Saturday, January 21st 2012
Anno 2070's Draconian DRM: Ubisoft Loosens Restrictions. Slightly
Last week we brought you news of Ubisoft's hard three machine activation limit on Anno 2070 and how it scuppered a review by Guru3D when they swapped out graphics cards. Guru3D's post then went viral on the web and it appears that this has put sufficient pressure or 'heat' on Ubisoft to relax the restrictions just a tiny bit, since they weren't going to use any more Ubisoft games for benchmarks. So what have they done? Allowed an unlimited number of graphics card swaps. That's it, everything else stays the same, so if other components such as the CPU, motherboard etc are changed, then one will still run into this frustrating brick wall and have to get in touch with customer support to reset the activations.
Interestingly, before the restriction was lifted and after writing their initial article and vowing not to use Ubisoft titles any more over this issue, Guru3D changed their mind, because they feel that by continuing, they ensure that issues like this are kept in the public eye and can be addressed, with the hope that the company will see sense eventually:
We feel that if any DRM must be applied, that the account-based style used with Steam is the best way to go and punishes the honest customer the least. At the same time, it gives back quite a few benefits in that it allows use on an unlimited number of PCs (not all at once!) easy application management, social features and more.
In our opinion not writing about something is the most bad thing you can do and as such we decided to continue with that article. By excluding Ubisoft from the benchmarks we'll never be able to address issues like this DRM story, and they'll continue what they are doing. In fact if we'd have excluded Ubisoft titles we never would have been able to report about this issue.Note that in an update to their original article, Guru3D explained that they were given unlimited activations after contacting support, to allow them to complete their review. Just after their review was finished however, Guru3D received the following email from the developer, BlueByte, which formally advised them of the policy change:
By posting an article and explaining/mentioning DRM time after time, there will be more awareness about it and in the end that message will get across to Ubisoft and the producer. In the hope that one day they'll see the light.
Hi Hilbert,Note that it's not explained whether this change applies only to this one game, or all of Ubisoft's titles, which is quite important to know, really. Finally, whether this small change is really sufficient to satisfy customers of Anno 2070 rests with the individuals who purchase the game and is bound to vary from gamer to gamer. Presumably, one who changes their hardware more frequently may not feel that this improvement goes far enough. Still, however you look at it, it's a step in the right direction.
Just wanted to let you know, that we now remove the graphics hardware from the hash used to identify the PC.
That means everyone should now be able to switch the GFX as many times as he/she wants.
Cheers,
We feel that if any DRM must be applied, that the account-based style used with Steam is the best way to go and punishes the honest customer the least. At the same time, it gives back quite a few benefits in that it allows use on an unlimited number of PCs (not all at once!) easy application management, social features and more.
45 Comments on Anno 2070's Draconian DRM: Ubisoft Loosens Restrictions. Slightly
My point is not a question of law but rather a question of business practices.
i'm not part of the gaming industry and i don't get why you attack me in that way...
i just answered one guys question and added some inside info, because i happen to know a few people on the inside and felt it was important to say that mistakes tend to be taken out of context to suit people's need to bitch...
Be a man/woman, don't support Ubi, Steam or any other DRM Stalinism.
Windows users should have to either by your logic, but that is how software works. Activation limits prevent one person from giving it to all of their friends. It doesn't stop experienced pirates, and it isn't meant to, it is designed to stop casual pirates.
Why did you just automatically resort to snide remarks about my character?
Shows lack of education IMO.
I'm a college Graduate and a Father of three, and a Husband. I work in the I.T. industry. I own a house a car. I pay my bills on time every month.
Don't assume anything about people you don't know. It makes you look very UN-educated.
I don't know if this is how it is for everyone, or just me because they see my history with upgrading all the time.. None the less I haven't had to talk to them in a long time. I can't even remember the last time.No one wants to talk to your insider " friends " at all, after paying, for the game, once!
Sorry but you acted like an industry muse so I started talking to you like one.
Also sorry about the double post, normally i would have multi-quoted.
However, the most ridiculous thing about Ubisoft's DRM, is that it's implemented within the Steam framework, which is itself account-based DRM and works very well. So, what's their problem with it? They're basically saying that Steam isn't good enough for them and making the customer put up with two DRM schemes in parallel. That's not on in my book and is why I won't buy this game, regardless of how good it is.
especially microsoft is very "special" in terms of business licensing models.
it's ridiculous how much fuss it causes to get information out of them...or even between how much people you have to be transfered on the phone until you get the answers you need...
granted, their normal home customers have much less difficulty. but ms makes most of their money in the business category. and i think it's the primary "target audience" that should be compared here. you have a limited amount of free calls and then you have to pay money to actually get an answer from them.
also ms has much more resources and can take care of automated systems much more easily.
they actually have training courses to train people in understanding their licensing model...
so long story short...ms is not the right company to make a comparison here...
edit: and to get out of this discussion...my free time is precious and because my internet connection was unstable over the weekend i couldn't spend my time in swtor. i'm gonna stop worrying about other peoples opinions, which i will now do for the rest of the evening. feel free to join me on the server "tott doneeta"...
i don't like drm, but i understand the need for it...there have been overstepped boundaries and mistakes are constantly being made. and this applies to both sides.
as long as there are people out there who don't give a shit about behaving as idealistic, as users of a tech enthusiast site unsurprinsingly do, there will be the need for drm, period...
I call shenanigans.
plz stop calling me a liar thank you...
edit: last comment, i promise... :p
Yes it is, yes it is. I don't really need to look it up to be honest with you.
You can all take turns sticking up for the corporate masters like sheep or break with the ones that follow so to say.
Yes: Complain all you want, but you are still just a wallet with legs to Ubi.
No: then why are you complaining?
Why don't you open your eyes to the reality? Digital data is nothing like real world objects. The inevitable future is that everything needs to be online, are uniquely identifiable and tied to your name, which must be verified to be a real one.
oh and BTW I'm a dirty illegal immigrant from Mehico, now stealing your jobs and women in the Glorious Amerika. It's completely true. :roll:
I wouldn't buy such game with so many restrictions for 50 Euros or USD. Now it's looks more like a rental because the DRM implemented service with intrusive restrictions and all, so the price needs to be lower, the actual rental price. After all, Ubisoft will stop the service for this game after several years, so no DLC, no support, no patches etc.; why buy a game that you probably can not play after a few years, unless Ubisoft is unlocking the games, or you will have to re-buy a DRM-free version, I guess.