Sims 3 leaked to torrent sites weeks before retail release

[speedstream]

While EA may be backing off the practice of using invasive DRM in its games, piracy continues. The newest casualty? Sims 3 has leaked to the torrent sites two weeks before the game's release.
By Ben Kuchera | Last updated May 18, 2009 10:15 AM CT


EA is no stranger to piracy trouble. Spore was leaked online before the game's retail release, and ironically the DRM the game shipped with to stop piracy caused a huge backlash with gamers, leading to Amazon getting review-bombed. Well buckle up: it looks as is if Sims 3 is the latest game to be leaked.

You can't really verify this news directly without... you know.... breaking the law, so we can't say for sure if the files are real. We're also not going to point you in any particular direction. What we can say is that a torrent claiming to be the game has popped up in a number of places, with downloaders reporting that the game is working fine.
The release notes on the torrent gives pirates instructions, and a stern moral warning: "Be sure to have a firewall prevent the launcher and main game from going online," it warns. "Support the software developers. If you like this game, BUY IT!"

This is bad news for EA as the game is still two weeks away from release. The game also doesn't require online activation to play. "The game will have disc-based copy protection—there is a Serial Code just like The Sims 2. To play the game there will not be any online authentication needed," EA said on the official site. "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 authorization server access in the distant future."

Ars contacted EA for comment, but has yet to hear back—which is not all that surprising. "Yes, the file is real?" ACE Team recently had some success talking directly to pirates and asking them to buy the game instead of pirating it, but EA can have something of a tin ear when it comes to listening to what gamers want.

At the Game Developers Conference this year Microsoft announced technology that would require games such as Sims 3 to be activated once online before the game would work, allowing publishers to control the spread of a game even if street date were to be broken. It's unclear how effective that sort of technology would be in the wild, but with pirates playing Sims 3 right now, it doesn't look as if the serial code included was much of a deterrent.

In an amusing twist, while the torrent appears to be a popular download, many pirates are claiming the game is for their girlfriends, not themselves.

Link:
http://arstechnica.com/gaming/news/2009/05/sims-3-leaked-to-torrent-sites-weeks-before-retail-release.ars

[Paden]

Yeah, I've seen this topic discussed on plenty of sites today, thanks.

[LVishere]

Good! People need to test it before they spend money on it. 

To whomever plays the game, let us know how it goes because I think I am going to wait at least 6 months to purchase it.

[abaris]

When something like that happens, it amuses me to no end. It's actually the best advertisment against copy protection. It also shows what I always have been saying. Copy protection is only there to annoy paying customers. The pirates shrug it off and have a good laugh.

And it's even more amusing when that thing obviously comes from the company's own doorstep.

[sethdil]

Has anyone considered the fact that EA themselves might have leaked it. With all the negative backlash their use of DRM has gotten them what better way to vindicate themselves than to be able to point at the "Pirated" Sims 3 and cry victim!!!

Then they can start pushing for even more restrictive DRM and take their horrible "Victimized" selves to court during the DRM suits and point to the "pirated" Sims3 and say "See this is why we used such brutal copy protection judge, we are not evil people"

[Paden]

Thing is, people in the community have grown so cynical that they'll bring that possibility to the lawyers handling the various legal cases. It could turn around to take a massive bite out of their butt cheeks. Hey, a girl can hope!

[cruzer]

Greetings:

What this proves is that EA should have a demo of the game out before people go off and spend their money.

Cruz'd 

[roerzman]

Has anyone heard of an official response from EA. on this matter?
I certainly haven't. Their very silence tells me that they have been caught with their pants down trying to fob off an absolute load of crap.
As it stands now they are loosing sales hand over fist from preorders being cancelled as the realisation begins to sink in that it's actually overrated garbage.
Surely if the thing is as people are hoping a beta or some incomplete work piece then EA. would have broken all records releasing that to the media.
So can someone out there who still thinks that this release is bogus please explain EAs silence on this matter.

[kaoz666]

Roez is completely and totally right. If the leaked game was a Beta, EA would have jumped onto every major Video Game site as well as released a press release on their own site denouncing the leaked game to be a Beta and not the genuine article. The fact of the matter is that it's been almost a week now and we haven't heard hide nor hair from EA on the matter. What's that tell ya'?

[roerzman]

I know. They have a crappy Internet connection and still haven't finished downloading the pirate in order to make a comparison and then give an informed response.
Yea yea I know. S--t I'm only trying to save someone out there who's still trying to convince themselves that the thing is bogus the trouble of finding a new one to comfort themselves with.

[SimGirl20]

Maybe EA are just that vain, and they think that there loyal fanboy and girls will see through this copy and expect a perfectly bug-free better version come the 2nd Ha!

also this probably doesn't mean anything but It caught my eye just now while I was messing around on the official site, and it most defiantley popped up soon after the leak because I was there just the other day and it was basically the same but just worded differently.


This was on the main headline on the site



The official The Sims 3 game launches on June 2 with:


With the official The Sims 3 game, unlock a new town online!
Riverview is a complete town filled with  intriguing new Sims to play. It’s exclusively available online to download and expand your game.


notice how they use 'official' twice its like there kinda hinting around in a way but I dunno..


also this..


The Sims 3 includes exclusive extra game content and robust online features, available only after you register online with an authentic copy of the game. Download a complete second town filled with intriguing Sims and secrets to discover. Get $10 Worth of SimPoints to customize your game with additional in-game items from The Sims 3 Store. Choose from hundreds of game items to enrich your Sims lives.

for some reason 'authentic' looks italicized on my browser and bold but I might be seeing stuff as it is 2:05 in the morning but seriously why do you think EA has worded this stuff differently? I clearly remember the site just saying The Sims 3 releases with blah blah blah etc etc. but I am just now noticing them popping in 'exclusive, authentic and official'

[roerzman]

You left out VIP SimGirl.

[lewisb40]

Some one at MATY posted that they read a response from EA. The pirated copies are buggy and not official. Asked them for a link cause I failed at finding it on google, but haven't replied yet.

Hope that the official copy is not as buggy as this one, I am riddled with bugs in the game and considered getting a RAID bomb for it.

[LVishere]

I hope it is the demo version for the sake of my support. Although, I am doubtful because the game is basically how they described it. You know, boring and unattractive.

[lewisb40]

The response is in this AP report. Just a one-line response on the 7th or 8th paragraph.