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Posted by: David Sanchez

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It should come as no surprise that plenty of PC gamers are eagerly anticipating the launch of Darkspore. After all, the action RPG from developer Maxis promises to offer Diablo-like gameplay with customization elements inspired by the critically acclaimed Spore. Unfortunately, EA has placed restrictions on the game that are likely to put a damper on the experience for some.

According to the game's official online disclosure notice, Darkspore will require a "persistent Internet connection" in order for gamers to play it. This includes both retail copies of the game as well as Steam's digital version. While I personally don't think this will be a major issue for most PC gamers considering that, well, they're playing on their computer and usually have their Internet connection running anyway, it's still a strange requirement that makes you wonder why EA even has restrictions like these on their games.

This wouldn't be the first time EA pulled a weird stunt. Back in 2008, the company faced a class action suit over Spore's SecuROM DRM, which was secretly installed with the game and reportedly caused problems on gamers' computers. Why EA includes such prerequisites in their PC games is beyond me, but it certainly makes you wonder what the publisher's motives are.

Though the outcome of this unnecessary requirement is unknown, plenty of gamers have reason to be annoyed with EA. Concerns regarding graphics cards overheating and piracy have already been voiced by gamers. We'll just have to see what happens when Darkspore launches on March 29.