Mass Effect Requires Online Validation Every Ten Days to Function
- Thread starter Tejstar
- Start date
Aren't we still limited to three installs before having to whine to EA? Wasn't it this kind of treatment that made everyone throth at the mouth with Bioshock? Pretty smart of them, announce the worlds worst DRM then downsize it and everyone humps their leg.
Only if you install it on three different computers, you can install all you like on the same three machines.
It's a good compromise, you can't expect it all considering how bad the original deal was.
It is not three computers, it is three activations. Every time some hardware changes on your computer, or you reinstall Windows etc, you use one of your activations and there is no way to get it back.
Still think it is a good deal ?
You do get activations back if you call EA to say that you've used three activations and need your count resetting as you've installed on another PC or upgraded your motherboard. They've said this.
Original deal: -
1.) Activation every ten days.
2.) CD required for play.
New deal: -
1.) Activation only on install.
2.) Activations available for up to three PCs.
3.) CD not required for play.
The fact is that it's a damn sight better than the original deal they laid out for us, and is a huge step toward developers listening to their user base when it comes to concerns about copy protection. If you can't accept compromise, and can't just wait to see if developers lay off a little in the future, then I honestly don't want you being on the the anti-copy protection side with me.
You're detrimental to the cause by demanding everything at once, negotiation is an important life skill.
Edit: In fact, if I were more cynical, I'd be wondering if you were just looking for reasons to be unhappy and give yourself excuses to pirate it anyway, even though huge progress has been made with this title.
Last edited:
well, I can write in this thread again now the horse isn't being flogged 
I have to say, wp EA..
It's not much, and I really don't care the slightest about online activation, but getting rid of the CD checks just put them a rung up the ladder imo. Which they needed, seeing as they weren't on the ladder to begin with.
I *hate* cd checks!
I have to say, wp EA..
It's not much, and I really don't care the slightest about online activation, but getting rid of the CD checks just put them a rung up the ladder imo. Which they needed, seeing as they weren't on the ladder to begin with.
I *hate* cd checks!
Soldato
- Joined
- 12 Jan 2006
- Posts
- 2,547
No offence mate, but surely you are more detremental to the cause than he is
because you were happy with the original deal
or have i missed something
Last edited:
Yes you have missed something.No offence mate, but surely you are more detremental to the cause than he is
because you were happy with the original deal
or have i missed something
I was one of the main complainers in this thread when it came to the original deal.
Soldato
- Joined
- 12 Jan 2006
- Posts
- 2,547
No worries.my mistake, apologies
CD check was not part of the original deal either.
I am glad that you are happy to give away your customer rights. Do you understand what this new system means ? Every time you change something in your PC, a new activation will be required - you better not update your PC. Oh yes, and you better not reinstall Windows either. And there is no guarantee that EA will grant you more activations. By the way, did you every try to call EA support ? They are not exactly helpful.
And please do not accuse me of being a pirate.
Glad to see you've paid any attention to the thread whatsoever.
Honestly, reading comprehension is not hard. I did not accuse you of anything.
I didn't address your other points because I already did.
I'm not repeating something because you can't read.
Glad to see you've paid any attention to the thread whatsoever.
Honestly, reading comprehension is not hard. I did not accuse you of anything.
I didn't address your other points because I already did.
I'm not repeating something because you can't read.
Obviously reading comprehension is hard since you can't remember what your wrote in your original thread.
And anyway, why don't to you go to Bioware's own forums and see what other users are saying about this "great" DRM scheme. There are only three threads with about 100 pages each complaining about this. I guess they can't read either.
When did I make a thread about this?
I've been to Bioware's forum. I will repeat this for you one more time, and only one more time.
I never once said that this DRM scheme was good, all I have done is complain about it since it was announced. What I did say though is that since they changed it from the original 10-day activation plan, I'm much happier. Am I completely happy? No, but you can't get everything you want.
I am just glad they listened and look forward to other developers seeing what Bioware did here, hopefully learning from their example. I will continue to protest against useless copy protection methods, but instead of demanding they all be removed I will continue to pick on the worst and work my way down.
Last edited:
I guess it just goes to show you can't please everyone.
I'm perfectly happy to have copy protection like SecuROM, DRM etc, I don't mind having to put the disk in, but the 3 activation limit is a deal breaker for me. I've only just found out that both Mass Effect and Spore are going to have this 3 activation limit, so thats 2 of the PC games I was most looking forward to off my list of purchases
This seems to be the way PC copy protection is going and it is really making me think long and hard about just giving up on PC gaming. It's not like console owners are expected to put up with the same restrictions, I bet if they tried limiting activation of the 360 version of Mass Effect all hell would break lose.
I'm perfectly happy to have copy protection like SecuROM, DRM etc, I don't mind having to put the disk in, but the 3 activation limit is a deal breaker for me. I've only just found out that both Mass Effect and Spore are going to have this 3 activation limit, so thats 2 of the PC games I was most looking forward to off my list of purchases
This seems to be the way PC copy protection is going and it is really making me think long and hard about just giving up on PC gaming. It's not like console owners are expected to put up with the same restrictions, I bet if they tried limiting activation of the 360 version of Mass Effect all hell would break lose.
Yep, even then I'd still not be happy with it, but then I think I'm one of those awkward people who disagree's with the principle involved.
The problem is what do they mean by 'Different PC' if it is anything like the secuROM activation system used by Bioshock then:
Change in hardware = new pc
Different OS = new PC
BIOS update = new PC
Different user profiles = new PC
I've no idea how restrictive the version of this system is for Mass Effect (And Spore) and have posted on the EA forums asking for clarification. But I still think it is a sad state of affairs when I find I need to actively research the copy protection mechanism for each PC game before deciding whether to purchase it or not.
And yes, I do realise that it is only a game, and that my not buying it will make no difference at all, but for some reason it just really bothers me. I think it's because of the hassle over Bioshock where it turned out that once you went over the activation limit you had to call a number in the US at god knows what rate, and even then people were getting bounced around and even asked to provide screen shots as proof they had the game.
I just think the games publishers should come up with a system that doesn't inconvenience their real customers as much as this.
It wasn't that bad with Bioshock at all. If you uninstalled the game, you got 1 try back. So unless you changed PC and couldn't be bothered uninstalling a game there was no need to ring the US (or get the Steam version).
What hassle?
Is it really that hard to go Control Panel> Add Remove Progs> Uninstall ?