I think you're confusing the right to play games you own with a 'right' to DL/pirate games you don't. The former is absolutely your right. The latter is not, no matter what condition you have. And if you own over 1500 games, I fail to see how you need to pirate to get the gaming fix you say you require to be 'normal' (if you're simply saying you're using a pirated version of a game to get a game you actually bought to work properly, that's cool, I can see that).

Mass effect is an awesome game. This is a shame

He said he bought 1500 games and only a couple dozen were actually worth buying. So now he pirates them to see before buying because he can't afford to spend fifty thousand bucks for a couple dozen games. Makes perfect sense to me.

I was completely uninterested in similar schemes before this announcement and I remain uninterested and committed to avoidance after this announcement. I do not and will not file a report to a corporate server about my activities; there is enough of this garbage in society as it is, this is a step in the wrong direction.

The last time I bought a Bioware game was with KotOR II (a mistake...). I was toying around with the idea of purchasing Mass Effect, but this kills it. Notice how Bioware began to suck when they got purchased by EA? Interesting pattern. Anyway, too bad - Bioware started out as a good company.

I suspect this is likely one of the primary reasons for the delays of both Mass Effect and Spore - so they could append their stupid copy scheme to the respective codes and test it.

I can`t wait to see the Unholy combination of adware, microtransactions, and constant copy protection embedded in Battlefield 3.

Way to PROMOTE piracy EA!!!

(big sarcastic thumbs WAYYYY up!)

(...)

KotOR II is not a BioWare title. It was done by Obsidian.

Mass Effect is an awesome game on the 360. I WAS looking forward to the PC release mainly due to modders which add "life" to length of games.

However, if I can not get a version without Securom or Starforce, I will not purchase it. Also I don't pirate, the point is I don't want that piece of trash on my machine in addition to the hassles that the copy protection schemes bring.

Securom == Starforce (In terms that they are both bullshit and no one should ever buy a game that uses those draconian measures) Yes I know one is hardware and the other software.


I love the co-interview of Brad Wardell with Chris Taylor of GPG and Chris doing the talking of how Stardock "gets it". One can only hope more companies will see the light. If they don't, I won't be missing anyone or shedding tears for anyone using Starforce or Securom on their games.


In the end, Mass Effect is now Mass Defect.

It's time to put the anti-piracy zealots in their place. I'm tired of getting caught in the crossfire between you people and your holy crusade against the evil pirate.

Can the comparisons to physical theft. Theft involves taking an actual physical item. If I steal milk from a dairy farmer, then that milk is no longer in the possession of said dairy farmer. The farmer has then lost a physical item and is no longer in possession of the milk. Anyone that can't tell the difference between making a copy of something and taking a physical item is a fool or a sophist.

Before the zealots rush in and, invariably, accuse me of being a pirate, know that I bought Sins and Gal Civ 2 + Dread Lords (and plan on buying Twilight when I have time to play it). I won't however, be buying Mass Effect or Spore despite being interested in both games.

Perhaps if people are so worried about piracy then they should stop making it so that the pirated version of a game is a better product. As it is, the pirated versions of Mass Effect will have less restrictions and more freedom than the legally purchased versions. Is Bioware trying to prevent piracy or drive more people to it? Because people are likely to pirate Mass Effect now, out of spite when they might have formerly purchased it.

No, "larceny" involves taking an actual physical item. Theft is a general legal term, which larceny is part of, but it is not limited to physical items.

If you're going to put anyone in their place, it's usually good to know what you're talking about first.

Um, guys, hate to burst your bubble, but it doesn't say anything about Spore whatsoever.

it says that on page 2. I updated the OP so there wont be more confusion

oh, ok thanks.

By slinging insults at a particular person you make yourself look like an immature fool on a soap box. I hope this discussion can continue without direct attacks on people. Their asinine arguments, sure, but not them, themselves. 8)




That is a valid reason, and I agree the most important, but once again, and this has been said numerous times, for the majority of pirates, they wouldn't have bought it anyway. If you make a CD, and I'm not going to buy it no matter what, then my friend hands me a burned copy, you didn't loose anything and I got a new coaster. Or if I like it a little, but still would have never bought it, you still haven't lost anything.

The key arguement here isn't that pirating is good, it's that DRM doesn't work. Every single game, since I've been playing games, has been available to those who know how to get it (and many who don't who will look for 10 minutes). No DRM has ever stopped it, no invasive protection/activation scheme/etc has ever stopped it. Not once, not ever. However, invasive DRM and marketing spyware (again, see EA's 2142), has at the very least stopped one person from purchasing a game. Me. So Not counting anyone else's support but my own, they're loosing money from paying for dumb DRM protection, and loosing money because people like me won't purchase their product, and not loosing anymore than they would be otherwise from pirating since they can't stop it. Doesn't seem like rocket science to me, seems more like a way to collect information on their client base, and insure that you can't play that particular game later on and have to buy new ones.








I don't remember the exact numbers anymore, but Napster brought an estimated (give or take) 10% loss in profit (by standard market analysis, not the IRAA lawyers who think every 1 pirate=1 lost sale), while the economy has dropped ten-fold that. They were, and have always been, above projected market values for their venue. That argument is irrelevant, and false, for the actual profit loss percentage versus how much money people are willing to spend on luxuries (music, games, etc), and for the above reason. Expanding a tertiary needs business in a receding economy and claiming you're being wounded by pirates is equivocal to complaining about the amount of sugar you lost because you caught an ant in your pantry.

updated the OP with info from the FAQ.

What a sad day to see something like this (

I gotta wonder, im quiet sure companys aint stupid, so why use so much cash and time on a copy protection that wont work anyways *confused*

To me it sounds like they want something else with this "every 10 day re-check" they are not telling the costumers.

Oh well, looks like Spore and Mass Effect will be number 2 and 3 on the list of games I was thinking about getting but won’t due to overly zealous copy protection (No. 1 being Bioshock).

I understand that by buying a copy of a game I do not 'own' it and have to use it in accordance with whatever rules they put down, but what they have to understand is that there are plenty quality games around, and I only have so much time to play them, so unless their game is something truly amazing I will simply spend my money elsewhere.

Why don't people just talk to a friend who has the game first?

And if you buy a bad game, give it a bad review on a popular website.

The reason I bought Sins was that I looked over about 50 different customer reviews, and very few of them were bad.