Call for Full Disclosure from Ubisoft

[Rocky]

Doubts over the accuracy or legitimacy over Ubisoft's claims that a DDOS attack caused downtime for new customers wanting to play Assassin's Creed 2 and Silent Hunter 5 recently, have led to a call for full disclosure on seclists.org.

I don't see why they didn't just block the attack. It must be more then [sic] this.

Source.

The option that the attack is just made up as an excuse for too few

resources to support all the players should also not be forgotten,

although I consider that improbable.

How do you feel, is it improbable?

Understanding corporate speak and how they can put a slant on things, it wouldn't be too much of a stretch for under resourcing to be labelled "Denial of Service" in the strictest sense of DoS, and in avoidance of massive consumer backlash. However Ubisoft specifically identified it as malicious when they posted a twitter notice specifically calling it an "attack".

But if it was malicious, and it took Ubisoft's servers offline for more than a day, the cost implications are not minimal, therefore where is the investigation at?

Also, DOS attacks are usually credited to some hacker outfit somewhere, they crave the cred, so why no claims coming from the hacker fraternity?

It's a lack of information on those two questions that is leading some to question the validity of Ubisoft's DOS claim. In the interest of customer relations, you'd think Ubisoft would be looking to reassure their customers, or show some kind of investigation for the accountability for what happened.

Elsewhere, and on a lighter note, here's

why Ubisoft are right and you are all wrong!

[petsfed]

Tricky business, this. I think you're right though, those consumers who lost usability due to server failure deserve an investigation. If it was a hacker group, they need to be hoisted on a petard for all to see. That said, the lack of an investigation is suspect, at best. Potentially, this is UBI's way of dodging a public announcement that they just didn't expect that many PC players.

[thales100]

At least the DRM is solid as a rock, its quite clear that the incoming AAA titles will included the "always online" protection, like Crysis 2 and GRFS i.e.

[krise madsen]

The burden of evidence is definitely with Ubisoft. The response to practically anything coming out of Ubi these days is "Prove it".

Yeah, it sucks and no it's not entirely fair, but you made your bed and now you get to lie in it.

Edited March 23, 2010 by krise madsen

[Tinker]

Amazon customer reviews (Taken with a pinch of salt...)

Silent Hunter: Battle of the Atlantic

5 star: (1)

4 star: (2)

3 star: (0)

2 star: (5)

1 star: (39)

Assassin's Creed 2

5 star: (3)

4 star: (1)

3 star: (1)

2 star: (2)

1 star: (78)

Not very encouraging...

DDOS attacks, loss of connections, problems and more problems, all mentioned throughout.

[WhiteKnight77]

I have repeatedly brought up the fact that Ubi has server problems. There are problems with their forums (apparently there was one within the last 2 weeks in which posts were lost again), there are problems with the Uplay system and there are repeated problems with the servers for their games. It would not be a stretch to think that they lack the infrastructure to handle the requirements of having to have all games be connected to Ubi's servers. Whether it be the lack of servers to actual DoS attacks, gamers could not use their legally purchased games they way that they were advertised. The "compensation" Ubi is offering does not make up for the fact that gamers could not play a single player game due to the idiotic need to be connected to Ubi when ever they want to play.

Ubi cannot be honest with themselves much less their customers and one day it will bite them where the sun doesn't shine.

[thales100]

Tbh in over 24 hours of gameplay i had no issues at all with the DRM.

[WhiteKnight77]

Page after page in the Ubi forums all state complaints of not being able to connect to the DRM servers and not being able to connect to the forums. Take a trip through the now 97 pages long thread. The sad part is, people are asking for someone from Ubi to post in the forums and not Mr Shade or ms-kleaneasy.

After seeing a 140+ page thread grow in the R6V forums about Bi-Directional Communication, I can say that Ubi is so arrogant that they think people will keep buying their games without them saying anything. After a 22% loss in profits for close to the past year, I think they will lose more with this DRM garbage they are using.

[Lightspeed]

sadly ppl will keep buying their games WK

[thales100]

sadly ppl will keep buying their games WK

Yes, and this doesnt mean theyre idiots or something - the "dont like it, dont buy it" is also valid as "like it, buy it", since i had no issues at all with the DRM, and AC2 is great - yes ill keep buying AAA titles from UBI, specially considering my 60 dollars worth 60 dollars. The DRM hasnt been cracked m8, that makes all difference.

Also how many of the ppl that had no issues at all (the vast majority) will post in the official forums to tell it ?

The protection system has been tested and improved, and it works.

[Lightspeed]

Also how many of the ppl that had no issues at all (the vast majority) will post in the official forums to tell it ?

good point

[Rocky]

Not really, the issue here is not how many happy customers there, it's how many unhappy there are.

[thales100]

Well, thats the same thing imo, no ? You can discuss that 98% of the customers are happy, or that 2% are unhappy.

[Tinker]

How about the 1000`s of unhappy customers that just throw it on the shelf and buy another game? Not even a clue about forums and what not.

Not a dig at you Thales, but were did those stats come from? We just making them up ourselves now?

I personnally will have no issues having to use the new DRM when my time comes, as much as I do not want it. But open your eyes more, every forums, every point of sales is chocker with complaints. Even the EA chief has addmitted it is not working. (Rocky just posted elsewere on this I see, say no more.)

Your attitude is as bad as 1 of the forum mods at UBI after 97 pages of issues.

Just downloaded Settlers VII demo but after 5 minutes and 5 interuptions due to internet conection I have uninstalled it. Unplayable.

You must have a very bad connection then, I even tried the demo on a 3G mobile connection, to see how well it would work on that instead of a normal connection, and had no problems at all.

You know, it works for me, so it must for you. Or YOUR connection is the fault attitude.

[NoQuarter]

Submitted (DELETE)-and apparently accepted- shortly after the BIG Announcement...

...yet my in-box is still being flooded with "Get $5 Off Splinter Cell Conviction...", etc.

Just another example of Ubisofts recent Denial of Service... or just of their recent sense of humor (see :FS)?

____

I'm calling for full disclosure but in the meantime...Report as Junk...in keeping with their current and future catalog.

Edited March 24, 2010 by NoQuarter

[JohnTC02]

Ubisoft offers free content to those suffering online DRM outages.

I suppose it's a goodwill gesture from Ubi but I don't think it will go very far to alleviate peoples anger at all the problems that are arising with the DRM system.

Ubisoft has decided to offer free game content to PC players of Assassin’s Creed 2 and Silent Hunter 5 after users were unable to play their games due to attacks on the DRM servers.

http://www.gamenewshq.com/news/457386

[Tinker]

Silent Hunter 5 crowd get 1 of the following:

1. Shaun White Snowboarding

2. Prince of persia

Assassins Creed 2 crowd get 1 of the following:

1. Tom Clancys Hawx

2. Heros over Eurpoe

3. Tom Clancys End War

4. Price of Persia

Not a bad offering really.

Though not sure the SH5 people are too keen SubSim Boarders!

[WhiteKnight77]

Leave it to Socko!!!!

With the SH crowd being older (average age in the late 40s, early 50s), Ubi is insulting them with those offerings. I don't ever recall any of them talking about playing either.

[NYR_32]

Tbh in over 24 hours of gameplay i had no issues at all with the DRM.

Until a runaway truck takes down your cable/phone line and your internet goes down. You will really be enjoying your brand new $60 coaster then.

[thales100]

Until a runaway truck takes down your cable/phone line and your internet goes down.

Shhhhhh ....

[WhiteKnight77]

The SHV forums are raking Ubi over the coals with the "compensation" for those who bought SHV and ACII. They are not happy that war gamers were not offered war games to play.

Our choice is limited because Ubisoft is dumb. Or perhaps snowboarding game fans is who they thought they were making this game for. That would explain a lot...

There are some other awesome pics in that thread too.

[kleaneasy]

Re comments about the games offered to the Sub Sim crowd.... If I could explain.. the issue here is the games offered had to have a rating equal to or lesser than the game in question. With SH5 this left very few options hence the game given was what it is.

[Rocky]

I was kinda disappointed to see the negative feedback to this really quite generious offer from Ubisoft. They didn't *need* to do anything, to offer a full game is pretty neat. To complain that the selection is not varied enough is pretty shallow if you ask me.

[calius]

At least the DRM is solid as a rock, its quite clear that the incoming AAA titles will included the "always online" protection, like Crysis 2 and GRFS i.e.

Not really check out GTAIV ... that's been ripped apart, you can now play it without any of it what so ever loading on game start up, with game saves in an entirely different location from install.

I doubt the new style games will avoid a hack.

That said I purchase everything I own gaming wise but I really don't like anything that forces you online to play for single play. If its like GTAIV its not permanent you can do it once that just run in "offline" mode, but I maybe wrong with new games.

Slightly off topic

[WhiteKnight77]

I had asked how teen rated games were not equal compensation for a teen rated game, but I found this tonight:

Originally posted by kimbo1962:

I got a free Game (chose of two) from Ubisoft for some game disruption. I never had any probs with the game and with a few bugs it, has worked well for me. So thanks Ubisoft--Cheers 'email I got from ubisoft' =Following the recent temporary game server outages which may have caused disruption to some Silent Hunter 5 players on PC only, we would like to reward your patience if you have experienced any problems by offerring you a full downloadable game from the list provided below, completely free of charge.=

Want a laugh,,, I downloaded snowboard taking about 6hrs for 7gb game. Installs fine but when you hit launch it asks for a serial number.Have you any ideas as to how to get one?

Yes, it is laudable that Ubi offered some free games to those affected by server problems with the DRM that Ubi still hasn't come clean on, still, they haven't come clean on why the teen rated games of HAWX, Heros Over Europe and EndWar are not suitable compensation for those who enjoy war games or on how those who redeemed are supposed to play said free games (one gamer had to download something from Tages, a CP/DRM system, in order to play PoP).