According to many sources, the game will have to contact EA servers every 10 days to validate it. If the game isn't validated, you can't play the whole game, including single player modes. If your serial number matches the ones used by warez downloads or a key generated by keygens and is used online, your copy is banned. Also, as Hexetic mentioned, the horrible factor on it is that EA may actually deactivate the servers that validate it after some years and your well paid cash will turn into waste, since you won't be able to play the game anymore.

Hi guys --

I’ve been hearing your concerns about the DRM situation and wanted to get back to you with some information about our plans. In the case of Red Alert 3 (and all PC titles coming out of EA), we will use SecuROM – the same copy protection that the EALA RTS group has used on our last three titles. This time around, however, the copy protection will be configured to be more lenient than we've supported in the past.

I know this can be somewhat of a polarizing topic, and I thought it would be best to open the lines of communication with some facts:

- We will authenticate your game online when you install and launch it the first time.

- We will never re-authenticate an installation online after the first launch. In other words, no reaching out to a central server post-install to see if you’re “allowed” to play.

- You will be able to install and play on up to five computers.

- This system means you don't have to play with the disc in your computer. Personally, I think this is a huge improvement over our previous copy protection requirements, which have always required a disk to play.

- Life happens. I know it’s unlikely, but for those unlucky few who install the game and have their machines nuked (virus, OS reinstall, major hardware upgrade, etc.) five times, EA Customer Service will be on hand to supply any additional authorizations that are warranted. This will be done on a case-by-case basis by contacting customer support.

-You can, of course, play offline without impediment or penalty.

Red Alert 3 is shaping up to be a world-class RTS game that will give you many hours of enjoyment. I think it would be a shame if people decided to not play a great game simply because it came with DRM, but I understand that this is a very personal decision for many of you and I respect that. As you might imagine, I’m a lot less respectful of those people who take the position that they will illegally download a game simply because it has DRM.

Either way, we’ re very proud of the hard work our team has put into this game and we hope you will all enjoy it when it launches.

Well Alex06 and everyone, I hope 5 years from now we're still supporting Red Alert 3, especially with our plans surrounding the development of a Live Team. I know its in our long term strategies to do so. So in that respect, there is no definitive timeline.

As far as we're concerned, the support is always there, its absolutely always there from the Customer Support side.

Aside from sunsetting a multiplayer server (which is extremely rare and still hasn't happened for any C&C game to date and no plans to), I don't think we'd ever intend to pull a plug on letting you install or play the game. That's crazy talk.

-APOC

Quick update. As many conversations as I’ve had about this, it turns out I got an important detail wrong so I need to clarify something important.

An uninstall does not return the entitlement to the user. I’ll be updating my original post to reflect this.

Only five unique machines can be licensed with the same installation code. So you will be limited to a total of five machine activations.

However, we will ensure that nobody gets left in the lurch. Our customer service organization is committed to granting additional authorizations on a case- by-case basis for those folks who have good reason to need additional installs.

I am really sorry about the confusion, guys. I asked several people about this and thought I had it down, but obviously didn't. Totally my bad.

You can uninstall/reinstall on the same machine multiple times (no OS change, no hardware change) without risking anything. And in fact simply reinstalling your operating system would not generally require you to use an additional license either. But if you reinstalled the OS and made a variety of other hardware changes all at the same time, that would appear to the SecuROM system like a new machine and you would need to use a new license at that point.

And again, if you do use up all five licenses for legitimate reasons, I want to stress that EA customer support will work with you to make things right.

Another thing that may worry users is how SecureROM's system may detect 'new machines'. C&C games have been using SecureROM for ages and, sometimes Red Alert 2 blowed all its units due to modding changes (without having any big system changes). I wonder if we can really trust this SecureROM to be working in the way they say it does.

the only thing this security crap duse is piss of those that buy games!
pirates have less probs getting games running then those that buy them.

Uhh I reformat every year or so+, so thats some bullshit.

You can uninstall/reinstall on the same machine multiple times (no OS change, no hardware change) without risking anything. And in fact simply reinstalling your operating system would not generally require you to use an additional license either. But if you reinstalled the OS and made a variety of other hardware changes all at the same time, that would appear to the SecuROM system like a new machine and you would need to use a new license at that point.

I plan not to buy RA3 and to piss off EA I will not only not buy it but i will wast etheir bandwith by playing and purpsefully lagging games. Assholes, they deserve every wasted penny for what they've done to C&C.

And again, if you do use up all five licenses for legitimate reasons, I want to stress that EA customer support will work with you to make things right.

EDITO: I don't see why they don't use Adobe's "seat" system, where you can have 5 installs at once, and every time you redo a computer you just de-register the game and re-register on the next install only using 1 install

Anyway, you need to get online to play the game for the first time, which might displease some users.

The people who suffer the most imo are those without internet. They can't authorize their games, and they download pirated versions. They are left without a game.

Hang on a second. You said at first... "those without internet", then said that the same people would download a pirated copy. How would they do that without internet access? o_0