Fully agree on your last point.
As for the C&C4 (that is the one :p): It is okay because EA has a competent PR team? :p. Don't get me wrong, I fully see why it is more tolerable (at the very least, it is an MP-oriented game), but there is also a crapton of bias. Case in point, people are acting like Ubi-DRM being included in Ruse is just as bad as the one included in AC2, even though Ruse actually IS a multiplayer game.
Plus, imagine an alternate universe where Ubi doesn't exist. Somehow, I think everyone's anger and rage would be focused on EA. Sort of like how everyone's anger and rage is still focused on them for the Securom thing, even though everyone else used it a month later :p
As for the Ultima: Honestly, I don't think we really know anything about the game just yet. People got angry that it wasn't a "true" RPG, but they seemed to forget that HoMM came from Might and Magic.
And look at the Fallout 3 debacle: nobody will ever get the game they want.
They'll scream that they aren't getting the sequel they want, but they would also scream that they aren't getting sequels to the IPs that they want (LucasArts with regard to pretty much all their non-SW stuff, as well as the Jedi Knight and X-Wing serieses).
Either way though, I think we can all agree that the Securom-DRM thing probably had very little to do with EA's profits (or lack thereof), and that most people hated them before MEPC :p

The difference between EA and Ubisoft is that EA have paid all their PR people into selling this system as a benefit. In fact with EA in charge you can probably expect a crapton of freebies lavished upon the game just to keep us sweet. With Ubisoft they just came out and said hey you are scum and you are going to suffer. The end result is the same but at least it was more tolerable taking it from EA.
As for the SecuROM thing it did hurt EA a lot more than people think. Not because they used it but because they stuck their middle fingers up at us while they did that. Like Ubisoft are doing now, hence people are turning to hate them.

I don't get this either. EA pull the same crap as Ubisoft and yet many claim they've improved and seen the error of their ways. If so then why are they dismantling development teams before they've finished their respective titles and why are they throwing those games out unfinished? That sounds like the same EA behind Hellgate to me. As for C&C4, well that just makes any perception of them having improved just seem ludicrous.

EA ran out of money. Thats the sad cold truth. Thats why Ricittelo is on his knees begging for your money. I would be on your side if EA were adding the C&C4 DRM to any other game. They ain't. If anything Mass Effect 3 and Dragon Age 2 will have less DRM.

EA are dicks in their own ways by breaking apart dev teams. Everyone seems to forget about that when they're all bitching about DRM.

CEO's change. The company is only as bad as it's CEO. EA now have a gamer in charge. Lets see what he does, so far it's been good.

Right, way to take a stand. I guess it's a convenient bonus that you get to justify computer game piracy. Rather than write a letter explaining why you are no longer a customer, you'll just quietly get free games, while taking no real steps to effect any change whatsoever.
You know, guys, they rescinded the license shortly after they submitted the game for review. Maybe the game just sucked? It's a legitimate response if Activision didn't want it to tarnish the brand, and it's a risk that the team took when they decided to play in someone else's sandbox. They agreed to a license that stipulated that Vivendi could withdraw the license if they didn't like the end product.
Sure, it sucks that it took eight years to get to this point, but either way it's not like the team members didn't gain valuable experience in game development that they can put on their resumes. Maybe they can try for jobs with Telltale Games and someday work on a real, licensed King's Quest game.
As for the perennial "free advertising" argument: that's fine if the company adopts that as a policy (as Revolution has done), but it is up to the company, not the fans. Companies have the right to determine how they want to market a brand--or not market it at all.
That said, it doesn't mean you have to like it. If you really care enough about this to do more than complain for a day or two and then forget about it, send them a snail mail letter saying so.

Pirating doesn't help, it only hurts. You may have convinced yourself it's doing more good than harm, but it's simply not. If you really want to help, don't buy or pirate. If you wish to go further, as Breakfast said, tell them why.

No, you need to connect ONCE to verify you are the "owner" then download it (much like GOG). I tested this. You do NOT need to connect each time. Somtimes an error will pop up saying you're not connected but it's a bug. If you keep trying to resume, it will work. Possibly this has been resolved by now. I strongly recommend buying the game. It's 100+ hours of content with tons of replay value.

@ chautemoc and breakfast
I wasn't being particularly serious in that statement, I was just annoyed.
I do pirate, I can't afford to spend �30-50 on a game and have it turn out to be crap or bland. However if after pirating I really like the game, I will buy it. If I won't buy the game on princible regardless, then I won't pirate it either.
An example of this is Dragon age, I have been keeping up with Dragon age since it was first mentioned, which is over 6 years ago now. Racked up well over a thousand posts on the forum, yet I havn't bought it nor played it for one reason, I need to connect to the net each time I want to play the DLC. I disagree with that tactic so I have boycot them. Which I feel bad about as they made Baldur's gate. I really hope they will release a GOTY edition that will include all the DLC and I won't have to connect to the net each time I want to play as DA is the no.1 game I want to play.
Edit: God damnit, why is it so difficult to have two quotes one after another in one post. Anyway, my post is empty because just after I deleted it all to restart it, chautemoc posted preventing me from editing it, what I was going to say got posted as a new message.
@Chautemoc:
I made a slight error, I didn't mean I had to connect to the net each time I wanted to play the game. I would have to connect to the net and get the game+DLC verified each time I re-installed it. I think I would also have to join the cerberus network. I am iffy on the details as it's been a few months since it was released.
The only DRM I will put up with is CD in the drive and serial keys. Anything that requires more than that I REALLY dislike.
GOG is not similar, If I burn a GOG game to disc, I do not need to connect to GOG if I wanted to reinstall and play it again.
I have a very real reason for being so picky, look at all the studios and publishers like interplay that have gone under, Atari was dogy at one point too. I don't want to buy a game and potentially end up not being able to play it if they go bust.
I also just dislike the thought of companies claiming control over their products after I purchase it and will boycott such tendencies.

Are you positive you need to reconnect each reinstallation? I dont know either way.
Anyway, given how awesome the game is, I think you're making a huge mistake in passing. None of the DLC is really essential, anyway, and the main game has tons and tons of stuff. You don't join the Cerberus network, you join the BioWare Social Network, which offers lots of cool stuff to complement the game. Complain all you want, fact is you'd be getting 100+ hours of content for $50 plus optional free DLC and online features. In the Internet age, I think that's pretty damn good. Look at it from their perspective and what they're trying to fight. Just don't get the DLC if it bothers you that much.

That's Mass Effect 2 you're talking about.

Yeah, that is the pro-piracy argument that annoys the piss out of me.
I want to collect a 40k army (and a few FB ones), but I don't have anywhere near the cash to afford them. I should steal miniatures.
I want to collect cars, but I can't afford more than one. I'll go carjack people.
I like high-class hookers. I should sleep with them, then decapitate them to avoid paying the bill. Well, I probably need to pick a different disposal method.
Seriously though. If you can't afford a hobby, you can't afford a hobby. Simple as that.
And you say "oh, if I really like it, I'll buy it". Okay, great. Except that if you are deciding between "I'll play this for free" and "I"ll go buy the thing I am playing", you are going to pick the latter. Especially when the inevitable argument is "Well, I don't think I'll want to replay that any time soon"
Seriously, if you are a pirate, admit it. But don't pretend you are justified.

Yes yes yes yes.
I think some of them actually do pay for stuff they want to support (weird), but yeah, don't pirate at all. Course this is the information age aka age of loose morals. :P
PS. If you can't afford games, PLAY FREEWARE. We have oh, I don't know, about 10 billion quality games in this thread. Now you are -2 an excuse.