Spore release date 9-7-8 - Page 2 - Tilted Forum Project Discussion Community

xepherys · 06-18-2008, 08:52 AM

We've been having a pretty big DRM discussion in another thread and touched on this. I doubt it'll stay that way by the time it releases. Most games that had planned to use this DRM method have abandoned it. It's really not a good plan.

As a side note, despite my detest for DRM, it depends a lot on HOW they do the hardware fingerprint. Many hardware fingerprints won't be affected by say, video card or RAM upgrades. Often not even by CPU upgrades. A lot of times it's based on data pulled from the mobo itself.

YaWhateva · 06-18-2008, 09:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by shakran

-sigh- I see that the DRM on this game is ridiculous. 3 installs and that's it. Ever. Upgrade your machine three times, and you can't play the game again unless you buy it. I've lost interest. Was looking forward to this one too. . .

Well spore and mass effect were supposed to have the same copy protection and mass effect's got changed from the backlash. Where are you seeing that it says 3 installs and that's it?

xepherys · 06-18-2008, 09:15 AM

so, does anyone know wtf the deal is? It's available for download, RIGHT NOW at this link:

http://eastore.ea.com/DRHM/servlet/C...uctID=95024000

But I still don't have a link or key for my pre-ordered copy. Fucking EA!

Reese · 06-18-2008, 09:29 AM

Same here man... EA Download manager has nothing, Order info say Downloadable but no link to download it..

Also was having trouble before logging into my account it'd say invalid password so i thought i typed it wrong but when i did recover password and changed it, It still said invalid.. grr..

ratbastid · 06-18-2008, 09:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by xepherys

You pay for services. You can't expect to GET paid for using a service. That makes no sense at all. That's like me saying, $75 for a pair of Nike's? Fuck that! They should pay me to walk around in their shoes... it's advertising! $4 for a box of Wheaties? Bullshit! They should pay ME to eat their cereal and show people it's worth having.

I see you've met my clients.

Leto · 06-18-2008, 09:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by xepherys

Niki and Leto,

I'm not quite sure I understand you. Obviously I'm not trying to argue... to each their own. I just want to understand.

You don't think it's right to charge for a demo. I get that much. But then, nobody is forced to buy the demo. It's not as if it's a condition of buying the full game later. If people CHOOSE to buy the $10 demo, why is there any beef at all?

And Leto, wtf is your rant about Costco? Again, it's not like it's the only place to shop. If it isn't worth the cheaper prices at Costco for the cost of membership, there's probably a K-Mart or Walmart nearby that will rip you off even more in the long run. That's just business. *boggle*

You pay for services. You can't expect to GET paid for using a service. That makes no sense at all. That's like me saying, $75 for a pair of Nike's? Fuck that! They should pay me to walk around in their shoes... it's advertising! $4 for a box of Wheaties? Bullshit! They should pay ME to eat their cereal and show people it's worth having.

Seriously... it makes exactly that little sense.

And..... I agree with you! It, however, makes great sense. In fact, my father made me return a nike t shirt that I got for him because he didn't want to advertise their product for free. You see, he didn't want to bend over. So, ya, it's a rant, and a well founded one. No, I don't have to buy the stuff or frequent the places such as I mentioned, nor do I have to pay $50 admin to get that STB (they caved and gave to me gratis) so I don't. So I rant.

what's wrong with that?

xepherys · 06-18-2008, 10:31 AM

Nothing wrong with ranting... I just don't see your point. People wear a Nike tee because THEY think it's cool, not to advertise. Everything is a product made by someone. By using or wearing it, you are, inadvertently advertising. Do you drive a car? What kind? Have you scrubbed it of branding badges? Why not? How is that different than "advertising" for Nike by wearing their shoes or a tee shirt? See what I mean?

Leto · 06-18-2008, 11:29 AM

It's funny you should mention that. Somebody stole the big VW badge right off of my jetta a couple of years ago. God knows why, but my son painted a peace sign in the spot. Kinda cool I thought. My running shoes? Aisecs. kind of generic. But yes I see what you mean, I really do. I'm just surprised that the response is so vociferous. I just want to tone down the automatic assumption that we, the end users, should always bear the cost.

For example, when the Ontario Dairy Board increased the price of milk a couple of years ago, 7-11 increased their prices immediately by 40 cents. When I told the guy that there was no one for me to pass the cost on to, and perhaps just once they should eat it as the cost of doing business, he just chuckled. I left the milk at the counter, went to Shopper's Drug mart, bought it at the old price (which it still is at by the way) took the receipt back to 7-11 and showed the manager how another company has managed to keep the customer in mind when it comes down to passing on costs. We don't have to accept it all the time. I may not be a Don Quixote but these are my personal windmills.

I think I will get the free Spore download, but wait for the game to come out before I put money down.

Lasereth · 06-18-2008, 11:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Leto

And..... I agree with you! It, however, makes great sense. In fact, my father made me return a nike t shirt that I got for him because he didn't want to advertise their product for free. You see, he didn't want to bend over.

Don't take this the wrong way but you and your dad are batshit crazy.

xepherys · 06-18-2008, 11:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lasereth

Don't take this the wrong way but you and your dad are batshit crazy.

LOL... ouch!

No, Leto, I see what you're saying. I just find people with those stances to be idealists. I, myself, am a realist. If I want something and it's free... awesome! If I want something and it's not? Well, I live with it. If it costs money but I don't want it? Then I don't care. Just my way of thinking. Kudos to you on having your own way. At least you aren't a sheep. I applaud that highly!

Nikilidstrom · 06-18-2008, 05:43 PM

I have no beef with anyone buying the demo, which is why I said my opinion is only important to my wallet, no one elses. To each his/her own. I do have a beef with a company expecting me to pay them to advertise to me. It would be akin to a dealership wanting me to pay them $100 to take a car for a test drive, and then give me a $50 credit towards the car if I buy it. I don't have anything against anyone who goes along with it, I'm just saying I'm not willing to be treated that way.

I would like to say that while I do have some strong beliefs regarding consumerism, I didn't intend for my initial comments to cause this much ruccus, and I'm sorry if it feels like this has turned into a threadjack. Regardless of EA's marketing practices, I am pretty excited about this game and its innovative features.

And Leto, you and your father are my heroes

telekinetic · 06-18-2008, 07:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nikilidstrom

I have no beef with anyone buying the demo, which is why I said my opinion is only important to my wallet, no one elses. To each his/her own. I do have a beef with a company expecting me to pay them to advertise to me. It would be akin to a dealership wanting me to pay them $100 to take a car for a test drive, and then give me a $50 credit towards the car if I buy it. I don't have anything against anyone who goes along with it, I'm just saying I'm not willing to be treated that way.

What if that car was an exotic, or even a mustang or corvette on a road course? Then I'd say, sign me up! That really is a better analogy. Both would be advertising, but would be fun activities in-and-of themselves

Reese · 06-19-2008, 03:33 AM

I don't understand why you think you're paying for them to advertise to you. Do you ductape the logos of the Pepsi you drink in public, or if you had an awesome time riding rollercoasters in Six Flags do you keep it to yourself and tell no one because that'd be advertising? I can understand not wanting to support a brand like Nike. They make their products cheaper and sell them higher then many off name brands. It's not so much the advertising as it is a ripoff.

Just because a product makes you want to buy another product doesn't mean it's an advertisement. I buy Sequels to games I liked. That doesn't mean the first game was an advertisement. It had value in and of itself, The same goes for the Spore Character creator.

Honestly, I wonder how much money they are making considering the full Creature creator is 300MB, the Trial version is 200+mb and they're maintaining a free site to host everyone's uploaded creature. I'm SURE they're making money with it, but isn't that the whole point of developing games in the first place?

For anyone that cares I have a few creatures uploaded at http://www.spore.com/sporepedia#qry=usr-cmike1

xepherys · 06-19-2008, 03:40 AM

nice cybermike. My creatures are at: http://www.spore.com/sporepedia#qry=usr-xepherys

Randerolf · 06-19-2008, 05:14 AM

I'll bite.
http://www.spore.com/sporepedia#qry=usr-Randerolf

Leto · 06-19-2008, 05:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by xepherys

LOL... ouch!

No, Leto, I see what you're saying. I just find people with those stances to be idealists. I, myself, am a realist. If I want something and it's free... awesome! If I want something and it's not? Well, I live with it. If it costs money but I don't want it? Then I don't care. Just my way of thinking. Kudos to you on having your own way. At least you aren't a sheep. I applaud that highly!

I guess I call myself a realistic idealist. I liken it to a guerilla war on consumerism, and will take the free when I can and weigh the practicality of the situation.

You are right, I don't have to buy anything I don't want to. And yes we are batshit crazy.... and loving it. Is that why my favourite colour is grey? I argue the point daily that grey isn't a colour but you know what, it's more interesting than the usual conversation of "how are you" " I am fine" ( I want to outlaw the word "fine").

And Niki... I didn't mean to threadjack either.. just got carried away, my apologies. I'm looking forwards to both the free download and the game. Looks like I'm going to have to upgrade my laptop.

I wonder if i can get Dell to pay for it somehow.... After all, their name is on the outside, and I do carry it around.

Lasereth · 06-19-2008, 05:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Leto

I argue the point daily that grey isn't a colour but you know what, it's more interesting than the usual conversation of "how are you" " I am fine" ( I want to outlaw the word "fine").

Oh man I hate those conversations. At work when you pass someone every single time "oh hello how are you" "good" "oh good, good to hear, alright, see you later"

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

When I pass someone in the hall this is what I do. "."

Nothing. I don't care how your day is, I don't care about you knowing how my day is, and you know what, YOU don't care either so stop asking. Useless formalities.

ratbastid · 06-19-2008, 05:49 AM

http://www.spore.com/sporepedia#qry=usr-ratbastid

My current favorite creation is "Bitey".

Nikilidstrom · 06-19-2008, 08:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cybermike

I don't understand why you think you're paying for them to advertise to you. Do you ductape the logos of the Pepsi you drink in public, or if you had an awesome time riding rollercoasters in Six Flags do you keep it to yourself and tell no one because that'd be advertising? I can understand not wanting to support a brand like Nike. They make their products cheaper and sell them higher then many off name brands. It's not so much the advertising as it is a ripoff.

Just because a product makes you want to buy another product doesn't mean it's an advertisement. I buy Sequels to games I liked. That doesn't mean the first game was an advertisement. It had value in and of itself, The same goes for the Spore Character creator.

Honestly, I wonder how much money they are making considering the full Creature creator is 300MB, the Trial version is 200+mb and they're maintaining a free site to host everyone's uploaded creature. I'm SURE they're making money with it, but isn't that the whole point of developing games in the first place?

A demo is not a product, it is a portion of a product that the developer releases to generate interest in the actual product, or in other words, an advertisement. All of your analogies are for actual products and services that have brand names, which has nothing to do with anything I have said about this demo. That has more to do with Leto's portion of the discussion.

As for telling you how great something is = advertisement, what if I decided that I would only tell you my opinion for $10? Or even better, what if it was something I made or built, but would only show it to you for $10? That fits this situation better, and if someone really wanted to pay for someone elses opinion (ie review magazines) i have no problem with them, but I won't be a part of it.

YaWhateva · 06-19-2008, 09:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nikilidstrom

A demo is not a product, it is a portion of a product that the developer releases to generate interest in the actual product, or in other words, an advertisement. All of your analogies are for actual products and services that have brand names, which has nothing to do with anything I have said about this demo. That has more to do with Leto's portion of the discussion.

As for telling you how great something is = advertisement, what if I decided that I would only tell you my opinion for $10? Or even better, what if it was something I made or built, but would only show it to you for $10? That fits this situation better, and if someone really wanted to pay for someone elses opinion (ie review magazines) i have no problem with them, but I won't be a part of it.

The part you don't understand is that while yes it is a demo, (and therefore an advertisement in your opinion) it also serves another purpose. It allows people to populate the universe before the game even comes out. And most of the money you pay for it will be put towards the purchase of the game, so in essence you are paying $5 to play a part of the game, which many people have been itching to play for years, 3 months before the game comes out. But it seems like you have it in your head that this is just an advertisement for the game and there is nothing anyone can do to change your opinion, however skewed it may be.

xepherys · 06-19-2008, 03:01 PM

I love you guys!

Let's just play now!

Reese · 06-19-2008, 04:48 PM

I can't and probably never will understand your reasoning and I don't care enough about it to keep replying so yeah.. Let's just play the game..

Rekna · 09-05-2008, 01:23 PM

Looks like it is coming out this Sunday. I'm tempted to buy it but I have not played a PC game in 5 years... Plus I don't think my wife would like it if I got it. It needs to come out on the Wii fast!

Captain Canada · 09-07-2008, 12:11 AM

Unfortunately, I will not be able to get this game, no matter how much I want to, because the requirements are far beyond what my MacBook has.

Rekna · 09-07-2008, 05:41 AM

If anyone gets this game can you post a quick summary of your thoughts? Also how long does each stage take start to finish?

tenchi069 · 09-07-2008, 10:34 AM

So far the game seems fantastic. I am enjoying the gameplay in single player which is very easy to slip into. No memorizing 100 pages of manual jargon. I dont know how to do spoiler tags very well so I wont go into specifics, just going to add what everyone will figure out after 30 seconds- 2 minutes of playing

this holds true to spore and any other rts/civ game.

aggressive/war ( carnivore )= easy for beginners to pick up yet still fun and challenging

peaceful/social (herbivore)= um....where's the plants? lol = )

HAVE FUN GUYS and GALS = )

yellowmac · 09-07-2008, 12:57 PM

hmm... i may just have to get this game after all... so far all of the reviews are quite positive...

ratbastid · 09-07-2008, 12:59 PM

Installing now.

Bacchanal · 09-07-2008, 11:38 PM

This game is AWESOME! I'm having entirely too much fun with it. I'm just in the Tribal phase now. Where are you guys at? Find any cool creatures?

ratbastid · 09-08-2008, 03:22 AM

Wow. I've got way too much work to do right now to have a game this fun lying around.

It's designed so well... each time you master something you're given just a moment to celebrate before the next challenge shows up. And that's true inside stages, too--the other creatures you meet get incrementally harder in perfectly timed waves. I'm in the

Walking around my planet, I came across my boy Bitey, who I built with Creature Creator several weeks ago! He was MAD at me! And as much as I wanted to, I just couldn't make him my friend. I had to commit genocide against my own creation!

RIP Bitey:

Reese · 09-08-2008, 12:03 PM

nice Ratbastid! RIP lil guy!

You guys are much nicer to the game than the amazon.com ratings.. 22 Five star ratings, 13 Four star ratings.. 665 ONE star ratings!

Amazon.com: Customer Reviews: Spore

I haven't got the game yet.. I'm broke mofo

ratbastid · 09-08-2008, 12:52 PM

Yeah, there's a backlash happening on Amazon against the DRM the game comes with. You can only install it on three computers. Not so different from any other commercial app, but I think the DRM crusaders have chosen Spore to make their point on.

ironpham · 09-09-2008, 05:53 AM

Quote:

DRM is a show stopper. I doubt this game will work for me after a few years given my habit of new hardware purchases and system snapshots. Like others have said, this game is for rent not sale.

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.

Please don't support this product. Great game. Lousy distributor.

Quote:

As far as I can tell, Securom isn't completely removed from the computer. The program does work like other rootkits by burying itself into your computer. Not to mention the whole issue of the whole 3 tokens, which is a SERIOUS issue.

Unlike you, I actually investigate. So lets list the problems with Spore

You cannot remove it from your computer, because you are limited in reloads. This means that when you install, you have lost 4 GBs of space.
You run the risk of false token uses if there is a change in hardware, OS. This is done through faulty authentication.
Securom, can cause false detections with protection software like McAfee or Norton.
It is a rootkit, so there is a risk to damage to the OS, which in turn could lead to the use of a token for the game
On top of this is the issue that if you use your 3 tokens, you have to beg and plead EA to give you more, which they may or may not do.
There are other issues that go with this as well. When will EA stop offering support to Spore? What security risks does Securom offer, since it leaves an open gateway that malicious people can use? What conflicts with other software/hardware can occur?

There are just to many risks, and to much in the way of problems that I just cannot recommend this game.

Quote:

Spore checks various hardware features. If any change, it assumes you've copied it, and consumes another install. So if you change your video card, you've just consumed one install.

This seems like a pretty big deal. I'm pretty sure I won't be buying this, since my OS tends to crash all the time.

shakran · 09-09-2008, 07:00 AM

It's pretty stupid, too, because draconian copy protection schemes like this actually encourage piracy. It'll take the crackers about 2 days to come out with a DRM-free version of Spore, at which point people who would have bought the game will pick the illegal version instead because it works better and doesn't screw up your computer.

It's like the war on drugs. These guys think they can achieve a 0% piracy rate. You can't. There will always be lawbreakers who pirate games. Always. So instead of spending gobs of cash and customer satisfaction coming up with more and more restrictive DRM schemes, concentrate on keeping the majority of game players, who DO buy the game legally, from getting pissed off enough to try piracy instead.

Xazy · 09-09-2008, 07:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by shakran

It's pretty stupid, too, because draconian copy protection schemes like this actually encourage piracy. It'll take the crackers about 2 days to come out with a DRM-free version of Spore, at which point people who would have bought the game will pick the illegal version instead because it works better and doesn't screw up your computer.

It's like the war on drugs. These guys think they can achieve a 0% piracy rate. You can't. There will always be lawbreakers who pirate games. Always. So instead of spending gobs of cash and customer satisfaction coming up with more and more restrictive DRM schemes, concentrate on keeping the majority of game players, who DO buy the game legally, from getting pissed off enough to try piracy instead.

After reading your post, I took a quick look. Took me less then 1 minute to find a pirated version online of Spore.

Rekna · 09-09-2008, 07:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Xazy

After reading your post, I took a quick look. Took me less then 1 minute to find a pirated version online of Spore.

That's if it works... Lots of pirated software is really just a vessel for viruses. Sometimes finding a clean piece of pirated software that actually works is like finding a needle in a haystack.

So I've read some complaints that the body parts you pick don't really have much affect on anything and are mostly just for looks (lame!). Also the fact that you can completly redesign your creature in the creature creater sucks. You should have to change it slowly over time instead of drastic changes where you go from one thing to another. Some body parts should suck early in the game and be great later in the game or vice-versa. Also I hear the game seems to be geared for 5 year olds.

Does anyone who has played the game care to comment on these issues?

Thanks

ratbastid · 09-09-2008, 08:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rekna

That's if it works... Lots of pirated software is really just a vessel for viruses. Sometimes finding a clean piece of pirated software that actually works is like finding a needle in a haystack.

Plus, the network stuff probably won't work in a cracked version. You could play it in offline-only mode, but your fellow critters would be limited.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rekna

So I've read some complaints that the body parts you pick don't really have much affect on anything and are mostly just for looks (lame!).

Certainly not true. There are a few purely decorative body parts, but for the most part the contribute directly to the stats of your creature. There are two aspects to creature design: combat, and social skills. And there are specific skills within each of those aspects. Each body part (and later, item of clothing) gives particular stats within those skills.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rekna

Also the fact that you can completly redesign your creature in the creature creater sucks. You should have to change it slowly over time instead of drastic changes where you go from one thing to another.

I haven't played it much (I've owned it for less than 48 hours, and I have other things I have to get done!) but my creature's evolution has been, well... evolutionary. If you look back over the history timeline, you can see the path he took as I wanted to buff one particular skill or another. These feet turned into those feet, these prongs became those antlers became those mantis-claws, etc. So while you COULD completely redesign a creature every time you hit the designer (which you do by calling for a mate and giving birth to a new generation, btw), gameplay doesn't really pan out that way. And even if it did, I'm not entirely clear why that sucks, but I guess we're getting into philosophical issues, there.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Renka

Some body parts should suck early in the game and be great later in the game or vice-versa.

Yeah, it's not quite like that, although as you progress you do open up more and more useful parts.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Renka

Also I hear the game seems to be geared for 5 year olds.

Well, it's rated E 10+, so I wouldn't say so. There's combat, death, eating of other creatures. Probably not for five year olds. There are also quite a few stats to balance--not compared to some other RPGs or FPSs, but a good few. It's not a brain-dead game. A five year old would have a BALL in Creature Creator, though.

BulletCatcher · 09-09-2008, 08:26 AM

Made it to the Tribal stage last night before going to bed. I initially tried to create a balaced carnivore but got tired of trying to make friends with other packs so I've gone the staight preadator route. My creature is fully geared towards combat with his offensive stats maxed in all catagories except spitting which is a 4. Should be interesting to see how that decision pays off now that I've evolved.

For some reason I'm not able to get an image to show up in this post so here is a link to my latest generation Trilesse in the Sporepedia.

Sporepedia

As for the DRM, I downloaded the game off of Direct 2 Drive so I'm not sure if that version has SecureRom on it or not (there's no disc check but you do have to be logged into EA to start the game). The 3 install limit doesn't bother me though I do see where it could be a problem for some.

I guess my question is, why are those of you who claim you pirate in protest for publishers enforcing a draconion DRM that installs undisired programs onto your system be willing to take an even greater risk by downloading and installing potentialy virus and trojan infected cracked copies? I mean isn't replacing one risk with another just bad policy? If you don't want to support the publisher then don't buy the game but don't pirate it either. Doing so clearly does not stop the publishers from using DRM and it still puts you at risk and chances are you'll end up with something even more destrutive to your system than what the DRM could have done.

Anyway, I believe there is no justification for piracy. Send your message by not buying from the publisher if you do not agree with their policies all you want but keep in mind that gaming is a privilige, not a right. There is no law in the land that states you have a right to play a game on your computer. Just because you do not agree with the way a company conducts business does not give you a right to steal from them.

As for the publishers, I don't see why they don't just create their own 'crack' for the game that either doesn't work or is bugged up with key features disabled and flood the torrent sites with it themselves. Hell, even use the names of the more popular 'trusted' crackers for the files. I think that would probably discourage more casual pirates than any DRM sceme ever could. Just imagine trying to download a file but you keep running into nothing but broken ones. After several attempts I'd think most people would just give up.

YaWhateva · 09-10-2008, 08:06 AM

Will Wright acknowledged that Spore was geared mainly towards casuals. I understand why, but it just seems the game was dumbed down a lot from what I thought it would be.

MTV Multiplayer Will Wright Reacts To Critical ‘Spore’ Reviews, Reveals Personal Playing Style

Quote:

"We were very focused, if anything, on making a game for more casual players. “Spore” has more depth than, let’s say, “The Sims” did. But we looked at the Metacritic scores for “Sims 2″, which was around 90, and something like “Half-Life“, which was 97, and we decided — quite a while back — that we would rather have the Metacritic and sales of “Sims 2″ than the Metacritic and sales of “Half-Life.”
—Will Wright

japhyryder · 09-10-2008, 04:01 PM

Definitely a casual user game, anyone want to buy mine only installed once. Is very much like the Sims

06-18-2008, 08:52 AM	#41 (permalink)
xepherys <3 TFP Location: 17TLH2445607250	We've been having a pretty big DRM discussion in another thread and touched on this. I doubt it'll stay that way by the time it releases. Most games that had planned to use this DRM method have abandoned it. It's really not a good plan. As a side note, despite my detest for DRM, it depends a lot on HOW they do the hardware fingerprint. Many hardware fingerprints won't be affected by say, video card or RAM upgrades. Often not even by CPU upgrades. A lot of times it's based on data pulled from the mobo itself. __________________ The prospect of achieving a peace agreement with the extremist group of MILF is almost impossible... -- Emmanuel Pinol, Governor of Cotobato My Homepage

06-18-2008, 09:15 AM	#43 (permalink)
xepherys <3 TFP Location: 17TLH2445607250	so, does anyone know wtf the deal is? It's available for download, RIGHT NOW at this link: http://eastore.ea.com/DRHM/servlet/C...uctID=95024000 But I still don't have a link or key for my pre-ordered copy. Fucking EA! __________________ The prospect of achieving a peace agreement with the extremist group of MILF is almost impossible... -- Emmanuel Pinol, Governor of Cotobato My Homepage

06-18-2008, 09:29 AM	#44 (permalink)
Reese Delicious	Same here man... EA Download manager has nothing, Order info say Downloadable but no link to download it.. Also was having trouble before logging into my account it'd say invalid password so i thought i typed it wrong but when i did recover password and changed it, It still said invalid.. grr.. __________________ “It is better to be rich and healthy than poor and sick” - Dave Barry

06-18-2008, 10:31 AM	#47 (permalink)
xepherys <3 TFP Location: 17TLH2445607250	Nothing wrong with ranting... I just don't see your point. People wear a Nike tee because THEY think it's cool, not to advertise. Everything is a product made by someone. By using or wearing it, you are, inadvertently advertising. Do you drive a car? What kind? Have you scrubbed it of branding badges? Why not? How is that different than "advertising" for Nike by wearing their shoes or a tee shirt? See what I mean? __________________ The prospect of achieving a peace agreement with the extremist group of MILF is almost impossible... -- Emmanuel Pinol, Governor of Cotobato My Homepage

06-19-2008, 03:33 AM	#53 (permalink)
Reese Delicious	I don't understand why you think you're paying for them to advertise to you. Do you ductape the logos of the Pepsi you drink in public, or if you had an awesome time riding rollercoasters in Six Flags do you keep it to yourself and tell no one because that'd be advertising? I can understand not wanting to support a brand like Nike. They make their products cheaper and sell them higher then many off name brands. It's not so much the advertising as it is a ripoff. Just because a product makes you want to buy another product doesn't mean it's an advertisement. I buy Sequels to games I liked. That doesn't mean the first game was an advertisement. It had value in and of itself, The same goes for the Spore Character creator. Honestly, I wonder how much money they are making considering the full Creature creator is 300MB, the Trial version is 200+mb and they're maintaining a free site to host everyone's uploaded creature. I'm SURE they're making money with it, but isn't that the whole point of developing games in the first place? For anyone that cares I have a few creatures uploaded at http://www.spore.com/sporepedia#qry=usr-cmike1 __________________ “It is better to be rich and healthy than poor and sick” - Dave Barry

06-18-2008, 11:29 AM	#48 (permalink)
Leto Junkie Location: The Danforth	It's funny you should mention that. Somebody stole the big VW badge right off of my jetta a couple of years ago. God knows why, but my son painted a peace sign in the spot. Kinda cool I thought. My running shoes? Aisecs. kind of generic. But yes I see what you mean, I really do. I'm just surprised that the response is so vociferous. I just want to tone down the automatic assumption that we, the end users, should always bear the cost. For example, when the Ontario Dairy Board increased the price of milk a couple of years ago, 7-11 increased their prices immediately by 40 cents. When I told the guy that there was no one for me to pass the cost on to, and perhaps just once they should eat it as the cost of doing business, he just chuckled. I left the milk at the counter, went to Shopper's Drug mart, bought it at the old price (which it still is at by the way) took the receipt back to 7-11 and showed the manager how another company has managed to keep the customer in mind when it comes down to passing on costs. We don't have to accept it all the time. I may not be a Don Quixote but these are my personal windmills. I think I will get the free Spore download, but wait for the game to come out before I put money down.

06-18-2008, 05:43 PM	#51 (permalink)
Nikilidstrom Stick it in your five hole! Location: Michigan, USA	I have no beef with anyone buying the demo, which is why I said my opinion is only important to my wallet, no one elses. To each his/her own. I do have a beef with a company expecting me to pay them to advertise to me. It would be akin to a dealership wanting me to pay them $100 to take a car for a test drive, and then give me a $50 credit towards the car if I buy it. I don't have anything against anyone who goes along with it, I'm just saying I'm not willing to be treated that way. I would like to say that while I do have some strong beliefs regarding consumerism, I didn't intend for my initial comments to cause this much ruccus, and I'm sorry if it feels like this has turned into a threadjack. Regardless of EA's marketing practices, I am pretty excited about this game and its innovative features. And Leto, you and your father are my heroes

06-19-2008, 03:40 AM	#54 (permalink)
xepherys <3 TFP Location: 17TLH2445607250	nice cybermike. My creatures are at: http://www.spore.com/sporepedia#qry=usr-xepherys __________________ The prospect of achieving a peace agreement with the extremist group of MILF is almost impossible... -- Emmanuel Pinol, Governor of Cotobato My Homepage

06-19-2008, 05:14 AM	#55 (permalink)
Randerolf Fireball Location: ~	I'll bite. http://www.spore.com/sporepedia#qry=usr-Randerolf

06-19-2008, 05:49 AM	#58 (permalink)
ratbastid Darth Papa Location: Yonder	http://www.spore.com/sporepedia#qry=usr-ratbastid My current favorite creation is "Bitey".

06-19-2008, 03:01 PM	#61 (permalink)
xepherys <3 TFP Location: 17TLH2445607250	I love you guys! Let's just play now! __________________ The prospect of achieving a peace agreement with the extremist group of MILF is almost impossible... -- Emmanuel Pinol, Governor of Cotobato My Homepage

06-19-2008, 04:48 PM	#62 (permalink)
Reese Delicious	I can't and probably never will understand your reasoning and I don't care enough about it to keep replying so yeah.. Let's just play the game.. __________________ “It is better to be rich and healthy than poor and sick” - Dave Barry

09-05-2008, 01:23 PM	#63 (permalink)
Rekna Junkie	Looks like it is coming out this Sunday. I'm tempted to buy it but I have not played a PC game in 5 years... Plus I don't think my wife would like it if I got it. It needs to come out on the Wii fast!

09-07-2008, 12:11 AM	#64 (permalink)
Captain Canada Addict Location: University of North Carolina at Greensboro	Unfortunately, I will not be able to get this game, no matter how much I want to, because the requirements are far beyond what my MacBook has. __________________ Conclusion: Flamethrowers and Furries go togerther like Pol Pot and the Cambodian populace.

09-07-2008, 05:41 AM	#65 (permalink)
Rekna Junkie	If anyone gets this game can you post a quick summary of your thoughts? Also how long does each stage take start to finish?

09-07-2008, 10:34 AM	#66 (permalink)
tenchi069 Lost Location: One step closer to the padded cell...	So far the game seems fantastic. I am enjoying the gameplay in single player which is very easy to slip into. No memorizing 100 pages of manual jargon. I dont know how to do spoiler tags very well so I wont go into specifics, just going to add what everyone will figure out after 30 seconds- 2 minutes of playing this holds true to spore and any other rts/civ game. aggressive/war ( carnivore )= easy for beginners to pick up yet still fun and challenging peaceful/social (herbivore)= um....where's the plants? lol = ) HAVE FUN GUYS and GALS = ) __________________ ERROR- PLBSAK Problem Lies Between Seat and Keyboard.

09-07-2008, 12:57 PM	#67 (permalink)
yellowmac Insane Location: left coast	hmm... i may just have to get this game after all... so far all of the reviews are quite positive...

09-07-2008, 12:59 PM	#68 (permalink)
ratbastid Darth Papa Location: Yonder	Installing now.

09-07-2008, 11:38 PM	#69 (permalink)
Bacchanal Laid back Location: Jayhawkland	This game is AWESOME! I'm having entirely too much fun with it. I'm just in the Tribal phase now. Where are you guys at? Find any cool creatures? __________________ Universal Truth Is Not Measured In Mass Appeal

09-08-2008, 03:22 AM	#70 (permalink)
ratbastid Darth Papa Location: Yonder	Wow. I've got way too much work to do right now to have a game this fun lying around. It's designed so well... each time you master something you're given just a moment to celebrate before the next challenge shows up. And that's true inside stages, too--the other creatures you meet get incrementally harder in perfectly timed waves. I'm in the Walking around my planet, I came across my boy Bitey, who I built with Creature Creator several weeks ago! He was MAD at me! And as much as I wanted to, I just couldn't make him my friend. I had to commit genocide against my own creation! RIP Bitey:

09-08-2008, 12:03 PM	#71 (permalink)
Reese Delicious	nice Ratbastid! RIP lil guy! You guys are much nicer to the game than the amazon.com ratings.. 22 Five star ratings, 13 Four star ratings.. 665 ONE star ratings! Amazon.com: Customer Reviews: Spore Amazon.com: Customer Reviews: Spore I haven't got the game yet.. I'm broke mofo __________________ “It is better to be rich and healthy than poor and sick” - Dave Barry

09-08-2008, 12:52 PM	#72 (permalink)
ratbastid Darth Papa Location: Yonder	Yeah, there's a backlash happening on Amazon against the DRM the game comes with. You can only install it on three computers. Not so different from any other commercial app, but I think the DRM crusaders have chosen Spore to make their point on.

09-09-2008, 07:00 AM	#74 (permalink)
shakran Tone.	It's pretty stupid, too, because draconian copy protection schemes like this actually encourage piracy. It'll take the crackers about 2 days to come out with a DRM-free version of Spore, at which point people who would have bought the game will pick the illegal version instead because it works better and doesn't screw up your computer. It's like the war on drugs. These guys think they can achieve a 0% piracy rate. You can't. There will always be lawbreakers who pirate games. Always. So instead of spending gobs of cash and customer satisfaction coming up with more and more restrictive DRM schemes, concentrate on keeping the majority of game players, who DO buy the game legally, from getting pissed off enough to try piracy instead.

09-09-2008, 08:26 AM	#78 (permalink)
BulletCatcher Crazy Location: America's Outback	Made it to the Tribal stage last night before going to bed. I initially tried to create a balaced carnivore but got tired of trying to make friends with other packs so I've gone the staight preadator route. My creature is fully geared towards combat with his offensive stats maxed in all catagories except spitting which is a 4. Should be interesting to see how that decision pays off now that I've evolved. For some reason I'm not able to get an image to show up in this post so here is a link to my latest generation Trilesse in the Sporepedia. Sporepedia As for the DRM, I downloaded the game off of Direct 2 Drive so I'm not sure if that version has SecureRom on it or not (there's no disc check but you do have to be logged into EA to start the game). The 3 install limit doesn't bother me though I do see where it could be a problem for some. I guess my question is, why are those of you who claim you pirate in protest for publishers enforcing a draconion DRM that installs undisired programs onto your system be willing to take an even greater risk by downloading and installing potentialy virus and trojan infected cracked copies? I mean isn't replacing one risk with another just bad policy? If you don't want to support the publisher then don't buy the game but don't pirate it either. Doing so clearly does not stop the publishers from using DRM and it still puts you at risk and chances are you'll end up with something even more destrutive to your system than what the DRM could have done. Anyway, I believe there is no justification for piracy. Send your message by not buying from the publisher if you do not agree with their policies all you want but keep in mind that gaming is a privilige, not a right. There is no law in the land that states you have a right to play a game on your computer. Just because you do not agree with the way a company conducts business does not give you a right to steal from them. As for the publishers, I don't see why they don't just create their own 'crack' for the game that either doesn't work or is bugged up with key features disabled and flood the torrent sites with it themselves. Hell, even use the names of the more popular 'trusted' crackers for the files. I think that would probably discourage more casual pirates than any DRM sceme ever could. Just imagine trying to download a file but you keep running into nothing but broken ones. After several attempts I'd think most people would just give up.

09-10-2008, 04:01 PM	#80 (permalink)
japhyryder no one special Location: Charlotte, NC	Definitely a casual user game, anyone want to buy mine only installed once. Is very much like the Sims __________________ It's only entertainment, someone's sick idea of a joke.