If you switch users, the second user can play, but cannot create a spore ID, or get online content. Basically, if I wanted to share my game with my wife on my computer in a way that gave her the full experience, I’d need to buy a second copy for her to have a unique serial number. Basically it’s 1 serial = 1 ID.

That combined with the total BS DRM has me kind of pissed off about the game, even though I do enjoy the game itself.

I’ve heard a lot of bitching about the DRM but I didn’t really *see* the limitations granted I never looked for them but that warrants a “christ that’s fucking gay”. I should have assumed as much. I hoped they’d give you some leeway but apparently not.

I think the best copy right protection the game has is the requirement to need a legit serial to access the online content.

Greg - 10 September 2008 11:57 AM

I’ve heard a lot of bitching about the DRM but I didn’t really *see* the limitations granted I never looked for them but that warrants a “christ that’s fucking gay”. I should have assumed as much. I hoped they’d give you some leeway but apparently not.

I think the best copy right protection the game has is the requirement to need a legit serial to access the online content.

I’m betting it’s close to the way Mass Effect for the PC works as well (also an EA title which received a bit of controversy about DRM). Even though the game isn’t online, an internet connection is required to validate your serial number. Your Bioware account remembers your serial number and automatically generates a code for downloading additional content. I’m not sure how often it actually calls EA or Bioware to check, but I never had any problems while playing the game, and doesn’t need the DVD in the drive.

At some point when sales of these games begin to slow, they may just release a patch for these games that cures the DRM, much the way UT2004 and most of Blizzard’s older games received a No-CD patch.

I’m pretty Mass Effect has been hacked, and in a game as such, its less preventative as it doesn’t have the same level of online content where as Spore uses a content pushing mechanism that really makes the game unique. I’m just sayin’ for Spore it seems like the lockout of not having online content would push would be pirates to buy if they really like the game. I could see the next Sims having a neighborhood sharing mechanism done in game, that allows the game to push content in the same method, perhaps even give the game an adept room designer where you can customize furniture/decor to some degree with a similar fashion.

It seems like a way to encourage sales making the game making the game with massive online single player functionality to help curb piracy as opposed to simply randomly asking for the disk and other schemes. It requires a lot more development but on triple A title, it could help be a deal closer as piracy is mega-wide-spread on the PC. There was a time when you had to use Hotline, and broadband was a luxury, not a norm. Now its open and bit torrent hardly takes any smarts to use.

At least they don’t require that the disk be in the drive.

Well I hit what you’d call Spore end game. I took my species to the center of the galaxy where I was greeted with a puzzling ending. Its a gag but the punchline I was like, “huh?”.

Basically without spoiling what little story there is, you have to trek to the center of the universe through enemy territory. Its a rather large portion of the universe, and requires jumping between alien infested worlds. Its so thick and such a pain in the ass to navigate until I realized I could use the trade routes to my vantage jumping from enemy world to enemy world. Also I developed a clever strategy to find an uninhabited world deep in enemy space, quickly dive bomb in with a swarm of enemy fighters on my tail, shoot a Colony pack and evade until I was able to build the colony. Once the colony was in place I could repair my ship and continue on my journey.

I was able to do it with the jump drive level 4. Navigating the center of the universe is a royal pain in the ass. The first two times I was killed rather quickly, the third time in a clicking frenzy I attempted blackhole my way closer which ended up getting me very lost. Eventually I just killed myself so I could return home.  The fruits of my labour yielded me me a magic wand that’ll automatically terraform a world and balance it out. Downside? It doesn’t populate the world. You still have to dump creatures and plants and it has 50 uses.

Anyhow, that completes my Spore game. I enjoyed it but I don’t think I’ll start bottom to top. The space stage almost is worth it if it wasn’t hounded by needy ass annoying colonies and gave you more reason to harass random worlds. Now for the super pun:  Spore was less revolution but more evolution!

Greg - 11 September 2008 11:36 AM

Now for the super pun:  Spore was less revolution but more evolution!

Was that really necessary Greg, really?

Greg - 11 September 2008 11:36 AM

Spore was less revolution but more evolution!

Nah, it really promotes creationism, I mean, you (the player) are supposed to be God right? What an “intelligently designed” game it is. Hardy har har….

I mentioned that to my roommate, although the counter argument is that you, the player are not ever addressed. Only your species is addressed.

EA hit with a class action lawsuit about Spore… Question I have is does Secure Rom work in the same fashion on OSX?
http://news.cnet.com/8301-13772_3-10050717-52.html?tag=newsEditorsPicksArea.0

Would a system like that even be allowed to start on OS X without asking for permission first?