PSA: Mass Effect PC still locked at 3 activations, uninstalling won't help

... while the piracy scene gets unlimited installs.

Well...I'm glad I didn't get the PC version and I'm usually all for getting the PC version of the game over a console version.

What I did is I actually bought the game then downloaded the crack. How sad is that? I have to download third party software to actually fully own the game I purchased with my money.

So what happens when someone installs Mass Effect, then reformats PC because they get a virus. Then over time, this happens 3 times... Will they be able to install it the 4th time? If not, then PC games that do that seriously needs to be boycotted... Too bad people are to dumb to do something like that. For example: Boycott GameStop for their gay trade-in prices and used prices.

Wow. I never pirate anything that I think is a good product. But this shit from EA makes me want to pirate this game and pass it out on the street.

I'm tempted to even throw in the necessary GPUs.

I hope they get this shit ironed out. I was waiting for a PC release to buy this game(I'm not really going to pirate it, I like Bioware), but I'm sitting it out until they dump this crap.

Put it on Steam. That deters most pirates and is pretty snazzy if you're too lazy to go to GameStop of just want a new FPS in the middle of the night.

Uh, you still get unlimited reinstalls with the PC version. It's just the same kind of unlimited reinstalls that come with your Windows XP install.

This my friends, will be the future of PC gaming...

Sad to say this will be the same of Spore

It's not just EA doing stuff like this. It's EVERY PC game maker.

Maybe I'm the only one wrestling with this:

So, you install the game, beat it, have fun, blah blah blah, etc. Then, you get a virus. You have to reformat. You don't get that activation back.

Suddenly, you want to play Mass Effect again. You install on your computer again, taking up another activation. Have fun, blah blah blah. Power surge fries your computer, or something more catastrophic. Computer is replaced.

Oh boy! Mass Effect again! You install, using your third activation. Play, have fun. Something happens again, causing you to reformat.

Hooray! Mass Effect again! Oh, wait... I CAN'T, BECAUSE I HAVE NO MORE ACTIVATIONS.

Sure, this is an unlikely scenario, but it's one that many people encounter. I actually enjoy reformatting my computer every once in a while to get the nice new computer feeling, and I don't want to have to go out and buy a whole new copy of Mass Effect or another game with similar DRM to play it after a few years.

Pirating is what brought about DRM in the first place, I am torn here, I don't want to be told what to do with product, but on the other hand, what do you expect these companies to do? console versions make a ton of money for developers, is it any coincidence that 95% of conole gamers play the legit?

Just my 2 cents

Once again, we see legitimate PC gamers get screwed by crappy DRM while pirates continue to crack their protection and play the games with more freedom than legitimate PC gamers. It's time for EA to realize that there is no such thing as piracy-proof DRM, and instead of continuing futile attempts to stop pirates with DRM that further screws legitimate PC gamers, offer features that make the game worthwhile to purchase. This system seems to have worked well for Steam, so it could work well for EA too.

Normaly I roll my eyes at all this "OMG!!! DRM IS TEH EV1L!" But after I lost 2 hours work after EA curled a fat one onto my hard drive by the name of the download manager, I tend to agree. Fuck EA and your shitty, crash happy software!

well I have already installed starcraft over 100 times across at least 5 pcs. Also, I format every 6 months or so just to clean things out. This would never work for me.

The only pc game im gonna buy is starcraft 2, so lets hope they dont pull some shit like this. Mass effect I already have on 360 and spore I will pirate (its 1 player game, no cd key needed for online).

That's captain awesome to you

[quote]what do you expect these companies to do? [/quote]

Listen to their paying customers?

Bioware has had the benefit of literally thousands of posts, some of which suggested many alternative strategies to combat piracy that might actually help reduce the number of pirated copies (unlike DRM which has not worked since they first tried this crud in the late 80's).

Their response has been to refuse to answer basic questions about the DRM itself. Or anything to do with DRM: like what the point of it was when it was known it would be cracked (before the crack). Or whether they would consider removing it once the working crack was released.

When the furore didn't die down they also decided the subject was 'off-topic' and was any and all discussion of it was summarily banned from the Mass Effect PC forum and restricted to the off-topic forum where it could safely fester without unduly alarming unaware customers who might be checking out the game forum.

Now many people who actually bought the game unaware of the DRM are sounding off in the off-topic area because some have already run out of activations!

One guy bought the game, installed (activation) and began to play. Had some frame rate issues so changed from vista to xp and reinstalled (another activation since the hardware/OS profile changed) and played a bit. Then he upgraded some hardware (added a new video card, burning up his last activation) tried to play and got some heat issues and added a cooling fan . Yep, game won't play ...the error message tells him he's out of activations and if he wants to play he has to go out and buy another copy of the game!!!

5 days of jumping through all the hoops with EA/tech support and he still can't play the game he legally purchased.

At least he's not the guy who bought it and doesn't have internet access at all and has never even been able to see a moment of the legally purchased game.

Thank heaven I canceled my pre-order when I heard about the DRM. Best move I've made in a while. Can't wait for the class action lawsuits to start.

In the meantime, if you're seriously concerned about this issue then one thing you could do is complain about this kind of corporate BS to your legislative representatives. Gamers need to ensure that they have some political and legal clout on their side to counterbalance the lobbying power of the game publishers like EA.

$50 dollar rental?

Also.. speaking of the subject of DRM.

A warning to all those who've also downloaded the Spore Creature Creator trial version...

http://www.securom.sublimesims.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=84:securom-found-on-spore-demo&catid=59:spore&Itemid=79

Congrats, you've just contracted SecuROM.

"Scanning -> C:\Program Files\Electronic Arts\SPORE\Sporebin\SporeCreatureCreator.exe
File Type : Exe, Size : 17351944 (0108C508h) Byte(s)
-> File Appears to be Digitally Signed @ Offset 0108B000h, size : 01508h / 05384 byte(s)
-> Suspicious MZ Header..
[!] SecuROM Detected - Version 07.36.0012
[!] Possible CD/DVD-Key or Serial Check -> Unregistered
- Scan Took : 1.140 Seconds"