The Sims 3, one of EA’s key titles for 2009, has spilled onto torrent trackers a full week before the game is released across North America.
Rumours of the leak first appeared on a GamePolitcs report. Casualgaming has since identified a number of trackers linking to a 4.9 GB file packaged with a crack to illicitly run the game. Comments on certain trackers are already expressing views about how The Sims 3 plays.
The news marks a painful and unjust blow to EA’s fortunes. The publisher had very recently exhibited a rare degree of flexibility and diplomacy by removing unpopular DRM technologies from its range of PC products.
If such flagrant disregard to the rights of EA content continues, then the group may once again be forced to employ contentious methods to restrict piracy.