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| System Name | AlderLake / Laptop |
|---|---|
| Processor | Intel i7 12700K P-Cores @ 5Ghz / Intel i3 7100U |
| Motherboard | Gigabyte Z690 Aorus Master / HP 83A3 (U3E1) |
| Cooling | Noctua NH-U12A 2 fans + Thermal Grizzly Kryonaut Extreme + 5 case fans / Fan |
| Memory | 32GB DDR5 Corsair Dominator Platinum RGB 6000MHz CL36 / 8GB DDR4 HyperX CL13 |
| Video Card(s) | MSI RTX 2070 Super Gaming X Trio / Intel HD620 |
| Storage | Samsung 980 Pro 1TB + 970 Evo 500GB + 850 Pro 512GB + 860 Evo 1TB x2 / Samsung 256GB M.2 SSD |
| Display(s) | 23.8" Dell S2417DG 165Hz G-Sync 1440p / 14" 1080p IPS Glossy |
| Case | Be quiet! Silent Base 600 - Window / HP Pavilion |
| Audio Device(s) | Panasonic SA-PMX94 / Realtek onboard + B&O speaker system / Harman Kardon Go + Play / Logitech G533 |
| Power Supply | Seasonic Focus Plus Gold 750W / Powerbrick |
| Mouse | Logitech MX Anywhere 2 Laser wireless / Logitech M330 wireless |
| Keyboard | RAPOO E9270P Black 5GHz wireless / HP backlit |
| Software | Windows 11 / Windows 10 |
| Benchmark Scores | Cinebench R23 (Single Core) 1936 @ stock Cinebench R23 (Multi Core) 23006 @ stock |
The solution: nobody actually gets any keys.
Ubisoft has teamed up with digital distribution firm Genba Digital to change its method of selling PC games through third-party stores like Fanatical and Games Republic. The new process is called 'silent key activation' and activates games on platforms like Steam and Uplay automatically rather than giving out codes to retailers and customers. From now on, Ubisoft will only sell games through sites that use SKA.
Instead of giving a retailer a massive list of keys that could theoretically be pinched or resold, no keys actually pass hands. Genba, which also won't have direct access to the keys, sets up a keybank that will distribute keys one-by-one, with each of them being recorded before the next one is sent out, and then the game will be activated on the customer's account.
"If someone goes on a website like Fanatical and buys a Ubisoft product, it will take them through the checkout process, then ask you to enter your UPlay account—if you don't have one, it asks you to set one up," Genba CEO Matt Murphy told GamesIndustry.biz. "The game is then automatically activated in UPlay. Fanatical doesn't get a key, and neither does the player. They just log into UPlay and the game is there, as if they bought it from the UPlay Store."
By removing keys from the equation and giving publishers more control over how their games are distributed, Genba reckons it can kill off the grey market. But it's taken time.
"It's a bit like trying to change the rules—you need everyone to move at the same speed, or move together," Murphy said. "If I could click my fingers and magically get us to a position where this was implemented, then we wouldn't have the issue of the grey market."
Genba is working with ten retailers at the moment, while there are others using their own methods. Murphy believes that all of the big publishers will distribute keys this way within a year, and Genba is already working with another large publisher on another keyless system.
https://www.pcgamer.com/ubisoft-is-trying-to-wipe-out-key-reselling-with-silent-key-activation/
Ubisoft has teamed up with digital distribution firm Genba Digital to change its method of selling PC games through third-party stores like Fanatical and Games Republic. The new process is called 'silent key activation' and activates games on platforms like Steam and Uplay automatically rather than giving out codes to retailers and customers. From now on, Ubisoft will only sell games through sites that use SKA.
Instead of giving a retailer a massive list of keys that could theoretically be pinched or resold, no keys actually pass hands. Genba, which also won't have direct access to the keys, sets up a keybank that will distribute keys one-by-one, with each of them being recorded before the next one is sent out, and then the game will be activated on the customer's account.
"If someone goes on a website like Fanatical and buys a Ubisoft product, it will take them through the checkout process, then ask you to enter your UPlay account—if you don't have one, it asks you to set one up," Genba CEO Matt Murphy told GamesIndustry.biz. "The game is then automatically activated in UPlay. Fanatical doesn't get a key, and neither does the player. They just log into UPlay and the game is there, as if they bought it from the UPlay Store."
By removing keys from the equation and giving publishers more control over how their games are distributed, Genba reckons it can kill off the grey market. But it's taken time.
"It's a bit like trying to change the rules—you need everyone to move at the same speed, or move together," Murphy said. "If I could click my fingers and magically get us to a position where this was implemented, then we wouldn't have the issue of the grey market."
Genba is working with ten retailers at the moment, while there are others using their own methods. Murphy believes that all of the big publishers will distribute keys this way within a year, and Genba is already working with another large publisher on another keyless system.
https://www.pcgamer.com/ubisoft-is-trying-to-wipe-out-key-reselling-with-silent-key-activation/
