Ubisoft games to require constant internet connection

[Deks]

I just don't get the argument that PC gaming shouldn't be bothered with any more.

For one thing, games on consoles experience a severe loss in quality compared to PC's which can run them on much higher resolutions.

Furthermore ... if a game is made for consoles, the PC version usually ends as a direct port, which in some cases results in poor performance because of very bad optimization (ultimately can reflect badly if they are counting to make profit off of PC gamers as well).

Finally, consoles are based off old PC hardware and games for those platforms as far as I was able to tell aren't really pushing the envelope.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

On that note.... this one is mainly talking about music, but I think it applies the exact same.

iTunes music has been DRM-free for awhile now.

 

[firehawk12]

Finally, consoles are based off old PC hardware and games for those platforms as far as I was able to tell aren't really pushing the envelope.

This is basically it. It's the equivalent of tanks and racing cars influencing the design of the normal stock Fords that you buy at the lot.

Without PC gaming, there'd be no reason to have DirectX 11 cards out in the market.

That said, almost no one makes games for the PC first anymore... so you're at a lose-lose situation. PC games stagnate and then the rest of the gaming world stagnate.

 

[Aaron McGuire]

On that note.... this one is mainly talking about music, but I think it applies the exact same.

Cool. Good thing iTunes went DRM free in April of '09. I guess demanding DRM free worked.

Aaron McGuire

EDIT: Damn you Mr. Laser Beam!

 

[Deks]

Meanwhile the market is filled with FPS type games, and I can't stand them.
I prefer adventure games like The Dig, Indiana Jones and the fate of Atlantis, ST: TNG A final unity, and RPG type games such as KOTOR I & II, Mass Effect 1, 2 (and soon to be 3), Jade Empire, Dragon Age Origins ...

Something that isn't really mindless shooting and all.

I'm not saying the consoles don't have interesting games ... but the market isn't exactly filled with games that make you think.
And these days, indeed, the consoles do set the standard in numerous cases and it backfires horribly on such occasions when it comes to PC games.

 

[Canadave]

^ Adventure games are enjoying a mild renaissance right now, I think, thanks mostly to the success of Telltale's episodic series like Tales of Monkey Island and Sam & Max. I wouldn't be surprised if we start seeing more indie efforts in the genre, as well.

Also, not all FPS's are mindless shooting. Take the various games in the Half-Life universe (including Portal). They're smart, story-driven, and often make you think in order to get ahead; rushing in with guns blazing is rarely the best way forwards.

 

[Trekker4747]

DRM... OF THE FUTURE!!!

This is complete bullshit. How any company could think this would be a good idea?

 

[CaptJimboJones]

Meanwhile the market is filled with FPS type games, and I can't stand them.
I prefer adventure games like The Dig, Indiana Jones and the fate of Atlantis, ST: TNG A final unity, and RPG type games such as KOTOR I & II, Mass Effect 1, 2 (and soon to be 3), Jade Empire, Dragon Age Origins ...

Something that isn't really mindless shooting and all.

I'm not saying the consoles don't have interesting games ... but the market isn't exactly filled with games that make you think.

Well to be fair, many of the games you just named - KOTOR I&II, Mass Effect 1&2, Jade Empire, Dragon Age - are all availableon consoles.

Personally I switched from PC gaming to consoles almost exclusively a few years ago, mainly because I was tired of the technical headaches and expense associated with PC gaming - upgrading the PC every few months for the newest game, fiddling with drivers and hardware endlessly to make the games work, etc. I much prefer being able to buy a game, pop in the disc, sit on the sofa and just play the darn thing.

 

[Rii]

The DRM servers are down, rendering AssCreed2 and SH5 unplayable.

This story is the gift that just keeps on giving.

 

[eastman23]

The DRM servers are down, rendering AssCreed2 and SH5 unplayable.

This story is the gift that just keeps on giving.

That didn't take long, did it?

I love the reactions in the forums... didn't any of these people realize this is exactly what would happen if they lost a connection? That they wouldn't be able to play a game they bought.

 

[Rii]

The DRM servers are down, rendering AssCreed2 and SH5 unplayable.

This story is the gift that just keeps on giving.

That didn't take long, did it?

I love the reactions in the forums... didn't any of these people realize this is exactly what would happen if they lost a connection? That they wouldn't be able to play a game they bought.

Ubisoft have the advantage that buying a game isn't like buying a load of bread. People don't want 'games', they want specific games, even in overcrowded genres like FPS. With something like Silent Hunter 5 where Ubisoft are the only game in town it gives them even more leeway to fuck with the consumer. If the reviews for SH5 were good enough - not that there appear to be any at this point - I'd consider buying it even with the DRM.

P.S. For all the console folks looking smug at the moment, if you think Sony/Microsoft/Nintendo aren't contemplating exactly this kind of system for the next generation of consoles, you're dreaming. There's a lot more at stake here than Ubisoft on PC.

 

[eastman23]

The DRM servers are down, rendering AssCreed2 and SH5 unplayable.

This story is the gift that just keeps on giving.

That didn't take long, did it?

I love the reactions in the forums... didn't any of these people realize this is exactly what would happen if they lost a connection? That they wouldn't be able to play a game they bought.

Ubisoft have the advantage that buying a game isn't like buying a load of bread. People don't want 'games', they want specific games, even in overcrowded genres like FPS. With something like Silent Hunter 5 where Ubisoft are the only game in town it gives them even more leeway to fuck with the consumer. If the reviews for SH5 were good enough - not that there appear to be any at this point - I'd consider buying it even with the DRM.

That is true. I want to Assassin's Creed 2, but I'm not going to. Not going to buy it or pirate it. I'm not going to support Ubisoft in any way as long as they pull crap like this. Sucks, but I'll survive.

P.S. For all the console folks looking smug at the moment, if you think Sony/Microsoft/Nintendo aren't contemplating exactly this kind of system for the next generation of consoles, you're dreaming. There's a lot more at stake here than Ubisoft on PC.

Yup. As many others have said before, it's not really about the piracy, it's about controlling (or rather, demolishing) the used game market.

 

[The Borg Queen]

The DRM servers are down, rendering AssCreed2 and SH5 unplayable.

This story is the gift that just keeps on giving.

That didn't take long, did it?

I love the reactions in the forums... didn't any of these people realize this is exactly what would happen if they lost a connection? That they wouldn't be able to play a game they bought.

The funny thing is, people who've pirated the game don't have to worry about any of that, they can still play the game whenever they want.

 

[Haggis and tatties]

Ubisoft have the advantage that buying a game isn't like buying a load of bread. People don't want 'games', they want specific games, even in overcrowded genres like FPS. With something like Silent Hunter 5 where Ubisoft are the only game in town it gives them even more leeway to fuck with the consumer. If the reviews for SH5 were good enough - not that there appear to be any at this point - I'd consider buying it even with the DRM.

P.S. For all the console folks looking smug at the moment, if you think Sony/Microsoft/Nintendo aren't contemplating exactly this kind of system for the next generation of consoles, you're dreaming. There's a lot more at stake here than Ubisoft on PC.

MS already have a system in place similar to this for their arcade games, i only found this out when my 360 went belly up and i got it back from repair to find my arcade games were all trials, only way i could play them was while connection to xblive, they sort of fixed it with the licence tool but you are only allowed to do this once a year, and if you have had too send your 360 off after you have used the licence tool your stuck with it until that 12 months is up before you can start the process again.

But i certainly wont be buying into it, i can live quite happily without games if the day comes when i have to have a permanent connection to play a game, i can understand their attempt to protect their property but once i buy it why should i constantly be policed before i can use it, they are only harassing and pissing off the people who actually buy the games while those who get it via illegal methods sit happy playing the game minus all this hassle.

 

[Sheep]

The DRM servers are down, rendering AssCreed2 and SH5 unplayable.

This story is the gift that just keeps on giving.

What could POSSIBLY go wrong? This stuff writes itself.

 

[Sephiroth]

hmmm, well, Ubisoft just lost another customer

 

[firehawk12]

They blamed it on haaaaackers trying to DDoS the DRM server.

How could they not anticipate trolls trying to break their system? Oh well.

 

[Yoda]

Every once in a while the script kiddies do something right

 

[Sheep]

They blamed it on haaaaackers trying to DDoS the DRM server.

Whether it's script kiddies, an inferno taking out their server farms, or a glacier destroying the internet connection between Europe and the rest of the world is absolutely irrelevant when pirates can play their games but paying customers can't.