Future Ubisoft Games To Require Constant Internet Access

Following up on our discussion yesterday of annoying game distribution platforms, Ubisoft has announced the details of their Online Services Platform, which they will use to distribute and administer future PC game releases. The platform will require internet access in order to play installed games, saved games will be stored remotely, and the game you're playing will even pause and try to reconnect if your connection is lost during play. Quoting Rock, Paper, Shotgun: "This seems like such a bizarre, bewildering backward step. Of course we haven't experienced it yet, but based on Ubi’s own description of the system so many concerns arise. Yes, certainly, most people have the internet all the time on their PCs. But not all people. So already a percentage of the audience is lost. Then comes those who own gaming laptops, who now will not be able to play games on trains, buses, in the park, or anywhere they may not be able to find a WiFi connection (something that’s rarely free in the UK, of course – fancy paying the £10/hour in the airport to play your Ubisoft game?). Then there's the day your internet is down, and the engineers can’t come out to fix it until tomorrow. No game for you. Or any of the dozens of other situations when the internet is not available to a player. But further, there are people who do not wish to let a publisher know their private gaming habits. People who do not wish to report in to a company they’ve no affiliation with, nor accountability to, whenever they play a game they’ve legally bought. People who don’t want their save data stored remotely. This new system renders all customers beholden to Ubisoft in perpetuity whenever they buy their games."

Comments

Re:As I said in the last thread.

[Ash-Fox]

Perhaps the GP should have said "cracked" rather than merely "pirated".

x3 reunion and x3 terran conflict were never cracked.

Then consider yourself lucky that you never bought a game that damaged your CD drive

Nope, I buy Steam games.

Or "allowed" a forced update that bricked your PS3

Nope, I buy Steam games.

Or had to run two years of MBR-overwriting tax software simultaneously

No idea what that is.

Or simply wanted to skip the 27-language FBI (etc) warning on your new DVD purchase.

That's easy, just hit the main menu key.

But hey, you've had good luck with DRM

It's nothing to do with luck, I investigate what I purchase. It isn't my fault you're a moron and can't investigate what you're purchasing yourself.

Regardless of what you (and the law) say, the vast majority of people consider such content as their property.

I don't care what they consider. I can believe I live in fantasy world, doesn't make it the case - The law doesn't care much about what you 'think', it cares what you 'do'. So, wake up, Mr. Pla. Wake up and smell the ashes.

Re:As I said in the last thread.

[sopssa]

One can only consume so much entertainment. If you feel entertained by the "bad" company's product, you probably don't have time or need to buy the other product by the "good" company.

Its the stupid questions day on slashdot or what?

Re:Blame piracy

[gparent]

Considering it takes 5 minutes to look for a crack, you're probably a fucking retard and not a contributing part of society anyway. You need brains for that.

Re:Blame piracy

[Hognoxious]

profit margins could be improved if only 2/3 of the game budget wasn't blown on marketing.

You know that for certain, do you?

Just remind me again - which game company are you the CFO of?