"These comments are absolutely not true or in-line with EA's moderation policy," Electronic Arts informed Kotaku. The post in question claimed that DRM discussion would put users "at risk of banning which in some cases would mean you would need to buy a new copy to play Spore."

The game's official message board ties posting privileges to the Spore account one creates upon installation and uses to access the actual game, with EA stressing that the volunteer is not considered an employee.

EA's official word corroborates earlier information from another forum moderator.

"You are not going to lose your game for posting a comment," moderator sporemasterladym wrote in response to the initial outcry. "It is okay to discuss issues on this forum as long as it's done in a respectful manner and there are no personal attacks. This includes the DRM and other controversial issues. Just keep it civil."