Topic: |||THE ULTIMATE MASS EFFECT 1 THREAD|||

[Xessive]

Is Pug the Anti-Beaver?

[MysterD]

Is Pug the Anti-Beaver?

I'm so holding back from what I could really say, on that one... 

[Jedi]

I'm so holding back from what I could really say, on that one... 

Hahaha I thought the same thing HA!

[Xessive]

That's what we all love about double-entendres

[Pugnate]

Hahaha I thought the same thing HA!

haha that's what I thought as well.

[MysterD]

Bioware is doing what they did w/ Jade Empire PC.
PC version has been outsourced.
Demiurge Studios is developing the PC version of Mass Effect.

Demiurge and BioWare have teamed up to bring the award-winning title Mass Effect to the PC, customizing the experience to take full advantage of its newest home on the desktop.

Demiurge began working with BioWare during the final stretch of development for the Xbox 360 version, allowing the studios to collaborate closely throughout the co-development process. Mass Effect has been tailored to feel natural to the PC user while staying true to the original game experience. Mass Effect for the PC features a third command wheel so players can access squad members separately, a new inventory system, customized key mapping and a brand new minigame. Extra attention was focused on visuals, offering higher resolution graphics for an enhanced gaming experience for the PC.

[Pugnate]

What is Demiurge Studio's history?

[MysterD]

What is Demiurge Studio's history?

My link above tells you their history.

They developed fully themselves:
--MP Portion of Medal of Honor: Airbourne
--Brother in Arms: Double Time (Wii)

They helped optimize performance on final stages of:
--Frontline: Fuel of War for consoles and PC
--Titan Quest
--Advent Rising on the XBox
--America's Army: Rise of a Soldier (on consoles)

Added extra official content to:
--BIA: Earned in Blood on XB Live

Helped develop some of the opening sequence art and level design in:
--Bioshock

[Pugnate]

But that won't allow me to interact with you.

[MysterD]

But that won't allow me to interact with you.

Now, why the hell would you want to do that? 

[Pugnate]

Pssst... we are interacting right now...

[MysterD]

Pssst... we are interacting right now...

Shhhh.....that "I" word is evil....

[Pugnate]

Wha...

[Pugnate]

First look at Mass Effect PC:

http://www.gamespot.com/pc/rpg/masseffect/news.html?sid=6186533&om_act=convert&om_clk=multimodule&tag=multimodule;picks;title;4

Is looking good.

Currently scheduled for release in May, the PC version of BioWare's popular sci-fi role-playing game will benefit from a number of improvements over the Xbox 360 original, many of which are a direct result of feedback from reviewers and fans.

Cool.

The most obvious of these improvements, which was immediately evident regardless of the fact that we were checking the game out on a 720p HDTV rather than on a higher-resolution monitor, is that the visuals are now much sharper and more detailed. The character models look great, environmental features such as water and foliage are much more believable, and even the textures of the relatively featureless non-story-critical planets look very different now that you can clearly see cracks in the ground, small stones, and such. On one of the planets we were shown during the presentation, there were clouds of dusts blowing across the screen, which are in the Xbox 360 game but not nearly as effective as they are on the PC. We can report that the PC game's textures load much more quickly than those in the console game as well, and though we noticed them popping in on occasion, the problem wasn't nearly as pronounced as it was for Xbox 360 players last year. For what it's worth, the PC version of Mass Effect that we were looking at is still a work-in-progress as well, so it's conceivable that the problem won't be in the finished game at all.

I wonder why that popping thing happens so often? I've noticed it in a few ports.

Something you'll definitely notice in the finished game, though, especially if you're familiar with the Xbox 360 game, is that BioWare and Demiurge Studios have gone the extra mile to rework certain aspects of Mass Effect. For example, you'll now be able to give squad commands to characters individually rather than just as a group. Furthermore, if you're playing with a mouse and keyboard, you can map up to eight psionic commands to the number keys 1 through 8, which lets you use them much more quickly and without having to access any menus. Mass Effect's inventory system has also benefited from a major overhaul; whereas the Xbox 360 game forced you to scroll through a list of practically every item in your possession anytime you wanted something, the PC game lets you sort your items by type and automatically moves better-quality items to the top. Incidentally, at least a few of those items appear to have been redesigned for the PC as well, such as the sweet-looking helmet with glowing blue eyes we saw that, unless we're mistaken, looked totally different in the Xbox 360 version.

If you've spent any time with Mass Effect on the Xbox 360, you'll know that chests and doors, among other things, often need to be unlocked via a simple decryption minigame that requires you to tap the correct buttons on the controller as they appear on the screen. The PC game will introduce an all-new decryption minigame that, in addition to being much more mouse-friendly, makes more sense in the context of the Mass Effect universe. Your goal in the new minigame is to guide a small arrow cursor to the center of a circle that's made up of concentric rings spinning in different directions. The rings are colored blue with blocks of red, and to be successful you have to make it to the center without touching red. To move the arrow one ring inward, you simply press the mouse button. It's somewhat reminiscent of Frogger, if the titular amphibian was a white arrow, the street and the river were circular, and the vehicles and dangerous wildlife were red bricks. You get the idea.

The last of the big changes that we were shown today concerns the controls for the Mako vehicle that Sheppard and his or her crew travel in when they're on the ground. In the Xbox 360 game, the Mako was controlled in much the same way as Halo's Warthogs and other vehicles. In other words, telling the vehicle to move forward steered you in whichever direction the camera was pointing rather than the direction that the vehicle was facing. Not everybody likes this setup, apparently, so on the PC those controls will be turned on their head and you'll more easily be able to move forward in one direction while pointing the camera in another.

For those who don't want to read all that, basically they talk about improvements in the controls.

Mass Effect will purportedly run well on "midrange" gaming PCs when it's released, and will support both the Windows XP and Vista operating systems. The game will also boast Games for Windows Live support, and those of you with a penchant for achievement points will have an opportunity to earn the same 1,000 that you might already have on the Xbox 360. We look forward to bringing you more information on the PC version of Mass Effect as soon as it becomes available.

Let's see how well it actually runs on midrange.

Oh god, GFW Live thing is a bother though. Every game I've bought with GFW Live, has it really poorly implemented. And I honestly can never get excited about achievements... it seriously makes me play the game differently. It feels unnatural.

I also didn't know the game had multiplayer to use GFW live.

[MysterD]

Of all sites, MultiplayerBlog.MTV.com (huh?) talked to Bioware about how they feel they could improve "Side Quests" for a Mass Effect 2 and for other Bioware upcoming games.

BioWare: How We Can Improve The Side Quests For ‘Mass Effect 2′
11 Comments  |  Posted by Stephen Totilo on 3/11/08 at 2:46 pm.
Mass effect

Did you think that “Mass Effect“’s side quests could be better? If so, then the guys who run BioWare agree that there is room for improvement.

They told me so at GDC.

I care, because I’ve been to a lot of those side-quest planets in “Mass Effect.” In fact, I believe I’ve been to all of them. So I have my own feelings about what worked and what didn’t. I wanted to get the official developers’ take.

Here’s my chat with BioWare general manager Greg Zeschuk on the topic:

Multiplayer: I played through the end of “Mass Effect.” I had a good time with it. I actually liked exploring a lot of the planets. But what do you make of the people who have said they really enjoy the critical path much more than the side quests? Have you learned any aspects about how to improve upon that aspect of game development, which seems to me to be necessarily always going to be secondary — because they are the side quests? How do you improve that area of game development?

Greg Zeschuk, General Manager, BioWare: “Mass Effect” was specifically designed so there was kind of a straight shot of really intense story down the middle. And then, on the sides, we almost had supporting casts — and those were the planets you could explore. And that was really purposeful. That was to give the player a lot of variety in what you could do and give the player a user-driven, sort of personally customized choice as to how you could play the game.

One of the things we’re looking at for sequels and some of our other games is better technical ways, smarter ways to auto-generate content, to create stuff that seems richer to the player. Another thing we’re looking at — again not specific to one game, but just generally — is a way of tying those additional moments back into the story: whether it’s having to gather certain things for those other planets, kind of making them more central to the story but making sure that they’re still the supporting cast. [We want to be sure] that there’s something really purposeful about them.

I think with “Mass” we just wanted to say, “Let’s make a whole bunch of planets for people to explore.” They all encapsulated, amongst themselves, some fun stories to do. Some kind of spanned among each other. But [next] we’re taking it to that next level of tying them into the central story as well.

Multiplayer: Is it partially a methodology thing? I don’t know if this is something a lot of developers wind up confronting, but do side quests wind up being the last thing you get to or something you’re not able to staff as much as you’d want to, because they’re not as important as the main part of the game?

Zeschuk: Side quests can sometimes be left on the side, so to speak. Pardon the pun. But a lot of times it’s even just getting that whole game done, that first shot [that is important]. We look at “Mass Effect 2” as incredibly exciting. Just the amount of effort and knowledge and know-how that went into building the technology for the first one is huge, and [we now have] the chance to actually make things a little bit richer.

We look into BioWare’s history and we’re really aiming for what happened with “Baldur’s Gate II” compared to what happened with “Baldur’s Gate” one. “Baldur’s Gate” one — extremely solid game, huge impact on the industry. But with “Baldur’s Gate II” we just took it to a whole new level. And I think that’s what we’re excited about with “Mass.”

***

“Mass Effect” fans, do you like what you’ve read here? What do you think about side quests and how BioWare or any other developers should handle them?

[poomcgoo]

I though all that texture popping stuff was just a downfall of the Unreal 3 engine.  It's hard to miss in any UE3 game on any platform.

[Cobra951]

Finally, I'm playing Mass Effect.  The detail-rich world is very impressive.  The citadel is overwhelming.  Combat works well and feels immediate.  Graphics are gorgeous.  Streaming is poor, with lots of pauses to load more stuff, and some herky-jerkies even after those.  I turned off the "film grain" almost immediately, though.  I don't understand why anyone would think that effect is a good full-time idea.

You can spend a long time just getting all the back story and details on technology, politics, etc.  The narrator voice is excellent, as are most voices.  You can't just fall into this game and play it.  There's a learning curve.  I'm still ramping up.

[MysterD]

ME PC = Delayed.

Delayed from May 6th to now May 29th in the US.
Euro gamers will have to wait until June 6th.

Mass Effect PC delayed

The PC release of BioWare's hit-RPG Mass Effect has been pushed back from May 6th to May 28th:

    Hi everyone,

    I have just confirmed with the development team that we are making a small change to the release date of Mass Effect for the PC. We had previously announced May 6, 2008 for North America. The new release date for North America is May 28, 2008 and June 6, 2008 in Europe.

    The team here at BioWare, working closely with the good folks at Demiurge Studios, has decided that a few more weeks in the studio will ensure we deliver the quality that our fans deserve. The additional time will allow us to incorporate more play-testing feedback, add extra polish and tune the additional features so that Mass Effect is a natural and outstanding PC gaming experience.

    BioWare and EA are dedicated to excellence. We’re confident that the extra time will be reflected in the final PC experience that we deliver to our fans.

    We appreciate your understanding and look forward to delivering a great game!

[Xessive]

No biggie.. I'd rather have a delayed but polished product than an early cluster-f*ck of bugs.

[MysterD]

About the new HUD for MEPC:
This is from 1Up.

One new form of tweakage recently announced is a new Tactical Heads Up Display (HUD). This will allow your created Commander Shepard to issue individual squad commands to your two teammates -- from their Biotics powers to their weapons -- all on one screen. This should save a few keystrokes from the sometimes ungainly shoulder button commands of the Xbox 360 version, making it one more layer in the PC version's extra polish. Be sure to check out our hands-on impressions for other reasons why this port may be more inviting than its 360 counterpart.

EDIT, 4/10/2008:
The upcoming 360 DLC Mass Effect: Bring Down The Sky will NOT be available in the box w/ Mass Effect PC.

Though, there will be announcements soon about DLC extra content planned for the PC version.

Don't expect to play Mass Effect's "Bring Down the Sky" downloadable content on the day the game releases for PC. Developer BioWare tells IGN that the DLC will not be included in the PC release, though there will be an "announcement soon" about "additional content" for it.

BioWare dodges the question about whether future DLC will be staggered and released on Xbox 360 first, followed by PC. Either way, the PC gamer race is sure to giggle with delight as they experience less texture popping and shorter elevator rides when Mass Effect launches May 28.

[MysterD]

System Requirements FINALLY released

Minimum System Requirements for Mass Effect on the PC

Operating System:
Windows XP or Vista

Processor:
2.4+GHZ Intel or 2.0+GHZ AMD

Memory:
1 Gigabyte Ram (XP)
2 Gigabyte Ram (Vista)

Video Card:
NVIDIA GeForce 6 series (6800GT or better)
ATI 1300XT or better (X1550, X1600 Pro and HD2400 are below minimum system requirements)

Hard Drive Space:
12 Gigabytes

Sound Card:
DirectX 9.0c compatible sound card and drivers
----------

Recommended System Requirements for Mass Effect on the PC

Operating System:
Windows XP or Vista

Processor:
2.6+GHZ Intel or 2.4+GHZ AMD

Memory:
2 Gigabyte Ram

Video Card:
NVIDIA GeForce 7900 GTX or higher.
ATI X1800 XL series or higher

Hard Drive Space:
12 Gigabytes

Sound Card:
DirectX 9.0c compatible sound card and drivers – 5.1 sound card recommended

-----------
Additional Note from Derek French:

The Mass Effect Config program will automatically adjust your settings on first run, to attempt to give you an optimal play experience. As with all PC games, computer performance varies from system to system and adjustments can be made via the Config or through the in-game options to tailor your experience.

Edited By Jay Watamaniuk on 04/15/08 20:58

[scottws]

Geez 12 GB.

[MysterD]

Mass Effect's upcoming DLC known as Mass Effect: Bring Down The Sky will be released for FREE to download, for MEPC owners upon the release of the MEPC.

Thank you, Bioware!

Mass Effect PC DLC Plans [April 18, 2008, 2:48 pm ET] - 5 Comments
EA announces plans for downloadable content (DLC) for the PC edition of Mass Effect, saying the first release is a package called Bring Down the Sky that they will offer for free upon the game's release (the price of future DLC is not specified). Here are some screenshots, and here's the announcement:

    Edmonton, Alberta, Canada (April 18, 2008) – Leading video game developer BioWare™, a division of Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: ERTS), has announced that “Bring Down the Sky,” the first piece of downloadable content for the award-winning space epic Mass Effect™, will be available for PC gamers to download free* of charge when Mass Effect for the PC releases on May 28, 2008 in North America and June 6, 2008 in Europe.

    Fully optimized for the PC, “Bring Down the Sky” is the first in a series of planned downloadable content that will further expand the Mass Effect story and universe. It includes a new uncharted world that introduces the deadly Batarian alien race, approximately 90 minutes of new gameplay and an original soundtrack.

    Batarian extremists have hijacked a mobile asteroid station in the Asgard system, setting it on a collision course with the nearby colony world of Terra Nova. Only Commander Shepard can save the millions of innocent civilians before the asteroid completes its deadly descent.

    Originally released for the Xbox 360™ videogame and entertainment system, “Bring Down the Sky” has received critical acclaim as one of the “must have” downloadable expansion packs. Mass Effect has also received critical acclaim throughout the world with more than 80 awards including Console Game of the Year and Role-Playing Game of the Year.

    The “Bring Down the Sky” downloadable content for PC will be available at the launch of Mass Effect for the PC, and will be free of charge to registered BioWare community members.

    *Requires Mass Effect for the PC

[idolminds]

Yikes

According to Derek French, Mass Effect, scheduled to arrive on the PC this 28th, will employ the same SecuROM online activation system that was initially put into Bioshock, allowing the buyer to activate his copy of Mass Effect for 3 times before politely asking to him / her to go to hell, that is, contact the customer service “helpline” to get it reactivated. And while the game itself wouldn’t require the DVD to be physically present in the drive, it goes one step further and phones home every 10 days and re-authenticates just to make sure legit customers are not the worst form of criminal scum publishers swear we are.

The authentication, which will be initialized every time you run MassEffect.exe, will send the CD Key and a unique machine identifier to the activation servers, which will be cross-referenced with the data that was sent when the game was initially activated. Well, actually, it runs screaming to Mama every 5 days, but if it can’t connect, it will still allow you to save the galaxy and sleep around with Asari consorts for another 5 days, presumably reminding you to re-activate often with the dogged persistence of a James Bond doomsday death clock.

And from the official forum, a user asked:

Sure, I have an always-on net connection but what happens if I don’t play for 11 days and the moment I want to play my connection is down? Are you saying I’m not going to be able to play my perfectly legitimate purchased copy of the game, even the retail version, until I get permission?

The official response:

That is correct. And I would suggest that you contact EA Support the moment this happens (once you get your internet back) to report the issue. If there are people having problems with the system as designed, then Support needs to hear about it so they can help us evaluate it for the next game title.

Well, fuck that shit. I can't wait to see how badly this gets pirated. I'm sure even people who buy the game will still grab the pirate version simply for the convenience. I know I would if I was interested in the game.

[Cobra951]

This is the sort of thing that would make me want to pirate as a matter of principle.  I want this kind of shit to fail by any means necessary.

[MysterD]

This is the kind of DRM that kills PC gaming -- the new Securom and StarForce sucks.

I wonder how quick it'll be until a crack comes out for it.

I was planning on ordering this, but skip it. Like any StarForce DRM game -- I'll wait until there's a crack out there before I buy the damn game.

[idolminds]

Hopefully fast. Apparently Spore will use the same crap.

Since this is an EA thing, I'm going to bet Mirrors Edge will as well. Yar, me hearties. Ye know what I be doin'.

[Quemaqua]

Yeah, fuck this sideways.  I'll have no part of it.  If Spore does this shit, then I guess I'm not playing that either.

What's really funny here is... well, this has been said before, but everyone complains about piracy killing PC gaming, and then they do shit that just makes people want to pirate their game more.  I simply couldn't buy this game on principle.  I just couldn't.  And I won't.  Will I play it?  Well... who knows?  But I won't buy it until that shit is removed, you may be assured.

In politics, when batshit crazy policies like this start coming down from the top, you vote the idiots out of office.  But our system is broken here.  We *are* voting them out of office with our dollars (i.e. the piracy problem we face now, at least in part), but instead of someone new coming in and taking over and getting things back on track, we just have the same fucking idiots running the system into the ground.  They just don't understand that we don't want their draconian policies anymore and won't stand for them, but since this is free enterprise and not government, nothing changes.  They're basically committing suicide and not only do they suffer, we do as well.  It's utterly ridiculous.

[idolminds]

I'll probably write them an email when Spore comes out. Thanks for the game, but I didn't pay for it. If you're going to treat me like a pirate then I might as well be a pirate.

[MysterD]

Sheesh, this "new and improved" Securom makes STEAM sound really freakin' mild...

EDIT:
More info....

Bioware has a FAQ up on their official boards about dealing w/ Mass Effect's nasty Securom protection.

F.A.Q.

Q: Will my PC (or a specific element of my PC) run Mass Effect?

A: As long as your system is above the minimum requirements, you will be able to run Mass Effect for the PC.


Q: Where do I get help for any problems with MEPC?

A: Official support for Mass Effect PC will be handled by EA. There will also be a technical support forum in the Mass Effect community for fans to help each other.


Q: Why does MEPC need to reactivate every 10 days?

A: MEPC needs to authenticate every 10 days to ensure that the CD key used for the game is valid. This is designed to reduce piracy and protect valid CD keys.


Q: What happens if I want to play MEPC but do not have an internet connection?

A: You cannot play MEPC without an internet connection. MEPC must authenticate when it is initially run and every 10 days thereafter.


Q: What happens if I install and activate MEPC with an internet connection, but then do not have an internet connection after 10 days? Can I still play MEPC?

A: No. After 10 days the system needs to re-authenticate via the internet. If you do not have an internet connection you will not be able to play until you are reconnected to the internet and able to re-authenticate.


Q: Can I play MEPC on my laptop PC?

A: Yes, as long as your laptop meets the minimum system requirements and, periodically, has a connection to the internet to authenticate your game.


Q: How many installations will SecuROM allow from my copy of MEPC?

A: Since SecuROM has nothing to do with the installer, you can install and uninstall on the same machine over and over again without any problems. SecuROM also allows you to activate the game on 3 different machines.


Q: Q: What happens if I exceed 3 activations?

A: Your first 3 activations will still work, but any subsequent activation will not work.


Q: When does this authentication check occur?

A: The check is ran automatically when you start the Mass Effect PC exe. In other words, it tries to authenticate when you start to play the game.


Q: There were some problems with authentication servers for games like BioShock. Is EA ready for the influx of MEPC players? Will we be able to play our games when we get them home?

A: Yes, EA is ready and we are confident there will be no server problems. EA has assured us that they have their authorization systems and customer support staff in place and ready for the launch of Mass Effect for PC. Anyone having issues with getting the game activated will be able to contact EA Support and get their problem resolved.


Q: What happens if I play, then go away for 2 or 3 weeks? Would the game load, re-authorize and carry on, or would i need to contact EA Support for whatever is necessary?

A: The game would work just like the first time you played it. The number of days you are away doesn't matter.


Q: When EA acquired Bioware, I knew that using SecuROM would be one of the major changes since EA is one of the most powerful Securom supporters.

A: Actually, Neverwinter Nights, Knights of the Old republic, Jade Empire, and Mass Effect all use SecuROM in some manner.


Q: How will the game servers work with the authentication?

A: Mass Effect does not have game servers, so this is not an issue.


Q: Who runs the SecuROM servers? Is it BioWare, SecuROM or EA?

A: EA runs their own SecuROM servers.


Q: Does the game re-authenticate every 10 game play days or every 10 calendar days?

A: It re-authenticates based on calendar days, not game play days.

Q:You did say that SecuROM re-authenticates silently and we don’t need to do anything at our end to make this happen. Is that right?

A: Correct, when you go to run the game, the re-authorization takes mere moments during the game startup. There are no dialogs, no progress bars, nothing for you to enter or confirm. It just works.


Q: What if for any reasons my CD-Key was banned and/or doesn’t work?

A: You would contact EA Support and they will work with you to get it running again.


Q: What happens in the future if I want to play MEPC and EA has shut off the servers?

A: If that should ever happen, BioWare would address this problem.


We will try to update the FAQ qith more questions and answers as they arrise. Thanks everyone.

[gpw11]

I think I'm actually going to register a fake hotmail from a public computer and send them an email that I'm going to steal every one of their games using this system.  Look, it's fucking dumb and if you want to do something like that just use the system already in place (STEAM) so that way at least I know that the ass raping will feel familiar...almost tender and loving.

[Xessive]

Wow, they can suck my balls.

I support Bioware but what EA are doing is retarded.

If you purchased a game aren't you allowed to use a pirated copy of it? Or simply get a crack for it? I use NoCD fixes all the time for the convenience of not having to juggle discs in and out of my drive. All with the exception of my Steam games which don't need a CD in the drive.

I agree with GPW. They should use a quasi-acceptable form instead trying to find a new way to ram it up our asses. At least with Steam it's like "I'll fuck you, but I'll make sure nobody else fucks you too."

[idolminds]

Bioware backs down!

10 day authentication will be gone. It still has a Bioshock style "3 installs" thing, though. Online auth is only for downloading game updates, which I'm cool with. Also, apparently Spore will have the same changes.

[MysterD]

Bioware backs down!

10 day authentication will be gone.

Excellent news.

It still has a Bioshock style "3 installs" thing, though.

That's annoying.

With the three installs, will you be able to revoke one of your install counts when you uninstall the game on a PC like say Bioshock now allows? I could live w/ that.

I did the Bioshock revoke thing the other nite. Was a painless process for me.

Online auth is only for downloading game updates, which I'm cool with.

I'm absolutely fine w/ that.
That makes a hell of a lot of sense to me, since to download updates, duh -- you need the Net.

Also, apparently Spore will have the same changes.

Makes sense.

[scottws]

I'm guessing they got deluged by complaints and "That's ridiculous I'm pirating the game just because of that" e-mails.

[MysterD]

I'm guessing they got deluged by complaints and "That's ridiculous I'm pirating the game just because of that" e-mails.

I'm definitely happy w/ the 10-day removal.

But, more needs to be done -- namely, w/ the limit of installs allowed.

A "revoke tool" like Bioshock has would be a small step in the right direction, if you ask me...

[Quemaqua]

Yeah, it's still stupid, but at least they're no longer trying to push the envelope.  Maybe I'll buy Mass Effect now, if there's a long enough period between the memory of them wanting to rape me and the date the game is released.

[MysterD]

Yeah, it's still stupid, but at least they're no longer trying to push the envelope.  Maybe I'll buy Mass Effect now, if there's a long enough period between the memory of them wanting to rape me and the date the game is released.

LOL.

I still want some sort of Bioshock-like "revoke tool" at the very least -- if I'm say gonna pay $40 for this thing.

Otherwise, I'm holding off til it gets cheaper...

[idolminds]

Now heres the big question: Was this planned from the start?

Think about it. The copy protection is now essentially the same as the stuff on Bioshock, which people had a fit over. Now EA wants to use the same stuff but know that people will probably have a fit again.

Solution? Propose something outrageous. People will complain, so then we "scale back" the DRM because we "listen to the community."

They get the DRM they want, and the community is happy about it.

[MysterD]

Now heres the big question: Was this planned from the start?

Think about it. The copy protection is now essentially the same as the stuff on Bioshock, which people had a fit over. Now EA wants to use the same stuff but know that people will probably have a fit again.

Solution? Propose something outrageous. People will complain, so then we "scale back" the DRM because we "listen to the community."

They get the DRM they want, and the community is happy about it.

It's not exactly the same DRM as Bioshock. Bioshock at least has a "revoke tool."

The biggest thing w/ Bioshock was its limited install number -- but, that was somewhat solved w/ the "Revoke tool," as you could deactivate the game on one PC, which would increment your current limited install count back up by 1.

After you use the revoke tool, you don't have to uninstall the game; you can just let the game lie there on your PC, if you want; you just can't run the thing again; it gives you a box to ask you if you want to activate it so you can play it on that PC. To get it to run again on that PC, you would have to "Activate" it again online.

For people that swap out hardware, a "Revoke tool" would somewhat solve the problem of "If you swap out hardware significant, you will then lose an install count b/c your hardware's now different" bullshit. I think that is bullshit, if you ask me -- I mean, it's still the SAME PC; they should install bind the install count to your PC's unique IP, if that's the case! So, w/ a "revoke tool" in place, before Joe decides to swap a component out, the tool could revoke one of their MEPC installs, incrementing their count up by 1. Then, they could swap out the part, put in the new part, go and reactivate their game -- and they'll be back where there were on the allowed install count before they swapped the part out.

I won't buy Mass Effect until probably there's a "revoke tool" and/or the game removes the protection-check in some sort of patch.