Mass Effect PC and Spore to Include New DRM Measures
Shack News is reporting on a post BioWare technical producer Derek French made recently, in which he took a moment to describe the new anti-piracy software that will be loaded onto the upcoming PC version of Mass Effect.
“After the first activation, SecuROM requires that [Mass Effect PC] re-check with the server within ten days (in case the CD Key has become public/warez’d and gets banned),” said French in a poston the BioWare forums.
If customers do not come online after ten days, the game will cease to function.
“After 10 days a re-check is required before the game can run,” added French. “..An internet connection is not required to install, just to activate the first time, and every 10 days after.”
The check is run when users activate the game’s executable file, with the first re-check coming within “5 days remaining in the 10 day window.”
Add to this the information that the new technology will also be used on EA’s upcoming mega-game, Spore. Yikes.
Everyone is well aware that piracy is a huge problem that is only increasing in the PC gaming world, but requiring online connectivity to play every 10 days seems a little restrictive for a non-online game like Mass Effect. Is this going to help solve the piracy crisis, or cause more people to pirate the game?
–WG
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I don’t think this will do anything for piracy. First off, do you think this will really stump the thousand of programmers out there working on cracking games? They will just remove the check and that will be that. Second, I have plenty of friends who like to play games and do not have the internet. Either because they live in areas that do not get cable or dsl service, or they just don’t want it.
IMO this will hurt them in the long run. They will loose a good amount of business from the people who do not have an internet connection, and the crackers will see it as a challenge and have it cracked so fast they won’t even know what hit em.
Christopher Falzone - May 8, 2008 at 7:00 am