Spore Copy Protection Q&A

[BenVdd]

couldnt you just copy the entire spore dir after installation to lets say a DVD / External hard disk ; and when you change/format your pc just copy it back from your DVD/external hard disk without loosing a installation?

[Gobbob]

Originally Posted by DoubleU

And nowhere have EA said that Spore will NOT have only 3 activations.

And that gives everyone a reason to shout and scream at EA for something they haven't done and may never do?

-Gobbob

[Cyberfrog]

Normally I'd be all for reserving judgement. Normally I'd never argue something without more than speculation and circumstantial evidence to back it up. The paranoid filled-with-misinformation SecuROM rants annoy me too.

But you have to realize that once they have our money (and we, lucky us, get SecuROM (installing without telling us) and possibly a 3-activations limit without being warned about it) it is too late to try to make the public aware of the customer-unfriendly lalalala they may have to deal with.

EDIT:
Err, that didn't make as much sense as I thought it did. Let me just sum it up with:
The suggestion to "stay quiet and trust EA will be good to their customers!" likely won't work for people who's read about the Mass Effect controversy.

[Rasamcore]

people people why do they need to sell the games at the shops on disc when they say we dont need one is that right will we be able yo buy it at the shops thedisc and will there be a helpful guide how to play becase from what i see it looks pretty complocated from all the youtube movies webchats and personall interviews at maxis:yippe e:

[orifice]

Originally Posted by Rasamcore

people people why do they need to sell the games at the shops on disc when they say we dont need one is that right will we be able yo buy it at the shops thedisc and will there be a helpful guide how to play becase from what i see it looks pretty complocated from all the youtube movies webchats and personall interviews at maxis

Dude, yes it will be available on disc. But that is not what is in dispute. The securom protection is on the disc version aswell, as is the three activation limit(you can't play until you have activated online. And I'm pretty sure you won't be saying yippee if this bites you on the ***.

[bertie4evr]

"Scanning -> C:\Program Files\Electronic Arts\SPORE\Sporebin\SporeCreatureCreator.exe
File Type : Exe, Size : 17351944 (0108C508h) Byte(s)
-> File Appears to be Digitally Signed @ Offset 0108B000h, size : 01508h / 05384 byte(s)
-> Suspicious MZ Header..
[!] SecuROM Detected - Version 07.36.0012
[!] Possible CD/DVD-Key or Serial Check -> Unregistered
- Scan Took : 1.140 Seconds"

This speaks for itself.

There's no copy protection on it, HOWEVER.
It IS spyware, as the firewall picked it up trying to phone home unsolicited. It looks like it it may also share your username with the entire world, which is extremely dangerous. It's doing so by encrypted link, and it's doing so before you even try to login. That is very suspicious, particularly after it has been doing prolonged disk reading prior to startup.

[EntropicLqd]

Originally Posted by Lazytim

....But i haven't seen one person pirate the games on steam.....

You need to get out more. One of the guys I worked with at the time knew I'd refused to by HL2 because of STEAM (which was a pile of unstable rubbish in the beginning) and offered me a cracked version.

I declined.

I bought the orange box about 3/4 months ago so I finally got to play through HL2. STEAM is still a bit lalalala; but definitely less lalalala than it was.

[Gobbob]

Originally Posted by EntropicLqd

STEAM is still a bit lalalala; but definitely less lalalala than it was.

What do you mean, as far as I can see, Steam is darn near flawless in it's execution. Does the job alot better that alot of other digital game shops.

-Gobbob

[orifice]

Originally Posted by Gobbob

What do you mean, as far as I can see, Steam is darn near flawless in it's execution. Does the job alot better that alot of other digital game shops.

-Gobbob

It may work now but it wasn't so good at the start. Less than good actually!

[JoKiv]

Originally Posted by necromancerking

i do not like this idea. but i just want to say. YOU all know every one of you will buy this game.

I have canceled my pre-order .. waiting for more user friendly game.

[Markt75]

Originally Posted by Gobbob

And that gives everyone a reason to shout and scream at EA for something they haven't done and may never do?

-Gobbob

Yes, yes it does. They put in a three activation limit in Mass Effect. They put a thread on their forums titled 'Spore Copy Protection Q&A' where they have been directly asked whether there will be limited activation, yet they choose not to answer the question.

On the Bioware forums there was an interesting post about how company's like EA are getting a bit sick of the bad publicity regarding DRM, and it was suggested that they would start withholding information on how their DRM works. I fear this may be the start of just such a thing.

Lets put it this way, if EA have not intention of limiting activations, then why not just tell people that on these very forums and they would instantly shut people like me up.

[Noodlespore]

About the limited install thing.
That is 3 COMPUTERS you can install on. You can install on these computers as many times as you like. And to be fair if this annoys you, come on, why would you want it on 4 or more PCs? I would only need it on one!

[Marcolon]

Then you cant get a new PC and install it again more than 2 times?

[EntropicLqd]

Originally Posted by Noodlespore

About the limited install thing.
That is 3 COMPUTERS you can install on. You can install on these computers as many times as you like...

The only way that statement could be true is if they have changed their mind on how the activation system works.

Currently the most up to date official information we have is that the Spore copy protection will share the same restrictions and problems as Mass Effect. This means that you can only install the game (or change your hardware) 3 times before having to contact EA support (or buy another copy of the game).

If you get to the point where you need additional activations you have to contact EA and jump through whatever hoops they require in order to get some more activations.

[Eroneouse]

I have to check with the local office for tradeing standards in ashton under lyne tomorrow about a dodgy DS lite I bought for my daughter so while I am on the phone to them I will be asking about the legality of this system under the British tradeing standards rules n regs and if all works out well I will be buying it. I got a mortgage to clear and if a lawsuit with EA can clear it faster than my job, that suits me just fine.

[orifice]

Does anybody know whether such spyware is illegal under the data protection act? That's probably the best starting point for any kind of protest.

[Marcolon]

Yes. This sound in many ways plain stupid?

[EntropicLqd]

Originally Posted by orifice

Does anybody know whether such spyware is illegal under the data protection act? That's probably the best starting point for any kind of protest.

We don't actually know whether it can be classed as spyware as yet.

Assuming they are being "honest" about the behaviour of their DRM then it is not spyware.

Strictly speaking spyware is something that routinely sends a message "back to base" containing some information that will identify your machine, and possibly you, plus other undisclosed information.

All EA have said is that your game key "will be checked" whenever you use any on-line features and/or install the game for the first time.

Assuming EA are evil and actually record the IP addresses that your game-key validation requests come from then at best they'll know which country, and what ISP that game key is associated with. It's possible they could even get the county/area but that's problematic.

It's more likely that when you validate the key you have to "sign up" and provide much more information than that to feed their marketing database.

[orifice]

Read 13 post's up (the one by berti4evr) that disturbed me enough to go do some further checking. His is not an isolated claim by a long shot, so yeah it is spyware.

[PieJesu]

Originally Posted by Lazytim

But they are still able to hack on the game, But that is differnt to the subjet to what we are talking about.

No; the Valve security systems are top of the line. If you're talking about Maddoxx and his buddy Maddox (one x); they were both arrested. The Valve CyberCafe accounts were the only ones that were hacked; no steam accounts have currently been taken advantage of without a user clicking on some link or downloading a program.

The CyberCafe accounts and game network are run on a seperate server system in a different location. They have now upgraded their security to the same level as the standard Valve servers.

Originally Posted by bertie4evr

"Scanning -> C:\Program Files\Electronic Arts\SPORE\Sporebin\SporeCreatureCreator.exe
File Type : Exe, Size : 17351944 (0108C508h) Byte(s)
-> File Appears to be Digitally Signed @ Offset 0108B000h, size : 01508h / 05384 byte(s)
-> Suspicious MZ Header..
[!] SecuROM Detected - Version 07.36.0012
[!] Possible CD/DVD-Key or Serial Check -> Unregistered
- Scan Took : 1.140 Seconds"

This speaks for itself.

There's no copy protection on it, HOWEVER.
It IS spyware, as the firewall picked it up trying to phone home unsolicited. It looks like it it may also share your username with the entire world, which is extremely dangerous. It's doing so by encrypted link, and it's doing so before you even try to login. That is very suspicious, particularly after it has been doing prolonged disk reading prior to startup.

Oh no! It's releasing my username to the outside world! Oh dear god save us!

Get wise; I know your username from these forums; usernames are NOTHING without passwords.

Rapleaf - Stores millions of usernames, email adresses, real names, real adresses, bebo pages, facebook, myspace etc. All for the public to see.

If you don't like it then don't install the game. You accept the installation of all features when you agreed to the ToS. EA cannot be held responsible for anything that happens as you have agreed to the ToS. If you disagree then you must uninstall the SporeCC and not buy the full game. You cannot bring anything up about it as it is all included in the ToS. You are the only one that can be charged by violating the ToS in removing Securom without removing the Spore CC.


The Spore Creature Creator also includes a "Unified Registration code installer program". This program can be used to de-register an installation key and assign a new one. The Spore full game will also include such feature, as every EA game I have bought allowed me to de-register a key. BFME, Crysis, BF2142 etc.

[Marcolon]

Last Question: Is there really a 3 time activation limit?

We dont know right now untill EA reveals the truth its just a rumor...

[gremlinitus]

And for those not on the internet? What happens to the validation process then?

This is one of the main reasons why other companies gave up on online validation. They simply didn't do thier math and never fully understood how many people are not on the internet.

For example, a kid may play a game but since mum and dad don't own and are not interested in computers, they are not going to pay 15 quid a month so that the kid can sit in his room playing online games (or more likely, downloading porn) all day and night.

Vlidations of this nature require telephone support and people in call centres just to give validation codes out to non-net users. It is not at all cost effective.

Why create additional costs by anti-piracy at all? If it can be programmed, it can be cracked simple as that. Anti-piracy adds costs to the end user and serves only to make piracy even more profitable.

Securerom, Safedisc, Laserlock and even (the supposedly uncrackable) Starforce has been cracked. The end users are the ones that lose out every time because they pay for the next gen in anti-piracy just so some basement hacker can have something to do.

[SkyShadowing]

Quote from SPORE Creature Creator DRM topic on support.ea.com:

This system allows you to authenticate your 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.

If they have it in Creature Creator, they probably will have it in the game itself, though we all really hope not.

[Marcolon]

My concern are what if i get a new pc and install the game 2 times? (including fist time installing) Then you have to buy a new disc? Its F****** ridiculous!

[Wishbone77]

And it's already happened. Look at this thread. The SecuROM monster has claimed its first victim.

And this "Q & A" thread is suspiciously full of questions, and suspiciously empty of answers. The only reason I can think of that no EA reps have been here to answer anything yet, is that they're afraid we'll find out how badly we're really getting screwed by EA. Well, not the only reason. One possible other reason is that they don't give a **** about their customers. Or both.