Spore getting Spwned on Amazon reviews

[Teelie]

It's quite sad to me. I feel sorry for the people who created the game to see it 1-star bombed like this but I also blame EA for putting that "draconian DRM" as it was put on the game in the first place.

Amazon

As of right now, the number of reviews is 635 and of them, 579 are one star.

 

[CaptJimboJones]

Yikes. Is it just because of the DRM, or do they actually hate the game itself?

 

[Teelie]

DRM mostly though overall reviews have of course not lived up to the hype. Some of the actual complaints about gameplay itself are the "stats" make evolution useless or something to that effect and a few other issues. I haven't played the game myself (nor reviewed or starred it like others have) so I can't say how well it lives up to the promise of innovative game play.

 

[Twilight]

Is this true:

The EA Spore DRM is a bit reminiscent of the Sony root kit. It installs software that you definitely don't want or need. That software can work in superuser space, meaning it can do whatever it wants on your system. And there is no uninstall for it. In other words, by installing Spore, you install a piggy back Big Brother.

the piggyback EA software (the EA "download manager") runs as admin? WTF?


Anyway, I think it's a shame to judge a game based on EA's shitty DRM, and not the game itself.

Would I rate spore 5 stars? No, but I'd give it a solid 4 based on what I've played of it so far (halfway through tribal stage).

It's a simple, cute game, but it's so charming that it never really gets dull, IMO.

 

[Meredith]

I am against any software that has to install some sorta screwy agent or extra bloat ware that runs in the systray and eats up precious precious processor cycles and it written in something like Visual Basic .NET and takes 10MB of memory and 1% of processor time to shave off 5 seconds of load time while slowing everything else down that much more.

 

[gh4chiefs]

Anyway, I think it's a shame to judge a game based on EA's shitty DRM, and not the game itself.

In theory I would agree, but as a consumer I want a review of the WHOLE product including any potential problems, even if they aren't strictly game related.

What's more disturbing to me are the number of reviews from people who clearly haven't bought the game. Now IMHO, THAT'S wrong.

 

[amdmiami]

I waS planning on getting this game because it looks realy cool but what's a DRM?

 

[Gary Mitchell]

This is why I am rarely an early adopter.

 

[Meredith]

I waS planning on getting this game because it looks realy cool but what's a DRM?

Software that make sure you aren't copying the disc or pirating the game. Some do this by preventing you from copying the disc.

Some do this by install useless extra bloatware to run as administrator that contact servers on the net without you knowing they are working and send data about your machine back to the mother ship. All while draining your system resources.