EA & Always Online DRM... (Need for Speed Reboot)

[Val the Moofia Boss]

http://www.pcgamer.com/eas-new-need-...ction-to-play/

The new NFS game will require always-online DRM.

EA expounded upon the benefits of online play, including "more variety and a more rewarding experience with friends," who will be "part of your narrative experience."

This is EXACTLY the same reason they used for SimCity last year (though with the added "Your PC isn't powerful enough to simulate it" total bull that was debunked.

Oh man, they just keep pushing hard for this one...

[Mahourai]

Always-online is pretty much a necessity if you want to sell your PC games for a price other than "the time it takes to launch the torrent client". Sucks, but what can you do, ask EA to release PC games they won't turn a profit on instead?

[barackopala]

Always-online is pretty much a necessity if you want to sell your PC games for a price other than "the time it takes to launch the torrent client". Sucks, but what can you do, ask EA to release PC games they won't turn a profit on instead?

yet i see Wolfenstein doing great, the witcher with nice sales and a fuckton more.

[Wilian]

Always-online is pretty much a necessity if you want to sell your PC games for a price other than "the time it takes to launch the torrent client". Sucks, but what can you do, ask EA to release PC games they won't turn a profit on instead?

Untrue DRM apologism doesn't become reality despite continuous repetition.

[Paula Deen]

"We learned nothing from Sim City 2013, please proceed to let us rape your wallets and if you disagree, we will say we are just doing it for the Gay Community, that will show you/them!"

[Pantupino]

More DRM = More piracy...

[Dezerte]

Eyes were rolled.

But I can understand that if they made a game that did something innovative with online-play I would be okay with it. Time will tell what kind of game this new Need For Speed will be.

[Deleted]

I don't really understand this logic. It's almost as if people haven't been using steam for years, or origin. Sure, they have offline modes - but in steams case it won't even launcher offline if it detects its out of date, so sure "you can play offline" as long as you've updated recently. I don't agree with the always on-line stuff, or alot of things EA do - but this is just mindless hate mongering because you can. Sure, plenty of games are doing well without always on-line - because piracy was never the issue. Those games that are doing really well without always online? Again supplied through steam, origin and other always on-line systems. Witcher 3 is probably the largest exception because its available through everything.
If you have such an issue with the always online - don't buy it. If your righteous beliefs are correct theyl suffer in sales anyway, and not just because its the xx game in the same series. In the meantime, stop making ONE company out to be the devil in an industry of largely corrupt behaviour.

[Edge-]

Always-online is pretty much a necessity if you want to sell your PC games for a price other than "the time it takes to launch the torrent client". Sucks, but what can you do, ask EA to release PC games they won't turn a profit on instead?

Except that it's the exception rather than the rule for successful PC games, so that argument falls apart instantly.

[Ferocity]

I especially love "everyone has internets" excuse, it's like "everyone has CD drive" back when companies were putting CD copy protection, which often caused CD explosions in CD drive (usually rendering it no longer usable).

This is case of malicious fraud and scam. This NFS game will never ever be sold, it's a huge lie, all that people get is some "license", which has nothing to do with actual game at all. Seriously, I wish to see those who implement such DRM ideas in jail for their lifetime.

It's almost as if people haven't been using steam for years, or origin.

It is probably hard to believe but there are a lot of people (overwhelming majority at that) who don't use steam or origin.

[Fencers]

I don't feel this is a valid concern for the majority PC games market anymore. Or at the very least, a concern for the regions a publisher is seeking bring their product to market.

[Remilia]

Need for Online.
Okay yeah I'm going...

Really though stop the always online crap. My internet has been lawlsy recently and do not want to just get booted on a single player...

[Raxis]

Why would you buy any EA game, that mark is the kiss of death.

Stay away from them until EA learns that shoving shit doesn't work.

[Mahourai]

Except that it's the exception rather than the rule for successful PC games, so that argument falls apart instantly.

Do you mean, specifically, making games that could otherwise function offline online-required?

[Edge-]

Do you mean, specifically, making games that could otherwise function offline online-required?

I mean that the vast majority of successful PC games do not feature always online DRM or connections, MMO's excluded given the very nature of the genre.

[Val the Moofia Boss]

I mean that the vast majority of successful PC games do not feature always online DRM or connections, MMO's excluded given the very nature of the genre.

This.

There are some understandable reasons. D3 for instance: the game SHOULD BE (and absolutely CAN) played offline, but Blizzard made it always online so that everyone could play together fairly at any time. They didn't want players connecting with potentially hacked characters and thus having an unfair advantage/messing up other people's characters, so they decided to store info on their servers instead. Also prevents the problem of separating the player base between offline characters who could never, ever play online because of the possibility of being hacked and those who are online.

[rayden54]

If you have such an issue with the always online - don't buy it. If your righteous beliefs are correct theyl suffer in sales anyway, and not just because its the xx game in the same series. In the meantime, stop making ONE company out to be the devil in an industry of largely corrupt behaviour.

Whether or not my "righteous beliefs" are correct or not is irrelevant. People are lazy, stupid, sheep. MY not buying it won't stop MILLIONS of other people from doing so. Just like that fact that I don't buy DLC doesn't stop people from making BILLIONS of dollars selling it (and I consider paying extra for a GOTY edition to be the equivalent of buying DLC--the only difference is the other is la carte).

As far as I'm concerned people shouldn't be OK with ANY DLC.

[Mahourai]

I mean that the vast majority of successful PC games do not feature always online DRM or connections, MMO's excluded given the very nature of the genre.

The fact that the PC market has shifted primarily to games where the online component is a necessary part or the only part of the game - competitive FPS games, MMOs, MOBAs - and platforms like Steam that serve as pretty-much-always-online DRM themselves is exactly what I was talking about, though.

[smackyslap]

Ea will seriously never learn I doubt even near bankruptcy will force them to change.

Unless this game is 100% multilayer there is no need for always online if you don't like it voice your opinion with your wallet and boycott ea.

[Edge-]

The fact that the PC market has shifted primarily to games where the online component is a necessary part or the only part of the game - competitive FPS games, MMOs, MOBAs - and platforms like Steam that serve as pretty-much-always-online DRM themselves is exactly what I was talking about, though.

There's a difference between more and more games including and online multiplayer aspect and games that shift to online only.

Yes, there is a growing stable of online only games, but unless EA can provide some extremely compelling reasons for why NfS will be online only, it will be another SimCity. Where they get called on their bullshit, the game fails to meet their sales expectations because of negative press, and they end up patching in offline play.