Ubisoft Details New Anti-Piracy Plan

[wordsmith]

Because after all, getting the game to think that your machine is the server is going to be SUCH a problem to the guys who crack disks, circumvent DRM, take out SecuROM and leap heroically over registration keys?

Ok, aside from getting a little weak towards the end, my point stands.

I give it... 3 weeks? Sound fair?

 

[j0frenzy]

Sounds like a good idea in theory. But it needs some work before implementation.

 

[sirdanrhodes]

Wait, what if the game is old? What if only a handful of players still play it? What happens to them, do they get a full refund?

 

[manaman]

I give it 6 weeks before someone figures out how to trick the program into believing that a local storage space is the remote server.

 

[ark123]

We want to play games from the cloud and save locally, not play locally and save elsewhere. This idea is completely retarded.
You're not Valve, Ubisoft, and I don't think even Valve could get away with this shit.

Here's a scenario: I wake up and my Dragon Age saves are corrupted because some disgruntled hacker decided to screw with Ubisoft.
In this scenario my logical next step is to head over to the closest Ubisoft headquarters and set the building ablaze.

 

[Abedeus]

I give it 6 weeks before someone figures out how to trick the program into believing that a local storage space is the remote server.

What?

"Someone" can just make the game save games on the hard drive.

Again, a system that hurts legal players more than pirates. Also, isn't this basically GFWL?

 

[_Nocturnal]

That's a grand vision they have there.
Next thing they'll want us to physically go in their offices to play their games under direct supervision.
And you know what, Ubi? I still hate your guts for not releasing the ending for the last Prince of Persia game on PC.

 

[AndyFromMonday]

What about people who don't have internet? What if their internet is down and want to play an Ubisoft game offline? This really isn't a good idea since it basically assumes a few things:

A. Everybody has access to the internet;
B. Their servers will work without downtime
C. The buyer will have no problem with not actually owning the game(since your entire progress and your ability to play the game is dependent on an outside source rather);
D. The internet works without a flaw and there's never any downtime.

Really, this is a bad scheme. If Ubisoft really thinks this will rack up sales for the PC version or that customers won't be pissed, they're mistaken. Companies need to stop worrying about copy protection and just focus their attention on making the game good.

I give it 6 weeks before someone figures out how to trick the program into believing that a local storage space is the remote server.

What 6 weeks? All you need to do is find the variables in the system that deal with the actual connection part and the saving part. Then you need to rewrite them and voila.

 

[Baby Tea]

You know what they really need?
Some type of 'bio scan' to authenticate.

Guy: *Clicks on game*
Computer: Who are you?
Guy: Uhh...Jake?
Computer: Scanning...Error! You are not Jake! Scan failed. Hard-drive erased.

Sounds like a sensible solution to me!
Let's get some bio scans up in here!

 

[Calhoun347]

I give it 6 weeks before someone figures out how to trick the program into believing that a local storage space is the remote server.

What?

"Someone" can just make the game save games on the hard drive.

Again, a system that hurts legal players more than pirates. Also, isn't this basically GFWL?

No GFWL lets you play with an offline profile, you can't get achievements, but no internet connection required, games are also saved locally.

 

[ark123]

That's a grand vision they have there.
Next thing they'll want us to physically go in their offices to play their games under direct supervision.
And you know what, Ubi? I still hate your guts for not releasing the ending for the last Prince of Persia game on PC.

StarForce too

 

[Gildan Bladeborn]

Cloud-based saves should be a added bonus, not a requirement, as the ability to download a game to a different computer and resume from where you left off last is actually a wonderful selling point.

Telling people they won't be able to save or access saved data without the online connection? Not so much!

 

[manaman]

I give it 6 weeks before someone figures out how to trick the program into believing that a local storage space is the remote server.

What?

"Someone" can just make the game save games on the hard drive.

Again, a system that hurts legal players more than pirates. Also, isn't this basically GFWL?

Provided they actually keep up remote servers until the game moves into obscurity and then release a patch to remove the need to connect the server then the only ones it hurts are those without a reliable internet connection. You don't even need a really high speed internet connection, the saves files are not going to be gigantic after all.

As for what I was saying. Someone will crack the program and it will save to the local drive. They cracked Mass Effect, which required an always on connection to play.

 

[HT_Black]

Oh, how the mighty have fallen...

On an unrelated note, is it just me, or does The Settlers 7 look like something Peter Molyneux would do on a slow day?

 

[Vigilantis]

Sounds good for the company but I will definitely be pissed off if I'm not in my home and want to play a game and can't do so because I don't have an internet connection. Hit and miss

 

[Abedeus]

I give it 6 weeks before someone figures out how to trick the program into believing that a local storage space is the remote server.

What?

"Someone" can just make the game save games on the hard drive.

Again, a system that hurts legal players more than pirates. Also, isn't this basically GFWL?

Provided they actually keep up remote servers until the game moves into obscurity and then release a patch to remove the need to connect the server then the only ones it hurts are those without a reliable internet connection. You don't even need a really high speed internet connection, the saves files are not going to be gigantic after all.

As for what I was saying. Someone will crack the program and it will save to the local drive. They cracked Mass Effect, which required an always on connection to play.

Also if your net goes down for any reason, you can't play.

You want to download something in the background and play a single-player game? Well, don't be surprised if it doesn't save for 30 minutes.

There are NO upsides of this shitty system.

I personally, as someone who loves PC gaming and think its better, thinks the industry Better just abandon the platform.

PC gaming is dead, why? its to easy to pirate on it and people are to willing to just steal. I know I would just say screw it never make a game for it again. Also outside of a small few, PC games don't make nearly the same amount of money. Its sad but I blame the fans for the death of PC gaming, not the industry.

 

[Paddin]

Sounds bloody terrible. Yet again an anti-piracy method that seems to punish legit buyers. THIS is why PC gaming is dying