Future Ubisoft Games To Require Constant Internet Access 497
Following up on our discussion yesterday of annoying game distribution platforms, Ubisoft has announced the details of their Online Services Platform, which they will use to distribute and administer future PC game releases. The platform will require internet access in order to play installed games, saved games will be stored remotely, and the game you're playing will even pause and try to reconnect if your connection is lost during play. Quoting Rock, Paper, Shotgun:
"This seems like such a bizarre, bewildering backward step. Of course we haven't experienced it yet, but based on Ubi’s own description of the system so many concerns arise. Yes, certainly, most people have the internet all the time on their PCs. But not all people. So already a percentage of the audience is lost. Then comes those who own gaming laptops, who now will not be able to play games on trains, buses, in the park, or anywhere they may not be able to find a WiFi connection (something that’s rarely free in the UK, of course – fancy paying the £10/hour in the airport to play your Ubisoft game?). Then there's the day your internet is down, and the engineers can’t come out to fix it until tomorrow. No game for you. Or any of the dozens of other situations when the internet is not available to a player. But further, there are people who do not wish to let a publisher know their private gaming habits. People who do not wish to report in to a company they’ve no affiliation with, nor accountability to, whenever they play a game they’ve legally bought. People who don’t want their save data stored remotely. This new system renders all customers beholden to Ubisoft in perpetuity whenever they buy their games."
Re:Ridiculous (Score:5, Funny)
i doubt this new system will work for me. i do have 24/7 internet access, but my high-speed line is always saturated downloading pirated game from pirate bay. no way are any ubisoft.com bound packets going to get through
Comment removed (Score:5, Funny)
Bankruptcy (Score:2, Funny)
I wonder if their Bankruptcy game will be realistic.
Re:But why? (Score:5, Funny)
"the crack would just have to modify the PCs hosts file to set pointlessdrm.ubisoft.com 127.0.0.1, and run a mini activation server that tells the game your copy's legit"
(Ubisoft exec): "Is anyone writing this down? Someone google 127.0.0.1 and see if we can buy the domain..."
Re:But why? (Score:5, Funny)
Yep - nothing like going out of business to be safe from pirates.
Re:As I said in the last thread. (Score:3, Funny)
When non-drm games are outlawed, only outlaws will have non-drm games.
Re:Blame piracy (Score:2, Funny)
I bought Far Cry 2 for PS3 because of reviews and ads, but then after 5 minutes I remove the BD from PS3 and put it into its own cover. Since then I lent the game to my friend, and he returned it immediatly.
If only I could have had it pirated, I'd tried it and then not buy!!! Instead my GF spent 35 GBP on it!!!
Arrggghhhhh!!!!
Re:But why? (Score:5, Funny)
And someone's botnet runs a Denial of Service attack in 3, 2, 1, 0, 65536, 65535... damnit... now I gotta recompile...
Re:But why? (Score:2, Funny)
Last night, I didn't get the message (I usually do) but I loaded up, get into a battle with some Dark Spawn and see my Warrior (Alistair) running at the bad guys in his skivvies!
that is your own fault, you should have pirated the game and this would have never happened. ... I hope you learned your lesson.
Sure, you would not have had your cool armor but you'd still be an anal virgin. Now that you have been fucked by them it is too late
Re:But why? (Score:5, Funny)
You do indeed, you've got a really screwed up system if 0 rolls back to 65536.