I know I've probably whined enough in protest of the Spore DRM. But GU local, Stormhaven, sent me a link to Amazon that kind of amused me.

Apparently since details of the digital rights management software EA is packing onto the Spore disks started circulating, gamers have taken to logging into Spore's Amazon page to leave negative feedback in protest of the "draconic" DRM. The effect has been that the game rating has dropped from five stars down to two and is likely to drop farther.
Source: Amazon.Com: Spore Customer Reviews [ more info ]

Again, I've made my views on this quite clear. I will not buy Spore (a game I've been lusting after since I first heard about it) until EA patches the current DRM out of the game.

First, I'm not okay with the idea that I can only install the game 3 times. You guys know how often I have computer problems and/or upgrade. 3 installs will likely last me all of a year and a half. Then I have to start calling in to explain what I need additional activations. But how long is phone supported activation going to last? What happens when it dries up? Basically, I have to rebuy the game. Thanks EA.

Second, for all intents and purposes it is a single player game. You should never be required to have internet access to play a single player game. Sure there is player generated content to be had online, but if you're like me you'll look at it but probably never download it. The idea is that players will have to authenticate their game online "the first time" and then re-authenticate their game when they "use online features, download new content of a patch for their game". I don't care if this means I won't need the disc in my computer to play the game. I'm okay with tossing in a game disk if it means not putting computer sniffing spyware on my machine.

If, unlike me, you don't care about the DRM, Spore released in North America yesterday.

--- edited to add ---

NOTE: I'd like to clarify the 3 activation issue. If you install Spore on your computer, uninstall it, and decide to reinstall it on the same computer later... that only uses one license. But for people like me who have to do clean OS installs (for whatever reason) and update hardware, etc. where each clean OS install is considered a new computer, those 3 activations disappear really quickly.

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Today's Pimpage: The spaceship in today's comic will not be available as player made content for Spore until EA stops being an in-grown asshair.

there are far better ways to prevent piracy that don't screw the end user. Unfortunately, as much as I want to play this game, I'm right there with you on not touching it till they remove the DRM. Frankly, the whole mess isn't going to do jack to stop the piracy- Spore will wind up as a cracked download somewhere within three weeks, tops, like other games with this sort of "anti-piracy" technology, as many programs are pirated overseas these days by well-equipped people, even entire companies, that make bank off of selling rip-offs on the black market- and all it does is hurt the end-user. Not good publicity.

It sucks that yet another great game is off my Buy List because of an overreactionary game company buggering the consumer.

I understand they are wanting to protect their games. Doing it at the cost of pontential players seems like financial(?) suicide to me.

EA is the new way to produce a game wrong.

Wow. I was planning to buy this game later this week, but after reading about this... Nope. If my history with my Sims games is any indication, I'll only be able to play this game for about three months without either calling for a new code or just buying it again. I'm one of those that instead of starting a new game, I delete it and re-install.

I understand the need to cut down on pirating, but this kind of answer is not going to help out EA.

Sure there is player generated content to be had online, but if you're like me you'll look at it but probably never download it.

I was under the impression that your planet(s) are populated by user-created creatures which are automatically downloaded.

Reading about the DRM makes me sad...
I was really looking forwards to this game, but like others I really can't bring myself to overlook something this terrible.

well, I did buy the game and what confuses me is why put the DRM in if you need a spore.com account to play. why not just require a login and tie the key to the login like every other MMO out there. Yes, spore is not an MMO, but it could be handled like one and loose the DRM.

I mean, who cared if the software's pirated if you need a login and valid key to play then.

Originally Posted by smcn:

I was under the impression that your planet(s) are populated by user-created creatures which are automatically downloaded.

this is true, you dont actually approve or download anything manually. When you enter a phase (tribal, civilization, ect.) the game grabs about a dozen random peoples creations from the servers and populates your game with them.

and thank god, I'm halfway through the tribal phase and have yet to see a penis-creature

Heh..and this is the post that makes me join. Clearing up a few things.

You don't need to go online to play...just to register and get updates. Otherwise there is a perfectly viable offline option.

As for the whole downloading creatures. If you go into online mode, you don't need to. The whole point of online mode (and the only change it makes) is that from time to time, when the game needs a new creature, building, vehicle..or heck, planet, it'll poll the online database, asking for it to fill one of these, once it finds one that suitable for its needs, it'll download it for you and stick it in your game.

Besides that, online has no real impact on your game, you can, if you wish, also share your creations online as well, but thats a function outside the game.

My other point...the hack to play it without the DRM already exists...it came out last Monday (that is not a typo). Some enterprising people who like the game..have bought a copy, then used their code on the hacked version....which EA still lets you use to go online with.

And that is all I'll say, other than I agree with the general idea the DRM shouldn't be there. Problem is..not buying spore prob dosn't send out the right message, it dosn't just say we don't want DRM, it also says 'we don't want more games like spore' which honestly..I don't want to spread.

So to ya'll who didn't buy it because of the DRM...I hope the point is made not to put the DRM in again....and, ah, seriously...you might want to find a DRM'less way to test the game..just so you can see the fruits of labor, heh.

Well darn... nice to know about this after I install the game not only did I install it on mine I installed it on my sis's laptop (which has Vista, which seems to have rejected the game) So I assume that means I'll only have one install left before I have to spend another 50? That's bs...