BioWare has revised its plans to require Mass Effect PC users to re-authenticate the game every ten days or face the game not working.
As we reported last week, BioWare had previously decided on using anti-piracy software that had caused some heartache for The Sims and BioShock players.
Under the original plans, the game would have needed to re-authenticate itself with EA servers every ten days in order to still work.
After a hostile reaction to the news across the ENTIRE internet, BioWare community manager Jay Watamaniuk posted a QA on the company's official forums confirming that the firm had removed the more rigorous aspects of copy-protection from the game.
"BioWare has always listened very closely to its fans and we made this decision to ensure we are delivering the best possible experience to them," he said in his post.
"To all the fans including our many friends in the armed services and internationally who expressed concerns that they would not be able re-authenticate as often as required, EA and BioWare want you to know that your feedback is important to us."
Mass Effect players will now only need to authenticate their copy of the game when they install it for the first time. Re-authentication will only be necessary should the player decide to download extra content.
This is good news regardless. Its back on my 'to buy' list.
yes, only 3 activations in total, so if you have dual boot thats 2 and you have one left for future OS reinstall, then you have to ring EA tech support with photos of your disc & serial number and wait 3 days for them to get back to you
Still sux, they need a minimum of 5 activations and a deactivate tool as 2K games needed to do with Bioshock
I was planning to pirate this after the news last week but now think all who were harbouring similar thoughts should now go and buy it to show that they dont need those ridiculously restrictive methods...
I'm still considering cancelling my pre-order unless they issue a revoke tool, or a much easier way to revoke an installation without have to get in touch with tech support. Does EA charge for tech support phone calls?
Reactivation should be free, fast, and available 24/7.
They've not even said if uninstalling the game revokes an activation yet.
Sorry, but I'm unimpressed. This stunt just smacks of the BioWare PR department saying to themselves "How do we make online activation acceptable? I know, lets say we're gonna do something REALLY restrictive and then when there's a stink about it we recant ... and still require online AND limited activations. And people will think we're really cool into the bargain."
I call meh!
EDIT - Whoops, I seem to have re-iterated what Vyvrtka was on about with the wiki link.
Sorry, but I'm unimpressed. This stunt just smacks of the BioWare PR department saying to themselves "How do we make online activation acceptable? I know, lets say we're gonna do something REALLY restrictive and then when there's a stink about it we recant ... and still require online AND limited activations. And people will think we're really cool into the bargain."
I call meh!
EDIT - Whoops, I seem to have re-iterated what Vyvrtka was on about with the wiki link.
Esactly, if you read the thread on the Bioware site you'll see the Lead Programmer is effectively encouraging gamers to throw a hissy fit. ALthough he's hardly going to say the solutions crap his stance is "If youre not happy with it state your case"
Oh thats great news. Good on them for listening but really what did they expect? Re-activating the game at all is a horrible horrible idea, it just stinks. Still im now looking forward to this game again
Esactly, if you read the thread on the Bioware site you'll see the Lead Programmer is effectively encouraging gamers to throw a hissy fit. ALthough he's hardly going to say the solutions crap his stance is "If youre not happy with it state your case"
Absolutely ... never mind Mass Effect ... I think it's safe to say we are seeing the start of the EA Effect. *cries*
I'll buy this though, I've been looking forward to it. But only when a crack is available for it because I steer my gaming PC away from the net.
That shouldn't be more than 48 hours after release. Devs/Publishers always forget that the honest customers suffer from their DRM non-sense, but that the pirates never do. It gets taken out almost immediately. Its the challenge of the DRM that gets them cracking it in the first place.
I'll buy this though, I've been looking forward to it. But only when a crack is available for it because I steer my gaming PC away from the net.
Its worse that bioshock, but the same as Bioshock was initially. 2K games upped the activations to 5 and provided a deactivate tool
On top of this its now come out that the 3 activations is also user account specific, so 3 ueser accounts on the same machine=all activations used
Also this is being included - http://www.n-cd.com/
network connected disc is your ticket to a world of sales opportunities, Direct Marketing and convenience.
Great, with all this ambiguity ive cancelled my preorder until all this stuff is resolved and the community goes nuts on the games release and until the provide more activations and a deactivate tool
I suspect soon there will be only two methods of buying/publishing games on the PC.
1. Have EA as your publisher. 2. Use Steam.
Good job I like Steam
yeah, unfortunately EA wont move to steam because its competition for their EA downloader junk, that only gives you 2 years in total for as many downloads as you want of your game, then if you have to reinstall after that you have to buy the game again, lmao
This sounds like good news. I've got Mass Effect on the 360, and its absolutely amazing. Played it through twice already and I'm sure I will do so again. Combat will probably be even better on the PC thanks to mouse aim. I would have waited for PC but it hadn't been announced at the time. Bioware is a company I really like too thanks to Baldur's Gate, NeverWinter Nights, KOTOR, etc. I didn't like the thought of people skipping Mass Effect, or skipping a Bioware game in general, because of this insane level of copy protection. Hopefully now everyone will buy and enjoy this
This sounds like good news. I've got Mass Effect on the 360, and its absolutely amazing. Played it through twice already and I'm sure I will do so again. Combat will probably be even better on the PC thanks to mouse aim. I would have waited for PC but it hadn't been announced at the time. Bioware is a company I really like too thanks to Baldur's Gate, NeverWinter Nights, KOTOR, etc. I didn't like the thought of people skipping Mass Effect, or skipping a Bioware game in general, because of this insane level of copy protection. Hopefully now everyone will buy and enjoy this
Not if you read their forums, its currently on the same number of posts as the initial outrage. We're still left with the same crippling Bioshock implementation. Also theyve removed all DRM today for the russian version
So no, will definately be skipping this and im not the only one, no thanks, Bioshock was an absolute disaster until i got a crack for it
I won't buy it. Not their 'door in the face technique', nor the game.
If they don't trust their clients, they don't deserve the money or recognition!
Oh my god! That is it!
I was really really looking forward to Bioshock and I still haven't bought it because of the limited installs thing and you have just made me realise why - I'd be rewarding them for punishing me! I never pirated it either, but measures like this make me consider trying a spot of downloading instead (yes, I was also looking forward to Spore (not so much Mass Effect), but they are both planning the same protection) but won't be buying either while they limits installs)...
I honestly believe Stardock have exactly the right idea - take the money they would have spent on protection and knock it off the price of the game - that is how they got to the top of the sales chart with Galactic Civilizations - no protection = more sales!
I think they've completely missed the point of gamers annoyance at this. This is why i think the security method is the wrong way to go:
Gamer 1 - Legitimate purchaser: The gamer who buys the game has to authenticate and re-authenticate and then request an un-authentication if they install the game 3 times by having to call what is probably a premium rate phoneline and wait in a que, and then wait for a reply to there request to un-authenticate their game that they bought so they can re-install it again and start the cycle over.
Gamer 2 - Illegal downloader: Hassle free gaming because the game is cracked and doesn't need to authenticate, and the extra content will also be cracked when it gets released.
While i don't agree with illegaly downloading games it makes sense when you can have an easier experience with the game than if you actualy pay for it. The only winners here are the makers of the security software.
I did not realise that Bioshock had that type of security, glad I didn't install my mates copy now, he'd have been seriously screwed over the next time he installed it (he didn't even know about it and he's tech savvy).
Now Mass Effect is getting in on the act. I agree that the legit customers are the ones getting screwed, and pirates are just laffing their collective asses off. This policy will only drive more people to them.
And as we all know from those ads, that all of the priates are indeed chums with Osama, so Bioware are technically aiding terrorists by using this security!
The Door-in-the-face technique is used all over the place. Sad to see Bioware stooping to it.
I avoided Bioshock because of the limited installations and other garbage, and will be avoiding Mass Effect too.
I was really really looking forward to Bioshock and I still haven't bought it because of the limited installs thing and you have just made me realise why - I'd be rewarding them for punishing me!
I hope it's not going the way of the limited activation thing, I already had to wipe my PC twice yesterday and that would already be my three times up.
I've had to use a pirate copy of Half-Life 2 - NOT by choice - It's the only way I could get the damned thing to work because STEAM screwed my original up (Yes, I DO own the original), and every other damned game of theirs so I wrote them off my Xmas list.
These people have to realise that not everyone lives in the US and has Hi-speed connections to the net. Not everyone has space to keep a majority of their games collection on their hard-discs for future playability without having to re-validate. Not everyone can afford such luxuries; If only...
Another game off my 'to-buy' list till they pull their finger out. Pirates will crack this the same way they did every other game out there. I'd like to play this game but I'm not bowing down to publishers, nor the will of pirates. It's nice to have a cupboard full of original boxes/cases. If they're all going be dated games then so be it...
From looking at the forums I think the consensus amongst a sizeable group is that if it's easier and quicker to get a cracked copy then more and more people will go for that, rather than intrusive and draconian DRM.
I always crack my games anyway so i dont have to trawl about for my discs and it makes them run much faster too without all the annoying disc spin noise. What was he on about, "To all the fans including our many friends in the armed services"? was that a personal message or some sort of conspiracy?
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