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Ubisoft Scales Back Driver DRM

Posted by Soulskill on from the step-in-the-less-wrong-direction dept.

We recently discussed Ubisoft's plans to bring back their controversial always-connected DRM for their upcoming racing game Driver: San Francisco. Gamers raised their voices in protest, and it seems Ubisoft listened, scaling back (but not removing) the DRM. Instead of requiring a continuous connection, the game will now require a connection only when the game launches. Unfortunately for Ubisoft, complaints are now arising that the company misled players with regard to the DRM implemented in the PC port of From Dust.

5 of 121 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Too late... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Insightful

    *rustling leaves*

    That's the sound of Ubisoft caring about what you've said.

  2. how many times now? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Interesting
    How many times have they claimed to have "scaled back" or changed their DRM schemes before release, only to have it turn out that the game is locked down tighter than the initial draconian scheme that they were supposedly scaling back from? I'll revoice Ben Kuchera's suggestion from the Ars article here:

    Our advice is simple: don't buy From Dust. In the future, do not buy Ubisoft games at launch until their claims can be verified.

    And to take it a step further: Don't buy ANY Ubisoft games. PERIOD. This is not how you treat customers, and anyone who chooses to be a customer of Ubisoft's at this point simply is a fool.

    1. Re:how many times now? by vux984 · · Score: 4, Funny

      Refund? Good luck with that--customer service at the store will immediately say, "we cannot prove that you did not buy this game just to copy and bring back, and it's been opened, so the most we can do is exchange with another copy of the same game."

      So return it unopened.

  3. Re:still unacceptable by Desler · · Score: 5, Insightful

    No, the only thing that works is to stop buying the product and stop downloading it as well. As long as 10s or 100s of thousands of people are downloading it for free Ubisoft is going to just go on thinking they need more and more intrusive DRM to fight piracy.

  4. Re:Too late... by PopeRatzo · · Score: 5, Insightful

    That's the sound of Ubisoft caring about what you've said.

    I wonder if Ubisoft cares about how many people decide to wait for SKIDR0W's release before laying out $60 for their DRM-laden product?

    I bet that sets some leaves a-rustlin' over at Ubisoft, huh?

    You can show disdain for your customers for only so long before the favor is returned.

    --
    You are welcome on my lawn.