QUESTION FOR LAWYERS : can we take any legal actions against UBI ??

[IanC]

Originally Posted by thorn69

If enough people do that, then UBI will fold and go bankrupt eventually. But then who will even come close to delivering us another submarine simulation? It's a double edge sword either way you look at it. Do what you want but I'm going to continue to support UBI because it's the only company that's been releasing decent submarine simulators in the past decade. Janes is dead and has been for sometime now. UBI is all there is. Thank God for them!

Ah yes, the 'Support them no matter what they dish out, because they're the only ones making subsims' argument...

[gimpy117]

oh boy lets start another frivolous lawsuit!!!!

Originally Posted by IanC

Ah yes, the 'Support them no matter what they dish out, because they're the only ones making subsims' argument...

Actually, it's the "Do whatever floats your boat" argument actually. What I choose to do is my choice, what you choose to do is your choice. The bottom line is that no other company is making submarine simulations right now. I'm not going to live forever, so I choose to support the one and only company that's at least attempting to cater to my likes at this particular time. If another company emerges from the depths and can deliver something better then I will go there but until then I'm stuck with UBI.

[Coldcall]

In a way it would be nice if SH5 was such a commercial dissapointment for Ubi that they sold the SH IP to a smaller development house to whom such a title would be real meat. It just seems that it is being under-developed because Ubi rather prioritise resources elsehwere on more profitble product streams.

If a poor SH release can still sell 200k copies at $50 a pop then thats still a gross figure of $10million in sales, so the commercials are in place for a smaller specialist developer - if Ubi let go of the IP that is.

[Pappy55]

Originally Posted by Safe-Keeper

Absolutely.

However, suing someone for making what you perceive to be a bad game is so ridiculous it would get you laughed out of court faster than... em... uhm... actually, I'm at a loss for examples.


?

Ermmmm I thought this was all about the DRM and not the game its self???

[Subwolf]

Well, as Ubi said, this isn't their fault. Sue those who attack their servers instead..

[IanC]

Originally Posted by thorn69

Actually, it's the "Do whatever floats your boat" argument actually. What I choose to do is my choice, what you choose to do is your choice. The bottom line is that no other company is making submarine simulations right now. I'm not going to live forever, so I choose to support the one and only company that's at least attempting to cater to my likes at this particular time. If another company emerges from the depths and can deliver something better then I will go there but until then I'm stuck with UBI.

By principle alone, I would not support a company that delivers an inferior product even if they're the only ones catering to said product.
You can use whatever analogy here... I like the bad barber one. If my town only had one barber, and he kept giving me bad haircuts, so bad my wife had to fix it once I got home, he would stop getting my business.
And just to keep this on topic, I might just think about suing him for psychological and emotional distress.

[BigBANGtheory]

Sueing someone for making what may be a poor game is just a complete nonsense and really not worth further discussion.

You will be arguing against consiquential entertainment loss next on the grounds you could have spent your free time better doing other things

Seriously return the game the retailer is your only sensible recourse, after that it is the retailers problem to sort out returns/damages/defective good etc.

To my mind UBI greatest sin in all this is the lack of information and communication, but there is no law against poor customer support I'm afraid (unless your like a government buying defence equipment in which case they change the law).

[JScones]

What are the grounds for legal action? Just DRM/OSP?

Meh, you knew the issues and risks beforehand. If you didn't, then you either a) didn't read these forums or b) didn't undertake your own research into DRM/OSP.

Not that the reason really makes a difference, mind you, but IMHO if you are unhappy you're much better just to put it all down to experience, get a refund if you can, and remember for the next time a "must have game" gets released by Ubisoft.

[Lanzfeld]

Sorry,

You were dumb enough to buy it...you are stuck with it. Natural selection my friends. All the warning signs were there. EAT IT!

[Rockin Robbins]

I believe that existing laws probably don't properly cover the type of abuse that's happening here because the laws are behind the curve. Specifically, what we are being muscled with are modifications of the traditional fair use rights including but not limited to:

• The right to sell your copy of the copyrighted material after you are through with it.
• The right to lend it.
• The right to give it away.
• The right to use it without incurring other peripheral expenses, such as excessive internet charges in order to use the copyrighted materials.

Let's put it this way. We'll take a book as an example. You can lend it. You can give it away. You can sell it. You can read it in other places than where the publisher chooses. If a bookseller said you could only read the book you bought at the library, you'd laugh 'em out of town.

Yet, supposedly fair-minded people are perfectly happy with being bound to a chair, blindfolded and then being allowed to read the book.

This is the proper venue of legislative action in various countries. Unfortunately, with these corporate gangsters being the only ones hiring lobbyists and legislatures not being disposed to listen to ordinary people, we have an uphill battle.

No, probably in most countries, what Ubi is doing here is perfectly legal. But it should not be. People should serve jail time for this stuff. Companies should be dissolved for this type of customer abuse. We can help!

Until Ubi relents:

Refuse to buy SH5
Refuse to play SH5
Refuse to mod SH5
Refuse to produce tutorials for SH5
Refuse to make video of SH5

It only encourages the dinosaur.

[Lanzfeld]

I, proudly, obey those 5 laws!

I do not obey those statements.

I bought the Game even though I can't play it.
(System is to behind)

I'll Mod the Game because that's what I enjoy doing.

I don't agree with Ubi and the DRM stuff,
But that won't stop me as I'll do what I need to do.

I support the DEV's!
Not the Tie wearing, Money snaching SOB's!
Thier time WILL come.
Count on that.

[Rockin Robbins]

Unfortunately your words and actions have no effect comparable to the effect of your money. You are whispering that you want needed changes and your money is shouting "I approve of the DRM. I don't expect to be able to sell copyrighted material on the used market. I accept and endorse unreasonable restrictions as to where and when this piece of (fill in the blank) can be used."

Guess what is the only thing Ubi hears? Once the money is spent your input is over.

As it is, Silent Hunter 5 is nothing more than a trojan horse, containing nasty malware. The more we by our actions, modding, making tutorials, posting videos, enhance the attractiveness of the trojan horse, the more Ubi will sell. They will say "it's working! Thanks Subsim! Our DRM is wonderful!"

Even worse, there is a published mod which makes it possible to play the game offline without interfering in any way with Ubi's DRM. If this gets widespread use, it will also encourage sales of SH5 as is. Ubi will merely look at the increased sales and say, "It's working! Lets do more of that." Even a partial solution makes the problem worse.

The only remedy for this situation is for our money to remain in our pocket. I had money put aside to purchase and was ready to purchase without reservations as to the completeness of the game. I wasn't worried about only one kind of U-Boat or the cutoff time or imperfections bound to happen in a cutting edge game. I was ready to jump in and do the same kinds of things I've done with and for Silent Hunter 4. I believe I've done a small part of enhancing the value of that product, teaching at least a dozen or two that manual targeting is fun and possible.

I won't be doing any of that for SH5 and I recommend that everyone examine the options and realize that my course is the only course that can result in change. Either Ubi will relent and we will have a product that respects our status as paying customers, fans and supporters or Ubi will die with its trojan horse and another company more focused on customer needs will emerge to take its place. It's tough love time and unless we act responsibly, we're just enabling this drunk. Yeah, he says he's going to use the money we give him to buy food, but we really know all that's happening is the sorry wino is headed to 7-Eleven for another quart of Pabst Blue Ribbon. Game over Ubi. Change or die.

Umm,
I don't think that was directed at me only.