UbiSoft Online Controversy

[Kalah]

<p>News have spread across the web of late, detailing UbiSoft's new <a href="/http://support.uk.ubi.com/online-servic ... /b></u></a> of requiring an Internet connection to play their future PC game titles. The response has been mixed, but consensus among gamers seems to be that the promised positives are outweighed by the negatives. In case you don't know what the story is, I'll outline it for you:



<p>UbiSoft are planning a new DRM platform for their PC games, which requires gamers to be online to play most new UbiSoft titles. Even singleplayer mode. On the positive side, you will not need a disc in the drive, you can use any computer, and Ubi promise that the system will be able support an unlimited amount of players simultaneously. I'm not sure I believe that; we were promised an excellent Internet multiplayer function for Heroes V, but it never worked as well as intended. But I guess we can always hope. It will depend on how much resources the producers decide to put into this. So let's say it works ... here's the downside: The game will not work if you are not connected to the Internet. If you lose your connection, the game will pause and wait for reconnection. We have no information about the <i>quality</i> of the connection; i.e. we don't know if you need DSL or if dial-up will do ... but those players whose connection cuts out from time to time will have problems.



<p><center><img src="/http://support.uk.ubi.com/online-servic ... "></center>



<p>This is problematic. What if you don't have an Internet connection? UbiSoft's director of customer support, Brent Wilkinson, seems to think this will not be a problem:



<p><center><i>"We think most people are going to be fine with it. Most people are always connected to an Internet connection."</i></center>



<p>Well, Mr. Wilkinson, let me tell you something: <i>I</i> am not connected to the Internet; my gaming computer sits in a corner in my bedroom. I am typing this on a laptop, and I don't feel the need to have both PCs connected to the web. Why should I? I play games on my big rig, and if I need to patch them, I just download a file onto my laptop and transfer it later. It may not be the best way to do it, but it's what I have chosen. And you dare to try and stop me? Do you expect me to be happy about this, and continue to buy your products with such limitations? Well, I can tell you right now: I will not. By focusing on "most people", you effectively eliminate me as a customer. I am sure I am not alone in feeling this way.



<p><center><img src="/https://www.celestialheavens.com/images ... "></center>



<p>Celestial Heavens have made our position clear on numerous occasions: While we are strongly opposed to piracy of games, we are of the opinion that gamers should be free to do what they want with their game once they have paid for it. If you buy a game, should you be allowed to make a backup copy for yourself? Yes. Should you be allowed to install the game on all computers you own? Of course. Should you be allowed to play it offline as well as online? <i>Hell</i>, yes.



<p><i>No</i>, we don't think it should be legal for players to send copies of their games to friends, and we <i>don't</i> condone piracy in any shape or form. Yet we feel that the measures employed by game producers to prevent this are counter-productive. Taking away players' liberties, limiting the way the product can be used, is like trying to advocate abstinence to teenagers: it won't work, and it will prevent more sensible solutions from seeing the light of day. I recall the strategy employed by <b><a href="/http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galactic_C ... /u></a></b> in the release of GalCiv2 - no copy protection at all, but online product registration (with a valid serial number) had to be completed for game updates to become available. Does this not sound more sensible than limiting the buyer's playing options?



<p>Also, if there's one thing that gamers dislike, it is the nanny state. Being told over and over by meddling moms to go to bed instead of finishing one more level has resulted in players' developing an aversion to all sorts of interference. Forcing players to play online will not be received smilingly. It will cause the gaming community to respond with hostility rather than enthusiasm, boycott rather than increased spending, and active movements working to crack the code hindering players in doing whatever they want.



<p>UbiSoft: This is not a good idea. Just drop it. Let us play your games the way <i>we</i> want, and we'll be happy to buy them from you. Otherwise, we'll buy games from somebody else.

If you would like to take a look at the original page visit this link:
https://www.celestialheavens.com/1266357357

[GreatEmerald]

Indeed, I couldn't agree with you more. Even Steam is disliked by many, but this is ridiculous! What good would that give? I understand validating online, I can even put up with having to validate online every time I try to play, but this? Why on earth would you ever need to have a constant network connection? This isn't a MMORPG...

I remember the days when I had a lossy connection, and that was only around a year ago. If games would have required a constant connection to the internet, it would be hell!
"All right, let's attack that archer ri-- Hold it! Connection lost, please wait..."

[Qurqirish Dragon]

Considering that when playing web-based games, I often have 5-10 second dropouts because the server is busy or high traffic, or otherwise, I cannot see myself playing a game like that when I am playing solo (or hotseat).

I have also had periods of several hours in which my ISP is down, so I couldn't connect to someplace. Thus, even if I WOULD put up with the hassle, problems beyond my control can happen.
On-line registration is fine for an offline game (although still not ideal). On-line requirement for playing offline is not.

[Elvin]

Tell 'em Kalah!

[ByteBandit]

Looks like Piracy has a new promoter! I like "owning" the game in my hands that I paid for. I'll never buy a game like this, ever! Maybe I'm in the minority.

Excellent report, Kalah!

[jeff]

I will reword my comments from the other thread, in the unlikely event that UBI creates a game that holds my interest as long as MM6 or H-IV what protection do I have that I will be able to play it after this policy drives UBI into a deserved bankruptcy or will they be more worthless than HD-DVDs. Even if they don't go bankrupt how long will they continue to support old games as tech moves on, one has to wonder if they will support games for years after sales have stopped. UBI has shown time after time they cannot be trusted.

Added I did go to their forum and they say the will create a patch to allow use of our games if they drop the online system. Yeah right.

[astral76minor]

Then I say go retro or else "buy the rights to Heroes of Might and Magic". If someone with millions of dollars bought the rights off of Ubisoft and loved the fans then maybe we could rejoice. In the support of fan-based creation, Ubisoft will FAIL and the rights will be sold again. True veterans know exactly what we mean.
Edited on Tue, Feb 16 2010, 23:58 by astral76minor

[Da_Vane]

Basically put, this will not work as intended. EA recieved a lot of backlash recently for announcing that they are dropping the servers for games like Madden '09, so what makes gamers think that Ubisoft won't be able to do the same with their titles? More importantly, the lackluster sales of SPORE show just how badly ill-conceived and untrusted DRM policies can affect sales of games. Sure, many people do have constant internet connections, but many of them are also restricted by Fair Usage Policies which can see their connections capped, or even stopped, should they exceed a certain usage each month - and common causes for getting penalized in this way come from using P2P software and other constant internet access software, including MMO clients. What this means is that without care, players of Ubisoft games in the future could see them penalized should they play their games very frequently, or for long periods of time. Plus, how long would it before Ubisoft go from requiring an active internet connection to enable the game to run, to actively using said connection to pump content, updates, and advertising directly to their players? This has so much potential to be abused that it's most likely going to fail because anyone with the remotest bit of intelligence and savvy will steer right clear...

[Ravenheart87]

Ridiculous idea, but I don't really care. I'm sure there'll be a crack out in one week after a game is out, to solve this.

[ThunderTitan]

Dude, if your PC can't get online just change it's MAC address to match the one of the laptop... most network cards allow it or if not you can do it from teh registry.

But being online all the time is BS, playing a game when my net is out makes up for the net being down.

[parcaleste]

Next thing will be to make the games turn off for ten minutes on every hour to keep our eyes safe, just like the doctors say.

I would call UBI's idea pathetic try to deal with piracy and I'm pretty sure they will bancrupt in a month or so if release this BS. Don't see a way this thing will work at all.

[Corlagon]

Well, I am very sorry but resolute in saying it doesn't matter whether Heroes VI is the best game ever seen, let alone in the series; if it forces me to needlessly and pointlessly leave the internet running and the electricity bill soaring every time I want to boot up a campaign, my money and I are staying far away from it.

[TheUnknown]

What about the people that don't want to put their computers on the internet ?

You can get/give anything from/to the internet INCLUDING stuff you don't want.

It's bad enough new games require registration, now you must be constantly on the internet.

They just couldn't invent/finance better way to battle piracy.



On the other side it's a great way to keep the people on the internet. Whatever purpose that may serve.

[parcaleste]

Well, I guess the next the thing they'll want is everybody to do a Facebook account in order to play.

Follow us on Twitter, lol.

[GreatEmerald]

I have another scenario - until a few months ago, we had a PC and a laptop, routed through a wireless router, and the laptop was connected to the internet though a wireless connection. And surely it's not stable, often times it loses connection and has to reconnect. So that means it wouldn't run MMH6 without problems either, which means that the majority of wireless users won't be able to use it without problems...

But, in fact, it may be even better: since MMH5 was so horrible, if they are to continue their style, then that system is even better since it makes Ubisoft closer to selling MM rights to someone that would actually care about the legacy.

[Crayno]

I remember when Ubisoft opened European EQ servers and they promised that character migration from other servers would never happen. After a couple of weeks they figured they didn't have enough subscribers and went back on their word without any apology whatsoever.

I understand that Ubisoft is a company that wants to make a profit but if that's the only thing they're in for (And they obviously are) then I sincerely hope they go bankrupt so the M&M rights can be taken over by a company that gives a $*** about their customers and games.

I'd rather pay $100 for a game like King's Bounty, the legend than $1 for the buggy crap that Ubisoft releases.



Peace

[UndeadHalfOrc]

100% agreed with the article.

But then again, I have never purchased a single UbiSoft product in my life

[parcaleste]

I also don't remember even play other Ubi game aside HoMM V, but the question is principle.

[Elvin]

A facebook group was created to gather those dissatisfied with ubi's policy. Maybe if enough people gather it will give a hit to ubi

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=312298689495

[Dave_Jame]

Litle off topic to those who don't like Ubis work or MaM policy

You people act like 3DO were the holly xavieres. All they wanted was profit (H-chronicles), Multiplatforming, unfinished games and so on. Tahy made 4 good games and you people just can't say a bad word over them.



Don't take me wrong. I love NW/3DO games, but statuses like "NWC would never do that!" Ar BS



To topic

As well as this policy. If thay just lower the prices of games in the amount of money they invest in Pirace protection.



To Corlagon

Happy now?:-)
Edited on Wed, Feb 17 2010, 17:24 by Dave_Jame