Curse

Sable Phoenix · May 25, 2008, 06:24 AM // 06:24

Mass Effect is the latest game to be published by Edmonton-based developer BioWare, creator of such classic RPGs as Baldur's Gate, Knights of the Old Republic, and Neverwinter Nights. Released in November 2007 for the XBox, the game quickly garnered glowing reviews and Editor's Choice awards in everything from PC Gamer to the New York Times. The game sported several innovations, including a digital actor lip-syncing and expression engine and a dynamic conversation system, that, when combined with a uniquely cinematic narrative style, elevated Mass Effect in many ways to the status of the first true interactive movie. Its initial classification as an XBox exclusive title notwithstanding, BioWare announced early in 2008 that the game would be updated and ported to the PC. The game went gold early in May with a release date of May 28th.

I pre-ordered the game a day after it went gold. Two days ago, I canceled it.

Now what, you ask, could bring me to cancel a game that I've anticipated since six months prior to its initial XBox release, from a publisher who has never produced a game I did not enjoy?

The answer is that BioWare, presumably at the behest of Electronic Arts by whom they were bought last year, has included Sony's SecuROM DRM (digital rights management) scheme in Mass Effect.

SecuROM has been around a long time, included in games as old as Descent: Freespace and Sid Meir's Alpha Centauri. The latest versions of SecuROM, however, have been at the center of several controversies, most notably for the problems associated with 2K Games' landmark first-person shooter BioShock and Maxis' The Sims 2. SecuROM has received additional criticism for conflicting with anti-virus and anti-malware programs, for ostensibly modifying the Windows registry, and for being impossible to remove without third party tools and a fairly high level of technical knowledge, even after the games which use it have been completely uninstalled.

As initially announced upon BioWare's message boards, the version of SecuROM included with Mass Effect took things a step farther:

Quote:

Mass Effect uses SecuROM and requires an online activation for the first time that you play it....

After the first activation, SecuROM requires that it re-check with the server within ten days (in case the CD Key has become public/warez'd and gets banned). Just so that the 10 day thing doesn't become abrupt, SecuROM tries its first re-check with 5 days remaining in the 10 day window. If it can't contact the server before the 10 days are up, nothing bad happens and the game still runs. After 10 days a re-check is required before the game can run.

Quote:

.... the SecuROM settings are for up to 3 activations.

There is no banning or such if you go beyond the 3 activations, it just won't activate. If you run into any issues with this, you will be able to contact EA tech support and they will help you resolve any problems you have getting your game to run, including issues with SecuROM.

This version of SecuROM was also revealed to be scheduled for inclusion in the release of Maxis' highly-anticipated title SPORE, also to be distributed by EA.

The consumer response was immediate and unpleasant, with multiple threads sprouting up on the BioWare forums discussing and criticizing DRM in general and SecuROM in particular. In an attempt to divert a potential customer-relations debacle, EA quickly announced that the ten-day activation cycle would be removed from both Mass Effect and SPORE. However, the initial install and any updates would still require an internet connection, and the limit of three installs per copy remained unchanged. Despite this partial concession, many BioWare fans continued to express their displeasure upon the developer's forums at any inclusion of DRM, going so far as to cancel pre-orders or even state their intention to refrain from purchasing any further BioWare or EA games.

Alright, there are the hard facts. Time to get personal.

DRM is a blight. It has nothing to do with piracy, despite the PR spin that the developers and distributors of software, music, and visual media would like to put on it. It has everything to do with eliminating fair use. It's about the control of media even after it has left the publishers' hands. It's about dictating what you can use your own computer for and how often.

DRM has no effect upon piracy whatsoever. Any software released with it is invariably cracked within days of release. Some are even cracked and distributed prior to the software's release, as was the case with Grand Theft Auto 4, which hit the net a week before it hit the shelves. What it does do is inconvenience and punish consumers who legitimately pay for their media. It leaves them subject to the vagaries of the corporate world, often preventing them from using media they have already paid for, as in the case of the shutdown of MSN Music a while back, where thousands of users were locked out of listening to music tracks they had already bought. Unfortunately such things tend to have a delayed impact, as the media will sometimes work just fine until the users upgrade their systems, and will then suddenly stop working, with no way to "re-activate" it. In some cases, DRM can actually damage the user's system and hardware. Has the industry learned nothing from the fiasco that was StarForce?

On top of all this, SecuROM is particularly pernicious in that it sticks stuff into your registry without telling you, without giving you any way to find it, without giving you any way to remove it, and without even removing itself if the game's uninstalled. There's a name for software that installs things without your permission into your operating system's registry that you then cannot remove. It's virus. I refuse to knowingly install malware on my computer.

DRM isn't even necessary. Look at Sins of a Solar Empire. Ironclad games has put out a title that's enjoying great success. Guess what? They have no copy protection at all. What they do have is incentives and benefits, freebies and extras, for consumers who register a legal copy with the company. What a novel idea! Let's reward the customer, rather than punish them! What's the better way to conduct business, I wonder?

Ultimately, draconian DRM schemes and policies are going to increase piracy, not lessen it. Why take the chance that the validation servers will be shut down, leaving you in possession of a fantastically expensive drink coaster? Don't think that it'll never happen because the company is too big. Microsoft did it, and they're a lot bigger than EA. Why should users subject themselves to the headaches and conflicts of dealing with DRM when they could get a download of the same thing, minus the headaches, and minus the price tag? I know that for the first time ever I'm tempted to pirate a BioWare title, specifically because of this stupidity.

My recommendation? Don't buy Mass Effect or SPORE. If you've pre-ordered one of these titles, cancel your order. It's what I did, as painful as it was. I want to support BioWare, since I love their games, but I also refuse to support the assault on consumer's rights, and that's more important than one game. I don't care how badly you might want these games, the only way to combat this idiocy is to hit the corporate dummkopfs in a place that they'll feel it, and the only place they'll feel it is their bottom line. Stop patronizing EA, and if you have any friends who want to buy either of these games, warn them about this as well. Show these morons that we won't stand for this crap and maybe we'll get them to acknowledge our fair use rights in the future.

pumpkin pie · May 25, 2008, 06:27 AM // 06:27

I'm not buying Spore or Sims 3 if it means = hey you buy, i install spyware in your system okay? so don't worry, already going to use my Spore money to buy GW2

RedNova88 · May 25, 2008, 07:12 AM // 07:12

Well Spore is supposed to be great, but I'd rather not inconvenience myself with SecuROM and EA (lolEA). There is no sure way to combat piracy, because like you said. Cracks are developed so fast putting in the extra security is a waste to put it simply. Look at Halo 2 for PC. You can even get beyond it requiring vista, because honestly... Who the crap would go buy vista so they could play Halo 2?

Piracy will be around no matter what, and we all probably know the saying. "People always want what they can't have" which is why cracks can be developed so fast and easily. I'm not condoning stealing, but stuff like this is just creating more problems.

I do know your feeling... I was going to upgrade my PC with a better video card and go snag me a copy of Mass Effect where I could find it, but that was before I knew about all this crap with SecuROM or whatever. NO thanks, if I wanted to torture myself and my computer I'd just reinstall Norton anti-virus.

Sable Phoenix · May 26, 2008, 09:51 PM // 21:51

Just to be clear, I'm not advocating piracy. I am simply putting information out there. The DRM issue goes beyond simple piracy and goes to the issues of consumer rights, fair use, and who will control what your computer can do and how you use the software you run on it.

This is a fantastic article, although very long and technical, on the implementation and effects and purpose behind DRM. The ultimate goal of the media and software companies is to get you to pay them every time you use their media. Not buy, not install... use.

I for one won't sit quietly while they screw us; hence the reason I wanted to put the word out on things like this.

Zahr Dalsk · May 27, 2008, 12:37 AM // 00:37

Power Word Fail

I'll be getting my cracked copies straight off of Isohunt to avoid this ridiculous stuff.

RedNova88 · May 27, 2008, 01:10 AM // 01:10

Well, I can understand Sable. It does seem extremely ridiculous that they're doing this. Just have faith in the gamer community, it's populated by what is probably the most whiny and volatile group of people in the world... So it's basically impossible that they get away with this in the long run. If worse comes to worst I'm sure people would just get frustrated and start stealing pirated copies of the games, and downloading cracks for them. I don't think piracy is right, but if crap like this continues then piracy will probably grow so extreme that it cannot be effectively combated.

I suppose for now we can only hope that this does not spread to other games on the horizon. But if it does we'll be playing games the way they would have in Soviet Russia, and every box will be marked "You do it our way, or not at all!".

GaaaaaH · May 27, 2008, 03:39 AM // 03:39

I heard that this is no longer the system that is going to be used. Has anyone found a source for this?

I refuse to buy spore unless SecuRom is not included.
The irony is that the pirate copies won't treat you like a pirate, but the official on will.

-Loki- · May 27, 2008, 08:37 AM // 08:37

They dropped the activation every 10 days. Stop getting your panties in a wad and read up to date information.

Here is your reputable source.

Quote:

There's a name for software that installs things without your permission into your operating system's registry that you then cannot remove. It's virus.

Actually, it's malicious. Not all malicious software is a virus.

Ranger Rog · May 27, 2008, 10:37 AM // 10:37

They dropped the 10 day check but I don't think that they ever had any intention of implementing it in the first place, I honestly believe that it was a PR stunt.

Look at it this way, There was a massive backlash from gamers when the PC version of Bioshock was released last year with some pretty horrible DRM.

Fast forward to now and EA want to implement a similar DRM scheme for Spore and Mass Effect when they are released (after all, it stalled the pirates for 2 weeks with BS) but they would quite like to avoid the bad publicity that goes with it.

So what they do is announce that Spore and Mass Effect will have even worse DRM than BS, let the whole thing fester on the fan forums and the games news sites for a few days and then they drop some of the DRM requirments to show that they really listen to the community.

The fan forums are then full of people feeling warm and fuzzy becaused they scored a victory, they praise EA for listening to them and start saying they will buy the games after all (I actually witnessed this on the official forums for the games), meanwhile the games will still be released with the same level of copy protection as Bioshock.

Nice try EA, but still no sale here, and that goes for any other title you infect with your crappy DRM or try to pull this kind of bait and switch stunt with.

Anarkii · May 27, 2008, 11:06 AM // 11:06

DRM is annoying, but Piracy is a massive issue for the PC Gaming industry. About 70% of the PC games being played are pirated. You can't blame the devs for trying to combat it - they'll just stop MAKING pc games otherwise.

Divinitys Creature · May 28, 2008, 12:16 PM // 12:16

They should go back to cartridges!

Winterclaw · Jun 10, 2008, 03:30 AM // 03:30

I don't know if it is the DRM or not, but the other day I made the terrible mistake of trying to load Mass Effect onto my PC. Won't even load because of general protection faults. Until I can play, this is the worst bioware game ever.

Kanyatta · Jun 10, 2008, 03:47 PM // 15:47

Didn't Oblivion have like, no protection software, I don't even remember it having a CD-Key, and that sold very well on PC.

Don't companies realize that the more protection they put on their games, the more people are going to pirate them just to avoid the hassle? Seriously, no matter what they do, there will always be a copy of their game on BitTorrent free of charge, and its looking more and more appealing every time I hear about something like SecuRom or Starfire or whatever. That's the main reason I never bought BF2142.

Personally, I've been waiting for Spore for almost 3 years, and I'm not gonna let a little software get in my way.

wolf trader · Jun 30, 2008, 07:26 AM // 07:26

I've been doing some snooping as to the SecuROM stuff that is going on. The best I've discovered is something very very few people have noticed but all who have had trouble have in common...Windows Vista.

SecuROM was included in Sims Bon Voyage, NWN2, and multiple other EA titles...and those who haven't heard or seen yet, EA owns Bioware now. The version is 7.x, the same as the one many Vista users are reporting to have issues with including, but not limited to: Antivirus deactivation, firewall corruption, deactivation and prevention of using Media Player, iTunes, and other such programs, and even the complete hardware destruction of CD/DVD/BluRay players and even some other hardware malfuctions.

Most of these users, from what I have gathered are using pre SP1 Vista or Vista x64. My theory therefore is that SecuROM has yet to be properly adapted by Vista's over zealous security flaws. I have XP Home SP2 and XP Media Center SP2 on my computers, and I run mulitple programs with SecuROM. I've run more than 3 installations total on these programs with no trouble.

One thing that SecuROM has proven though, is that purchasing software means absolutely nothing anymore. You can't sell computer software to someone after you are finished with it, even though the EULA says you can as long as you don't keep it installed on your system, in some cases you can't install it more than once or twice without getting permission from the makers of the software. To me this is saying that indeed our so called "land of the free" has become a distant whisper where big business owns everything and anyone who stands up against it is shot down and punished for it.

....well....at least ArenaNet still holds its customers with the highest, giving us a great game like Guild Wars and soon Guild Wars 2....with hopes, other game companies like ArenaNet and NCSoft will tear down the oppressive bonds of Sony and EA and make way for a better future in computer gaming...

...wow...that was long...hope it helps some
^.^

zwei2stein · Jun 30, 2008, 11:56 AM // 11:56

Quote:

Originally Posted by Anarkii

DRM is annoying, but Piracy is a massive issue for the PC Gaming industry. About 70% of the PC games being played are pirated. You can't blame the devs for trying to combat it - they'll just stop MAKING pc games otherwise.

But they just can't combat it that way.

All that DRM did was to make pirated games more confortable to get/install more functional than originals. Its no brainier, if my bought game insists on claiming that i am going to pirate it, calling home and spying one me and even stopping to work after few installs ... Pirating just sounds much much better as is does not come with that kind of abuse attached.

By combating pirating, they are supporting it enormously. DRM usually only really stops you from exercising your legal rights (you know you are legally supposed to be able to re-sell products and that you can borrow it to other people. There is also fair use allowing you to reuse snippets.)

Nice people being accused of being thieves and receiving crappy product while pirates receiving superior product without harassment? Something just is not right with that.

Abedeus · Jun 30, 2008, 12:36 PM // 12:36

SecuROM helps piracy. No, really it helps.

Original games - Players MUST use original CDs (so no NOCD cracks), CD must be inside all the time. If it breaks/scratches/gets lost, YOU CAN'T PLAY!

Pirated games - You install the game, find a crack, play without CDs/using images without any problems.

Fril Estelin · Jun 30, 2008, 01:09 PM // 13:09

Quote:

Originally Posted by zwei2stein

DRM usually only really stops you from exercising your legal rights

A note to everyone here: DRM is much more than copy-protection for multimedia and games; it's exactly the same principle used to protecting medical patient's data in hospital's computer systems or sensitive documents in government organisations (well, when it's done the right way anyway).

People slowly confuse many problems and end up thinking "DRM = unfair" (I fought for 1,5years another stupid equation that "trusted computing = DRM"...), while it's wrong. Look at iTunes's FairPlay for example.

To be completely clear: DRM without unfair business model is FAIL (mobile operators are getting away with it atm but it won't last). I remember reading an excellent article explaining that modern videogames are able to feed their developpers and companies if there's "enough" purchase during the first 6 months, so DRM makes sense at that point to prevent the strong incentive to pirate it, the article said that after 6 months it was no longer worth it. (can't find the reference, though I tried)

(edit: I'm against indiscriminate, intrusive and unfair DRM, I'm against Sony's security measures until they make very, very clear that they've u-turned on their failed attempts; but I want at the same time protection against piracy because I can see the huge potential of hurting sales from small companies; don't flame me for trying to balance the views here, the OP made a very good point, but let's not move from one extreme to the other extreme)

Read this to expand your views on the real state of piracy (yep, we're not the center of the world, in particular in gaming...):
http://www.gamasutra.com/view/featur...triumphant.php
The other side of the coin:
http://www.next-gen.biz/index.php?op...10800&Itemid=2
Interesting too:
http://talkjack.wordpress.com/2008/0...-games-part-1/

zwei2stein · Jun 30, 2008, 01:44 PM // 13:44

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fril Estelin

A note to everyone here: DRM is much more than copy-protection for multimedia and games; it's exactly the same principle used to protecting medical patient's data in hospital's computer systems or sensitive documents in government organisations (well, when it's done the right way anyway).

Which is even more of a problem.

If you have DRM protecting sensitive documents, it basically removes ability to gather evidence and "blow whistle". It gives institutions just too much power.

There was very huge issue with trustworthy computing. Imagine you just discovered very sensitive data outlining something unethical going on.

As responsible human being you want it to stop, so you attempt to blow whistle, but ...

... you attempt to copy document to flash. No can do, document is signed as "internal", trustworthy hardware and OS wont allow it to copy on untrusted media. So you try to email it ... firewall detects it and stops propagating this signed document. So you attempt to at least copy-paste content ... but it wont paste to program that is not "trusted". So you eventually dismantle computer and put hd to untrusted machine with unstrusted os, you got hold of that file ... but it is encrypted, only trusted software on trusted hadrware can do it. So if you send it to someone else, he just wont see it unless he has trusted machine. Trusted machine checks file as he tries to open it, hmm ... it is signed as internal, so its denied for someone who does not have clearance. Even worse, trusted pc will probably check with authority, and can go as far as deleting that file, depending on what authority wants.

No way to leak documents. I am sure that unscrupulous companies and governments have happy dance, no more transparency. People are just too easily scared by relatively harmless things (medical records) so they are prone to allowing and endorsing quite harmful things.

DRM and related technologies are dangerous toys, and if taken to extreme (like in my example) they are very harmful to society as whole.

some propaganda: http://www.lafkon.net/tc/

Fril Estelin · Jun 30, 2008, 10:34 PM // 22:34

Quote:

Originally Posted by zwei2stein

relatively harmless things (medical records)

I'm not sure if you realise how wrong this is. People die when medical records get in the wrong hands (that's not theory, there are countless stories). You don't die because SecuROM is in Spore.

P.S.: your scenario is a serious misunderstanding of what TC is; I've worked with this industry and the only time I saw scenarios like these is when Prof. Ross Anderson (a brilliant guy when he defends user's privacy in his public policy group) wrote them in his anti-tc faq. This is exactly like writing the story of this MMO Korean fan who died of starvation because of the MMO and justify that MMOs are bad.

zwei2stein · Jul 01, 2008, 07:09 AM // 07:09

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fril Estelin

I'm not sure if you realise how wrong this is. People die when medical records get in the wrong hands (that's not theory, there are countless stories). You don't die because SecuROM is in Spore.

P.S.: your scenario is a serious misunderstanding of what TC is; I've worked with this industry and the only time I saw scenarios like these is when Prof. Ross Anderson (a brilliant guy when he defends user's privacy in his public policy group) wrote them in his anti-tc faq. This is exactly like writing the story of this MMO Korean fan who died of starvation because of the MMO and justify that MMOs are bad.

Well, that story is highly exaggerated, i know that. Typical use will never get nowhere near that, but it is abusable this way. And it has fatal flaw anyway: Someone can just take photo of that document and leak it all he likes (But there are plans for "digital manners" thing, which basically gives anyone ability to turn off features of devices located in certain area)

About medical records in wrong hands ... yes, they can be abused. But if someone wants someone else dead so much that they investigate their medical records for weaknesses ... they are going to kill that person anyway.

Thing about medical records is that leaks i have heard of were made by social engineering, or good old phone camera.

Hell, i have heard about this experiment: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hofling...tal_experiment

So all you need to do to kill someone is to call in to hospital, pretend you are doc and order someone to overdose your target ... that should work just fine.