Always-on internet DRM: will you be boycotting Ubisoft?

[cadaveca]

acheivements that give you more content..they are the only one that do THAT part of it. At least they give ya something for those acheivements.

But yeah, it is poorly done.

 

[xenocide]

OK, so, for the single player, U-Play, via acheivements, offers additional singleplayer content. get acheivements, get points for U-Play, redeem them for content in ANY U-Play activated game. PC or console, your choice how you spend the "credits".

This Single Player "Content" you speak of, is mostly aesthetic crap they cut from the game. It's like when a developer hacks off some side quests from a game and sells them as DLC. It doesn't really cost them any extra, but they can make money off selling it. I have not seen any real content that you can buy via Achievement Points. I saw that you can get new outfits in Assassin's Creed, but that was about it.

Think of it this way. You buy the Sims, a strictly single player game. But to play it you need to make an online profile and be connected to the internet the whole time. Then to justify it, EA says they will give you extra items to buy using achievement points you can unlock. All the items you can buy are mostly Aesthetic things like little paintings or some flowers for your house. They don't actually add anything to the story, gameplay, or mechanics or the game, but they are just extra junk you can unlock.

acheivements that give you more content..they are the only one that do THAT part of it. At least they give ya something for those acheivements.

But yeah, it is poorly done.

Stolen from WoW and SC2, which I believe took the concept from games dating back to EQ1\2 where you could collect stuff for rewards. They have done nothing original but take an MMO Concept and staple it to Single Player games in entirety.

 

[cadaveca]

MMO Concept and staple it to Single Player games in entirety.

Good point, right there.

But you know, what's gonna happen when things go "CLOUD-Only"?(making singleplayer games MMO) I mean, there are several companies offering subscription-based access to any game...over the internet. To me, that's what UPlay is the prologue to...to a fully online-only platform, with no retailer-based sales, at all. Game downloads as you play, little-to-no local content.

I mean, poorly executed, you bet. Worth boycotting? Not to me.


You brought it up perfectly...Ubi is trying to take thier service into an MMO-like experience.

 

[Wile E]

Good point, right there.

But you know, what's gonna happen when things go "CLOUD-Only"?(making singleplayer games MMO) I mean, there are several companies offering subscription-based access to any game...over the internet. To me, that's what UPlay is the prologue to...to a fully online-only platform, with no retailer-based sales, at all. Game downloads as you play, little-to-no local content.

I mean, poorly executed, you bet. Worth boycotting? Not to me.


You brought it up perfectly...Ubi is trying to take thier service into an MMO-like experience.

The cloud will never take off in the current state of internet infrastructure. We are many years away from that.

And it is absolutely worth boycotting to me.

 

[ComradeSader]

I'm an avid Steam user so I've got no problem with staying online, but at least I get something out of that(I don't really need to list the reasons after all this time, do I?).
With Ubi's DRM, it's nothing but a burden that constantly sits at the back of your mind, taunting you, saying "remember to save you twat, or I'll cut ya!".

So these days, if I see a new release on Steam that looks interesting, I'll go have a look. "Oh wow, this game looks quite goo- oh wait, it's a Ubi game 'YOU MUST BE ONLINE KENT'..." and then I'll completely forget about the game. So yeah, I don't bother with Ubi.

 

[Mussels]

The cloud will never take off in the current state of internet infrastructure. We are many years away from that.

And it is absolutely worth boycotting to me.

and thats just america, imagine how bad the experience is for those of us in countries with less developed internet.


you're one of a lucky few to get a basic ping of under 50 in australia, and i know a few americans who think internet is shit/unplayable if its above 30

 

[twilyth]

Just to provide some perspective, less than 30% of people in the US have a broadband subscription. That's per capita not per household.

http://www.oecd.org/document/54/0,3746,en_2649_34225_38690102_1_1_1_1,00.html

You want chart 1d (updated Dec 2010)

The highest number of subscriptions is basically a tie between the Netherlands and Switzerland and even both of those are under 40%.

Edit: This is for fixed broadband. Wireless broadband is on the second workbook sheet. For the US, it is a little over 50 subscriptions per 100 inhabitants. However that is split about evenly between dedicated data subscriptions and standard mobile broadband. Not sure this is relevant to the issue at hand but I figured I should mention this.

 

[lilhasselhoffer]

Deja vu?

As I stated before, other single player games that tried this got the kibosh (Bioshock, Mass Effect).

The argument that there are people who play multiplayer only games (WOW, etc...), so there logically should be a base of consumers with stable internet connections, is flawed. This is like saying everyone in a country has a car, because there is traffic in the morning; therefore everyone should pay a percentage of their income tax to carbon sequestering initiatives. Once you say something that stupid every electric car owner, non owner, and everyone in the automotive industry will be up in arms.

Once you change the situation from a tax, to a service, you invite people to opt out. Angry people don't purchase a service, which kills a company. Ubisoft is shooting itself in the foot.


This aside, you should never allow DRM unless you have to. DRM is not surveillance to prove you are not a thief, it is an officer sitting on your computer that could be logging anything. Years ago I would have said that I have nothing to hide, so allow them to check. I now say that you should have to provide some substantial proof that I am doing wrong, then you are welcome to search me. There's a little thing in the US (for those elsewhere fill in your own blank), to the effect of "to prevent unlawful search and seizure." Perhaps you have forgotten about it?

 

[cadaveca]

Perhaps you have forgotten about it?

I'm Canadian, eh?(Ninja editting FTW)




We used to be #2 for broadband penetration, i think we are @ about 95% or something now, with the complete country looking to have reliable service by 2014, as it has been court-ordered that construction complete by then.


I spend probably 99.9% of my waking hours connected. Most of what I do is web-based. that said, most internet providers have access to basically all that info..I mean, if you got an IP, technically, your data is tracked, so whatever you do online is known, even with a proxy in place.

I look at it like walking on the street...everyoen can see what I'm doing, and people looking at me, just doesn't affect me at all. Likewise, what I do with my PC...doesn't matter.

Just a differnet perspective. I mean, it's been long enough now, that clearly UBISoft isn't concerned with a;; the uproar, or this would be something new.

 

[Wile E]

Deja vu?

As I stated before, other single player games that tried this got the kibosh (Bioshock, Mass Effect).

The argument that there are people who play multiplayer only games (WOW, etc...), so there logically should be a base of consumers with stable internet connections, is flawed. This is like saying everyone in a country has a car, because there is traffic in the morning; therefore everyone should pay a percentage of their income tax to carbon sequestering initiatives. Once you say something that stupid every electric car owner, non owner, and everyone in the automotive industry will be up in arms.

Once you change the situation from a tax, to a service, you invite people to opt out. Angry people don't purchase a service, which kills a company. Ubisoft is shooting itself in the foot.


This aside, you should never allow DRM unless you have to. DRM is not surveillance to prove you are not a thief, it is an officer sitting on your computer that could be logging anything. Years ago I would have said that I have nothing to hide, so allow them to check. I now say that you should have to provide some substantial proof that I am doing wrong, then you are welcome to search me. There's a little thing in the US (for those elsewhere fill in your own blank), to the effect of "to prevent unlawful search and seizure." Perhaps you have forgotten about it?

I don't think that applies in this case. Even if it did, it doesn't apply to cadaveca. He's one of those dirty hoser canadians.

 

[cadaveca]

He's one of those dirty hoser canadians.

Yep. Didn't the patriot act or something basically take away that right, anyway? I technicqally, you're open to anything, given the right paperwork is filed, no? I mean, I know I am, so whatever.

I mean, maybe that's part of it, for me. I know full well how the law can be manipulated, so care little.

 

[twilyth]

I'm Canadian, eh?(Ninja editting FTW)




We used to be #2 for broadband penetration, i think we are @ about 95% or something now, with the complete country looking to have reliable service by 2014, as it has been court-ordered that construction complete by then.


I spend probably 99.9% of my waking hours connected. Most of what I do is web-based. that said, most internet providers have access to basically all that info..I mean, if you got an IP, technically, your data is tracked, so whatever you do online is known, even with a proxy in place.

I look at it like walking on the street...everyoen can see what I'm doing, and people looking at me, just doesn't affect me at all. Likewise, what I do with my PC...doesn't matter.

Just a differnet perspective. I mean, it's been long enough now, that clearly UBISoft isn't concerned with a;; the uproar, or this would be something new.

I edited my previous post - so no one thinks it was a ninja edit.

You're talking about penetration. What matters is actual subscriptions. I don't know precisely how those numbers are calculated. For example if they include everyone in a household as having a subscription if there is a hard wire to the house. I assume so. If that's true, that means that a lot of people who have access don't want to pay for it - or probably more accurately, can't afford it. I guess we don't care about them either?

 

[Wile E]

Yep. Didn't the patriot act or something basically take away that right, anyway? I technicqally, you're open to anything, given the right paperwork is filed, no? I mean, I know I am, so whatever.

I mean, maybe that's part of it, for me. I know full well how the law can be manipulated, so care little.

Essentially.

 

[cadaveca]

I guess we don't care about them either?

Actually, to me, the games are the enticement for them to get online. So quite the opposite. Besides, most new to being online, even if having used a PC for YEARS, just won't have any idea of how screwed up the internet is, really.


I mean, you want privacy, ya gotta disconnect, 100%.

U-Play is just another thing to keep people online, and monitored. I think that's cool, beucase I wanna know what you're doing.

 

[Wile E]

Actually, to me, the games are the enticement for them to get online. So quite the opposite. Besides, most new to being online, even if having used a PC for YEARS, just won't have any idea of how screwed up the internet is, really.


I mean, you want privacy, ya gotta disconnect, 100%.

U-Play is just another thing to keep people online, and monitored. I think that's cool, beucase I wanna know what you're doing.

I disagree with this. It seems to me it is more a way to control their customers.

 

[cadaveca]

I disagree with this. It seems to me it is more a way to control their customers.

I won't argue that. But control what? You really gonna try telling me that UBI is some deep dark empire or something?

I mean, that's why I saw it's borderline FUD...I don't think it's FUD, but c'mon. What are they gonna do?

 

[Wile E]

I mean control what we do with things we already purchased, is already in our possession, and is our right to play.

 

[cadaveca]

Well, but then that brings to the EULA, where technically, you never had those rights to begin with. I mean, with some games, much older sure, but very few titles give you very much other than the right to use the content, for a limited time, and how the developer sees fit. I mean, that's how they are able to push automatic updates in the first place, anyway.


And if you are not OK with that, then I guess, your only option is to not purchase. But then, that'd include many more titles than just UBI's.

 

[twilyth]

Actually, to me, the games are the enticement for them to get online. So quite the opposite. Besides, most new to being online, even if having used a PC for YEARS, just won't have any idea of how screwed up the internet is, really.


I mean, you want privacy, ya gotta disconnect, 100%.

U-Play is just another thing to keep people online, and monitored. I think that's cool, beucase I wanna know what you're doing.

I guess we have different assumptions. I would have thought the people without broadband would probably have dial-up. I'm sure a lot have no internet at all, but regardless of the split, I would bet that the main reason is the cost as opposed to not having the incentive. But even if that's true, I don't think anyone who hasn't gotten some form of internet already would be enticed by any sort of video game.

 

[Wile E]

Well, but then that brings to the EULA, where technically, you never had those rights to begin with. I mean, with some games, much older sure, but very few titles give you very much other than the right to use the content, for a limited time, and how the developer sees fit. I mean, that's how they are able to push automatic updates in the first place, anyway.


And if you are not OK with that, then I guess, your only option is to not purchase. But then, that'd include many more titles than just UBI's.

Again, we're back to what I said earlier about EULA's. I don't care what they say. Most of them just step on our rights as consumers. Games that don't require a constant online connection generally can't prevent me from playing what I paid for in the event of internet outages. I don't buy those that do, plain and simple.

 

[cadaveca]

I guess you don't buy console games, either.

I mean, they kinda offer the same problem for you, right?

For console gamers, I don't think this is really any issue. And at least enough PC gamers to keep UBISoft releasing titles on the PC platform.

I mean, I respect that you want to be able to do what you like with the software liscences you buy.

But you've never ever actually bought the software itself. OpenSource stuff, sure.

 

[Wile E]

I guess you don't buy console games, either.

I mean, they kinda offer the same problem for you, right?

For console gamers, I don't think this is really any issue. And at least enough PC gamers to keep UBISoft releasing titles on the PC platform.

I mean, I respect that you want to be able to do what you like with the software liscences you buy.

But you've never ever actually bought the software itself. OpenSource stuff, sure.

Console games don't require a constant online connection. Neither my ps3 or my 360 are online most of the time and play games fine.

And again, if I feel the EULA is unfair, I have absolutely zero remorse in breaking it. I just don't give a damn what it says. Anything that prevents me from using software that I legally paid for, am not copying and giving away for free, or am not using unreasonably is unacceptable to me.

 

[Bjorn_Of_Iceland]

lousy cpu cycle consuming DRMs

 

[Yukikaze]

Console games don't require a constant online connection. Neither my ps3 or my 360 are online most of the time and play games fine.

And again, if I feel the EULA is unfair, I have absolutely zero remorse in breaking it. I just don't give a damn what it says. Anything that prevents me from using software that I legally paid for, am not copying and giving away for free, or am not using unreasonably is unacceptable to me.

Not to mention that quite a few times, when a EULA was brought up in court, it was thrown the heck out of there. I have been boycotting Ubisoft since Silent Hunter V and I will never purchase a game (by Ubisoft, or anyone else) the Single Player elements of which are not accessible when I am not online. I might consider buying the game out of a bargain bin after I know that a reliable cracking tool exists for it, but that's about it.

I buy *all* my games. But they won't see a single cent of my money.

 

[Lebowski]

Like I said..how do people deal with WoW being only playable online?

There is a bit of a difference though. WoW requires an internet connection for gameplay. Ubisoft DRM requires an internet connection for gameplay that dosen't require it.