News RUSE drops Ubi DRM for Steamworks

http://www.bit-tech.net/news/gaming/2010/08/12/ruse-drops-ubi-drm-for-steamworks/1

 

Next steps: remove the Ubisoft DRM from Steam copies of Ubisoft games, add in Steamworks instead and I'll buy the games instantly!

 

That signals a death knell to me for Ubi's DRM. It's very honest and open of them to drop their own system from their own game.

If they do it to all their games, I might consider purchasing them I want some of their titles, but I'm not touching that Ubi DRM.

 

It'll never happen

 

+100000000000000000

 

Never had a problem with Ubisofts DRM. Although it did seem to DC me 50% of the time when i alt-tabbed out of a game.

 

sounds like a problem to me

 

Very glad to hear it. Here's hoping Ubi scrap it altogether!

As Plugs says, that does sound like a problem? I.e. the DRM disconnects you and is unreliable (DC 50% of time) when you use the game in a normal way (alt-tab out)

 

If they apply this little dose of common sense retroactively to Splinter Cell: Conviction and Assassins Creed 2 I might finally get to enjoy those games without compromising my principles.
I refuse to buy those games until Ubisoft's DRM is gone.

 

Hah, i might buy this on principle.

 

amen to that

 

Now all they need to do is drop the steam requirement and those of us with no interest in 'community' features, multi player or even a stable and reliable internet connection will then buy the game. Swapping one crappy DRM for an every so slightly less restrictive one is not progress. Oh well another 30 odd quid for me to spend on something else.

 

+1 Yeah I've wanted to try AC2 for a while now (on PC of course) but the idea of supporting the Ubisoft DRM does not sit well with me.

 

The most hilarious part of this entire saga is that it could have been totally avoided by just using Steam in the first place. Yes, I realise that there are licensing costs associated with it, and Ubisoft were trying to build their own community, blah blah, but the costs of developing their own infrastructure - which clearly was not up to snuff - likely would outweigh the licensing fees anyway. I don't think Ubisoft realised how difficult it was to get it right.

 

Is incredible, the first time I heard of RUSE and already want a copy.

 

Not interested in the game but this is 'good news'.

Ditch the ubisoft drm.

 

RUSE is going to change revolutionize the RTS genre. SupCom gave us strategic zoom, RUSE is going to give us proper fog of war and deception tactics, something that has been missing all too often in Pc Gaming.

S*D

 

Bah, this is out of the frying pan and into the fire.

Ubi's DRM may suck royally (and I've boycotted a couple of games due to it) but Steamworks means having all games tied into a single Steam account, allowing Valve to hold your games collection to ransom if they so choose (e.g. by bringing in a regular fee to keep accounts open). You also have the Steam Subscriber Agreement which includes the following gems:

4B. "ALL STEAM FEES ARE PAYABLE IN ADVANCE...Valve reserves the right to change our fees or billing methods at any time...you are responsible for reviewing the billing section of Steam to obtain timely notice of such changes. Your non-cancellation of your Account or an affected Subscription thirty (30) days after posting of the changes on Steam means that you accept such changes."

(If everything is purchased in advance, why have this section at all unless there is a plan to introduce a subscription charge?)

5. "...Valve may terminate your Account or a particular Subscription for any conduct or activity that Valve believes is illegal, constitutes a Cheat, or which otherwise negatively affects the enjoyment of Steam by other Subscribers. You acknowledge that Valve is not required to provide you notice before terminating your Subscriptions(s) and/or Account, but it may choose to do so."

(Valve can shut accounts for almost any reason - even something as trivial as posting negative comments on their forums).

9A. THE ENTIRE RISK ARISING OUT OF USE OR PERFORMANCE OF STEAM, THE STEAM SOFTWARE, AND MERCHANDISE REMAINS WITH YOU, THE USER. VALVE EXPRESSLY DISCLAIMS (I) ANY WARRANTY FOR STEAM, THE STEAM SOFTWARE, AND THE MERCHANDISE, AND (II) ANY COMMON LAW DUTIES WITH REGARD TO STEAM, THE STEAM SOFTWARE, AND THE MERCHANDISE, INCLUDING DUTIES OF LACK OF NEGLIGENCE AND LACK OF WORKMANLIKE EFFORT.

(Disclaimers aren't unusual but "lack of workmanlike effort"? What sort of coders are Valve using to justify that?)

9C. VALVE DOES NOT GUARANTEE CONTINUOUS, ERROR-FREE, VIRUS-FREE OR SECURE OPERATION AND ACCESS TO STEAM, THE STEAM SOFTWARE, YOUR ACCOUNT AND/OR YOUR SUBSCRIPTIONS(S).

(If Steam is hijacked and used to spread malware, and with access to 25 million systems it must now be an attractive target for malware pushers, you're on your own - even if your bank account is emptied by a trojan).

DRM-free software can work as a business (Gog being the best example) and avoids all these hassles. However if people choose to tolerate "light" DRM then this is going to be seen as acceptance of tighter controls in future.

 

I have a good idea......... Let the game work the way they used to work..... you know, stick the disc in and let me play my game. Now I have to have internet just to play single player. F.O. with that B.S. already!

 

Ah the good old slippery slope argument. Unfortunately this very article acts as evidence against your claim. Steam has been around a long time and the worst of the draconian DRM schemes are more recent. Steam has survived and the others haven't. This seems to clearly establish that there is a maximum level of DRM that consumers will tolerate, Steam sits below that level and would face revolt if it became too restrictive just like every other scheme out there.

I agree that I'd prefer not to have any DRM but the value-add of Steam makes the service a net positive (a widely expressed sentiment I believe).