Ubisoft Has New PC Gaming Anti-Piracy Solution

[admin]

The PS3/Xbox 360 version has the usual DVD check (disc must be inserted), and that's probably it. You usually don't need to connect online to play any PS3/Xbox 360 games (other than multiplayer games, of course), although you may need to log on in order to access your save games (as it is linked to your online profile).

Another problem I realized with Ubisoft's approach is that what if *their* authentication server goes down, then would that mean nobody would be able to play their games when it happens. And how many years will Ubisoft maintain their authentication servers? Would they switch off support for some game after a year or two?

[dr_ml422]

That's a good point about the servers. Also what about a new OS and support for that as well along w/the Authentication Servers etc... You know how it is w/OS's. Although 7 is as stable as Windows has ever been ime, another one is prolly on the backburner somewhere.

I'm not aquainted w/all this DRM stuff at all really other than the definition. So experiencing it or posting concerns I can't do.

[admin]

The first game to use the Ubisoft new DRM, Silent Hunter 5, cracked in less than 24 hours:

http://www.infoaddict.com/ubisofts-new-drm-cracked-in-under-25-hours

[admin]

Now Ubisoft has come out and denied that their brand new expensive DRM system only took a single day to crack:

http://www.kotaku.com.au/2010/03/ubisoft-sinks-drm-piracy-claims/

Ubisoft did release a patch (version 1.1) for Silent Hunter 5, but the new patched version has been cracked as well.

[dr_ml422]

After a playoff game last year Kobe Bryant told ESPN "Never shake a tree as you never know when a panther will come out." He torched and humiliated the opposing player that tried helplessly to mock him and show him up. Think it was Richardson from Denver. Not sure and doesn't matter.

Case I'm making is the harder and more insensible these Gaming Companies continue to get w/this DRM Piracy stuff the even more forceful and quicker a response from the Pirates will be.

I know what DRM stands for and means. I never encountered it as a obstacle even if it has passed my way which obviously I don't know. So I can't post about it experience wise. Though from reading all this and following it w/all the other grandiose ideas regarding Piracy and ISP accountability etc... I still shake my head wondering who put these idiots in charge of the witch hunt. Yes it's the Hollywood guys etc... so doing the math they're idiots too.

Then again when you have money to burn there's no area w/anything. Money isn't going to resolve Piracy if in fact it's such a justifiable concern to begin with. There's no free lunch w/anything so the Gaming Guys do need some insurance. It's definitely not the route they're taking as of today.

[admin]

As expected, the DRM causes legitimate users more grief and the only one enjoying the games are the people who pirated it. Ubisoft's forum has been flooded with posts from legitimate customers that couldn't play the games when Ubisoft's authentication server, which they promised would never go down, went down.

It hasn't been more than a week yet, but Ubisoft's DRM has already been cracked, and we've already experienced one of the main dangers of online based DRM, in that authentication servers can and will go down, making gaming impossible.

More:

http://www.computerandvideogames.com/article.php?id=238005

[admin]

Ubisoft now claims their servers were attacked (DDoS - distributed denial of service), and that was why there was a downtime.

Does that really excuse the company from responsibility? Not really. They chose to have a centralised server that all gamers must connect to constantly, and that's just asking for trouble. Even without attacks, any surge in traffic (for example, on the release of a new hit game) can cause the server to go down. So it's even questionable that the recent downtime was related to a DDoS attack, and not just because the release of Assassin's Creed II that caused the surge in traffic.

I think Ubisoft will find that the constant monitoring, maintenance and upgrades of the authentication servers, as well as providing global mirroring to improve performance, may actually cost quite a bit. For a DRM system that doesn't actually stop piracy, you really have to question whether this whole thing was worth it or not, from a financial perspective.

[dr_ml422]

Multi-billion corps. altogether including the Movie Industry and this is their plan? For the life of me it just doesn't equate financially or otherwise.

You're right about those other guys coming out and saying that it just won't work and that there are other Games to choose from out there. No shortage of that. Maybe this will be the spark someday that'll wake these DRM Specialists up. Those from the same industry coming together making statements and taking actions that'll put the old we better join them cause we ain't going to beat them into practice.

[admin]

To make up for legitimate gamers not being able to play the "always-on" DRM games due to the server attack, Ubisoft has offered affected users free downloadable content or a choice of five free older games. How about actually making a DRM that works?

http://www.networkworld.com/news/2010/032510-ubisoft-gives-free-games-to.html

[dr_ml422]

They're still staying w/the Hacked Server Defense? It's only 1 game outta 5 free also. The servers will go down again as already have. I mean if a giant like Google's server gets whacky once in a while imagine some Game Co.'s server. I know it's a huge difference in users/money. It happens to everyone though once in a while.

This might never happen, but best DRM might be no DRM. Nobody learned from The Prohibition Era? Sometimes when something is just too easy no one will want to mess w/it.

[admin]

Ubisoft discriminates against Australia, as it seems many of those who purchased Ubisoft's Settlers 7 in Australia can't connect to Ubisoft's DRM server for some reason:

http://www.crunchgear.com/2010/03/30/australia-runs-into-ubisofts-drm-does-not-pass-go-does-not-collect-au200/

[dr_ml422]

Why is Australia targeted for such common occurrences? We saw this w/Apple not providing the E-Book w/their Touch Pad down under and several other incidences.

[admin]

Not targeted, but their DRM server probably blocked access from certain IP ranges, and Australia's might have been blocked for some reason.

[dr_ml422]

Maybe because of overload? Who knows. Sooner rather than later this will be dropped.

[admin]

Looks like Ubisoft has admitted failure, now that it appears they have removed the core part of their controversial DRM, the need to have a constant connection to their servers.

Patches for Assassin's Creed 2 and Splinter Cell: Conviction now only does an authentication check on game start-up, and will no longer boot players back to the main menu, and perhaps losing any unsaved progress as a result, the second it detects that a connection to their server has been severed (whether it's because of your flaky Internet connection, or their flaky servers ... it's almost never because you're pirating their game, because the pirated version has this DRM removed).

This comes after Ubisoft decided not to use their controversial DRM on their recent game, RUSE.

So has Ubisoft really abandoned their stupid DRM, one which never really stopped piracy?

Screenshot of AC2, SC: C, running fine without a Internet connection:

http://i.imgur.com/rGEWK.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/VCV9t.jpg

More:

http://www.pcgamer.com/2010/12/31/constant-net-connection-no-longer-required-for-ubisoft-games

http://www.reddit.com/r/gaming/comments/etjzl/you_no_longer_need_an_active_connection_to_play/