i.justrealized

Amazon users have spoken, one out of five stars for Spore.

It’s funny how so many people just goes in and rates a one to the game. Most people are displeased with the digital rights management (DRM). Some claim of rootkits being installs, some call it malware. As far as I know, there are no rootkits planted. Others claim of registration woes.

But what really annoyed people is the limitions of the DRM where you can only install in 3 computers. I am rather certain most people won’t be installing it in more than 2 computers. Using such limitations to curb piracy only pisses buyers. An Amazon user described aptly EA renting the software rather then selling it.

Anyway, I tried the game. It was fun in the beginning but gets tiring later on. The visuals and audios are great. And the game loads pretty quickly too. What I like about Spore is the concept, unfortunately it may be only the concept that I enjoy.

I think of Spore as a toy, less of a game. Reaching the end stages, there is this space stage, that really annoyed me. I hate:

• motioning my ship from planet to planet.
• hovering my mouse all around to find one stupid space system.
• that radar thing that leads you to the item of importance tests my patience.
• the fact that you never die in the game, you just get ressurected. I never wanted to die so badly in games. I miss my opponents killing me.
• finding animals in the planet is just darn annoying.

I give the game 3/5 for breaking new grounds, nice audio and visuals. Each stage felt like a different game. It’s multigenred. I am not used to this style but it’s an interesting concept. I’m tired of the game after half of the space stage. Spore could do better with more online elements than just sharing your artwork.

Handy guide as to why piracy is not theft. Piracy is just piracy.

Funny. (Source: TinyPic)

If you steal a lot of music online and get caught and you compensate in crazy amounts. However had you stolen instead from a music store and get caught…

Well, just saying.

Here’s what Guy Bono, French socialist and member of the European Parliament for the south-east of France, has to say about the music and movie industry pressuring governments to shut off internet access for people who are “illegally” downloading copyrighted materials.

Guy Bono says:

The repressive measures are measures dictated by industries that have been unable to change their business models to meet the needs imposed by the information society. Switching off internet access is a powerful sanction which could have profound repercussions in a society where access to the internet is a mandatory law for social inclusion.

Well said, sir. The EU Parliament has just voted in favor of Bono’s bill which asks individual countries to “avoid adopting measures conflicting with civil liberties and human rights… such as the interruption of internet access”. (Source: Mashable)