Linked by Thom Holwerda on Mon 11th Mar 2013 14:46 UTC
"To see anyone defending EA and Maxis for the state of SimCity, even were it in perfect working order on launch, depresses me to my core. This self-flagellation-as-skincare notion, where gamers loudly and proudly defend the destruction of their own rights as consumers, is an Orwellian perversity. That it might be considered in any way controversial to call them out on their crap, to point out that no, always-on DRM is not an advantage to anyone, is bewildering. It's a sign of just how far the gaming world has fallen into the rabbit hole of the publisher's burrowing." As usual, RPS hits the nail on the head so hard it shoots through the board.
Thread beginning with comment 555108
To read all comments associated with this story, please click here.
To read all comments associated with this story, please click here.
Member since:2005-11-13
EA breaks games with DRM, removes features til it's working again: "Oh well, they're just trying to keep people from stealing their stuff"
Yep, that's pretty much it, and I think it's a justifiable reason on their part. Don't get me wrong... I would never support this model for games, but I don't blame them for doing it. I'm sure they're getting tired of people pirating their stuff, while at the same time you have a bunch of f--ktards screaming about how piracy helps the industry. I'm sorry guys, but piracy does NOT help the industry
You get hundreds of thousands of people torrenting games, and then you wonder why publishers resort to the online-only DRM. Hello? WTF did you think was going to happen? They're not just going to sit back and watch while you play $60 games for free. The main argument against this kind of DRM is that you can never make something that can't be cracked, but as more and more of the code goes server-side, I'm sure they will eventually make something that's uncrackable, assuming they haven't already. So I understand the business reasons why they're doing it, and I understand this is the future.
Do I AGREE with it? No. Assuming their PC games are being pirated to the point where they would have to go out of business if they didn't resort to this model, then I'd rather see them go out of business. If I can't really own the games, I'm just not interested, unless maybe they're having a fire sale for like $10. Then it's sort of like a rental
Since games are only entertainment, I can easily live without them. And I also think it's a bit hypocritical for people to shun this kind of DRM on one hand, and embrace Steam on the other. I'm not sure if Steam requires the 'always on' connection, but you're still 'buying' games that you don't really own, and that can be 'switched off' at somebody else's discretion.
Edited 2013-03-11 16:11 UTC
Member since:2011-01-26
If it were just anti piracy measures you could make that argument but in the case of Sim City they've moved part of the single player onto their servers; not for any real benefit to the game... no, just so they can add it to the following list of shut down servers in a couple of years and charge you again if you still feel like playing.
http://www.ea.com/1/service-updates
No chance they ever get another penny from me.
Edited 2013-03-11 21:00 UTC
RE[2]: Sing of the Times
by sparkyERTW on Tue 12th Mar 2013 13:40
in reply to "RE: Sing of the Times"
Member since:2010-06-09
I think it's a justifiable reason on their part. Don't get me wrong... I would never support this model for games, but I don't blame them for doing it.
I do... because in doing so they're harming their honest, paying customers. Returning to the car metaphor, what we're seeing is not "needing a key to start your car". What we're seeing is "your car must communicate with us or it won't start, and since we've just discovered the AC, stereo, and ABS brakes create problems with that, we're going to disable those. Also, your car might occasionally fail to start or lock-up randomly."
I'm sure they're getting tired of people pirating their stuff, while at the same time you have a bunch of f--ktards screaming about how piracy helps the industry. I'm sorry guys, but piracy does NOT help the industry You get hundreds of thousands of people torrenting games, and then you wonder why publishers resort to the online-only DRM. Hello? WTF did you think was going to happen? They're not just going to sit back and watch while you play $60 games for free.
You get hundreds of thousands of people torrenting games, and then you wonder why publishers resort to the online-only DRM. Hello? WTF did you think was going to happen? They're not just going to sit back and watch while you play $60 games for free. Yeah, I get that, and I agree the "piracy helps" argument is a lame one. But your paying customers should not be complacent about you breaking their stuff to fight that.
The main argument against this kind of DRM is that you can never make something that can't be cracked, but as more and more of the code goes server-side, I'm sure they will eventually make something that's uncrackable
No they won't. Ever. There's always going to be someone who figures out how to get around it. So rather than fight that and piss off all your existing customers as you sell them broken products, maybe your time is better spent proving your product is worth paying for.
Do I AGREE with it? No. Assuming their PC games are being pirated to the point where they would have to go out of business if they didn't resort to this model, then I'd rather see them go out of business. If I can't really own the games, I'm just not interested, unless maybe they're having a fire sale for like $10. Then it's sort of like a rental Since games are only entertainment, I can easily live without them.
Since games are only entertainment, I can easily live without them. Agreed.
And I also think it's a bit hypocritical for people to shun this kind of DRM on one hand, and embrace Steam on the other. I'm not sure if Steam requires the 'always on' connection, but you're still 'buying' games that you don't really own, and that can be 'switched off' at somebody else's discretion.
You have a point there. You can put Steam in an 'offline' mode where it stores a local copy of your credentials, but you're right, it could be revoked when run online. But while I agree that DRM is vile in general, what makes this case extra heinous though is that given the option between loosening the DRM and harming their loyal, paying customers, they harmed their customers. And that to me is indefensible.
RE[2]: Sing of the Times
by rcsteiner on Fri 15th Mar 2013 04:29
in reply to "RE: Sing of the Times"
Member since:2005-07-12
Member since:2011-08-13
Member since:2005-08-18
How long will it be before Toyota says, "if you take your car anywhere but the dealership for regular maintenance - which is mandatory - your car will lock up and you can't drive it anymore"... and we shrug our shoulders?
No, that won't happen because people will not accept it. The IT industry though, is a different ballgame. A lot of big players has spent a lot of money convincing people that the IT industry is special and need special rules and permissions. Unfortunately, the only way these companies are making the industry special is in making it more like the short bus.
RE[2]: Sing of the Times
by sparkyERTW on Tue 12th Mar 2013 13:14
in reply to "RE: Sing of the Times"
Member since:2010-06-09
No, that won't happen because people will not accept it.
I hope you're right about that, I really do, because while we all have the impression right now is we're only seeing this pushover (bend-over?) attitude in the IT/entertainment industry, I'm not 100% sure it'll stay that way. Yeah, I get that my Toyota example was a little extreme, but if this trend continues it might not seem that far-fetched.
Features
Linked by Thom Holwerda on 05/24/13 17:26 UTC
So, the Xbox One disaster continues. Microsoft's policy for dealing with the used games market has reportedly leaked - and it's a clear and direct attack to destroy the used games market. Prices for used games will be set at the retail value of a new game, and retailers have to hook into Microsoft's computer systems and comply with Microsoft's terms and conditions.
Linked by Thom Holwerda on 05/21/13 21:38 UTC
At an event earlier today, Microsoft unveiled the next Xbox - the third model, but confusingly named Xbox One. The big focus was TV, integrated Kinect, and all the other stuff we all expected to be forced down our throats. I think it took them 25 minutes to actually come to what should be the core of the story: gaming. Nothing groundbreaking in the gaming department, except for how Microsoft intends to handle the used games market and borrowing games from friends: pay up, buddy!
Linked by Thom Holwerda on 05/20/13 11:29 UTC
The day has finally come! Jolla has finally announced the launch device for its Sailfish operating system - and by god this is a looker. It's decidedly different from other phones out there, but it has good specifications and carries a relatively reasonably price tag - EUR 399, and it's up for pre-order today, shipping in the fourth quarter of this year.
Linked by Thom Holwerda on 05/18/13 21:33 UTC
Why does Google get so much credit in the technology industry? Why, despite the company's many obvious failings, do many geeks and enthusiasts still hold a somewhat positive view on the all-knowing technology giant? A specific talk at Google I/O this week provides the answer.
Linked by David Adams on 05/16/13 4:23 UTC
OSNews is a sponsor of this year's O'Reilly OSCON in Portland, Oregon, USA. A lucky OSNews reader will win a free three-day pass, including two tutorials days. To win the pass, post a comment on this story saying something about Open Source Software or OSCON. We'll pick a winner at random next week. If you don't have an OSNews account, you may email us your entry. Part of the conference is the 9th annual Open Source Awards, and today the 16th is the deadline for nominations. If you'd like to nominate an outstanding open source contributor, do it here. Read on for more information about OSCON. Update: The 20% discount code for OSNews readers is "OSN."
Linked by Thom Holwerda on 05/11/13 21:41 UTC
"Windows is indeed slower than other operating systems in many scenarios, and the gap is worsening." That's one way to start an insider explanation of why Windows' performance isn't up to snuff. Written by someone who actually contributes code to the Windows NT kernel, the comment on Hacker News, later deleted but reposted with permission on Marc Bevand's blog, paints a very dreary picture of the state of Windows development. The root issue? Think of how Linux is developed, and you'll know the answer.
Linked by Thom Holwerda on 05/08/13 14:22 UTC
This is one of those news items that's fun to write, fun to read, fun to comment on, and where no one will be able to say anything unkind. It's all just one big ball of awesome fluffiness. TuneTracker, the BeOS radio automation software, has just released something very special: TuneTracker System 5, the first version designed entirely and specifically for Haiku. In fact, it actually includes Haiku in the software package. Better yet, TuneTracker also unveiled several system-in-a-box products - which have Haiku and TuneTracker pre-installed.
Linked by Thom Holwerda on 05/02/13 15:28 UTC
Exactly twenty years ago, a document was published that played a huge role in establishing the web as we know it today. Twenty years later, and this simple and straightforward document is proof of an irrefutable fact: while closed technologies can change markets, open technologies can change the world.
Linked by Thom Holwerda on 04/29/13 21:06 UTC
Oh multitasking. That staple of computing that got thrown out the window with many modern smartphones. We got some rudimentary thing in its place - but even as multitasking on phone and tablets improves, its user-visible side remains cumbersome. Windows 8 has a neat implementation, and now it's time Android follows in it footsteps.
Linked by Thom Holwerda on 04/24/13 22:24 UTC
They're here! Whether that excites you or not remains to be seen, but the Galaxy S4, which will most likely become the best selling Android smartphone of the year by a huge margin, has been reviewed by all the major sites, and there's lots of interesting conclusions in there - although I think most of you will get the gist.More Features »
Sponsored Links
Member since:
2010-06-09
This and things like this are the sad trend we're seeing in the marketplace. You see big companies like Sony, EA, Microsoft, etc. take actions against their customers and half the time the customers shrug or even applaud them for it.
Sony removes Other OS support, backwards compatibility, etc.: "Oh well, I never used it anyway". Not the f**king point. They took something away from you AFTER you purchased it. How is that not viewed as wrong? If a Frigidaire rep breaks into my house and removes the ice dispenser on my fridge that I never use, is it excusable?
EA breaks games with DRM, removes features til it's working again: "Oh well, they're just trying to keep people from stealing their stuff". That's their f**king problem, not yours; you as a loyal paying customer shouldn't be suffering for it. If someone elbows me in the face while trying to throw a hay-maker at a guy next to me, I'm still justified to be pissed as hell. And if they then turn around and say, "I appear to have broken your nose... here, have this fake nose to wear over it so you look normal again", I should not accept that as adequate.
Amazon DRM-ing public works, the walled gardens of the smartphone market - now creeping into the PC market, long-term service contracts that are entirely one-sided, etc. How long will it be before Toyota says, "if you take your car anywhere but the dealership for regular maintenance - which is mandatory - your car will lock up and you can't drive it anymore"... and we shrug our shoulders?
Edited 2013-03-11 15:22 UTC