Ubisoft comments on new DRM (will lower/prevent piracy?)

[tater]

Originally Posted by trenken

Ive never had bad experiences in online games. I even like the fact that it saves online, so should I just lie about that as well to stay on your good side? I dont think so. Just as you are in every thread complaining about DRM, Ive expressed why I dont mind it. It's a 2-way street.

In other posts you derided even the idea that someone might ever have a poor connection, or that servers (Ubi's own fault) might ever go down or be slow. Your suggestions to people who brought that up were along the lines that they should throw away their computers and play Monopoly (presumably they'd drive their Model Ts to the store to purchase that game).

The reality is that due to no fault of the customer, they WILL be inconvenienced by this 100% connected scheme. Period. This cannot even be debated. There WILL be connection problems sometimes, and there WILL be scheduled and unscheduled outages with Ubi servers that will make people like me who might pop onto the PC for an hour of play with a beer in hand really POed.

WILL happen, not a chance it won't. Invariably when they have no one on-call to fix it, too—which will likely be when the bulk of people also have time off to play (like over holidays).

[Brag]

The question that is seldom mentioned in this debate is, how long is Ubi going to spend money on servers after the game has stopped making money?

What if the company goes belly up?
What if company is sold?

This is not just a DRM/OSP issue but also online activation.

A once online activation is ok. Activation everytime or periodic is a NO-NO!

Moo!

[Sailor Steve]

Originally Posted by trenken

Ive never had bad experiences in online games. I even like the fact that it saves online, so should I just lie about that as well to stay on your good side? I dont think so. Just as you are in every thread complaining about DRM, Ive expressed why I dont mind it. It's a 2-way street.

Yes it is. But this wasn't about liking it or disliking it. This was about you saying none of us (including you) knew one way or the other whether it would be good or bad, so no one should complain (which would also include "why praise", when in fact you've already claimed to know for a fact that it's good.

It ceases to be a two-way street when you assume disengenuous motives to make your point.

[MercurySeven]

Originally Posted by Brag

What if the company goes belly up?
What if company is sold?

Case 1: Sucks to be us! All that remains in such a case is (even though I don't like it) to hope for someone to find the weakspot if this thing and write a non-UBI patch to bypass it. Might be even one of the (then) former developers that hates to see the game go belly up. No official solution nor a solution one would hope for but a solution nontheless.

Case 2: If a company is sold all its contracts are transfered to the new owner and he is bound to those contracts. Thus, if UBI puts in their contracts that they will provide a no-servers patch once the servers are to be shut down, the new owner has to do this as well. If they don't, please refer to Case 1.

[tater]

I've been playing online games since Air Warrior in the early 90s. If you've NEVER had any server or connection errors, you have, quite simply, not played very many hours of online games.

[Jimbuna]

Originally Posted by Brag

The question that is seldom mentioned in this debate is, how long is Ubi going to spend money on servers after the game has stopped making money?

What if the company goes belly up?
What if company is sold?

This is not just a DRM/OSP issue but also online activation.

A once online activation is ok. Activation everytime or periodic is a NO-NO!

Moo!

Good valid points

[Iron Budokan]

Originally Posted by tater

I've been playing online games since Air Warrior in the early 90s. If you've NEVER had any server or connection errors, you have, quite simply, not played very many hours of online games.

^^This.

[trenken]

Originally Posted by TDK1044

That's fair enough, trenken. I respect your opinion, I just respectfully disagree.

Thats fine that you disagree, just dont jump on my case for feeling like I do, thats all I ask.

I understand why many would have a problem with DRM, but I dont, so I wont pretend like its a problem for me to stay out of trouble.

Im not looking to make enemies here. Some threads in the past have gotten out of control, said some things I shouldnt have out of anger and retaliation which was immature of me, but others have done it as well.

So at this point, it doesnt help for them to bring it up in every thread, especially the positive ones, and I wont go defending my reasons for not having a problem with it.

[Blood_splat]

I just think it'll suck if you line up for that perfect shot and 10ft from torpedo impact, Ubisoft's server drops off the face of the planet or your ISP crashes.

[Sailor Steve]

Don't point that thing at me. My first contribution to this thread was to criticize someone turning it into one of 'those' threads. My first disagreement with you was over the question of whether making an opinion sight unseen didn't go both ways.

I'm not your enemy. I've disagreed with you, sometimes heatedly. But I've not made fun of you or called you names. I'm actually on yours side, as long as an opinion is all you express.

Just wanted to separate myself from the crowd.

[trenken]

Originally Posted by tater

In other posts you derided even the idea that someone might ever have a poor connection, or that servers (Ubi's own fault) might ever go down or be slow. Your suggestions to people who brought that up were along the lines that they should throw away their computers and play Monopoly (presumably they'd drive their Model Ts to the store to purchase that game).

The reality is that due to no fault of the customer, they WILL be inconvenienced by this 100% connected scheme. Period. This cannot even be debated. There WILL be connection problems sometimes, and there WILL be scheduled and unscheduled outages with Ubi servers that will make people like me who might pop onto the PC for an hour of play with a beer in hand really POed.

WILL happen, not a chance it won't. Invariably when they have no one on-call to fix it, too—which will likely be when the bulk of people also have time off to play (like over holidays).

The whole server going down thing to me just comes with the territory. Im just used to it.

If someone has a problem with DRM because they cant afford the internet, wont always have access to it, etc... I understand them not being acceptive of a single player only game requiring a connection. All Ive ever said is that MOST PC gamers these days that can afford to build a machine to even run these games can afford it.

And if they cant get it at all, well what can you do? Everything is going online now, even single player games. Times are changing. That was my point.

Servers go down, thats just the way things go. If your computer dies, do you blame someone else for not being able to play the game? No because nothing good can come from that. You just hope that your computer keeps running, or the server will stay up and move on. I dont see the sense in trying to wage a war against them when they arent the only ones doing this, everything is going online. Its the natural progression of things, just as physical media will eventually go away as well. In 10 years you wont be able to find disc based games anymore. Digital distribution is the next natural wave of the future.

Thats the way I see it. I always compare this to when records switched to tapes, or VHS to DVDs. Not everyone could afford to make the switch, so they either eventually had to, or are forced into vintage shops. That could be the case in the future, with old school gamers looking for off line only games as they become more rare over time. People dont like change, but that doesnt stop it from taking place.

I always like to quote a line from my favorite rock band, Rush. "Always hopeful, yet discontent. He knows changes aren't permanent.... But change is".

Think about the bold part there. Ever since I heard that, when things change around me, I dont bitch about it, I change with it because thats all I can do. It makes my life easier.

[trenken]

Originally Posted by Sailor Steve

Don't point that thing at me. My first contribution to this thread was to criticize someone turning it into one of 'those' threads. My first disagreement with you was over the question of whether making an opinion sight unseen didn't go both ways.

I'm not your enemy. I've disagreed with you, sometimes heatedly. But I've not made fun of you or called you names. I'm actually on yours side, as long as an opinion is all you express.

Just wanted to separate myself from the crowd.

Im not talking about you, Steve. I'm just saying I have in fact been attacked by people for not having a problem with DRM, and was even featured in that Das Boot video, which believe me, I thought it was funny, but at the same time it wasnt cool to have someone do that to you when all I was trying to do is explain why things are changing now, and why I dont have a problem with it.

[TarJak]

Originally Posted by trenken

I dont see the sense in trying to wage a war against them when they arent the only ones doing this, everything is going online.

I don't see anyone waging war I do see people getting upset or concerned about their privacy and voicing that concern.

I do see the point in doing so because if enough customers do it then the companies that are planning to put these protection schemes in place MAY just change their mind. I think you will find that is the point of most of what is being said here against OSP.

Originally Posted by trenken

Thats the way I see it. I always compare this to when records switched to tapes, or VHS to DVDs. Not everyone could afford to make the switch, so they either eventually had to, or are forced into vintage shops. That could be the case in the future, with old school gamers looking for off line only games as they become more rare over time. People dont like change, but that doesnt stop it from taking place.

How about we compare it to the decline and rise of vinyl music recordings? They died in the backside when CD's came out and then people who wanted the hiss and crackle and moreover the depth of sound that comes from an analogue record, created a demand. so much so that there are now artists that release exclusively on vinyl. If the demand is high enough companies listen because there is money involved.

[trenken]

Originally Posted by TarJak

I don't see anyone waging war I do see people getting upset or concerned about their privacy and voicing that concern.

I do see the point in doing so because if enough customers do it then the companies that are planning to put these protection schemes in place MAY just change their mind. I think you will find that is the point of most of what is being said here against OSP.

Well regarding the privacy issues, if I recall, the only thing I ever said about that is what exactly is at risk there? How long you play? How you like to play? It all seems unimportant to me, but that's just my opinion.

If someone finds offense to what they're doing, I don't understand that, but of course they can feel the way they want about it. I'm not trying to change anyone views, all I did was express why I didnt think it was a problem. I'm allowed to do that.

But its a hot topic and things get out of control. It happens. Noone is in the wrong there. All I want is all this stuff to be centralized to 1 topic, not spread throughout the entire board.

Because some of us are excited for the game, but im afraid to express that here now. It shouldnt be like that.

[TarJak]

I agree that you shouldn't feel afraid to express your views and from what I've seen you have done so quite often. Instead of trying to police the boards, (moderators have that role to play),

Go ahead and keep telling people what you think. You may change a mind or two.

Just not mine.