DRM INFO game to be patched if servers turned off
 

Ubisoft Unveils New PC DRM Requiring Online Connection To Play (Updated)

Update: Ubisoft has sent over an FAQ with more details (below) including a promise that should the service be stopped, games would be patched to remain playable.

Original: Developer and publisher Ubisoft's new PC DRM solution will feature no CD checks or installation limits and pack support for 'cloud' online saved game storage but will require players be online to authenticate before playing, GameSpy reveals.

Players will be required to login to their Ubi.com account to authenticate each and every time they wish to play--and there will be no support at all for offline play.

"We think most people are going to be fine with it. Most people are always connected to an Internet connection," said Ubisoft director of customer support Brent Wilkinson.

The DRM platform will debut with the closed beta test of Blue Byte city-building strategy The Settlers 7. "Most upcoming Ubisoft PC games" will make use of the platform, though GameSpy says not all will support cloud saves.

What are the key elements of this platform for PC gamers?
Although a permanent online connection is required, this means that a CD/DVD is not required to play the game after installation. The protected game can be installed as many times and on as many computers as you like. Saved games are also synchronized online so the user can continue playing from any location with the game installed.

How many players can the server system support?
There is no limit to how many players can play at the same time. For each title, we carefully study the demand and allocate servers accordingly. We will also of course allocate back-up servers in order to be able to respond to fluctuations in demand. Ubisoft provides 24/7 monitoring of its servers.

How many computers can I install the game on?
There is no limit to the number of computers on which you can install the game. However you can only play with your individual Ubisoft account on one computer at a time.

Can I play my game from another computer?
Yes. As long as the game is installed on the PC, you can play from any computer and your Ubisoft account will recognise your last saved position as well as automatically save any updates.

I am in a strict environment with lots of firewall rules etc. Can I still play the game?
If you can access the Internet from the computer, you can play the game.

What if Ubisoft decides not run these online services in the future? Will my game stop working?
If any service is stopped, we will create a patch for the game so that the core game play will not be affected.

What will happen if I lose my Internet connection when I play the game?
If you lose your Internet connection the game will pause while it tries to reconnect. If the Internet Connection is unable to resume you can continue the game from where you left off or from the last saved game.

Will I need to be online the whole time when I play the game? Including for single player?
Yes. You will need to have an active Internet connection to play the game, for all game modes.

Will this platform use unique keys?
Yes. Unique keys are verified throughout this system.

Will this affect the performance of my PC?
No. The services that we offer run only when you start the game and there are no background services.

Do you have to be a member of Uplay to use this service platform?
This system requires you to have a Ubi.com account. A Uplay and a Ubi.com account are the same. You don't need to use Uplay to use this service platform, but if you wish to do so, it's very simple.

Do you plan to implement this system on home consoles?
This system is for PCs only.

Will this system be available for every Ubisoft game?
Most upcoming Ubisoft PC games will make use of this system.

Not so long ago Ubi messed up a game patch which left users who had
paid for and downloaded a game unable to play it.

Did they ever release a patch to fix the game so they could play it again.....nope.


Can someone post the name of the game for me; I forgot.

The game is Rainbow Six Vegas II.

You could either buy it on DVD or buy it online thru a service called D2D
(Direct 2 Download).

With the latest patch, you must have the DVD in the drive to play.
Of course, if you bought the game thru D2D you cannot play anymore.

Hundreds of people went to the Ubisoft forum to ask for help. Nothing worked and Ubisoft clearly explained they would not change the latest patch to fix the problem.

Some people started giving links to a No-CD patch from a hacker group called "Reloaded". Since this is illegal, those posts were edited and removed.

After a few days, Ubisoft did post a No-CD patch to fix the problem. People downloaded it, and it worked. The people that bought the game thru D2D could play again.

But someone was curious. He had downloaded the Reloaded No-CD patch and found out that the Ubisoft No-CD patch had exactly the same size, just the name was different.

So he used an hexadecimal editor to check and surprise, surprise...
Ubisoft was distributing as a fix an illegal No-CD crack from Reloaded.
Yes. Ubisoft themselves were distributing a crack from a hacker's group to fix a problem they created and for which they had no solution.

Link :
http://www.n4g.com/pc/News-171867.aspx

After the scandal was revealed, Ubisoft quickly deleted any link to the patch and the D2D people today with the latest game patch cannot play the game either solo or online, and Ubisoft remains silent and doesn't care.

So just trust Ubisoft to sort it all out for you if it goes pear shaped.;)


WALOFBS!:arrgh!:

wow the game pauses during play if internet dies , not good.. :down: useless crap

i wont be buying if this is final...

Probably the most irrelevant point in the whole DRM debate.

I can understand people not wanting to be connected, or put their saves on Ubi's server etc etc.. but does anyone here really think that they are going to buy SHV and in a few months Ubi will go tits up and we have a useless disk? Gimme a F'in break.. Ubi isn't going anywhere soon. They made $1.45 BILLION in '08 which was up from a projected $1.38B..... they are fine...

UBI can be making more money then GOD with the rest of their games but if they decide sh5 is not bringing in enough revenue they will discontinue support for it to better support its other games.

which is more likely to happen?

UBI out of feeling obligated to its customers continues to support a game after sales have peaked and revenue is falling off

or

UBI makes the smart buisness decission to trim the areas not bringing in revenue and who cares about a small market niche game


now we all know how kind hearted and loyal game companies are and that they dont care about money or profits right? .... :hmmm:


you could be right, and i am hoping they do but you would be going against all reasonable logic to "expect" them to take steps to eliminate DRM when they stop supporting it

Hah! Lehman Brothers made $4 billion in 2007. In 2008, they were history.

Impulse sales on Steam alone from people who have not played 1, 2, 3 or 4 will probably be more then the combined sales of SH4. The blanket marketing of Steam is a money making machine. Why do you think ALL big game publishers have decided to get a competitor to sell their wares? (Valve that runs Steam is a video game creator too.. Half Life). They average about 1.7 million people logged in at a time.. that is alot more product exposure at launch then any previous SH title.

http://store.steampowered.com/stats/

So are alot of banks.. totally different thing isn't it? Video games sales were up across the board in '08 while banks were going down.

everything i read, including UBI own quarterly reports say accross the entire game industry sales were down BIG in the range of 50% in most cases for all game makers

i think your enthusiasm is leading to some exageration maybe?

http://www.pcgameshardware.com/aid,6...-delayed/News/ ;)

Ah! some positive thinking is in order: Turn off servers ... Turn off servers ... Turn off servers :yeah:

Well we can argue back and forth but meh. I'll still be buying it.

Ha! Sure, they'll patch it. And pigs will fly.

Personally I can understand the DRM move but I do wish they wouldn't insult my intelligence with empty promises.