How does Mass Effect's securom work?

[Deadly_Nightshade]

Servers for the games listed below will be shut down on the indicated dates. You may continue to play the games online up until these dates, but certain community programs may begin to close down prior to the shutdown dates.

 

That has nothing to do with ME.

 

Then tell me how do you gonna activate your ME when there is no authentification server?

 

You don't - but that doesn't mean that you cannot play without activation.

 

EDIT: Considering that the activation only takes place when you runt he game for the first time and not during the instillation I suspect they would just release an unprotected .exe and call it a "patch."

Edited September 13, 2009 by Deadly_Nightshade

[ramza]

Actually, there are workarounds but it is too much hassle for a game. I could use a crack, delete the paul.dll file and then uninstall securom with the official removal tool but why bother? I am just asking to play a game, not do all these things. I'd rather boycott the company that uses such DRM. It's just that I had a slight hope that things could be simpler and that I could play the game without having to go through any uninstallation.

 

My problem with Securom is mainly about its intrusiveness and the compatibility problems it creates (Nero and other programs not working). Give me a good reason to install that crap on my pc.

[ramza]

Well if you bother to read this thread, you'd see that's exactly what we're trying to figure out: is Mass Effect's DRM so intrusive that it's not worth buying the game?

My point of view:

 

Or is it the limited activations? You do know that you can get those back, right?

 

That is yet one more problem. To get those activations back, I need to install an extra program and do additional maneuvers. Why? I just want to play a game in peace. Just for one game, I need to install 2 extra program: the deactivation tool and the securom removal tool. Isn't that a bit too much?

[Guest Slinky]

Yes, the ME DRM in the Devil in digital form, who destroys your PC and eats your soul. Oh look! I just found people on the net, who are sure that the end of the world will happen in 2012! I have to go dig myself a underground vault!

 

Honestly, if the DRM would really crap out peoples PC's, wouldn't there be a little more fuss about it? I can't tell you any statistics because I don't have them, but I can tell you this: I've had ME on my computer almost a year now, and I have never had any trouble with burning software, virtual DVD emulators or any other.

 

Edit:

For the love of... the deactivation tool is just an .exe that does not need installing. It even comes with the 1.02 patch and it will do it's thing automatically when you uninstall ME.

Edited September 13, 2009 by Slinky

[Purkake]

At the end of the day it's a janky and overcomplicated system that doesn't help anyone.

 

One reason to not buy the game would be to vote with your wallet and not support games that have this kind of DRM.

[Guest Slinky]

At the end of the day it's a janky and overcomplicated system that doesn't help anyone.

Agreed, but it's not the gamedevs fault that the publisher decided to use DRM like that. Everyone is free to do what they want, but I'm not going to boycott games I want to play because it has a DRM like ME's.

 

But the second the DRM actually starts messing with my games/pc, I'm one of the first at the barricades.

[ramza]

I just hope they will release a securom-free version...

[Mamoulian War]

I just hope they will release a securom-free version...

 

Kinda hope for this aswell.... it's the 1st Bioware game i did not purchased with preorder

[Zoraptor]

There is a version which is confirmed as not having SecuROM- the Steam one (maybe the Gamersgate or D2D versions too, though I've never seen it confirmed for them)

 

Yeah, if you hate intrusive DRM then logically you loathe Steam. Amazing how many people seem to think just because it's Valve and they made omghalflifebestgameeverexcepthalflife2!!!! it somehow isn't intrusive though.

[Purkake]

There is a version which is confirmed as not having SecuROM- the Steam one (maybe the Gamersgate or D2D versions too, though I've never seen it confirmed for them)

 

Yeah, if you hate intrusive DRM then logically you loathe Steam. Amazing how many people seem to think just because it's Valve and they made omghalflifebestgameeverexcepthalflife2!!!! it somehow isn't intrusive though.

 

I'm generally against DRM, but like Steam.

 

Do you have to hate everything universally? I like to cherry pick, thank you very much.

[Deadly_Nightshade]

Do you have to hate everything universally? I like to cherry pick, thank you very much.

 

I normally do as well but when it comes to DRM I feel that the only good DRM is no DRM - and, yes, before you even ask, I dislike Steam.

[Purkake]

I feel that Steam is the necessary evil in this case. A DRM-free service probably wouldn't get many of the publishers to sign up. At least you get something for your DRM with Steam as opposed to a 5-install limit Securom.

 

Of course props to Good Old Games for doing it DRM-free, but their situation is a bit different.

[Deadly_Nightshade]

I feel that Steam is the necessary evil in this case.

 

And I think that it is, in many ways, worse than SecuROM.

That's ok though, we can agree to disagree on this point.

[Purkake]

My philosophy is that if Steam goes down, all hope for PC gaming is lost anyway.

[WILL THE ALMIGHTY]

That's actually very likely.

[Purkake]

That's actually very likely.

 

Steam going down?

[Deadly_Nightshade]

That's actually very likely.

 

Steam going down?

 

Yeah.

[Purkake]

[WILL THE ALMIGHTY]

Not really Steam dying. BNet might replace it, but I was talking about the PC maker dying with Steam.

Edited September 14, 2009 by WILL THE ALMIGHTY

[Nepenthe]

The X360 version is also Securom free.

 

But yeah, my pc gaming friends all picked up the Steam version for a less intrusive form of DRM.

[Maria Caliban]

I just hope they will release a securom-free version...

 

Ramza, how did you get your sig? All the quizzes I've found are monocolor.

[Magister Lajciak]

There is a version which is confirmed as not having SecuROM- the Steam one (maybe the Gamersgate or D2D versions too, though I've never seen it confirmed for them)

 

Yeah, if you hate intrusive DRM then logically you loathe Steam. Amazing how many people seem to think just because it's Valve and they made omghalflifebestgameeverexcepthalflife2!!!! it somehow isn't intrusive though.

 

Despite my sig, I don't actually dislike SecuROM. What I dislike is online activation in all its forms (and some new games using SecuROM use online activation, Mass Effect included), as it essentially means you are renting a game (until the EA (in case of Mass Effect, which unfortunately has this anti-feature) takes its servers down or they stop supporting activation) rather than buying it. As such, you are correct that I would not buy anything through Steam. I have no problem with disk checks, be they based on SecuROM or other DRM.

[Bos_hybrid]

Yeah, if you hate intrusive DRM then logically you loathe Steam. Amazing how many people seem to think just because it's Valve and they made omghalflifebestgameeverexcepthalflife2!!!! it somehow isn't intrusive though.

 

Steam is not intrusive. DL it once, then never go online again to play the game, if that is too much trouble for you, get a new hobby.

[ramza]

I just hope they will release a securom-free version...

 

Ramza, how did you get your sig? All the quizzes I've found are monocolor.

 

Here

http://rumandmonkey.com/widgets/toys/testgen/5261/

[ramza]

Yeah, if you hate intrusive DRM then logically you loathe Steam. Amazing how many people seem to think just because it's Valve and they made omghalflifebestgameeverexcepthalflife2!!!! it somehow isn't intrusive though.

 

Steam is not intrusive. DL it once, then never go online again to play the game, if that is too much trouble for you, get a new hobby.

 

It is intrusive in the sense that you have to download a third-party program (Steam) to play a game. I just want to buy a cd or purchase online an installer.exe file. Why do I have to go through all this to play a game? What happened to old-fashioned gaming? Moreover, they make us endure all that while it has 0% impact on the reduction of piracy. Who are they kidding?