Online authentication? All right, I guess we can handle that -- you're still supporting the game (for now). Limited installations? Fine with us -- we all only have one computer apiece, and they never need reformatting for any reason. SecuROM? You got us -- we were only using our DVD utilities to steal every other game you make; we'll gladly uninstall them. You win, EA, we'll play things your way. For Command & Conquer:Red Alert 3, we will put up with your DRM-based inconveniences, which only pirates would ever really have a problem with, and install the game properly, once, on a system whose software agrees with your own, which is connected to the internet. We will stop whining and just play the game, running it in a piracy-free environment, just as soon as we install it using this 20-character authentication code, which... appears to be only 19 characters long. 1up is reporting that a number of C&C Red Alert 3 copies have gone out with incomplete install codes, and that EA is handling the problem with care and attention.
Maybe we're being unnecessarily harsh on EA: According to their own statements, the problem here stems from a simple printing error on a "small number" of manuals, which prevented some gamers from receiving their full install code. An honest mistake is an honest mistake, after all; people screw up sometimes. It's the proposed solution that we take issue with. According to EA's own support site:
There is currently a work around that may allow you to bypass this issue. Since you have the first 19 characters of the code already, you can basically try "guessing" the last character. To do this, simply enter your existing code, and then for the last character, try the letters A-Z, and then the numbers 0-9. You should eventually get the right combination, and be able to play the game. If this does not work, you can follow the instructions below.
Never mind that we've heard the installer will quit on you for every three incorrect "guesses" you make (meaning, with 36 possible final characters, you may need to attempt installation up to 12 times). This suggestion is no solution at all: When your product has a flaw, you do not put the obligation to fix it on the consumer. This is analogous to a waiter in a restaurant telling you, "Oh, I'm terribly sorry your steak is undercooked. I tell you what -- your table already has a candle on it, so if you hold the meat over the flame for a few more minutes, everything should be fine."
The fact that the inconvenience is a minor one is irrelevant. Would it only take a few extra minutes of your time to handle the "guessing" solution? Probably. Should you have a reasonable expectation that your product should be fully functional right out of the box, and that a reputable publisher would want to address any clear defects, no matter how trivial? Definitely.
To their credit, however, EA may well feel the exact same way -- while we were writing this story, EA's support page changed, and now no longer includes the fix-it-yourself "work around." Now, the immediately suggested solution is to contact EA support directly, via email or telephone. Perhaps less convenient than guessing your way through the alphanumerics, but at least it demonstrates actual concern. Has anyone had to deal with this problem personally? We're curious how EA support ultimately handles the problem, and whether this is one more instance of DRM that punishes paying customers.
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