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

[Kreij]

Not exaclty Q.
If a games is released with constant internet as a requirement I will not buy it.
If the same company releases a game that does not have that requirement I will buy it.
I am not boycotting the company, I am just not going to buy something I can't use. It has nothing to do with the company.

Let's use another product for comparison.
If a weapon manufacturer release two tactical shotguns that are both awesome for home protection but one uses ammo I cannot get, why would I buy it? It does me no good.
If ammo for the other is readily available, why would I not get it if it fulfills my needs?

[ShRoOmAlIsTiC]

I would have to say I would boycott it cause for some reason my net drops constantly all day everyday.

[Maelstrom]

Originally Posted by Kreij

Not exaclty Q.
If a games is released with constant internet as a requirement I will not buy it.
If the same company releases a game that does not have that requirement I will buy it.
I am not boycotting the company, I am just not going to buy something I can't use. It has nothing to do with the company.

Let's use another product for comparison.
If a weapon manufacturer release two tactical shotguns that are both awesome for home protection but one uses ammo I cannot get, why would I buy it? It does me no good.
If ammo for the other is readily available, why would I not get it if it fulfills my needs?

To further add to what Kreij was saying, when you boycott something you usually do it in order to affect change or express disapproval (source: http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/boycott), which he does not appear to be doing. As for me, unless they release a super-duper awesome game, I will not be buying a game from Ubisoft. However, that is how I treat all other game publishers .

It depends on how strongly you feel about something.

Let's say the Frilly Things line of clothing stores (I assume this is a fictitious name) makes all of their clothes with child slave labor. But all of their shoes are made in the USA. Is there any point to boycotting BOTH their clothes and their shoes?

I would say definitely yes, there is.

[Kreij]

Maelstrom is right in his assessment of my comment.
I simply don't care what these companies do.
As a consumer, I make my purchasing decisions based on my needs/wants and their (the companys') ability to give me a product that will fulfill my needs. No more, no less.
This is true for everything I purchase, not just games.
IMO, this is how all consumers should view their potential purchases.
If the product does not meet your needs in any way, don't buy it.

[kid41212003]

Originally Posted by Kreij

Maelstrom is right in his assessment of my comment.
I simply don't care what these companies do.
As a consumer, I make my purchasing decisions based on my needs/wants and their (the companys') ability to give me a product that will fulfill my needs. No more, no less.
This is true for everything I purchase, not just games.
IMO, this is how all consumers should view their potential purchases.
If the product does not meet your needs in any way, don't buy it.

If we consumer don't speak what we want, they're not going to understand what our needs and demands are.

You can't use your logic with games because people actually love what they want to buy. It's not a tool, it's art. When the publishers make these kind of decision that possibly ruins your games, it's a crime.

And Ubi's going to use this DRM system on all their games...

[qubit]

Originally Posted by Kreij

Not exaclty Q.
If a games is released with constant internet as a requirement I will not buy it.
If the same company releases a game that does not have that requirement I will buy it.
I am not boycotting the company, I am just not going to buy something I can't use. It has nothing to do with the company.

Let's use another product for comparison.
If a weapon manufacturer release two tactical shotguns that are both awesome for home protection but one uses ammo I cannot get, why would I buy it? It does me no good.
If ammo for the other is readily available, why would I not get it if it fulfills my needs?

Ah yes, I see what you mean and it results from my confuddlement in not qualifying my rallying cry to boycott!

Yes, boycotting only the specific titles that have this is what I meant. This is a proper carrot and stick approach to making them behave themselves and discouraging others from trying the same tactics. I'm not after killing the company.

Thanks for clarifying it.

[DrPepper]

Originally Posted by qubit

That's probably a good thing. And I'd be interested in the details of what you don't like about them, if you'd like to share.

DRM mostly and their poor quality of games.

[ctrain]

If my computer is turned on, then it's online, I don't give a shit really. On principle it's annoying but mostly because if their servers eat shit then I'm SOL... but that can happen with any service so whatever.

Not going to boycot a Battlefield game because some fat tech lost his balance reaching for a hoagie he dropped and faceplanted into a server rack and wiped out the login server for an hour.

[lemonadesoda]

Since I have a pay-per-byte internet connection (it's a 3G based dongle) then I absolutely refuse to accept any company that makes ME pay for THEIR DRM that I don't want or need. A Royal FU to Ubisoft if they implement this.

[qubit]

Originally Posted by lemonadesoda

Since I have a pay-per-byte internet connection (it's a 3G based dongle) then I absolutely refuse to accept any company that makes ME pay for THEIR DRM that I don't want or need. A Royal FU to Ubisoft if they implement this.

Beautifully put, especially the bold bit. Yeah, why pay them to treat us like criminals?

[scaminatrix]

Originally Posted by Kreij

If a games is released with constant internet as a requirement I will not buy it.
If the same company releases a game that does not have that requirement I will buy it.

Originally Posted by twilyth

Let's say the Frilly Things line of clothing stores (I assume this is a fictitious name) makes all of their clothes with child slave labor. But all of their shoes are made in the USA. Is there any point to boycotting BOTH their clothes and their shoes?

Two very good points. I'm on the fence with that one.
Since we obviously don't want to kill the company completely, I suppose the only way of making any boycott useful is to go the petition route (or whatever method is applicable).
A single thread on TPU isn't enough to quantify any boycott if we want Ubi to stop using always-on DRM. It need to be bigger.

[qubit]

Originally Posted by scaminatrix

Two very good points. I'm on the fence with that one.
Since we obviously don't want to kill the company completely, I suppose the only way of making any boycott useful is to go the petition route (or whatever method is applicable).
A single thread on TPU isn't enough to quantify any boycott if we want Ubi to stop using always-on DRM. It need to be bigger.

Yup, it needs to hit their sales - period. They won't listen to anything else. Only their games with this stupid DRM should be boycotted, as I clarified earlier. Other companies will see what's happening to Ubisoft and it will discourage them from trying the same crappy tactics.

[ShiBDiB]

Buy the game and apply the cracks.. legal and no drm.. the end

Of the 60 that said yes, I give it 5 that actually will boycott, and the other 55 will grow up and deal with it.

[Soylent Joe]

Boycotting is refusing to buy/support their good or service, and I'm not one to ever buy Ubi games anyway, so I will indeed be boycotting them. Just sounds stupid to me anywho.

[Wile E]

Originally Posted by ShiBDiB

Buy the game and apply the cracks.. legal and no drm.. the end

Of the 60 that said yes, I give it 5 that actually will boycott, and the other 55 will grow up and deal with it.

How is accepting an unreasonable DRM scheme considered growing up? And we are dealing with it, by not buying the games that implement this. Refusing to buy a product that does not meet your criteria is not in any way being immature. It, like I mentioned earlier, is simply speaking with your wallet. A very mature approach to take vs the actual immature options such as piracy or slander. Buying it anyway and cracking it does not tell them we don't want to pay the dev costs for these DRM schemes. The schemes will just get worse and worse if we allow them.

And I can assure you, I have not bought a single title that requires this, and never will. My internet, while fast, goes out too often. And when it does, I rely on gaming to pass the time. This DRM prevents me from doing that. It would be stupid for me to buy it.

[Mussels]

Originally Posted by ShiBDiB

Buy the game and apply the cracks.. legal and no drm.. the end

Of the 60 that said yes, I give it 5 that actually will boycott, and the other 55 will grow up and deal with it.

more like 5 will buy it, 40 will pirate it. and 10 will wait for a $10 steam sale.

[Easy Rhino]

consider two games. one with this drm and one without. the one with the drm is incredible. the best game of the century. the other game is a pile of steaming 'brink' poop. do you buy the shit game because it doesn't offend your video game sensibilities or do you buy the awesome game and realize that you have no integrity. boycotts are for suckers. don't making buying decisions based on one emotional aspect. especially if you don't fully understand the techniques in the software behind how it works or what the philosophy of the producer is.

[Mussels]

Originally Posted by Easy Rhino

consider two games. one with this drm and one without. the one with the drm is incredible. the best game of the century. the other game is a pile of steaming 'brink' poop. do you buy the shit game because it doesn't offend your video game sensibilities or do you buy the awesome game and realize that you have no integrity. boycotts are for suckers. don't making buying decisions based on one emotional aspect. especially if you don't fully understand the techniques in the software behind how it works or what the philosophy of the producer is.

i'd buy neither.

[entropy13]

Originally Posted by Easy Rhino

consider two games. one with this drm and one without. the one with the drm is incredible. the best game of the century. the other game is a pile of steaming 'brink' poop. do you buy the shit game because it doesn't offend your video game sensibilities or do you buy the awesome game and realize that you have no integrity. boycotts are for suckers. don't making buying decisions based on one emotional aspect. especially if you don't fully understand the techniques in the software behind how it works or what the philosophy of the producer is.

Obviously a question asking for a very obvious answer, which Mussels obviously already answered, before I obviously posted this reply, obviously.

[KainXS]

Originally Posted by Soylent Joe

Boycotting is refusing to buy/support their good or service, and I'm not one to ever buy Ubi games anyway, so I will indeed be boycotting them. Just sounds stupid to me anywho.

Boycotting is refusing to buy/support their good or service, but I bet many of the people posting will still buy their games and complain about it later, just like last year.

[Easy Rhino]

People take their decision to buy video games more seriously than their representatives in government.

[entropy13]

Originally Posted by Easy Rhino

People take their decision to buy video games more seriously than their representatives in government.

Really?

[Easy Rhino]

Originally Posted by entropy13

Really?

yes. people willing give away their freedoms everyday through increased debt, inflation of currency and direct taxation yet fight DRM as if it will put them in chains. They have it backwards.

[entropy13]

Originally Posted by Easy Rhino

yes. Americans (and by an extent the First World in general) willing (sic) give away their freedoms everyday through increased debt, inflation of currency and direct taxation yet fight DRM as if it will put them in chains. They have it backwards.

Fixed.