Le sigh.

[whismerhill]

Silent Hunter 5 used a weaker version without cloud saves... let's wait for AC2.

ho ! :shock: that means AC2 uses "cloud saves"
somehow I missed this information, not for me at all then !!!
I can already see the slowness induced in saving when my girlfriend is using the net ...
not even considering the fact that I don't want stuff that is mine on the internet ...

edit: also even if it takes a week to get a perfect crack I can't see how people would buy a game because they can't wait a single week ...


now here is a few games where I think the DRM was actually successful :
-Galactic Civilization 2 : "cracked" very quick, very easily since the only "DRM" was a key verification when trying to update, however Stardock rolled updates after updates after updates, in the end if you wanted the latest bug fixes and major improvements ... you couldn't get a crack for it (or rather a working copy of it, since the files were only available through stardock) ...
(at some point, through updates I think a first launch activation crept in it though... don't remember exactly)
-Sacred 1 : same thing as GC2, a lot of updates, a lot of bug fixes ... however added on top of that was a heavy multi-protection with custom code + a couple of official protections, the whole thing made some legitimate users unable to play, however working cracks were not very common, more so with the "frequent" updates. At some point a user (who wanted a crack) even had to get russian versions of executables since those had lesser protections ...

these two games I consider that they kind of "resisted" piracy for several month since after all, when you enjoy a game who wants a half-baked, bug filled, feature less, cracked game instead ?

[whismerhill]

http://torrentfreak.com/ubisofts-uber-drm-cracked-within-a-day-100304/
Its relevant.

ok but in this article it is suggested that DRM-free = pirated copy
it's just the wrong way to put it
DRM - free includes and is not restricted to : a pirated copy or a normal DRM copy bought a couple years later when a no-DRM patch comes out or an official DRM-free copy who could eventually come out a couple years later...

[Dem Pyros]

http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/98927-Ubisoft-DRM-Authentication-Servers-Go-Down

Oh goody...

[packerfan]

A lot of DRM is simply to combat casual piracy, but that is pointless aside from the basics in my opinion (I.E. CD in the drive) Consumers are smart enough to get the crack now days if they are wanting to do that.

I agree, check my Drive or tie it to my steam account but don't require me to be online, what if I want to play it on an airplane for some odd reason... Online 100% of the time seems excessive for just casual piracy. Once the game is cracked they should go to CD check or steam tying (which already exists for all steam games)

[DaFox]

http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/98927-Ubisoft-DRM-Authentication-Servers-Go-Down

Oh goody...

DRM is so awesome!

"RPS" wrote: It’s time for Ubisoft to admit this was a mistake, back down, and make their games playable by their customers.

Oh and

[Skid]

http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/98927-Ubisoft-DRM-Authentication-Servers-Go-Down

Oh goody...

It was inevitable.

[StingingVelvet]

I'm sort of torn... the downtime shows how bad this DRM is for paying customers, but on the other hand it was hackers who took it down.

No one wins, I guess is the end point.

[Paradigm Shifter]

We don't "know" it was hackers who took it down. It seems fairly likely, but I'm not going to jump to conclusions. Even if someone at Ubisoft were pulling a practical joke and yanking the power to the servers, they'd blame it on "hackers". Ubisoft would lose far too much face if they actually admitted they've badly misjudged the situation as a whole. But yes, everyone loses in this scenario. Mostly the paying customers who decided to put up with the shit Ubisoft were trying to pull, though.

Anyway, whatever. I'm quite glad that I haven't bought this - it means I can point and laugh.

And when Ubisoft shut down the activations servers permanently, I can watch the resulting internet conflagration when they haven't released a de-DRM patch... ;)

[MobsterOO7]

What really makes me sad is that devs probably know that these DRM measures will push people away from PC games and toward consoles. What makes me even more sad than that is that the more I think about it, the more it seems that is their intention.

[Paradigm Shifter]

What really makes me sad is that devs probably know that these DRM measures will push people away from PC games and toward consoles. What makes me even more sad than that is that the more I think about it, the more it seems that is their intention.

Yeah.

:(

[StingingVelvet]

What really makes me sad is that devs probably know that these DRM measures will push people away from PC games and toward consoles. What makes me even more sad than that is that the more I think about it, the more it seems that is their intention.

I have had the radical conspiracy theory that publishers are trying to push everyone to consoles for a while now.

They have managed to move quite a lot of people... the rest of us are dug in here, desperately clinging to the walls against the coming storms. I can't even make a grand statement about sticking with PC gaming no matter what... if things continue on a downward spiral I will eventually just have to get a console or two I guess. I'm not going to drop gaming altogether.

All that said, they could just never release PC versions and it would probably be more effective.

[Skid]

I remember someone saying on GTs Bonus Round that they make more money per copy of a PC game sold then they do per copy of a console, the reason being they have to pay licences to release games for the consoles while they don't for the PC, which is one reason PC games are cheaper then console games. I forget which episode it was in, but it was one this year I think.

If I had to guess it was probably mentioned in episode 402, http://www.gametrailers.com/show/bonusround

[StingingVelvet]

I remember someone saying on GTs Bonus Round that they make more money per copy of a PC game sold then they do per copy of a console, the reason being they have to pay licences to release games for the consoles while they don't for the PC, which is one reason PC games are cheaper then console games. I forget which episode it was in, but it was one this year I think.

If I had to guess it was probably mentioned in episode 402, http://www.gametrailers.com/show/bonusround

This is very true.

PC Gamer wrote an article a few months back about how a rise to $60 standard for PC games, which they said was still less than the $50 we paid in the late 80s when adjusted for inflation, would DOUBLE profits on PC games for companies because of the lack of license fees.

In other words, 500,000 sales on PC would equal 1,000,000 on console. Thus, PC ports would get more attention and PC exclusives would be more viable.

Of course sadly PC gamers are too whiney to accept such a thing.

[packerfan]

What really makes me sad is that devs probably know that these DRM measures will push people away from PC games and toward consoles. What makes me even more sad than that is that the more I think about it, the more it seems that is their intention.

Yea, it is a shame, I am one of the people who is sorta clinging on to PC gaming but things like this get me tempted to get a console for the heavily DRMed games.

As for Stinging's conspiracy theory. Some of the bad ports and issues in the PC versions (Borderlands multiplayer on PC was a pita without opening ports, on consoles not so much) seem to be making consoles look more attractive. Not to mention I could spend 300 bucks (rough estimate given accessories) and have a working system for all games for a few years instead of PC upgrading, and I can resell my games.

[whismerhill]

Of course sadly PC gamers are too whiney to accept such a thing.

Bold words I say

Let's talk about my case, shall I have enough gaming budget to get myself 5 60$ games each month I wouldn't complain about it...
However, as it is, I'm already waiting for games to drop price before buying ...
Still, it wouldn't change my life a lot since I would just delay more to give it more time to drop price ...
(there's actually other reasons for my waiting, among them the patching process and hardware catch up or even mod development...)

I don't think I'm the only one, when I see that in France the "buying power" (not sure how it's said in english) is declining ...
So, of course, someone who has a 150$ budget & therefore buying 3 games WILL complain about a 10$ rise meaning one less game for him
that's just human...

Also, using digital distribution platforms should in theory already give more money to developers (according to brad wardley)

[StingingVelvet]

[quote]Of course sadly PC gamers are too whiney to accept such a thing.

Bold words I say

Let's talk about my case, shall I have enough gaming budget to get myself 5 60$ games each month I wouldn't complain about it...
However, as it is, I'm already waiting for games to drop price before buying ...
Still, it wouldn't change my life a lot since I would just delay more to give it more time to drop price ...
(there's actually other reasons for my waiting, among them the patching process and hardware catch up or even mod development...)

Well it all relates. How many times have we seen people on this forum like cranky or paradigm say they are waiting to buy something until it's cheap because they have a ton of other games to play? How many times have we seen PC gamers say things like "well I still play Battlefield 2, I don't need Bad Company" or the like?

We are a more mature group with more patience, and thus we spend less money on software. We are competing with a massive mainstream group of gamers of whom a large portion are 15-25 year olds who need EVERY new hit game NOW.

It all ties in to this being a business, and companies go where the money is. There is no loyalty, no sense of honor to the past, a game will come out on PC if the publisher thinks there is money to be made on the platform. Piracy, less mainstream crowd, more mature crowd, larger backlog of games, lower prices expected, higher demands for port quality... ALL this stuff hurts the bottom line on PC, rightly or wrongly.

So the way to see more focus on PC is to find ways to enhance the bottom line despite all that. MMOs do by having a subscription fee, multiplayer games do by cutting down on piracy and resale, etc. etc.. A way for singleplayer games to do so, especially large and long ones like Assassin's Creed 2 or Fallout New Vegas, is to charge more for the game. No one can argue those games are not worth $60 in my opinion... heck, millions proved they were on consoles with inferior versions.

[whismerhill]

I totally agree with that
I was just reacting to the "whiney" bit :mrgreen:

[packerfan]

We are competing with a massive mainstream group of gamers of whom a large portion are 15-25 year olds who need EVERY new hit game NOW.

COD6, people in that age segment are addicted to it like it is crack.... it is insane how much people talk about it.

[suiken_2mieu]

[quote]We are competing with a massive mainstream group of gamers of whom a large portion are 15-25 year olds who need EVERY new hit game NOW.

COD6, people in that age segment are addicted to it like it is crack.... it is insane how much people talk about it.
I have to agree with you here. The guys at my school talk about "prestige" and levels and all I say is "what?" and immediately "COD:MW2, what you don't play?"
I just played the xbox game split screen with some friends, it's alright, but i don't understand the hype. I played through COD4's story and loved it, but multiplayer never caught on for me.

[Skid]

What do you know, they didn't blame hackers, they blamed us, or rather "exceptional demand". I mean please an MMO you can excuse for exceptional demand blocking login to the server, but this is a single player game that doesn't need the internet connection it requires.
http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/ubisoft-drm-assassin-s-creed-online,news-32919.html

So there you have it, its all your fault people who bought the game, your exceptional demand for the game has stopped other people playing :roll:

And a few articles later and now Ubi blame it on DDoS attacks lol
http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/ubisoft-internet-drm-assassin-s-creed,news-32926.html