Ubi PC Titles To Require Online Authentication

[Big]

What i really don't understand is why most of developers permit certain people to answer questions. When u read that FAQ as Sup says looks like there is not connection in the company.

What it's funny is that they expect it to be hacked, so it will only work for some games, maybe the few first ones. It's clear that they add all those DRM to save the first weeks sales till the game becomes cracked, but in other comment they say u better wait for people telling you how the game works after they bought it.

It's always really funny reading those comments which are completely separated from reality. I would like to live in the same world those people does.

[CR6]

In all fairness, I will post Ubi's response to the PC Gamer article, ironically posted at PC Gamer also.

Ubi DRM: Their side of the story

Nice find WK. Looks like it's posted by the guy who wrote the original article. Now we know why Ubi doesn't want to use Steam for its newest titles, although it hasn't stopped them from selling previous GR titles on Steam ...

I found this part particularly hilarious

Ubisoft: The system is made by guys who love PC games. They play PC games, they are your friends.


I appreciate this Ubi spokesperson is trying to be honest with the answers, but statements like the one above and giving the company line that this DRM is "advantageous for gamers" is absolutely condescending - do they really expect that we would actually believe that?

Like Big said in the post above, I think Ubi brass is living in a completely alternate reality. Everyone here can see this DRM scheme is going to fail miserably (I'm predicting Ubi will experiment with it for the next year then give up on it by 2011) and who knows how much money they are wasting on it already.

I mean, even Apple's iTunes gave up on DRM and look how much money they are raking in.

Edit: Looks like Ubi's DRM is getting some negative press from some of the larger sites. Perhaps there is still hope that Ubi will drop this DRM before GRFS PC comes out by the end of this year.

http://arstechnica.com/gaming/news/2010/02...details-drm.ars

http://www.maximumpc.com/article/news/ubis...l_not_convinced

[krise madsen]

One thing to keep in mind is that when the industry talk about the "crackability" of DRM they think in terms of months, not forever.

For a AAA title, about half of the total sales happen within the first few months. After, say, six months, whether or not the DRM has been cracked is largely irrelevant to sales. All DRM efforts are concentrated on those vital first months.

Which is why some publishers patch out DRM after a while, which solves most problems for everyone. The big challenge is to make the "DRM-will-be-removed-eventually" an industry standard.

[=warcloud=]

If this protection method does not go to plan then happy are we, but i hope ubisoft can patch their games pronto so we can at least continue to play their sp games in offline mode (aka normal mode).

[WhiteKnight77]

I found this part particularly hilarious

Ubisoft: The system is made by guys who love PC games. They play PC games, they are your friends.

This quote is what really gets me. Just how disconnected Ubisoft is from PC gamers is evident in this very statement. If such were the case, then why was R6: Lockdown a console port from the PS2 version, or SC: Double Agent a console port from the X360 version or why are the torpedoes in SH5 now nerfed and able to magically have their range extended or why are PCcenteric features like dedicated servers, direct IP connections or LAN play missing from games or the R6 Vegas games so wacked out that when a patch was released to add a "hardcore" mode that with it one could only play one round then get dropped back to the menu instead of back the the game setup screen?

These are just of the games I have followed over the years. If they were PC gamers, then they would know that we do not want any sort of DRM that keeps paying customers from playing a game that they purchased a license to play anywhere, any time or any how and not just "rent" it. They would also know that we do not want console ports. They would also know we want a PC game with more features added and not removed. They would also know we want a PC game that makes us think.

[Rocky]

Someone over at the Ubi forums made this.

Ubi OSP Flow Chart

My Soda is flat.

LMAO

The things is, this has attracted so much attention, that I can imagine hackers virtually queuing up to be the first to have the online requirement. This could be the fastest hacked game in history.

[thales100]

I hope this cant be hacked, the only game i know that uses a similar protection, RoF, hasnt been cracked till now (afaik).

[WhiteKnight77]

I hope this cant be hacked, the only game i know that uses a similar protection, RoF, hasnt been cracked till now (afaik).

The makers of RoF are removing said requirement in an upcoming patch due to the exact same reasons why many are riding Ubi about saying that they would rather lose some to piracy than lose costumers who will pay for it.

[Sgt. Atoa]

ROF is a niche low profile flight simulation game on the other hand AC2 is a AAA game.

Most casual to regular gamers don't even know about ROF but they know AC2 just fine.

Edited February 20, 2010 by Sgt. Atoa

[WhiteKnight77]

RoF was one of the most anticipated flight sims in a long time as it focuses on one area long abandoned, WWI. I am even wanting it now that the 24/7 connection will no longer be needed (I brought this up in the past when it first came out last year).

[thales100]

RoF was one of the most anticipated flight sims in a long time as it focuses on one area long abandoned, WWI. I am even wanting it now that the 24/7 connection will no longer be needed (I brought this up in the past when it first came out last year).

Yes its a cool sim, i bought it from UK some months ago, anyway only time will tell if this system is crackable or not .

[kleaneasy]

RoF was one of the most anticipated flight sims in a long time as it focuses on one area long abandoned, WWI. I am even wanting it now that the 24/7 connection will no longer be needed (I brought this up in the past when it first came out last year).

That doesnt stop it being a niche market game, its sales wont come even close to comparing to AAA titles such as Assassins Creed.

[Sgt. Atoa]

Long anticipated by the flight sim crowd WK

[thales100]

its sales wont come even close to comparing to AAA titles such as Assassins Creed.

Well im sure we all know that, the point is how (and if) this "difference" will result in a way to crack this kind of anti piracy protection or not, since RoF wasnt cracked.

Edited February 20, 2010 by thales100

[Pave Low]

article over at arstechnica.com

Official explanation of controversial Assassin's Creed 2 DRM

"As long as you do not quit the game, the game will continue to try to reconnect for an unlimited time. Once the game is able to reconnect, you will immediately be returned to your game,"

"Where exactly you are reconnected in the game may differ from title to title.

Settlers 7 reconnects at the exact point where the connection was lost,

Assassin's Creed 2 reconnects you at the last checkpoint. There are many checkpoints so you're back to the point where you got disconnected in no time."

[WhiteKnight77]

That doesnt stop it being a niche market game, its sales wont come even close to comparing to AAA titles such as Assassins Creed.

Niche market game or not, hell, even GR was a niche market AAA game, the devs could possibly see an equal number of sales to pirated versions and for a smaller company whose bottom line isn't that large to begin with, it will be impacted even more by piracy.

[CrowmanUK]

Wonder what the reaction would be if a large bluray publisher turned round and said that to view the bluray title you have to be connected to the internet so as to cut down on piracy? I'd guess that the movie industry loses more money to piracy than the games industry, go to any car boot sale and there are always a few cars loaded with dvd's.

Wonder what kind of reaction there would be to that and how it would affect bluray sales?

[CJo1964]

WHY do UBI NEVER listen !!!!!!!!!!

[LordBelfast]

I'm sure our boys overseas are happy with this new intelligent creation from Ubi!

[kleaneasy]

Wonder what the reaction would be if a large bluray publisher turned round and said that to view the bluray title you have to be connected to the internet so as to cut down on piracy? I'd guess that the movie industry loses more money to piracy than the games industry, go to any car boot sale and there are always a few cars loaded with dvd's.

Wonder what kind of reaction there would be to that and how it would affect bluray sales?

Actually some blu ray players do require a connection to watch a film because without regular software updates they cant play certain films... as I found out the hard way

[Cobblers]

So potential issues that will prevent you from playing your game.

Your internet goes down.

So even if I am playing an SP game, I need to be connected to the net. You are joking right? What happens if I don't have internet access, perhaps the only access I have to the net is whilst I am at work.

Or, for example, my local telephone exchange gets burnt out due to vandalism, this means my game is useless to me until the BT engineer fixes it.

Quite ridiculous, quite frankly. Whoever thought of this idea needs to screw their head back on the right way.

And let's just say, I take this game home, install it and THEN figure out it requires net access, will I get a refund. No, I doubtit. In fact, I would suggest it will state "net access required" however, this will most likely not be the most obvious thing I shall be looking out for before I make my purchase.

[Rocky]

In fact, I would suggest it will state "net access required" however, this will most likely not be the most obvious thing I shall be looking out for before I make my purchase.

This is what I am struggling with, the packaging will have to say net access required. However, most people will see that and think the obvious, that it is for online play only. So really it would need to say, on the front, in big red letters "Persistant Internet Connection Required Even for Single Player", but that's a real mouthfull.

There are so many pitfalls here it's bewildering.

[NoQuarter]

^

As I was in the store last December mistakenly purchasing OFP:DR I was curious and took a look at the system specs of COD:MW2... the Steam Requirement info text block was conveniently obscured by the packaging/stickering.

No doubt Ubisoft will follow suit, knowing their marketing practises, and who they are competing against.

Edited February 22, 2010 by NoQuarter

[firefly2442]

Oh great, so Assassins Creed 2 is going to have this? I was really looking forward to this game...

[CR6]

So ... with BF Bad Company 2 coming out, I was wondering what EA was going to go about their DRM. I purchased multiple copies of BF2 and BF2: Special Forces for LAN events (and even bought the Euro Force booster download) and thoroughly enjoyed that game, so I am seriously contemplating purchasing BFBC2.

The final answer is in the PC version Lead Progammer's blog:

http://blogs.battlefield.ea.com/battlefiel...otection.aspx##

Basically they will give you 2 options: you can authenticate online, or authenticate by having the DVD in your drive so you can play Single Player 100% offline.

Sounds reasonable to me. Notice all the postive comments in response to his blog. Notice the good press:

http://www.neoseeker.com/news/13005-battle...onary-sensible/

EA is giving gamers a choice, and hopefully it works out for them with happier gamers that pay for legit versions of the game, and less piracy for EA.