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Xbox One removes DRM; why won't EA remove it from SimCity?

CymdaiCymdai Member UncommonPosts: 1,043

Topic.

 

You'd think all the public support and clamor that was garnished by this announcement would be reinforcing EA to the anti-DRM  mentality. Xbox One and Microsoft legitimately deactivated DRM for a piece of hardware. So why in the hell is EA unwilling to budge and admit they made a mistake, and remove the DRM for the software that is SimCity?

To me, it's a striking reminder of why EA games has such a horrible reputation. Even if Microsoft DID only do it because the PS4 stomped them in every way possible, they still did modify their plans. There's a lot to be said about admitting one's mistakes, no?

Waiting for something fresh to arrive on the MMO scene...

Comments

  • Dreamo84Dreamo84 Member UncommonPosts: 3,713
    Well it's a little different since the Xbone isn't even out yet. Also, it's a developer's choice to make a game online based. I do think advertising it as being online would have helped their situation. Calling it "SimCity Online" for instance. DRM in PC games is kind of old news though.

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  • DzoneDzone Member UncommonPosts: 371

    EA = DRM / nothing but cash shops / voted worst company of the year.

    If any company should change, it should be them.

  • maplestonemaplestone Member UncommonPosts: 3,099
    Talking about DRM on an MMO site seems a curious choice ... MMOs are pretty much a DRM dreamworld.
  • DzoneDzone Member UncommonPosts: 371
    True i was thinkin entirely of offline games untill you said that. Yep that does make a diffrence
  • Ramonski7Ramonski7 Member UncommonPosts: 2,662
    Originally posted by Cymdai

    Topic.

     

    You'd think all the public support and clamor that was garnished by this announcement would be reinforcing EA to the anti-DRM  mentality. Xbox One and Microsoft legitimately deactivated DRM for a piece of hardware. So why in the hell is EA unwilling to budge and admit they made a mistake, and remove the DRM for the software that is SimCity?

    To me, it's a striking reminder of why EA games has such a horrible reputation. Even if Microsoft DID only do it because the PS4 stomped them in every way possible, they still did modify their plans. There's a lot to be said about admitting one's mistakes, no?

    Look at these two figures please:

    • Microsoft has sold 77.2 million XBox 360s as of 5/13/13
    • SimCity has sold 1.6 million copies as of 6/19/13

    So with this bit of information brought to light, why do you think MS listens to their customers while EA does not? Better yet, if MS released 13 systems in one year to mimic the 13 games EA has released so far, would you listen to a few whiners about one system?

    image
    "Small minds talk about people, average minds talk about events, great minds talk about ideas."

  • AxehiltAxehilt Member RarePosts: 10,504

    How many times has Sim City's DRM actually prevented you from playing the game?

    I think across every steam game I own, since the very inception of Steam, there have been maybe 5-10 total times I've ever had trouble playing my games.

    Maybe Sim City has a slightly worse record, in that I was prevented from playing one single day out of the 2-3 months I played it (and as a ratio of total playtime that's higher than the 5-10 times over many years for Steam.)  But I really don't see the cause for this excessive complaining.

    "What is truly revealing is his implication that believing something to be true is the same as it being true. [continue]" -John Oliver

  • DistopiaDistopia Member EpicPosts: 21,183
    Originally posted by Dzone

    EA = DRM / nothing but cash shops / voted worst company of the year.

    If any company should change, it should be them.

    HMM Steam=Major DRM on all of your games/ Lots of Cashshop options (games like TF2, War of the Roses, etc).. Valve would be voted one of the best (i'm sure).

    just sayin' :)

    For every minute you are angry , you lose 60 seconds of happiness."-Emerson


  • Cristina1Cristina1 Member UncommonPosts: 372
    Originally posted by Distopia
    Originally posted by Dzone

    EA = DRM / nothing but cash shops / voted worst company of the year.

    If any company should change, it should be them.

    HMM Steam=Major DRM on all of your games/ Lots of Cashshop options (games like TF2, War of the Roses, etc).. Valve would be voted one of the best (i'm sure).

    just sayin' :)

    Wrong, you can play steam games off line, including TF2. Also TF2 is actually fun game with a non intrusive cash shop, which has NOTHING that will help you play better. Also Valve care for their games and update them long after their release. Also most games on Steam have nothing to do with Valve.

  • TheLizardbonesTheLizardbones Member CommonPosts: 10,910


    Originally posted by Cristina1
    Originally posted by Distopia Originally posted by Dzone EA = DRM / nothing but cash shops / voted worst company of the year. If any company should change, it should be them.
    HMM Steam=Major DRM on all of your games/ Lots of Cashshop options (games like TF2, War of the Roses, etc).. Valve would be voted one of the best (i'm sure). just sayin' :)
    Wrong, you can play steam games off line, including TF2. Also TF2 is actually fun game with a non intrusive cash shop, which has NOTHING that will help you play better. Also Valve care for their games and update them long after their release. Also most games on Steam have nothing to do with Valve.


    Also, Steam works, unlike Origin.

    Steam is a template for what people want. You can put as much DRM in the applications as you want, advertise to people nearly as much as you want, so long as the system works, and you give people a good deal for their money.

    Microsoft and EA do not seem to get this, and they don't understand how people perceive DRM. This is why EA hasn't backed off on the SIMs DRM, even though they've pretty much stated that the DRM they've used is a bad idea.

    http://www.gamespot.com/news/ea-says-drm-a-failed-dead-end-strategy-6406094

    I can not remember winning or losing a single debate on the internet.

  • DistopiaDistopia Member EpicPosts: 21,183
    Originally posted by Cristina1
    Originally posted by Distopia
    Originally posted by Dzone

    EA = DRM / nothing but cash shops / voted worst company of the year.

    If any company should change, it should be them.

    HMM Steam=Major DRM on all of your games/ Lots of Cashshop options (games like TF2, War of the Roses, etc).. Valve would be voted one of the best (i'm sure).

    just sayin' :)

    Wrong, you can play steam games off line, including TF2. Also TF2 is actually fun game with a non intrusive cash shop, which has NOTHING that will help you play better. Also Valve care for their games and update them long after their release. Also most games on Steam have nothing to do with Valve.

    You're saying Steam doesn't use a form of DRM? BTW good luck playing any of those games if for any reason you abruptly lose your internet service and don't set up offline mode before hand. Happened to me ( all my games except MMO's are on steam) a storm knocked out a pole (took a few weeks to fix my connection) had no games to play the entire time.

    How am I wrong? As for most games have nothing to do with Valve, most current Steam games go through Valve simply for it's DRM, Bethesda and many others are good examples.

    If you want a good example of something doing better look at GOG.

    For every minute you are angry , you lose 60 seconds of happiness."-Emerson


  • BeansnBreadBeansnBread Member EpicPosts: 7,254
    Originally posted by Distopia
    Originally posted by Cristina1
    Originally posted by Distopia
    Originally posted by Dzone

    EA = DRM / nothing but cash shops / voted worst company of the year.

    If any company should change, it should be them.

    HMM Steam=Major DRM on all of your games/ Lots of Cashshop options (games like TF2, War of the Roses, etc).. Valve would be voted one of the best (i'm sure).

    just sayin' :)

    Wrong, you can play steam games off line, including TF2. Also TF2 is actually fun game with a non intrusive cash shop, which has NOTHING that will help you play better. Also Valve care for their games and update them long after their release. Also most games on Steam have nothing to do with Valve.

    You're saying Steam doesn't use a form of DRM? BTW good luck playing any of those games if for any reason you abruptly lose your internet service and don't set up offline mode before hand. Happened to me ( all my games except MMO's are on steam) a storm knocked out a pole (took a few weeks to fix my connection) had no games to play the entire time.

    How am I wrong? As for most games have nothing to do with Valve, most current Steam games go through Valve simply for it's DRM, Bethesda and many others are good examples.

    If you want a good example of something doing better look at GOG.

    I'm able to play Skyrim when I'm not connected to the internet at all. I think you just need to close steam and reopen it and after about a minute or so it says that it couldn't connect and asks if you would like to play offline. Just for future reference.

  • DistopiaDistopia Member EpicPosts: 21,183
    Originally posted by colddog04
    Originally posted by Distopia
    Originally posted by Cristina1
    Originally posted by Distopia
    Originally posted by Dzone

    EA = DRM / nothing but cash shops / voted worst company of the year.

    If any company should change, it should be them.

    HMM Steam=Major DRM on all of your games/ Lots of Cashshop options (games like TF2, War of the Roses, etc).. Valve would be voted one of the best (i'm sure).

    just sayin' :)

    Wrong, you can play steam games off line, including TF2. Also TF2 is actually fun game with a non intrusive cash shop, which has NOTHING that will help you play better. Also Valve care for their games and update them long after their release. Also most games on Steam have nothing to do with Valve.

    You're saying Steam doesn't use a form of DRM? BTW good luck playing any of those games if for any reason you abruptly lose your internet service and don't set up offline mode before hand. Happened to me ( all my games except MMO's are on steam) a storm knocked out a pole (took a few weeks to fix my connection) had no games to play the entire time.

    How am I wrong? As for most games have nothing to do with Valve, most current Steam games go through Valve simply for it's DRM, Bethesda and many others are good examples.

    If you want a good example of something doing better look at GOG.

    I'm able to play Skyrim when I'm not connected to the internet at all. I think you just need to close steam and reopen it and after about a minute or so it says that it couldn't connect and asks if you would like to play offline. Just for future reference.

    That's what I thought before it happened. Yet all I got was "unable to connect to steam, launch aborted" or something like that. It never said connect to offline mode? which i thought it would. Couldn't make it past the connecting to steam pop-up when you try and launch (steam or a game).

    Speaking of which two months ago we were a few days late with our cable bill, which I knew of the possibility of losing net, so I set steam to offline mode, lost net, still couldn't connect, it said "no steam credentials stored on this PC" which I had no idea what that meant, as my login is saved (double click and I'm on, no need to enter anything). Was quite odd, not a big deal though as we paid our bill that night anyway.

    I'm not knocking steam BTW, as I said earlier all my games are purchased through them. I have no issue with DRm either ( I might be alone on that one).

    For every minute you are angry , you lose 60 seconds of happiness."-Emerson


  • BeansnBreadBeansnBread Member EpicPosts: 7,254
    Originally posted by Distopia
    Originally posted by colddog04
    Originally posted by Distopia
    Originally posted by Cristina1
    Originally posted by Distopia
    Originally posted by Dzone

    EA = DRM / nothing but cash shops / voted worst company of the year.

    If any company should change, it should be them.

    HMM Steam=Major DRM on all of your games/ Lots of Cashshop options (games like TF2, War of the Roses, etc).. Valve would be voted one of the best (i'm sure).

    just sayin' :)

    Wrong, you can play steam games off line, including TF2. Also TF2 is actually fun game with a non intrusive cash shop, which has NOTHING that will help you play better. Also Valve care for their games and update them long after their release. Also most games on Steam have nothing to do with Valve.

    You're saying Steam doesn't use a form of DRM? BTW good luck playing any of those games if for any reason you abruptly lose your internet service and don't set up offline mode before hand. Happened to me ( all my games except MMO's are on steam) a storm knocked out a pole (took a few weeks to fix my connection) had no games to play the entire time.

    How am I wrong? As for most games have nothing to do with Valve, most current Steam games go through Valve simply for it's DRM, Bethesda and many others are good examples.

    If you want a good example of something doing better look at GOG.

    I'm able to play Skyrim when I'm not connected to the internet at all. I think you just need to close steam and reopen it and after about a minute or so it says that it couldn't connect and asks if you would like to play offline. Just for future reference.

    That's what I thought before it happened. Yet all I got was "unable to connect to steam, launch aborted" or something like that. It never said connect to offline mode? which i thought it would. Couldn't make it past the connecting to steam pop-up when you try and launch (steam or a game).

    Speaking of which two months ago we were a few days late with our cable bill, which I knew of the possibility of losing net, so I set steam to offline mode, lost net, still couldn't connect, it said "no steam credentials stored on this PC" which I had no idea what that meant, as my login is saved (double click and I'm on, no need to enter anything). Was quite odd, not a big deal though as we paid our bill that night anyway.

    I'm not knocking steam BTW, as I said earlier all my games are purchased through them. I have no issue with DRm either ( I might be alone on that one).

    I just did some reading about it because we obviously had different experiences. I stumbled upon this which was pretty informative. After reading it, I feel like it's something that every Steam user should know.

    http://forums.steampowered.com/forums/showthread.php?p=31953036

     

    It appears that people can experience different behaviors.

    Myth: Offline mode works fine for me, so there isn't a problem!
    Not everyone experiences this problem. I have found that on some computers, the cache file is not detected as damaged after a forced shutdown and offline mode will work normally. If you're one of these people, then you're lucky, but that doesn't mean it works fine for everyone else. Some people are also lulled into a false sense of security by testing offline mode after disconnecting from the internet. As they manually exit Steam before trying the offline mode, the cache file is shut down correctly and offline mode will work. Then when they actually need to use it, they find that it does not work.

     

    But really, that thread offers a few solutions to people that experience the problem that you are describing. Hope it helps.

  • DistopiaDistopia Member EpicPosts: 21,183
    Originally posted by colddog04
    Originally posted by Distopia
    Originally posted by colddog04
    Originally posted by Distopia
    Originally posted by Cristina1
    Originally posted by Distopia
    Originally posted by Dzone

    EA = DRM / nothing but cash shops / voted worst company of the year.

    If any company should change, it should be them.

    HMM Steam=Major DRM on all of your games/ Lots of Cashshop options (games like TF2, War of the Roses, etc).. Valve would be voted one of the best (i'm sure).

    just sayin' :)

    Wrong, you can play steam games off line, including TF2. Also TF2 is actually fun game with a non intrusive cash shop, which has NOTHING that will help you play better. Also Valve care for their games and update them long after their release. Also most games on Steam have nothing to do with Valve.

    You're saying Steam doesn't use a form of DRM? BTW good luck playing any of those games if for any reason you abruptly lose your internet service and don't set up offline mode before hand. Happened to me ( all my games except MMO's are on steam) a storm knocked out a pole (took a few weeks to fix my connection) had no games to play the entire time.

    How am I wrong? As for most games have nothing to do with Valve, most current Steam games go through Valve simply for it's DRM, Bethesda and many others are good examples.

    If you want a good example of something doing better look at GOG.

    I'm able to play Skyrim when I'm not connected to the internet at all. I think you just need to close steam and reopen it and after about a minute or so it says that it couldn't connect and asks if you would like to play offline. Just for future reference.

    That's what I thought before it happened. Yet all I got was "unable to connect to steam, launch aborted" or something like that. It never said connect to offline mode? which i thought it would. Couldn't make it past the connecting to steam pop-up when you try and launch (steam or a game).

    Speaking of which two months ago we were a few days late with our cable bill, which I knew of the possibility of losing net, so I set steam to offline mode, lost net, still couldn't connect, it said "no steam credentials stored on this PC" which I had no idea what that meant, as my login is saved (double click and I'm on, no need to enter anything). Was quite odd, not a big deal though as we paid our bill that night anyway.

    I'm not knocking steam BTW, as I said earlier all my games are purchased through them. I have no issue with DRm either ( I might be alone on that one).

    I just did some reading about it because we obviously had different experiences. I stumbled upon this which was pretty informative. After reading it, I feel like it's something that every Steam user should know.

    http://forums.steampowered.com/forums/showthread.php?p=31953036

     

    It appears that people can experience different behaviors.

    Myth: Offline mode works fine for me, so there isn't a problem!
    Not everyone experiences this problem. I have found that on some computers, the cache file is not detected as damaged after a forced shutdown and offline mode will work normally. If you're one of these people, then you're lucky, but that doesn't mean it works fine for everyone else. Some people are also lulled into a false sense of security by testing offline mode after disconnecting from the internet. As they manually exit Steam before trying the offline mode, the cache file is shut down correctly and offline mode will work. Then when they actually need to use it, they find that it does not work.

     

    But really, that thread offers a few solutions to people that experience the problem that you are describing. Hope it helps.

    Copied and backed up the back up :) thanks a bunch for that info!

    For every minute you are angry , you lose 60 seconds of happiness."-Emerson


  • exwinexwin Member Posts: 221

    Simcity? What a joke.

    I felt the need to buy this crappy game, don't ask me why, call it love of the 1st 4 games... They are already pulling the dead horse through the dirt, the 1st 10 dollar DLC is already out.

    They are going to milk the Simcity name for every penny they can extort out of people then simply pull the plug.

    If you can't tell, I'm a little bitter about what they did to one of my favorite franchises.

  • GrumpyMel2GrumpyMel2 Member Posts: 1,832

    I really dislike games that require Steam for play as well and will avoid them when I can. It's essentialy an neccessary and unwanted TSR as far as I'm concerned. However at least Steam does allow the option for offline play if you are proactive about it. I ALWAYS run Steam in offline mode unless there is something I need to install/buy....prevents any unfortunate surprises.

    I don't think I've been online with Steam in the last 6 months regardless of whether I was hooked up to the internet or not. Game Dev's and publishers need to understand that trying to force extra services or online requirements onto players that aren't actualy neccessary to play thier games WILL cost them legitimate customers as well. It's one thing to support such features it's another to require. If I'm purchasing a product for entertainment being forced to have something I don't want and is an anoyance to me usualy is a good way to make me avoid purchasing the product in the first place. YMMV.

  • Shadowguy64Shadowguy64 Member Posts: 848

    The fight against DRM is really overblown. Most of the people I know that don't like DRM are people who don't like it because they can't get their FREE games and might actually have to pay for them. OMG The Horror!!

     

    Working as intended.

     

     

  • NadiaNadia Member UncommonPosts: 11,798
    Originally posted by Shadowguy64

    The fight against DRM is really overblown. Most of the people I know that don't like DRM are people who don't like it because they can't get their FREE games and might actually have to pay for them. OMG The Horror!!

     

    Working as intended.

    SimCitys creator, Will Wright, doesnt like DRM

    http://boingboing.net/2013/05/10/will-wright-criticizes-sim-cit.html

     

  • SnarlingWolfSnarlingWolf Member Posts: 2,697

    Gamers will have to accept that having to be connected to play your games is what the future will bring. The next generation of consoles after this upcoming group will also be this way.

    Piracy is a massive concern for companies. At the same time constant internet connectivity is where the developed world is headed. Even as it stands now there are only a few people who can really complain that their area in the US doesn't have solid internet connectivity so having to be always connected is a real problem. The rest of the people who are complaining are likely those who steal games on a regular basis and don't want it to become more difficult to do so.

     

    Fighting it won't accomplish much in the long run. In the end you will have to be connected for games. In fact companies are already slowly moving over to having to be connected for regular software. Adobe is already offering a cloud based subscription to their products (and will eventually fade out buying them directly). Microsoft also offers a cloud based option for the Office Suite. Simultaneously this is better for a lot of people and better for the companies (they make more money in the long run with a subscription and they reduce piracy). It is simply the inevitability of where software is headed.

  • Shadowguy64Shadowguy64 Member Posts: 848
    Originally posted by Axehilt

    How many times has Sim City's DRM actually prevented you from playing the game?

    I think across every steam game I own, since the very inception of Steam, there have been maybe 5-10 total times I've ever had trouble playing my games.

    Maybe Sim City has a slightly worse record, in that I was prevented from playing one single day out of the 2-3 months I played it (and as a ratio of total playtime that's higher than the 5-10 times over many years for Steam.)  But I really don't see the cause for this excessive complaining.

     

    Exactly. I think the people who complain are those that don't actually "buy" their games *wink*

     

    I have not had any problems with DRM. Heck, I even remember buying games years ago, like Zak McKracken, where the DRM was a physical paper wheel that you had to manipulate to show a code that you needed to type in. I had not problem with that too. Because I understood WHY it was there.

  • lugallugal Member UncommonPosts: 671
    Steams drm in not a valid example. Only need internet when buying a game or activating. After that, you no longer require internet. Which means their drm requirements are met and are nothing like EA's.

    Roses are red
    Violets are blue
    The reviewer has a mishapen head
    Which means his opinion is skewed
    ...Aldous.MF'n.Huxley

  • GravargGravarg Member UncommonPosts: 3,424
    I don't like DRM because if I'm not playing online, I don't want to be online...also a lot of offline games I play when internet goes out or if I'm traveling with no internet.
  • Shadowguy64Shadowguy64 Member Posts: 848
    Originally posted by lugal
    Steams drm in not a valid example. Only need internet when buying a game or activating. After that, you no longer require internet. Which means their drm requirements are met and are nothing like EA's.

     

    This type of DRM should be sufficient. 1 copy of game = 1 activation code.

  • SquishydewSquishydew Member UncommonPosts: 1,107

    Because they want to keep selling singe buildings for 8-10$ rather then having the modding community help themselves to much more content for free.

    They're greedy, thats why.

     

    Don't let yourself be fooled - The only reason Xbox One DRM was dropped is MONEY.

    They saw the low amount of pre-orders, the critisism and thats why they reversed it, to get more sales then they would've with the DRM in place.

     

    If they had a chance at all, they'd ram that DRM for Xbox One right back up your behind.

  • TheLizardbonesTheLizardbones Member CommonPosts: 10,910


    Originally posted by Shadowguy64
    Originally posted by lugal Steams drm in not a valid example. Only need internet when buying a game or activating. After that, you no longer require internet. Which means their drm requirements are met and are nothing like EA's.
     

    This type of DRM should be sufficient. 1 copy of game = 1 activation code.




    Speaking of Steam and DRM, some people have spotted game sharing code within Steam's code.

    http://hexus.net/gaming/news/industry/57013-steam-game-sharing-features-spotted-beta-code/

    I can not remember winning or losing a single debate on the internet.

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