Gamers angry over Spore copy protection

User reviews on Amazon.com criticise heavy handed DRM.

Despite a smattering of positive reviews from the video game press it seems consumers aren't quite so happy about EA's latest PC release. The game from The Sims creator Will Wright sees you evolve from a single cell organism into a world conquering species and is expected to be one of the biggest sellers of the year, but many gamers are angry about something that isn't really anything to do with the game.

Spore uses DRM (Digital Rights Management) in order to prevent people from illegally downloading the game. While this sounds like a good idea many gamers feel they are being punished, not the pirates. Owners of the game are limited to three installations activated over the internet which has led many to claim that they are paying EA money to rent the game, not own it.

Outrage has been growing across the internet, but it's most visible in the user reviews section of online retailer Amazon.com. These users have been handing out scores of one star out of five, labelling the DRM as "draconian" and "a show stopper".

We're awaiting a response from EA on the matter.