Spore will not start up?

I just bought Spore like 2 hours ago and have been trying to get it to work... I installed it and after the installation process it downloaded some EA update thing along with it; I allowed it to install. After that I clicked the SPORE icon in my Windows 7 menu and waited... I think after about 2 minutes this window popped up: "The game can not start. The game needs access to the internet in order to verify ownership of this game. Please ensure that your computer is online and try again."

I googled the error message and found some suggestions of how to make it work. I checked my fire wall, and I found that the EA download manager was being blocked, so i enabled it. This did not work.. I also read that sometimes anti-virus can mess with the game's start up, so i disabled it and clicked the SPORE icon on my laptop, and still I receive the same message.

What I did next was uninstall the program, restart my laptop, and re-installed it.

I was hoping it would work... but it did not.

I just cannot get the game to work! I'm all out of ideas, and have no clue what to do. I bought the game at walmart, and it was the last one on the shelf. I have heard some other theories about the error message i'm getting being a defective disc.. I hope it isn't that.

I do have a strong internet signal. I get my internet through a verizon mifi router, but i'm not sure if the type of internet even matters.

Can someone please help? :'(