Oh dear. Exploring the disk brings up the same box. Internet time – not interested in registering at the Spore site so I heard over to the EA forum where I already have an account and I find all this stuff.

A lot of drivel, but essentially, whatever DRM/protection EA have chosen b0rks the disk. Lots of crap about testing stuff, though on my fully patched and up-to-date system, why bother? I have a simpler method, pop a DVD in, see that it works & know the EA have blown it.

So, that’s the first 30 minutes in all its glory. I am now looking to see if I can circumvent their “protection” so I can actually read the DVD. Clearly I am not alone as there are already articles telling us SecuROM sucks.

6-pages deep I find a post telling me to uninstall Daemon Tools and as if by magic, the disk is readable. Nice going assholes.
So, now we spend 15 minutes, no, that’s not a typo, waiting for the game to install. Then EA’s own patch installing software which tells you the sky will fall if you don’t put it on, more licensing drivel no one reads...

You then are forced to register if you want patches. The scrolling rate is abysmal and a right pain if you are in your 40s as the list takes forver to get to the 1960s. Then it clears your password every time you discover your chosen player name is taken – argh! Another 10 minutes gone.

I fail to see how criminalising legitimate users helps EA. I’m not alone it seems – article 1 & article 2 of the many available to read, covering similar frustrated users.

Game Play.

This game clearly is a watered-down RTS designed to appeal to Sims players who enjoy making furniture and plopping it together. You could waste literally hours making and colouring in characters, building, vehicles & so on. I’d rather not. I thought I might end up writing a wall of text for a review of a game with such scope. Sadly the game amounts to a whole 5 bullet points: