The gawd-almighty merged DRM in Silent Hunter V thread

[martes86]

This is bad... maybe unnoticed in "best-selling" titles, but a major setback for titles like this one, of relatively small audience. I already see a lot of people hate the idea. This news haven't reached yet the spanish community (I've found out right now after reading a few threads here and there, and now I have to post the usual news there), but I'm guessing that a similar reaction to that seen here can be expected.

Sadly though, since it is a corporate-wide plan, I think that nothing we say here is actually going to make them change their opinions (probably would even make them withdraw support from the SH saga), they'd have to see a global impact in sales, which I seriously doubt will happen.

While I have 100% internet connection at home (14MB), I don't have internet at my Granma's. I usually take there my laptop, but she ain't a PC user, so I do stuff offline. But what if I want some games at there? Obviously, SH5 won't be one of them.
Also, what will I do when I get one of these absurd several-days internet breaks on the servers? I won't be able to play while I wait for the internet to come back?
Even more, say I've been playing like 3 hours, pure boredom well spent into my fave sim... then, the main breaker goes out. I have an UPS system, so my PC won't go out, but my router ain't plugged into that supply, so I'll lose connection. Then what? My 3 hours off the window?

These (absurd sounding, yet real in my life) situations are just a few of many possible combinations of how this new DRM stuff will go if it's as crappy as I'm thinking.

Some place quoted as reporting this, said that this was indeed a brave movement from Ubisoft... allow me to say it's a plain stupid, badly studied one... obviously they forgot to document the risks involved in such a massive change. Even Steam works better (I've like a dozen games bought there) than what we're being told about this Ubi system!

And, to finish quoting a nice fella: Meh!

[Safe-Keeper]

Yep, that's the reality. No way Ubisoft, EA or any publisher wants people playing their games without paying. It irritates me, knowing many people are playing a game for free that I pay for. If people like you and me do not buy the game, they sure as hell won't make them.

EXACTLY. It's a leech thing - "Hey, I don't have to pay for this game, those suckers Safe-Keeper and Neal Stevens have done so for me! Goody for me!". I choose who to give free rides. If I know you, and want to share my game with you, fine, come over, have a coke, and let's sit down and play SH5. But people I don't know, leeching off of the fact that honest people like myself pay for our games?

You can cry about oppression, being "treated like an enemy", and all that other rhetoric all you want, but the fact is, you don't, nor have you ever, had the right to play commercial games without paying for them, and game developers and publishers have just as much of a right to make a money as do every other industry in the world, and if people keep using their services without paying for them, what are they supposed to do, just roll over and take it? I wouldn't expect this of any other industry, so why should I from the game industry? Let's say you run a grocery store. You experience significant shoplifting, so you tell your employees to try to stroll the shelves more, and you install a video surveillance system. Is this "treating customers like ENEMIES", too? Is it "oppression"? Is it "greed"? Nope, it's your right as a store owner to protect your business from theft. Plain and simple

Or another example - I went to the dentist today. They made me pay for the visit, with no leeway whatsoever. No ability to just not pay the giro, no way to "pirate" their service, no circumvention whatsoever. Is this "oppression", too, or do dentists have some kind of right that lowly game developers lack?

and the Publishers and moneyholders WANT to believe they are losing money. in order to be even more oppressive in the future, in every shape and form.

It doesn't matter what they "want to believe". It matters that things cost money, and they're in the game, as you say, to make money. Just like your local baker, bus driver, deliveryman and bank.

[onelifecrisis]

Originally Posted by Safe-Keeper

EXACTLY. It's a leech thing - "Hey, I don't have to pay for this game, those suckers Safe-Keeper and Neal Stevens have done so for me! Goody for me!". I choose who to give free rides. If I know you, and want to share my game with you, fine, come over, have a coke, and let's sit down and play SH5. But people I don't know, leeching off of the fact that honest people like myself pay for our games?

You can cry about oppression, being "treated like an enemy", and all that other rhetoric all you want, but the fact is, you don't, nor have you ever, had the right to play commercial games without paying for them, and game developers and publishers have just as much of a right to make a money as do every other industry in the world, and if people keep using their services without paying for them, what are they supposed to do, just roll over and take it? I wouldn't expect this of any other industry, so why should I from the game industry? Let's say you run a grocery store. You experience significant shoplifting, so you tell your employees to try to stroll the shelves more, and you install a video surveillance system. Is this "treating customers like ENEMIES", too? Is it "oppression"? Is it "greed"? Nope, it's your right as a store owner to protect your business from theft. Plain and simple

Or another example - I went to the dentist today. They made me pay for the visit, with no leeway whatsoever. No ability to just not pay the giro, no way to "pirate" their service, no circumvention whatsoever. Is this "oppression", too, or do dentists have some kind of right that lowly game developers lack?

YEAH!


Love the passion.

Seriously, I am also against piracy, though I doubt that all of the complainers are thieves.

[Galanti]

Server-side savegames is the final straw for me, I'm afraid. I can stomach (with a bit of Pepto-Bismol) online authentication and that ghastly UI, but I regularly backup my saves because of modding.

Plus, it's a bit of a longshot, but when SHIV was released, there were some game-breaking bugs that could only be resolved through hacking the savegames. And while I don't do it myself, renaming your boat can only be done through the savegame files with the current engine, and I'm betting SHV will be probably the same.

What a damned shame, looks like we'll be years away from a decent new subsim. Anyone want to start a pool to pay one of the Romanians to put out a patch the fix outstanding SH3 & 4 issues on the side?

[Anachronous]

They will have to implement an offline mode surely. It would be foolish of them not to at least have the ability play without a net connection. Even though you initially need an internet connection with Steam, you can play offline perfectly fine.

[Prof]

Originally Posted by Safe-Keeper

You can cry about oppression, being "treated like an enemy", and all that other rhetoric all you want, but the fact is, you don't, nor have you ever, had the right to play commercial games without paying for them, and game developers and publishers have just as much of a right to make a money as do every other industry in the world, and if people keep using their services without paying for them, what are they supposed to do, just roll over and take it? I wouldn't expect this of any other industry, so why should I from the game industry? Let's say you run a grocery store. You experience significant shoplifting, so you tell your employees to try to stroll the shelves more, and you install a video surveillance system. Is this "treating customers like ENEMIES", too? Is it "oppression"? Is it "greed"? Nope, it's your right as a store owner to protect your business from theft. Plain and simple

The difference is that I don't have to phone up Amazon to get permission every time I want to watch a DVD on my DVD player. Likewise, they can't deny me permission to use my DVD player just because Blu-Ray is available. I wonder how long the SH V server will remain available after SH 6 (if there is one) comes out?

To use your analogy, if a shop in town required customers to be followed by a security guard at all times to 'protect their business', I'd never go in.

[StarLion45]

This must be a joke

I don't believe this , this must be a false rumour ,
that somebody layed out on the internet , maybe sabotage
the game

Oh my

[HundertzehnGustav]

Originally Posted by Prof

To use your analogy, if a shop in town required customers to be followed by a security guard at all times to 'protect their business', I'd never go in.

And That is what i feel is happening if i have to be hooked up while playing...
And that feeling aint makin me comfortable. why are they doing that? I have nothing to hide, own multiple copies of SHIII because of worn out disks, before i knew certain things.
I dont need anyone looking over my shoulder as i want to chill out...
Useless feature, Gameplay wise. As a subsimmer, this soes not bring me anything. no new torps, no new Diesel, no protection from depthcharges.

At best what it gives me is a game crash because i lost my connection, and have to alt tab out to windows once in a while to see if i am still connected. Have to make sure that wireless dongle is stioll working, or even turn it on manually with a double-click.

So, i label this as useless BS, and call it "Control mania". For lack of better language.

[unterseemann]

Everyday day things get worse... I wonder what will be the next "update" from ubi?
And of course no SH5 for me...

[Adriatico]

Imagine commercial-add at Gamespot:

"Change the outcome on Eastern Front by just one VIIc u-boat! Impossible? NOT ANY MORE! WITH NEW UBI SERVER EVERYTHING IS POSSIBLE !"
...

[DedEye]

Sad times

I don't believe this is as much about piracy as it is about publishers trying to kill the second hand game market. EA has lead the charge in this endeavour as evidenced by the move to steam; a service which has a no-transfer-no-sell policy. They also don't want people to be able to play games for decades ( I love DosBox ), the beancounters feel we don't buy as many games.

EA has pulled the plug on authentication servers for games that are barely over a year old (I forget which ones, do a search on Blues News archives, they're there).

With much trepidation I bought RoF. Hell, I was still playing Red Baron 3D, and as someone mentioned previously, to me it seemed like a small developer doing it out of passion. My biggest concern remains that the servers will one day be switched off. Glad to hear that is going to change in a patch.

I hear ya with BF2142.

There are plenty of times when I'm at an airport and there is no i'net connection (or it costs hard earned $ to access it). When I'm waiting for a flight I fire up SH3, Civ 4, or Fallout 2.

Unless I have the option of using this product where and when I desire, and can be assured that some activation server won't be shut off because Ubi wants to kick another version out the door, it is a no sale.

[Platapus]

There are some of us who have two computers. One hooked up to the internets tubes and the other standalone for games.

This is not a good thing.

What happens to a game that requires internet connection to either register, or play, if the manufacturer goes out of business?

Ubisoft LOST money last year.
Ubisoft stock is DOWN.
Ubisoft sales are DOWN 50%.

Here is one example (They aren't hard to find):

http://www.gamesindustry.biz/article...rop-50-percent

This was a fear I had of StarForce going under, and my trying to figure out how to install SH3 on any new computer replacement.

I don't think it's a good idé to pay hard earned money for something one does not own.

[Onkel Neal]

Originally Posted by Prof

To use your analogy, if a shop in town required customers to be followed by a security guard at all times to 'protect their business', I'd never go in.

What about shops with security cameras following you? Do you go into those shops?

[Castout]

I don't mind ETW like protection that though initial online activation is required it's not obligatory for each play that you could still play the game without connecting to steam.