EA Backs Off From Heavy DRM; Goes Old School
It’s been a week filled with PC gaming DRM with companies talking about fancy new systems that aim to make everyone happy.
Electronic Arts, while credited with creating one of the largest DRM debacles ever with Spore, is now looking at a DRM solution that’s just plain old school. Rather than try to re-engineer or employ some elaborate scheme, the Sims 3 team is going with the last form of DRM that didn’t hurt legitimate buyers -- the CD key.
“The game will have disc-based copy protection – there is a Serial Code just like The Sims 2,” wrote Rod Humble on the Sims 3 news page. “To play the game there will not be any online authentication needed.”
Humble explained why one of EA’s biggest franchises will be getting such a simple form of protection: “We feel like this is a good, time-proven solution that makes it easy for you to play the game without DRM methods that feel overly invasive or leave you concerned about authorization server access in the distant future.”
Earlier this week, Microsoft, Valve and Stardock recently detailed their own new anti-piracy methods. Microsoft’s aims to stop pre-release games from leaking onto the internet, and Valve’s ensures that only the original owner of the game but no one else can make use of the executable. Stardock’s system appeared to be the best with consideration for resale, but still required a one-time online activation.
[I can't believe EA is agreeing with what I wrote in my story about HDCP. I guess there is hope--Ed.]
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About time they realised that DRM only hurts ligitimate users and ends up pushing costs of the software.
Anywone who wants to get past DRM badly enough is going to find a way sooner or later anyway, so why bother.
Anyone who wants to break into your house or your car is going to find a way sooner or later so why bother with keys and locks? The answer of course is that theft would be worse with no protection.
Think that's slightly over the top simplification there.
Anyone can walk up to your home and smash a window to steal things. That takes no knowlege other than how to throw a rock.
The average PC user can't crack a game.
And of course there always will be cdkeys on the net, but at least no excuses left. And by the way, if they put some online services, there are no excuses too not to register if a user is going to use them. If not, then don't need to. Everyone is happy. Plain simple.
most drm sucks. what about people who simply don't have an internet connection? i know most people do and for some it's a requirement, but the choice would be nice. The "if you don't pay virgin media or BT a monthly fee, you can't play our game" attitude is a bad one.
Although i do have an internet connection now, there have been times when i haven't, and in these days of recession and the looming redundancy i can see heading my way, there may be a time again when i have no net, but i still want to play games.
"Anyone can walk up to your home and smash a window to steal things. That takes no knowlege other than how to throw a rock."
Exactly, yet we still bother with locks and keys don't we. Well understood/publicised/fair punishments, good chance of detection and reasonable attempts at security result in a generally law abiding society.