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[RAM]

securom isn't malicious, it is just a dangerous way of doing things and a sufficiently bad idea as to demonstrate a complete lack of thought on the part the people making it, which is evidence enough that there invariably are not enough safeguards in place to stop it being a complete disaster for some unlucky people. Also, I propose that there is "a year and there are people still talking about the same thing" worth of bad about Spore... It isn't that I waste my time hating spore, I just can't figure out why people are still defending it here.

[LegoLord]

Because some people, strange and impossible though this may sound to you, actually like Spore, and some of them even think that those who are still complaining about it aren't actually accomplishing much more than trolling every discussion about Spore.  That may not be what they're trying to do, but they might as well be.  It wouldn't be any different.

[Micro102]

I don't think it's malicious, just a sleeping tick on your back that sometimes itches and that you cant reach with the potential for someone to come along and wake it up.

The potential for SecuRom to become malicious is even worse then it being malicious, as it isn't found out thru the first game, so EA can pick the time to make it all malicious at once. It's not like companies haven't done some sneaky stuff with computers. Greed is not a good thing.


And the deactivation tool removes a deactivation, not SecuRom, and if your computer breaks while spore is installed, you can't deactivate it now can you?

[Smitehappy]

I don't think it's malicious, just a sleeping tick on your back that sometimes itches and that you cant reach with the potential for someone to come along and wake it up.

The potential for SecuRom to become malicious is even worse then it being malicious, as it isn't found out thru the first game, so EA can pick the time to make it all malicious at once. It's not like companies haven't done some sneaky stuff with computers. Greed is not a good thing.

So uhhh, what does EA gain from turning it malicious? Or are they just gonna do it for shits and giggles?

[Micro102]

Maybe how Sony was suspected for encrypting personal information and sending it back to their servers?

A worker gets pissed because he is getting fired and does something to get EA in trouble....There are plenty of possibilities and saying they are unlikely to happen doesn;t mean they won't.

[Smitehappy]

Maybe how Sony was suspected for encrypting personal information and sending it back to their servers?

A worker gets pissed because he is getting fired and does something to get EA in trouble....There are plenty of possibilities and saying they are unlikely to happen doesn;t mean they won't.

SecuROM isn't even owned by EA dude, an employee at EA wouldn't have the ability to alter the software let alone get his hacked version past bug testing. Even an employee who works at Sony (The ones who own SecuROM) wouldn't be able to do it.

And as for the Sony thing you mentioned, do you have a link or something because that's not mentioned on Wikipedia or any other place I've searched.

[Micro102]

I'm not sure who owns it, but since it's running on an EA game, put there by EA choice, giving them information, you would think they would have some sort of access to it, so if it's owned by sony, then replace the EA employee with a sony employee....It doesn't really change anything.

[Smitehappy]

I'm not sure who owns it, but since it's running on an EA game, put there by EA choice, giving them information, you would think they would have some sort of access to it, so if it's owned by sony, then replace the EA employee with a sony employee....It doesn't really change anything.

So you expect me to believe that all his/her fellow employees, professional programmers by the way, would somehow miss that major change in the software they're developing? That they wouldn't notice it at all during testing?

[RAM]

Actually yeah, that wouldn't surprise me at all, have you never heard of a deadline?

[Micro102]

And that even if they notice a change, all it would take is sending it out in a patch it be permenant.

Then again i don't have any idea how software companies work so i could be mistaken, but again, thats not the only thing that can happen.

[Smitehappy]

Alright, well I'm not getting anywhere with you two and this entire thread is rage inducing for me anyways so I'm outie five thousand. Have fun with y'alls perpetual arguements, I'm gonna go play a game that had great potential but went the safe route of mediocrity! (Hint: I'm talking about Spore)

[Leafsnail]

I dunno, is this what you imagine the EA managing room to be like?

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Manager 1: I have this great idea for our new game.
Manager 2: What?  Tell us!
M1: We will give it... SecuRom.
M2: Ok then.
M1: But it will have a twist.  It will... stop people from playing old games on it if the computer has 2 CD drives!
M2: Wow, that's an excellant idea!  Um, why?  Most of the games it stops won't be ours, and all the games demonstrated are out of manufacture anyway...
M1: It's obvious!  It will cause mild annoyance to a small minority of people!
M3: Wait, what?  I thought we were trying to maximise profits...
M1: Maximising profits and stealing people's money is only one way we spread misery!  It's a small step from mild annoyance to unconditional terror!
M2: But why make it so that in 99% of cases nothing happens at all?
M1: Simple.  Some people will notice that their computers crash slightly more (although in most cases this won't happen, and it will only be a tiny increase when it does) which will mean that they will realise our plans!
M3: Um, and?
M1: Then, when we take over the world, it will be ironic!  Muhahaha!
M2: So how are we going to take over the world?
M1: First we break into Sony's headquarters.
M3: How?
M1: We just do, ok?  Then we rush to create a malicious patch before anyone has noticed.
M3: What would this patch actually do?
M1: It will HYPNOTISE everyone who looks at a computer with it installed!
M2: Wait, wouldn't people just reformat their computers?
M1: Yes!
M2: So the takeover would fail?
M1: Yes!
M2: So our assets will be stripped and we will face criminal charges?
M1: Yes!
M2: Wait, why are we doing this again?
M1: Because we're EA!  We do things like this!

Most of the malicious charges seem to come from something like "That sounds like something EA would do, therefore they did it!".

[RAM]

Because we're EA!  We do things like this!

Heh, someone should sig that!

Scenario one, someone cracks the system, they issue a fake patch, break into sony's system, find a publicly exploitable flaw in the program as is, something else along those lines, and mess with people to make themselves feel better.

Scenario two, someone, for some reason, maybe they think it'll be funny, maybe they want to get back at the company before they are fired, maybe they're distracted because their spouse left them because the company has been keeping them awake for 50 hour stretches and they make a mistake. For whatever reason something bad slips into the code and the notoriously bad quality control doesn't pick it up, and it causes problems.

Scenario three, They think of a way that it will mess with competitors and think they can get away with it, and are right, crazier stuff has happened...

Also, managers are lame, I wouldn't buy your story word for word, but the gist of it is believable...

It is just a really monumentally dangerous and stupid way of doing things, there just isn't any excuse.

[LegoLord]

Ram, he was making fun of what you think is going on.  Satirizing it.  The gist of it is not believable because it would be so monumentally stupid and pointless on the company's part.  A lot like most other conspiracy theories (hypothesis in scientific terms, for clarification).

Actually yeah, that wouldn't surprise me at all, have you never heard of a deadline?

Of which Spore's was postponed several times. 

At this point, it seems like you guys are just trying to cling to some vain hope that you can get everyone to stop playing Spore, for no good reason.  It's been a year since it came out and disappointed you.  You should move on and let everyone else do what they want.  I mean, there are people who heard of spore after it came out and then decided to buy it.  Of them, how many are you aware of that get so upset about the game that they do as you do?  One who was disappointed with it posted awhile back, saying what essentially amounts to "chill dudes it's just a game."

[Leafsnail]

Scenario one, someone cracks the system, they issue a fake patch, break into sony's system, find a publicly exploitable flaw in the program as is, something else along those lines, and mess with people to make themselves feel better.

I dunno, they could do this with almost any programme, if they were that good with hacking.

Scenario two, someone, for some reason, maybe they think it'll be funny, maybe they want to get back at the company before they are fired, maybe they're distracted because their spouse left them because the company has been keeping them awake for 50 hour stretches and they make a mistake. For whatever reason something bad slips into the code and the notoriously bad quality control doesn't pick it up, and it causes problems.

They aren't really patching it anymore anyway.  I certainly haven't had a patch on mine for months.

Scenario three, They think of a way that it will mess with competitors and think they can get away with it, and are right, crazier stuff has happened...

"Mess with competitors"?  Forcing millions of people to reformat their computers is mass vandalism, and could cause billions of pounds worth of damage.  At the very least EA would find their assets frozen.

In short, yes, EA suck.  They are totally profit driven, and don't care much about their customers or their games.  On the other hand, a lot of companies are like this, and they aren't malevolent, that is to say "Greedy and not evil".