Spore most downloaded game ever because of DRM?

[MadClown]

I don't pirate games, but it fucking pisses me off when I have to jump through hoops to get my LEGALLY bought game to work right. Hell, with a splinter cell game that I had, I had to use a no cd on it just to get it to WORK.

Had to do the same with FEAR cause the drm they used is to old for vista, that wouldn't happen to be Splinter Cell chaos theory, would it? lol

 

[Kreij]

Oblivion had no copy protection on it at all, and guess what? They still sold the shit out of the game.

Yes, but you are comparing Bethesda to EA. That's like comparing a fine dining experience at a gourmet restaurant to eating a turd out of a dumpster.

 

[Urbklr]

Yes, but you are comparing Bethesda to EA. That's like comparing a fine dining experience at a gourmet restaurant to eating a turd out of a dumpster.

+1

I for one download to try, then buy if I like. Spore, I downloaded, and tried for 30mins and was bored outta my mind. EA will just keep piling on the DRM, unless people just neglect there games, that's how it will be.

 

[MatTheCat]

I think Spore is an utterly fantastic game and deserves to be purchased in its millions.

However I aint purchasing it cos of this shitty DRM and the fact that I currently dont have internet on my gaming rig.

The bootleg version is just so much less hassle and much more reassuring for anyone concerned about any little malware nasties getting installed on their pure unblemished machines. Why pay for EXTRA hassles???

So.....

I am having the same dilemna with Crysis Warfare. I never paid for Crysis and ended up being really blown away by it so I guess it is my moral duty to pay for Crysis Warhead. However.....the same DRM issues are plaguing this game as are plaguing Spore.

It is a shame that PC gaming has come to this and the fact that the anti-piracy measures are becoming ever more extreme and controversial, yet still totally unsuccessful to me just indicates that sooner rather than later...PC gaming will be by and large a thing of the past...... Much more easily policed consoles will be the future for gaming.

 

[Triprift]

Its a quality game so im happy to fork out the exorberant prices they ask for games over here so i can play it.

 

[Mussels]

Its very simple math on how to combat piracy.

What does it cost to buy a game? Spore in australia, easily $100.

In australia, the asshole of the internet, $100 easily gets me a 100GB a month download limit. Spore is roughly 4GB so i could even get that on $30 a month broadband.

The only way to stop piracy, is to get the games to the $20-$30 level, where its NOT COST EFFECTIVE TO PIRATE IT.
If its only 10-20% more to buy retail, most people will do that.

If they want to make more money after that fact, thats where advertising comes in. It doesnt even need to be in-game, they could simply rotate new ads in and out of the mess they show as you load games

 

[JBravo]

Its very simple math on how to combat piracy.

What does it cost to buy a game? Spore in australia, easily $100.

In australia, the asshole of the internet, $100 easily gets me a 100GB a month download limit. Spore is roughly 4GB so i could even get that on $30 a month broadband.

The only way to stop piracy, is to get the games to the $20-$30 level, where its NOT COST EFFECTIVE TO PIRATE IT.
If its only 10-20% more to buy retail, most people will do that.

If they want to make more money after that fact, thats where advertising comes in. It doesnt even need to be in-game, they could simply rotate new ads in and out of the mess they show as you load games

THAT, is very true. Bring down prices, and more people can/will buy.

I take myself, when games are new in South Africa is costs about R400=$50 or so.

But for instance, when a game goes platinum or something symilar, the price drops to a quarter of the original. THEN, I buy. Why not start out with lower prices???

 

[Mussels]

the reason (and the problem) is that the publishers want their cut. Game developers needs to host the ISO files and PDF manual in free torrents, and then have people pay for serial keys only. That way you arent paying for the disk, the box, the manual - just for a CD Key, and the rest is up to you how to get it. (Free download, $10 mail it on DVD, etc)

to explain this a bit more, heres why its a good method.


1. no one else gets a cut - straight to developers.
2. no packaging/manufacturing costs
3. no costs for copy protection, licence fees for BD/DVD/CD rom.

 

[kylew]

I can't beleive how bad the internet is in Australia. It's quite shocking I think. I get a 24MB line that syncs at 24MB for £18 a month with unlimited bandwith, and I truly mean unlimited. I can download excessive amounts of data, and do on a regular basis, yet my ISP (bethere) have never complained. I must download a few hundred GB a month, sometimes a hundred a week. I've nearly filled 5.5TB of storage!

In the UK, it seems as if PC games are getting cheaper as they seem to be launching at £20 or less, well most, with the collector editions at £25 to £30.

I find it odd though with spore, its retail price is £40, twice that of most new releases, yet it has the worst DRM going. The fact that they're doubling the average price should be enough for them to dump DRM on spore.

I still don't understand why any publishers use DRM anyway. It's a waste of money, time and resources since it is ALWAYS cracked. Bethesda got it right with oblivion, no DRM/Serials or anything, yet it sold by the bucketload.

I've bought quite a lot of games this year, over 70 easily and on most of my PC ones, I'll still use a no-CD patch just to get rid of the horrid DRM.

Steam is the way forward to me, that and no DRM at all, they've realised it with music already, why are they now getting worse with games? You'd think these people didn't know how to conduct business.

 

[DrPepper]

Bethesda got it right with oblivion, no DRM/Serials or anything, yet it sold by the bucketload.

I can imagine someone walking out of GAME or HMV with a bucket full of oblivion with a massive grin on thier face.

 

[Ongaku]

Yes, but you are comparing Bethesda to EA. That's like comparing a fine dining experience at a gourmet restaurant to eating a turd out of a dumpster.

lol

Bethesda doesn't put any copy protection on their games because you can mod them...


EA will probably up the copy protection on their stuff...but meh...they don't make many games I like to play so I don't really care

 

[Braveheart]

the only solution to pirating is giving away the game for free and making people pay to play it..like MMOs

thats an interesting idea, just as long as it doesn't come up to more than $50 in 3 years.

 

[JC316]

Had to do the same with FEAR cause the drm they used is to old for vista, that wouldn't happen to be Splinter Cell chaos theory, would it? lol

Matter of fact, it was CT that needed the no cd. Piece of shit securom.

 

[Sasqui]

Didn't hear anything in this thread about Bioshock, which on the outside had the same DRM model. I don't know about mechanisms.

What is this "secondary program" that's being installed (other than SecureROM)? What's it for and any way to remove it?

I ask because someone just got me Spore as a gift. And yea, I couldn't believe how expensive it is - it better be good.

 

[Triprift]

Oh it is imo

 

[Widjaja]

Spore is a game which appeals to both genders and of a broad age group, so EA were going to make a killing with this game anyway!

EA really shot themselves in the foot with adding this copy protection.

 

[Triprift]

In truth i dont see what the prob is ok i can put it on 5 puters and when i load up the game i have log in with a password wow. Maybe im just gettin old and forever chillin

 

[Sasqui]

Sort of on-topic... is the "Creature Creator" included in the full game?

I downloaded the trial version and honestly was hard to put down... what a great interaction design (some quirks).

So when I downloaded it, it asked if I wanted to install some package to do with automatic updates, etc. I said NO. Is that the additional software talked about? Nowhere are there any details about it - that I can find. Is it the equivalent of a rootkit or what???

 

[Sasqui]

In truth i dont see what the prob is ok i can put it on 5 puters and when i load up the game i have log in with a password wow. Maybe im just gettin old and forever chillin

You know, people complained about the Steam model, but I've found it pretty darn cool. Go to another computer, log in and install the software you own and run it, go to another computer and do the same. Yea, pretty darn hard to pirate, but they have done a good job of accomodating the "honest" user. The thing that sucks is the need for an internet connection if you want to swap to a new machine. But no more disks dragged out, etc.

The most frustrating thing is a s/w key tied to hardware or hardware dongle. Worst of both worlds.

 

[Triprift]

Yeah it does have the creature creator thing ya can make some truelly funky looking critters too.

 

[iStink]

Yeah it does have the creature creator thing ya can make some truelly funky looking critters too.

One word: Sporn...

http://io9.com/5018089/best-of-sporn-a-love-song-[nsfw]

 

[MatTheCat]

You know, people complained about the Steam model, but I've found it pretty darn cool. Go to another computer, log in and install the software you own and run it, go to another computer and do the same. Yea, pretty darn hard to pirate, but they have done a good job of accomodating the "honest" user. .

It is not hard to pirate at all.

Show me one popular in-demand STEAM game that yout think cannot be pirated and I will show you a link to the Newsgroups page offering the cracked content.

I made the mistake of buying a STEAM game (Speedball2) b4 I knew what the hell STEAM was....took it back to the shop.....shop refused exchange...ripped up DVD case and snapped DVD threw it in managers face and will never shop in GAME or buy another STEAM game for as long as I live.

 

[Sasqui]

One word: Sporn...

http://io9.com/5018089/best-of-sporn-a-love-song-[nsfw]

HaHAHAHAAAAA!!!!

 

[deathvirus_me]

I feel really good about the whole situation .... the more bs ways they use to "protect" something the more they get hammered ... Oblivion sold more and it just had a simple dvd check .. lol ..

Why don't these people go for aggressive pricing ?? Selling 4 copies at 25 bucks would make them get more profit than 2 copies at 35 buck ... put a DRM sh*t with every 35 buck copy , and u end up selling none .. lol .. Hello .. get some better business mind dude's .. the world is much more mature now ..

Simple : go for simple distribution ways and aggressive pricing and u'll end up with much more profit .. put stupid things like DRM or SecuROM and end up with major loss .. lol ...

 

[Sasqui]

It is not hard to pirate at all.
Show me one popular in-demand STEAM game that yout think cannot be pirated and I will show you a link to the Newsgroups page offering the cracked content.

Yep.