Ubisoft Drops StarForce DRM, Gives Always-Connected Anti-Piracy Plan A Try
Posted 01/27/10 at 12:47:29 AM by Nathan Grayson
Yeah, sure, “always-connected anti-piracy plan” is just a tongue-twisting maze of exec-speak for “different DRM,” but the devil’s in the details, so let’s see what Ubisoft’s got cooking.
In a nutshell, the publisher’s new anti-piracy measures aim to disarm DRM’s more troubling aspects, removing install limits altogether and allowing you to play without a disc in the tray. Also of note: cloud saves. For the uninitiated, this means that your game saves can be stored remotely on Ubisoft’s servers, which – while a fairly prominent feature these days – is still 12 different flavors of cool.
So, are you feeling sufficiently buttered up? Because here comes the letdown. See, there’s one major string attached, and if you disconnect that string, then you can kiss your gaming time goodbye. It’s the Internet, and you’ll be required to connect to it in order for Ubisoft to authenticate your game. Despite the restrictive nature of that limitation, however, the publisher doesn’t seem too worried.
"We think most people are going to be fine with it. Most people are always connected to an Internet connection," said Brent Wilkinson, Director, Customer Service and Production Planning at Ubisoft.
Which is mostly true, but we’ve been known to game on-the-go from time-to-time, and – unfortunately – where our laptops go, the Internet does not always follow. Maybe it’s just nitpicking on our parts, but still: until someone thinks up a one-size-fits-all anti-piracy measure – one that leaves little-to-no room for griping or outright dissatisfaction -- piracy’s not going anywhere.
Eff that.
Submitted by s3kShUn7 on Thu, 02/18/2010 - 5:52pm
Eff that. Seriously. Take this petition and do what you do best, people. http://www.petitiononline.com/mod_perl/petition-sign.cgi?ew15dl94
MaximumPC, I wouldn't mind some help on this one.
Submitted by Greycoat on Thu, 02/18/2010 - 3:51pm
I'm not always on the internet and I went without the internet for over a year not long ago. I found out then that some software, which I had paid for, would no longer work due to lack of internet. I'm not always on the internet and there may be times I have no internet at all. I am NOT going to buy anything anymore from anyone, including Ubisoft, that REQUIRES I have an internet connection to play even if at the time of potential purchase I have internet access.
I'm tired of all the "restrictions", draconian or otherwise, and I will just spend my money elsewhere.
Submitted by igoka on Wed, 01/27/2010 - 11:43am
I'm pretty happy with how Steam works . You can go online for multiplayer and to communicate with friends . You also can run Steam offline with no problems at all . So why inventing into something new when there is already good platform like Steam . Why not to use Steam !!!???
Submitted by Xmodgeek on Wed, 01/27/2010 - 11:27am
lol guess I'll have to use a crack like I have to use for most of my steam games because my college blocks there servers...
Submitted by Ruins on Wed, 01/27/2010 - 10:15am
I have one machine not connected to the internet. It also has no other programs running other than games I have installed. I did that to improve performance on that machine for gaming. Looks like I will not be buying any UBIsoft games anymore, or games that require an internet connection during game play.
It sort of makes me nervous
Submitted by lunchbox73 on Wed, 01/27/2010 - 8:54am
It sort of makes me nervous that our society is getting more dependant on the internet every year. Entire industries depend on it to stay in business. All we need is some savvy chain smoking Die Hard type villian that comes up with a way to take out the internet and we're screwed. Not being able to play a game will be the least of our troubles.
Not to mention the latest cover of Popular Mechanics has me scared - CAN WE TRUST ROBOTS? Why Experts are Worried. AAAGGGHHH!!!!!
Wow, did I get off topic...
Submitted by I Jedi on Wed, 01/27/2010 - 11:27am
There is absolutely nothing wrong, nor dangerous about a robot; however, it's when we start developing code that becomes self-aware is when we start playing with fire. Sci Fi is a lot to blame for people being scared of A.I.'s. They think that the moment we create one, it will seek out to destroy us. People, when airplanes were first new, thought that they were going to always be way too dangerous to fly in, but over the last hundred years airplanes have become much safer than driving a car or getting hit by an asteriod. We shouldn't fear progression, but should take it in baby-steps, like the aviation industry has done.
Submitted by lunchbox73 on Wed, 01/27/2010 - 12:23pm
Until robots start flying the planes! Wait until one becomes self-aware 30,000 feet over Dallas with a full fuel tank.
so Baby Robot steps
Submitted by nekollx on Wed, 01/27/2010 - 11:32am
so Baby Robot steps :P
http://www.maximumpc.com/article/news/ucsds_robot_baby_stuff_nightmares
------------------------------
Coming soon to Lulu.com --Tokusatsu Heroes--
Five teenagers, one alien ghost, a robot, and the fate of the world.
Submitted by snapple00 on Wed, 01/27/2010 - 9:26am
Skynet is pure software, there is no way to stop it. Bombing the core computer won't do anything.
Submitted by Atomike on Wed, 01/27/2010 - 8:08am
While Maximum PC seems to think that "cloud" saves "is still 12 different flavors of cool", I think every other consumer will disagree. This is the WORST part of the DRM. Can't connect? Can't save your game. Can't pull up your saved games. This is really the crippling part of the DRM. If you can't connect to Ubisoft, you can't save any of your progress. Think about that. I can't see how that's possibly 12 flavors of cool. Perhaps someone there could explain how this insane idea is any good at all? Ubisoft never said this "cloud save" idea was optional - so do please explain. I'd love to hear the logic.
Also, you guys should probably credit Rock, Paper, Shotgun with this story, rather than just pass it off as your own. When I went to Journalism school, they frowned on that sort of thing.
Submitted by I Jedi on Wed, 01/27/2010 - 8:52am
The idea behind saving your games in the cloud is pretty cool, in my opinion. It will ALWAYS still be nice to have a second option, like backing the files remotely to your hard/flash drive for safe keeping. The cloud revolution is going to happen, rather we want it to or not. The best we can hope for is that companies, like Ubisoft, will support both remote and cloud storage.
Submitted by Cy-Kill on Wed, 01/27/2010 - 7:36am
And, what are they going to do if someone doesn't have Internet access or lives in an area that cannot get it, this is where Ubisoft is going to fail and lose a lot of customers. If I buy a product, I expect to use that product without strings attached, there are going to be a tonne of complaints to whatever goverment agency handles consumer complaints.
Cy-Kill
Submitted by Tekzel on Wed, 01/27/2010 - 7:11am
Haha, dumbasses. Yet another scheme to annoy and inconvenience their PAYING customers, but have absolutely zero effect on pirates and piracy. Way to go.
Submitted by I Jedi on Wed, 01/27/2010 - 6:44am
I find it rather funny that these companies continue to put DRM and other protection, such as SecuROM on their games; however, you then see people cracking these games every-single-time. The only thing these companies do is produce a bad image for the customers who already pay for their content, and only delay the inevitable for those who don't pay for it.
Oh, and even though game makers are moving to the console, it will soon be the same story there, too. Games are already being ripped off of disks for the Xbox 360, and made to play on another unauthorized disk. This practice will only get more and more popular as time goes on, and more and more people become aware of how to do it. The problem of stealing will always be there for the gaming, music, and movie industry. As long as there is technology, there will be people there to figure ways to bypass security put in place.
The best thing the industry can do is reward its customer, not punish them.
Submitted by Magius on Wed, 01/27/2010 - 6:14am
I cannot see how people always miss the details. The "new" scheme Ubisoft is going to use is the same one used by eBook and music publishers years ago and it has a HUGE drawback...
Sure, get disconnected and you can't play for a while, but this is not it.
The problem is when they decide to stop supporting the game or change DRM tactics once more.
Music providers literally left customers hanging, they couldn't use their music anymore.
Would you bet Ubisoft will be any different?
No thanks. In the end this is another protection that will prove useless. It will only harm those of us that actually pay for their games. Crackers will eat up this new scheme for breakfast and have the game available in record time.
Submitted by nekollx on Wed, 01/27/2010 - 10:34am
Like EA did who pulled...Maden 09 from their server...among others. But seriously Maden 09 is less then a year old. We're expected to what trust the studio to suport the game in perpetuity?
I don't have to worry about brizard taking down servers to play Diablo...
------------------------------
Coming soon to Lulu.com --Tokusatsu Heroes--
Five teenagers, one alien ghost, a robot, and the fate of the world.
Submitted by shutout5591 on Wed, 01/27/2010 - 5:08am
Most of the time, all of us are connected to the internet.
If this is the compromise the industry requires, I have no problems with it.
Submitted by LVmonkey on Wed, 01/27/2010 - 7:05am
nor do the pirates. they are online as well. =]
Submitted by jrnull1 on Wed, 01/27/2010 - 2:46am
Look, I am new to the internet, but I TRULY HATE THIS CRAP of having
to be hooked in to it to do any thing. I pay for it, ishould be able to use IT!
DRM, Internet sign-up, Internet-rgistration,.. it"s all MAXIMUM BS.
I pays my money, I takes my chances. I Will Not Pay Again For Whats I Own
John
TRaSh80 RULES!!!
Agreed, this will only lead
Submitted by Digital-Storm on Wed, 01/27/2010 - 6:04am
Agreed, this will only lead to crackers removing the calls in the program that relay to the servers. There are steam games that have been cracked to no longer require steam.
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