[url]http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2012/09/05/ubisoft-scrapping-always-on-drm-for-pc-games/[/url]
[quote=Rock Paper Shotgun]In an interview to appear on RPS at 10am today, Ubisoft tells us that they will no longer use their controversial “always-on” DRM. In fact, they quietly scrapped it months ago, but haven’t made that official until now. In what is a really remarkable turnaround, the publisher pledges that from now on they will only require a single online activation after installing, with no activation limits, nor limits on how many PCs it may be activated.
Ubisoft’s worldwide director for online games, Stephanie Perlotti, explained that always-on has actually been gone for quite a while.
“We have listened to feedback, 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.”
Ubisoft’s DRM had previously meant that you could not launch games without an internet connection, and if your connection dropped at any point the game you were playing would instantly stop, often losing progress you may have made. It was widely derided, and the bane of many gamers, but Ubisoft seemed defiant in response. Until now. Clarifying the new position, Perlotti summarises it, using Assassin’s Creed III as an example:
“Whenever you want to reach any online service, multiplayer, you will have to be connected, and obviously for online games you will also need to be online to play. But if you want to enjoy Assassin’s Creed III single player, you will be able to do that without being connected. And you will be able to activate the game on as many machines as you want.”
In the rest of the interview, coming up in a couple of hours, we discuss Ubisoft’s plans to decrease delays for PC releases, try to find out why the publisher doesn’t publish the numbers behind its claims about piracy, and which of the statements they’ve made in recent years that they now find unfortunate.[/quote]
Good. It only took a supposed 93% piracy rate (how ever you come to that sort of conclusion is beyond me) to realize that DRM doesn't work, and only irritates any legitimate customers you might have left
Said interview is to be posted in 2h time.
Looks like I'm getting Assassin's Creed 3 after all.
[QUOTE=Bean Shoot;37547418]Looks like I'm getting Assassin's Creed 3 after all.[/QUOTE]
Yep, Same here. I wasn't about to touch another Ubisoft game outside of renting one for console
[QUOTE=markg06;37547398]That's nice but what about the games already out.[/QUOTE]
Hopefully Ubisoft will update them removing the always-on DRM.
I really hope this goes back for Anno 2070, then I might perhaps buy it
Immense respect gained for UbiSoft! Can't wait to get my hands on Watch_Dogs now instead of waiting for an eventual price drop.
I mean unless they fuck it up in some other way.
[QUOTE=markg06;37547398]That's nice but what about the games already out.[/QUOTE]
I recently wanted to give AC:R a shot, but remembered I was offline, so UPlay shouldn't have worked - but it simply slid into offline mode without even a message. Maybe that's what they mean about the quiet implementation.
[QUOTE=TheTalon;37547405]Good. It only took a supposed 93% piracy rate (how ever you come to that sort of conclusion is beyond me)[/QUOTE]
Well see they pulled the ol' mis-lead-a-roo:
93% of our games are pirated on PC and the other 7% are on Mac...
"Hello, is this game journalists? 93% of our games are pirated on PC!"
Hopefully this will show other company's like EA that this is a good idea and hopefully do the same thing.
Looks like I will start buying Ubisoft games again.
Now time to remove it off previous games, i.e Assassins Creed 2.
Now if only Blizzard would do the same.
[QUOTE=DamagePoint;37547797]Now if only Blizzard would do the same.[/QUOTE]
and Valve
[QUOTE=SmashJonXD;37547842]and Valve[/QUOTE]
Valve have been doing it right with steam and steamworks for years.
Where the hell have you been?
Oh thank god
I was concerned to buy Watch Dogs because of always on DRM, I kinda like to play offline if I can't get access the internet (downtime etc.)
good move on their half
Uplay is a form of DRM, right?
I kinda like how Uplay has this system where you earn points for obtaining achievements, and you can spend the points on extra content for your game. Like getting Altair's outfit in Assassin's Creed II. It's nothing big or game-changing, but it's pretty nice.
[QUOTE=SmashJonXD;37547842]and Valve[/QUOTE]
Steam has an offline mode...
Well that's good; one time during a session of Heroes VI I was besieging an enemy Necropolis town, and partway through the battle my internet glitched out and it forced me back to the main menu. To be fair I think I was getting my ass handed to me since my army wasn't as big as I woulda liked, but if I were just a few steps from victory I would be PISSED if it fucked-out.
Also, I too like the whole Uplay points system; it allows the player to essentially get little bits of quasi-DLC for your game and earn points with which to buy them; it's a nice little system from where i'm standing.
I must be dreaming, and I hope this dream never ends.
[QUOTE=ironman17;37548031]Well that's good; one time during a session of Heroes VI I was besieging an enemy Necropolis town, and partway through the battle my internet glitched out and it forced me back to the main menu. To be fair I think I was getting my ass handed to me since my army wasn't as big as I woulda liked, but if I were just a few steps from victory I would be PISSED if it fucked-out.
Also, I too like the whole Uplay points system; it allows the player to essentially get little bits of quasi-DLC for your game and earn points with which to buy them; it's a nice little system from where i'm standing.[/QUOTE]
I heard Microsoft was going to implement the same sort of system for gamerscore but who knows with them.
Interviewer asked a lot of tough questions I was interested in. Good on RPS.
[quote][b]RPS:[/b] Do you know what percentage of your sales are on PC? I know Activision have said things like Call Of Duty sell 5% on PC, do you know if it’s similar numbers for you guys?
[b]Burk:[/b] We don’t break it down specifically game by game. Before our last financial statement I want to say that PC sales – I think it was right around 10%. [Burk got back to us soon after the interview to say that in the last full fiscal year PCs made up 7% of revenue, and in the last quarter it's been 12%.][/quote]
These numbers caught me off guard tho.
"able to activate it on as many computers as we want."
Why am i not in a thankful ecstasy?? we used to have the right to decide what happens to our software and where we wanted to install it. But then... the connectivity Era.
Listen the fuck up Ubisoft. This isn't a favour for me, this is you learning that you shouldn't invade my living-room through the modem. Lesson fucking learned. Invasive pricks.
[QUOTE=wickedplayer494;37547471]Hopefully Ubisoft will update them removing the always-on DRM.[/QUOTE]
That'd require effort.
Now let's hope EA will follow in their tracks
Wait, you mean I can actually play their games again witho-
You have been disconnected from Ubisoft servers, would you like to reconnect?
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