I was tempted to pick up new PC game yesterday but something stopped me from making an actual purchase.  Unfortunately, this particular game included Securom 7.xx; a controversial form of DRM (anti-piracy tool) used by game publishers.  As a hardcore gamer, I tend to upgrade my computer on a frequent basis.  Securom 7 presents big obstacle in terms of future playability and long term ownership of games. 

There’s not much to say about Securom 7 that hasn’t been said in the past.  Simply do a Google search or head over to Amazon.com (ie. “Spore”) to learn more.  In simple terms, Securom 7.xx requires a legal copy of a PC game to be registered online through an activation server. 

With Securom 7, gamers are also given a limited amount of installs or activations.  In hindsight, this means that you’re basically renting a game from the moment you activate it.  Securom 7 also has a reputation of rendering your computer unusable, since it’s a rootkit with a history of ruining hardware and software profiles.

Since hackers have no problem with anti-pirating measures, Securon 7 is totally ineffective against illegal copies of games.  I can only assume that the ultimate objective of these publishing companies is to 1) kill the PC game market and drive gamers to consoles, 2) force gamers to buy additional copies of a game or 3) entice gamers to upgrade to the latest version of a game, like EA Sports and their NFL Madden series, 08, 09, etc.

Software developers and publishers have every right to protect their intellectual property.  But if you restrict gamers with a legal copy of a game, you might as well kiss honest customers goodbye.  Instead of fostering good will, these publishers are denying honest customers their “first sale” rights; where selling used games becomes a questionable practice due to the validity of install counts remaining.

For some gamers, Securom 7 will not prevent them from purchasing a popular game.  However, this continued ignorance is equivalent to bending over to large publishing companies.  You need to remember that Securom 7 does not go away after you uninstall a game.  It’s there lurking around, thus monitoring your computing tasks and sending information back, until you reformat your hard-drive.

Overall, I will not purchase any games that use malicious forms of DRM or Securom 7.  It is not about stopping piracy, since games are easily copied and available through various means.  Think twice about supporting companies that are actively trying to screw you over and take away your rights.  Do your research before purchasing any game with DRM and Securom 7.