You Are a Pirate or an Idiot, Says EA CEO

[Lemur]

If you don't appreciate the DRM loaded onto the newest EA games, you must either be a pirate or a fool, according to an interview with the CEO of EA, John Riccitiello.

“Everyone gets that we need some level of protection, or we’re going to be in business for free,” Riccitiello says. But he sees a lack of understanding among “a minority of people that orchestrated a great PR program. They picked the highest-profile game they could find,” he says. “I respect them for the success of their movement.”

“‘I'm guessing that half of them were pirates, and the other half were people caught up in something that they didn’t understand,” he says. “If I’d had a chance to have a conversation with them, they’d have gotten it.”

Ya hear that, kids? Agree with the man, or face up to your binary choice of pirate or idjit.

That does it. No more EA games for the foreseeable future, and I'm going to do my level best to convince every gamer I know to do the same. The only thing these pin-headed suits understand is money, so let's hit them where they get it.

That means no Dead Space. No Spore, obviously. No Mirror's Edge. Nada. Nothing.

Who's with me?

[Xiahou]

I can't remember the last time I bought an EA game. So yeah, I'm in.

I can't speak for my wife though, she's a 'Sims' fan. At least I talked her out of Spore, though- I really didn't want that turd installed anywhere on our network.

As for:

“If I’d had a chance to have a conversation with them, they’d have gotten it.”

I would have loved to been in on that conversation.
"So, you're going to treat me like a criminal because I paid for the game, while the pirates get an unrestricted copy for free. You say I should be happy about this. Explain."

[The_Doctor]

I'm in.

Maybe I can start an anti-EA crusade. It will just like the Anti-Jamster Crusade, only more popular and not spam.

[Meneldil]

No WAR for me, even though I was eagerly waiting for a Warhammer MMORPG. I sincerily hope EA will go bankrupt now.

I'm not that much of a pirate, as I've never downloaded any video game, but I'm starting to get tired by this whole 'punish the customer' trend.

[Hosakawa Tito]

If these companies are going to use DRM in their software then I demand that it is :
1. Plainly labelled on the product.
2. Is totally removed from my system when I uninstall the software.

This stealth DRM malware crap like SecuRom on the MTW2 Kingdoms pack should be illegal.
Let the consumer decide if he wants this stuff before he buys the product. Oh, and Johnny-boy...
you my .

[Hooahguy]

you know, there is a reason why Relic hides phrases like "EASUX5" in their games....


but ya, i hate DRM stuff....
especially music! i cant use any of my songs i downloaded from itunes b/c of the DRM, and my new mp3 player (phillips brand, 4 gbs, music, video, text and pics for $50) wont play DRM protected music....

[Koga No Goshi]

This is b.s. Most game companies have a pretty contemptuous attitude towards their customers, so that is nothing incredibly new. But all these excessive measures to stop pirating, rarely stop pirates. They just inconvenience or aggravate customers.

[Decker]

This is why the PC Gaming industry has been struggeling. And he's making it even worse by these claims! I'm with you guys. I'm not buying EA anymore. I think the biggest problem was that Spore's DRM ambushed just about everybody. His quote about WoW's monthly charge frieghtened me a bit becuase it appears he has taken into consideration a type of year-round memebership that requires a monthly charge to play their games. That's how I took it. And EA's buying up and bullying out competitors kind of reminds me of Microsoft in some aspects... never really been happy with them.

[Lemur]

Wow, the EA execs really don't know when to shut their greasy, stupid mouths:

‘We implemented a form of DRM and it's something that 99.8 per cent of users wouldn't notice,’ claimed Riccitiello, ‘but for the other 0.2 percent, it became an issue and a number of them launched a cabal online to protest against it.’

So if you're at all bothered by DRM, you're part of a meaningless 0.2% of humanity, and you opinions just don't matter.

[Koga No Goshi]

Wow, the EA execs really don't know when to shut their greasy, stupid mouths:

‘We implemented a form of DRM and it's something that 99.8 per cent of users wouldn't notice,’ claimed Riccitiello, ‘but for the other 0.2 percent, it became an issue and a number of them launched a cabal online to protest against it.’

So if you're at all bothered by DRM, you're part of a meaningless 0.2% of humanity, and you opinions just don't matter.

Sounds just like Blizzard's comments whenever anyone brings up mmorpg addiction. They start making really nasty, greasy, reeking-of-covering-my-rear-from-lawsuit contempt remarks about their own customers.

[drone]

Sony should buy EA so I only have to keep track of 1 boycott.

[Ronin]

I don´t buy EA games for my computer anymore.......hell...what the hell am I saying?...I don´t buy games for my PC period

I must admit that Burnout Paradise for the PS3 is pretty kickass though....I bought that one.

[Andres]

Who's with me?

I follow the great Lemur! Finally, his historic conquest of the world has begun!

Aux barricades, mes amis! Vive la révolution!

Who would have thought that it would start with a boycot of some pc game company? Oh well...

[Veho Nex]

I FIGHT WITH YOU LEMUR!!

[Seamus Fermanagh]

What is this nefarious DRM and why is it so vexing?

[Incongruous]

Meh, I'm in, heck when did EA last bring out a decnt game? Freekin eons ago! They have really let the standards fall. They was never that 'igh to begin wiv niver!

[Husar]

You left out this:

I personally hate DRM,” EA CEO John Riccitiello tells Gamasutra.

and this:

“I don’t like the whole concept; it can be a little bit cumbersome. But I don’t like locks on my door, and I don’t like to use keys in my car… I’d like to live in a world where there are no passports. Unfortunately, we don’t – and I think the vast majority of people voted with their wallets and went out and bought Spore.”

Now everybody who posted about Spore in the Arena and wants to complain here just got roflpwned by John Riccitiello.

Apart from that I think I can count my EA games on one hand or so, naturally I'm not too interested in their policies as they don't affect me a whole lot.
I mean they had some good flight simulations for DOS...

[Fragony]

What is DRM?

[Papewaio]

Now everybody who posted about Spore in the Arena and wants to complain here just got roflpwned by John Riccitiello.

His analogy missed it by this much.

DRM is like buying a new TV and having a security camera installed in your house for free. You are then told you can only move the TV 3 times, and if you move it a fourth time the TV will be broken. Even if you sell the TV, the security camera stays. Bonus security camera! Awesome, one that catches any criminals that enter the house! Great! Except this security camera's feed isn't CCTV for yourself. It is used by the company that sold you the TV, ostentatiously too monitor your viewing habits so they can tailor advertising for you. But also a little bit of voyeurism/ over protectionism to see how often you are downloading, making out on the couch and using competitors products.

Mint.