By John Walker on July 27th, 2011 at 2:33 pm.
At a certain point you have to wonder if Ubisoft is in the midst of some spectacular version of a Producers-style attempt to treat PC customers as abysmally as possible for some unknown goal. In the last couple of weeks they’ve bumped PC release dates on their last two games (Call Of Juarez and From Dust) just days before release – rather spitting in the eye of pre-order customers. And now they’ve now ensured that those looking forward to playing Driver: San Francisco can distract themselves with the knowledge that it will carry Ubisoft’s loathed DRM that requires you always be online to play both single- and multiplayer.
It’s a bit like a car manufacturer introducing a new type of car immobiliser that won’t let it start when it’s raining, and then proudly declaring they’ll be installing it in the next model too. Ubisoft’s always-on DRM doesn’t work. It’s not ambiguous. Most their games that have had the bloody thing enforced upon them have proven a miserable mess for players who just want to enjoy the game they’ve legitimately paid for. Instead they find that if Ubi’s servers are down (and in the current LulzSec-inspired culture, it’s hard to imagine this won’t happen after major releases). Or if there’s a drop in their internet connection, they simply can’t play.
To be clear, Ubisoft have confirmed for us this is the full version of this DRM where the single-player game will simply stop working at any point if your or their connection falters.
Even if the system weren’t a gross mistreatment of customers, unforgivably stupid and spiteful, it’s a DRM designed for a universe other than this one. My home internet, with the extremely reliable Be, drops frequently. A noise on our BT line causes problems, along with normal service outages, sudden blips, and all the times I trip over the phone wire and pull it out of the wall. Let alone if I want to do something crazy like, I don’t know, play a game outside of my house.
But wait, there’s more! Console customers now have Ubisoft’s U-Play nonsense that emulates other publishers’ attempts to take away basic consumer rights that prevent the purchasing of a working product second hand. So the hateful treatment of legitimate customers is being spread around.
Astonishingly, Eurogamer reports, when one customer complained on Twitter about the PC DRM, Ubisoft replied saying,
“Bear in mind though that the PC version of DRVSF is released simultaneously to consoles.”
Whether this was intended as an arch comment on the inevitable eleventh hour delays Ubi is frequently imposing on PC releases, or just plain rudeness, it’s an extraordinary response. Really? You think we’re supposed to be delighted when you don’t screw over PC customers with last-second “delays”? That’s supposed to make up for the idiotic and game-breaking DRM you needlessly impose upon paying customers? Good grief. Never mind that on current form, if they were going to announce a delay on the PC version, currently due on 2nd Sept in the UK, they’d not be doing that before the end of August.
EDIT: Oh, this one just keeps getting better. As reader Anarki points out, Ubisoft have now tweeted confirming the driving game will not support steering wheels!
27/07/2011 at 14:35 DainIronfoot says:
Well obviously you NEED DRM if you release at the same time as consoles because otherwise pirates will blubah bleh bleh bleh bleh bargle.
27/07/2011 at 15:08 nofing says:
Phase 1: Add draconian DRM to all your games
Phase 2: ?
Phase 3: Profit!
Sorry, couldn’t resist… :)
27/07/2011 at 15:17 President Weasel says:
Pun time!
Last time they tried this, it was widely described as a DRM debacle.
Does trying exactly the same thing again make it a DRM re-bacle?
27/07/2011 at 16:43 Lambchops says:
We’re bring DeReM back
You motherfuckers don’t know how to act
We’ll probably delay this cos we’re really cack
Haters just shut up and go buy a Mac
Take it to the bridge
27/07/2011 at 16:58 MadTinkerer says:
Now THIS is worth complaining about. Quite loudly.
I really wanted to try this one too. :(
27/07/2011 at 17:29 President Weasel says:
I don’t think that is worth complaining about; in fact, I think Lambchop should be praised for altering a well known song in amusing manner while still making a valid point.
27/07/2011 at 18:06 drashen says:
if anyone has any basic moral decency you wont buy this game just to show ubisoft it is not OK to treat your consumers this badly and expect them to be fine with it
27/07/2011 at 18:21 IDtenT says:
What I absolutely hate about this is that they ARE ADMITTING to delaying PC releases because of piracy related issues. Jesus Christ, what’s wrong with these people? Can they get more cocky?
27/07/2011 at 21:39 brfritos says:
Except, guess what, when the game is launched the pirates crack the DRM and you play without trouble.
I understand some kind of protection for the producers need to be implemented, but in the end legit costumers get most of the annoyances, while pirates simply play the game.
28/07/2011 at 00:07 sebmojo says:
What puzzles me is that they could get nearly all the benefit and avoid most of the rage if they explicitly committed to removing DRM after a certain period (three to six months? a year?). People always say that the reason for the DRM is to preserve the vital first few weeks of sales, so it’s more justifiable. Pirates would be less eager to crack the Fort Knox of the latest bastard version. Taking off the DRM (and having a Steam style sale) would be a great marketing hook for a late burst of sales.
As it is they’re losing everything and getting nothing, AFAICT.
Ah well, thank god they’re not publishing any games I actually want to play.
27/07/2011 at 14:36 poop says:
someone high up at ubisoft really hates the pc and comes up with these plans while he twirls his stupid french moustache
28/07/2011 at 07:27 KenTWOu says:
After Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood I thought that Ubisoft loves PC gaming so much. Cause AC:B hasn’t always on DRM. Instead it has the best visual, the best mouse control settings with profiles and all buttons support, the best PC HUD control tips. It even has console achievements! It was a glorious port. And they promised Revelation will not be delayed.
But now I clearly see that I was wrong.
27/07/2011 at 14:37 Teddy Leach says:
UBISOFT Y U NO BRAIN?
27/07/2011 at 15:13 Ubisoft says:
I SORRY :(
27/07/2011 at 18:22 Baconberries says:
ARE YOU??
28/07/2011 at 02:51 Mr_Initials says:
UBISOFT WILL GET BACK TO YOU A FEW WEEKS AFTER THE EXPECTED RESPONSE TIME
28/07/2011 at 14:51 ffordesoon says:
THIS
27/07/2011 at 14:37 simoroth says:
When will the idiot suits at Ubi realise that a game with no DRM has a USP that pc gamers want and will pay gladly for.
27/07/2011 at 16:11 Rii says:
Of course this goes back to the industry (in common with a number of others) being fundamentally unethical in that it relies on deception and the propagation of unhappiness to survive. The more your customers know what they’re buying into, the less they buy into it. There are other classes of products which fit this description also … many of them are illegal.
27/07/2011 at 16:52 Xercies says:
So bad game that doesn’t get any sales = Piracy? I don’t get how that could work.
27/07/2011 at 18:27 nafe says:
“Ubisoft released Prince of Persia without any DRM whatsoever back in 2008 or so and it sold very poorly”
I just can’t possibly see how it would have sold better if they had added DRM to it. I actually bought the super fancy edition purely on the basis that it had absolutely 0 DRM (and it was very reasonably priced). I may well be in the minority, but I just can’t imagine why people would pirate it because there was no DRM. There’s never DRM on the pirate versions – it changes nothing!
Oh. and I liked it.
Sod you all! :/
27/07/2011 at 18:39 bwion says:
@Xercies
It’s simple, really. Piracy has the virtue of being an explanation for a game’s poor sales that, crucially, is not the fault of the developer or the publisher. And no one’s going to go to their next board meeting and say “Yeah, so we made a game that wasn’t really very good, and no one bought it” when they can say “PIRATES RUINED EVERYTHING ONCE AGAIN”.
27/07/2011 at 19:57 rayne117 says:
@frightlever
Then why isn’t GoG out of business.
BOOM ROASTED
27/07/2011 at 22:00 Kefren says:
I bought Prince of Persia in 08 too, just because of their ‘no DRM’ stance. I didn’t even want the game really, and only played it for the first time a few months ago. It was just okay, and I got to a point where I just wanted to get to the end so I could play another game. The point is, lack of DRM sold it to me – I haven’t had interest in Ubisoft since they reversed that policy. Why don’t big company shareholders ever come to online discussions like this and see what DRM really does to perceptions of their products? Grrrrr! Blam this POC!
27/07/2011 at 14:38 JohnH says:
Good thing Ubisoft have stopped releasing games I fancy playing. Or maybe I stopped fancying Ubisoft games because they got this absolutely retarded drm?
27/07/2011 at 21:55 Ricotta says:
I just don’t buy Ubi games as a rule of thumb, it makes me less sad.
27/07/2011 at 14:39 gulag says:
I can’t decide which to vomit first; rage or apathy.
I’m going to go with Rapathy.
27/07/2011 at 14:41 JackShandy says:
You can’t say that and then not follow it up with a DRM-related rap.
27/07/2011 at 15:04 abremms says:
don’t copy that floppy!
27/07/2011 at 15:22 pepper says:
Watch my DRM’ed code as its sloppy(grab crotch in this part).
27/07/2011 at 16:53 Xercies says:
I thought that said repeathy…that would definitly put it under a different tone
27/07/2011 at 18:25 Baconberries says:
I read “Rapathy” as a kind of apathetic rape… as in, Ubisoft apathetically rapes the expectations of its PC playerbase…
27/07/2011 at 19:08 Monkey says:
That was Rap with a Capital C….. ah theres my coat
27/07/2011 at 14:39 Vinraith says:
So much for “they learned their lesson,” eh? Dammit. I do wish Ubi wasn’t sitting on so many franchise licenses I actually care about. I don’t care about Driver, but this bodes poorly for future Anno, HOMM, and Assassin’s Creed entries, to name a few. They’ve already murdered the Silent Hunter and Brothers in Arms franchises, so I suppose the danger’s passed there.
27/07/2011 at 15:51 Gnoupi says:
The last Anno was already not well on the DRM aspect, it already prevented me from buying.
27/07/2011 at 15:52 Vinraith says:
Didn’t have any problems with 1404, it certainly didn’t require an always-on connection as I’ve played it offline many times.
27/07/2011 at 16:10 MonkeyMonster says:
Goddam them stopping me from playing Settlers with this fecking shitty DRM.
27/07/2011 at 16:36 Hatsworth says:
Heroes VI has been confirmed to not require online, however you get a gimped version if you’re not connected because the game has persistant unlocks etc.(terrible idea btw) that requires you to be logged in.
Also, Might and Magic Clash of Heroes HD was finally announced for PC. I really hope it will be exempt from this, especially since it’s a game well suited for laptop play in more ways than one.
Other than that the only upcoming Ubi game I’m interested in is Rayman Origins which funnily enough is announced for every platform out there except the PC — even though every major game in the series has been released on PC.
27/07/2011 at 18:26 Carra says:
They removed the DRM on Anno in a patch. After that I did buy it too.
27/07/2011 at 19:39 Arclight says:
Aparently that only applies to physical copies. Seems the DRM is still very much there for digital download.
I could point out how retarded that is, but this being Ubi… don’t really need to point it out at all, eh?
27/07/2011 at 21:46 Vinraith says:
@Carra
Thank you. I’d completely forgotten about that but yes, the original release had a severe and irrevocable install limit (which, despite being awful, still isn’t as bad as this always-on nonsense). When they removed that from the retail version, I picked up a boxed copy, which in turn is why I never had DRM problems with the game.
28/07/2011 at 00:00 malkav11 says:
I’ve read that the retail version of Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood has no server check or other DRM, while the Steam version most certainly does (on top of Steam’s own DRM I mean).
27/07/2011 at 14:40 Warlokk says:
Good thing I couldn’t care less about this game anyway…
Besides, the cracked version will be out within 48 hours, guaranteed.
27/07/2011 at 15:22 el_Chi says:
Which would only reinforce their moon-logic that the DRM is necessary.
28/07/2011 at 11:30 Brutal Deluxe says:
I also don’t care for this game. But now I feel so incensed by all this that I shall pirate the game and then sell said pirated game on the
blacksecond-hand market!27/07/2011 at 14:41 Mana_Garmr says:
“Bear in mind though that the PC version of DRVSF is released simultaneously to consoles.”
If (read: when) this doesn’t happen, can people demand that the DRM be removed from their copy?
27/07/2011 at 15:13 Ilinx says:
From what I can tell from looking at the tweet that prompted that response, it seems that this Ubi saying, ‘We’re stretching so far to release the PC version at the same time as the console one, the only possible solution is to saddle Driver with the most incapacitating DRM in our arsenal’. Very odd.
27/07/2011 at 14:41 mattratcliffe says:
Well played Ubisoft : http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2536/3904932487_54cce78f13.jpg
27/07/2011 at 14:42 Rii says:
I think this case-by-case thing they’re doing is actually worse than blanket implementation in that it creates uncertainty in the minds of potential customers. And it’s all tied into UPlay (or whatever it’s called) anyway isn’t it? What’s to stop Ubisoft from activating always-on DRM on titles that didn’t have it when you bought it?
27/07/2011 at 14:42 ran93r says:
Was keeping one eye on this but now they can stick it up their backside.
27/07/2011 at 14:54 Ondrej says:
Your eye?
27/07/2011 at 14:58 ran93r says:
As I won’t be playing this I suppose it could be used for that purpose, I’m not sure it would help the resale value though.
28/07/2011 at 01:01 VelvetFistIronGlove says:
Why do you worry about the resale value of Ubisoft’s backside?
27/07/2011 at 14:43 Coins says:
What is it with publishers and being absolute twats these days?
27/07/2011 at 14:43 Juan Carlo says:
If even Capcom (who has never been all that friendly to PC gaming in the past) can alter its DRM plans because of fan outcry, I don’t see what’s up with Ubisoft.
Maybe it’s just that none of Ubisoft’s games have as passionate of a following as Street Fighter (and hence there’s less of a concentrated outcry because no one will buy them anyway?).
27/07/2011 at 17:54 Bostec says:
The French right? They can’t be caught surrendering yet again! what would people say?
27/07/2011 at 14:43 Taverius says:
Meh, that’s one less game on my steam wishlist.
27/07/2011 at 14:43 Schaulustiger says:
I really should’ve waited but I was weak and bought From Dust on my console toy. Boy, did I forget how butt-ugly most games look without antialiasing. I’m sure this game will look absolutely stunning on the PC. Gameplay-wise, I’m still not so sure about it. Playing god is fun as always, but it’s not very sandbox-y and it seems a bit light on the content side.
27/07/2011 at 14:44 Robin says:
Why doesn’t RPS just stop covering Ubisoft games?
I was looking forward to From Dust, too, but they’re not getting any more of my money while they persist with this idiocy.
27/07/2011 at 14:46 Rii says:
@Robin: “Why doesn’t RPS just stop covering Ubisoft games?”
Not a bad idea.
27/07/2011 at 14:53 ReV_VAdAUL says:
The Problem is there are few places like RPS that do genuinely good coverage of games rather than paid for PR pieces. If RPS stops reporting on how bad Ubisoft are that just means there is less to counter paid for praise.
27/07/2011 at 15:06 Tony M says:
Its a bad idea. Let RPS tell us honestly what they think of each game, AND what they think of the DRM, then let us make our own decision. In this case, my decision is to not buy Driver.
27/07/2011 at 15:15 John Walker says:
You may want to check back to see how much coverage the games with this DRM actually get here…
27/07/2011 at 15:22 MiniMatt says:
God no, the more RPS and similar major sites report on this sort of stuff, and any game similarly crippled, the more investors, shareholders, and devs will see reams of comments from potential customers saying “oh well, not be buying that then” and the more (we can hope) they’ll question Ubi’s line of “PC sales are crap because of piracy”.
27/07/2011 at 15:53 Gnoupi says:
On that topic, From Dust is going to have the same kind of protection? Anyone knows about it?
(I hope also that it will be more interesting than some reviews seem to say. So far it seems like they have the great “move ground/water from one place to another”, and that’s all of the game, from first reviews)
27/07/2011 at 17:11 dirtyword says:
Note to Ubi PR reading this story: I am going to play From Dust, but I’m not going to buy the game if it requires I always be connected to the internet. Flaky connection drops should not (and won’t) affect my experience.
27/07/2011 at 14:44 Anarki says:
They also just announced no steering wheel support. For a driving game.
http://twitter.com/#!/DriverGame/statuses/95753634020724736
27/07/2011 at 15:00 ReV_VAdAUL says:
Wow, the article needs to be updated to include this, it is just so absurd.
27/07/2011 at 15:36 phlebas says:
Apparently it didn’t fit very well with the gameplay.
Not really doing themselves any favours, are they?
27/07/2011 at 16:05 Pointless Puppies says:
Apparently it didn’t fit very well with the gameplay.
So then steering wheels don’t fit well with a driving game.
This only means that the DRIVING part of the driving game is shit if a steering wheel won’t work “well” on it. They just admitted their own game is shit.
27/07/2011 at 18:14 Monchberter says:
I think i just died from irony poisoning.
27/07/2011 at 18:24 JellyD says:
This was already pretty well known from previous interviews. And i’m probably going to get screamed at for this, but I sort of agree. It is a very arcady driving game. And driving in let’s say need for speed with a steering wheel just doesn’t really work all that well.
27/07/2011 at 19:14 Sheng-ji says:
What they mean is that they are unwilling to pay someone to put in the 5 hours or so of tweaking and coding required to make the controls have any sort of relevance to a steering wheel, 25 hours if you want to eliminate steering lag and make it feel realistic, 30 hours if you want it customisable so those with different brands of wheels can make theirs feel right.
Steering in need for speed was awful unless you put in the time yourself to sort out the horrible physics engine – look up a guy called McNugget on youtube, he has the same car as one in the game and he did a whole video trying to get his car to react the same as in game, he had to load up the boot with a ton of paving slabs – then he shows you how to edit the physics settings to make it much closer to how cars do drive, but still nice and arcadey – most of that was done by tweaking the steering wheel settings. Makes the game really nice with a wheel!
27/07/2011 at 21:47 JellyD says:
But even here you’re talking about NFS:SHI(F)T2 I presume. this game is by the looks of it going to have physics more like burnout. Playing burnout with a wheel is rather difficult…
27/07/2011 at 14:44 Megalodactyl says:
Ubisoft, WTF?
27/07/2011 at 14:45 chiroben says:
Alright. Can I officially unbuy Ass-Creed 2 that I just bought on steam because it was less than a tenner? I only bought it because it was meant to be really pretty decent and Ubi had stopped with their stupid online DRM nonsense. This is the last straw.
27/07/2011 at 16:00 Azradesh says:
They didn’t back down in any meaningful way, it just went from always on, to always on when you start the game. No offline mode.
27/07/2011 at 14:45 Kismet says:
Ubisoft is secretly paid by other publishers so that whatever DRM they may use “at last is not UbiDRM”.
*puts on his tinfoil hat*
27/07/2011 at 14:46 Dana says:
Are they not aware that by doing this, they will only increase the piracy of their product ?
27/07/2011 at 14:46 12kill4 says:
This is like walking in on your face and your palm together when they thought you were at work.
27/07/2011 at 14:46 Jockie says:
Echoing what others said, it looked like Ubi had turned the corner to Sanity St, but it seems they’ve done a 180 degree handbrake turn and sped off back down Daft Avenue.
27/07/2011 at 14:46 magnus says:
For fuck’s sake, don’t they ever learn? (MASSIVE facepalm)
27/07/2011 at 14:47 grundus says:
And this is why Ubisoft can fuck off forever. They’re the Activision of games that aren’t made by Activision, in that their games suck for entirely different reasons but suck just as much all the same.
As for boycotting, I propose we go further: Mass pirating! I for one will probably pirate this game even though I wouldn’t have bought it even if it didn’t have the DRM. Also I do hope Lulzsec hack the absolute crap out of them, if they could keep the DRM offline for long enough there would probably be grounds for legal action against them or something maybe. I dunno, I’m not a lawyer.
27/07/2011 at 15:19 John Walker says:
This will only lead to Ubisoft pretending piracy is the reason why no one pays for their defective games.
A mass non-pirating would actually be the more powerful statement.
27/07/2011 at 15:59 The Sentinel says:
Yes, Grundus. Listen to John. Don’t be a berk. Just wipe your hands of the company and spend elsewhere. It’s the adult response.
27/07/2011 at 16:09 Hmm-Hmm. says:
The problem with that is (I assume) that a lot of people can’t resist because they want to play the game in question one way or another.
27/07/2011 at 16:12 Chris D says:
The only message UbiSoft would take from increased piracy is: Needs More DRM!
27/07/2011 at 17:23 Nalano says:
The problem with that, John Walker, is that Ubisoft will blame pirating no matter what you do, because their execs think that piracy is the only possible reason for poor sales.
27/07/2011 at 14:47 Longrat says:
Damn, there’s a lot of (well deserved) spite in this post.
I just can’t understand what goes through the minds of these marketing managers. There’s just a HUGE logical failure here.
“Well, customers were SUPER pissed at our Always Online DRM for AC2. They also managed to hack it anyway, it’s safe to assume that our mistreatment of customers has lost us a fair bit of loyalty, as well as increased piracy.”
(Insert logical failure here)
“Let’s do that thing again!”
27/07/2011 at 14:48 Ashpolt says:
“Bear in mind though that the PC version of DRVSF is released simultaneously to consoles.”
I read that completely differently to you, John: I read it as “Bear in mind that if you don’t want to put up with this DRM you can always buy it on console instead.” That’s terrible as well, of course.
Good job I don’t care about this game, or any Ubisoft franchise other than Brothers in Arms, and what they’re doing with that IP makes me want to get all eye-stabby.
27/07/2011 at 15:01 KillahMate says:
What he said.
This is the plan, the big scheme behind UbiDRM: they basically want you to buy the console version. They don’t want or care for the PC platform, and only support it with great reluctance, since the upsides are (in their eyes) marginal. If there was a way to train all PC gamers to want the console version, they’d do it. In fact they’re trying to do it now.
27/07/2011 at 15:31 Ilinx says:
That’s also how it appeared to me at first, but it was written in response to a tweet reading ‘So are you saying the lesson learned by Ubi with AC is reversed for Driver? ‘. Is that supposed to imply that it has to be DRMed up to the gunwales because it’s a simultaneous release? I don’t understand how that makes a difference to anything either. Might as well have replied ‘Bear in mind that Tanner is in a coma’ or something for all the sense that makes.
27/07/2011 at 17:47 Urthman says:
Nah, I think in their minds they’re thinking, “If we release PC version the same day as console version, PC piracy will reduce console games unless we have really great DRM.”
And it’s not completely ridiculous. This new DRM scheme sometimes takes weeks or months to get completely broken. At least it took that long for AC2. That’s enough breathing room to protect those Day 1 and opening week sales from any dent that would be made by piracy.
But whether piracy actually makes a significant dent in Day 1 console sales seems pretty dubious to me.
27/07/2011 at 19:03 Ilinx says:
“This new DRM scheme sometimes takes weeks or months to get completely broken”
Oh, I had kind of assumed these things were broken in mere minutes. That does make a bit more sense then. But yes, it is also a strange assumption to think PC game piracy would affect console sales at all.
27/07/2011 at 19:40 Zelius says:
It’s a strange mentality. I very much doubt that someone who was going to buy it on consoles will suddenly go “Oh, so there’s a pirated version on PC now, I’ll just download that!”
Edit: and to add, pirated versions for consoles aren’t rare either. They often even appear days before PC versions are pirated.
28/07/2011 at 00:07 malkav11 says:
It’s also a strange assumption to think that someone who was planning to pay 0 currency for a game (by pirating it) will suddenly be induced to run out and buy it at full retail price because they can’t possibly wait a few days or weeks for the pirates to crack the DRM, yet this seems to be a widely held theory in publishing circles.
27/07/2011 at 14:48 hazywaze says:
Slow on the uptake.
Lets be pateint and keep hitting them with the boycott stick until they learn.
27/07/2011 at 14:50 Pop says:
Hmm – Now I’m boycotting Team Bondi, EA and Ubisoft. Thanks goodness for indie games.
27/07/2011 at 14:52 Rii says:
What’s up with EA?
27/07/2011 at 14:58 grundus says:
Probably this ridiculous overreaction to BF3 being an Origin exclusive.
27/07/2011 at 15:45 ScubaMonster says:
Dumb part is… you can just buy the retail version. It’s not required to run Origin in the background, even if you bought the game on Origin. So just buy the damn game retail and not have to run Origin or Steam either one.
27/07/2011 at 16:23 Phinor says:
Sure about that? From what I’ve heard, the alpha requires Origin to launch.
27/07/2011 at 16:32 Kaira- says:
Or buy BF3 from like Gamer’s Gate or what else DD-services have it for pre-order.
27/07/2011 at 14:51 Kdansky says:
I do not play racing games, but if I would, may I point you to the patch? It’s over there, can you hear them singing?
Yo ho, yo ho, a pirate’s life for me.
We pillage plunder, we rifle and loot.
Drink up me ‘earties, yo ho.
We kidnap and ravage and don’t give a hoot.
Drink up me ‘earties, yo ho.
In that bay, just over yonder. Have a nice day.
27/07/2011 at 15:36 Octaeder says:
Or you could just ignore the game completely?
I’ve never understood the logic whereby if a publisher does something a person doesn’t like they proudly claim they’ll pirate instead? Why don’t you just not play it? That’s an option.
27/07/2011 at 16:09 Pointless Puppies says:
Especially a game as shitty looking as Driver. Even if I did want to pirate it just to spite Ubi, I wouldn’t want to waste entire gigabytes of my hard drive with crap games.
27/07/2011 at 16:11 Hmm-Hmm. says:
And as John just pointed out earlier up in the comments, it’s a better way to show ‘em. Piracy is likely to backfire.. on all gamers.
27/07/2011 at 16:15 Gar says:
Here is one way of looking at it. If sales figures/trends seem to indicate that with this new release (with the ridiculous DRM) compared to previous figures:
1. less people buy it and less people pirate it (like you recommend) seems to suggest that people just weren’t interested in the game.
2. More people buy it and more people pirate it suggests there was a lot of interest in the game and people generally weren’t too bothered by the DRM
3. More people buy it and less people pirate it suggests people are interested, and the DRM mostly works and/or is accepted (least likely)
4. Less people buy it and more people pirate it suggests the interest is still there, but something is causing even more people to turn to piracy (likely the DRM).
So, as far as just analyzing the market goes, it seems pirating the game could actually be making a stronger statement. People want your game but hate your DRM, and obviously the shit just doesn’t work! Of course, this is not necessarily the best way to go about things though, but If you ignore it all together, you’d be well off at least writing a letter to Ubi explaining how you wanted the game but refuse to put up with the DRM. I’m sure you can find one pre-written for a different game somewhere in a forum and just substitute out the game and publisher names :P
27/07/2011 at 17:47 sqparadox says:
@Gar
Although I agree with your idea in principle the problem is that as far as I know, publishers have no way of accurately looking at numbers of pirated copies, so they can’t ever do a comparison of games pirated vs games sold. This clearly depends on the game and what type of DRM it’s using, but IIIRC in the case of Ass-Creed 2 they cracked the DRM itself (Ubisoft Game Launcher) so it never dials home and basically didn’t touch the game.
I could be wrong on that but regardless Ubisoft clearly doesn’t recognize that one of the major attractions to piracy is ease of use, especially when games are saddled with such draconian DRM. This indicates that even if Ubisoft had access to data on games sold vs pirated, they wouldn’t compare it, nor consider that their DRM was its cause.
However that simply puts pirating the game on equal ground to ignoring it. The best option is as you said, email Ubi and tell them how stupid they are, and/or sign a petition. You might not get heard but at least you said something.
27/07/2011 at 17:54 Nalano says:
Gar, that’s a pretty simple and rational set of results one could get with that data set.
Why you expect an executive to be rational, however, is beyond me. Besides, they don’t have reliable info on how much a game is being pirated.
27/07/2011 at 20:06 BeamSplashX says:
But there aren’t any other games at all in which you drive a car. NONE.
Granted, Driver: SF’s script was written in part by Tom Jubert, which is fantastic, but I don’t think he’d take it personally.
28/07/2011 at 10:04 somnolentsurfer says:
There’s a very obvious solution to this: Don’t buy it. Don’t pirate it. Send them a nicely worded letter saying that you won’t be buying it until they’ve patched out the DRM entirely, and could they please e-mail you personally when they’ve done it.
27/07/2011 at 14:51 Hensler says:
If there DRM actually worked, I might understand them bringing it back. But I’ve seen cracked versions of every game they’ve put it in within days of release.
27/07/2011 at 14:52 VelvetFistIronGlove says:
Fixed that for you.
With this move, Ubisoft have guaranteed that I will never purchase this game.
For the same reason, I never purchased Assassin’s Creed II (I did eventually play it; I borrowed the 360 version from a friend) or the latest Settlers.
27/07/2011 at 14:55 Coins says:
I’m actually really worried about the new, fantastic looking Anno game, the only game I’ve really been looking foward to. I hope it doesn’t come bundled with the TwatDRM system, but the chances are slim.
27/07/2011 at 15:00 Wilson says:
Yeah, the possibility of that happening makes me want to stand out in the rain and scream at the sky. It’s not raining here at the moment though.
27/07/2011 at 14:56 cmi says:
What is strange about this: I remember there was some news some weeks or months ago, where ubisoft stated that they would not use this hardcore-drm anymore. Was this some April Fools Joke?
I was looking forward to AC:Rev, but I guess this is either delayed to summer next year and/or combined with this retarted drm which is a no-go for me. Sad day.
27/07/2011 at 14:56 JoWoo says:
Wow, Ubisoft are pulling so many dick moves at the moment they could be choreographed together to form a groundbreaking phallus ballet.
27/07/2011 at 15:15 Lars Westergren says:
The Nutcracker, maybe? They certainly seem to love breaking our balls.
27/07/2011 at 15:22 John Walker says:
I love our readers.
27/07/2011 at 15:50 ResonanceCascade says:
Shlong Lake.
27/07/2011 at 16:23 Gar says:
Jizzelle?
27/07/2011 at 17:02 Batolemaeus says:
I love you, JoWoo
27/07/2011 at 17:04 Subject 706 says:
The Magic Phallute
27/07/2011 at 17:30 Khann says:
Romeo and Phallus
I have done this completely wrong.
(I also think that may be the title of a gay porn film)
27/07/2011 at 14:57 Okami says:
The managment of Ubisoft reminds of these guys:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A8yjNbcKkNY
27/07/2011 at 14:57 Schadenfreude says:
This is all part of a plot to bring back StarForce.
27/07/2011 at 14:59 Wilson says:
Huh. I really thought they were done with this. Silly Ubisoft.
27/07/2011 at 15:00 Octaeder says:
On the plus side, this is going to save me £30.
27/07/2011 at 15:01 diamondmx says:
When are these publishers going to realise that extreme DRM far from hindering piracy, legitimises it.
Normal customers are going to be directed to cracks to get around the stupid limitations on everwhere that Ubisoft can’t moderate. They become more savvy as a result.
Savvy customers may just pirate the game, and then pay Ubisoft for an unopened useless box. They become bitter savvy customers.
Some of those bitter savvy customers may feel it’s not worth paying Ubisoft. They become pirates and they don’t feel particularly bad about it.
The customers who already pirate the games know how to get around these stupid limitations anyway. They laugh it up because everything Ubisoft does costs them money and has no beneficial effect.
When all your DRM does is irritate honest customers and make many of them feel either: a little sick for buying the game anyway, or angry because they refused to buy a game they wanted, or fall into irritated apathy because they refuse to allow themselves to stay emotionally attached to a brand/company/product – then you are failing epically.
Go back to old style copyright protection – the basics that make it so a normal customer can’t easily copy, and doesn’t force them to learn how to – just to get what they paid for.
27/07/2011 at 15:04 ananachaphobiac says:
Is it possible that Ubisoft have worked themselves up into a sort of “WE WILL NEVER NEGOTIATE WITH TERRORISTS/PIRATES!” frame of mind? Where any relaxing of their position on DRM is considered to be a defeat, and is going to cause some sort of crushing wave of piracy, which will see them out of buisiness within the week, and dying poor and destitute at the end of the following week?
That’s the only reason I can come up with for sticking with something that has demonstrably failed to do what it is designed for.
But then what do I know? I’m just a consumer…
27/07/2011 at 15:46 Durkonkell says:
[Scene: Ubisoft Commissar shouting and waving a pistol at developers]
COMRADE GUILLEMOT HAS SAID THAT THERE WILL BE NO RETREAT! IN THE NAME OF UBISOFT, NOT ONE STEP BACKWARDS OR WE SHOOT!
27/07/2011 at 15:06 Magnetude says:
I have planned to buy this since I heard it had splitscreen on PC, but now I’m going to have to crack my legitimately bought game. I am going to have to resort to piracy in order to play a retail copy of the game without fear of suddenly being told I can’t.
It’s like Ubisoft want people to pirate their games, in some kind of gambit that they hope will end in governments finally being forced to start breaking pirates’ doors down and end it once and for all. Outrageously stupid.
27/07/2011 at 15:15 zipdrive says:
Why buy and crack it? It will only signal to Ubisoft that they can keep doing this as it won’t hurt their sales.
DON’T BUY IT! Get another game, there are plenty of good ones out there from companies who won’t treat you like shit.
27/07/2011 at 15:28 Magnetude says:
Oooohhhh, but it’s Driiiiiveeeerrrrrrrrrrr…
27/07/2011 at 16:27 Khann says:
And there then, is the reason they keep doing this: Because people keep buying their games, regardless of the shit that is rubbed in their faces.
27/07/2011 at 16:28 Gar says:
If you buy and pirate it, at least send them a letter saying you had to pirate the game to play your legally purchased copy, and that as a paying customer, you do not appreciate having to just through these hoops just to enjoy your game. If you’re not willing to do that, then you might not want to buy it. Show them that the interest is there, but that no one wants to put up with their crap DRM and that it obviously is not working.
27/07/2011 at 17:04 Magnetude says:
See, this is my problem. I want to play this game on PC. But buying it encourages this kind of behaviour, so my other option is piracy, which I’ve sworn off now I have a real job and no excuse not to pay for games. But pirating a game because of what I perceive to be draconian DRM is a bit of a cliche.
So I guess I’ll just wait for them to drop the DRM I guess, and send medium-to-strongly worded emails in the meantime.
27/07/2011 at 17:56 Nalano says:
@Gar
And watch them sue your ass for daring to sign that letter with your real name.
28/07/2011 at 00:19 malkav11 says:
There’s a fair few mega-DRMed games I’d like to play, but buying them sends entirely the wrong message. If you’re not willing to pirate (and that’s a perfectly laudable stance), just play something else. We’re a long way from the point where our only options are to have our consumer rights violated or to violate the copyrights of others.
27/07/2011 at 15:08 Snesso says:
They also postponed the release of HoMM 6 by like 3-4 months when it was about to come out (after it had been up for pre-purchase for 1 month or so). Not just a few weeks, MONTHS. I would have kept my money and bought something else instead of prepurchasing something that I couldnt play for another 5 months :\
27/07/2011 at 15:11 Vinraith says:
Any sensible retailer/distributor would let you cancel your preorder under these circumstances.
27/07/2011 at 15:17 diamondmx says:
@vinraith But probably not Steam (assuming this is on steam like other Ubisoft titles)
27/07/2011 at 16:37 Coltaine says:
@diamondmx Steam does let you cancel pre-orders you just have to open a support ticket.
27/07/2011 at 15:08 El_MUERkO says:
I’ll always have found memories of the first Driver, it was a game changer in so many ways, a milestone in gaming history.
But since that first game Reflections have been incapable of repeating that success. I never intended to purchase the new game, and now I never will.
But I’ll not forget the the enjoyment I felt careening around the first game, obliterating white picket fences as I power-slide around corners with the cops in pursuit.
27/07/2011 at 15:37 Chauvigny says:
Don’t forget losing hub caps and watching it all over again in replay through different camera perspectives which the video editor offered!
27/07/2011 at 16:28 Khann says:
I played the Driver 2 demo SO MUCH.
27/07/2011 at 15:11 Javier-de-Ass says:
what a bunch of crap. ubisoft are complete idiots. this always on bullshit and steam seem to be the only two drm things they are willing to alternate between these days, easily the two worst drm systems out of anything that exists. absolutely mindblowing.
27/07/2011 at 15:11 Xtinction says:
So would it be a good idea to download the pirate version and then delete it? I have no intention of playing this game, but I would like to give off a signal. Surely if piracy skyrockets because of their horrible DRM, they should learn a lesson..
Oh who am I kidding, Ubisoft and learning…
27/07/2011 at 15:24 John Walker says:
No – the only useful message would be if piracy of the game dropped too. If people wouldn’t even bother to torrent something from them.
27/07/2011 at 16:30 Khann says:
But doesn’t that send the message that these practises have reduced piracy?
27/07/2011 at 16:32 Gar says:
But if the sales dropped AND the piracy dropped, wouldn’t that just suggest that people were not interested in the game or there was some problem with the marketing, etc.?
If you are going to ignore it, you should at least reach out to Ubi and tell them you were interested in the game, but that the DRM prevented you from making a purchase.
27/07/2011 at 17:38 Vandelay says:
I honestly think that if you are interested in the game, but will not buy it because of the DRM, then you should let them know. One complaint about the DRM would probably go unnoticed, but I’m certain they understand that that one complaint doesn’t equal one unhappy customer. A few thousand people e-mailing to say they will not buy their game for the same reason would make them notice, as that would actually mean potentially tens of thousands of lost sales
27/07/2011 at 17:58 Nalano says:
I’m inclined to see it Khann’s way: To see a considerable drop in sales AND piracy won’t tell them that people are rebelling against their DRM. It’ll tell them that the PC market is a dying market, and they should shore up their DRM to squeeze out what few sales are left.
27/07/2011 at 19:55 Pointless Puppies says:
The simple answer is this: Ubi will blame everyone but themselves and their shitty DRM.
-If everyone buys the game and torrents the download, they don’t care. Ubi has no reason to change their ways.
-If everyone torrents the game, they’ll simply throw a temper tantrum and pretend that the piracy in itself is justification for even more draconian DRM.
-If nobody buys the game OR torrents it, they’ll simply say the PC platform is dying.
27/07/2011 at 15:12 zipdrive says:
You know what the last Ubisoft game I bought was? RUSE. You know why? because it was a good game AND IT DID NOT INCLUDE YOUR STUPID DRCAONIAN DRM!
27/07/2011 at 15:13 Tei says:
This is like the movie “All Quiet on the Western Front“.
I can even imagine old people planning in a map how to stop the perceived enemy, and sending young developers to die in a absurd war.
Game studios releasing games under this DRM are going to see less sales, but Ubisoft is not going to compensate these people for that. Ubisoft do experiments with other people hard work.
27/07/2011 at 15:14 Colthor says:
“Bear in mind though that the PC version of DRVSF is released simultaneously to consoles.”
I needed a laugh today, and that gave me one. Thanks, Ubisoft!
27/07/2011 at 15:16 el_murph says:
Of course though they will be releasing a demo so we can try it out first on all our different PCs…nope:
@driverdimension PS3 and Xbox360 for sure. PC unconfirmed
27/07/2011 at 15:18 Ovno says:
Repeat after me…
Please don’t do this to From dust!!!
Please don’t do this to From dust!!!
Please don’t do this to From dust!!!
Please don’t do this to From dust!!!
Please don’t do this to From dust!!!
Please don’t do this to From dust!!!
Please don’t do this to From dust!!!
Please don’t do this to From dust!!!
Please don’t do this to From dust!!!
Please don’t do this to From dust!!!
Please don’t do this to From dust!!!
Please don’t do this to From dust!!!
Please don’t do this to From dust!!!
Please don’t do this to From dust!!!
Please don’t do this to From dust!!!
Please don’t do this to From dust!!!
Please don’t do this to From dust!!!
Please don’t do this to From dust!!!
Please don’t do this to From dust!!!
Please don’t do this to From dust!!!
And then cry.
27/07/2011 at 16:59 skinlo says:
This. If From Dust has this, I will not be a happy bunny at all.
27/07/2011 at 17:41 Lars Westergren says:
From the Steam page:
“HIGH SPEED INTERNET ACCESS AND CREATION OF A UBISOFT ACCOUNT ARE REQUIRED TO ACCESS THIS VIDEO GAME”
The same text is on Assassin’s Creed 2 (which “only” verifies on startup) and on Settlers 7 (which has the always on version), so who knows what they mean.
27/07/2011 at 18:13 PodX140 says:
Welp, there goes my purchase. And now those damn songs are stuck in my head again, that seems like an odd coincidence?
Yo ho, yo ho!
Drink up me hearties, yo ho!
27/07/2011 at 15:20 Freud says:
Even though it may be hard to avoid buying games when splashing during Steam sales, I’m happy to report that I haven’t bought a single Ubisoft game since their silliness started. To be continued.
27/07/2011 at 16:25 Harvey says:
I’m with you, friend. Pity there aren’t more of us.
27/07/2011 at 16:31 Khann says:
Last Ubi game I bought was AC2.
27/07/2011 at 17:15 Gar says:
+1 – Most recently released Ubisoft game I have purchased is either Assassin’s Creed (the original) or Far Cry 2 (whichever one was released later, can’t remember).
27/07/2011 at 15:23 Durkonkell says:
Utterly and Absurd are fun words to say.
Utterly, utterly, utterly, utterly absurd. Absurd absurdity. Utterly (etc.)
So, uh, well. Ubisoft are clearly idiots, and I believe I am offended by their marketing imbecile’s twitter thing. UbiDRM, openly trying to drive PC Gamers to consoles, no steering support? Do you know, I do not believe that I shall be purchasing this game.
27/07/2011 at 15:28 fugo says:
having just spent a weekend with no internet (due to some gits stealing the phone cable) and having steam refuse to let me play anything (because when you clicked play offline it would come back with the fantastically stupid ‘could not connect to steam servers’ message) i can tell you if i play this, i will not be purchasing it legally.
DRM *always* hurts legitimate customers and doesn’t hurt pirates. Why should I pay money to be pissed off at your DRM?
Pricks.
27/07/2011 at 15:28 StuffedCabbage says:
Wow, it seems these assholes are doing all they can to prevent people from buying their games. I can tell you that I will never buy a game with this crap they call DRM attached to it.
27/07/2011 at 15:29 Shazbut says:
Ok so….presumably Ubisoft are doing this because they want to destroy PC gaming…so pirating it won’t work, because that helps their argument, simply not buying the game is weak and doesn’t hurt them, and obviously we can’t buy it….
…so what do we do? Instead of actually getting angry on the internet and then buying the next game they release that doesn’t have the DRM, what can we actually DO about this? What is their worst case scenario?
Seriously.
27/07/2011 at 15:32 Dawngreeter says:
In the worst case scenario, absolutely nothing will change in the long run and we will still live in a fully functional post-scarcity society in a couple of decades. This coincides with the best case scenario, incidentally.
Pirate the game. Your actions are of no consequence in the grand scheme of things.
27/07/2011 at 16:52 iainl says:
As ever with these things, if you want to hurt them, spend the money on a rival game.
27/07/2011 at 15:30 Reapy says:
Sadly I think ubisoft publishes some interesting games. It is upsetting that they pull of BS like this and basically wreck what might be good games… I was really upset what they did with assbrotherhood on the PC, an otherwise great game totally destroyed. I thought they figured out the world hates this kind of DRM and were done with it, but it appears not.
I wonder perhaps if driver turned out just as bad as the last one (no steering wheel, hahaha), they have instead decided to throw on the DRM here to make some sort of piracy point about bad sales or to discourage people from buying it OR to generate publicity for it. In the final hour they “pull” the drm being the good guys… maybe, or it could be they just suck large bags of dicks.
27/07/2011 at 15:32 hamster says:
I suppose if it actually works (makes pirated copies unplayable) it’s worth it. Then again, there are plenty of Steam games that are cracked as well so it’s really no guarantee. That being said, if the cracking procedure is complex or at least irritating, i’m sure it would throw away a good number of would-be pirates from trying.
I’m curious about concerns regarding inconsistent internet connections. How many people drop? Where i’m from, i hardly ever drop at all i.e. i only disconnect due to isolated cases of maintenance. I could imagine it’d be annoying having to stay online when travelling and playing on your lap top though.
27/07/2011 at 15:36 fugo says:
There is no such thing as uncrackable DRM. It is perhaps true that very good DRM will put off some pirates from trying, but you’ll find most of the people involving in that kind of pirating actually enjoy the act.. and therefore you are making it more fun by adding UBEREXTREMESUPERDRM3.2
also, i suspect by telling everyone its got hardcore DRM, you are baiting the hook..
27/07/2011 at 18:01 Nalano says:
It’s using the same DRM as AssCreed2, and that got cracked a couple weeks after release.
27/07/2011 at 18:44 IDtenT says:
Ah, but there is such a thing as uncrackable – if real-time generated content on the internet would be required.
28/07/2011 at 17:44 Batolemaeus says:
Don’t forget: Cracking is a contest.
The more complicated, the more prestige to gain from disabling it. These people don’t do it to provide releases to as many people as possible, they’re doing it for the fame of being one of the very few people capable of quickly reverse engineering and exposing malware.
27/07/2011 at 15:34 Zinic says:
I’m sure there’s some fitting quote to encapsulate this move… oh right!
“The definition of insanity is trying the exact same thing over and over and expecting different results.”
27/07/2011 at 15:45 Tei says:
Baggage computer needs a better random number generator.
27/07/2011 at 15:46 ScubaMonster says:
I thought they already learned their lesson about this sort of DRM? I guess not.
27/07/2011 at 15:46 Arithon says:
Can I sue Ubisoft for their “Always on DRM”? Because their servers are frequently down, so it is “cut off DRM” where the puchasing customer is screwed and can’t play a single player game, with no online element, because of Ubisoft’s short-sighted incompetance.
I gave up with ASS Creed 2 because every time I went to play it, I got the “Ubisoft is down” testcard.
27/07/2011 at 15:52 Jimbo says:
Oh no, not Driver! :’(
27/07/2011 at 15:55 AbyssUK says:
Hows about as a form of protest mass buying of that Street cleaning simulator… we all bought this instead of driver 3 you fools at ubisoft.. look how much money Street Cleaner simulator made.
Maybe we can make it chart ?
27/07/2011 at 16:12 The Sentinel says:
I love this idea. Let’s do this!
28/07/2011 at 05:12 Buttless Boy says:
I will totally do this. Who else is in?
27/07/2011 at 15:58 ResonanceCascade says:
Well, over 100 comments on the largest PC gaming site and not one kind word about Ubisoft.
Are you reading this, oh stupid publisher? If you are, just remember that the 100 dollar bills that people like Gabe Newell, Notch, and Rob Pardo wipe their butts with could have been yours. This is lucrative market if you approach it with at least two functioning brain cells.
27/07/2011 at 15:59 The Sentinel says:
They hate us for our freedoms.
27/07/2011 at 16:03 Pointless Puppies says:
“Bear in mind though that the PC version of DRVSF is released simultaneously to consoles.”
So, they’re essentially saying the only reason why they’re doing this is to “prevent” (in their own, pathetic twisted little minds) day 1 piracy.
This pretty much proves the last-second delays for From Dust and The Cartel. The only thing they’re doing is stalling in releasing the PC version because they think if they release those games day 1, people will pirate them and Ubi can have their temper tantrum. For Ubi, just about the ONLY way for a PC version of their game to release on day 1 is to have their Nazi DRM on there.
If this isn’t treating an entire platform and its users as criminals, I don’t know what is. The entire publishing branch of the company each needs to be hit with a flaming chair hard on the family jewels.
27/07/2011 at 19:14 HermitUK says:
Presumably this means the same for Assassin’s Creed Revolution too. Either they put this Always On DRM nonsense back in, as AssCreed 2 had, or they delay it til next March as they did with Brotherhood.
Between this and inflicting Mr Caffeine on the world at E3, Ubisoft are doing a damn fine job at trying to steal Kotick’s Devil Crown.
27/07/2011 at 19:59 Pointless Puppies says:
Indeed. Revelations will not be released Day 1 on the PC without this kind of DRM, mark my words. Ubi has this incredibly misguided belief that if they release any game on PC without this DRM, the game will be pirated to millions of people per second and they’ll go bankrupt.
Sheer paranoia with utter disregard for the paying consumers of an entire platform. They’re by far the most incompetent publishers of the industry.
27/07/2011 at 16:06 metalangel says:
They’re already on the list of publishers I’m not buying any games from regardless, next to EA and THQ, thanks to the UPlay thing. Online pass = no sale, period.
The tragic/hilarious thing, over on the ever-worsening train wreck that Eurogamer’s comments have become, I said as much in the new Rayman preview (in that the game looks great fun, but no way if there’s a UPlay passport) and got negged to hell by idiot fanboys and misguided corporate apologists.
27/07/2011 at 16:12 Daiv says:
Ubisoft: If slamming your face against a brick wall hurts, wait six months and try again. Repeat until the wall is broken.
27/07/2011 at 16:31 undu says:
28/07/2011 at 00:22 malkav11 says:
Why would they stop just because they’ve broken their face? it hasn’t worked yet!
27/07/2011 at 16:17 The Sentinel says:
That statement can be taken as a tacit admission that they are openly hostile to the very concept of PC Gaming, and wish we’d all shove across to the inferior specced, more easily controlled, more easily profitable consoles.
As much as I love the ideas and tech behind From Dust, and was intrigued by the future Anno game, I won’t support a company that is this hostile to me as a consumer. Not one more penny from me, Ubisoft, until you are sold to people who know how to treat their potential customers.
27/07/2011 at 16:18 Harvey says:
I’ll go back to the article in a second, but first.. car analogy!! arrrrgh arrgh arrrrrrgggh! *gasp* ok, got it out of my system. You did that on purpose didn’t you Mr. Walker?
27/07/2011 at 16:21 MrThingy says:
Reasonably confident I can pass on this (until the Ubi-U-turn a few months after release).
Shame though.
27/07/2011 at 16:24 shoptroll says:
I won’t be surprised if they don’t do this with Heroes VI. The beta already has the U Play tendrils in it, but I’m not sure to what extent it works once you cut the cable.
This is not turning out to be a good week for good news.
27/07/2011 at 16:33 Narretz says:
I really want a Ubi representative explain to me how it doesn’t make sense to have steering wheel support for a game that actually cut all the parts where you don’t drive.
What would hurt Ubisoft most is imo the non-reporting by any media on games with that retarded DRM. Too bad this isn’t possible in the gaming press.
27/07/2011 at 16:37 G_Man_007 says:
I loved the first Driver. It was fun, had a funky vibe, and I was always watching the replay of my car throwing itself around those streets, the hubcap spinning off into oblivion for the 57th time. Simple bliss. I was looking forward to this one. Just like with the Assassins Creed series, Ubisoft can shove it until the DRM is removed. If it isn’t, I’ll never buy it. I feel violated. It feels sore. :`-(
27/07/2011 at 16:41 Lukasz says:
I got scolded for not being interested in buying from dust because it requires net connection to start the game…
I can hate this drm and I can refuse buying this game tough?
(well… honestly it is driving game. so i wouldn’t buy it anyway. )
27/07/2011 at 16:46 Cyber Rat says:
*insert joke blaming it all on Ubisoft being French*
27/07/2011 at 16:49 JohnnyMaverik says:
Lol, just gave my console playing friend the news, now he knows how I feel every time this kind of stuff gets announced for a pc game. Was not a happy bunny. I’d rather nobody suffered with this kind of shitty drm but if they’re guna use it, I’m glad they’re using it for everyone, because maybe now there can be a united front against shit drm from gamers, rather than just a load of legitimately annoyed pc gamers and a bunch of console gamers saying we’re just wingers.
27/07/2011 at 17:03 digitalsoap says:
Kamahl says it best.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=euLDjrvI9tw
27/07/2011 at 17:07 Vorrin says:
Yeh, I agree, though fairly unlikely, it would be nice if both piracy and sales stayed at a minimum, at that point it would be obvious they have no one to blame but themselves…
27/07/2011 at 17:24 Gar says:
That would most likely be interpreted as no interest in the game, poor marketing, etc. without a tidal wave of letters explaining that the game was ignored solely because of the DRM…
27/07/2011 at 17:10 Jimmeh says:
I would be more inclined to forgive the Assassin’s Creed debacle if they had actually learned their lesson. Persisting with this method after weathering that shitstorm, when a few simple changes would drastically alter the way it is perceived by customers, defies belief.
Having spent the best part of three hours tinkering with Arkham Asylum last night I discovered it won’t run if your “My Documents” location isn’t set to default as a result of the GFWL/securom protection, despite it being a legitimate copy from Steam. Similarly, I spent several hours transferring a Maya license from one PC to another.
Consider if I had simply torrented that stuff, I would have been up and running in minutes rather than hours. From the customer’s perspective, it appears software developers are doing everything in their power to make the process of not breaking the law as painful, convoluted and restrictive as possible, before complaining about piracy.
/apathetic sigh
27/07/2011 at 17:38 Khann says:
It’s not just software developers…. that’s how the whole world works.
27/07/2011 at 17:10 WJonathan says:
“Heh, heh, heh, amazing. It’s absolutely amazing. But under the right circumstances, a producer could make more money with a flop than he could with a hit.”
I for one am looking forward to this. It may be the funniest game Ubisoft has ever made.
27/07/2011 at 17:30 Calabi says:
Surely there statement on twitter proves that they are delaying the other games for no other reason than their percieved impact of piracy.
27/07/2011 at 17:41 PeteC says:
This has me worried about the new Anno game later this year. It’s the only Ubi game I play (I’m interested in The Settlers but it still has the UBI DRM to this day. Looks like that’ll never be patched out unlike Anno 1404)
I’m guessing boycotting the game until if / when it’s patched out doesn’t make any difference. People must still be buying these games in sufficient numbers as to make it viable for them.
27/07/2011 at 17:47 The_Great_Skratsby says:
Hah oh wow, just wow.
Well scratch off one game I was planning to order. Shame, was really looking forward to it.
27/07/2011 at 17:53 Urthman says:
If you really want an Ubi game but don’t want to support DRM or piracy, I suggest waiting for it to hit a bargain bin or buy a used copy and use a crack to kill the DRM. That way they don’t get the sale nor will you add to any “pirated” statistics they think they’re collecting (as if there’s any accurate way to measure that…)
27/07/2011 at 18:02 skinlo says:
From the ‘From Dust’ Steam page:3rd-party DRM: Ubisoft Online Service
And I really wanted to play it :(
27/07/2011 at 18:06 charmingcharlie says:
Here’s an idea, many charities let you make a donation on other peoples behalf. So if you pirate the game then make a £30 donation to a charity and have the charity send the “thank you” note to Ubisoft that says “a donation has been made on your behalf”. That would send a pretty nice message to Ubisoft.
Alternatively you could just let the game rot on the servers that is what I am going to do. The sooner Ubisoft leaves the PC platform the better, they clearly are not that interested in it.
27/07/2011 at 18:20 IDtenT says:
What I absolutely hate about this is that they ARE ADMITTING to delaying PC releases because of piracy related issues. Jesus Christ, what’s wrong with these people? Can they get more cocky?
27/07/2011 at 18:29 jack4cc says:
So, at first we won’t get the games because they suddenly find out it’s not ready yet a week before it’s released on consoles, and then we have to suffer from always on … no wait.. now it’s on agai… no… now… nope….
27/07/2011 at 18:34 Zogtee says:
Wouldn’t it be hilarious if they suddenly re-introduced the always on-DRM in games that previously had it removed? They never said anything official about removing it and this clearly shows that they haven’t made up their minds quite yet.
27/07/2011 at 19:06 Ridiculous Human says:
The last time they announced this DRM, I’d just bought Assassin’s Creed 2. This time, I’ve just bought Brotherhood.
I’m so sorry, guys. :(
27/07/2011 at 20:56 skinlo says:
Brotherhood doesn’t have the always on DRM though luckily.
27/07/2011 at 19:08 Deano2099 says:
How would you all feel if they agreed to remove the DRM as soon as it was cracked?
I’ll be honest I kind of get that. There will be people that will pirate the PC version rather than buy the console version. I don’t think that number is huge, but it will exist.
If the DRM is good enough to stop piracy for that two week new-release window I’m kind of okay with it. I’m not going to play a game that uses it, but I don’t mind waiting two weeks either (hell, I generally don’t bother with most PC games until the first patch anyway).
27/07/2011 at 19:13 satsui says:
My internet constantly dies, which means my game will also stop playing. I have this problem with Settlers 7. That being said, I will not purchase this game now.
27/07/2011 at 19:14 LoveIsGood says:
Welp, looks like I just saved some money by not buying this game, especially since this game will fail to work if Ubisoft ever acts up which it will sometimes do.
27/07/2011 at 19:24 MartinNr5 says:
Was interested in this but not anymore.
Vote with your wallets and only buy games that deserve your money (that didn’t come out right).
27/07/2011 at 19:27 Zarunil says:
That Tweet is really saying “We need DRM because we are releasing this simultaniously on PC and consoles.”.
In other words, the delaying of Call of Juarez and From Dust on the PC was purely due to wanting to give consoles a head start, and had nothing to do with polishing, technical issues or whathaveyou.
This pisses me off.
27/07/2011 at 19:27 absolofdoom says:
Huh. I was actually excited for this game.
Was.
27/07/2011 at 19:34 rocketman71 says:
Why not just put up a daily news story saying “Ubi == stupid fuckers” and be done with it?.
Obviously they want to humiliate PC gamers more than they want our money.
27/07/2011 at 19:37 Skusey says:
I’d love to play their games, but I don’t feel I can willingly bend over and stare at the pretty colours while they have their way with me any more. AC2′s DRM was an unpleasant experience that spoiled what should have been a great game.
27/07/2011 at 19:56 Synchrony says:
I heard the delays to Call Of Juarez and From Dust was because ubisoft accidentally created a drm system for both games that worked and was completely unobtrusive to paying customers, so they’ve had to rip that out and replace it with one that’s much more annoying
27/07/2011 at 20:01 Xiyng says:
I think I’ll pirate it, just to show them their DRM doesn’t work.
27/07/2011 at 20:04 Khemm says:
[i]“Ubisoft’s always-on DRM doesn’t work. It’s not ambiguous. Most their games that have had the bloody thing enforced upon them have proven a miserable mess for players who just want to enjoy the game they’ve legitimately paid for. Instead they find that if Ubi’s servers are down (and in the current LulzSec-inspired culture, it’s hard to imagine this won’t happen after major releases). Or if there’s a drop in their internet connection, they simply can’t play.[/i]
Replace “Ubisoft” with “Valve” and “play” with “install” and that will sound like Steam, which for some reason is OK, even if it was Valve who first started the whole nonsense of internet activation. :shock:
Anyways, Ubisoft tends to remove the DRM after a certain period of time – check Assassin’s Creed 2 or Conviction. It is inconvenient for sure, but it IS effective. There is NO CRACK for HAWX2, for example.
Maybe if a huge number of our fellow PC gamers weren’t thieves who “buy” games on rapidshare or piratebay, things would be different. Has anyone here ever thought of that? Sorry, but Ubisoft once followed the DRM-free model and many “PC gamers” bit their hand instead of showing gratitude, so stop blaming the EVIL Ubisoft, coming up with excuses and for once, blame yourselves.
This isn’t the “black and white, no shades of grey, I am right and THEY are wrong” scenario.
27/07/2011 at 20:10 Ravenger says:
The biggest issue with Ubisoft’s DRM (apart from the stupidity of it) is that they’re inconsistent.
Some of their games don’t have it.
Some of them have a really restrictive form.
Some have a less restrictive form.
They remove or lessen the DRM on some games but not others.
In short, they need to have a clearly stated DRM policy so that consumers can understand what they’re getting into.
At least with Steam you know what your’re getting (as long as you steer clear of games with 3rd party DRM).
27/07/2011 at 20:23 FKD says:
Doh, double post..
27/07/2011 at 20:39 Nameless1 says:
Idiots.
I’ll keep avoiding their games, but at this point I think It wold be better for us to hope they die as soon as possible as a company, or get the fuck uot of pc gaming.
It’s a pain to see al the talent behind these fools totally wasted (see silent hunter serie as one example).
27/07/2011 at 20:43 Wanoah says:
This is a real shame. This game looked like it had some real potential to be interesting. I had already decided to buy it on release. I won’t buy it now though.
I sincerely hope that people pirate the _fuck_ out of it. I hope that Ubisoft gets hurt by piracy and I hope that they go down one day. They deserve to fail and I don’t think it will be any great loss to gaming when they do fail.
27/07/2011 at 21:08 JiminyJickers says:
Argh. Fine Ubisoft, you won, I won’t play your game, are you happy?
27/07/2011 at 21:08 Ucodia says:
I think Ubisoft also deserves an open-letter from RPS community (much more than Volition) because they are really developing a kind of PC gamers hate and after all, PC gaming is why we are all here. Despite how good they could be and how much I wait for Rayman new generation, their acts toward PC community are really making me sick.
27/07/2011 at 21:36 JiminyJickers says:
Edit: Deleted, double post.
27/07/2011 at 21:51 wodin says:
Buy the game and download a crack….
27/07/2011 at 21:52 wodin says:
Buy game…download crack….though this game doesn’t look worht the hassle…
27/07/2011 at 23:27 Kamos says:
Well, now I don’t have to feel bad for badmouthing Ubisoft a couple days ago on RPS. They prove time after time that they deserve all our contempt.
28/07/2011 at 00:40 Andrigaar says:
It’s going to be very difficult ignoring BG&E2 at release (crosses fingers), but knowing that the game will probably have this DRM means I’ll just have to ignore its existence anyway, or fetch it on Steam 2 years after release for $5.
This AND no wheel support? C’mon you worthless idiots, get out of the gaming industry and go die in a fire somewhere far away where no one will find your bones for years. You’ve had your fun trolling gamers for profit, screw off before we have to get the pitchforks.
28/07/2011 at 12:15 FKD says:
Oh drat..I was wanting a game to just cruise around in and I thought it was pretty much a given that it was going to have wheel support (and thus make me buy one..). Well that is just more stupid news!
28/07/2011 at 03:39 Grey says:
Ah. I’ll wait for the aggregator score on Metacritic or Gamerankings. If it got 8,3 or above, I’ll buy it (If it turns out to be suck, I will laugh and pointing my middle finger at you guys because not only fail to bring gamers a decent game but also to give them a very hard time). Then, if I think the DRM gives me problems, I’ll use the crack. As simple as that. Oh Ubi, you can always swallow back your own stupid DRM. It’s idiotic and it’s crack-able. Face the fact, silly boy.
You don’t like it Ubi? Yeah, sue me.
28/07/2011 at 04:13 FKD says:
Just going to add my name to those who had planned to get this and have now changed their mind (and I was really looking forward to a game where I could just drive around the city and do my own thing..). I thought a while back Ubisoft had changed their mind about using this DRM scheme? Or I guess it was just certain games.. Oh well, I have kept up my side of the Ubisoft Boycott regardless.
28/07/2011 at 05:17 MythArcana says:
And I have an Always-Off Ubisoft account…
28/07/2011 at 06:37 Corrupt_Tiki says:
Finally bought Spinter Cell Conviction after the big steam sale, U Play can go die in a hole, although it must be said, I really didn’t have any troubles logging on, getting d/cd, but it’s the contempt they treat customers with that really shits me. We aren’t all criminals you pricks. They make some good games, but, I will never buy another one of their games as a day one sale. ever, Haven’t done so since Chaos Theory.
28/07/2011 at 07:04 badoli says:
So it’s official now, we have an evil publisher triangle? Activision – EA – Ubisoft…?
28/07/2011 at 09:53 somnolentsurfer says:
How is it that Ubisoft continue to pull this kind of shit, and yet EA are the ones finding their games barred from Steam?
28/07/2011 at 19:30 Ravenger says:
I wish Valve would insist that games on Steam can only use Steam DRM in future. Layering DRM on top of DRM on top of DRM doesn’t make the customer experience very pleasant, and Steam is all about the customer experience.
28/07/2011 at 10:16 Andrigaar says:
For shame, Ubisoft. For shame.
Looks like I have no choice this week but to again hope you fail as a business. Too bad, you were in the process of giving BG&E2 a chance, but I can’t imagine you won’t do this again. Or delay it several months, talk about DRM, and then cancel it anyway.
28/07/2011 at 10:22 Wyrm says:
I don’t have internets and therefore will not purchase this game.
28/07/2011 at 10:28 Player1 says:
Ubisoft just doesn’t want me to buy this game. First the dumb shift mechanic and then this… hmmmmmm… I bet this is the end of the franchise. The game will sell poorly and then the bosses will just cut the rope.
28/07/2011 at 13:06 B0GiE-uk- says:
They push all this shitty DRM on us PC users and then wonder why it flops due to no one buying it!
Give it a week after release and it will be cracked to work offline anyway! Loopback “127.0.0.1″
The people at UBI who decided on this must be complete retards!
Guaranteed I will not be purchasing this game!
FUCK YOU UBI CUNTS!
28/07/2011 at 19:21 Minsc says:
Can someone tell me what’s the point of this? They’re much likely killing the pc gaming community by such stupid decisions. When a pirated version of the game is released, there’ll be no sensible reason for buying the original game. I remember when the developer companies used to tell that pirated versions of their games were something dangerous and far less interesting cus they might contain some viruses or not contain the whole content from the original game like ripped in-game movies or music or the last five levels. I know, it used to be, but the current situation is quite the opposite. The decent players are being punished for paying their money for such a reject. On the other hand, the pirates can play every game without any trouble, free of charge, and they can even try the game they’re interested in… Nowadays only a few games have their demo version so a poor player is not able to try whether a game runs smoothly on their hardware and more importantly if it’s even worth their money! I just don’t get it!
28/07/2011 at 21:42 lerxster says:
******STOP PRESS*****
Ubisoft are about announce a new mmorpg ….Joystick only and with special DRM that lets you connect to the internet
intermittently.
30/07/2011 at 12:14 louder says:
I have a desktop and a Laptop I play games on. Steam has an offline mode so its great when I take my laptop anywhere and cant be sure there will be a connection, this is just stupid. What if I want to play driver SF on my laptop with no internet connection? Oh what I’m not allowed? Screw that, I just wont buy the damn game. I was going to buy from Dust as well but they just seem to be treating PC gamers like crap.
30/07/2011 at 21:12 Turbinator says:
I like the part where you used rusted, bet up old cars; instead of screen shots.
31/07/2011 at 21:43 Killybilly says:
263 comments so far and no one has mentioned the upcoming Trackmania2 – Canyon will be published by Ubisoft. I was really looking forward to that one so I hope they don’t ruin it with their DRM nonsense….
31/07/2011 at 21:51 Killybilly says:
264 comments so far and no one has mentioned the upcoming Trackmania2 – Canyon will be published by Ubisoft. I was really looking forward to that one so I hope they don’t screw it up with dreadful DRM.
29/03/2012 at 07:51 dellphukof says:
Anyone who doesn’t know what it is, it is an MMOFPS set in the EVE Online universe and both games are linked, i.e you play as a mercenary who can be hired by eve players to take ground control of the planet for the eve players to move in and industrialize the planet.
Personally I am really excited for this game to come out because of the whole cross platform thing and also the fact that I can finally enjoy the EVE experience in the FPS format, not the point and click controls of the ships.salvia