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EA Won't Use DRM For The Sims 3
Posted by
Soulskill
on Fri Mar 27, 2009 11:54 PM
from the learning-from-their-mistakes dept.
from the learning-from-their-mistakes dept.
After taking heavy criticism for the use of SecuROM in Spore and other games, EA has made the decision to go back to simple serial code authentication for The Sims 3. EA's Rod Humble said simply, "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."
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EA Hit By Class-Action Suit Over <em>Spore</em> DRM 538 comments
The ever-growing unrest caused by the DRM involved with EA's launch of Spore came to a head on Monday. A woman named Melissa Thomas filed a class-action lawsuit against EA for their inclusion of the SecuROM copy-protection software with Spore. This comes after protests of the game's DRM ranged from a bombardment of poor Amazon reviews to in-game designs decrying EA and its policies. Some of those policies were eased, but EA has also threatened to ban players for even discussing SecuROM on their forums. The court documents (PDF) allege:
"What purchasers are not told is that, included in the purchase, installation, and operation of Spore is a second, undisclosed program. The name of the second program is SecuROM ... Consumers are given no control, rights, or options over SecuROM. ... Electronic Arts intentionally did not disclose to any such purchasers that the Spore game disk also possessed a second, hidden program which secretly installed to the command and control center of the computer."
[+]
EA Releases DRM License Deactivation Tool 226 comments
Dr_Barnowl writes "Electronic Arts has posted a SecuROM de-authorization management tool. Once downloaded, the tool will search your drives for EA games infested with the draconian online DRM system, and help you download their respective individual de-activation tools. This isn't a perfect solution, since it's still possible to run out of activations in the event of hardware failure or other source of data loss, but since the announcement that this particular DRM system will be dropped for The Sims 3 , it would seem that EA has had a minor epiphany about DRM."
I'm sure EA's hand was forced in part by the FTC's recent warning against deceptive DRM practices. Hal Halpin of the Entertainment Consumers Association commented further on the issue, suggesting to developers that such measures need to be displayed on game boxes, and that standardization of EULAs could be next on the list.
[+]
<em>The Sims 3</em> Racks Up Over 180,000 Downloads Prior To Release 187 comments
Bloomberg reports that pirated versions of EA's The Sims 3 were downloaded over 180,000 times between May 18 and May 21. The game will not be officially released until June 2nd, and it does not make use of SecuROM for DRM. Quoting:
"That outpaces the 400,000 downloads over three weeks for Electronic Arts' Spore, the most-pirated game of 2008. ... Copies of the game available on file-sharing Web sites aren't the full version, Electronic Arts said. 'The pirated version is a buggy, pre-final build of the game,' Holly Rockwood, a company spokeswoman, said in an e-mailed statement. 'It's not the full game. Half the world — an entire city — is missing from the pirated copy.'"
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It's great that they lightened the DRM load. (Score:4, Insightful)
Serial keys are an improvement over more draconian DRM, but it is still DRM. And it is just as effective as other forms of DRM. In other words, the pirates' copies will have been already cracked to not require a serial key, or will come with a serial key generator.
Re: (Score:2, Interesting)
Re:It's great that they lightened the DRM load. (Score:5, Insightful)
Parent
Re: (Score:2)
Is there really that much of a difference between handing my buddy a CD in a jewel case vs handing him a CD in a jewel case that has the key printed on it?
I don't believe keys matter for casual loaning of single player games, which is what The Sims 3 is. Their best strategy is to discourage loaning, which has been a side-effect of hand-held console cartridges for some time. Carts have a finite amount of space for save game slots, and as a result you don't want to loan your cartridge to someone careless who
Re:It's great that they lightened the DRM load. (Score:4, Insightful)
Their best strategy is to discourage loaning, which has been a side-effect of hand-held console cartridges for some time. Carts have a finite amount of space for save game slots, and as a result you don't want to loan your cartridge to someone careless who will overwrite your "hard work" with their own progress.
So let me get this straight -- you want to discourage, not copying, but loaning?
Since these are so often compared to physical objects, let's compare. With a console game, no one really minds loaning them -- the biggest concern is that you won't have it while they're borrowing it, and it might get scratched.
But if anything, this opens up new markets -- game rentals, and used games. And it does drive up the value of a game, if you know it can be re-sold.
It's only very recently that content providers have even toyed with the idea of "selling" a book, or a movie, which couldn't be transferred.
The supposed purpose of DRM is to "keep honest people honest", by preventing things like actual copyright infringement. But your comment does tend to indicate the true purpose of DRM -- to prevent people from doing perfectly honest things (like lending) that you'd rather be able to charge for.
This could be implemented in a similar fashion by moving storing saves online, and limiting the amount of slots available.
If you're already forcing them to be online, why do you need to limit the number of saves? Just don't allow more than one person to be online at once.
The customer loses some flexibility by being unable to save locally,
and by having a limited number of saves,
but benefits by not losing progress when reinstalling, or transitioning between different computers.
That is a benefit. I should point out that it is one of the benefits of Steam.
And hey, I can lend games on Steam. I just have to lend the whole account at a time, and if I lend my account credentials, I risk losing the account. That's really all the incentive I need -- to limit the number of saves on top of that really serves no purpose, other than to save you disk space. And with all the data Steam gathers about me, disk space clearly isn't an issue.
Parent
Re:It's great that they lightened the DRM load. (Score:5, Insightful)
Used game sales aren't good for the original developer. If a game is bought for $50, then resold four times for $10-30 each time, how much does the original developer make? $50. Epic Games has voiced their opinion on the issue, and has taken measures to discourage the practice (unlocks/DLC).
Yes, but people are more likely to pay more for it if they know they can turn around and sell it and get some of that money back when they get tired of it.
My concern isn't that killing the used market is better for devs. My concern is that it shouldn't be legal whether it is better or not. There needs to be a balance between consumers and publishers. TPB probably isn't it, but neither is Spore...
Parent
Re: (Score:2)
They stop casual copying from being prevalent.
It seems pretty prevalent anyway.
Many people are not willing or knowledgeable enough to go through the time/effort to download a torrent
Even those who don't use a torrent (for whatever reason, "not knowledgeable enough" seems unlikely) are certainly capable of writing the serial number on that burned CD.
In other words, it's a form of DRM which is easily defeated by a Sharpie.
it really doesn't require additional effort on my part
No, what wouldn't require additional effort is selling a digital download which came unlocked and ready to go, whether it was serial-locked or not.
Typing in 30-40 alphanumeric characters to convince the computer I'm not a pirate is prett
Re: (Score:2)
And if it were just the serial key and no DRM, then using the same key would work and you could install it on your friends machine anyway.
Is this really going to be just a serial, or really remote authorisation?
Or to put it anotherr way, how DRM FREE is there DRM FREE?
I'm not even going to bother discussing if they should or should not use DRM, I just wish they would not lie to us about using it.
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Re:It's great that they lightened the DRM load. (Score:5, Interesting)
Parent
Re: (Score:2)
And you know why they're realizing that treating their customers is not good business practice?
Because we're about to own their ass in court over their nonsense.
Re: (Score:2)
For me, that code is just a little reminder that "Hey, we're still going to assume you're a pirate until you prove otherwise."
Re:It's great that they lightened the DRM load. (Score:5, Insightful)
Seriously, a serial code is the most simplistic and effective means of copy protection.
One key = one install
If you implement measures, that online / LAN multiplay is restricted to valid and unique CD-keys and executables cannot be cracked easily is one of the most reasonable methods to balance between players and publishers available.
It serves the following purposes:
- prevent non-paying customers from using unpaid-for online servers
- (inofficially) let people (via keygens) rather freely test-drive the full software, offline on their own machine with the option to buy a key and make your installation legit and online-enabled in seconds.
- ban detected cheaters from online play and introduce a financial risk to cheating (you have to buy a new key when you're caught) which deters non-hardcore cheaters from trying
- prevent mass copying of your software: if the same key is encountered online in the thousands, disable the key
- all this encourages defined and responsible ownership of the software: if you give out your key, you possibly cannot play online anymore
- and inofficially: limit the resale-value of a used key: as a buyer, you cannot be sure if the key is not banned for cheating or shared with the entire school/workplace of the reseller.
I don't know of people who been hindered from doing legit things with their paid-for software because of a cd-key. But I know several people who "test-drove" dozens of pirated games with a keygen who found out the game was so crappy that even downloading it was a waste of money and time.
Parent
Re: (Score:3, Interesting)
Serial keys aren't all that bad. Are there any activation server overloads you have to worry about (ala: Half-Life 2)? Can you install the game in 10 years? 20 years? Heck, even 250 years if the media lasts that long?
It only inconveniences casual copiers. Pirates will, of course, have it cracked, but what does it matter to you?
Re: (Score:2)
Yup. Lots of pirated games come with a text file containing a single serial key, and that one key does indeed work for everyone.
Re:It's great that they lightened the DRM load. (Score:4, Interesting)
Depends on the system.
(semi)Oldschool games like Soldier of Fortune, with PunkBuster etc, is sort of a self-serializing system, where you can toss in any key you want (thats legit) for offline play, but online play may not work if there are multiples of the same serial found.
Expanding on that, you could have it sort of like DHT [wikipedia.org] or the Kad [wikipedia.org] networks etc, where the serials get checked against found game servers online (player connects, serial is registered, and propagated to other users on the server, through them to a "known list" of servers, etc). It's not perfect since it uses resources/bandwidth in the background, but basically as long as there is at least one server online, it can continue after the "Official" servers disappear.
On the plus side, you can have subnets with cloned/illegal serials running in a tournament, because to that network they are all legitimate serials.
On the downside, resource usage, and also sort of (anti)idealistically, it makes the DRM viral, sort of feeding off the user-bases computers like a fungus or something. And also, someone can connect with a stolen serial while you are offline, and you wont be able to play online, which leads back into tying it to hardware, or an offshoot of Kad, a sort of GPS location based on ping times, neither really works unless no one abuses it, ie: almost impossible.
Although somewhere in the middle-ground, if it only applied to the servers you were currently playing on, not all known servers, it might be enough of a pain for the devs/dists to consider it viable DRM, and still be quite usable from the users perspective because the servers can take care of their own sort of CAPTCHA to see if it's the user they are familiar with, if not, then boot the cloner etc... and at the same time, really popular servers might make more people buy the game so they can play on those servers.
I'm not really trying to promote the idea, but it is possible, but i've already babbled on too long... all in all DRM sucks, but "simple serials" including it's problems, is far preferable to shit like SecuROM, serials can (usually) be bypassed just as easily as SecuROM nonsense, except it iliminates the the (direct) fascist shit that SecuROM and the likes do to your hardware and software.
Parent
Re: (Score:2)
Maybe we just go back to dongles. I work with several applications that require a USB key with encrypted information on it.
This presents several advantages for the vendor and the customer alike. For the vendor, it allows them to serialize their software, and in some cases provide updates for usage licenses for multi-user/network use. For the customer, it is quick and easy, resalable since it's yours. And all modern computers have USB ports, and will or at least should for many many years to come.
Of cour
Re: (Score:2)
That offers the same problems as requiring a CD in to play. You have a limited number of places to put it, if you have multiple games each one with a dongle you'll run out of places quick, or you'll misplace the dongles, or someone will break it.
And it would most likely be susceptible to the same kind of attacks that a no-cd hack uses.
Re:It's great that they lightened the DRM load. (Score:5, Insightful)
Dongle checks present pretty much the same downsides as optical-media based copy protection and is probably worked-around as easily.
Unfortunately, companies complain about these dongles to be too expensive. But I like the idea of these, simply because USB-sticks are pretty tough.
You could also contain the entire game AND the copy protection ready-to-boot on a write-protected USB stick, making the game easy to re-sale, play, legitimately loan out etc. - if you have the USB stick, you have the game, the serial key and the means to run it in an instant.
Losing a USB-stick attached with a keychain is much harder than accidentally scratching the surface of a delicate optical disk, where every bad sector is an important input to the copy-protection mechanism. I personally bought two or three copies of Starcraft-Brood War because the copy-protection used there is non-standard and incredibly vulnerable to even the tiniest scratches.
Now that 4GB USB sticks cost less than 10USD retail, I'd thought we finally get ready-to-play sticks which include all and everything.
Parent
Well I think that's the idea (Score:2)
I understand why companies want some DRM. There really are some people out there who can be foiled by it. Enough to make it worth the money? I dunno, probably not, but there are people for who it is an obstacle they can't overcome.
The problem is that because of that, they've deluded themselves in to thinking that if they just have better DRM, well then nobody will be able to copy it. Well, no actually. The pros will figure out a way to overcome whatever you throw at them, and they'll share their work. So mo
Re: (Score:2)
There really are some people out there who can be foiled by it.
The question is whether these same people would be intelligent enough to use a CD burner, if there was no DRM.
So something like this could be a fair compromise. It'll still stop anyone that DRM is going to stop, but it isn't a real big deal for legit customers.
That's a good way of putting it.
Of course, I still find it kind of offensive, but it is something I can live with.
Re: (Score:2)
It isn't really DRM, in that it does not restrict you in any way. As long as you enter the serial code, you can play the game on any PC, install it as many times as you like, sell it on etc. You can even make backup copies of both the game disc and serial code. Oh, and you don't need the CD in the drive for it to run.
I'd say this is very good and welcome news. I know people who still love playing the original Sims game (ideal for laptops and older PCs), which wouldn't be possible if there was DRM and an act
Believe it when I see it... (Score:4, Interesting)
Re:Believe it when I see it... (Score:4, Interesting)
Parent
Re:Believe it when I see it... (Score:4, Interesting)
Maybe I'm too cynical, but I'd wait until the game has actually been released and examined before trusting it to not contain malware. The word of someone who has intentionally attempted to cripple its customers computers isn't exactly trustworthy to me...
Parent
Woo! (Score:4, Insightful)
Could it be that EA's actually listening to their customers? This isn't a cheap publicity stunt like Ubisoft pulled with Prince of Persia; this is (arguably) EA's flagship product.
Re: (Score:2)
I think it's partly because the target audience is probably not likely to pirate anyways. Perhaps because they don't want to piss off a large group of people with DRM? A much larger group than would normally care.
Who knows. Just a conspiracy theory.
still annoying (Score:2)
Does this mean that the program is installed on the computer, but the game cannot be played with the original media present in the DVD drive? I have played The Sims on pretty minimal hardware, and I can imagine playing it on a netbook, with no DVD.
Well, I hate to say it... (Score:5)
...but good for EA, so long as they follow through with this. I think a simple serial code authorization system has worked just fine for much of the software I own. It's never felt overly onerous to me. I keep the serial code safe right along with the install disk, and I've often (years later) re-installed and replayed those games. Simple, and strikes a reasonable balance between some protection for the publisher / developer and reasonable use for the customer.
And of course, I see a tag on the article "serialdrm". Seriously, no one is going to get much traction whining about "serial code DRM". At that point, I'm gonna call bullshit and figure you just enjoy complaining.
Re: (Score:3, Funny)
Re: (Score:3, Insightful)
And then they're whining about losing a serial key which can be written on the CD itself, dead-tree notebooks and in dozens of textfiles dispersed in backup drives and USB sticks.
How these people manage their lives without losing AND forgetting the phone number of their parents, friends and kids, the phone itself, their workstation passwords and their social security number is beyond my imagination.
Re: (Score:2)
It's not necessarily 'whining' about it like it shouldn't exist at all, but rather clarification.
The Title:
EA Won't Use DRM For The Sims 3
The Summary:
EA has made the decision to go back to simple serial code authentication for The Sims 3
Title != Summary
Re:Well, I hate to say it... (Score:5, Insightful)
Parent
Re: (Score:2)
Neither do I, but technically it's still DRM, especially since why have a serial if its basically the same as clicking the icon to run the game, if the serial isn't registered somewhere externally, then why not just have "Enter Your Username", thats why offline-only games almost never come with a serial/DRM (although usually an "Insert Proper CD") because it's pointless, and others that have separate executables for Online/Offline, only ask you for the serial when you run the Online one...
If it's still regi
Re: (Score:2)
(...) if the serial isn't registered somewhere externally, (...) If it's still registering to their main servers,
RTFA. "To play the game there will not be any online authentication needed," Humble wrote on the Sims 3 website.
Re: (Score:2)
e.g. I bought a second hand, retail copy of windows 2000 on an original distribution disk I came across in a jumble sale for software compatibility testing. I discovered when I tried to install it that I didn't have a key code. Unusable without an illegal keygen. I wasted my money on what should've been a perfectly legitimate second hand sale. And no, it's not the fault of the original owner for not providing the key code he/she had, it was the fault of the original vendor for deliberately restricting the software so that it wouldn't run without a key code.
"So I bought this car, and it didn't come with the papers that prove I own it or the ignition key. I wasted my money on what should've been a perfectly legitimate second hand sale. And no, it's not the fault of the original owner for not providing the key he/she had, it was the fault of the original vendor for deliberately restricting the car so that it wouldn't run without a key."
The original owner kept everything important, he could keep using a backup cd and his key and Microsoft would never know he sold
Re: (Score:2)
Serials have existed long before anyone came up with the term "digital rights management". I wouldn't even call cd/dvd checks "DRM" even if they fit the strict definition. I associate the term "DRM" with the more recent, often insidious copy protection systems that require online activation, won't run if they detect a virtual drive, rootkit into your system, etc.
Re: (Score:2)
Save a copy of the CD key in an electronic form, the same way you keep track of other important bits of data.
Re: (Score:2)
I have a friend who has lots of bought-and-paid-for music software with serial numbers. He keeps the serial numbers neatly written down in a notebook, along with the date he bought them, where he bought them from and any other pertinent details. He's a bit like that.
He's never lost a serial key yet, though.
DRM is not the only thing (Score:3, Funny)
Ya no kidding (Score:2)
When I heard about the activation limit SecuROM I decided I wasn't going to buy it. However I did try a friend's copy to see what I was missing. Answer? Nothing that I can tell. I really fail to see what all the hype is about. Now I only got to the tribal stage, but for a game as supposedly as "great" as that it should have been fun by then. It really wasn't, it was just some little mini-games, all of which I'd seen done better. I really don't get the hype about that game. You could offer it to me for free,
Voting with your $$$ works (Score:4, Interesting)
After the Mrs. got stung with the various SecureROM trojans fubaring her system, she made the hard decision not to buy any more EA titles.
I was excited about Spore, but refused to buy either it or the creature creator pack.
Apparently there were quite enough people (who also spammed Amazon.com feedback, perhaps?) who made the same decisions that EA felt a bit of monetary sting.
Re: (Score:2)
You do know that the spore version on steam has no securerom, right?
its a way to decrease pirating (Score:5, Insightful)
they probably recognized that the DRM actually encouraged us to seek out and download cracked versions....
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
they probably recognized that the DRM actually encouraged us to seek out and download cracked versions....
They wouldn't have cared the slightest about that. The only reason they will have done this will be because of money. Plain and simple.
Now perhaps they have realised that their DRM efforts are repelling people from buying their games. I know i refused to purchase RA3 the moment i heard it had super restrictive DRM put on it
It could also be a ploy to get cheaper licensing deals with the makers of securerom.
Or perhaps its just an experiment to see what less DRM does to sales.
If you purchased the game and got
A move in the right direction for EA (Score:2)
Well I will applaud EA for this decision - even though I hate the Sims and its add ons - this decision is a step in the right direction. EA has produced some classic games over the years. Personally I was seriously considering buying Spore - but didn't because of the limit on installs - that for me was a deal breaker - as I cannot count the number of times I end up rebuilding / reformatting my pc. I hope EA has really learnt to listen to their customer base - and that all future products from them will foll
ohhh come on! (Score:2)
This is great news, I don't have a problem with serial codes as long as I don't need to activate the code and I don't get some sort of crapware installed on my Computer.
BUT WHY THE SIMS?!?!?!?
I would have bought your game just to support the serial code only design but I can not spend my money on The Sims, sorry.
I guess the reason is that the average adult The Sims player can not pirate the game or will fuck up their PC so badly in the process that they will never try again.
Anyway, great move. This will mak
Re:ohhh come on! (Score:5, Insightful)
Because it's one of their biggest-selling franchises. If it sells poorly than hoped, they can play the piracy card and ramp up DRM on all future titles with a smug "We told you so". If it sells well, it may encourage them to relax DRM on other games in the future. It's a game that's likely to sell well even with piracy, so relatively low-risk.
Parent
Re: (Score:3, Insightful)
The island of Dr.Brain... I never owned the manual, and the at the beginning it asked you for the coordinates to the island, which are given in the manual. Eventually you just figured it out.
People will continue to figure out workarounds. It doesn't matter what form the hurdle is in, someone will jump it, and teach others to.