Stopped playing Ubi games when they started pulling this shit. Why do people continue to let themselves be pushed around and bullied? I just don't understand. "BOYCOTT ACTIVISION" I also remember nothing actually coming from the fuss, comeon people, have some scruples..

I don't like Uplay anyway, but isn't there an offline mode now?

People deserve what they get and what they pay for. This is the bottom line.

I love DRM so much. It gives everyone a justification for piracy. After all, the only way to legitimately own a video game nowadays is to fucking steal it.

there is an offline feature but it locks out content

Ubisoft needs to just give up already, there's not a single feature their "service" provides, that Steamworks doesn't, and Steam has a much more dependable infrastructure.

Give it up, Ubisoft, you're not fucking fooling anyone.

DRM in general is not a load of wank. This particular DRM is ass, but in general, intellectual property should be protected and there is a way to do that without harming the customer. It's just a matter of finding it instead of relying on the same old crap we know doesn't work.

Sorry, kids. Ubisoft tried the DRM-Free method with Prince of Persia 2008, and gamers failed that litmus test. The straw man has been set up. Now, we get to suffer. http://arstechnica.com/gaming/2008/12/pc-prince-of-persia-contains-no-drm-its-a-trap/

I stopped buying Ubisoft games when this bullshit started, but I do still play them, do the math.

That's what you get for supporting Ubisoft.

I always assumed the protection Steam offers counted as DRM, except that it didnt get in the way of the game, and people generally accepted it. I can only hope eventually, developers learn to trust Valve and get rid of stuff like this always on DRM, and Games For Windows.

The thing with complaints nowadays is that people don't realize that what may be awful for the consumer, is fantastic for the company. Like EA and Online Passes: we hate them, but it helps EA get more money. Companies can't always try to please the consumer. If they could, every game would be free, or some shit like that, and then companies would go bankrupt.

Yes, DRM sucks major ass, but it helps Ubisoft.

I was going to buy PoP: Forgotten Sands, but then saw that it required the creation of an Ubisoft account. What a shame.

@Wicket: Boycotting something doesn't justify piracy (if that's what you were getting at). If you don't want to pay for something, because you feel that it's not worth your money, you don't get it, it's as simple as that.

Don't know why Steamworks authentication isn't enough for publishers. When a game launches, it still takes a while for the pirates to get around it, which leaves a window of opportunity where the game is piracy free. Eventually it gets cracked, which is always the case with any software unless it's physically tied to essential hardware, but you don't piss off your consumers in the meantime because Steam DRM is non-intrusive. In the long term, everybody wins. Maybe you'll even convert a few pirates who got lazy over the years.

Steam is also a form of DRM.
With the amount of great sales Steam provides, it should be painfully obvious DRM is the greatest thing to happen to pc gaming ever.

@L3ED It doesn't help Ubisoft at all. It only hinders the consumer and doesn't even stop piracy. Their games get pirated anyway, usually even more because consumers are pissed of by Ubisoft's DRM.

I didn't realize until after buying Max Payne 3 that you have to create some shitterrific Rockstar Social Club account and you MUST be signed in to even get the main menu. Fuckers.

Good game though.

DSub9: I bought Prince of Persia last night through the Steam sale. I would have probably bought the whole pack, but the other games use Ubisoft DRM from what I understand. I don't really have a problem if they want to lock their games down when releasing a physical retail copy, but get that crap out of my face when I buy it on Steam. Steam already has its own.

What they don't realize is WHY the DRM broke. It's because a lot of NEW CUSTOMERS BOUGHT their games in Steam. So... regardless of DRM, people still bought a lot. Which leads me to the question: Why this DRM still exists then? Steam is more than enough to combat piracy and make sweet sales. Just drop the DRM, implement Steamworks and it will sell more.

Are they doing anything to compensate those affected, other than a cheap apology? Ubi is really doing well at hurting its reputation among PC gamers. I actually prevented myself from buying PoP: Forgotten Sands, just because it needs an Ubi account. I don't even think I would be affected by any outages, but just the thought of my Steam-game being behind another hurdle is annoying.

Delta nailed it.

Neither steam authentication nor UBIsoft's DRM work, so I'm not really sure why Ubisoft bothers. Why go through that when you can buy pass it. The worst part is many people legitimately buy Ubisoft games then crack it so they don't have to validate it every time. I've never seen any DRM work. The longest a DRM has worked is 3 weeks, when they came out with starforce, which was basically spyware anyway.
Ubisofts DRM lasted -2 hours and that's because someone from another country cracked it first. So it was cracked before it was released. These companies have to get their thumb out of their asses, the reason steam does so well, is look at these sales, look at the community and networking benefits it provides, it out weights any negative it gives from being a very basic DRM. Ubisoft not so much.

Ubisoft is a fine publisher that should be supported. Their DRM policy sucks though, and they know it. They've publicly admitted it and apologized.

Now please, stop treating the publisher of Splinter Cell, Beyond Good & Evil, Assassins Creed, Rayman, From Dust, Anno series and Watch Dogs, like it belonged to the same group of nasty corporations like EA and Activision.

lol @ Renato84. No they aren't. They suck just as much cock as the other publishers, except Ubi has worse games.

I have played many Ubi games, but most on PC. Revelations was my first buy since it was extremely cheap. Oh boy! thats the last time I will buy a Ubisoft game. I am dying for AC3, but I think I will pass since this system is a terrible headache.

Urgh wouldant steam itself be enough of a drm for them... but noooooo

The true story is that UbiSoft sold a lot of games through Steam do to Steam having such a good sale, then everyone joining there servers all at once. How Destructoid can turn a good sale for Steam and UbiSoft into a hate DRM story is amazing. Its just like Distructoid. From many of there comments and stories in the past its like they support cheaters and hackers. The problem here is not the DRM its the infrastructure that UbiSoft has for there DRM servers. With all the money it makes they should be able to afford enough hardware to handle extremely large amount of players that login at one time.
I say congrats to Steam and UbiSoft for all the sales they made. The negatives of DRM should be left to a story that is more in line with the in and outs of such a service and not in a story about an overload in capacity for some servers.
Thats my opinion.

@VectorRoll

What?

MMMmmmmmmmm all these faceless Ubisoft white knights make me glisten.

Ubisoft won't be getting my business if they don't start treating us like customers rather than thieves.

Ubisoft won't be getting my business if they don't start treating us like customers rather than thieves.

@Blantant The short of what I said. The story is that Steam and UbiSoft sold a lot of games (good for them) and all these players joined the UbiSoft server all at the same time causing the server to go down. (Bad for UbiSoft)
The issues of DRM that we all hate should have nothing to do with this story. :)

@VectorRoll

This story is about Ubi's horribly garbage DRM making it so all those people that bought those games can't actually play them.

DRM has everything to do with this story, as this is a story about DRM. If Ubisoft didn't want people talking about their shittastic system, then they shouldn't have required it to be used. Or at least had the foresight to assume they'd sell more than 5 copies and bought a larger server.

I would literally pre-purchase Assassins Creed 3 on steam right this second for full price if it had no drm and actually had proper steam support.

It's like there is a giant dump truck of money waiting for Ubisoft and the only requirement for it is not being assholes to pc gamers, but alas they still haven't learned.

People who keep buying games made by Ubisoft deserve everything they get. It's not like it's a secret how shitty Ubisoft's DRM system is. So yeah, I'm pretty much laughing hysterically at the idiots who GOTTA HAVE games made by this pile of crap company.

@Clowbog Beborp No matter how horrible UbiSoft's DRM may be it was not the service itself that failed but the infrastructure it uses. If they would have a better one like Steam does it may not have happened. And I say this even though I view Steam's service as being just as bad as many others out there, even UbiSoft's, but at least Steam was smart enough to have a better infrastructure. Which took them a while to build up so in time maybe UbiSoft will improve. I doubt they will ever drop it as most companies have gone this route and its here to stay.
It would be cool if they would just use Steam's service for those copies sold through Steam and leave there own DRM for those sold elsewhere. It kind of boggles the mind why they do not do that. :)

seriously Ubisoft just stick with Console gaming and Handhelds.

just fucking stop please.

Main purpose of DRM these days is to cover your own ass. If you go talk to the suits and they ask what have you done to protect their IP? You say "we believe DRM hurts our relationship with the customer, so we decided not to have one", they´ll just smile, as they make sure you lose your job. If it is an effective DRM it might increase the first week sales. That´s about it...

Still, I find it funny how its the pirates that have it easy. Customers are treated like criminals.

@VectorRoll The true story is that the infrastructure issue Ubi had shouldn't occur because the DRM itself should not exist in the first place. So thanks to the DRM, many people who bought the game aren't able to play it. It's exactly the SAME problem Blizzard had with the Diablo 3 launch, with servers overwhelmed to validate a SINGLE PLAYER GAME. THAT'S the real issue.

Personally I Dont have a problem with Steam as a DRM it provides me a convenient service doesn't ask much of me lets me easily buy games and download them where i please, however many times I want to. I can also have cloud saves! Gift things to friends and so much more not to mention some of the best sales! Never once have I had an issue with steamworks.

Now ubisofts crock of shit they call DRM I bought the assassins creed they started that shit with and holy fuck crash after crash after disconnect after bullshit account creation that has no benifts to me aside from getting some ubisoft spam.

I fail to understand how companies don't see this. If you took all the names out and just called them DRM A and DRM B im pretty sure 100% would go with A being steam.

Personally I think Notch had the best idea about piracy as viewing all Pirates as a potential sale. Or a sale by that pirate telling all his friends how much fun he had in minecraft and that might lead to them buying it. Instead of DRM notch choice to make more for paying for the product then punishing you for buying it.

I actually love Ubisoft but was pissed yesterday when I tried logging in to my newly bought Future Soldier. I'm just happy its up now.

I got crazy over the Steam sale bought around USD 100 of stuff already which I have "copy" games from, now I get to own the real stuff. Love Steam....

Steam as DRM is awesome. Ubisoft's, on the other hand? Yeah it's bullshit.

@maximuskian Ubisoft does make some good games. I personally like the Assassin's Creed series of coarse I play it on the PS3. Some genres just play better on consoles. Not FPS though. :)
Also Steam has done well during this sale. I bought a bit myself. Sucks that many had issues with UbiSoft. At least many got a good deal on the games and can at least now play them. :)

Steam sale or no steam sale..... IF you want to have "always on" DRM you sure as fuck better have the servers to back up your bullshit.

@Tristrix: DRM is a load of wank. DRM is theoretically impossible, full stop.

There is one and only one that will work - full remote play, like OnLive.

@EmceeLucas

Lol! True in a way xD

Oh god, someone on tech support side told them to delete their account to possibly solve their problem LOL!

No one here is making the obvious joke so I will:
Why can't [Ubisoft] hold all this money?

"Why do they keep pirating all our games? Wtf? Lets show those consumer people who is boss, MORE DRM!"

Ah Ubisoft