Wednesday, November 1st 2017

CPUs Bear Brunt of Ubisoft Deploying VMProtect Above Denuvo for AC:O

It's been extensively reported that Denuvo has failed as an effective DRM solution for games, as some of the newer releases such as "Assassin's Creed: Origins," were cracked by pirates less than 48 hours into the market release. For those who bought the game, Denuvo adds its own CPU and memory footprint. In an effort to stem further piracy of "Assassin's Creed: Origins" (because hey, there are limited stocks of pirated copies on the Internet), Ubisoft added an additional DRM layer on top of Denuvo, made by VMProtect. The implementation is so shoddy, that paying customers who didn't spend a fortune on their PC builds (most PC gamers) complain of abnormally high CPU usage, which is in some cases, even reducing performance to unplayable levels.

Ubisoft deployed VMProtect as a concentric DRM layer to Denuvo. Genuine user authentication has to now be performed by two separate pieces of software with their own PIDs, CPU-, and memory-footprints, not to mention user data falling into more hands. Gamers such as this one took to Steam Forums to complain about abnormally high CPU usage, which is traced back to VMProtect. Gamers complain that the game now hits 100% CPU usage, resulting in frame-drops, stuttering, and even unplayable frame-rates. As gaming prophet Gabe Newell once said, the only way to beat piracy is to offer a better service than the pirates. Right now the pirates offer better frame-rates, at an introductory price of $0, while stocks last.
Source: TorrentFreak
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82 Comments on CPUs Bear Brunt of Ubisoft Deploying VMProtect Above Denuvo for AC:O

#2
hat
Enthusiast
They never learn. Let's make our shitty game even more shitty by adding more shit to it because evil pirates. Once again this will not stop piracy but it will fuck up the legit user.
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#3
natr0n
More effort spent into the drm layers than the game.
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#4
ZoneDymo
If it does not work and it shows it does not work, then just remove it...
Atleast this base Denuvo, and fire/sue whoever claimed it would work.

Regarding the new patched in one I Guess its important to see what it does.
However it should give users the freedom to get a full refund now though because the product now does not match what they bought in terms of system requirements.

Its like buying a car that runs on gasoline and suddenly the company recalls the cars and gives them back now running on diesel.
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#5
ZoneDymo
natr0nMore effort spent into the drm layers than the game.
well if that was the case the DRM might actually be worth a damn...
or were you asking for that?
Posted on Reply
#6
AltCapwn
Why don't they follow CD RED philosophy (I imagine because their games suck so if you download it to try it, you won't buy it afterwards).

Anyway, I boycotted UBISOFT and EA GAMES long time ago.
Posted on Reply
#7
ShurikN
altcapwnAnyway, I boycotted UBISOFT and EA GAMES long time ago.
You are not missing much.
Posted on Reply
#8
Death Star
FreedomEclipse@btarunr

Its 'Bare Brunt of' not 'bear brunt of'. This is a 'Bear'.....
Incorrect, the correct title should be "CPUs Bear Brunt of...". Bear is a verb here.
Posted on Reply
#9
bug
hatThey never learn. Let's make our shitty game even more shitty by adding more shit to it because evil pirates. Once again this will not stop piracy but it will fuck up the legit user.
Learn what? That the more DRM they put into their games, the more money they make?

They're not in the business of getting nice comments on random internet forums, they're in the business of making money. If people keep buying their stuff, they'll keep making it.
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#10
bug
Death StarIncorrect, the correct title should be "CPUs Bear Brunt of...". Bear is a verb here.
I believe we can reach a compromise here: baer.
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#11
RejZoR
When will people learn and stop buying Ubisofts garbage? Like seriously? Every time you buy a game from them you support greedy scumbags (like Ubisoft). They don't deserve anyone's money when pirates have it better than those who pay freaking 60€ for their crap just to be infested with even more crap on top of more crap. Sounds almost like Xzibit was working on their project and word "crap" was a central theme for their product.
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#12
Upgrayedd
FreedomEclipse@btarunr

Its 'Bare Brunt of' not 'bear brunt of'. This is a 'Bear'.....
It is bear. OP had it right first time. Trees bear fruit too. Look it up before believing the critics OP.

Back to topic. This is exactly why I pirate games still. Not because I can't afford them (I can). I just choose to play the better performing less stuttery DRM free versions. If I could only get all the games I want on GOG instead of Steam...Wouldn't there be 3 layers of DRM if it is on Steam? Steam had its own DRM I thought.
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#13
RejZoR
hatThey never learn. Let's make our shitty game even more shitty by adding more shit to it because evil pirates. Once again this will not stop piracy but it will fuck up the legit user.
Isn't it funny how Witcher 3 doesn't have any DRM at all and it sold huge numbers and is hugely regarded by gamers. Sure there are pirates as well, they always are. But is crapping on your loyal customers with stupid DRM really worth it? Ubisoft clearly doesn't give a F if they stuck 2 garbage DRM systems on top of their own UPlay garbage...
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#14
btarunr
Editor & Senior Moderator
UpgrayeddIt is bear. OP had it right first time. Trees bear fruit too. Look it up before believing the critics OP.

Back to topic. This is exactly why I pirate games still. Not because I can't afford them (I can). I just choose to play the better performing less stuttery DRM free versions. If I could only get all the games I want on GOG instead of Steam...Wouldn't there be 3 layers of DRM if it is on Steam? Steam had its own DRM I thought.
Reverted, thanks.
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#15
Upgrayedd
RejZoRUbisoft clearly doesn't give a F if they stuck 2 garbage DRM systems on top of their own UPlay garbage...
Damn, does that mean there are 4 layers of DRM if bought on Steam? .. making the layers to be Denuvo, VMProtect, Uplay and Steam?
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#16
btarunr
Editor & Senior Moderator
UpgrayeddDamn, does that mean there are 4 layers of DRM if bought on Steam? .. making the layers to be Denuvo, VMProtect, Uplay and Steam?
Yeah, AC:O DRM right now is like a matroshka doll with a little turd after the 4th doll.
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#17
_Flare
So you need a Crack to avoid, your PC running into CPU-Bottleneck.

Piracy gives the better service.

Ubicrap still stupid.
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#19
newtekie1
Semi-Retired Folder
See, there are two ways to handle your game getting cracked.

1.) Once the game is cracked and available to pirates, you just say screw it and remove the DRM from your game. (Doom removed Denuvo once the game was cracked, good for them!)
2.) You just keep piling on the DRM so your paying customers keep getting screwed, and most paying customers wish they had just pirated the game instead...
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#20
BiggieShady
I can't believe what I'm reading. Management is so thick, they actually think that new DRM layer on a latest patch will make things better for them. It must suck to have such a lack of understanding how stuff they do for a living actually work :shadedshu:
They are actually trying to prevent further cracking :laugh: probably saying something like "Let's make sure they don't crack it some more"
Posted on Reply
#21
newtekie1
Semi-Retired Folder
BiggieShadyI can't believe what I'm reading. Management is so thick, they actually think that new DRM layer on a latest patch will make things better for them. It must suck to have such a lack of understanding how stuff they do for a living actually work :shadedshu:
They are actually trying to prevent further cracking :laugh: probably saying something like "Let's make sure they don't crack it some more"
This does work if the new patch adds functionality or fixes nasty issues in the game, and isn't just to pile on more DRM. But then you get shit because you released an obviously unfinished game.:ohwell:
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#22
BiggieShady
newtekie1This does work if the new patch adds functionality or fixes nasty issues in the game, and isn't just to pile on more DRM. But then you get shit because you released an obviously unfinished game.:ohwell:
I know, the issue would have to be really nasty to be nastier than frame rate stutter ... something like a game breaking bug or save game corruption bug (those are the ones Q&A team usually manage to catch ... even at Ubisoft)
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#23
bug
BiggieShadyI can't believe what I'm reading. Management is so thick, they actually think that new DRM layer on a latest patch will make things better for them. It must suck to have such a lack of understanding how stuff they do for a living actually work :shadedshu:
They are actually trying to prevent further cracking :laugh: probably saying something like "Let's make sure they don't crack it some more"
Apparently not understanding how your stuff works, doesn't really hurt your business: www.statista.com/statistics/269676/ubisofts-global-revenue-by-quarter/
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#24
newtekie1
Semi-Retired Folder
BiggieShadyI know, but the issue would have to be really nasty to be nastier than frame rate stutter
It isn't even that. The reality is, the issue would have to be so bad, that it would make people that pirate the game suddenly think it is worth buying the game to fix.
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#25
The Quim Reaper
Well anyone who willingly gives money to that dirt bag, cash grabbing rip off DLC of a company deserves to be screwed over with this sort of stuff IMO.
Posted on Reply
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