Spore Copy Protection Q&A

[798897]

He must have walked into the EA office and asked
"So how is my Spore Product going?"
They then showed him the secuRom dvd (:S lol) explaining how they were going to annoy their fanbase

Its too late for him to pull out as its production time...

Poor sod...

[Malgor]

I've submitted (versions of) my article to a number of sites/magazines, both games-focused and mainstream, and encouraged them to write up their own too - not sure that anyone will take me up on it, but we can but hope.

Hmmm... I've noticed that we are being moderated - all of the other SecuROM threads are being closed down. I don't mind, obviously, as it was getting a little out of hand with people starting new threads all the time, but still, it did help people notice our message.

798897 - I am currently waiting on Trading Standards getting back to me regarding SecuROM, which should take 3-5 days. I had initially contacted Consummer Direct, but after a few conversations with a very helpful lady there, She passed everything over to Trading Standards, as she felt (and I agree) that there were larger issues than just simple consummer rights.
Also, you mentioned "updated sig", did you mean that you had updated your sig? If so, we can't see it - you have to tick the "show your signature" box when you next post (if you didn't mean that, then I'll just crawl back in to my hole, and blame the fact that it is too late for my brain cells to function properly )

[777788889999]

Originally Posted by 798897

He must have walked into the EA office and asked
"So how is my Spore Product going?"
They then showed him the secuRom dvd (:S lol) explaining how they were going to annoy their fanbase

Its too late for him to pull out as its production time...

Poor sod...

In the videos he always talking about good stuff, like he says he wants to make toys, he want people to be creative and curious... when he says something it sounds like he want to make the world a little better by giving something that people can enjoy...
Then along came EA....

[798897]

Originally Posted by Malgor

798897 - I am currently waiting on Trading Standards getting back to me regarding SecuROM, which should take 3-5 days. I had initially contacted Consummer Direct, but after a few conversations with a very helpful lady there, She passed everything over to Trading Standards, as she felt (and I agree) that there were larger issues than just simple consummer rights.
Also, you mentioned "updated sig", did you mean that you had updated your sig? If so, we can't see it - you have to tick the "show your signature" box when you next post (if you didn't mean that, then I'll just crawl back in to my hole, and blame the fact that it is too late for my brain cells to function properly )

no its my brain cells that arent functioning lol il get on that in a minute. As for the trading standards i wasnt expecting a quick reply, so its good to know that you are expecting their response although i doubt they will be too bothered about it, althought i may be wrong

[NicMacc]

I realise im probably being stupid, but if anyone could answer this id appreciate it!

Am i right in thinking that SecuRom is only classed as malware because its given administrator rights on your PC? So it isnt really malware as much as it's potential malware?

[flatfroggerx]

Originally Posted by NicMacc

I realise im probably being stupid, but if anyone could answer this id appreciate it!

Am i right in thinking that SecuRom is only classed as malware because its given administrator rights on your PC? So it isnt really malware as much as it's potential malware?

No.

Malware is a generalisation for malicious software. I.e viruses/trojans/rootkits/spyware/badware/etc list goes on.

Securoms particular type is a rootkit. Software which hides itself from the operating system to do whatever purpose. Theres more information on wikipedia under securom. It does worse stuff but that involves going into techie realm which might over shoot you (i.e giving itself ring 0 etc) so i'll let you look it up if you need to know more: SecuROM - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[NicMacc]

cheers for that link...explained a lot!

I wonder what effect it might have on my mac?

[flatfroggerx]

From what i've heard it has pretty much all its characteristics, it just works on macs :/

[lmimmfn]

id have been interested in buying this, its a waste of time saying it here but ill never buy something with only 3 activations in total

[Lethn]

EAUK_Aurora when the heck are we going to get a response from EA on this matter? If they're really not going to listen to our issue then fine I'm not buying the game but are we even being listened to on this subject? Quite frankly I think it's disgraceful and I want a response from a real dev that isn't just a pre-written response from a community manager paid to politely say "Bugger off" to the companies legitimate customers.

[Sven1471]

?? Q&A ??

1) why are there so many Q's and only one A??

2) Why cant we just have a online acount we register the key code to and then log on to play?? it work for Guild Wars??

3) Plz help me EA, Do i buy spore or not?? Malware, SecuRom what??

PLz help, as its just taken me 3 hours to read this thred and it has made me sad that the best game ive seen in ages is being slated..(Spore).. Has just made me look at EA games in a very diffrant light......and put me off the game

4)Is SecuRom a software that acts in conjution with windows to make sure all your Microsoft products and EA games are legit...??

5) Dos any of your Products (EA games) Change my or interfear with my own secrity on my computer, as i have a lot of Privet Inventions and ideas that im working on and have plans and other info on my computer...???

6)and could any of the software installed on my computer from your Company (EA games) be infultrated in any way or form??

Can someone from the EA prodution team HELP answer these questions??

As I Want to buy spore but this thread and the lack of info EA games has supplied is turning me away......

[5xkwsk]

It doesn't look like EA are going to answer...

[Peteuplink2]

Originally Posted by 5xkwsk

It doesn't look like EA are going to answer...

TBH I never thought they would.

The only way we can get them to listen is if people don't buy the game... But I'm afraid we're probably in a minority. There are probably a lot more people out there that don't know what SecuROM is all about, and there are a fair few that know about SecuROM, and will buy the game because they don't know any better. These people will be the ones who buy the game in droves and the rest of us will get lost in the flood of dollar signs as EA rakes in the cash.

I hope I'm wrong, but never underestimate the stupidity of gamers in large numbers, and the greed of publishers when large amounts of money are involved

[Mokkun]

As my description thread got locked, ill post my firstpost from it here..

The Securom Conflict The whole Securom mess really reminds me of the History in Gundam Seed. (the Middle to end
part)
We have the two conflicting sides, Eart alliance who is the naturals. for setting up the
sides, id put these guys as EA.
then we have the opponents ZAFT, these are genetically modified humans, lets put these as
the Software pirates.
there are ORB who are neutral, who gets attacked by Earth alliance, thats the common
customers.
Behind Earth alliance Unknown to most Earth Alliance people, is the terrorist group who
belive each Modified human to be deamons and must be killed. for this, well Securom really
fits dont you all think?
now, for Us anti Securom people, we are kind of like the ship and crew of Archangel, the
Cutting edge battlecruiser that broke away from Earth alliance, and went to fight BOTH Earth
Alliance and Zaft. Two of the gundams abord the Archangel is Freedom and Justice, The
strongest gundams, and one of the few Nuclear powered ones, complete whit anti Neturon
jammer.
(Nuclear energy had ben disabled on earht by neutron jammers by ZAFT after a nuke shot down
a Zaft orbital City at the begining of the unending war).
So, the Anti securom people are the Archangels Crew, Ea and others who use Securom is the
Earht alliance, whit warying knowledge of Blue Cosmos (Securom)'s Evil hand, the Pirates are
Zaft.so we must bravly battle both sides and manage to get thru a peace treaty whit both
parts, and hope the fighting do not break out agin (like Gundam Seed Destiny).
So lets hear it Crew of the Archangel. Lets deal whit Blue Cosmos (Securom) before they
launch moore Nuclear weapons, and Prevent Zaft from Fiering its G.E.N.E.S.I.S. weapon (Huge deadly beam weapon)
__________________

[798897]

I tell you something, had i been on the EA Spore Production Board when they thought this up, i would have been fuming...

If they put this on future games say goodbye to sales, as everyone will go pirate... its ironic really as an Anti-Pirating system, with traits of a virus, will force people to buy illegal copies... which may too be viruses... Good going EA... thought that through i see!

[5xkwsk]

It really is a shame, but EA created this.

[777788889999]

Yeah... there are the pirates, the anti-pirates and I suppose we are the anti-anti-pirates and anyone against us would be the anti-anti-anti-pirates... right? =) (or piracy perhaps rather than pirates...)

[Mistercrull]

Originally Posted by 777788889999

Yeah... there are the pirates, the anti-pirates and I suppose we are the anti-anti-pirates and anyone against us would be the anti-anti-anti-pirates... right? =) (or piracy perhaps rather than pirates...)

That is correct.

[Ryster092]

Hi all

I've already made a similar post to this on EA's Red Alert 3 Beta forums, but here goes again here... maybe someone with an iota of intelligence at EA will read it and do something about the copy protection problem.

Basically, my argument is that copy protection is pointless. It completely fails at what it is supposed to do, and actually makes the problem worse.

The only people ever to encounter copy protection software are the ones who legally purchase your product. These same people are then inconvenienced by the increasingly ridiculous and draconian measures that EA (and other companies) seem to think are necessary.

The pirates, which you claim to target with these draconian measures, never see them because they use a no-cd crack or other such patch to remove these copy protection features from the game.

So I therefore put it to you EA, that copy protection does ABSOLUTELY NOTHING to combat piracy, in fact I'd go so far as to say that it increases it by forcing disgruntled (and formerly legal) users who encounter issues with the copy protection to go out and get an illegal crack/patch for the game.

EA, for the sake of your customers (and your bottom line), JUST STOP IT!

[es-ist]

I really think the idea of 3 activations and not even a "revoke" capability is a mistake particularly for Spore.

IMO it's undeniable that games like Spore are likely to attract more... computer savvy customers (like myself). Many of these are sufficiently well-informed as to know exactly what DRM means, and exactly what THIS DRM means.

I know even a revoke ability is not good enough since you could lose one by a crash, but its better than nothing.

An iTunes Store account with potentially hundreds of albums (much more than a copy of Spore) has 5 revokable authorisations. If all 5 are used, you can even revoke them without being at the computers (albeit only once a year). This is the MUSIC INDUSTRY, and they'll allow a more liberal system? Never though I'd see someone beat the music or film industry in restrictive licencing.

I think I'm gonna have to write to the European Commission - this is clearly a case of a company forcibly protecting their own rights while simultaneously extinguishing consumers'.

[Wishbone77]

Say, there's an idea. The EU has led several cases (and won) against Microsoft, among others, over their business practices. How do you think EA would react to a European ban on SecuROM-protected games?

[Peteuplink2]

Originally Posted by es-ist

I know even a revoke ability is not good enough since you could lose one by a crash, but its better than nothing.

An iTunes Store account with potentially hundreds of albums (much more than a copy of Spore) has 5 revokable authorisations. If all 5 are used, you can even revoke them without being at the computers (albeit only once a year). This is the MUSIC INDUSTRY, and they'll allow a more liberal system? Never though I'd see someone beat the music or film industry in restrictive licencing.

Music industry... Hmmm... An industry that suffers from far worse piracy than the computer game industry and they don't feel the need for such draconian protection measures.

[798897]

I know its madness... i can see why EA think they are being clever and stamping out piracy, like that old saying goes, ignorance is bliss... they are commiting Business Suicide with this act...

Although i have a feeling that they may lift it 'in the nick of time' to become the 'company that cares' even though for about a month people have been going on and on and on about how F***ing stupid this is...

Or they want to keep tabs on us :P

[flatfroggerx]

Originally Posted by Peteuplink2

Music industry... Hmmm... An industry that suffers from far worse piracy than the computer game industry and they don't feel the need for such draconian protection measures.

Hah, the music industry is going through its DRM phase now, its coming to an end though. Each time a new DRM appears its been cracked within weeks from the previous version. Apple is the worst offender but there have been other places which have offered DRM music. A few of those have folded. All people got in compensation (if anything) is some coupons to go else where, they aren't allowed to download their music they paid for any more.

More consumer pressure caused many places to drop the DRM or at least offer DRM free versions. Defective by design rally against DRM music. DefectiveByDesign.org | The Campaign to Eliminate DRM However they just seem focused on music not other formats which seems a bit unbalanced.

Need I mention the Sony DRM Rootkit fiasco? Where people used "new" features on an album to get track info etc and it secretly rootkitted them. Compensation was awarded to people after the news of the rootkit spread. Sony make securom too. Notice a pattern here?

Even movies have had DRM but its mostly faded away as something which didnt work too good.

[798897]

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Exactly... we should be using these examples to dissuade them from using it...

In fact they should already know about all this seeing as they are rivals with Apple.. they should be laughing at how apple messed it up... making the same mistakes at the moment


argh!