EA To Require Internet Connection For Command & Conquer
from the but-why? dept
A bunch of folks have been sending in this story that EA has said that, while it won't have DRM, on Command and Conquer 4, it will require an internet connection to play, and this already has people up in arms. The company is quick to say that this is so it can include certain useful features, but it still is upsetting people. It's hard to believe that EA wouldn't realize this would be an issue. Why not offer an "offline" version with limited features then? While, yes, we have reached an online world where most people are online most of the time, not everyone is online all of the time, and some of that offline time is time when people might like playing a video game...Thank you for reading this Techdirt post. With so many things competing for everyone’s attention these days, we really appreciate you giving us your time. We work hard every day to put quality content out there for our community.
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Filed Under: command and conquer, drm, internet connection, video games
Companies: ea
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That still sucks
I spent a bit over 20 years in the Navy, most of it on submarines. Now granted, I did not have a whole lot of down time, but when I did it was nice to do something relaxing.
I like to play video games, but you certainly do not have the ability to connect to the internet when you are deployed, whether on a sub or a target (surface ship).
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see, starts with blizzard
Watch a single lan try to get 10 or 20 steam copies authorized to go offline legitimately, man is it a pain in the ass.
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WAKE UP EA!
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Re: c&c red alert 3 de-auth tool and LAN
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Mobile internet
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After the massive Spore backlash, they do even worse this time.
This is not about piracy, this is about a model change, they are moving to software rental model instead of ownership, so you can't resell it.
In EAs perfect world, you will need a retina scan to authorize and then debit your credit card each time you play.
The "online" stats explanation, is just a BS cover excuse for what is really going on.
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well then
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People need to stop with the whining.
My guess is the marketplace has already confirmed what these few whiners are really bitching about: they don't matter.
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Re: People need to stop with the whining.
There is not *1* reason why you CAN'T have an "offline" or "LAN" play mode. The reasons these companies give for having it be "online" do not exclude an offline mode, they actually have to go out of their way to make a game that CAN'T be played without an Internet connection. So now you got the people whom you trusted to Do The Right Thing with a fictional world you had come to love betraying you and ruining it.
Personally I think people have a right to complain about this. Capitalism is all fine and dandy but can't preempt anything. The only powers consumers have in a capitalist market are reactionary.
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Re: People need to stop with the whining.
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I was a hardcore C&C gamer...
My question is - What about the soldiers and civilians serving overseas that don't have a 'always on internet connection'??? They're loosing out on potentially thousands of individual sales. C&C3 was a pretty good game for LAN parties when we could do em. Looks like we'll have to find something else.
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Re: I was a hardcore C&C gamer...
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Another Example of Exessive Reach
When we buy a product, we gain a property right to use the product. Companies should recognize this an not hide behind ridiculous assertions that they are "leasing" or "licensing" the use of the product.
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Re: Another Example of Exessive Reach
Legally we may be licensing/leasing software/music/intellectual property, etc., but once a person's money is spent on something (for them) its tantamount to ownership and they are going to want to do with it as they please.
If the company or the item purchased interferes with that then you are shooting yourself in the foot... in EA's and Apple's case, I hope in the head.
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This could stop
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Re: This could stop
I get all the cool games just a little while later when the price drops.
Whether you pay $50 for C&C4 or $5 you still can't play it without an internet connection. Nor can you play it in years to come when they decide to shutdown their servers down due to lack of people on them. Either way you wasted your money, just less of it.
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Re: This could stop
This has nothing to do with society, and has everything to do with an archaic company that has been infected with greed and is taking draconian actions to restrict after-market sales; and is now suffering the consequences.
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please please please please
preferably one involving pitchforks, flaming torches, and the occasional trebuchet.
a battleship is fine too.
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Here's the solution
When a company does something that you don't like, the only solution is to not buy their product
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Sollution
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Re: Sollution
Sick cycle and all lies.
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Re: Re: Sollution
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Re: Re: Re: Sollution
It's all about preventing resale of games, of which they get no cut. And less for more.
Regarding those in the service, EA went through this already with Mass Effect for PC (single player with no online component), which used Securom, 3 activations only (no revoke tool at the time) and was going to reauthenticate online every 10 days or your game wouldn't play. They dropped the 10 day auth cycle part before release, perhaps the servicepeople angle had something to do with it.
Hopefully that'll happen with this game too, but it rather points to EA being unable to learn a simple fact: the more of a pain in the ass you make your games to obtain or maintain, the less you sell.
Try selling games instead of preventing resale, EA.
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Re: Re: Re: Sollution
But here's the thing. The game with or without this "feature" will be pirated no matter what. Just like every game out there is. Instead of PISSING OFF your LEGIT CUSTOMERS, how about the company focuses on taking care of paying customers and giving them a product they WANT to pay for?!
I know! Novel idea, but someone had to come up with it. Oh wait, that's right someone did...Stardock and companies like them. Go figure. That's what this is all really about, focus on paying customers and taking care of them, NOT the pirates. Because now I can pirate this game and get a BETTER product than I could if I had bought it.
EPIC FAIL
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Exploitation of unused CPU cycles...
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It's a bad idea
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Unfortunate that EA is killing every single property
Was looking forward to Spore. Even bought two copies of the demo (me + wife) because the DRM only allowed a single install per key. And your damn DRM horked my computer too. Got rid of that stuff PDQ.
Used to play C&C back in the day. Then you found DRM. End of story.
Why, oh why, do you not treat us like customers? Most people are going to buy the game. Some people, who wouldn't have bought the game anyway, may find a pirate copy. That isn't depriving you of money. All you are doing is driving away the people who want to pay for your product. Also, from what I read it doesn't take the pirates long to break your DRM.
So here is a suggestion. Quit spending money on DRM and lower the price of your games by the same amount. Remember Econ 101? The price/demand curves? A lower price means that more people will choose to buy your game than to pirate it.
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Re: Unfortunate that EA is killing every single property
Do you have something you can cite on this DRM, since it must have happened elsewhere (unless EA is purposefully targeting your wife). I'm 2 cups of coffee deep and enjoy getting my blood boiling at the beginning of the day, so if you could provide any reading material....
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It's not whining, it's informing the sheeple.
It isn't whining. It is getting the word out. The informed and engaged section of the population is in the minority. By taking to message boards to get the word and hopefully spreading the word on Review boards like Amazon again (remember Spore) we can inform the masses (AKA Sheeple).
Certainly those of us in the know won't buy and support this attempt at over arching control, but we are attempting to do more and get the word out so less sheeple support it as well.
In any battle like this getting the sheeple onside is important.
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Re: It's not whining, it's informing the sheeple.
While I can agree with some of this statement, the fact boils down most people here *are* whining.
One poster said it best: Don't like it? Don't buy it. Let EA spin the lack of sales all they want, but customers will respond quickly by stating it isn't piracy, but the bullshit implemented within the game.
EA has been going down hill for quite some time, and I've yet to purchase a game from them in a very long time. With so many options out there, missing a few titles hasn't phased me one bit.
Reading the comments to this reminds me of those people who whine about Apple's decisions yet flock to be the first in line for the latest over-priced gizmo offered.
My choice not to purchase doesn't make a dent against all the people out there who continue to support these idiotic decisions with purchases.
So understand why *I* see it as whining and not "getting the word out", especially after a purchase.
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It's justifiable that some people would show say stop whining as some people are but there's plenty of people, like this post, that's just trying to get the word out so people know not to buy.
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Haxed copys FTW
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Re: Dark Helmet
"SecuROM™ technology suppresses CD-ROM to CD-R copying, DVD-ROM to DVD-R copying, Internet image distribution, and professional piracy."
https://support.securom.com/faq_general.html#1.2
Notice how the statements in these two sections are carefully crafted and loaded with fluffy happy words. They don't clearly mention that they hook the drivers for these devices and deny users legitimate, non-piracy, uses.
https://support.securom.com/faq_general.html#1.9
https://support.securom.com/faq_general.h tml#1.10
Their definition of 'hacking' software includes normal & legit uses of the drives, such as creating a family photo album on CDROM or using any of the "-R" features. And, apparently, it also includes industry (music) CDs purchased from the store and industry (movie) DVDs purchased from the store.
I'm willing to admit that machines are different, and YMMV, but I'm hardly a lone voice spitting in the void here.
http://www.google.com/#hl=en&q=Bon+Voyage+drm&aq=f&oq=&aqi=&fp=KxYPMM6r 3XA
http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/98480-13-denies-problems-sims
http://en.wikipedia.org/wi ki/SecuROM
http://www.google.com/#hl=en&q=securom+vista&aq=f&oq=&aqi=g3&fp=Kx YPMM6r3XA
http://bbs.thesims2.ea.com/community/bbs/messages.php?threadID=10427e440577fa3b3bdcf644 8dc308c8&directoryID=211&startRow=1&openItemID=item.211,root.1,item.61,item.23
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Re: Re: Dark Helmet
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This is about money
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Anoyed Service Members
Now the long term side effect of this was a vary robust multiplayer aspect that was worth the cost of the game.
After that the "spawn a copy" model went away as game studios got mad that PC players could get one game per household and have fun (or small lan party).
Now Blizzard did a great job with Warcraft III in that the online game is so great that not being able to go onto battle net is tantamount to not being able to play over 3/4ths of the game BUT the single player part is still great and you can still do a lan game for inter house party's.
So because of greed I cant play games with my friends with out several hundred dollars in CDs. AND I cant run a LAN game at all. Sorry but sometimes the old ideas were the best (community over greed)
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I doubt it
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Re: Dark Helmet
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long time coming
The only defense is if consumers turn up their noses or the pirates break hook and there is massive infringement vs. low sales, either way people will be voting with their dollars. If the game dose well this will get pushed as the new standard.
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Pirated version will be better
All it means to me is that instead of handing over my hard earned cash to the company, instead i'll probably download a copy which has been cracked to enable offline play.
Starcraft 2 has stated that they will not alloy Lan play without first connecting to the internet as well - it's so frustrating but the only thing i can do in protest is not buy the game, I suggest others do the same, hit them where it hurts.. in their pocket.
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Constant connection = no sale
Every sale lost to their lunacy will most likely be thought to be the result of piracy. The problem with "voting with your wallet" is that there is not a YES-NO vote. It is only YES or ABSTAIN, and when you abstain, they don't know it.
I work offshore on ships and rigs, and I can't get online. I do most of my gaming at the end of my work day offshore, not when I am home.
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DRM = Dirty Rotten Mongrels
So yeah, DRM is pointless when the paying people cannot use the product, and the ones getting it for free can!
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GTA IV
Have enough crap with microsofts live bullshit all over my GTA IV..."You must be logged in to save your game"...WHAT?!
I'm on cable...yes...but my desktop goes with me on the road...so im sitting in utah on a job with no internet and im screwed out of my $50 game until I go back home in 4-8 months each job? Lol no...f**k that with EA, they better learn from peoples bitchin!
I setup gta...dandy...activated...loading...OH BUT WAIT...THERES MORE...SIGN UP FOR A LIVE ACCOUNT NOW...(look for do later type button...fine print: Needed for all types of game saves...whhhhhhaaaatttttttt?! Yeah, it seems like nothing now...just wait till they require more...and moreeeee...and eventually were in the matrix powering EA's servers...Lol
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