Several PC titles from Ubisoft will go dark next week

"In a community letter released this week, Ubisoft said that it will be transitioning the hosting of many of its online services from a third-party data center to a new facility starting next Tuesday, February 7. This will have an impact on the online portion of a majority of its games for an undisclosed amount on time.

But here's the real kicker: there will also be a number of PC games that will be inaccessible online and offline including Tom Clancy's HAWX 2, Might & Magic: Heroes 6 and The Settlers 7. Mac gamers will lose access to Assassin's Creed, Splinter Cell Conviction and The Settlers. That said, these games will be rendered useless for an undisclosed amount of time."

Link Link

I hope it doesn't take too long because I just got back to Might & Magic: Heroes 6. But its still sad that today we just can't buy a game, Install then play. Now we need to hope that the DRM server is not down too.

Thankfully I don't currently play any Ubisoft games on the PC.

It's a shame to those who are playing those games, hopefully the wait isn't too long.

IL2: Cliffs of Dover should be fine. I've already tried playing it without an internet connection. It played just fine.

I want Assassin's Creed. Is this temporary or permanent?

I want Assassin's Creed. Is this temporary or permanent?

tjricardo089

They're only down because of UBI's DRM which basically require their servers to be online if we are to play our games from themSrpskiVojnik

Guess the pirates get to play those games while the people who actually bought them are locked out. Isn't DRM great?

Well Ubisoft hasn't put out a game I enjoy since Rainbow Six Vegas 2 so I will be just fine while they are in their dark period. I don't really feel sorry for any gamer who won't be able to play those games during that time because they should of known the risk when buying a game with such ridiculous DRM.

Piracy is the only way to play games in peace it seems.

Guess the pirates get to play those games while the people who actually bought them are locked out. Isn't DRM great?

Whiteblade999

[QUOTE="Whiteblade999"]

Guess the pirates get to play those games while the people who actually bought them are locked out. Isn't DRM great?

lawlessx

[QUOTE="lawlessx"][QUOTE="Whiteblade999"]

Guess the pirates get to play those games while the people who actually bought them are locked out. Isn't DRM great?

FelipeInside

[QUOTE="lawlessx"][QUOTE="Whiteblade999"]

Guess the pirates get to play those games while the people who actually bought them are locked out. Isn't DRM great?

FelipeInside

I see Felip trying to downplay it.. Point being, Ubisoft DRM doesn't work. They even aknowledge this by having several of there newer games without it now. There is no overreaction, in the time during the move, those who aquired the game illegally will be able to enjoy the game while the honest consumer has to sit on his hands. On some good news, LawlessX will be able to keep playing his Anno2070 as ubisoft has only the online activation for it.

[QUOTE="FelipeInside"][QUOTE="lawlessx"] that is pretty sad when you really think about itjedikevin2

I see Felip trying to downplay it.. Point being, Ubisoft DRM doesn't work. They even aknowledge this by having several of there newer games without it now. There is no overreaction, in the time during the move, those who aquired the game illegally will be able to enjoy the game while the honest consumer has to sit on his hands. On some good news, LawlessX will be able to keep playing his Anno2070 as ubisoft has only the online activation for it.

[QUOTE="jedikevin2"]

[QUOTE="FelipeInside"] Over reaction is also sad. FelipeInside

I see Felip trying to downplay it.. Point being, Ubisoft DRM doesn't work. They even aknowledge this by having several of there newer games without it now. There is no overreaction, in the time during the move, those who aquired the game illegally will be able to enjoy the game while the honest consumer has to sit on his hands. On some good news, LawlessX will be able to keep playing his Anno2070 as ubisoft has only the online activation for it.

Just a bit of information.. Steam did have this about a month ago and people did complain but it only lasted 40 minutes. Guess you weren't in the forum during that time. The only games affected were those that used steam servers for actual online gameplay. You were still able to log in and play single player games unlike what will happen once ubisoft move kicks in.

Kinda sad though that your argument has now moved onto hersay on steam now. All I know is ubisoft has been backing off there "always online" drm lately and I hope it continues. This move just demonstrates more issues they have with a system like this. Still don't see a overreaction in the least.

[QUOTE="FelipeInside"][QUOTE="jedikevin2"]

I see Felip trying to downplay it.. Point being, Ubisoft DRM doesn't work. They even aknowledge this by having several of there newer games without it now. There is no overreaction, in the time during the move, those who aquired the game illegally will be able to enjoy the game while the honest consumer has to sit on his hands. On some good news, LawlessX will be able to keep playing his Anno2070 as ubisoft has only the online activation for it.

jedikevin2

Just a bit of information.. Steam did have this about a month ago and people did complain but it only lasted 40 minutes. Guess you weren't in the forum during that time. The only games affected were those that used steam servers for actual online gameplay. You were still able to log in and play single player games unlike what will happen once ubisoft move kicks in.

Kinda sad though that your argument has now moved onto hersay on steam now. All I know is ubisoft has been backing off there "always online" drm lately and I hope it continues. This move just demonstrates more issues they have with a system like this. Still don't see a overreaction in the least.

You have to see the difference though. Steam's downtime was probably server maintenance, here we are talking about a whole moving of servers to a new site. Of course the later is gonna take longer than maintenance. I don't agree with Ubisoft's DRM. I don't even agree with Steam and wish it was like the old days (although I like some Steam Features). But since everyone likes to complain, I wonder what they would do working at a games company to prevent piracy? And don't give me the BS of "we wouldn't use DRM, we would make good games"...FelipeInside

I would simply not use DRM. There is not a single DRM method that prevents piracy, at best it just prolongs it. I think we can agree on that. If so then think of the money spent on creating or licensing DRM, isn't that money the publisher/developer could put to better use ? That is money that could easily be put in the bank, used to pay coders to work on patches or DLC, or testing of the original game. There are plenty of options. One simply has to ask that if DRM doesn't prevent piracy then why spend money on it ? It makes no financial sense whatsoever.

[QUOTE="FelipeInside"]You have to see the difference though. Steam's downtime was probably server maintenance, here we are talking about a whole moving of servers to a new site. Of course the later is gonna take longer than maintenance. I don't agree with Ubisoft's DRM. I don't even agree with Steam and wish it was like the old days (although I like some Steam Features). But since everyone likes to complain, I wonder what they would do working at a games company to prevent piracy? And don't give me the BS of "we wouldn't use DRM, we would make good games"...PublicNuisance

I would simply not use DRM. There is not a single DRM method that prevents piracy, at best it just prolongs it. I think we can agree on that. If so then think of the money spent on creating or licensing DRM, isn't that money the publisher/developer could put to better use ? That is money that could easily be put in the bank, used to pay coders to work on patches or DLC, or testing of the original game. There are plenty of options. One simply has to ask that if DRM doesn't prevent piracy then why spend money on it ? It makes no financial sense whatsoever.

You are correct and this is why so many people get confused. DRM mostly is to PROLONG piracy, not PREVENT it. Of course if the devs could totally prevent piracy 100% with DRM then they would be more happy, but they know this isn't the case. It just gives the devs a bit more time for a few more sales. Could the money be put to better use? maybe, probably, but you have to weigh in the difference and the loss of income due to piracy and decide that way. Look at Prince of Persia, Ubi tried to use the No-DRM method and it was the most pirated game in history. FelipeInside

Just because something is heavily pirated doesn't mean it won't sell well. Some games just aren't going to sell regardless of DRM or no DRM. That POP was going for a widely different visual style compared to the previous POP games which very well have turned some people off.

[QUOTE="FelipeInside"]You are correct and this is why so many people get confused. DRM mostly is to PROLONG piracy, not PREVENT it. Of course if the devs could totally prevent piracy 100% with DRM then they would be more happy, but they know this isn't the case. It just gives the devs a bit more time for a few more sales. Could the money be put to better use? maybe, probably, but you have to weigh in the difference and the loss of income due to piracy and decide that way. Look at Prince of Persia, Ubi tried to use the No-DRM method and it was the most pirated game in history. PublicNuisance

Just because something is heavily pirated doesn't mean it won't sell well. Some games just aren't going to sell regardless of DRM or no DRM. That POP was going for a widely different visual style compared to the previous POP games which very well have turned some people off.

first-world problems.

[QUOTE="PublicNuisance"]

[QUOTE="FelipeInside"]You are correct and this is why so many people get confused. DRM mostly is to PROLONG piracy, not PREVENT it. Of course if the devs could totally prevent piracy 100% with DRM then they would be more happy, but they know this isn't the case. It just gives the devs a bit more time for a few more sales. Could the money be put to better use? maybe, probably, but you have to weigh in the difference and the loss of income due to piracy and decide that way. Look at Prince of Persia, Ubi tried to use the No-DRM method and it was the most pirated game in history. FelipeInside

Just because something is heavily pirated doesn't mean it won't sell well. Some games just aren't going to sell regardless of DRM or no DRM. That POP was going for a widely different visual style compared to the previous POP games which very well have turned some people off.

[QUOTE="lawlessx"][QUOTE="Whiteblade999"]

Guess the pirates get to play those games while the people who actually bought them are locked out. Isn't DRM great?

FelipeInside

It's not an over-reaction, this is absurd. Pirates can play the game just fine while legit owners have to wait a full day. And why? Because Ubisoft decided to implement this DRM to prevent piracy. LOL 1) It doesn't prevent piracy; 2) It only annoys legit customers!

[QUOTE="PublicNuisance"]

[QUOTE="FelipeInside"]You are correct and this is why so many people get confused. DRM mostly is to PROLONG piracy, not PREVENT it. Of course if the devs could totally prevent piracy 100% with DRM then they would be more happy, but they know this isn't the case. It just gives the devs a bit more time for a few more sales. Could the money be put to better use? maybe, probably, but you have to weigh in the difference and the loss of income due to piracy and decide that way. Look at Prince of Persia, Ubi tried to use the No-DRM method and it was the most pirated game in history. FelipeInside

Just because something is heavily pirated doesn't mean it won't sell well. Some games just aren't going to sell regardless of DRM or no DRM. That POP was going for a widely different visual style compared to the previous POP games which very well have turned some people off.

What a load of rubbish! x% less piracy does NOT translate to x% increase in revenue! Piracy is there, is not going anywhere, and it does not affect sales as much as is hyped, period. Pirates gonna pirate that's all. It affects the overall industry because of the way developers and gamers react to it, but it does not impact sales as much as people make out to be.

Example: a game releases without DRM and is pirated 95%. So? This is irrelevant, all it matters is actual sales. You take two games, one is pirated 90%, the other is pirated 50%, this doesn't mean the less pirated game sold more, it only means it was pirated less, whether it translated into actual sales is a different story.

The fact of the matter is DRM does not prevent piracy, neither does it delay it, games are still pirated within hours of release. All it does is alienate legit buyers. Personally I'm not a big fan of Ubisoft games and I can tell you this type of practices only lessens any interest I might have in trying out their games.

Glad I haven't gotten Heroes of Might and Magic 6 yet.Hexagon_777

Don't buy it. The game is often unplayable due to their server problems and the matchmaking is so unstable that you can't load a saved multiplayer game. Oh, and your saved data from online mode can't be accessed in offline mode.

[QUOTE="Hexagon_777"]Glad I haven't gotten Heroes of Might and Magic 6 yet.Emraldo

Don't buy it. The game is often unplayable due to their server problems and the matchmaking is so unstable that you can't load a saved multiplayer game. Oh, and your saved data from online mode can't be accessed in offline mode.

[QUOTE="FelipeInside"][QUOTE="PublicNuisance"]

Just because something is heavily pirated doesn't mean it won't sell well. Some games just aren't going to sell regardless of DRM or no DRM. That POP was going for a widely different visual ****compared to the previous POP games which very well have turned some people off.

nunovlopes

What a load of rubbish! x% less piracy does NOT translate to x% increase in revenue! Piracy is there, is not going anywhere, and it does not affect sales as much as is hyped, period. Pirates gonna pirate that's all. It affects the overall industry because of the way developers and gamers react to it, but it does not impact sales as much as people make out to be.

Example: a game releases without DRM and is pirated 95%. So? This is irrelevant, all it matters is actual sales. You take two games, one is pirated 90%, the other is pirated 50%, this doesn't mean the less pirated game sold more, it only means it was pirated less, whether it translated into actual sales is a different story.

The fact of the matter is DRM does not prevent piracy, neither does it delay it, games are still pirated within hours of release. All it does is alienate legit buyers. Personally I'm not a big fan of Ubisoft games and I can tell you this type of practices only lessens any interest I might have in trying out their games.

I think you are wrong and right.

Yes, if the DRM is too intrusive then it alienates legit customers, that's why I said we need to find a good balance.

But, I've seen good piracy techniques create more sales for the developer.

A pirate will always pirate, yes we know that.

But take for example GTA4. It took months to crack and even then it wasn't a good crack or stable. I have 3 friends who ALWAYS pirate. I have endless discussions with them about it but they always go down the road that if they spend so much money on the PC, they should get the games for FREE. (yes, I know, pathetic). Anyway, back to the point. They are big GTA fans. They waited and waited and waited for it to be cracked. I meanwhile was playing it and showing the game off to them, even teasing them saying how good it was.

Believe it or not, they got fed up with waiting and went to buy it. 2 out of the 3 bought the game (with lots of complaints).

There you go, that's an extra 2 sales for the devs by prolonging piracy for a few months.

[QUOTE="SrpskiVojnik"]They're only down because of UBI's DRM which basically require their servers to be online if we are to play our games from themGuitarPAaron

[QUOTE="nunovlopes"]

[QUOTE="FelipeInside"] Of course, it all depends on the game. What I'm saying is that for example if u had a company, and u brought out ur games with no DRM at all. Then you watched as 90% of it got pirated = no funds for you. Then your next game you put a strong DRM on it, you then see that only 75% got pirated = extra 15% revenue for you. Which would you go for next? Of course these numbers are just made up to bring across my point. AND of course we need to find a DRM that is good for piracy, but also doesn't impact too much on the legit buyer as well. Unfortunately, either online DRM or clients like Steam is the only way so far...FelipeInside

What a load of rubbish! x% less piracy does NOT translate to x% increase in revenue! Piracy is there, is not going anywhere, and it does not affect sales as much as is hyped, period. Pirates gonna pirate that's all. It affects the overall industry because of the way developers and gamers react to it, but it does not impact sales as much as people make out to be.

Example: a game releases without DRM and is pirated 95%. So? This is irrelevant, all it matters is actual sales. You take two games, one is pirated 90%, the other is pirated 50%, this doesn't mean the less pirated game sold more, it only means it was pirated less, whether it translated into actual sales is a different story.

The fact of the matter is DRM does not prevent piracy, neither does it delay it, games are still pirated within hours of release. All it does is alienate legit buyers. Personally I'm not a big fan of Ubisoft games and I can tell you this type of practices only lessens any interest I might have in trying out their games.

I think you are wrong and right.

Yes, if the DRM is too intrusive then it alienates legit customers, that's why I said we need to find a good balance.

But, I've seen good piracy techniques create more sales for the developer.

A pirate will always pirate, yes we know that.

But take for example GTA4. It took months to crack and even then it wasn't a good crack or stable. I have 3 friends who ALWAYS pirate. I have endless discussions with them about it but they always go down the road that if they spend so much money on the PC, they should get the games for FREE. (yes, I know, pathetic). Anyway, back to the point. They are big GTA fans. They waited and waited and waited for it to be cracked. I meanwhile was playing it and showing the game off to them, even teasing them saying how good it was.

Believe it or not, they got fed up with waiting and went to buy it. 2 out of the 3 bought the game (with lots of complaints).

There you go, that's an extra 2 sales for the devs by prolonging piracy for a few months.

^ I would disown those pirate friends. My cousin pirates games and he's PROUD of it. He said why pay for them if I could get them for free? And he mainly plays World of Warcraft (pays $15 a month), oh the irony... Anyways. I honestly can say that I cannot look at him the same way again. This guy has no excuse either, he makes a good salary, and he has plenty of disposable income. Money isn't the issue, but obviously something else is. I'm not saying if you don't have enough money, you should pirate either. There is no excuse. Pay for the game like everyone. #ohcrapIjuststartedpiratewarsElann2008

Well yes, but you just don't disown a friend cause you don't agree with something.

Do you agree with EVERTHING ALL your friends do or think? No of course not.

They are good friends in other ways, but of course I don't agree with what they are doing, as they don't agree with my point of being legit buyer. Discussions go on and on and I know I'll probably never change their minds, but I try anyway. It wasn't so much about my friends, I was just trying to get my point across.

[QUOTE="Elann2008"]^ I would disown those pirate friends. My cousin pirates games and he's PROUD of it. He said why pay for them if I could get them for free? And he mainly plays World of Warcraft (pays $15 a month), oh the irony... Anyways. I honestly can say that I cannot look at him the same way again. This guy has no excuse either, he makes a good salary, and he has plenty of disposable income. Money isn't the issue, but obviously something else is. I'm not saying if you don't have enough money, you should pirate either. There is no excuse. Pay for the game like everyone. #ohcrapIjuststartedpiratewarsFelipeInside

Well yes, but you just don't disown a friend cause you don't agree with something.

Do you agree with EVERTHING ALL your friends do or think? No of course not.

They are good friends in other ways, but of course I don't agree with what they are doing, as they don't agree with my point of being legit buyer. Discussions go on and on and I know I'll probably never change their minds, but I try anyway. It wasn't so much about my friends, I was just trying to get my point across.

[QUOTE="FelipeInside"]

[QUOTE="Elann2008"]^ I would disown those pirate friends. My cousin pirates games and he's PROUD of it. He said why pay for them if I could get them for free? And he mainly plays World of Warcraft (pays $15 a month), oh the irony... Anyways. I honestly can say that I cannot look at him the same way again. This guy has no excuse either, he makes a good salary, and he has plenty of disposable income. Money isn't the issue, but obviously something else is. I'm not saying if you don't have enough money, you should pirate either. There is no excuse. Pay for the game like everyone. #ohcrapIjuststartedpiratewarsElann2008

Well yes, but you just don't disown a friend cause you don't agree with something.

Do you agree with EVERTHING ALL your friends do or think? No of course not.

They are good friends in other ways, but of course I don't agree with what they are doing, as they don't agree with my point of being legit buyer. Discussions go on and on and I know I'll probably never change their minds, but I try anyway. It wasn't so much about my friends, I was just trying to get my point across.

There you go, that's an extra 2 sales for the devs by delaying piracy for a few months.

FelipeInside

Fixed. That is the proper term y'all in this thread are looking for.

[QUOTE="FelipeInside"]

There you go, that's an extra 2 sales for the devs by delaying piracy for a few months.

WhiteKnight77

Fixed. That is the proper term y'all in this thread are looking for.

Thanks mate.

Yeah, prolonging was the incorrect term.

[QUOTE="FelipeInside"]

There you go, that's an extra 2 sales for the devs by delaying piracy for a few months.

WhiteKnight77

Fixed. That is the proper term y'all in this thread are looking for.