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[[wikipedia:SecuROM|SecuROM]] | [[wikipedia:SecuROM|'''SecuROM''']] is a [[digital-rights management]] (DRM) system developed by [[Sony]] for PC games and first released in 1998.<ref>https://www.pcgamingwiki.com/wiki/SecuROM</ref> Historically, SecuROM is well known for being the most agitating form of DRM of the 2000s, and its inclusion within [[Electronic Arts]]' ''Spore'' has led to the game retaining its position as the most pirated game to-date.<ref name=":0">https://torrentfreak.com/spore-most-pirated-game-ever-thanks-to-drm-080913/</ref> SecuROM stopped being supported by Sony quietly some time after 2017, the release date of the last SecuROM-protected title, [https://www.pcgamingwiki.com/wiki/Onyx Onyx]. In 2014, SecuROM was succeeded by a newer DRM system, [[Denuvo]], through a management buyout of its developer. <!-- Can we fix the template to be for software at all? -->{{InfoboxCompany | ||
In 2014, SecuROM | |||
| Name = SecuROM | | Name = SecuROM | ||
| Founded = 1998 | | Founded = 1998 | ||
| Line 18: | Line 16: | ||
===Explicit Congestion Notification=== | ===Explicit Congestion Notification=== | ||
ECN, a feature seen on Windows Vista which helped users with still connecting online with large networks, was required to be turned off | Explicit Congestion Notification (ECN), a feature seen on Windows Vista which helped users with still connecting online with large networks, was required to be turned off because of how SecuROM functioned.<ref>https://web.archive.org/web/20080926003605/http://www.pcworld.com/article/150965/casual_friday_why_spore_wont_work.html</ref> | ||
===Software conflicts=== | ===Software conflicts=== | ||
SecuROM also fought multiple other pieces of software,<ref name=":1" /> one of which being Process Explorer.<ref>http://forum.sysinternals.com/printer_friendly_posts.asp?TID=10337</ref> | |||
===Installation | ===Installation limits=== | ||
Users who owned SecuROM-protected games would often be allotted a limited number of times that they can install their games. EA's Spore had a limit of 3 installs (raised to 5), Bioshock had 2 (raised to 5, before being removed) and would even limit installs per user on the same device,<ref>http://www.neoseeker.com/news/story/7091/</ref><ref>https://web.archive.org/web/20071013211034/http://maxconsole.net/?mode=news&newsid=20470</ref> and Mass Effect had 3, | Users who owned SecuROM-protected games would often be allotted a limited number of times that they can install their games. EA's ''Spore'' had a limit of 3 installs (raised to 5), ''Bioshock'' had 2 (raised to 5, before being removed) and would even limit installs per user on the same device,<ref>http://www.neoseeker.com/news/story/7091/</ref><ref>https://web.archive.org/web/20071013211034/http://maxconsole.net/?mode=news&newsid=20470</ref> and Mass Effect had 3, but uninstallations would not increase the number of installs unlike other SecuROM titles. | ||
===Degradation=== | ===Degradation=== | ||
Because of the security features introduced by [[Microsoft]] to [[Windows]] 10 and later, many older SecuROM titles <!-- Mostly found through comparing data on older games on newer hardware. I believe SecuROM titles that released about 5 years before Win 10 can still be run, however I have yet to locate enough software with SecuROM to do a controlled sweep to be certain. ATM, I can run 2012's Crysis just fine on both my Win 10 laptop and Win 11 desktop. | |||
I am prepared to document EA's fuck-up on the wiki whenever secu-rom finally fails on my legitimate copy of Crysis. Oh, and C&C3. --> cannot function on modern hardware without cracking or other means of circumvention.<ref>https://www.legoisland.org/wiki/SecuROM</ref> | I am prepared to document EA's fuck-up on the wiki whenever secu-rom finally fails on my legitimate copy of Crysis. Oh, and C&C3. --> cannot function on modern hardware without cracking or other means of circumvention.<ref>https://www.legoisland.org/wiki/SecuROM</ref> | ||
Revision as of 13:33, 22 January 2025
SecuROM is a digital-rights management (DRM) system developed by Sony for PC games and first released in 1998.[1] Historically, SecuROM is well known for being the most agitating form of DRM of the 2000s, and its inclusion within Electronic Arts' Spore has led to the game retaining its position as the most pirated game to-date.[2] SecuROM stopped being supported by Sony quietly some time after 2017, the release date of the last SecuROM-protected title, Onyx. In 2014, SecuROM was succeeded by a newer DRM system, Denuvo, through a management buyout of its developer.
SecuROM
| Basic information | |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1998 |
| Type | {{{Type}}} |
| Industry | Digital Rights Management |
| Official website | https://securom.com |
General problems
Optical drive bugs
Various releases of Secu-ROM have been known to sometimes struggle to even detect legitimate copies of games inside users' disc drives.[3] Additionally, some optical drive models were simply incompatible with SecuROM.[3]
Explicit Congestion Notification
Explicit Congestion Notification (ECN), a feature seen on Windows Vista which helped users with still connecting online with large networks, was required to be turned off because of how SecuROM functioned.[4]
Software conflicts
SecuROM also fought multiple other pieces of software,[3] one of which being Process Explorer.[5]
Installation limits
Users who owned SecuROM-protected games would often be allotted a limited number of times that they can install their games. EA's Spore had a limit of 3 installs (raised to 5), Bioshock had 2 (raised to 5, before being removed) and would even limit installs per user on the same device,[6][7] and Mass Effect had 3, but uninstallations would not increase the number of installs unlike other SecuROM titles.
Degradation
Because of the security features introduced by Microsoft to Windows 10 and later, many older SecuROM titles cannot function on modern hardware without cracking or other means of circumvention.[8]
Notable Anti-consumer events
| Game | Release year | Notable effects | Relevant article |
|---|---|---|---|
| BioShock | 2007 | Users were limited to 2 installs of the game, and had to call in to be allowed further installs. It was raised soon to 5 after a misprint of a phone number in a manual, and eventually the limit discontinued in 2008, however it took much longer before editions of BioShock would be officially released without SecuROM. | |
| Mass Effect | 2007 | Mass Effect was the first SecuROM game known to not refund installations for users, and also required that the game installation to be verified every 10 days. [9] | |
| Spore | 2008 | The application of SecuROM in Spore left the program trapped under always-online DRM[10], which in the 2000s was fatal for anyone's internet bills. The popularity of this game, mixed in with its preemptive cracking, and DRM led to the title holding the record as the most pirated video game.[2] Additionally, there were lawsuits that formed over the implementation of SecuROM inside Spore.[11][12] | |
| Tron: Evolution | 2010 | Towards the tail-end of SecuROM's usage in 2019, Disney decided to terminate their license, thus leading to all legitimate copies of Tron: Evolution to be unplayable, and the game was subsequently pulled from digital software vendors.[13] Disney claims to be currently updating the game to not have SecuROM, however after nearly 6 years since its termination, there has been no new updates upon whether the game will re-release | |
| Final Fantasy 7 (PC, re-release) | 2012 | The distribution of the re-release of FF7 for PCs caught users off guard when Square Enix distributed this version with SecuROM, and on release, servers were inaccessible, so users could not verify their licenses until much later.[14] |
References
- ↑ https://www.pcgamingwiki.com/wiki/SecuROM
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 https://torrentfreak.com/spore-most-pirated-game-ever-thanks-to-drm-080913/
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 https://web.archive.org/web/20191105161102/https://www.tweakguides.com/Piracy_9.html
- ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20080926003605/http://www.pcworld.com/article/150965/casual_friday_why_spore_wont_work.html
- ↑ http://forum.sysinternals.com/printer_friendly_posts.asp?TID=10337
- ↑ http://www.neoseeker.com/news/story/7091/
- ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20071013211034/http://maxconsole.net/?mode=news&newsid=20470
- ↑ https://www.legoisland.org/wiki/SecuROM
- ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20080614201655/http://www.shacknews.com/laryn.x?story=52618
- ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u8ltfyqD3lM
- ↑ http://www.gamepolitics.com/2008/09/24/ea-faces-class-action-lawsuit-over-spore-drm
- ↑ http://www.courthousenews.com/2008/09/23/Spore.pdf
- ↑ https://www.techdirt.com/articles/20191204/09531743504/disneys-decision-not-to-renew-securom-license-bricks-tron-evolution.shtml
- ↑ http://www.joystiq.com/2012/08/05/final-fantasy-vii-pc-released-early-then-pulled/