The Sims 3 will not use DRM
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.