Ubisoft Cooling Off DRM Policy??

Kalah · Unread postby **Kalah** » 04 Jan 2011, 19:17

<img src="/http://support.uk.ubi.com/online-servic ... t_logo.jpg" align=right hspace=10 vspace=10>The fierce debate on Ubisoft's copy protection policy (outlined <a href="/http://support.uk.ubi.com/online-servic ... m">here</a>) might be headed for a new chapter, as PC Gamer <a href="/http://www.pcgamer.com/2010/12/31/const ... >report</a> that a constant net connection no longer seems to be required for Ubisoft games.

Ubisoft told <a href="/http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/ubiso ... rogamer</a> back in April that the policy was here to stay, adding that "most forthcoming Ubisoft PC titles" would use their online services platform. Included in the list of games thought likely to use the DRM was R.U.S.E., but as was <a href="/http://www.pcgamer.com/2010/08/12/ruse- ... >announced back in August</a>, it was decided that the game should be using Steamworks instead of the dreaded online DRM. This was described at the time as "the first major crack in Ubisoft’s resolve" on the matter - the first chink in the armour, if you will.

Now, players of Assassin's Creed 2 and Splinter Cell: Conviction have <a href="/http://www.reddit.com/r/gaming/comments ... >posted</a> screenshots showing their games running with web connections turned off. Apparently, the games only require a web connection at startup, enabling you to, as one Norwegian reviewer said it: "start up your game at home and then bring your machine with you on holiday".

There has been no official statement from Ubisoft on which, if any, DRM solution M&M: Heroes VI will use. Nor have they commented on whether the policy will be continued or abandoned completely. Celestial Heavens' <a href="/https://www.celestialheavens.com/newsar ... arch">view on the matter</a> is simple to summarize, though: we remain hopeful that this draconian and counterproductive method will be stopped, and we hope that these latest developments are signs of fatigue - yet another step in the direction of Ubisoft's finally admitting their mistake and scrapping their policy altogether.

<center><img src="/https://www.celestialheavens.com/images ... ti-DRM.jpg"

If you would like to take a look at the original page visit this link:
https://www.celestialheavens.com/1294168644

jeff · Unread postby **jeff** » 04 Jan 2011, 21:21

Kalah wrote: "start up your game at home and then bring your machine with you on holiday".

Not sure what that means

start the game then keep the laptop in standby, and hope the battery doesn't die. If you must have a connection even if it is only to start it, I will not buy it. The only internet connection I will accept is if it is needed during installation to register it, and I will even bend if it is needed to apply patches, but that is as far as I will go.

GreatEmerald · Unread postby **GreatEmerald** » 04 Jan 2011, 22:30

All right, let's see here, how did their policy change in regards to the Gamers' Bill of Rights?

Not sure about rule #1 and #2; still compliant with #3; not sure about how it was used before but if they switched to steamworks, that means they just broke the rule #4; not sure about #5; from what I gather, they broke and are still breaking rule #6; they now are compliant with #7; still breaks #8 and #9, but not as severely; still breaks #10. In short, 5 rules are being broken (two of them less severely) and it's compliant with 2 rules, with 3 more uncertain, as opposed to 5 broken rules, 1 compliant and 4 undetermined rules. So the situation is indeed improving, while slowly.

Wurtzel · Unread postby **Wurtzel** » 04 Jan 2011, 23:14

"start up your game at home and then bring your machine with you on holiday".

I think he means/hopes that the game will require being online duing or after installation, after which you will be able to play it offline..

ThunderTitan · Unread postby **ThunderTitan** » 05 Jan 2011, 06:36

Man, it's almost as if someone over there realised how retarded it is to not be able to play the game you bought while people who pirated it never had that problem....

Avonu · Unread postby **Avonu** » 05 Jan 2011, 12:47

Yeah, right

http://www.shacknews.com/onearticle.x/67015

"New games, however, may still ship with the always-on DRM, Ubisoft confirmed to Shacknews."

Kalah · Unread postby **Kalah** » 05 Jan 2011, 13:01

Yes, according to Ubi's statement to Shacknews, the DRM decisions will be made on a "case by case basis", and that even games that have the always-on DRM might be patched out at "at some point".

What that sounds like is a strategy in which they use the startup-check-DRM for most games, the always-on-DRM for their biggest titles, and then issue a patch removing the need for online connections after a year or two. Basically, DRM new games and remove it once the game becomes "old". That way, Ubi can spend their resources on always protecting their new games.

ttague2005 · Unread postby **ttague2005** » 05 Jan 2011, 13:48

My internet connection is sketchy at best. I will not buy the game, if on-line connectivity is required to run the program. Further, I simply do not want to support invasive marketing of products.

Campaigner · Unread postby **Campaigner** » 05 Jan 2011, 15:44

OMG are they THICK or something?!?

What's the fucking POINT of not requiring internetacess while you play but you still need internetacess to START.THE.FUCKING.GAME!!!

I support activating games online and for patches (like Steam and Impulse) so developers got SOME protection but after having REGISTERED.THE.FUCKING.GAME (which is PROOF that you B-O-U-G-H-T IT) there shouldn't be any more checks except for patches.

....The lack of logic in some people is just incredible!!!

Becoming my old angry self every now and then though it's quite rare

Orfinn · Unread postby **Orfinn** » 05 Jan 2011, 18:38

Online activation is total bogus, that you have to be online to play.

Speaking of DRM in general, well I recently found out that H5, all of them games have Securom included. And here I was yapping about NEVER to buy a DRM game again... Shot down like a hypocrite xP Heck I even got hold of the new Kings Bounty games and even Spore, no problem so far....

What eases me is that they really dont need online authentication to be played. But if H6 gets it, well I kinda get upset!

admira99 · Unread postby **admira99** » 06 Jan 2011, 02:31

I sensed 3DO failure, but this time not due the crappy games like the ones 3DO produced but rather a stupid decision in their risk division to use DRM
Edited on Wed, Jan 05 2011, 21:32 by admira99

Infiltrator · Unread postby **Infiltrator** » 06 Jan 2011, 02:34

Heroes 6 looks so messed up I'm not even thinking about DRM tbh.

intipacha · Unread postby **intipacha** » 06 Jan 2011, 14:13

makes me wanna pirate the hell out of any and all ubisoft games! without any second thoughts.

Kristo · Unread postby **Kristo** » 07 Jan 2011, 04:13

I am so required to send you here: http://www.penny-arcade.com/comic/2010/2/19/

GrayFace · Unread postby **GrayFace** » 12 Jan 2011, 13:14

It doesn't make sense IMO. They should have switched to one time activation, like in Steam. Activation on each run may be a bit harder to crack, but whether it's cracked a week later shouldn't matter much that far from release.
In any case, I think they care mostly about their servers' load, not about customers' convenience. That's also why they were so silent about the change.

GreatEmerald wrote:All right, let's see here, how did their policy change in regards to the Gamers' Bill of Rights?

You forgot to post a link to the bill

http://www.next-gen.biz/blogs/the-gamers-bill-rights

GreatEmerald · Unread postby **GreatEmerald** » 12 Jan 2011, 16:02

More like Impulse::Reactor. No 3rd party programs as a requirement, please.

And the actual link there is this:
http://www.gamersbillofrights.org/

ThunderTitan · Unread postby **ThunderTitan** » 13 Jan 2011, 15:37

Kristo wrote:I am so required to send you here: http://www.penny-arcade.com/comic/2010/2/19/

Yes, just like how when driving safety laws lead to an increase in accidents and/or dead people lawmakers should keep those laws but increase the punishment for them... that always works.

Of course it would be nice if both sales and pirating went down all of a sudden... just so i can see what they'll say then...

The Heroes Round Table