It seems Spore was the staging point for the SecuROM revolt and the massive amazon 1-star reviews and backlash have not gone on deaf ears. Electronic Arts has opted to leave SecuROM out of The Sims 3, an upcoming release for just that reason.
“We have heard your requests over the past months and here is our plan for The Sims 3,” Sims development head Rod Humble stated on the official website. “The game will have disc-based copy protection – there is a serial code just like The Sims 2. To play the game there will not be any online authentication needed. (casualgaming.biz)
We wonder, did they do this primarily because of the Spore revolt or because the demographic for The Sims is even more casual than that of Spore? Casual gamers expect a casual experience from install to un-install because they don’t want to be hassled with silly copy protection. Or, perhaps casual games like The Sims is less likely to be hacked because it’s not a “hardcore” game?
We’re sticking with the thinking that this is a “good faith” jesture to the gamers for how they “rocked the vote” on the last title as The Sims is one of the best selling series on the PC gaming platform. Lots of sales with lots of fans, why interrupt that momentum with ugly DRM whiplash?
Rhythm games are the new FPS for a lot of gamers, a broader audience of gamers, and the market is thriving and demanding new titles. Harmonix and Activision are at the front of the battle with Konami following a bit behind but still contending (we think) very soon.
Square Enix, like many developers today, look to combine their efforts with like-minded individuals making video games for our industry. Recently they put out a bid to pickup Tecmo and expand their development archive to new heights by jumping into a few more genre’s without starting at the ground floor.
I have no doubt whatsoever that the “Spore” debacle played a huge part in this.
I also never looked at The Sims 2 as “casual gaming” — I had to put a lot of time and effort into keeping the various families from falling apart.
And $200+ worth of expansions seems pretty hardcore to me. ‘;D
(Maybe I should read the FAQ at casualgamerchick.com and see if I’m misunderstanding the meaning of “casual gaming.”)
I have no doubt whatsoever that the “Spore” debacle played a huge part in this.
I also never looked at The Sims 2 as “casual gaming” — I had to put a lot of time and effort into keeping the various families from falling apart.
And $200+ worth of expansions seems pretty hardcore to me. ‘;D
(Maybe I should read the FAQ at casualgamerchick.com and see if I’m misunderstanding the meaning of “casual gaming.”)
I only bought University for The Sims 2. I wanted to get Pets, but I never did.
I only bought University for The Sims 2. I wanted to get Pets, but I never did.