Future Ubisoft Games Will Require Constant Internet Connection

[cirro]

+1 to the people coding this. reverse engineering will have to take some time on this one

 

http://megagames.com/news/html/pc/futureub...tion.shtml'

 

In a move that hopes to thwart piracy but will most likely end up irritating legit customers only, Ubisoft revealed today that most of its upcoming games will require constant internet connection while playing.

 

Ubisoft has been vocal in the past about PC games piracy. Last July, the company pledged to defeat piracy with a then unannounced tool.

 

In addition to authenticating the game legitimacy with Ubidoft's servers, the new system will also store the player's configuration and savegames online and allow him to play the game from several PCs that are able to share the same data.

 

The first game to utilize the new system will be The Settlers 7: Paths to a Kingdom. Ubisoft didn't say whether Assassin's Creed II or Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Conviction would follow suit.

 

"Ubisoft's number one goal is to provide added value that will facilitate and enrich the gaming experience of our PC customers. The Settlers 7 beta version is enabling players to discover that this platform empowers them to install the game on as many PCs as they wish, to synchronize saved games online so that gameplay can be continued from where they left off (from any computer with an installed version of the game) and frees them from needing a CD/DVD in order to play," the company said in an official statement to the press.

 

The system requires internet connection to be active while playing single player games as well. If the connection becomes disrupted during a single player session, the game pauses until the connection is available again.

 

"The platform requires a permanent Internet connection. We know this choice is controversial but we feel is justified by the gameplay advantages offered by the system and because most PCs are already connected to the Internet. This platform also offers protection against piracy, an important business element for Ubisoft and for the PC market in general as piracy has an important impact on this market. Any initiative that allows us to lower the impact of piracy on our PC games will also allow us to concentrate further effort on the creation and expansion of our intellectual properties for the PC - our goal is to deliver the best gaming experience to our customers."

 

We expect pirates to hack the new system in few days and after its launch and offer hassle-free versions of the games on p2p networks. In other words, legitimate Ubisoft customers won't be able to play their money-bought games on their laptops while travelling nor on their home PC if their internet connection is off for some reason or another. Needless to say, all those restrictions will be removed from pirated copies.

[ClayMeow]

No doubt it'll be hacked. Games with internet authentication have existed for awhile and have all be cracked.

 

As for what Ubisoft is doing, I don't really care because I would only play AC2 and SC on my desktop anyway. Neither game would play very well on a laptop. And Ubisoft doesn't exactly publish casual games (eg. World of Goo) that would play well on a laptop.

[Waco]

You'd think they would learn that they are only hurting their own customers after a while...

[psycho_terror]

You'd think they would learn that they are only hurting their own customers after a while...

everyone seems to forget that UBI has already tried releasing DRM free games, and they didn't sell. why would they want to keep losing money like that? not releasing on PC at all would be a more sensible solution.

 

i used to harp on about DRM damaging the experience of legit buyers, but it's becoming obvious that DRM is just enough of a hassle to reduce piracy to acceptable levels even if many will be able to circumvent it.

[Waco]

everyone seems to forget that UBI has already tried releasing DRM free games, and they didn't sell. why would they want to keep losing money like that? not releasing on PC at all would be a more sensible solution.

 

Do you think they didn't sell because of the lack of DRM or because they sucked? My instincts point me to the latter... Sure, they've had a ton of good games but they've also had a LOT more that sucked horribly.

Edited January 29, 2010 by Waco

[psycho_terror]

 

Do you think they didn't sell because of the lack of DRM or because they sucked? My instincts point me to the latter... Sure, they've had a ton of good games but they've also had a LOT more that sucked horribly.

biggest game they put out DRM free was the prince of persia reboot. kind of an anticipated title, and whilst it wasn't a great game it didn't exactly suck either. i can totally understand why UBI didn't put out a AAA title like assassins creed DRM free because the potential losses were much higher, and in hindsight would have been much higher.

 

either way, i don't see how anyone can complain about this when UBI have not only tried DRM free, but have pandered to people's DRM complaints for years now and seen only an increase in piracy.

[Waco]

...and in hindsight would have been much higher.

Uh, what? It was cracked and available before it hit retail. The only people who suffered were the ones who actually bought it.

[Bubbaxm2]

Well if the games they make in the future are as buggy as Farcry 2 the twelve people that will be playing probably won't mind.

[Deathmineral]

I find it hard to believe that the DRM being there or not had anything to do with prince of persia sales on pc, everyone instinctively thinks platformers are better on consoles and that is what makes games like prince of persia or assassins creed sell better on console, though I personally prefer a platformer on pc. If they really want to prevent piracy then they can start with consoles, assassins creed 2 had people playing it 2 weeks before it's release on the 360, and to sit around and complain about the pc community after delaying games for the pc is just plain silly.

[ClayMeow]

Well if the games they make in the future are as buggy as Farcry 2 the twelve people that will be playing probably won't mind.

I never experienced any bugs in Far Cry 2.

[Waco]

I never experienced any bugs in Far Cry 2.

It crashed randomly on multiple rigs with me. That combined with the general crappiness of the respawn system made me regret buying it after spending a few days playing it.

[Krieg1337]

Uh, what? It was cracked and available before it hit retail. The only people who suffered were the ones who actually bought it.

 

Ever read what happened to the guy who put those up? I think I read he has to pay like 1 million $ for each time it was downloaded. Sucks to be him doesn't it?(The price he has to pay may be lower but I remember it was a pretty crazy number)

 

Also, who cares? I really don't care about all these anti-piracy things, nothing has ever hurt my computer and I have never had problems with it. Whoever hacks the games is a douche bag anyways and should just **** off. Rather have a "rent" thing, where you can rent the game for like 10-15 days and see how the game is, then if you don't like it you can just give it back.