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Ubisoft Brings Back Always-Connected DRM For Driver: San Francisco

Posted by Soulskill on from the back-by-popular-demand dept.

Last year Ubisoft introduced DRM for their PC games that required a constant internet connection, going so far as to terminate single-player games if the connection was interrupted. After facing outrage, boycotts, and DDoS attacks, Ubisoft seemed to have softened their stance, issuing a patch for two games that allowed offline play. Unfortunately, it seems the change wasn't permanent; Ubisoft's upcoming racing game Driver: San Francisco marks the return of the contentious DRM.

3 of 261 comments (clear)

  1. That's ok by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I'll re-institute my boycott of Ubisoft, and nothing of value was lost.

    1. Re:That's ok by mcgrew · · Score: 5, Interesting

      Agreed, it's not just Ubisoft, and it's not just for DRM, and it's not even just games. My GF got pissed at Comcast because when she decided she didn't need both a landline and a cell (she's on SS and rather poor), the cable price didn't go down so she just dropped Comcast.

      Her daughter gave her a camera for Xmas last year and it was full, she wanted me to help her put the pictures in the PC. As soon as I turned it on, Norton complained that it needed to download updates. These days why do you even need AV without a net connection? The AV insisted on a net connection.

      I plugged the camera in and Kodak demanded an internet connection to download its software. It didn't even need the damned software! after killing some processes, Windows happily downloaded the pictures from the camera.

      People need to understand that a computer isn't a phone and has a lot of uses besides just surfing the web. We used computers without a net connection for decades. There is no reason whatever, from a customer point of view, for all these damned companies to demand an internet connection for a device or program like an AV or a camera or a single player game.

      I pulled out my phone and emailed complaints to the damned companies, not that it will do any good.

      If a single player game won't work without the internet, PLEASE don't buy it!

      --
      Free Martian Whores!
    2. Re:That's ok by Abstrackt · · Score: 5, Funny

      It seems to be human nature that each time we are outraged by something, the impact each time it happens slowly diminishes until we accept it as part of life.

      That seems to be true. At first I was outraged that I wouldn't be playing any Ubisoft games anymore but now I'm actually okay with it!

      --
      They say a little knowledge is a dangerous thing, but it's not one half so bad as a lot of ignorance. - Terry Pratchett