Spore Copy Protection Q&A

[Watashiii]

I'm interested in the answer, but also happy about bothering them with annoying questions. That should teach them not to hide facts from the users

But, if you REALLY want to annoy them, ask them if you lose an activation when you change your monitor or keyboard

[Dankidus]

Originally Posted by Watashiii

But, if you REALLY want to annoy them, ask them if you lose an activation when you change your monitor or keyboard

I remember somebody mentioning on another board that you do lose an activation upon changing out the monitor... but hey - ask em to get it out in the open!

[flatfroggerx]

There COULD be truth to changing monitor. Some monitors give odd colour profiles without drivers, which means you guessed it... -_-

USB devices should not but they could, I'm thinking along the lines of USB DVD drives. Keyboard and mouse should not but I am aware of certain dell keyboards and mice which prompt windows to install drivers. We also have gaming keyboard and mice. I SERIOUSLY hope USB devices are included at all for monitoring in securom. If they are my god someone is lalalalalalaed and shouldn't be let near a computer.

Oh and ask them about what programs are blacklisted by securom

[Dankidus]

Considering that USB devices add to the windows hardware profile, its a completely valid question and concern.

[Spah]

Originally Posted by Peteuplink2

I got another reply from EA:

Changing hardware triggers an activation installing drivers should not cause an activation...

Well that's it, that totally convinced me to get the game. The fact that EA has officially stated that drivers should not set off the activation and that you can install and reinstall your game on the "same" PC without setting one off means the 3 install limit should have no effect on me.
I only have 1 gaming PC that I'll use to play Spore, and that PC is a Dell XPS 720 which is powerful enough to run Crysis on DX10 graphics at a decent FPS. Coupled with the fact that this PC is connected to 5.0 speakers and a 19" HD Samsung TV means that I won't be updating ANY hardware for at least another year, and by that time the DRM would probably be removed (and I'll be bored with the game by then anyway).

[A1or2Ply]

EA told me that I should be ok If I jump of a cliff so I'm may just do it.....

I'm sorry but I have no faith in what EA say "should" be, I would like definite answers please before I even put that malware near my pc.

[Spah]

Originally Posted by A1or2Ply

EA told me that I should be ok If I jump of a cliff so I'm may just do it.....

If EA were the leading bungee jumping company in the world (like they are with electronic entertainment) then I would trust them with that assertion.

[A1or2Ply]

All I can say is you are very trusting of EA support staff especially when they are making sweeping assumptions about something as important as losing activations by installing drivers. Is something written by support staff an official EA statement? If so I've got some very strange ones in my mailbox from EA support.

When EA state that "You will not lose an a activation by installing drivers" then I may start to believe them. But as of yet we have no official statement to that effect.

[Watashiii]

Originally Posted by Spah

If EA were the leading bungee jumping company in the world (like they are with electronic entertainment) then I would trust them with that assertion.

But what if your bungee equipment stops working when you change three locations?

[Watashiii]

Originally Posted by Dankidus

I remember somebody mentioning on another board that you do lose an activation upon changing out the monitor... but hey - ask em to get it out in the open!

And here I was, trying to be funny... This secuROM thing is really ovedoing it

[777788889999]

Originally Posted by Dankidus

I remember somebody mentioning on another board that you do lose an activation upon changing out the monitor... but hey - ask em to get it out in the open!

Yeah, or why not a printer. Im sure that unlike some people here there are many if not most that uses his/her computer for more than just gaming. So we got a lot of personal stuff, like letter, photos, work related, whatever, and we wouldnt want to put that on stake just because we install a game...right?

[Marcolon]

ok guys this is the e-mail i send to EA:

Hello

I have been on the spore forums alot lately and theres big topics about SecuROM the copy protection that was put on spore. And if you havent already seen it i would like you to know how many that was going to buy spore gave up. Sorry But because of this secuROM you are losing MANY customers. As some said: You are treating Customers like criminals. why? Are you doing something or are you just annoying it all. I've even heard that if spore is going to earn what it has costed to make it you gotta sell 3-5 million games! I used to love EA and its great games as SPORE but im not so sure anymore...

And heres the syupid answer:

Hello,

Thank you for contacting us here at Electronic Arts Technical Support. Unfortunately as we here at Tech Support have no direct line to the game developers and production team, I cannot guarantee that your feedback for SPORE will reach the proper people, for that I apologise.

We recommend that you please post on the appropriate game forum. These forums are maintained and monitored by the community leaders and production team. By posting on these forums you will be able to submit direct feedback to the appropriate person. Please make sure that you follow the EA terms of service when posting. http://www.ea.com/global/legal/tos.jsp

You must have an EA member account in order to post on the forum.
EA Customer Support

Click here to go to our forum site.
http://forums.electronicarts.co.uk/

Click on the appropriate genre for your game.

You will be brought to a page containing the forum direct links. Click on the appropriate forum section under your game title.

For best results post on the Suggestions section for your title. If there is no Suggestions section post in the General section.

Should you require further assistance about this or any Electronic Arts games in the future, please visit our website and review our extensive Self Help knowledgebase (Support Centre).

Thanks!

Anne
EA Support Centre, UK and Ireland

Im already posting in the forum? But EA dont listen here!

[Malgor]

Lol, that sounds like a typical EA answer alright

"um... we don't know anything, since we are ignored just as much as you are. Perhaps someone else does know - but we are not aloud to ask them. Why don't you do what you were doing anyway, and see if the answer falls from the sky? Meanwhile, we will go back to playing solitare."

You have to laugh - the induced madness helps you avoid pulling all your hair out

[5xkwsk]

I bet that all of the EA staff are given pre-written emails ready to send of to us whenever we contact them.

[A1or2Ply]

The responses I got were exactly the same as Marcolon's only the name of the support worker was different.

[5xkwsk]

Although I don't think changing USB devices could count as changing hardware, therefore using an activation, surely not? However inserting a pendrive does show up as a different drive on the "Computer" area doesn't it?

[Cyberfrog]

Of course they have standardised replies, they probably get hundreds of more or less sane emails a day.

[5xkwsk]

Originally Posted by Cyberfrog

Of course they have standardised replies, they probably get hundreds of more or less sane emails a day.

Well they could at least add something of their own in there.

[A1or2Ply]

Originally Posted by Cyberfrog

Of course they have standardised replies, they probably get hundreds of more or less sane emails a day.

I know they are standardised, that's what worries me. What if I have to contact them for an activation when Securom decides to stop my game working, It took long enough for them to cut and paste a reply why should it be any quicker when they need actual information from me?

[Lethn]

I think these kind of responses have just encouraged me completely into this boycott I say we also post on the suggestions forum as well if the devs read that at all ( probably not but it's worth a try).

Oh and lovely I just checked the forums and discovered that there's not such bloody thing a suggestion forum.

[Lethn]

Hey guys just to say I made a poll in the EA forums for the general community to post in and I'm begging you I hate SecuROM as much as you do but let's keep everything civil in the thread Do you want SecuROM in ANY EA Games?.

[ssjmonkeyboy]

well,

it would seem like EA probs wont remove the stupid crappy activations thing as spore has gone gold and is now getting put on to disc.... its a big mastake on there part as i am now thinking of not getting the game as its a rip off as i have had to reformat my comp 3 times in the space of 6 months!! and i ant paying for a game and then having to pay yet again for more activation codes! no matter how good a game it could be its just not worth it

[tangfastic91]

A) what does it mean "going gold"
B)I emailed EA Omni, and he's actually onside, and hes contacted the developers about our discontent

[Lethn]

Woh! Really tang?! I seriously hope this is true because I'd be really relieved if they at least got SecuROM off spore. Also going gold means that it's pretty much the final version or the game is released just another piece of fancy lingo really.

[tangfastic91]

oh . Yeah hes contacted them. Its the first step but im still pessimistic for some reason