The “Break it Down” Blog

Apparently Mass Effect, PC Edition will use a ridiculous new version of the SecuROM copy projection that will phone home back to the EA authentication servers every 5-10 days you launch the game. Not just on initial launch, or even the default SecuROM behavior of checking the disk security (that causes so many launch failures on Windows XP and Vista) but will also be phoning home.

Want to play Mass Effect while traveling? Just pray to god it’s not one of the times it wants to phone home. Did you just pay $65 for this game that you can’t play? Too bad! YAY!

The solution to the rampant PC piracy problem has never been to make games with an acceptable price point… the blame has always been placed on the gamers/customers to justify the ridiculous measures taken to lock down the game to the point that it cannot be played legitimately.

I’ve had my own share of DRM failures with legit purchases to never want to buy another PC game again, and having the software phone home more than I do to my parent’s doesn’t make me want to crawl back on board that boat.

So the industry continues the trend of killing off the PC for gaming… all hail the console with low piracy rates and $65+ games.