Revoke tool released by EA for Mass Effect, Spore, etc.

[s44]

OK, I don't want to start the Angry Internet Men wailing about DRM again, but this is a good thing to have. All limited-activation games now have a way to de-activate any particular installation.

I think this means you can resell your game now too...

 

[manko]

Thanks for the link. They should have put these out when the games were released, but better late than never.

 

[Golgatha]

Originally posted by: s44
OK, I don't want to start the Angry Internet Men wailing about DRM again, but this is a good thing to have. All limited-activation games now have a way to de-activate any particular installation.

I think this means you can resell your game now too...

I'm proud to be part of the vocal minority who pushed for things like this to happen, and the first sale doctrine (and common sense) says I can resell my game, not EA. EA just reinstated the status quo because their hand was forced to do so.

That said, I'm glad this tool is now available, since I own Crysis Warhead and Red Alert 3.

 

[tk149]

Cool, I might actually buy one of these games now. I've been really wanting to try Red Alert 3. I LOVED RA2.

 

[nitromullet]

Impressive. I didn't think it would actually happen.

 

[ZzZGuy]

Does it require internet access and what happens when you FUBAR your OS and can not use this tool before you format?

Oh and the link can't make up it's mind where it wants to go, it just keeps reloading between two pages.

 

[mindcycle]

Glad they finally released this. Hopefully we won't have to deal with online auth/limited install junk like this at all if the current trend to drop draconian DRM continues.. http://www.shacknews.com/onearticle.x/57876

Keep your fingers crossed.

 

[Jack Flash]

Originally posted by: ZzZGuy
Does it require internet access and what happens when you FUBAR your OS and can not use this tool before you format?

Oh and the link can't make up it's mind where it wants to go, it just keeps reloading between two pages.

Contact Customer Service?

I imagine it requires Internet but why would that be a concern?

 

[ZzZGuy]

Originally posted by: Jack Flash

Originally posted by: ZzZGuy
Does it require internet access and what happens when you FUBAR your OS and can not use this tool before you format?

Oh and the link can't make up it's mind where it wants to go, it just keeps reloading between two pages.

Contact Customer Service?

I imagine it requires Internet but why would that be a concern?

I have worked up in the oil sands of Alberta (Canada) on and off for the past two years (actually up here job hunting ATM, damn economy & low oil prices). I stay in "work camps" (usually apartment/trailer park style with tiny rooms, daily room cleaning service, shared/communal bathroom & shower, and large kitchen & dining hall) ranging from one months to eight months. Some have internet access in the rooms, some internet booths and other none at all. Going to town to "relax" can get damn expensive, so I bought a gaming laptop to kill the little time I have off. If I'm there for a few months without the internet and need/want to format my computer or uninstall a game for space I will not bring my laptop into town (up to 2 hours away by bus, up to $300 one way by cab) just to activate/uninstall a god damn game if the camp I'm staying in does not have internet access. Oh and back home I have a desktop PC to chew up installs, not to mention formatting counts as a new system.

I also consider it unreasonable to have to contact customer service in the hopes they don't call me a pirate and grant me a extra install until the next time. If I have to rely on this I'm not going to buy the product.

And finally, why should I have to deal with this BS? Competition is still very much alive, for every game made with this DRM I can find 5 others I wold like to play that are convent for me. I have too many games on my list to play to bother jumping through hoops, they have to earn my money.

-edit- Steam being the only grudging exception. I do not like how you can not play a game in offline mode if it's not updated to their liking and the fact they can close my account if they want, but they provide very useful services such as easy updating, free download & install of games and no CD's. Most games I play on steam are MP anyway, the rest can wait until I have the internet. EA does not offer such services.

 

[Maximilian]

Originally posted by: ZzZGuy

Originally posted by: Jack Flash

Originally posted by: ZzZGuy
Does it require internet access and what happens when you FUBAR your OS and can not use this tool before you format?

Oh and the link can't make up it's mind where it wants to go, it just keeps reloading between two pages.

Contact Customer Service?

I imagine it requires Internet but why would that be a concern?

I have worked up in the oil sands of Alberta (Canada) on and off for the past two years (actually up here job hunting ATM, damn economy & low oil prices). I stay in "work camps" (usually apartment/trailer park style with tiny rooms, daily room cleaning service, shared/communal bathroom & shower, and large kitchen & dining hall) ranging from one months to eight months. Some have internet access in the rooms, some internet booths and other none at all. Going to town to "relax" can get damn expensive, so I bought a gaming laptop to kill the little time I have off. If I'm there for a few months without the internet and need/want to format my computer or uninstall a game for space I will not bring my laptop into town (up to 2 hours away by bus, up to $300 one way by cab) just to activate/uninstall a god damn game if the camp I'm staying in does not have internet access. Oh and back home I have a desktop PC to chew up installs, not to mention formatting counts as a new system.

I also consider it unreasonable to have to contact customer service in the hopes they don't call me a pirate and grant me a extra install until the next time. If I have to rely on this I'm not going to buy the product.

And finally, why should I have to deal with this BS? Competition is still very much alive, for every game made with this DRM I can find 5 others I wold like to play that are convent for me. I have too many games on my list to play to bother jumping through hoops, they have to earn my money.

-edit- Steam being the only grudging exception. I do not like how you can not play a game in offline mode if it's not updated to their liking and the fact they can close my account if they want, but they provide very useful services such as easy updating, free download & install of games and no CD's. Most games I play on steam are MP anyway, the rest can wait until I have the internet. EA does not offer such services.

Exactly, why should you have to deal with this BS. Its not just that, the core problem is if the DRM and revoke trend actually took off (i dont think it will by this point) then you would have to revoke every installed game, or sift through all installed games and figure out which ones need revoked and which ones dont before an uninstall. Luckily this DRM crap is in decline from what i can tell, steam for me is an acceptable compromise since i never sell games and by the time i would sell them they would be worthless anyway.

 

[lupi]

Hmm, I may finally decide to give spore a try since they may have finally seen the light over this stuff (although seeing that they may try and go sims expansion pack crazy with it is still holding me back a bit)

 

[AyashiKaibutsu]

So if every company uses this DRM and has their own revoke tool you now have to run 10+ revoke tools before you do anything with your hardware or reformat? Still a crap solution to a "solution" that doesn't really solve anything. Still won't buy EA games. Also like it's ever so common for ones computer to be in good working order to run this tool when they're replacing a part/reformating.

 

[RyanPaulShaffer]

The revoke tool is a step in the right direction, but they just need to patch out SecuROM completely. It's almost been a year since release...ME is not making any more money. It's time.

 

[lupi]

Yep, and from the sounds of it (sims 3) they are learning. Just have to keep the appropriate pressure up so we don't get back to this point.