EA Releases DRM License Deactivation Tool

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.

Re:All aspects of securerom?

[Shakrai]

This happens sometimes when I try to play Heroes of Might and Magic V! It's like playing russian roulette.

Yeah, because not getting to play 'Heroes of Might and Magic V' is totally equivalent to a 16.667% chance of blowing your brains out ;)

Hm...

[grub]

Once downloaded, the tool will search your drives for EA games infested with the draconian online DRM system

I bet that's not a quote from EA's documentation.

Cool...

[Anonymous Coward]

We can have congress pass legislation that they didn't read to fix the problem of EULAs that nobody reads.

Re:All aspects of securerom?

[Anonymous Coward]

Yeah, because not getting to play 'Heroes of Might and Magic V' is totally equivalent to a 16.667% chance of blowing your brains out ;)

My revolver has five shots, you insensitive clod!

Hulk mad.

[commodore64_love]

>>>it's still possible to run out of activations in the event of hardware failure or other source of data loss

Hulk crush EA's company cars. Grrrr.

Re:Cool...

[commodore64_love]

This isn't funny.

It's sad.

I don't understand

[lancert]

I've never understood people's belief that they have the right to someone else's work be it music, videos, games, software or whatever. Calling EA an evil overlord for trying to profit from their work and protect it from being stolen is totally goofy. If you don't want to pay for it, you shouldn't have it. I'm sure people are going to trash this statement but if you don't like the DRM they install with it, don't buy it. But stealing a copy of something because you don't like the DRM is theft. Plain and simple.

Re:Standardized EULA

[geobeck]

The typical EULA should be declared null and void by any reasonable court...

You have to go through a pretty big haystack to find that needle.

Re:To the extent that they lightened the DRM load:

[badboy_tw2002]

Obviously you can make money providing support or documentation for your game: that's the FOSS way.

In terms of a game, just release a version without any sensible controls or UI, and have them call you while they play it so you can dig around the logs and tell them they are low on life and should probably go find a health pack. Alternately, you can provide customization support such that they can add scripts to get the info without having to dig through the logs. That HUD script in turn will be rewritten in a "better" language and released as a fork with a slightly different license, at which time your userbase will splinter into two camps - both whom are completely right and the spawn of Satan at the same time.

See now, that wasn't so hard was it?