Spore to use Online Authentication

Spore is set to use an online authentication system, most likely to prevent and hinder illegal distribution of the game. In an open letter to Spore fans Caryl Shaw, online producer, gives us the following information regarding this “feature”:

• We authenticate your game online when you install and launch it the first time.
• We’ll re-authenticate when a player uses online features, downloads new content or a patch for their game.
• The new system means you don’t have to play with the disc in your computer. And if you are like me, always losing discs, this will be a huge benefit.
• You’ll still be able to install and play on multiple computers.
• You can play offline.

Whether this means they will be using Sony’s SecuROM or another specially adapted anti-piracy tool is still somewhat unclear. We have probably not heard the last of this.