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DRM Broke Dragon Age: Origins For Days

Posted by Soulskill on from the hope-it-was-worth-the-pr-nightmare dept.

Martey writes "Ars Technica reports that a server problem with the DRM authentication servers has caused Dragon Age: Origins players to be locked out of any saved games that include downloadable content. Quoting: 'Thanks to a combination of DRM idiocy and technical and communications failures on the part of EA and Bioware, I (along with thousands of fellow EA/Bioware customers) spent my free time this past weekend needlessly trapped in troubleshooting hell, in a vain attempt to get my single-player game to load. The problem, it turns out, was the Bioware's DRM authorization servers.'" An update to the article indicates the problems have finally been resolved.

7 of 214 comments (clear)

  1. Once again... by exomondo · · Score: 5, Insightful

    ...legitimate *customers* get screwed. What's the bet the pirated version didn't have this problem?

    1. Re:Once again... by Kjella · · Score: 5, Informative

      Errr... TFS says it's about savegames with download content activated. If you have a pirated version, you obviously won't have download content in them (at least I'd assume).

      You assume wrong. As usual only the legitimate customers are screwed...

      --
      Live today, because you never know what tomorrow brings
  2. Not new... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Informative

    I bought the original for my girlfriend and she had serious issues when the DRM server went down. It was so bad she stopped playing entirely.

    If you tried to load a savegame with DLC when the server was experiencing problems, it would silently remove DLC and characters from the game and allow you to continue playing without it. The trouble came when you saved again. The new savegame would be created without your characters or DLC from the originally loaded game.

    Well, when you play a dozen hours of the game before realizing that that character you weren't playing at the time and those neat items you picked up poofed 12 hours ago, it turns out you're not really inclined to keep playing.

    EA: No thanks. You got me once with your useless support for Battlefield 2, and you got me again with Dragon Age. I won't be buying another of your products.

  3. Re:"There is no right to play" by MisterJohnny · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Do we really need to revel in its failure every single time a major game studio screws its customers?

    Yes.

  4. DRM should come with an SLA by Marble68 · · Score: 5, Interesting

    When a software company embeds DRM into an application, there ought to be an SLA they are held to.
    Things like:
    1) Availability of DRM servers
    2) A warning that unavailability of DRM servers could prevent gameplay

    If we must have DRM, can we at least have some level of service with that DRM so we can actually *use* the product?

    --
    /me sips his coffee and ponders a new sig...
    1. Re:DRM should come with an SLA by griffo · · Score: 5, Interesting

      I would add a mandatory third clause:

      3) DRM cannot be used unless a method is made available to remove it through a certified third party in case DRM fails, whatever the reason. (Failure to meet SLA, software company ceases to exist, etc)

  5. Re:I too have resolved the problem by Gadget_Guy · · Score: 5, Informative

    I am lucky that I didn't get screwed with this. I normally do a quick google search on what the DRM of a game is before I buy, and most of the matches were of the announcements that this EA title didn't have SecureROM DRM. There was no mention of the DLC having it. Is this a tactic to look like they are listening to their users' complaints while stabbing them in the back once they have made their purchase?

    If you look at the game on Steam (yes, I know that adds its own DRM), there is no mention of the usual EA DRM text on the Ultimate Edition that includes the DLC. They sell that version cheaper than the vanilla edition to suck you in (your local prices may vary). It is obvious which version EA want you to buy!