I applaud the author of this article posted over on Got Game. If you still are unsure what SecuROM is capable of, then please read below:
Next, SecuROM resurfaced in Bon Voyage, the sixth Sims expansion pack. There was no activation, but players still had problems ranging from their game disk not working to their optical drives and USB ports becoming unusable… leading to websites crammed with laments like “EA nearly cost me memories of my dying father”.
This version of SecuROM embeds itself in your PC’s operating system and stays there even if you uninstall the game. The program also hides its files and registry entries; people had to reformat their computers to eliminate it. There’s some controversy over whether this behavior makes SecuROM a rootkit… but whether or not it meets that definition, Wikipedia calls it malware.
EA eventually gave Simmers a removal utility. But without the DRM, the games become unplayable, and there are no refunds. This is how DRM schemes actually promote piracy: people wind up downloading a crack to play the games they already bought. Lo-tech Sims-playing grannies and girl scouts are being introduced to the dark side of BitTorrent… and who knows where that could lead.
