With the controversy surrounding Spore's DRM reaching a fever pitch, Edge Online Editor Colin Campbell argues for calm and disputes some of the current theories about the relationship between DRM and piracy:
The anti-DRM crowd. They have a point, but then it gets lost by mob-insanity... They get mad about EA only offering three installs for Spore. I don't know many people who install games on three computers, but I dare say it's a few. EA says 1%. OK. That's a significant number of people, all in all. They ought to be offered some more options...
I agree that the DRM solutions currently in use are often frustrating and damage publishers. They need to be improved. Customers need to be heard. Action needs to be taken. EA needs to address these issues one by one.
But there's also a nasty sort of relativism going on here, that is weakening the position of those protestors who have a genuine grievance... And this mob-pandering argument that DRM encourages piracy? Please. What encourages piracy is dishonesty. Either you're the sort of cheap f**k who wants something for nothing, or you're not.
GP: For my money, Edge Online is among the top tier of video game news sites, but I can't get behind Colin on this one. In regard to the issue regarding the number of installs, here's a snippet of something I wrote this week for the Philadelphia Inquirer about my own gaming experience:
If you change PC’s or you are the type who keeps games for a long time and re-installs them periodically, you could be in for trouble. For example, I’m still playing EA’s Battlefield 1942 five years after release. I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve deleted and reinstalled the game.
Comments
Re: Edge Online Editor: Spore DRM Does Not Encourage Piracy
He was right on one thing, dishonest caused me to do it, EA's dishonesty, but that is another story.
This guy didn't get the news of how many people pirated the game compared to normal. He is as informed as a high school voter that goes off of their parent's party preference instead of the issues.
Re: Edge Online Editor: Spore DRM Does Not Encourage Piracy
A cheap f**k who wants something for nothing?
So, basically, EA?
Re: Edge Online Editor: Spore DRM Does Not Encourage Piracy
I'm not a cheap f*** who wants something for nothing - on the contrary, I often waste money - lots of it - on stuff that I can easily do without. But I'm being encouraged by EA to go to the pirates. Why? Because their product has no DRM and I can install it any number of times I want. I'd gladly pay the pirates the $60 that I refuse to give EA for their rental, but the pirates aren't asking for any money.
Re: Edge Online Editor: Spore DRM Does Not Encourage Piracy
It's okay, with the state of the economy over here, which all the smart aylist know it is because of high gas prices, pirating is going to be far more common. We can't afford $50 games, and $5/gallon of gas. We need to work to pay other bills.
So until the government caps the oil companies, who are making record profits not only for gas but for any company that has ever existed in the world, or gets us electric cars again, which the Chevy Volt is a glorified HYBRID someone tried to argue that with me the other day... ...car companies make more money buy making cars that use gas, electrinic theft will become more common.
I blame Washington for taking bribes from the oil companies, and screwing the American public.
Re: Edge Online Editor: Spore DRM Does Not Encourage Piracy
The last time they put caps on gasoline prices, there were no gas signs everywhere...
While I love nothing more than harping on the government, it's a more complicated issue than that.
Re: Edge Online Editor: Spore DRM Does Not Encourage Piracy
No EA is even worse, they get the consumers to pay them to do the work for them, by the consumer making the creatures for them instead of populating the game themselves. So yeah... They could have easily of made the 'full demo' for free.
I rather be a cheap F wanting something for nothing, then be a greed A-hole who wants to get paid for getting other people to do the work for free. (Wait, thats worse than slavery, at least slaves got food for their work.)
Even if the people did enjoy making the creatures, it is still doing the job of EA by creating creatures, when they could have put it out for free for people to do the same thing.
Re: Edge Online Editor: Spore DRM Does Not Encourage Piracy
Hehe, EA sounds like Tom Sawyer when you put it that way..
Re: Edge Online Editor: Spore DRM Does Not Encourage Piracy
Dude, the whole point of the game is to make creatures. Where would be the fun if EA did that for you?
E. Zachary Knight
http://www.editorialgames.com
Oklahoma City Chapter of the ECA
MySpace Page: http://www.myspace.com/okceca
Facebook Page: http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1325674091
E. Zachary Knight
Divine Knight Gaming
OK Game Devs
Random Tower
Re: Edge Online Editor: Spore DRM Does Not Encourage Piracy
Dont remind me that this game has no real gameplay value, it saddens me every day... It has customization value, but not gameplay... :-(