Am I missing anything? (DRM)

[Bobic]

Whenever I hear about DRM and how horrible it is, I feel like i'm missing something. What was wrong with spore? I didn't notice anything wrong with DRM. It worked fine. If you buy a game and expect to be able to play it on 3 computers at once, well, that is MUCH better than most games I own. Was there a problem with the code you typed in? Was there anything "draconian" about it besides the fact that you couldn't pirate it? I think the whole thing about spore is just an excuse for people to pirate a game without their conscious suffering. Please correct me if i'm wrong.
Oh yeah and http://img03.picoodle.com/img/img03/3/12/9/t_plzdontflamm_5e9f3d6.jpg (http://www.picoodle.com/view.php?img=/3/12/9/f_plzdontflamm_5e9f3d6.jpg&srv=img03)
Thanks.
EDIT: I added a poll :D

[ZiggY]

People tend to uninstall games quite a bit. I reformat my PC every month or two just for the hell of it, so that would mean re-installing a game I like every once in a while. i'd be pretty pissed to know that I wouldn't be able to install a game I paid for. DRM just gives me more of a reason to want to pirate games.
Keep in mind though rarely anyone reformats their computers as often as I seem to, so it'd be a little easier for them. Regardless, I want to be able to re-install my game as many times as I want, especially when I pay cash for it.

[Trickstyle01]

lol yes on paper it seems like the perfect way to prevent piracy, but it really only delays the inevitable, because people will always find a way past it.

[Bobic]

Doesn't the installation get refunded when you uninstall? I'm guessing no, but..
EDIT: yes, some people will pirate it, but lazy people might get discouraged by the DRM. I think steam would be good, but it is proprietary and all..

[Ender420]

The reason that EA is so unpopular for including DRM's, is that they are completely ineffectual against online piracy. They prevent too many installs and burning of software. However, this means that DRM only effects people that actually BOUGHT the game.

http://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-pirated-games- (http://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-pirated-games) of-2008-081204/

Torrentfreak has SPORE as the MOST downloaded game of 2008. None of the millions of people who pirated SPORE are subject to intrusive DRM. Clearly DRM did not stop piracy, and only effects those who buy the game. Only the people who have paid money for the CD version will be penalized. The point then, is why buy a game that will limit your usage, when you can download it for free without limitations. It's the same as those silly Copyright laws they display on the intro to every DVD movie. People that download the movies don't have to deal with that crap, but the people who ACTUALLY bought the DVD's are forced to watch "would you steal? would you murder? then why would you pirate movies?" previews. Point is, consumers don't like being punished for wrong doings of people that were NOT consumers.

CC'd from a PM.

[Ender420]

http://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-pirated-games- of-2008-081204/ (http://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-pirated-games-of-2008-081204/) for the link, sorry.

[Shrubberyjsc]

I think the main, legitimate aversion to such anti-piracy methods is that some have been known to put hidden files into your computer that leave you vulnerable to viruses.

Edit, I think we might be getting to close to 'discussing piracy'. It's obvious nobody is advocating piracy, but a discussion about DRM is pretty much a discussion of piracy.

I'll ask.

[Bobic]

Well I agree that DRM (like the EA kind) sucks, but I think it is going a bit to far to say "its not your game anymore"

[LordBhorak]

but it really only delays the inevitable,

Nope... won't delay. Fully working DRM free Spores were available on the very first day of Spore release... cracked ones, I mean.

[The Lorax]

However, this means that DRM only effects people that actually BOUGHT the game.

This. The typical consumer isn't ever going to have any problem with DRM, as it's unlikely they'll install/reinstall multiple times. Unfortunately, all DRM does is prevent the average Joes from making copies for their friends, which much simpler and less annoying systems have done just as well in the past. It does nothing against the dedicated pirates who aren't going to be buying the game anyway; my friend had a fully-working, cracked copy of Spore almost a week before it was officially released.

tl;dr DRM doesn't do shit.

[Shrubberyjsc]

Squerl has clarified that discussing DRM is fine, his main concern is flames.

Good job for not flaming, guys.

This thread is free to continue.

=)

[Deek]

I miss the old days of anti-piracy. Having to type out passages from the instruction manual, word for word (Page 6 / Paragraph 4). Code wheels. Those were the days.