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Ubisoft's DRM servers fail, while gamers say "We told you so!"
Gamers almost universally groaned when Ubisoft announced a new DRM scheme that requires its latest games, including Assassin's Creed 2 and SIlent Hunter 5, to be connected to the Ubisoft servers to function. Everyone wondered, "What happens when the servers fail?" Well, we found out over the weekend, when -- surprise! -- the servers temporarily went down, rendering legitimately-purchased copies of Ubisoft's latest games temporarily unplayable.Ubisoft's initial excuse was that their games are too popular, and the overwhelming server loads apparently caused the downtime. Today, they reversed course and admitted that a DDoS attack had taken down the servers. Despite the fact that such an attack could happen again at any time, locking legitimate customers out, Ubi is sticking to its guns on the new DRM scheme for now. I hope that they take steps to secure their servers against another DDoS attack in the short term, and make a long term plan to drop this crazy DRM scheme altogether.
[via Joystiq]
Comments
13
Subscribe to commentsThomas MaierMar 8th 2010 3:51PM
Pirates are still able to play.
Maybe now some guys open their eyes and see what crap DRM and all those restrictive models are.
BrdystylsMar 8th 2010 3:52PM
LOL! Funny stuff. Now their servers will be slammed with DDoS attacks, now that they know it works. Say good bye to your servers Ubi!!!
kojo87Mar 8th 2010 3:58PM
i just pre-purchased Assassin's Creed 2 on Steam. this DRM better not suck as bad as i think it will.
r3loadedMar 8th 2010 4:00PM
It will.
Sorry mate, you should have pirated it tbh...at least, you'd be playing it straight away with no problems.
BrdystylsMar 8th 2010 4:19PM
THE r3loaded? If so. You rule man!
SensaiMar 8th 2010 4:20PM
Please, please cancel your purchase. You're basically telling them that it's okay to pull this kind of stunt, which it clearly isn't.
Tell them that DRM, ESPECIALLY like this, isn't the answer. Tell them by not buying it.
Crazy SerbMar 8th 2010 4:40PM
http://torrentfreak.com/ubisofts-uber-drm-cracked-within-a-day-100304/
"Last month the gaming giant Ubisoft announced their new über-DRM which requires customers to be continuously online in order to play purchased games. Of course, this DRM was circumvented in a few hours and while downplaying this blunder, Ubisoft fails to see that they’ve only increased piracy.
A survey among members of the Subsim community regarding the DRM on Silent Hunter 5 shows that, if anything, the new DRM is putting off customers from actually buying the game. Only 15% of the respondents said that the DRM wouldn’t affect their plans to buy Silent Hunter 5, while 85% said they would delay or cancel their purchase until a DRM-free version becomes available."
All I can say is... dummies. Pure dummies. Giving up 85% of the potential market just because someone has a small penis and inferiority complex and thinks they should intellectually protect what they've got to the fullest extent possible? Absolutely dumb. It's out anyway...
astrotoysevenMar 8th 2010 5:14PM
I bought it, but am playing it with a patch. A lot of artists, coders etc worked hard on that game and I'm happy to give my money in recognition of their efforts. If you want to protest the restrictions, simply give it a miss until a DRM free version is released.
If you deliberately seek a pirated copy, you are just as much harming the pc gaming community as ubi's idiotic corporate division is.
CrelMar 8th 2010 6:50PM
Here's the solution if you want to support the developers but don't want DRM: UbiSoft sets up a PayPal donation link, you donate for the same price as a download, then skip downloading it from them and then pirate it.
That way, everyone is happy!
But seriously, come on! WTF? NO offline play? Worst idea ever. You can't do anything on a computer these days without whatever it is you're using calling home, like spyware. It was bad enough when you had to have the CD in the drive to play and legit purchasers had to get a no-cd to play the game. This is why I stick to CDs instead of going to iTunes for music. Except for those CDs that gave you a rootkit.
AideMar 9th 2010 4:29AM
What happens in 10 years when this game is "retro" and we all want to have another play for the nostalga?
OskieeMar 9th 2010 10:53AM
Were SOL. By then Ubi has removed ACII from the servers and you wont be able to play!
AideMar 9th 2010 11:25AM
Good job I didn't buy it then
P.F. BrunsMar 9th 2010 8:21AM
The best way to lodge a protest is to put it in writing. Write an old-fashioned hard copy letter to Ubisoft explaining that you don't want to be tied down to a needless server to be allowed to play the content you bought. Don't stop there, though; write to your favorite retailers, and to the press, explaining your decision as well. Don't take this lying down.