There is a growing problem in the gaming industry. The game developers and hardware creators are trying to protect their future profits and as a result are putting an extra burden on their customers. This isn’t new, but it seems to be getting worse.
One recent example is Spore from EA. EA is so concerned about protecting their “intellectual property” that they have an extremely restrictive DRM on the game. The DRM limits the buyer to 3 installs of the game. They can put it on three different computers, three times on one computer, or any other combination. This may not seem like a big deal, but there are other things that would take up one of these installs. If you uninstall the game and want to reinstall it later on, that would take up one. You also have to re-authenticate the game (using another one) if you change a piece of hardware. If you go beyond your alloted three, you have to call EA and ask for permission to install a game you paid for. It is ludicrous to think that I can be locked out of a game that I spent money on. Also, EA only allows you to create one account per purchase. This means a family would have to purchase multiple copies if multiple people want accounts. The most ironic part of this is that this didn’t stop pirating. In fact, some people say it actually increased the number of pirated copies. If you don’t believe that people are upset by this, then take a look at the game’s 1 star Amazon.com rating. Most of the reviews complain about the DRM.
All that this DRM accomplished was burdening those who purchased the game. My guess is it didn’t guarantee more profits for EA.
Now I am reading more reports of this stupid crap. Nintendo’s new Wii Speak is being shipped with similar insane restrictions. According to Ars Technica:
The package came with a surprise: a 16-character code is needed to download the Wii Speak channel from Nintendo. The fine print is clear: the code will not be replaced if lost. There is no other way to download the channel. Without the channel, the Wii Speak hardware is just a useless microphone.
The main difference from EA’s approach is that this could actually work. It is much easier to pirate Spore than hack the Wii Speak.
This still presents issues that could affect those who are honest and purchase it legally. If Nintendo won’t reissue the code, what happens if you buy a new Wii or get a refurbished unit under warranty? It is unclear if there will be any exceptions, but as of now it doesn’t look like it.
The Ars Technica article points out that Nintendo’s motive is to reduce the used game market. I feel that too much time and energy is being spent creating ways to lock in users and not enough is put into creating good games. The best way to make money is to create an outstanding product.
Photo by Ian Muttoo
