Your first instinct may be to regard Ubisoft's controversial PC DRM as needless, draconian, pathetic, even perhaps f*cking twattish. However, you would be wrong to criticize a method of game protection that only serves to punish paying consumers for their loyalty. That's according to Splinter Cell: Conviction's creative lead Max Béland. So there.
"We consider that protecting our PC games is vital to our business," he claims, "and will allow us to continue investing in the development of creative and innovative games on the PC platform."
It's all very well to want to protect your games, and I don't think anybody has ever argued against that. However, is tethering a customer with intemperate and inevitably ineffective DRM really an answer? Piracy is most certainly an issue, but providing actual incentives to purchasing the game, as opposed to forcing restrictions upon those who have already bought it, is bastardly conduct and could only serve to frustrate customers in the long run.
Sort it out, Ubisoft. This DRM is crap.
Ubisoft DRM software “vital to our business”, says Conviction creative lead [VG247]
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Contest:
11:20 AM on 04.16.2010 | 
I live in Montreal and there's a video game tv show in which Ubisoft devs stop by each month (the studio is like at 5 minutes from there) to be interview on their current projects/games and they said they don't like the DMR system either, but they are out of solutions and hacking pisses them off.
But that doesn't mean I agree with them, I just understand why they need to do it. And I feel I should support my local gaming devs lol. Ok that doesn't exucuse anything I know... awww screw you, Ubisoft.
I wish I didn't enjoy gaming on PC so much. Then I could just put all of this out of my head but, seriously, fuck those guys.
@Dv8thwonder
It is not our responsibility to stop people from pirating software.
DRM that is uncrackable isn't ineffective, unfortunately. And while I think anything can be cracked, I'm curious as to whether this DRM has been cracked yet.
I'm from a third world country and games here are expensive. Though they cost just as much as some countries, our money doesn't count for a lot on a global level. I've pirated games for most of my life, but ever since I started working and realized the value of hard work, I've decided to buy original. I found my money's worth with Relic's COH and Infinity Ward's (Yes, I said it) MW2 (to name a few). And though you think I just buy games for the astounding MP, I also own all of Bioware's RPGs because I think they give me such value for my money. Because of buying original, I now look forward to deals. Because of buying original I look at reviews (Yes, sterling, I listen to you). Because of buying original, I want my money to mean something.
I appreciate EA's stand on buying original by providing more content via DLC. I even understand Activision's stand by removing dedicated server support. But what I CANNOT ABIDE BY, is Ubisoft fucking locking out consumers who've worked hard to save up for games they want to PLAY and should rightfully OWN.
I am so pissed I want to cry. I am so pissed because I was so excited for R.U.S.E and Conviction. Now, I am going to pirate them. I admit it. Now you know why.
Yes it has,and I don't mean the half assed crack that came just after release, but the full game has now been cracked, same with silent hunter 5. You can save offline, and play the game normally, I won't link you to the thread with the game on (for good reason), but a good look around the web will net you the result you are looking for.
I totally agree with protecting your investments, but securom and the like already provide a viable alternative, and so does steam, and GoG.com (completely free DRM games) it simply seems to be they are far, far too proud to work with valve and the like. Which is not unexpected given the company's previous track record, they are a very arrogant publisher.
I don't think this method will last long tbh, PC gamers are already spending their money on games that don't castrate them,(see BF:BC2's very strong sales) and the fact that AC2 and silent hunter 5 toppled out of Digital distro's sales charts quickly, and retailers, this type of DRM days are numbered.
I ask because I haven't heard of the Assassins Creed 2 DRM being worked around, and that uses the same DRM.
Haven't played AC, I don't see it doing anything I need. Even if they do come up with some new IP I gave a damn enough about to buy a game from them, there would be zero interaction between their DVD and my drive.
I... think you got the order of your clauses mixed up.
Which doesn't mean I like this bullshit DRM -- I'm not buying any Ubisoft games til it's either gone or proven to be reliable with no outages for legitimate players.
You're not quite wrong, but not exactly right either. A lot of the DRM methods that big publishers are using nowadays, are intrusive and go well beyond violating consumer rights. Pirates are always going to exist, these publishers just need to learn that they're only punishing their loyal paying customers. If you want to send a message to get through to the suits, just don't buy the game. Boycott it and educate more people about DRM.
world. It really just hurts the law abiding folk. If anything, they should just not use drm. For
those who hack, it
might incite some support for the "good guys" in developing. Those who hack usually can't afford games, so
why hate on them.
The end.
Either plan for an amount of piracy and say ce la vie, or abandon the PC for consoles. Don't piss off the poeple still buying your game.
Cool.
Fucking ignorant tossbags.
I hope the pirates completely circumvent their protections and drive them completely out of business.
Are the heads of these companies really so fucking stupid that they don't know this fact? What would that tell you about the industry?
Well, make that 3 potential sales - AC2, Settlers 7 and SC:C.
I'll probably pirate them and then delete them without playing, just so your piracy statistic goes up one more and you feel like you should withdraw from PC development, because you're certainly no longer welcome.
Best regards, Katya, CEO of xp burner, iscsi target software windows