That is the kind of DRM that myfist0 is talking about that will kill gaming.
I don't agree with this prediction....I hate having to disagree with it, because I don't want things to be like this, but I just don't think this DRM is going to kill gaming...
As many of pointed out, people still are using steam, using origin, buying games from EA, etc....the fiasco with spore, the fiasco with Diablo 3, and now the fiasco with SimCity are certainly pissing people off....but many people are still buying those games....while I used to think DRM would epically fail because of high profile "failed launches", my views have changed considerably in the last few days with SimCity's release...
Whatever EA's next big title will be, I'm sure it's sales will do fine despite all the BS it has put gamers through...sure, it sales may have done better had it been kinder to its customers, but it will no doubt do good enough just like it has with each of its past "failures"....
If PC games can pull that shit, I hardly see how consoles can't get away with it too...your console audience is far more complacent, far more likely to involve themselves with online play with high profile titles, and more likely to have a constant internet connection (since consoles are after all not known for their mobility like a tablet or laptop)...
I would love more than anything for the customer base to force a change in the direction devs are taking with PC and presumably console games...but I just don't see it happening...
Furthermore (and this is really important), stable internet connections are only going to proliferate, not decrease...as we hurl into the lovely future of rampant DRM, people are only going to be more capable of having constant internet connections...and while some people stick to their values and refuse to buy games due to DRM policies they abhor, most gamers will simply "deal with it", accept the future for what it is, and continue buying those games...and just like gaming forces people to upgrade PCs they otherwise would not have, gaming will also force people to acquire better internet access...
Now to be fair, "good internet access" isn't always a choice...it may not be available in your location or you may have frequent power outages, trolls torrenting on the same line, etc....but, some people do have a choice and thus far have opted for the save-money route...even for those without a choice, most people are going to see more options in the future for their internet, not less...