Slashdot Mirror
Free Copy of the Sims 2 Contains SecuROM
dotarray (1747900) writes By now, everybody should know that if something looks too good to be true, it probably is. Let's apply that to EA, shall we? The publisher is giving away copies of The Sims 2: Ultimate Collection, for free... and not mentioning that it includes the controversial SecuROM anti-piracy software.
Nobody likes SecuROM.
So, tell me, what do you mean with anti-piracy? Does it help against evil people in boats comandeering unarmed trade ships? So then must be something good.
Or have you meant Digital Restrictions Management?
to a pirated version of this free software? I only ask becuase the pirated version wont have securom and will work better.
who prays for Satan? Who in 18 centuries has had the humanity to pray for the 1 sinner that needed it most? ~Mark Twain
Is there any convention about mentioning anywhere which protection softwares your software is using??
i get it that some people don't like securom, but is it any surprise that even free versions contain it because the probably couldn't be bothered to remove it before making it free?
It's free. If you don't like SecuROM, don't install the game. If someone hates SecuROM so much, they probably hate Origin even more, so this seems kind of moot.
Other websites: Celebrating the free release of a classic game.
Slashdot: Angry DRM rant.
Yea also you got it for free if you had the promo code so can't really bitch about the DRM in it.
- Does SecuROM cause security vulnerabilities on PCs on which it is installed?
Adding a method to hide processes running on your system may be considered a security vulnerability. Such systems are usually used only by malware and legitimate software should NOT use any technology to counter the work of anti-virus software. Either your antivirus is weakend (which should be considered a security vulnerability) or "real" malware might also hide under the "invisibility cloak" set up by SecuROM to hide itself.
SecuROm may not be a security threat in itself, but it uses typical malware patterns and generally weakens your system security.
- Does SecuROM prevent applications - other than pirated copies of the game it is supposed to "protect" - from functioning on PCs on which it is installed?
OK, I'm recounting a user report on forum from years ago from the back of my memory here, so take this paragraph with a grain of salt: (may have been a similar copy protection system, if not exactly SecuROM)
I remember a user reporting a broken DVD writer. He bought a new one and replaced the "malfunctioning" drive only to find out that the new drive was also "broken". Turned out it was a DRM system that blocked the DVD writer and that user threw away a perfectly functioning DVD writer. Actual monetary damage here.
- Does SecuROM create any kind of "always on" background process that consumes resources and potentially reduces performance on PCs on which it is installed?
If it is not uninstalled with the software, it permanently eats up ressources that can't be reclaimed by the legitimate owner by uninstalling, as it is hiding itself from the computers software/process management system. (see "rootKit" in #1) As it is hidden, there is no indication that any problem showing up years after the deinstallation of a computer game (#2) might still be connected to a residual software component (read: garbage) from a casual game from a few years ago.
If the answer to any of the above is "yes" then obviously there is a fairly major problem here. If the answer to all of the above is "no", then I'm not quite sure what people are getting upset about given that we are talking about a free game (SecuROM being bundled with paid-for games is another issue entirely).
No. ESPESCIALLY for free games. Why add copy protection to free stuff anyway? It's free to begin with! No one needs or wants to "pirate" it. Unless of course you need a "pirated" copy of the game to keep the negative SecuROM effects from your system.
bickerdyke
"Here's a free ice lolly. What's that, you found that I froze a turd inside it? Well you got it for free so you have no right to complain..."
Nice logic, man.
'Don't worry' said the trees when they saw the axe coming, 'The handle is one of us.'
Ah! Right. Same kind of answers as Verizon about throttling their mobile network users.
Is this the same as throttling?
No, this is not throttling.
How is this different than throttling?
The difference between our Network Optimization practices and throttling is network intelligence.
Sure. https://www.techdirt.com/artic...
They could add DRM to the ISO at any time during production. So, I wouldn't count StarForce out, just yet.
*Repent!Quit Your Job!Slack Off!The World Ends Tomorrow and You May Die!
You forgot to mention that the guy handing out the ice lollies has been convicted several times in the past for putting turds in them...
No, this is EA, assume malice, because EA are assholes who don't give a rats ass about their customers or what they do to them.
Lost at C:>. Found at C.
Are you honestly equating process separation in multi-user OSes with rootkits?