Assassins Creed 2 to feature most invasive DRM yet.

[Vicious]

I posted this at another forum, but thought people that hadn't heard yet would be interested here too:

Story at 1up (http://www.1up.com/do/newsStory?cId=3177996)

The inclusion of DRM in videogames is very rarely beneficial to gamers in a direct way, but it's a necessary evil to at least attempt to prevent games from being illegally downloaded. It's also not typically a significant detriment to the game it's been included with, either, although we've seen more than a few cases where a limited number of installations can cause headaches for gamers who choose to install the game on multiple computers or are forced to reinstall several times. Assassin's Creed 2 might be one of the first cases where there is a very apparent and potentially infringing effect from the DRM, as Ubisoft has opted to require that players be constantly connected to the internet while playing AC2. Apparently the experiment to leave out any DRM from Prince of Persia didn't work out.

As if that fact in and of itself weren't bad enough, CVG provides even further detail about how the DRM functions -- and it isn't pretty. At any point while playing, you'll be booted back to the main menu and lose any progress you've made since your last save or checkpoint if your internet connection drops. More specifically, after your connection drops, you're presented with a screen that gives you the option to wait until you can reconnect to the Ubisoft master servers and reload your last checkpoint, or you can save your last checkpoint and quit to Windows.

This is sure to present a major problem for many, especially anyone who plays games on a computer that connects to the internet via an unstable wireless connection. The one benefit being offered by Ubisoft is cloud support for save games so that you can play through the game on multiple computers. But as CVG notes, the number of gamers who would play a game like AC2 on multiple computers is most certainly a small one compared with the number of people who will be inconvenienced by the constant internet connection requirement.

Could this be the most intrusive DRM ever included in a game? If you planned on buying the PC version of Assassin's Creed 2, let us know what effect -- if any -- this will have on your decision.


Obviously Ubi just aren't too sharp here. Games will be pirated regardless, the only thing they are going to curb on this front is sales. Anyone that's been disconnected from the internet from an outage/similar or has touchy wireless would know this isn't a good idea. Even worse is what happens when the servers are down, whether from unforeseen conditions or maintenance? How long do they plan to keep the servers running -- indefinitely till I die?

*facepalm*

[AranchineD]

And when AC2 sells like shit on the PC ITS DA PIRATES FAULT WE NEED EVEN MOAR DRM NOW

[Vicious]

And when AC2 sells like shit on the PC ITS DA PIRATES FAULT

Pretty much. Apparently legit customers can't win with them. PoP sold only so well since it got to the platform late, and is aimed at a select niche of gamers which aren't common to the platform (then you have piracy on top of it). Now AC2 will have the same issues (including pirating, because Ubi are deluding themselves if they think this will work), plus those that refuse to buy it strictly due to the level of invasiveness of the DRM. Even those that buy SecuRom titles must be cringing and going "this is too much, no".

The sad part is if we buy it and crack it to fix the problem, Ubi will get the message that this behavior towards legitimate customers is A-OK. They just don't get it.

[Silverwolf]

I figure the crackers would just be able to set up a dummy server and trick the game into pinging that instead, or something along those lines.

It's very much a vicious circle.

[tau]

They really need to realise that all hardware and software can be cracked. Putting on such a retarded restriction just means even though I've preordered and so will have a legit version of the game, chances are I'll crack it just to remove such ridiculous DRM.

[StorminNorman]

It really surprises me that people are outraged about this now, rather than two months ago when Ubisoft originally announced that this was what they planned to do.

[AranchineD]

I was hating on the Assassin's Creed 2 DRM BEFORE it was cool

[Lazlow]

I swear there's another game that used a similar system, and they patched it out shortly after release.

Can't which game though :/

EDIT:

It was The Settlers 7 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Settlers_7#DRM_Restrictions) out in March.

[Tonez]

This isn't about piracy.

This is about turning PC gamers into console gamers. CONSPIRACY.

[Vicious]

It really surprises me that people are outraged about this now, rather than two months ago when Ubisoft originally announced that this was what they planned to do.

Not everyone reads DRM news regularly, some people haven't caught wind of this till later. I heard about it two weeks ago and thought there would have been discussion on it. When there wasn't I created a thread thinking I may not have been the only one that caught this late. Apparently I was right.

I swear there's another game that used a similar system, and they patched it out shortly after release.

Can't which game though :/

EDIT:

It was The Settlers 7 out in March.

Yeah, still Ubi behind it. The "patched it out shortly" statement had my hopes up, but nothing of the sort.

I imagine they need a negative Amazon review bombing like Spore did.

[Lazlow]

Yeah The Settlers 7 is out shortly after AC2; I think I'm getting the patched out thing mixed up with something else... probably a recent release with SecurROM or something >_>

[Cerebral]

Pretty sure Bioshock 2 wouldn't let me save unless I was signed into GAMES FOR WINDOWS LIVE first. Doesn't this constitute the same sort of rubbish?

[Vicious]

Pretty sure Bioshock 2 wouldn't let me save unless I was signed into GAMES FOR WINDOWS LIVE first. Doesn't this constitute the same sort of rubbish?

Games for Windows allows you to create an offline profile. It also doesn't kick you to the main screen for no reason other than your service being interrupted. I'm not particularly a fan of GFW either, but in the end one is much more aggressive, and it surely isn't GFW.

[Azzaman]

They'll get a billion complaints and patch this out. I'd say they're ignoring it until it goes live and the "real" complaints come in.

[Australian Ninja]

This reminds me of how everyone who watched movies on DVD etc gets to see those obnoxious "warnings" about how awesome piracy is. And all the people who get burned movies / download don't see the obnoxious piracy warning screens.

This DRC with A2 on PC is just retarded.

[Lazlow]

HA! I found the game where they patched out the DRM:

A restrictive aspect of the game is its rigorous DRM system based on Tagès. It forces users to activate their game online once by submitting an activation code after each installation on a different computer or a significant hardware change. The activation can be performed on any PC with an internet connection. It can only be activated three times by default and unlike many other DRM systems it does not support revocation of already used licenses. Further licenses can be requested free of charge by contacting Ubisoft.

The copy protection has been completely removed with patch v1.1 for the DVD version. Digital download versions retain the copy protection.


Not exactly the same system, but it is Ubisoft.

[aubergine]

In news foretold in the scriptures of common-****ing sense, Ubisoft's "you must be logged in all the time to play" single player DRM immediately failed with it's very first applications (http://www.kotaku.com.au/2010/03/ubisofts-new-drm-system-falls-down-locks-out-paying-customers/#more-382667), leaving purchasers unable to play over the weekend and (according to the article) the 'service' is still down at time of writing.

Pirates, no doubt already cracking the crap DRM, spent the weekend singing shanties in their submarines and Italies.

[Azzaman]

lol. What were they thinking?

[Lazlow]

Man, its like the reposting of Aubergine's rant had reminded him that this is a gaming forum, one that had already rearranged the front end order because they felt there wasn't enough gaming discussion.

This could have been posted in the already existing thread. (http://www.hyper.com.au/forums/showthread.php?t=20407)

[tau]

wait, is this out on PC now? I preordered the black edition from EB and was waiting for a call :/

So I should follow up where the **** my copy is then, eh?

[Azzaman]

I wouldn't bother, apparently you can't play it anyway

[tau]

meh, most likely i'll crack it if the drm is as shit as they say. So either way, I want my black edition AC2 D:<~

[aubergine]

Man, its like the reposting of Aubergine's rant had reminded him that this is a gaming forum, one that had already rearranged the front end order because they felt there wasn't enough gaming discussion.

This could have been posted in the already existing thread. (http://www.hyper.com.au/forums/showthread.php?t=20407)

Didn't see that thread, but it goes a bit beyond Assassin's Creed 2. Ubisoft are putting into all new games.

Not quite sure what your othe point is meant to be. I was among those pushing that change through.

[Lazlow]

Didn't see that thread, but it goes a bit beyond Assassin's Creed 2. Ubisoft are putting into all new games.

I did mention The Settlers 7 in that thread.

I'm sure a mod will merge & name change soon enough.

[Watchers]

Done and done.

[aubergine]

Can you rename the thread to be able Ubisoft in general please. The DRM applies to ALL ubisoft PC releases, forever, according to their statements.

[tau]

K so I finally got around to calling them. My copy has been sitting there this whole time. Going to pick it up today, and apparently they might give me a discount since they fked up by never calling me. Wew~

[tau]

Also, funnily enough I'm finding this an awesome DRM. No disc in the drive? wew. I'll be eating my words if my internet goes out though.

[Araenel]

I thought they patched that out already?

[tau]

Dunno, the patchnotes I read when it patched before i started just said it resumes from the exact point if you disconnect.

[Sir_Psycho]

I bet the server admins at Ubisoft are growing beards and turning skeletal, never sleeping, fighting off an endless siege of denial of service attacks.

Splinter Cell Conviction has this same DRM tech, which is sad, because it looks like they actually innovated there too.