Digital Rights Management and SecuROM are like the wail of a siren to the ears of fed-up PC gamers. While Electronic Arts have been a key offender, releasing countless PC titles with restrictive install limits and online-authorisations - the company has today announced what may appear to some gamers as an April fools prank - but - it doesn't appear that it is.

The release of a de-authorisation tool, (which is available on EA's website) allows users to view which titles they have installed currently that utilise SecuROM DRM, and how many authorisations have been used. Most importantly, the tool (and subsequent web-based results) allow users to download game specific tools which de-authorise the title in question from the computer it is run on.

The SecuROM DRM which EA have employed since May 2008 affects some 19 PC game releases, with tools available for each. This includes Spore, Dead Space, Mass Effect, Red Alert 3 and other EA titles including:

Burnout Paradise: The Ultimate Box
Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3
Crysis Warhead
Dead Space
FiFA Manager 09
FIFA Soccer 09
Littlest Pet Shop
The Lord of the Rings: Conquest
Mass Effect
Mercenaries 2: World in Flames
Mirror's Edge
MySims
Need for Speed: Undercover
NHL 09
Spore
Spore Creature Creator
The Sims 2: Apartment Life
The Sims 2 IKEA Home Stuff
The Sims 2 Mansion & Garden Stuff

While this is a small, and minor step away from extremely limiting DRM, it still is a step in the right direction.

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Thanks to Sathias for this news submission!
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