Oh they changed the install thing.... for the worse last week.
EA had it for spore as the ability to install on 3 different pcs but unlimited times for those pcs. Now last week they changed it. It is now 5 installs TOTAL! Meaning that you can only install the game 5 times for the entire life of the game. Even if it is on the same pc, you can only install the game 5 times. I posted about this over in the sims 2 area with a link to maxoidlucky's post about this. You do have to be a registered spore player to read it though I think.
EA released a patch for spore too. Big problems with that. Characters/creations are deleted, gamesaves corrupt, planets missing, game crashing, severe lag...... on and on. Many people had to uninstall the game and then reinstall it without the patch. Did EA give them an extra install..... nope. So anyone who has played without a no cd mod or has activated online and was forced to reinstall.... have used up already 2 installs in less than a month. They pull the same defective patch crap with spore as they did with the sims 2. They released one that is so buggy that most people can't play the game any longer. Their only choice is to wait for an update to the patch- if it ever comes- or uninstall and reinstall.
So I really really doubt that EA is worried about anything to do with lawsuits. As soon as they heard about the lawsuit, 2 days later they pull the whole install crap. They advertised the game as having the ability to work on 3 pcs and unlimited installs on that. So now once people have the game, they secretly changed it. They only announced it after people posted about their games no longer working. They had to keep uninstalling and reinstalling due to the patch. So then and only then did EA say they changed it. Now They are even banning people on the spore forum for posting about DRM and securom and install limits. I know and watched several friends get banned over there because of all of this. Sad thing is, once they are banned- they can't play spore anymore. The game stops working. The forum account is tied directly to their spore serial #. They revoke that when they ban you over there. I am really really disappointed in EA. I didn't think I could be more disappointed with them, then all this happened. EA really really needs to get hit hard with lawsuits. Maybe then they will start listening to their fans.
edit: Oh yeah.... someone over at the spore forums asked several maxoids in the Q & A thread if the whole install thing would be the same for the sims 3. maxoid lucky's reply was...." I believe so."
That really doesn't give me any hope at all for the sims 3 now.