I never buy computer games, but occasionally something like “The Sims 2” (the point of this question) looks so tempting that I want to pick it up. Since I have no clue what the industry’s like right now, I want to know - can I install a copy of the Sims 2 on my desktop PC, and then on my laptop? Or am I going to run into some sort of prohibitive thing that keeps me from installing it on one once it’s on the other?
As far as I know you are able to physically do this. I don’t know much about the Sims games but there is rarely the online registration which comes with mainstream applications such as Office or Norton. When you install the game, you’ll be asked to register it online, and while this won’t cause any immediate problems, you should only register once and then skip registration on the second machine.
However, I cannot comment of the legality of such an action, my neophyte knowledge would say that it is logically legal as you own both machines - but I have no knowledge of how true it is.
You purchased the disc, and you’re not distributing it. You’re putting it on two systems you own. If you had given it to your neighbor, who installed it, then passed it on to his brother who installed it, and so on, you run into issues.
As it stands in the OP, you’re good to go.
There’s probably something in the EULA about not having it installed on more than one computer at once. But then again, whether or not an EULA would actually stand up in court is questionable, you bought the game, and you’re not distributing it. Go for it.
Quick clarification: you’re installing two copies of it on two systems you own, which is probably prohibited by your license agreement, but doesn’t violate the spirit of the law. As long as you are only running one copy at a time, you are in the clear. However, if you install it on your machine and also on your laptop, and then invite a friend over to play The Sims 2 over the network so your Sims can wrestle or play hopscotch together, you are violating both the letter and spirit of license agreement.
Most modern games, particularly EA Games, require the CD to be in the drive to play the game. There are ways around this that prevent you from having to do tedious CD swapping whenever you change applications, like mounting a perfect copy of the CD’s ISO image to a virtual drive on your system, from a hard disk. This is legal if you own the CD in question.
Using such methods to circumvent the requirement for having a CD in the drive (one computer running with a CD, one running simultaneously without) violates the letter and spirit of your license agreement, and is flat-out illegal. If you want to play two copies of the game simultaneously, buy two copies of the game. Period.
Most games nowadays require you to have the CD in the drive to play them. As far as I know, you can install 'em on as many computers as you want - but will be limited to playing them one at a time, as you only have one CD.
Again, not the Sims, but there are some games that let you install on more than one PC, but you have to have a CD to start it up. So, if you have three computers networked together, you can play a multiplayer LAN version. Serious Sam and Mechwarrior 4: Mercenaries come to mind.
When in doubt, read the EULA. Rumor has it that it doesn’t hurt. Much.
Thanks, everyone! My original question was actually in reference to “will it actually run on both”, rather than “am I violating some sort of pedantic, obtuse law if I do so?”