Spore Copy Protection Q&A

[orifice]

@ es-ist

A month ago your suggestions might have been regarded as reasonable. EA have made it clear that they have no intention of giving us the answers we want. Consequently the community is now almost in full revolt, and such measures will no longer satisfy people.

It's starting to look like only a large scale boycott and pirate policy will make EA listen to the people who were prepared to pay for the game!

EA, STOP TREATING CUSTOMERS LIKE CRIMINALS, OR THEY MAY CHOOSE TO "SWITCH CAMPS"!

[Raggs]

Meh, the DRM will be cracked within weeks. Updates will be hacked quickly too. This security doesn't protect games from piracy. It may delay it by a week or so, but that's it.

All it does, as many people have complained, is make it difficult on those who by the game geniunely. I suspect I'll by the game, install it on my laptop, and not much else. As time goes by I'll be making sure I download the latest updates and the latest hacks. That way I'll have them ready if I ever want to replay the game after support has gone.

[flatfroggerx]

Originally Posted by Raggs

Meh, the DRM will be cracked within weeks. Updates will be hacked quickly too. This security doesn't protect games from piracy. It may delay it by a week or so, but that's it.

This is so true, mass effect was cracked, people know what to look for and how it works now.

EA could make this whole thing less of a pain by increasing the limit to 10+ or removing it altogether, why we are forced into limited installs in nonsense. They should also have a web tool on your account page to reset your key so you can claim your activations back, that way if something happens to your pc (upgrade/bios update/driver update/etc) you dont have to cough up for EA phone support or wait 2 months for EA email support.

The fact that EA charge people to redownload games from EA store after 6 months is bad enough, the rest beyond that is a total joke.

[yoshi1476]

If they charge you to redownload then just save a copy on your harddrive i do that to everything I download!

[Sjones243]

launch it the first time.

The first time it will ask u to create or login to an account, Once u create the account or login to an exsiting account and you use the key. When ever u reformat or re-install the game just login to the exsiting account!

Atleast that what i hope they mean or do!

[Wishbone77]

It's not. It's not 3 accounts per purchase, it's 3 activations. 2 accounts would be two activations, yes, but so would a re-install, or a hardware upgrade, or something completely arbitrary and unexpected that EA doesn't want us to know about. Something as simple as a driver update has been mentioned as a possible trigger for activation. How's that for a sales pitch? "Here's your game, enjoy! Just don't update any hardware drivers ever again, and you'll be right as rain"

[Sjones243]

Can anyone link me an offical news article posted by EA saying they are using this 3 activations method.

Because thats only driving users todo priacy, Now im sure EA can invest into an account server. and function simular to what valve does. Each account is registered and each game is register under each account. U cant play the game untill you login to the account atleast 1s. with the game registered under that account!

this way u cant login to spore unless u register the serial key to your account! This will fix everything >_>

[ehsteve]

I thought I might provide some (hopefully) more useful information. Just googled 'spore copy protection' and found this page Electronic Arts Responds to Copy Protection Outcry, Removes 10-day SecuROM Check for the Troops - Shacknews - PC Games, PlayStation, Xbox 360 and Wii video game news, previews and downloads

"Spore's copy protection will be similarly changed to allow for offline play, only requiring validation on a patch or game content update. The publisher further noted that the protection will still only allow users to authenticate each game on up to three computers. Approval of further authorizations will be handled by EA customer support on a case-by-case basis. Neither game will require players to have the disc in their computer in order to play or validate them."



So provided that EA's customer support system works perfectly there should be no trouble (note a hint of irony there).

[Maint]

so as i understand this, you install the game, make an accont, thats one activation, now you can play as much you will, you can uninstall and install and it will still be activaded sinse you use the accont you have, but if you make a new accont, that will be the second activation am i right or roung?

[flatfroggerx]

Originally Posted by Sjones243

Can anyone link me an offical news article posted by EA saying they are using this 3 activations method.

Because thats only driving users todo priacy, Now im sure EA can invest into an account server. and function simular to what valve does. Each account is registered and each game is register under each account. U cant play the game untill you login to the account atleast 1s. with the game registered under that account!

this way u cant login to spore unless u register the serial key to your account! This will fix everything >_>

Just go look up Mass effect copy protection, its 3 activations, see link:
Mass Effect DRM: EA Allows 3 "Activations" Of Mass Effect And That's It? Period?

Mass effect protection = same as spore protection

Originally Posted by Maint

so as i understand this, you install the game, make an accont, thats one activation, now you can play as much you will, you can uninstall and install and it will still be activaded sinse you use the accont you have, but if you make a new accont, that will be the second activation am i right or roung?

Wrong, any change to your pc could potentially cause it to use up another activation.

[Wishbone77]

Potential scenario:

1. You install the game and run it. (1 activation)
2. There's a graphical glitch, so you update your graphics drivers to make it go away. (2 activations)
3. The game runs a tad slow, so you pop in an extra block of RAM. (3 activations)
4. There's also that annoying buzzing sound in the background, so you update your sound drivers. Argh! Now the game doesn't work anymore.
5. You email EA support.
6. You wait 3 months.
7. You buy the game again.

Is this farfetched? I don't think so. I've had to fiddle quite a bit more than that with my machine for some games.

[Sjones243]

Well untill an offical news comes out that spore is going to use this method of copy protection im not going to bother worreying about it. I still plan to buy the game regardless, then if i ever run into this issuse ill just crack the game. As long as i still have access to the online content and patch updates ill be happy!

Do i still gain access to the online content,patch updates and such with a cracked version?

[Raggs]

Personally Sjones I'd play it safe. Install spore, wait 6 months or so (can't imagine many patches coming out after that), download a creature pack with a few thousand species, download the patches, and download the crack to the latest patch. Save those things on a flash disk. Then if you ever reinstall the game, you can just use the patches + species you have, then crack it, without having to worry about activation.

[TheSpaceMan]

This is why I don't like EA. They don't have a clue what they're doing.

I don't update often, so this may not be a problem for me at first...but in the long run...

If I find myself wanting to play spore in a few years i'll just buy a pirate copy, I'm not going to pay for it a second time. That is, if this protection still exsists. If theres a big enough uproar they may take this out.

And with that in mind...

**** YOU EA!!!!!!!!!!!

[Sjones243]

I sent this email, To get awnsers and to give a kick to EA, yes i know there will be grama and spelling issuses. However i feel the current status will not do!

Hello EA user support staff and administation,

Im contacting you on the lack of information posted by the staff on the spore copyright protection they plan to use on the game, None of us wish the game to be stolen or pirated away but i also dont think this 3 activations system is doing you any good.

Now the community, The people who buy the game and bring in the money that pays you for your work. Feel that the current copyright protection of EA is abusing the legal users and not doing anything against the users who pirate the game.

Uninstalling/reinstalling loses you an actvation
Updating drivers or changing hardware loses you an activation
Installing on another pc Loses you an activation

These are the facts that the community hate about the current 3 activation copyright protection on the games. I also feel that this brings more piracy into your games and not stops it.

Now im sure you all are alot smarter then me, Yet why is it you have not added the most simplist and yet effective protection known. Spore plans to be a game for community and family users to express there creativity in a more fun way. Share what they create and also have fun at the same time. With no worries of copyright or theft of what they create, As its a game. Now you may not see this but this type of expsression of 1s creativity can lead that person todo more things. Learn to develope fansites and addons for spore and learn to develope more for things later on at life.

Because of this the users account will be how he/she is reconized online. This is also how you can add the perfect system. Have the game registered for the account. and not the pc. This also means u can sell the game as a family pack for alittle more for the use of 3 or more accounts. So familys can make there own account, or single game packages for 1 user account that is cheaper then the family version.

This means without a spore registered EA account the user cannot play ingame. Evan if he/she has downloaded the game!

This also means u can get rid of this 3 activation lalalala off of spore. This is driving more users to priacy then it is stopping them. Now get 1 of your staff to go to the spore forum and clear up this matter. Lisen to the communtiy! before u end up losing more of it.

I just want to make 1 thing clear though. Its no matter how big u are. Without the community and players you will lose money and end up failing badly untill you learn to lisen to them. Millions are looking forward to spore. Millions! That can bring in so much for you! Dont for the love of god screw up the game most of us have been waiting for, just because you cant learn to lisen to the community who plays it!

Blizzard is successfull because they lisen to the player that play world of warcraft! There account system is what stops that game from being pirated. Use the same method of user account activation for spore. It will end priacy of this game and so many other games!

I dont expsect an reply! But make your plans known to the public! Get 1 of your staff to clear up all the questions on the forum and lisen to what the communtity wants. If it means the game is scaled back a month or 2. We dont care. But i dont think u will be happy when everyone goes piracy or does not play the game!

We lose a few months to have a secure game, You making millions of dollars and everyone is happy

You release it now with a 3 activations system and the communtiy leaves,pirates the game and also demands there money back. Dont make spore have a bad headline its first month out! Make it a good 1!

Sjones,

P.S:

Please dont take my email the wrong way. Spore and the rest of your games are amazing. However your customer support and releations is terrible!

when i get a reply ill make it public!

[Praetorias]

Hi all, I also sent an email to EA and got a useless response. What you think?

Original email:
> Please can you answer the thousands who are up in arms regarding the spore game and the proposed maximum allowed 3 installations of spore when it is released. Should computer recovery be needed, updates to hardware, bios etc etc apparently this will effect it. Even if installed on multiple accounts it counts as 1 installation. I myself clean out my computer every 6 months and this will thus effect me.
>
> If you buy a piece of software you have the right to use it... should a company put idiotic security software in the game preventing you from playing/using it when you have paid for it.. surely this contravenes our rights in a court of law.
>
> Please can you answer the above asap as many are asking the same questions and having no response from EA. For a company with apparently poor customer relations and atitudes regarding their activities (including the expansion issue used to make you more money) it would probably be wise to answer those who are pretty much deterring others from buying what is expected to be a significant game for EA and games in general.
>
> Thank you kindly

Praetorias

Response:
> Hi,
>
> Thank you for contacting EA Technical Support. I understand you have number of comments for the upcoming SPORE Game.
>
> Unfortunately, EA Technical Support does not have detailed information on game development and releases, as well as the consoles that they are to be released for. Information such as this is in the hands of the game's developers. If you wish to provide suggestions or feedback, I would recommend using our online forums at http://forums.electronicarts.co.uk which is regularly reviewed by our developers. I apologise for the inconvenience.
>
> 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!

> > Electronic Arts Technical Support


>

Finally my last retort:
I am using the and talking about the spore forum which is a EA site and you are not answering their questions. Please do not fob us off with "EA is not in a position to answer this blah blah.... it is EA that insists on these security methods so please come out from hiding and answer the questions of the masses on the EA forum. If EA wanted to respond to these questions you could easily do so... remember we are talking about a game which is just over a 47 days from release. If this was 2 years from release then maybe your response would be reasonable. With it being as close to the release date as it is... these decisions regarding security would have been discussed and decided upon already.

Well is anybody feeling fed up with getting white-washed by these companies that are too big for their boots and simply oblivious to customer service. I hope others get a better response. Just thought you would be interested in the above.

All the best

Praet

[TheSpaceMan]

Originally Posted by Praetorias

Response:
> Hi,
>
> Thank you for contacting EA Technical Support. I understand you have number of comments for the upcoming SPORE Game.
>
> Unfortunately, EA Technical Support does not have detailed information on game development and releases, as well as the consoles that they are to be released for. Information such as this is in the hands of the game's developers. If you wish to provide suggestions or feedback, I would recommend using our online forums at http://forums.electronicarts.co.uk which is regularly reviewed by our developers. I apologise for the inconvenience.
>
> 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!

> > Electronic Arts Technical Support

>

Wow, you might as well have been answered by a ****ing computer. This means nothing

[Maint]

i say to this...BULL****...i bet they have the anser but they wont tell

[Kris015]

Hahahaha

[flatfroggerx]

Originally Posted by Sjones243

Well untill an offical news comes out that spore is going to use this method of copy protection im not going to bother worreying about it. I still plan to buy the game regardless, then if i ever run into this issuse ill just crack the game. As long as i still have access to the online content and patch updates ill be happy!

Do i still gain access to the online content,patch updates and such with a cracked version?

Sjones, ITS TRUE, look at the mass effect PC tech support forums at bioware, mass effect uses the EXACT same protection.

As for if you crack the game its hard to say what side effect it might have it overall, patches to the game would certainly kill it. The current securom outlined for spore and ME is said to authenticate with securom and check your activation when you go online and download new content, for spore this would be practically every time so a crack might not appear for a good while or when it does it could cut you off from certain things.

[Raggs]

It's not really that much of an issue. Creatures can be downloaded outside of the game, so no problem in populating your universe. Patches will almost certainly be downloadable as seperate files, and cracks will be made for each patch (bit of a delay maybe, but hey). So as long as you remember to download a nice selection of creatures, the latest patch+crack and save them (much smaller than an installation of the game), you can reinstall and replay. Just write the patch etc on a cd and put it in the box with spore. If you downloaded it, well just store it on a flash disk or something.

Though to be honest it's probably needless, the patch+crack etc, will probably float around the internet for decades yet.

EDIT - And by far the best evidence that these boards aren't watched by EA is that we're all talking about piracy of their game, and no one is telling us not to.

[Sjones243]

offical EA reply to email:

Hi,

Thank you for contacting us here at Electronic Arts Technical Support. With regards to your concern, I'm sorry but the details of how decisions are made regarding Spore are not available to Technical Support as we are mainly concerned with troubleshooting technical issues, such as the game crashing or loading issues, etc., so it is not a discussion I can engage in.

You may want to check this link: EA Forums: Spore General Discussion. The game developers check these boards often so the questions and suggestions here will be reviewed. You may also post your comments and suggestion at these forums. This is the only way for members of the community to contact the development team. Please be aware that in order to post any messages on any of these message boards you will first need to either create a new ea.com account or log in using an existing account name and password.

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 (http://electronicarts.co.uk/support).

Best regards,

Anthony C.
EA Tech Support

apprently the game devs to vist here once in a while... So im hoping this gets changed, Like i said i still plan to buy the game regardless! and hope i dont run into any issuses!

[flatfroggerx]

Originally Posted by Raggs

EDIT - And by far the best evidence that these boards aren't watched by EA is that we're all talking about piracy of their game, and no one is telling us not to.

It happens on almost all EA boards lol, battlefield i remember it was people getting fed up of the disk checks, need for speed it was securom/safedisc causing crashes or falsely kicking in, the sims it was securom being a complete utter mess stopping people playing, etc,

[yoshi1476]

yay disasters! yay hiding the truth! yay people getting angry! yay me! yay 1 more step before world domination! yay yay!

[Rixlo]

*_*'