It's because the people who make the games at EA are not the high-ups in the company. The businessmen are, and even with the greatest creative minds in the industry, the corporate culture comes from the top down, not bottom up. It ties the hands of a lot of the no-doubt excellent designers and creative types in the business. We're seeing the backlash of that culture's impact on what's being released - either stagnant creativity or poorly-planned DRM that only hurts legitimate consumers while protecting the software from exactly 0 pirates. There are so many better methods it boggles the mind why this bullshit is still let through.

One model I admire quite a bit for its forthright honesty is including some means of recognizing whether the software is pirated or legit, and if it is pirated just a simple screen saying "hey, if you're enjoying the game, consider supporting the creators by paying for a full copy or donating so that we can make more games!" It sounds absurd but very often, just letting people download your game (at least if you're indie) has improved sales, at least in the short term. I think big publishers are underestimating the potential of treating their players like people, and not like criminal scum.

Of course, 60 dollar, million-dollar-budget epics with huge teams might not be able to just give it out like candy, but the point isn't to give it away - the point is to have regard for your players and know that you're creating art to be consumed. Strategies that rely on mutual respect, I think, produce better feelings, better regard and rapport between the creator and the consumer, and isn't as futile as trying to stop the rise and fall of the tides.