64 replies to this topic 1 votes

[compl3x]

Quote

In an interview with RPS, due to go live in a few hours, Ubisoft’ worldwide director for online games, Stephanie Perlotti, has said the Ubisoft has officially stopped using ‘always-on’ DRM and will not implement it in future games.

“We have listened to feedback,” he said, “and since June last year our policy for all of PC games is that we only require a one-time online activation when you first install the game, and from then you are free to play the game offline.”

Previously Ubisoft titles required players to be online at all times whilst playing — if your online connection dropped out the game would stop. It’s long been thought of as one of the most counter-intuitive, punishing forms of DRM conceived. Now it looks as though all Ubisoft games will require one simple activation, and players will then be allowed to play the game they’ve purchase on or offline.
Great news, and the right decision all round.

The full interview is set to up on RPS in a couple of hours.
Ubisoft Scrapping Always-On DRM For PC Games [RPS]

*applauds*

My opinion of ubisoft just nudged a little closer to the positive side of the spectrum.

[+remixedcat]

About damn time I heard a rumor from someone about that and I guess it's true! Yey!

[compl3x]

It would be nice to see them release patches to get rid of the DRM on the games some of us already own. However, I doubt that'll happen.

[BattleDaggit]

This is Ubisoft. They're probably getting rid of online DRM by abandoning PC gaming.

[sagum]

IronChef75, on 05 September 2012 - 08:03, said:

This is Ubisoft. They're probably getting rid of online DRM by abandoning PC gaming.

I was just about to say.. after reading the head line my first thought was 'ohhh no!' because ubisoft, ea and the rest of the DRM enforcement crews only usually ditch one DRM in favor of another more restrictive. I was expecting ubisoft to require a gps locator attached dongle on your PC and a copy of your passport to be sent in as proof its you or somethig stupid.

[+Majesticmerc]

As a PC gamer, this is welcome, but unnecessary. I abandoned all Ubisoft games years ago. I got tired of crap like always-on DRM and them punishing me for wanting to play their games on my PC.

Fool me once...

[compl3x]

I wonder if Ubi trully understands just how much they've alienated so many of their customers. And just how many will never have anything to do with them ever again.

[+sanke1]

PC gaming is far from dead. Infact due to consoles seeming more redundant these days, PC gaming has exciting days ahead.

Ubisoft must be well aware by now that intrusive DRM does nothing to prevent piracy, just humiliates genuine buyers while pirates point and laugh at them. Hence the decision. With that being said, I still won't buy their recycled Assassins Creed games.

[The King of GnG]

Heh, cracks will be released faster this way (not that I have touched a Ubisoft game in ages, by the way). Anyway my opinion is that PC gaming would perform pretty well if the market was populated more by indie developers and less by big-budget monsters like Ubicrap whose only idea is to please shareholderds. I don't give a crap about shareholders, I want fun and games not "on-line plus services+achievements" and that's all.

[HawkMan]

hmm I think big triple A titles like MW, AC, ME, BF, Borderlands, and such when they're available on the platform do far more for the PC market than indie titles.

Besides there's no lack of indie devs on PC. it's where most of them are, even if many make more money of consoles. Though I guess that would be a problem for a person who insists on not buying anything that doesn't come on a physical disk.

[compl3x]

John Walker over at Rock, Paper, Shotgun did a great interview and really took Perotti and Burk to task over the bull**** DRM, not releasing statistics related to DRM (or 1 minute saying it was a success and the next saying piracy rates were at 93-95%) and the damage the always on crap has done to Ubi reputation. It's a good article. I suggest people read.

http://www.rockpaper...racy-interview/

[Deranged]

compl3x, on 05 September 2012 - 07:59, said:

It would be nice to see them release patches to get rid of the DRM on the games some of us already own. However, I doubt that'll happen.

I think they did. Splinter Cell: Conviction hasn't done any weird network related glitching in ages for me (And my ISP is definately glitchy.)

[Frogboy]

There was so recent comment I saw that indicated that they believed 90%+ of their players are playing a pirated copy.

Which begs the question, when they have a game that has 5 or so million sales, are they suggesting there's another 50 million or so people playing a pirated copy?

Or that a significant percentage of the human population in the world that has ready access to electricity is, at this moment, playing Rainbow Six.

In fact, 15 out of 10 people on this forum are playing it right now...

[@Leo]

Too bad PC gamers ditched Ubisoft.

Too little, too late. Restore Rainbow Six, Splinter Cell and Ghost Recon to their original respective glories, and we might have something to talk about.

[Frogboy]

@Leo, on 09 September 2012 - 01:42, said:

Too bad PC gamers ditched Ubisoft.

Too little, too late. Restore Rainbow Six, Splinter Cell and Ghost Recon to their original respective glories, and we might have something to talk about.

According to Ubisoft's statistics, you're playing all of those games. Now. At the same time. And it's a pirated version.