The Sims 3 will not use DRM

By Tom Bramwell Published 27 March, 2009

CD key only, says Rod Humble.

Sims series executive producer Rod Humble has said that The Sims 3 will not use DRM (digital rights management).

The EA game, due out on 5th June in Europe, will use a simple CD key for copy protection, just like The Sims 2 and Quake 3 Arena and if I could tuuuurn back tiiiiiime.

"To play the game there will not be any online authentication needed," Humble wrote on the Sims 3 website.

"We feel like this is a good, time-proven solution that makes it easy for you to play the game without DRM methods that feel overly invasive or leave you concerned about authorisation server access in the distant future."

EA - and particularly Maxis - was stung quite heavily last year by the response to draconian DRM measures in games like Spore, which often limited the number of installs in order to try and curb internet piracy.

And while EA boss John Riccitiello subsequently admitted he doesn't like DRM, and Red Alert 3 went down a slightly different route, nobody really expected the company to ditch DRM completely, especially on such a high-profile release.

Asked whether EA was considering the no-DRM option for other PC games, a spokesperson told Eurogamer: "We are just looking at this solution for The Sims 3 at the moment."

Check out how the game itself is shaping up in our recent hands-on preview of The Sims 3.

Picture of Tom.

About Tom Bramwell

Tom is Operations director of Eurogamer Network and Editor-at-Large of Eurogamer.net. He joined the company in February 2000.

Read more articles from Tom by visiting the Tom Bramwell archive page.

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Comments (25) Latest comment 3 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • Mr_Dodger #1 3 years ago

    Interesting move, especially after Spore.

    Good title to try this as well, as it's likely to sell well DRM or not.

  • TheMoonRat #2 3 years ago

    Well, the Sims is a pretty mass market game; confuse them with DRM problems and it's likely they'll never even get to play the game.

  • jaywalker3010 Verified Mastering Manager, Square Enix #3 3 years ago

    Some publishers still avoid using DRM, a lot of people just see `ANY` copy protection as DRM as they dont care to understand they prefer to just moan about it :)

  • DFawkes #4 3 years ago

    Sims 2 itself might not have DRM, but some of the expansions do. Nice way to sneak in a bit of DRM, you gits. I'm fairly sure they even patched it into the Sims 2 as well, possibly.

    Hopefully the inevitable expansions won't try this trick again.

  • michaelius #5 3 years ago

    Now do this on Dragon Age and Mass Effect 2 and I get both of them on day one.

  • Rirekon #6 3 years ago

    If it really doesn't use DRM then I might actually get it, at moment I just don't trust EA not to put some spyware junk in there regardless of what they say.

  • the_dudefather #7 3 years ago

    CD KEY?!?

    FUCK THEM IM GOING TO PIRATE IT NOW

  • Kengro #8 3 years ago

    What... Such a big realese and only cd key? Looks like someone has gotten it right, gotta get this game

  • Wastelander #9 3 years ago

    Good stuff!
    It'll sell well regardless. Lets just hope they've made it decent.

  • skillian #10 3 years ago

    Weird how they swing form one extreme to the other with Spore and Sims 3. Guess it just shows that publishers still have no idea what the solution is, and are still testing. Just sucks that we have to be the guinea pigs.

  • chrisjm #11 3 years ago

    SOLD!

    was going to skip it due to drm hasstle.

  • DFawkes #12 3 years ago

    So I'm the only one concerned they'll just patch it in again? I suppose there is no point. Though there wasn't a point the first time, but they did it anyway.

  • michaelius #13 3 years ago

    It isn't console game you can't force everyone to download patch.

  • Britesparc Verified Creative, ITV #14 3 years ago

    No DRM is obviously a good thing, but I still hope they'll let you play it without a CD. That was the good thing about DRM with Red Alert 2 - I hate having to have the disc in the drive.

    And I KNOW you can download no-CD patches and stuff, but it's a lot easier if it comes like that out of the box!

  • DFawkes #15 3 years ago

    Good point michaelius, never thought about that.

    They also stuck DRM with some of the Sims 2 expansions, which would be harder to avoid, but it least like you say they can't patch them in. Unless they purposefully put a critical flaw in the game to force you to patch, but that's getting into niteninjas mindset :)

  • IneptPercy #16 3 years ago

    "That was the good thing about DRM with Red Alert 2 - I hate having to have the disc in the drive. "

    If it was the same as crysis warhead, then it seems great until you lose your internet connection and get told you don't have permission to play your game. I wasn't against DRM until that happened.

  • matrim83 #17 3 years ago

    I think I am the only one but I am OK with the EA's DRM. I dont mind one time online activation and I like not having the disc around to play the game. Limited install is the only thing that sucks about it but I am yet to install any of the EA games I've tried (Crysis warhead, Dead space and Mirrors Edge) a second time. So I figure 5 times ought to be enough, worse case scenario I will just use a crack after that.

    @IneptPercy You dont need a constant online connection to play Warhead. Its a one time activation. But yeah I can see your point, then again I have rarely been without internet in the past 5 years or so. Doesnt seem like a hassle to me. Steam is a lot worse.
    Edited by 2 at 27/03/09 @ 13:22

  • Spekingur #18 3 years ago

    Steam is beautiful. CD key activation is like retro now and I love that EA are going back to it. I would have nothing against online activation but less and simple is always better (and cheaper). This will spur me on to buy Sims 3 and try it out, as opposed not having any plans to try it out at all. Good move EA, stick to it.

  • Chufty #19 3 years ago

    Er not really news, DRM will be a thing of the past this time 2011

  • IneptPercy #20 3 years ago

    "You dont need a constant online connection to play Warhead."

    Thats what I thought, I activated and played the game a lot at home, then took my PC to a mates house and it wasn't connected and It said I needed permission, after faffing with his USB internet dongle it worked.

    Not sure what it was all about, but it wasn't going until I connected to the internet.

  • Simian #21 3 years ago

    For some reason, I read that as 'CD key only, says Rod Hull', then imagined emu waving around furiously.

  • saraswati #22 3 years ago

    I thought I'd come and clear up some misconceptions in your article. Firstly, Rod has not said anywhere that they will not use a DRM, just that the game will not have activation limits or online activation. CD key protection is still a DRM, just an older form.

    Secondly, the information we've found this morning is that the game will still come with the EA Download Manager included, and you will only be able to get your patches from that source. Now, as the EA Download Manager currently includes Securom, it will need to be clarified whether this is still the case or it begins to sound like Securom by stealth.

    It will be worth everyone's while to wait a few days or a week after release to double-check exactly what their DRM system actually is, especially considering what it's been like dealing with EA in the last year and a hafl.

    Kind Regards

    Saraswati
    http://reclaimyourgame.co m/

  • Sevens #23 3 years ago

    "Well, the Sims is a pretty mass market game; confuse them with DRM problems and it's likely they'll never even get to play the game."

    Yeah, interesting thought. Good move nonetheless.


    "Secondly, the information we've found this morning is that the game will still come with the EA Download Manager included, and you will only be able to get your patches from that source. Now, as the EA Download Manager currently includes Securom, it will need to be clarified whether this is still the case or it begins to sound like Securom by stealth.

    It will be worth everyone's while to wait a few days or a week after release to double-check exactly what their DRM system actually is, especially considering what it's been like dealing with EA in the last year and a hafl."

    Better safe than sorry.
    Edited by 1 at 29/03/09 @ 16:11

  • Bloodloss #24 3 years ago

    This is very good news. Whilst we're not clearly through the tunnel yet, we're certainly making progress when this sort of thing happens. A good move by EA and I hope to see them eliminate DRM entirely eventually.
    Edited by 1 at 05/04/09 @ 00:29

  • iokthemonkey #25 3 years ago

    I contacted EA's customer support to ask about this and was told "the game will use SecuROM."

    So be advised that this isn't as lovely as it sounds.