Ubi PC Titles To Require Online Authentication

[Malleus]

Sounds reasonable to me.

Yeah, that's pretty reasonable indeed, thanks for posting (I don't follow BFBC2, so I'd have missed it). It would be even better if it was a once-a-week disc check for the offline mode, but I wouldn't be compaining if my chosen game was protected like this.

Edited February 23, 2010 by Malleus

[=warcloud=]

The new Aliens v predator for pc is tied to steam client and you can not play this game in offline mode.

EDIT: Ahh... i started avp in online mode then cut the power to my modem, can now play sp in offline mode. steam client is a bit unpredictable for me at times. i wish i could go back to the days of proper pc gaming, buy the game, install game, play single player without all these annoyances. I think i'm going to give future soldier and splinter cell conviction for the pc a pass until someone comes up with a better plan to play.

[KRP 56]

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.

That sounds fair enough to me. Just wish the brains at UBI were that fair!!!

[CrowmanUK]

In all fairness Kleaneasy that was only a firmware update that you need to play some new releases, I think terminator salvation was one. So once the update was done you dont need to be connected.

[Rocky]

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

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

Very interesting read CR6, thanks.

[thales100]

Tbh i think we all know that Securom = nothing, it wont prevent a crack being "released" for more than some few hours.

[Cobblers]

CR6, now that is reasonable. And you allow the customer to make the choice for themselves, rather than having something rammed down your throats.

UBI have historically been bad with it's communication with it's loyal fan base and for some reason this doesn't seemed to have changed, regardless of what bad press nor how big a strop we put on.

So at present, it seems like we will not have a MAC version, nor will we have a security system in place that requires me to use the game whilst being online. How UBI are really hitting those buttons during this campaign!

[kleaneasy]

In all fairness Kleaneasy that was only a firmware update that you need to play some new releases, I think terminator salvation was one. So once the update was done you dont need to be connected.

Oh dont say that, I've got that one on its way to me now I really cant cope with having to go through that rigmoral again. I've had no connection in my living room since the damn cat went through the cable

but on topic yes you're right it didnt require a constant connection, still an issue none the less though when you're not aware and dont have a connection to link even just for a firmware update. I ended up nicking a cable from Minvera as all mine that are long enough are in walls...and running it around the entire house to get from living room to modem which are at the fasthest points from each other they could possibly be

[=warcloud=]

The more i think about this the more i get annoyed, it's a bad authoritarian system as it is for crying out loud. The fact is ubisoft, no company will ever stop unauthorized reproduction of any software. You will lose revenue from the criminals anyway and you have lost my vote lads and lasses, no wonga from me peeps until you sort out this single player malarky.

[Pave Low]

another good article from arstechnica.com

The victims of PC gaming DRM: one soldier's story

With companies like Ubisoft leading the way to a future where all PC games need to be in contact with their home servers all the time, one group is being particularly harmed by this movement: soldiers stationed in remote locations. Life on deployment is hard, psychologically demanding, and often lonely for soldiers missing their loved ones and families. Gaming is a popular pastime in American bases, but DRM can take that away.

so by requiring an Internet connection at all times to play a game that isn't online itself is simply alienating an audience.

This approach also represents a poor attempt to attack piracy by attacking people who want to pay you money for the game you've made impossible for them to play.

[oz-ares]

Can I play my game from another computer?

Yes. As long as the game is installed on the PC, you can play from any computer and your Ubisoft account will recognise your last saved position as well as automatically save any updates.

Translation: "We ripped off this silly argument from Steam: We know perfectly well that 99.9% of you play each game on only one PC, and the last 0.1% is perfectly capable of installing the game if you happen to use another PC. OK, not our most brilliant argument, but hey, we have to come up with something to make this ###### look good.

You are my man dude

[Tinker]

Taken from the Steam sales page for AC2:

A PERMANENT HIGH SPEED INTERNET CONNECTION AND CREATION OF A UBISOFT ACCOUNT ARE REQUIRED TO PLAY THIS VIDEO GAME AT ALL TIMES AND TO UNLOCK EXCLUSIVE CONTENT. SUCH CONTENT MAY ONLY BE UNLOCKED ONE SINGLE TIME WITH A UNIQUE KEY. YOU MUST BE AT LEAST 13 TO CREATE A UBISOFT ACCOUNT WITHOUT PARENTAL CONSENT. UBISOFT MAY CANCEL ACCESS TO ONLINE FEATURES UPON A 30-DAY PRIOR NOTICE PUBLISHED AT http://assassinscreed.com

Source

[WytchDokta]

Ubisoft rule the nation. Wait, that's what this is really about, totalitarian domination.

[thales100]

Just bought AC2 PC, please Lord help me.

[=warcloud=]

Just bought AC2 PC.

Let us know how the game installs from start to finish if you don't mind mate. Let us know what ubisoft master server is like, and could you give us a quick insight to what game engine they use, and are the graphics rubbish, mediocre, bland. I'm still thinking about buying splinter cell conviction for the pc but there is no information i can find about the engine, the graphics etc. I have a small games cash flow left so i don't want to waste money on a poor pc version of sc conviction, it would make me really angry if the game is rubbish and have to be online constant to play sp.

Only seen videos screenshots of the console version of sc conviction and it looks bland. I presume ac2 is using the same engine?.

Thanks.

[thales100]

Let us know how the game installs from start to finish if you don't mind mate. Let us know ...

Sure, yes it uses the same engine.

[Pave Low]

Talking to PC Gamer, a representative from Ubisoft confirmed that

*Splinter Cell: Conviction,

*Silent Hunter 5: Battle of the Atlantic,

*Assassin's Creed 2 for the PC,

*Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands

*and the all new Ghost Recon title

would have the same Internet always on-based Digital Rights Management scheme.

He stated that “It's hard for us to say, yes, from now until the day that we all die all of our games are going to include this but most will.”

[thales100]

It seems that there is a leaked russian version of AC2 out in the web but aparently unplayable, hope UBI did a great job, tha damn pirates will get hard on this trying to crack it.

Edited March 3, 2010 by thales100

[Dick Splash]

Amazon reviews about Anno 1404 have already complained about DRM's.

DS

[NoQuarter]

^

Drilling down alittle deeper would have revealed that Ubi has apparently already released a patch removing both the OSP & the 3 install limit, as well as the physical disc requirement for that title.

Could be light at the end of the tunnel for those interested in other, upcoming Ubisoft products.

____

I wonder if whoever cooked up this idea (OSP) has their resumé updated and in order.

[Rocky]

^

Drilling down alittle deeper would have revealed that Ubi has apparently already released a patch removing both the OSP & the 3 install limit, as well as the physical disc requirement for that title.

I see that, however I also saw this

Cheer's Guy's I was going to buy this game untill i saw these reviews

I wonder how many people saw all those anti DRM reviews and decided not to buy the game, and what percentage of those ever hear about the removal of the DRM and then decide to buy it. Chance are, they never heard about the removal and/or decided to buy something else instead and are no longer interested.

Removing DRM at a later stage, IMO, is too late. Lost sales not recoverable.

[Sup]

But unlike all of the babbling about RUINING FRANCHISES that still makes them money, this is at least a huge outright mistake that maybe ubisoft can learn from. The pc community has been railing agaisnt DRM for years. There is no excuse for something this draconian, whoever made this call is completely out of touch, and might actually take notice if all of their games underperform.

[Rocky]

There is no excuse for something this draconian, whoever made this call is completely out of touch

I agree, this is a huge mistake that should have been shouted down long before the public had a chance to get wind of it. While industry leaders (i.e. itunes etc etc) are removing DRM and reaping the benefits, Ubisoft have shunned any idea of forward thinking and remain committed to steadfastly beating a dead horse! Meanwhile, oh so predictably, pirates have now practically got tunnel vision for Ubisoft DRM and will crack it days after retail hits the shelves, or even earlier!

Ubisoft have dropped the ball on this one big time. You really get the impression that the powers that be are sitting oblivious in ivory towers on this one.

Yes, plenty of people are being critical on this subject, but rightly so - it's because we all want GRFS to be a success!

[thales100]

Well i think its quite possible that the "new" DRM will be eliminated by UBI since Silent Hunter 5 has already been cracked. This protection system may have failed miserably.

Edited March 4, 2010 by thales100

[WhiteKnight77]

Report: Ubisoft's "Always On" PC DRM already cracked?

Well, today a report on the InfoAddict web site claims that a hacker group called Skid-Row has already cracked Ubisoft's new DRM code for Silent Hunter 5. Naturally there's no info on how exactly this was done but if this is true it appears that Ubisoft's code has been defeated very quickly. Again we have to wonder if the company will finally cave in and do away with this system that may have been rendered useless.

With this revelation, it is high time Ubi stop with the charade of trying to "protect" their investment. While I do not condone piracy, I have to laugh over this and say, I told you so. Ubi, wake up and smell the coffee. Reward gamers who buy your games, but do not help those who pirate said games instead of hindering legitimate customers.