News Ubisoft: 'PC DRM is a success'

http://www.bit-tech.net/news/gaming/2011/07/29/ubisoft-pc-drm-is-a-success/1

 

I was planning on purchasing Driver: San Francisco until I read this.

 

They can pay for my broadband connection and installation charges then.

 

looks like I might download it just to avoid the problems of a legitimate copy

 

Greetings!

So, less freeloaders\parasites playing their games is labeled as a success?
Where did they mentioned that their games sales have increased?

 

I understand protecting your IP, but there are loads of us who are forced to spend months on end every year or so without access to the internet... You know, the Military... A huge portion of Military folks are also avid gamers, and games help to offload the stresses of a deployed environment. Luckily for me most Ubisoft titles don't interest me, but they aren't the only ones with these always online DRM schemes...

Think about the troops!

 

Its a good point. I am SO anti-piracy its untrue, and noramlly applaude some form of copyright protection.
But when I moved home recently and it took 3-4 days to get my internet connected, I thought I would be able to get some single player going without the distraction of online play.
Really glad I didn't have any ubisoft games.

Back on topic, its interesting that I am put off Driver now, but more interested in From Dust. Before reading this article it was the other way around.

 

they have probably seen a clear reduction in piracy because there has been a clear reduction in quality of their games. I bet they have also seen a clear reduction in sales, they just are not gonna tell you that.

 

With all that DRM crap surrounding Assassin's Creed, I doubt it was a success.

 

to be fair, the only DRM related issue i've had with AC2, ACBH and HAWX2 was the slow launching Ubisoft software when there's a patch. other than that, i've not had any problems at all.

so although i wish they would use Steam. i don't have any problem with their use of such system. hopefully with improved launching software.

people moan, when Steam was released, i recall same amount of moaning.

 

Ubisoft continue to shoot themselves in the foot.

 

Which drug addled ****wit decided that should be their official stance?

 

You can play games in offline mode on Steam, though. Ubisoft - who generally make completely toss titles anyway - require you to be always on, which isn't great when you're taking your laptop on business or overseas for some entertainment and don't have access to the net.

As several posters have mentioned, Ubi don't make any mention of increases in sales, just decreases in piracy. People can be as anti-piracy as they like, however, consider the following:

I've been massively put off Ubisoft (amongst other publishers) by a continuous stream of poor titles, console ports and horrible DRM. Neither I, nor a small group of my friends, purchase Ubisoft games now out of principle. We're not going to risk wasting £100 between us on a poor game with restrictive DRM, however, one of us MIGHT download a pirated version, tell the rest of us it actually is worth the money, and we DO go out and buy it. As recent reports have shown, pirates actually do make the best customers.

 

How the hell does this drm protect their games i had a cracked copy of assassins creed since 5 days after release no drm can stop pirates... the game was not worthy of my money terrible game in my opinion my money is reserved for the good developers like thq and their dawn of war franchise

 

I could have any ubisoft game running, with no internet connection, in under 2 hours (the vast majority of which would be download time).

DRM has not been a success. When its easier to pirate a game than it is to spend £30 on the game and then play it, specifically because of the software you bog the game down with, you have not succeeded.

Personally I'd attribute the decrease in Ubisoft piracy to most of their games this year being crap.

 

@XXAOSICXX

"As recent reports have shown, pirates actually do make the best customers."

Provide actual evidence that isn't purely anecdotal. I'd love to see these "reports".

On topic, I'd like to find out if these games made more money, or if people just stopped getting them for free as much, because I sure know which one I'd prefer if I were Ubisoft...

 

My principles dictate that I too wouldn't buy a game with such draconian DRM, but I didn't realize it was there for AC2 and bought the game any way. Installed, played, got right into the game ... and my net connection went down; game just froze with a message of no net connection.
I was so happy when the crack finally came out, I cracked my purchased game and played without issue. I did the same with Brotherhood, except the crack came out almost the same day of release. I never even gave the game a chance to freeze on me.
I will however be sticking to my principles, especially based on my experience with AC2, and not buy any other Ubisoft titles with this DRM, crack or no. It's just too much of a pain in the neck to mess about with it for a single player game, and there are plenty of other titles who want my money that are less hassle.

 

• Friend and I bought SC:Conviction day 1 (huge Splinter Cell fans)
• Tried to play co-op - constant disconnect and desynchronisation issues
• Tried to play single player - constant DRM 'pauses'
• We decide to wait for patch
• Realise somehow people are playing co-op online just fine?????
• Check the forums, find out they're all 'pirates' who removed the DRM which was causing the disconnects
• With all the layers of DRM, Ubisoft forgot to put in a simple CD-key check
• Never buying a Ubisoft DRM'd game again.

 

Off topic:
From the article:
"As with other Ubisoft DRMed games, you'll be unable to play if you're internet goes down."
You`re?
English is my second language, but this is just ridiculous. You are supposed to proofread your article BEFORE publishing it. /Off topic
On topic:
Ubisoft must hate money so bad...

 

Ever since they introduced this rediculas DRM I've just refused to touch any of there games.