is SecuROM a deal-breaker for Mass Effect?
The Showdown continues. In the Showdown, we pick a topic, flip a coin to see which side each OT writer gets to argue, then present the results to you. Today, we argue about whether or not SecuROM is a deal-breaker for the upcoming PC release of Mass Effect. Ben: Right now it seems like most of the gaming world is buzzing over the ten-day activation cycle of Mass Effect and Spore. You have to validate the game online, and then re-validate every ten days or the game will cease to function. This is causing an uproar, and it’s easy to see way: this is moderately annoying, and is some of the most aggressive DRM we’ve seen in gaming that isn’t primarily online. Still, can you blame Bioware or EA here? We’ve heard again and again that piracy is choking PC gaming and, with big-name titles like Mass Effect and Spore, the temptation to pirate is going to be greater than ever. Sure, it will probably be cracked soon, but even a day or so head start on the pirates will lead to a few more copies sol
