Spore’s DRM Debacle: Parte Deux
It’s sort of a long-standing satisfaction when you see David beat out a Goliath with a single and decisive blow. The whole concept is somewhat of a recurrent theme throughout literature and even plays to our psyches today. That’s part of my thrill in seeing EA relax their DRM rules on Spore after a voluminous outcry by buyers and bystanders alike. It’s one of the few times where the tiny Davids win out against the Goliath corporations.
Listening to 1Up Yours this week pissed me off a little. It was three guys that were seemingly un-in-touch with their fan base. They referenced and universally quoted a comment from a user on Pirate Bay: “By downloading this torrent, you’re doing the right thing. You’re letting Electronic Arts know that people won’t stand for the ridiculously draconian DRM viruses.” As Garnett expressed, this had shown pirates sank to a new level… not that EA had done so with its DRM scheme. He wasn’t alone. Shawn Elliot expressed his belief that DRM allows companies to make games with a large budget. His implication is that without DRM, games would not be able to have large budgets because they wouldn’t be able to make the same sales they do now. It’s a consistent and mistaken idea that DRM maximizes sales… and it’s entirely not true. Pirated games/media do not equal a sold game.
And that’s what happened in the first week of sales for Spore. Hackers found a way around the DRM. Pirates found a free and better version of the off-line game, and paying customers had difficulty playing their game because of an unnecessary anti-feature built in to maximize sales and ignore customer satisfaction. So much noise was made by so many different people that EA finally decided to give a little. They are allowing paying customers to ‘de-authorize’ prior installs so they can install the game again. It’s a small victory, but I hardly think it will be the end of the battle.
Perhaps it will subdue some of the ruckus about Spore’s DRM, but it will not stop the constant irritation with DRM. Amazon downloadable music is DRM-free in response to iTunes DRMed music. Even iTunes offers iTunes Plus music to help ease customer tensions. The fact is the market is moving away from DRM. Yes, by removing DRM it will be easier to steal games or media. But, by the same token, companies will save money by not spending it on a DRM program, costs will be lower, and profits will increase as a result… producing the same result they’re looking for: money. Pirating may be a thorn in the side of digital games and media, but as long as companies are focusing on locking down products instead of making good products, consumers will continue to fight back until they get to nail the big guy right between the eyes.
When was the last time you saw a ninja with wenches?
