The gawd-almighty merged DRM in Silent Hunter V thread

[razark]

I recently upgraded a graphics card. Flight Simulator decided that this was reason enough to declare that I was no longer running an authorized copy of the game. So, I type in all the numbers of their code, and then wait for a bit, only to be told that the system cannot contact the server.

There was a phone activation backup, but what if that were to close down? Then, I'm left with only a demo mode game, that I paid for.

I understand the publishers feel the need to protect their profits, but should it come at the expense of their legitimate customers? Use some system that doesn't depend on a server or other entity that might not be there in two years.

[Onkel Neal]

I won't argue with that, it definitely is a concern.

[Seeadler]

Now it has been officially confirmed by an Ubisoft employee in the German SH5 forum, SH5 will contain exactly this new protection:

- you need an Ubisoft online account to activate SH5
- Save games be stored online on Ubisoft server
- PC must be throughout the playing session connected to the internet

[longam]

Link?

[Seeadler]

Originally Posted by longam

Link?

post in the German Q&A thread
by Ubi_AnnikV one of the German Ubisoft community managers

http://forums-de.ubi.com/eve/forums/...161085487/p/14

[JackAubrey]

Originally Posted by Seeadler

post in the German Q&A thread
by Ubi_AnnikV one of the German Ubisoft community managers

http://forums-de.ubi.com/eve/forums/...161085487/p/14

He states: "und der PC muss während der gesamten Spielzeit mit dem Internet verbunden sein."

Which means, you'll have to be online during the whole playing session.
This is no mere online activation, which i could live with, besides, you also have to activate SH5 online AND you have to stay online while playing. The whole time. Sounds pretty much "Rise of Flight"-Style.

I am one of those gamers that are usually connected 24/7 to the net.
But my service provider sometimes shuts down the service for update or maintenance purposes or simply because something went "boom."
If this happens, that means I can kiss my game progress goodbye.

If SH5 would be an MMO then it would be pretty obvious that there is no other practical way around and I would be fine with the "online the whole time" thing. Same during Online-Multiplay. Just because it does not work any other way than with a connection to the net.

But we are talking about a mainly offline experience here. I am not playing against human opponents over the net, i am playing an offline game against the computers AI.
Having to be online the whole time, only to save my progress and losing it if the connection goes down, sounds simply ridiculous to me, and i have cancelled my preorder.

[Gatt]

Originally Posted by JackAubrey

But we are talking about a mainly offline experience here. I am not playing against human opponent over the net, i am playing an offline game against the computers AI.
Having to be online the whole time, only to save my progress and losing it if the connection goes down, sounds simply ridiculous to me.

I totally agree.

Well, I canceled my preorder

[VonGlaus]

Originally Posted by JackAubrey

I am one of those gamers that are usually connected 24/7 to the net.
But my service provider sometimes shuts down the service for update or maintenance purposes or simply because something went "boom."
If this happens, that means I can kiss my game progress goodbye.

If SH5 would be an MMO then it would be pretty obvious that there is no other practical way around and I would be fine with the "online the whole time" thing. Same during Online-Multiplay. Just because it does not work any other way than with a connection to the net.

But we are talking about a mainly offline experience here. I am not playing against human opponents over the net, i am playing an offline game against the computers AI.
Having to be online the whole time, only to save my progress and losing it if the connection goes down, sounds simply ridiculous to me.

I couldn't have said it better than Jack. And I was astonished at the number of posters that assume everybody in the world has a magic connection to the Internet that's wider than a supertanker and always works. According to Trenken, I'm some 'special case' by not having 24/7 plugin. At least 3 times a week I spend 24 hours at work away from an Internet connection. Nobody else is like that? Just about 296,000 others in the US alone. And all those business folks on trips? Screw them, too.

I own and play one MMO game. I fully understand why I need to be connected to play that game. I play one flight sim and 2 sub sims. Why should those single-player games require constant contact with anyone else?

But hey, now I get spare money to spend on somebody else's game...

[SteamWake]

Originally Posted by Seeadler

Now it has been officially confirmed by an Ubisoft employee in the German SH5 forum, SH5 will contain exactly this new protection:

- you need an Ubisoft online account to activate SH5
- Save games be stored online on Ubisoft server
- PC must be throughout the playing session connected to the internet

What??!!

Somehow I think something was lost in the translation....

[Lanzfeld]

I read that "Rise of Flight" is dropping the requirement to be connected to the internet the whole time you are playing in the next patch. Wouldnt this suggest that this approach is a fail?

[Lanzfeld]

Originally Posted by Lanzfeld

I read that "Rise of Flight" is dropping the requirement to be connected to the internet the whole time you are playing in the next patch. Wouldnt this suggest that this approach is a fail?

With respect to Rise of Flight ^^^^^^

[goldorak]

Originally Posted by SteamWake

What??!!

Somehow I think something was lost in the translation....

Why are you surprised ? Customers oops I meant consumers are the ENEMY.
EA doesn't give a damn about customers and they still sell a lot. Activision doesn't give a damn about customers and yet they still manage to sell a lot.
Why would Ubisoft have to be a nice publisher ? Just treat everyone like scum and wait for the money to start trickling in.

Really the only way not to get scammed by these publishers is to WAIT until they release a DRM free version of their games. If it means you'll be playing it 2-3 years down the road so be it. If they never release a DRM free version don't buy it. In any other case suck it up like a man and play the damn game. But don't come complaining afterwards about how draconian the DRM is.

[TDK1044]

If you've ever tried to connect to Ubisoft servers, then you'll know what bad news online DRM would be for Silent Hunter 5. Combined with this statement from a German Game Reviewer.....

'we still have to fight with crashes, control issues, graphic glitches and AI errors in this demo version'.

starts to give me a very bad feeling. I don't wish to be one of the ranters on the Forum at all, but for me, if this game is going to be as buggy as SHIV was at release, and on top of that I have to connect with Ubisoft servers in order to play it, then that would be the deal breaker for me.

[goldorak]

Originally Posted by Neal Stevens

I'm betting all PC games will go to online authentication eventually. True, there are a few people on the planet who play games in their doublewide without internet accesss, and there are occasions where internet access is not available to play, but the PC gamer is usually connected to the web 24/7.

Originally Posted by Reece

There are still a lot of people who don't have phone lines let alone an internet connection, and a lot with only 56k dialup modems, would cost a phone call every time they wanted to play, that sucks!!

Mr Neal Stevens, it doesn't matter if the pc is or isn't connected to the internet 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Its a matter of principle. The moment a third party dicates what you can and cannot do to the game you have PURCHASED well you haven't purchased anything but a promise that they will let you use it. God know for how much time, and if they decide to cut you off you're f **** d.
Let me ask you, would you find acceptable to ask a third party for authorization everytime you would like to read a book in your personal library ?
I bet you wouldn't. See its the same issue. Giving up what you legally PURCHASED.

[ETR3(SS)]

ALL ABOARD!! Next stop monthly access fees starting at $14.99!

Some may laugh and think that's ludicrous, but Ubi has to maintain those servers somehow.