Electronic Arts Releases DRM Reversal Tool

Electronic Arts’s change in policy regarding anti-piracy measures has seen the publisher release a “De-authorization Management Tool” (DMT) to reset existing game installation authorizations. Previously, EA had instituted strict anti-piracy measures on PC games such as Spore and Crysis: Warhead. The use of SecuROM DRM (digital rights management) copy protection proved highly unpopular with consumers, with particularly vocal complaints over its use in Spore. The furor over Spore led to the game being described as the most pirated PC game ever. Last week though, EA revealed that the forthcoming The Sims 3 would not ship with any DRM measures and would rely instead only on a standard key authentication system. Technically the new DMT software does not allow any additional individual installations -- one of the key complaints from consumers. But it does allow previous existing authorizations to be reset and swapped between a user’s different PCs. Titles supported by the DMT, which typically feature only five authorizations each, include Burnout Paradise, Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3, Crysis: Warhead, Mass Effect, and, crucially, Spore.