"... the company is getting ready to shift its approach so that it rewards the customer rather than punishing everyone for the sins of pirates."

This is exactly how it should be done.

Still sounds like DRM to me..

Not really. It is using the game's mechanics as a value-added bonus for purchasing the game.

I would like to see this approach in more games.

pirates can still access new creatures and such via torrents, so really, NOTHING that EA is doing to prevent piracy is working.

i repeat, NOTHING.

YES it is DRM but its TOLERABLE drm as long as the two are NOT intrinsically connected.

IE I can use Spore without going online. Going online is VALUE ADD. DRMing the online part is fine with me as long as NOTHING is installed DRM wise on my machine. IE using a serial to restrict the online access IS a form of drm thats totally acceptable to me as now I am accessing there SERVICE.

Nothing is installed on my end. No software no "drm" crap. Just a serial number. This is fine with me.

They need to drop the activation garbage altogether. You should be able to install your games as many times as you need to. Allowing only one simultaneous copy online at the same time should be enough, why take the extra measures which are just going to piss off the people who actually support you (the ones who pay for games??)

I had the intention to buy the Game. When i heard about DRM, i change my mind, one sale less for EA. I think a LOT of people will act like me, wich means a LOT of sales less for EA.

Don't be Evil, learn of Google. Or risk your bussiness. Do your election, EA.

I think that the piracy will be stopped when the prices at the good games (Crysis , NFS Undercover , GTA IV ) will reach almost 10-15 $ [and i don-t mean the games i mentioned ... the future games...

I completely agree. I was excited about spore and I was planning on buying the game, but the drm bs stopped me. I periodically re-install windows every 4-6 months or so and when I heard about the 3x install limit I decided not to buy it. There are many people like us that were willing to buy the game, but the drm bs stopped us... I don't think EA is thinking of these people as "lost sales".

Right, so according to some opinions torrenting can let you access server side hosted information now. I wish I had access to that technology.

As for account based online somehow being a DRM... All they're doing it only providing a service to people who pay for it. If you really have a problem with this, can I come into your place a business, use all of your products, and leave without paying a dime please?

My DL was a lost sale for EA. Not because I'm cheap or I don't buy games (I've already got Red Alert 3 Premier pre-ordered, and my wife complains how much money I spend on my gaming hobby) -- because, sure enough, Spore was good for about 10 minutes, and then I'd gotten over it. I don't support DRM at all, nor do I see a point anymore. Over half the games I actually buy for PC I still use cracked executables because it makes me have a disc in the drive to just to check for some busted sectors.

Unfortunately, Spore still includes the DRM that screws the customers. Yes, having access to the sporepedia is definitely a reason to "purchase" the game legitimately (I use the term "purchase" very loosely with EA's DRM, the correct term is "rent as long as EA feels like it.")

I'm all for requiring an account for online play instead of DRM. It works well for most MMOs, it worked great for ages on battlenet, and above all else, it's completely fair and treats the customer the way they should be treated while punishing those who pirate the game.

The current methodology securom and ea use punishes the purchaser, but rewards the pirate. Which is the most ignorant idea I've ever heard of.

All they need to do to ensure sales and stop piracy is to make the online content and functionality worth the price of the game.

Look at almost everything on Steam. All those games have great multi-player modes, none of which is accessible without a legit copy of those games. Half the games are multi-player only.

If you want people to purchase it, make it so that the part they don't purchase (the online component) is worth the cost.

You people are completely missing the point,much to EA's delight.

This DRM has nothing to do with preventing piracy and EVERYTHING to do with OBLITERATING YOUR RIGHT TO SELL YOUR GAME WHEN YOU'RE DONE WITH IT!

They are locking your game code to your EA account. It can NEVER be removed from that account, meaning that when you're done with the game and yo no longer want to play it, YOU CANNOT SELL IT. *That* is what's so nefarious about their copy protection.

Unless they explicitly state that SecuROM is no longer a part of the product, I AINT BUYING!

After the issues I had with SecuRom and My Preordered copy of Neverwinter Nights 2 I will never buy another game which employs SecuRom as a DRM tactic. That particular computer still refuses to read disks properly and I have flashed the drives, bought a new drive and reformatted. So they can take their games and shove it. I'm willing to pay for my games but not as long as they treat me like a criminal for it!

Most people have the whole idea of DRM’s like SecuRom and the X amount of activations all wrong.
It’s not just a simple DRM, it installs separately to the game without your knowledge…if you un-install the game…it DOESN’T un-install the SecuRom, which makes it a rootkit (malware), so if you don’t know this, you will think it’s gone because it hides in “hidden folders” and in your “Registry”, not to mention disabling of some AV’s, the damage it does to some PC hardware, and stops you from being able to use legal software that SecuRom has been programmed to black band. EA deserves to be sued over this issue alone.
The other issue I have with this type of Draconian DRM is that when you can’t afford the internet anymore, you can no longer Play a Game you Paid for, and that is wrong…most games aren’t played over the Net so why do we have to be connected to it. ( It’s to Spy on PC users, that’s why it Phones Home with Encrypted Data.)
There is a lot bigger picture than what we’re seeing here right now, this is only a baby step to the end plan. This has nothing to do with piracy, because we know that the pirates will never be stopped and it is proven once again with the amount of torrented copies of Spore downloaded so far in just one month. Why is EA adamant about continuing to use SecuRom when they know it’s not doing what they say it was intended for and is only affecting the paying customers? I will not buy anything that is put out by EA or Sony anymore, even though I would love to buy Sims2 IKEA, Sims2 Apartment Life, Spore, Red Alert 3 and many more, but I just don’t trust EA or Sony. All they have done for the last 20 months is lie through their teeth to save their neck and not a bit of concern for their paying customers.
I’m a member at Reclaim Your Game: http://www.reclaimyourgame.com/ - and we’re dedicated to helping other gamers with their issues with SecuRom and get info out to educate the public.
So please feel free to visit our site and see for yourself.