140°

EA Releases DRM De-Authorization Tool

As you may already know and bitch about, some EA PC games only allow the owner to install the game on five machines. Back in December, EA released a de-authorization tool for Spore which allowed users to switch these five authorizations around between machines. Now they've unveiled a new tool that allows you to do this for over a dozen different games with SecuROM.

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cinemablend.com
Yi-Long5505d ago

... many people will just shrug their shoulders and download a crap-free version instead.

It's 'nice' that EA releases this 'tool' now, but obviously it never should have come to this.

dragunrising5505d ago

As far as PC games are concerned, there shouldn't be big box retail anymore. DRM and piracy will always exist in this market. Release games exclusivity online with Steam and Stardock's Goo. With Goo in particular you could sell your "used" games. It has a lot of potential.

More on topic- Good for EA. Perhaps this is a sign of change on their DRM stance.

EvilCackle5505d ago

Yeah, I think the two biggest problems for video game sales - piracy and used games trade-ins - will both eventually be solved by a transition to digital distribution.

Yi-Long5505d ago

1: when you have your games in the store, sooner or later the prices will HAVE to come down (sales), simply because the stores need space for the newer, more in-demand, games. When it's digital distribution only, there is no such need to really bring those prices down, so even a few years later a game like Mass Effect could still be costing 30-40+ bucks when you buy it online.

Having boxed copies in the store will make sure games WILL be on sale sooner rather than later.

2: If you are going to do DD ONLY, they will have to make sure you will be able to play that game for the rest of your life, on all your next PC's. You will buy the rights to play that game whenever you want to play it, so they need to make sure that it will still have all the right drivers and patches.
When I buy Monkey Island 5, and in 15 from now I wanna show my kid what that game was like... I need to be able to go into my online account, and download and play it on my new up-to-date PC. It should still be available and it should still be playable.

5505d ago
Yi-Long5505d ago

... Piracy is a result of the problem.

Not every game is worth 60 bucks. Not everyone is able to buy every game they're interested in, but they will still want to check it out.

First of all, the industry needs to adjust their pricing-strategy. A Call of Duty or a Mass Effect or another A-title IS worth 60 bucks. But games like Call of Juarez with xbox1 quality graphics and 'old' gameplay!?
Some people will want to check that out because of the setting etc, but there won't be many that are going to splash out 60 bucks on that when they can buy a GREAT game for the same price.
Just release games like that where you know it's not GREAT, but maybe just 'good', for 30 bucks orso.

Same thing for games like NHL09. Yeah I can understand you sell a new NHL game for 60 bucks in North-America... but in Europe for 60 euros while no-one is interested in the sport, but people ARE interested in the gameplay!? Release it for 30 bucks and it's a nice Xmas present and it will sell well.... but for 60 bucks people in Europe aren't going to buy that!

The problem is that the industry thinks A; that every game is worth 50+ bucks, and B; the budget gamers have is limited, so they make choices about what is worth buying, and what they are going to download and check out that way.

Also, the industry needs to look at their DLC tactics, cause for me DLC-scamming/milking is a reason to not buy a game at all.
In fact, i think it will drive people to piracy, cause you feel ripped off by these developers and so you won't care about 'loyalty' or 'supporting the industry' etc.

5505d ago
Yi-Long5505d ago

... Well... I think the faults lie with the developers, and Microsoft and Sony.

1: The developers. Yes production-costs go up when you hire a huge bunch of people for a game, pay them very well, have your workspace in an expensive building in a nice neighbourhood in the middle of London or wherever, and throw all your cash on marketing.

Personally, I feel you should be able to make great games with a relatively small group of talented people, and modest marketing. That's the way it was 10-20 years from now.

Just look at the crappy new 3d Sonic games. Wouldn't we rather see Sega produce a new HD 2D sprite-based Sonic platformer!? I expect that to cost LESS in development, and it would sell LOTS more if it reaches the quality of the first 2 Sonic platform games on the Genesis.

Also, more and more work is now already done by other programs. Instead of building/modeling a huge 3D world step-by-step, you can run a 3d landscape-creator like Vue or whatever, and then go in and add details and touches and all that. Nowadays, developers already have lots of tools available to them so they can quickly get to the creative stuff.

2: Microsoft is pretty much demanding the developers to produce and charge for DLC. I personally feel this will just drive gamers away from a: those games, and b: maybe even the consoles, when this keeps going on.

Why would I wanna be paying for all kinds of DLC and add-ons etc for my 360, when it's free on the PC!? In a few years time more and more people will have a high-end PC hooked up to their HDTV, and if you can choose between a 60 euro 360 version of Far Cry 3 which doesnt have the DLC add-ons, or a 50 dollar PC version of Far Cry with free DLC, guess which version people will choose...(!). And when the PC DLC isn't free, they'll just download the cracked version instead.

3: Sony. Sony is now charging developers for every MB of content they have to host on PSN. developers will have to pay for their demo to be up on PSN, for their add-ons that are up on PSN, and for their patches that will need to be on PSN.
I'm sure I don't have to explain in what, and how many, way(s) this is a realy bad idea from Sony!?

I feel the industry is making lots of mistakes (and I just named a few of them), which will actually lead to less income for them in the end, and more people losing their loyalty and turning to piracy.

200°

EA Japan Exec Criticises Japanese Ratings Board

An executive of Electronic Arts Japan has criticised the Japanese video game ratings board for allowing upcoming action game Stellar Blade to be released uncensored while EA's own Dead Space was banned in the country.

CrimsonWing693d ago

He’s got a point. If a game is M-Rated, which is the equivalent of an R rating, I don’t get why you need to censor anything. The rating is the indicator of the content and the age appropriate. If it’s appropriate for adults… why treat them like children? 🤷‍♂️

Eonjay3d ago (Edited 3d ago )

This is about gore... not about anything sexual. And specifically I think it is about the realistic depiction of gore. Unfortunately I don't know the nuance of the CERO board or how it is relevant their specific culture (as a prohibition on gore may transcend age) so I hesitate to make a statement. Can anyone else provide insight to what kind of gore is considered unacceptable?

CrimsonWing693d ago (Edited 3d ago )

Yea, I know this is about gore, but thanks for pointing that out.

My point still stands, if a game is essentially rated for a mature audience then why censor for them as if they’re too young to view it? Makes no sense.

To answer your question: Decapitation, dismemberment, like… anything gore. They have been censoring that since CERO was established. Look up RE4 chainsaw decapitation or any MK games that made it there.

Cacabunga3d ago

EA Japan? Wtf never heard of that

ZwVw3d ago

Yet, the Oneechanbara series (y'know, the game with half-naked samurai females slicing up zombies to bloody pieces) get released in Japan uncensored.

The CERO ratings board is an equilibrium.

Smellsforfree2d ago

This confuses me since I've seen so many gory Japanese movies and anime. For example, Battle Royale.

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gold_drake3d ago

definitely has a point.

but .. its japan. are we really surprised?

VersusDMC3d ago

I don't know if the EA executive is going off the one close up of an arm being cut off in the demo. Maybe it's uncensored because it's the arm of a cyborg or it doesn't happen that often (didn’t see EVE dismemberment when killed in the demo) .

In the states there's a certain amount of swear words allowed to a PG13 movie before it is deemed R. So maybe it's the same in Japan for gore?

Eonjay3d ago

Yes I think you may be on to something. The violence is gory but I wouldn't call it gruesome.

Retroman3d ago

Ea Japan please make Knack 3
in the future

Eonjay3d ago (Edited 3d ago )

Does EA Japan actually make games at all? Or are they just a regional publisher?

Retroman2d ago

I'm sorry Japan Studio made Knack

370°

One Year Later, What Was The Point Of The Dead Space Remake

The remake teased an expanded universe, but now a sequel has no chance of delivering on it.

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thegamer.com
isarai10d ago

Honestly i believe it was mainly as retaliation for the original devs breaking off and making colisto protocol. They've done this a few times, ignoring fan demands for the return of a belived ip until someone does it for them, then they retaliate by only then announcing an entry. Colisto protocol was announced and EA announced the remake shortly after, Session finally hit consoles and skate 4 was announced, shortly after Undisputed was shown off, talks started happening about a new fight night.

ZeekQuattro9d ago

I agree. Reminds me of when Inafune announced Mighty No.9 and the initial reaction of the game industry was that of celebration and suddenly Capcom said ohh shit we need to announce Mega Man 11. 😆 Still waiting for MM12 & the next X title.

isarai9d ago

Exactly, it's BS that pettiness has more power than demand for some reason.

Cacabunga9d ago

i liked the remake as much as the original.. it has so many improvements, the most noticeable to me was the seemless transition between levels which should be a must and a standard nowadays.
I cannot wait for the sequel's remake too.

Tacoboto9d ago (Edited 9d ago )

That's a very farfetched conspiracy.

Callisto Protocol was announced in February 2021 and Dead Space in July. They didn't just decide in March 2021 to "retaliate" by remaking from scratch Dead Space in under a two year timespan.

If anything, Callisto is the result of a has-been Creative Director whose only inspiration is his previous work, and EA took inspiration long before Callisto was known about from the insane success of the RE Remakes and endless calls at the time for the RE4 Remake.

0hMyGandhi8d ago

So, how do you like working at EA?

shadowhaxor8d ago (Edited 8d ago )

And yet,fans of Dead Space, myself included, have been asking EA to bring back Dead Space for a better part of a decade. To which EA refused, stating that it was done with the series. Specifically after Dead Space 3 failed to meet EA's sale goals (sound familiar?) But magically, after they caught wind of The Callisto Protocol, with Glen at the helm, Dead Space remake was greenlit.

For those not counting, The Callisto Protocol call was announced in 2019, while Dead Space remake was announced in 2021. Long before TCP was announced?

badboyz099d ago

100% that's the way EA operates

Extermin8or3_8d ago

You know how long it will have taken to make this game, this is some rediciulous logic.

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Tacoboto10d ago

It was a solid game and we'll have to move on and accept it for what it is. Just because we're not getting a sequel (original or remake) doesn't mean there's no point anymore in what is a great, tense, well-paced single player experience. No one's taking Dead Space Remake away.

I just hope that the game isn't so technically stitched together on PC that driver updates render the game unplayable like what happened with me and my RTX 4070 last year, requiring a driver downgrade just months after the game came out. If you're a console player then you've got no worries.

TheProfessional9d ago (Edited 9d ago )

Yeah but it was a pointless remake since the original still looks pretty good. They should've done a sequel, something original or Dante's Inferno 2.

Way too many remakes now. Even resident evil 4 had already been remastered twice before the most recent one. No originality. Why not just hire the original team to make a new game instead?

Harkins17218d ago

For the hopes to get a new generation of people into the game. OG still looks good but it stopped selling long ago. So I get why they do remakes.

Knightofelemia9d ago

Most likely for EA to cash in on the remake craze that followed Capcom when they started remaking RE games. I am glad EA did it I enjoy the game. DS is one of my favorite franchises love the sci fi horror shit. What I don't like is EA not remaking DS2. So DS1 remake did not do well with the numbers so what. DS2 has a solid fanbase and is probably the best entry in the franchise depending on the fan. DS2 remake would have been a day one for me but I got a reminder on why I hate EA. Scrap the DS2 remake for a shitty Iron Man game.

chicken_in_the_corn9d ago

It's because the gaming community want remakes and remasters over new games.

mandf9d ago (Edited 9d ago )

Thank you for recognizing that. One group always complains over remasters or remakes.gamers want them and they sell. To the once’s that complain your console has no games to do again. If you did ,they would remake them.

Crows909d ago

Or maybe we can tell most of these devs can't deliver good new IP for some reason.

isarai9d ago

When it's hard to find a modern game that isn't broken, incomplete and monetized to hell, remakes are a sure bet for having a complete experience as older games weren't plagued with those issues

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Fonsecap9d ago

I think that is for the best of the franchise o be left alone then to be turned into a game as a service or something like that, EA has the awful habit of trying to monetize everything.

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120°

Dead Space Isaac Clarke: Every Cameo in Other Games

Isaac Clarke of Dead Space fame has appeared in many games, both as a playable character and an Easter Egg. Have you played them all?