EA/Maxis censoring & threatening customers!

[Wiglaf]

How many super nerds are really going to do that? I mean, really. It's negligible. I'm on the computer a lot and I play PC games and I had no idea nerds were doing that. That is extreme nerd behavior. Fortunately, the DRM does thwart 99% of non super nerds who play the game.

[Dale]

Originally posted by Wiglaf
How many super nerds are really going to do that? I mean, really. It's negligible. I'm on the computer a lot and I play PC games and I had no idea nerds were doing that. That is extreme nerd behavior. Fortunately, the DRM does thwart 99% of non super nerds who play the game.

About a million "super nerds" at last count. Even if EA gets a quarter of the US price ($50) that's $12,500,000 lost revenue. Not so negligable eh?

[Wiglaf]

LOL YOU CANT PROVE THAT NUMBER LOL

FSS

[Dale]

Dis-prove my number then if you're so smart!

[Wiglaf]

I love it when super nerds claim there's millions more super nerds out there like them. No, you are all alone, as happened on your wedding day when you caught her with your hotter brother.

[Metaliturtle]

Just to consider what it means to be a person who steals video games, click here

Oh, and if you want to see what EA has started doing to people who try to use their online support check out ea.maxis.com/help/easupport.html

[EternalSpark]

I think that stricter control is rarely the right answer (although sometimes it is an effective answer) to most of the society's problem.

I try not to see things in terms of Right and Wrong, as they are usually personally-derived concepts that vary from person to person, culture to culture, etc.

And Stardock is a very valid example. They are excellent proof that games do sell if they include no copy protection. Sure, Stardock games don't approach the sales numbers of Maxis, Firaxis or Valve games but then again, Stardock is a much smaller company and perhaps more interestingly, their games are quite niche, even among the strategy genre.

I would argue that the two points you mentioned - they don't approach the sales numbers and that they are niche games - show that they aren't a valid example. Stardock can get away with not having copy protection because they just don't capture everyone's notice.

Three installs is two too many, anyway. If you really need to reinstall a game that much, you probably need to reinstall a new brain as well since you have obsessive compulsive problems and buy too many computers.

Even I uninstall games all the time. The only game I don't uninstall when I'm burned out of it is The Sims 2, simply because I hate having to reinstall every expansion.

And why would I have to call them to be allowed to play a game I've paid for

Personally, every time I've had to call EA about something, it's worked very well. The people did things the website said I couldn't, and always treated me with respect. I, personally, have no doubt that if I ever had to call EA about Spore's installation limit, I'd have few problems.

Pirates actually started putting together various creature packs with installers 2 days after the game was released on the pirate scene. So you don't even have to manually import creatures from the Sporepedia to get that online content...

And they have to keep doing it, whereas I can do it without any fuss.

ps: if its not obvious, I don't consider myself agreeing with Wiglaf.

[Wiglaf]

Even I uninstall games all the time. The only game I don't uninstall when I'm burned out of it is The Sims 2, simply because I hate having to reinstall every expansion.

You uninstall and reinstall games regularly? Might I suggest taking up a less insane hobby.

ps: if its not obvious, I don't consider myself agreeing with Wiglaf.

You're such a flirt!

[Solver]

I would argue that the two points you mentioned - they don't approach the sales numbers and that they are niche games - show that they aren't a valid example. Stardock can get away with not having copy protection because they just don't capture everyone's notice.

The contrary seems true to me. Stardock games are niche (so fewer people are interested in them by definition) and have no protection, so there's less incentive to buy, one would think, as opposed to pirating. But Stardock games still sell well for their audience. It wouldn't be right to compare sales of GalCiv2 to sales of Call of Duty 4, makes no sense. Compare them instead to other games that appeal to a niche market and then the Stardock sales seem to be quite solid.

[Adagio]

Originally posted by Wiglaf
Prove it. Smells of BS generated by the bittorrent-whoring, no female genetalia-getting Amazon-terrorizing nerds.

It was posted on the official Spore board by an EA representative some time ago... In this case I'd take their words on it

[Vesayen]

So if you complain about the copyright protection they take away your liscence and the game stops working?

If the suit in California goes to trial, I guarantee you this will come up and bite EA in the ass.