Question about purchasing Sims 2 stuff via the official site Digital Downloader

[syberspunk]

Has anyone tried this yet?

I imagine that there must be someway that it prevents multiple downloads/installs? I'm curious if it does, and how it does it. I'm just wondering... if you purchase a digital download this way, what's to stop you from downloading and installing it on multiple machines? Is it like the freebie pre-order incentives, which provide you a code/link thing, and limit you to only 3 downloads for life?

If so... then I guess it really can't stop you from installing it on at least 3 different computers. But then, if that is the case, what happens if you've downloaded it 3 times, for like legitimate reasons, and then you have to reinstall and/or your install gets deleted and/or corrupted.

If not... then how would they prevent multiple downloading and installing? Does it require some kind of virtual certificate/verification kind of thing, that limits the downloading and installing to Only One computer? Sort of like how WindowsXP installs are married to Only One computer.

I'm curious because I'm considering buying the Glamour Pack, and they have a pre-order digital download. I'm wondering if that might be preferable over buying the actual CD... and... if this means that I won't need a CD to play the game, which would be ideal and a great, added incentive to buy the digital download over the cd. Saves me the trip to the store and I won't have to deal with the cd thing and worrying about wear and tear or my cd/dvd drive.

Ste

[J. M. Pescado]

Strange downloader programs are evil.

[syberspunk]

Heh. True. That's why I'm weary about doing it and asking questions to see what other peeps experience has been. It may be 'strange' but I'm talking about the 'official' downloader thingie on the official site. So it is strange in the sense that it's unfamiliar to me... but it can't be too strange if it's endorsed officially or what not. I mean, considering the target audience of sheeple, they've got to have made it fairly simple and eediot proof. And hopefully secure enough that it doesn't have virii tagging along with it.... but who knows?

Ste

[J. M. Pescado]

Rumor has it that the "special downloader" is spyware. I recommend going with TPB downloader instead.

[Katze]

I tried that with the Christmas package and it never worked for me I wrote them e-mail after e-mail, the package never showed up in the downloader, so i thought to hell with it and got it you now where and did't even felt guilty about it I payed for it.

[jsalemi]

I used it for the Holiday pack and it worked fine on my main computer.  And a little digging showed that it saved the update file in a directory, so all I had to do was copy the file over to my test machine.  It was an .exe, so clicking on it installed it fine.

I'm not at my own computer right now, but if memory serves the EA downloader saved the file in a sub-directory off its own directory in C:\Program FIles.

[dizzy]

According to the info page:

You must leave the EA Downloader installed on your computer and maintain a continued connection to the internet in order to validate the license for certain products acquired through the use of the EA Downloader.

In other words, the program won't load unless it can phone home and "validate" the package you're running. It's basically DRM.

[jsalemi]

According to the info page:

You must leave the EA Downloader installed on your computer and maintain a continued connection to the internet in order to validate the license for certain products acquired through the use of the EA Downloader.

In other words, the program won't load unless it can phone home and "validate" the package you're running. It's basically DRM.

Well, like many other things Maxis says, their programmers didn't get the memo, at least as far as the Holiday Pack is concerned.   Now, they may have learned their lesson and done it that way with the glamor pack -- guess only time will tell.

[syberspunk]

According to the info page:

You must leave the EA Downloader installed on your computer and maintain a continued connection to the internet in order to validate the license for certain products acquired through the use of the EA Downloader.

In other words, the program won't load unless it can phone home and "validate" the package you're running. It's basically DRM.

Well, like many other things Maxis says, their programmers didn't get the memo, at least as far as the Holiday Pack is concerned.   Now, they may have learned their lesson and done it that way with the glamor pack -- guess only time will tell.

Interesting... well... we know that the Christmas/Holiday pack was different anyways. I was under the impression that you could install that on several computers, even with the CD, since you didn't need the CD to play the game. You should still use the original TS2 cd/dvd. But since the SPs require the CD for gameplay... I was wondering if the digital downloads have a similar requirement/restriction that limits it to one install per computer.

As dizzy points out, I'm wondering then if, so long as the computers can "phone home" so to speak, would I be able to install it on more than one?

Heh, I'm also wondering if I would just be better off buying one cd, and then using those daemon and disc hider tools in the long run. The only reason I'm weary about that is because I've seen so many people report problems with their game exhibiting buggy type behaviour.

Ste

[neriana]

I wouldn't trust EA to actually give me what I bought without making me jump through hoops. Even if I didn't get a discount, I'd still only buy the game from a store. I wouldn't want to have to re-download it when something went wrong, either. Something always goes wrong.

[jsalemi]

Heh, I'm also wondering if I would just be better off buying one cd, and then using those daemon and disc hider tools in the long run. The only reason I'm weary about that is because I've seen so many people report problems with their game exhibiting buggy type behaviour.

Ste

I've been using the combo of Daemon Tools and SDHide since before OFB, and haven't had a problem with running the game CD-less. I use Alcohol 120% to make an image of the disk, and then just point Daemon Tools to it. 

[J. M. Pescado]

In other words, the program won't load unless it can phone home and "validate" the package you're running. It's basically DRM.

I told you it was spyware. It's obviously doing other nefarious things with it, or it wouldn't have to try it more than once.

[MistyBlue]

I used the EA thinggy for the holiday pack and promptly uninstalled it afterward because it goes into yoour user startup. I uninstall my game a lot so that means everytime I do, I have to reinstall the downloader to get the game back. I have never had a problem reinstalling the game and as far as I know, the game is always available for you, meaning you won't have to redownload the game, just reinstall it on your machine. I haven't tried it on any other machine, but it only requires a login so it may work that way as well.

[J. M. Pescado]

The holiday pack works slightly differently, since it just dumps datafiles into your original install.

The Official Recommendation of More Awesome Than You is NOT TO BUY THE EA SPYWARE. If you do, we will make fun of you. Period.

[syberspunk]

The holiday pack works slightly differently, since it just dumps datafiles into your original install.

Does that mean the holiday pack can be installed at any time? In other words, it does not have to be installed in a particular order?

Also, someone told me that they were able to install their EPs out of order. Is this possible now? Or do you always have to install them in the order that they came out i.e. EP1, then EP2, etc. and if you ever skip an EP and go back, you are forced to uninstall and reinstall in 'proper order' so to speak?

And... so, has anyone purchased Glamour yet via the E downloader spyware thingy? I promise I point make fun of you, even if everyone else does. I'm curious as to how it works for the SP stuff since the Holiday Pack is different.

Oh... and anyone that did purchase the Holiday Pack via the EA downloader thing... for those of you that have later EPs, does it still require online authentication? In other words, you have the Holiday Pack installed, and you have Uni, NL, and/or OFB. Does it still need to authenticate online in order for you to launch your game?

Ste

[MistyBlue]

I know for sure that it doesn't matter when you install holiday. I have all the ep's installed including ffs and installed the holiday pack about 3 weeks ago. no problems on my end.

As far as authenticating goes, I know that holiday doesn't do anything. I turn off my wireless whenever I'm not online and my game starts just fine. It would be silly to always have to be connected...what if I was moving? How would I play my game in the car?

[Paperbladder]

I really just don't get why you would buy something through this method, because it seemed that you needed to burn a disk anyway.  Then again, I don't understand why people just don't buy CDs instead of getting DRMed .mp3s for $1 each.

It's not as far reaching as WGA so people probably won't even bother to notice it.  I still would rather have Microsoft's WGA on my system than EA's SGA though, they've actually got a motive to stop your other games from working, they can collect play data, and if your key isn't registered for say OFB then you might be in trouble.

[syberspunk]

As far as authenticating goes, I know that holiday doesn't do anything. I turn off my wireless whenever I'm not online and my game starts just fine. It would be silly to always have to be connected...what if I was moving? How would I play my game in the car?

Hrm... I hadn't thought of that. I thought someone above had said you needed to be online for the game to authenticate. I was not sure if that authentication was only for downloading the install file(s) or for playing the game.

Ste

[dizzy]

The authentication is doubtless for just the install. However, there are times when the game doubtless attempts to verify that authentication. Remember how the first version of the nocd hack for Sims 2 base would leave build mode disabled?

The practical upshot of this is that you may find your game suddenly crashing to desktop because someone is using your serial (thanks to a keygen).

[J. M. Pescado]

Or just not working because the EA servers are down. Again.

[ElfPuddle]

My FFS game was DLed through the EA dealy...and I made a backup copy in case I fubar'd something. I needed to be online the first time I played to authenticate, but after that, I was offline.

[MistyBlue]

My hubby aquired my copy of FFS through certain methods...I haven't had any problems with my game at all and am still unsure about the authenticating. I guess when the no-name game comes out, I'll see if my game crashes and let ya know. As for holiday, it didn't detect FFS was an illigit copy. As a matter of fact, it said everything was up to date.

I really just don't get why you would buy something through this method, because it seemed that you needed to burn a disk anyway.

There is no need to burn a copy. It is available to you anytime you want it. Unless EA goes out of business or stops using the downloader, it will always be there for you to reinstall as long as you paid for it.

[JenW]

I got the glamour pack today with the downloader. Worked fine...but when I start the game, the downloader comes on and logs me in, even though I logged out and exited. Not too thrilled with this

[J. M. Pescado]

I told you this: EA Downloader = Spyware! Go and get a clean version and get rid of that trash.

[JenW]

I am going to uninstall it ASAP, that's for sure

ETA: BASTARDS! I went to uninstall it and got a message that removing it "may" keep me from playing games I purchased online