after you...

Gamers, get a backbone!

Perhaps if the majority of the gaming crowd weren't just a herd of sheep, this wouldn't be happening now.

To an honest gamer who pays for games, piracy is irrelevant and therefore anti-piracy protection should also be irrelevant as well.

So get a backbone, vote with your wallet and *just don't buy the game* or any other game that restricts what you, as an honest user, wants the game to do.

It really is that simple.

Sick of this stuff

I had ordered it from Amazon over the weekend. When I started reading what was going on I went to cancel the order but it was already in the post. I got an RMA sticker instead and will simply refuse to accept delivery and demand a refund.
I will not install software containing something as insidious as SecuROM. Like many of the others here, I went straight to pirate bay and started a download. Why buy when the rip is a better product?

Mac Users affected?

Big question is - does this affect the OS X client as well?

Another game I don't buy...

Oops they did it again. I intended to buy Mass Effect, but decided otherwise because of the DRM. Now they have another game I don't even look at as the DRM and copy protection is putting me off once more.

I don't undertand why companies don't learn that the only ones they hurt with copy protection and DRM are the paying customers.

SecuROM

Never again. I was burned by Sonys DRM in the music CD arena. Never again will I allow SecuROM to be loaded on any PC I own.

Rootkits are bad Sony / SecuROM... mmm'kay?

Important point to bring up...

Since when does the pirated version of the game not install the DRM? I have yet to try Spore. But pirated games I've tried in the past still have the DRM in the image. And it gets installed on your computer anyway. It's just that the crack or cracked exe bypasses the DRM checks in the game.

Now you may think big deal...
But what if the DRM causes instability and performance issues in the operating system that are unrelated to the application it was installed with? Whether the DRM is in use or not. If you think back a few years.... remember Starforce?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/StarForce

http://www.boingboing.net/2006/01/31/starforce-threatens-.html

http://www.theinquirer.net/search/?page=1&zone=all&source=inquirer&query=starforce&submitForm.x=0&submitForm.y=0

http://www.glop.org/starforce/


Perhaps there needs to be a boycott of products installed with Securom. Such as was done with Starforce in the last link above.

Something to think about.

Gotta Love It

In their desperate attempt to control piracy (and their users in general), the only thing they've succeeded in doing is pushing /even more/ users to pirate it.

It's like DVDs - you only get that pesky un-skipable Piracy notice at the start if you actually bought it legally. Pirate it and you get it chopped off for you!

These methods solely punish their few remaining genuine customers. You know, I actually bought Mass Effect, laden with SecuROM malware et all. The thing crashed on me once, and I had to kill the process. But, <gasp> I dared to use that EVIL HACKER TOOL ProcessExplorer, and SecuROM refused to let me run the game again (at least until I rebooted). So now the games I buy legally are dictating what apps I am allowed to use on my own computer? Frack that. My next stop was gamecopyworld...

Idiots.

While

I would love to flame Sony here, let's not forget that SafeDisc (Sega / Macrovision) also has an online system that's very similar. EA is the 800lb gorilla in the publisher field, however, and they've currently chosen Securom. The Safedisc system is NO BETTER.

Let's not leave Safedisc alone either, because it's just as egregious.

Well dammit

I actually bought this game, now I'm pussed because I definitely would have downloaded it if I'd have known about this ahead of time. How long will it be before they realize punishing the ligitamate consumer only encourages piracy? I don't want to fund that kind of practice.

Is Anti-Piracy/DRM the Cure or the Disease for PC Games?

This is a terrible story for 2 parties - legitimate users who simply wanted to play Spore and couldn't because the activation servers went down and EA because Spore was cracked even before it was released.

Often developers walk a tightrope with the tradeoff between protection strength and the degree of impact on legitimate users but this was a failure on both dimensions! Is this really what the publisher wants to 'accomplish'? Why not use a solution which is friendly to honest users, has no impact on development time and the strongest available protection against crackers - see the whitepaper "Is Anti-Piracy/DRM the Cure or the Disease for PC Games?" which can be downloaded here <a href="http://www.byteshield.net/byteshield_whitepaper_0005.pdf">www.byteshield.net/byteshield_whitepaper_0005.pdf</a>.

Eradicated Arts.

Dear EA,

Spore is a fantastic looking game. Truly, the designers and artists need a pat on the back. I have also found the game to be quite solid, so your QA & beta testers did very well.

It's all really impressive, but the content a bit mediocre.

I suppose this is due to the game being made for 10 year olds... I have not been 10 for many years now.

In the end, the game did not provide enoug hchallange for me. It was more like moving a creature/vehicle around from point A to B with no real brains involved.

The way the creature evolves leaves something to be desired, but the fact the evolution plays such an insignificant role at the end is just a joke.

I have not bought the game, I never buy a game before I play it.

At the end of the day, I will not buy it because I do not think it is worth the money.

I might be inclined to purchase it as a gift for a 10 year old though. In that respect it is a sweeping success.

The fact it has DRM is of no importance, a no CD path would be applied in any case. Just to prevent the annoying need for the DVD to be in the drive & slowly get worn-out over time.

Cheers.

It is a felony in the USA

to cause computers to execute unauthorized code. Its part of the DMCA.

Sony was found guilty before. They had to pay and promise not to do it again.

There have been several cases where people who put lockout codes in software they sold were found guilty. A couple even went to prison.

Apparently all the Freetards were allowed out at once.

Amidst all the feigned indignation and outrage about SecurRom has anyone bothered to actually stop for a moment and think?

First of all, it's been known that EA would use some copy protection with Spore for a long, long time. They've done it with other games, why would Spore be any different?

Secondly. Copy protection in games is not new.

Third. Nor is piracy new. In the old days though, the inability of dial up links to suck huge files from the Net limited just how many people were able to grab the bootlegged image of a game. Now with peer-peer and bit torrent grabbing a free (stolen) version of a game is easier and quicker than going to the store to pick up a copy. So now the difference is that the speed and capacity of Net links enable far wider and easier distribution of a cracked game than was the case in the past.

Fourth. Games cost money to develop. There are whole teams of people working for months, artists, and musicians, actors, voice artists, and so on. All these people must be paid for their efforts, as must rights holders for any music or art used in the game, that's already copyrighted.

The truth is that PC games are pirated - aka copied, aka taken without consent or payment - with alarming ease and frequency. There are well documented instances where games have measurably lost significant sales while stolen copies in circulation outnumber the copies sold.

So, is it really all that unusual or unreasonable of the publishers to try to somehow prevent this? Forget all the bull about rootkits and the usual anti-Sony reflex (SecurRom isn't a root kit btw), that's just a distraction from the reality. An easy cover and excuse for moaning about someone making it harder for you to steal something. Oh sure, the high minded ones will be bemoaning the copy protection even though they would never copy it themselves. Fine, great, but you're simply enabling the millions of people who do copy the games illegally.

Why is it that you people think you have a right to sue EA because they seek to protect their property (the game) from thieves? Why do you think you're the victims when in fact you're not. What's next? Are you going to try to convince us that a little piracy here or there doesn't hurt EA because they're too big? Even if that were the case, what do you think happens to the individual game studio that developed the game? They need to be paid. EA might weather the storm, but the developer won't.

Salve your conscience however you will, you know that using a game you haven't paid for is an act of theft, pure and simple.

Spore?

They should have called it "Snore". The way they talked about the game in tech demos for the last few years, I was under the impression that everything was randomly generated/dynamic, that UFOs were omnipotent super machines that could do anything with no limitations and that the gameplay would be varied, interesting, and comfortably challenging and complex.

WRONG.

And how is Securom still in business?! Is there a securom infected title that HASN'T been cracked? It's like EA said "hey Securom, pirates will crack your software in thirty hours flat, so lets pay you a putload of money so we can use it to shaft real customers instead"

It's absolutely, completely, mental. I'm furious at Amazon and EA for messing with the user reviews as well; people are just trying to warn everyone about the trouble and cost they're getting into. With a helping of rant on the side.

Awfull Game

Forget the drm, this game is terrible. You can finish the game in around 6 hours, and it is so dumbed down that a preschooler could play it. It's as exciting as watching paint dry. Will Wright was over hyped, I wonder what he was doing the last three years.

Wow Gordon...

What makes you think that nobody has thought about this issue before?

"...it's been known that EA would use some copy protection with Spore for a long, long time... why would Spore be any different?"

I was unaware of the limited number of installs aspect of Spore's copy protection. I feel like this is dictating the way I can use the product I own in a manner they don't have rights to dictate. I expect any game these days to have some copy protection, but I don't expect it to be restrictive to me, the paying customer.

"Copy protection in games is not new."

I don't see your argument here. This excuse would never make anything else okay. Pirating games is not new. Stealing things is not new. Slavery is not new. Genocide is not new. Notice how none of those statements affected your stance on the issue?

"...the speed and capacity of Net links enable far wider and easier distribution of a cracked game than was the case in the past."

This is a textbook example of changing market conditions. The companies that adapt will thrive, those that stay the course will fail. Simple as that. The game developers are (or should be) well aware of the market they are operating in. One solution is to make the purchasing of their game EASIER than pirating it, thus it becomes the preferred option of the majority.

"Games cost money to develop... people must be paid..."

I don't disagree, but this is not an argument for invasive copy protection.

"The truth is that PC games are pirated - aka copied, aka taken without consent or payment - with alarming ease..."

Indeed, this goes back to my previous point. Pirating games these days is often more convenient than purchasing it. This is where the publishers should be focusing their energy.

"So, is it really all that unusual or unreasonable of the publishers to try to somehow prevent this?"

Nope. However it is unreasonable for them to do so in a way that prevents a legitimate consumer from exercising the full rights of a product they own. In fact, it's illegal. Even YOU wouldn't be okay with a new system (Call it SecuRom v2) that required a full cavity search upon the launching of the game. Would it make your butt hurt less to know that it was stoping piracy somewhere? Probably not. Would you rush out to buy the sequel to that game? Probably not.

"An easy cover and excuse for moaning about someone making it harder for you to steal something."

When you download a torrented game, someone has already taken the necessary steps to allow you to play it. My mom could do it. I don't think the people downloading the games illegally are the ones complaining about the copy protection. Why would they? They never see it in action. We are the legitimate consumers. Hi.

"Why is it that you people think you have a right to sue EA because they seek to protect their property (the game) from thieves?"

Because they do so in a manner that violates a person's rights. This has been the basis of lawsuits for generations.

"Why do you think you're the victims when in fact you're not."

Just because they are a victim of piracy does not mean I can't be the victim of their unlawful copy protection schemes. Does being the victim of a crime make it okay to commit crimes of your own? Last time I checked, that excuse didn't hold up in court.

Do you really think people would be complaining if the copy protection system was absolutely inconsequential to the legitimate customer? What if it was some sort of magic that simply knew if you'd purchased the game or not, and if so, allowed you to play it on any PC, wherever you went. Who would be complaining then? Nobody!

Mystery solved.

EA needs to wake up

When will EA wake up and finally notice we don't want DRM that limits how many times we can install a game we paid for.

Mass Effect still won't listen, all they want is idea's about different kind of DRM.
Chris Priestly keeps asking what other DRM do we think would work better on BioWare off-topic forums.
http://forums.bioware.com/viewtopic.html?topic=648558&forum=22

What we need is demand retail stores to put stickers on any games that limit how many times you can install it.
We need game review sites to post info about DRM instead of worrying about making money off the review.

Just Deserts

All EA's scheming has back fired. The dumbing down for mass market appeal, the overly restrictive DRM, the hype machine. Don't you just love it?

I do feel sorry for the developers though. The game had real potential. I suppose this is what happens when you join the dark wide and work for EA.

Securerom and Rootkits

To those posting here about the fact that Securerom is NOT a rootkit, you're correct. However, it has been reported that Spore installs a rootkit to talk to EA servers, just what they say to each other isn't exactly known to me.

So not only are EA dictating how you can use the product you PURCHASED, but they're spying on how you use it.

Piracy is one thing, but that's cyber crime of a different level.

Copyright Infringement

"Salve your conscience however you will, you know that using a game you haven't paid for is an act of theft, pure and simple. "

Wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong.

It's an act of COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT, pure and simple, NOT theft.

They're treated differently under the law because one involves taking property from someone else, the other infringes upon a state granted monopoly on the copying of a work.

Theft denies the use of the item to it's original owner (such as a shopkeeper who loses 100% of the copy of Spore someone steals from the store), so it is arguably more damaging to society.

News Flash.

Amazon has wiped the reviews! There is a firestorm occurring in the Amazon Spore forum. Yikes.

Thanks

Was going to buy the game. I was saving up, seriously considering it. As a college student, I have to spend wisely.

I'd rather not pay $50 for a game that may harm my system. I've been waiting adamantly for this game. I was going to buy it on day one.

I guess I'm lucky I didn't have the money for it.

BACK FIRE

i downloaded the game of pirate bay just to seed it !
I do not like the game so i wont play it but that is how i pay for what bioshock drm did to me !
My freaking neibor was paying the freaking game(bittorent )and i was not since i bought the original and the activation servers were down at launch ,and then later when i used my 3 activations i had to wait 1 FREAKING week so that 2K judged that i have the right to have the game activated again !
BLAST THEM ALL GREEDY BASTARDS , I WILL DO EVRITHING IN MY POWER TO MAKE THEM LOSE MONEY !
FU EA
FU 2K