Ubisoft officially drops always-on DRM
It's actually been gone for some time, publisher notes
Ubisoft is officially announcing today that they've dropped always-on DRM. Granted, they actually stopped using the controversial protection system last year, but it's official as of today.
The French publisher swore off always-on DRM once and for all and promised that all future PC games will require only a single online activation after installing, without any activision limits or restrictions on how many computers it can be activated on.
Ubisoft's worldwide director for online games Stephanie Perlotti says this policy was actually enacted back in June of 2011, though the publisher has mostly kept quiet on the matter until now:
“We have listened to feedback, and since June last year our policy for all of PC games is that we only require a one-time online activation when you first install the game, and from then you are free to play the game offline.”
For clarification, Perlotti cited Assassin's Creed III as a prime example. If you're hoping to partake in some multiplayer or use any of the game's online services, then an internet connection is clearly required. However, if all you're looking for is some time alone with single-player, you're free to enjoy the game offline.
“Whenever you want to reach any online service, multiplayer, you will have to be connected, and obviously for online games you will also need to be online to play. But if you want to enjoy Assassin’s Creed III single player, you will be able to do that without being connected. And you will be able to activate the game on as many machines as you want.”
In addition to dropping the controversial DRM system, Ubisoft is also aiming to decrease those infamous delays for their PC releases.
For those unaware, always-on DRM requires a constant internet connection in order to play a game, even if your game doesn't have any online components like multiplayer or you're sticking with single-player content. This means that if your connection were to drop for whatever reason, you'd no longer be able to play the game. Incredibly inconvenient and most definitely intrusive.
Source: Rock, Paper, Shotgun
Section: PC Games
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Of course, this has already happened and it feels quite strange to argue something that has happened as if it was now.
And yeah, lol. Let's just leave this be for now. This is a silly thing for me to get all wiled up about in the first place :L
So this is a treat, customers will be treated like customers and may be willing to buy more instead of pirate. Right now I can easily go to a certain torrent site and download and install Assassins Creed 2 and play it with my wi-fi turned off easily by reading the easy to read instructions.
I have nothing bad to say about this one. Glad to see publishers are finally catching on.
EA, pay attention, this will be on the final.
What bothers me most about this situation is wondering how much money Ubisoft spent on that colossal waste of time, not including the tens of thousands of lost sales...
Personally I can't help but see this as "too little, too late". For me to purchase another one of their games they'll have to work real hard for it.
I look at the DRM situation before buying. I'm a customer, not a 'criminal', and should be treated with at least a shred of appreciation and respect. I've skipped over many of their games because I have standards.
I'm not sure how old you are, I'm going to guess pretty young or you would know this, but back in the day reading the back of the box was the primary way to decide on if you wanted to buy a game. Of course you could know someone who already has it or rent it first, if it was a console game, but by and large reading the packaging was it. Magazines had more screenshots but couldnt really show the gameplay any more than any still frame could. Gameplay videos on the internet were near non-existant and neither techtv nor G4 existed.