EA to follow Ubisoft with always on DRM...

for C&C 4 this has been known for months. Given that the bioware games do not have this drm and they sold fairly well I'm hopeful EA will not apply this to all games. If they do just as well; I would be better off with a bit less gaming :)
 
WTF. This is indeed terrible news. It's as if the game companies are contriving to kill off PC gaming.

My internet connection consists of a fat, lazy hamster shuffling its claws along a wheel. Plus, I get outages galore. I hate EA. I hate Ubisoft!
 
This'll create a serious ethical dilemma for me if were to happen with something like the next DA:O or Mass Effect.
 
J W said:
WTF. This is indeed terrible news. It's as if the game companies are contriving to kill off PC gaming.
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Agreed.

I'm hoping folks are kind of jumping the gun and jumping to conclusions here.


We knew that C&C4 was going to have this was such kind of puzzling considering EA should have learned their lesson (and we thought they had) off of Spore.

So it remains to be seen what EA games after C&C4 go down this road. If they do, then it's definitely an ominous sign for PC gaming since EA and Ubisoft together sit on so many properties.

If this is really the way it's going to be then I guess my PS3 library will be growing a lot more steadily before long. We'll know after C&C4.
 
This makes me feel sad I upgraded my PC, shoulda just bought a console instead.

Hopefully its just C&C, which I never intended buying in the first place.
 
What's the deal with the Ubi DRM currently? I don't follow those kinds of sites but I did hear that the cracked version of Assassin's Creed 2 was essentially unplayable and that the DRM was working.

Is that true? Is that why EA have adopted it so quickly? They will all follow suit pretty sharpish if they feel it's cost effective.
 
Tudz said:
This makes me feel sad I upgraded my PC, shoulda just bought a console instead.

Hopefully its just C&C, which I never intended buying in the first place.
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I've been kind of halfway waiting to see what happens with the new Fermi cards from Nvidia and make a decision between one of those vs. comparable ATI cards and all that but you know what? Forget it.

Instead what I'm going to wait on is to see what the future portends with these DRM schemes. The hell with it. I'm not spending another cent towards my PC until I see what that road is going to look like and the question mark hanging in the air from something like this is answered up or down.
 
eloj said:
This'll create a serious ethical dilemma for me if were to happen with something like the next DA:O or Mass Effect.
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Its already pretty much like that now. DA:O gets its very own windows service. Cant access any of your collectors edition or other special content unless you are online.
 
Finkus said:
What's the deal with the Ubi DRM currently? I don't follow those kinds of sites but I did hear that the cracked version of Assassin's Creed 2 was essentially unplayable and that the DRM was working.

Is that true? Is that why EA have adopted it so quickly? They will all follow suit pretty sharpish if they feel it's cost effective.
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No, it's working fine, at least according to a number of reports I've read recently.


DRM is nothing new, though it is comparatively new in the gaming sector. This is due primarily to cost; the overhead of implementing really hardcore DRM just wasn't realistic for gaming companies until huge publishing houses like EA and Ubisoft pushed development and brought cost down somewhat, along with the introduction of high speed internet connections and an underground that no longer relied on swapping physical media.

DRM has existed in the professional software market for a very long time, however. Even hardware based DRM.

3DS Max, a professional rendering and modeling program / package, came with a hardware based DRM solution / key for years when sold via volume license.

You could go download a copy of 3DS Max volume license edition right now, theoretically worth $10,000, possibly even hundreds of thousands of dollars, and it would work. You obviously wouldn't have that hardware based key, but it'd work. I won't go in to details as to why or how as that's against forum rules, but how doesn't really matter; it'd work.

There simply is no such thing as DRM that can't be broken at this point in time, and given how far ahead some sectors of the market are when compared with gaming (and their continued failures to prevent piracy, or even slow it substantially) I don't see that changing any time soon. That goes double for software solutions. With the underground hard at work we can most often measure the lifespan of new DRM in hours.

It's wasted money. It frustrates and artificially limits paying customers. It doesn't need to go away, as such, but the current form is useless.
 
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silent-circuit said:
DRM is nothing new, though it is comparatively new in the gaming sector
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I seem to remember games coming with un-photocopyable grids of coloured codes, on the ZX Spectrum so DRM is definitely not new for games. It's been around as long as gaming has.
 
Finkus said:
I seem to remember games coming with un-photocopyable grids of coloured codes, on the ZX Spectrum so DRM is definitely not new for games. It's been around as long as gaming has.
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I don't consider a code book or a CD key to be DRM. I don't even consider copy protection (safedisc, etc) to be DRM. Copy protection is fine -- it doesn't keep you as the end user from doing anything with the copy of the software you purchased that you're legally entitled to do. It doesn't limit when or where you can use it (so long as you have have the media with you). A CD key check when you go online to play multiplayer isn't DRM, either.

DRM is by its nature invasive.

Preventing people from stealing by stopping them from making six copies of something they paid once for is one thing. Preventing them from using something they paid for (which has nothing to do with the internet) when they aren't online is another entirely.
 
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I'm sure we could all agree on any number of effective copy protection methods that could be employed, even several at once, that don't punish or hamper the legit end user in any way, shape, or form like this crap Ubisoft and EA are peddling.
 
Does this story have any other sources?

This is the only story I've been able to find that said that EA will force an Internet connection for gameplay in upcoming games.
 
EA appeared to have learned from the horrible install limit form of DRM, so hopefully they will learn from Ubisuck's stubborn persistence with this broken, fuck-the-customer "constant Internet connection" DRM that it's not the way to go.
 
Looks like I will be playing fewer EA games. Just as I thought EA was trying to change their ways.
 
Sigh... if this is true, another company to avoid. Looks like I'll be putting more money towards my Wii and less towards my PC.
 
Einhanderkiller said:
Does this story have any other sources?

This is the only story I've been able to find that said that EA will force an Internet connection for gameplay in upcoming games.
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As far as I know, EA hasn't stated that they will or won't do this for upcoming titles. We've known this was the case for C&C4 for some time though, since before we heard about Ubi's DRM.
 
If this is the case, I'll just keep EA, Ubisoft, and Activision Blizzard out of the champagne room

If you don't spend your money on them, someone else will give you something you like to spend money on, then you can make it rain
 
If this becomes standard operating procedure, I am pretty much done with gaming. Period.
 
Q-BZ said:
I've been kind of halfway waiting to see what happens with the new Fermi cards from Nvidia and make a decision between one of those vs. comparable ATI cards and all that but you know what? Forget it.

Instead what I'm going to wait on is to see what the future portends with these DRM schemes. The hell with it. I'm not spending another cent towards my PC until I see what that road is going to look like and the question mark hanging in the air from something like this is answered up or down.
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Exactly the position I've put myself in already about a year ago. I was going to upgrade, then decided against it, because it's the gaming industry that's the problem.

I've had an unsettling feeling about the direction of DRM schemes for PC games, and over the last year or two alone, it's reared it's ugly head all too clearly. Install limits and forced online activations with several big titles, then the situation with Ubisoft.

So, I'm right with you on this... it's no long a "wait and see" regarding hardware, but instead, people such as us are waiting to see what's going to happen with the gaming industry instead. Plenty of good hardware to go around, but if PC gaming continues getting the shaft like this, I'm done with it as well.

People can argue all they'd like about how everyone and their mother has an internet connection these days, but that's neither here nor there. This type of action being taken by publishers in recent times goes against consumer rights, truly creating a situation that is massively inconvenient, and creating a situation where you feel as if you're renting something that you've actually paid to own. There's simply no way to defend such a situation.

"Funny" thing, too... just as this was announced, I've had my cable dropping in-and-out the last four days for no apparent reason. Since I do a ton of gaming, wouldn't that just suck if the games I've been playing required me to be online.

Chombo said:
If this becomes standard operating procedure, I am pretty much done with gaming. Period.
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Again, I'm feeling of the same mind as this, and I know plenty of others who are starting to feel the same way as well. The more who do, and move away from PC gaming due to it... well, the whole "PC gaming is dying" debate that goes back-and-forth over the years will manifest as reality.

Quite honestly, it is on it's way out, IMO. Bad ports and software/hardware compatibility problems aside, I believe it is the DRM schemes that will lead to the end of PC gaming more than anything else. People simply will not tolerate things such as this, and whether they vote with their wallets on and increasing number of games, or just simply move to playing them on consoles, PC gaming loses either way. Not how I want it, but it's happening, whether we like it or not.

Funny thing is that this type of thing has an effect on people even with games that do not utilize such ridiculous DRM schemes, because too many are just simply fed-up with all this nonsense.

Even with me, case-in-point, I've been "on the fence" with whether or not to get Just Cause 2 for PC or 360. After reading this, it irritated me so much, that I said "Fuck it, I'm going with 360" even though Eidos has nothing to do with this. It was just my automatic reaction, and the very type of reaction that more and more people have been having as of late.

Not a good situation, all around.
 
Infaustium said:
Even with me, case-in-point, I've been "on the fence" with whether or not to get Just Cause 2 for PC or 360. After reading this, it irritated me so much, that I said "Fuck it, I'm going with 360" even though Eidos has nothing to do with this. It was just my automatic reaction, and the very type of reaction that more and more people have been having as of late.

Not a good situation, all around.
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Well, honestly I just don't enjoy gaming on a console. If its consoles or nothing I choose nothing. Its one less expensive hobby.
 
Chombo said:
If this becomes standard operating procedure, I am pretty much done with gaming. Period.
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It never will. There's no unified move in this direction. Some publishers are stupid, and figure inconveniencing their paying customers is a good way to get the non-paying customers to start paying. Other publishers aren't stupid, and figure offering the best possible experience to your customer is more important than worrying about what someone who didn't pay will or won't do.

Seriously, I don't have a single EA, Ubi or Activision title installed right now, and the only one I can think of that I actually own is WoW: TBC(which I haven't played since months before LK was released anyway). As much as I dislike what they're doing, in the end it doesn't really affect me so far. These aren't publishing companies I typically buy from, there haven't been any games I was really looking forward to that got the shaft in the same way C&C4 and AC2 did. At the end of the day, EA, Ubi and Activision may well have said "We're never producing anything for Windows again, EVER." and it wouldn't change what games I play or plan on playing.
 
Spewn said:
It never will. There's no unified move in this direction. Some publishers are stupid, and figure inconveniencing their paying customers is a good way to get the non-paying customers to start paying. Other publishers aren't stupid, and figure offering the best possible experience to your customer is more important than worrying about what someone who didn't pay will or won't do.

Seriously, I don't have a single EA, Ubi or Activision title installed right now, and the only one I can think of that I actually own is WoW: TBC(which I haven't played since months before LK was released anyway). As much as I dislike what they're doing, in the end it doesn't really affect me so far. These aren't publishing companies I typically buy from, there haven't been any games I was really looking forward to that got the shaft in the same way C&C4 and AC2 did. At the end of the day, EA, Ubi and Activision may well have said "We're never producing anything for Windows again, EVER." and it wouldn't change what games I play or plan on playing.
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Essentially we all end up playing Ukrainian import games? Well I guess it leaves more room for the independent developers.. and Valve if they'd actually make a game.
 
Infaustium said:
Even with me, case-in-point, I've been "on the fence" with whether or not to get Just Cause 2 for PC or 360. After reading this, it irritated me so much, that I said "Fuck it, I'm going with 360" even though Eidos has nothing to do with this. It was just my automatic reaction, and the very type of reaction that more and more people have been having as of late.
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Actually, I would think that you should buy it for PC assuming the DRM is acceptable. Show them that PC gamers will spend their money on games with no DRM or an acceptable level of DRM. If you buy it for console, the PC version generates less revenue which makes releasing games on the PC look less attractive to them. That lost PC sale could be seen by the publisher as a case of piracy when in fact that wasn't the case at all, and looked at as an excuse to stop developing or implement a draconian DRM scheme like this one.

Although I'm very put off by this "always on" DRM crap, I will continue to support companies that are reasonable with their DRM as well as indie devs that typically release innovative titles and release their games without DRM. I may not be able to stop PC gaming from dying (if it even is), but I'll do my best to fight back and help slow it down.
 
Spewn said:
2K, Midway(acquired by THQ?), Bethesday, THQ, Aspyr, Infogrames(aka Atari), Capcom, Deep Silver, Square Enix, and Stardock?
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Not to split hairs but... isn't Deep Silver based out of Ukraine? Aspyr is primarily a company that does ports? From what I read at Bit-Tech Square Enix (which I haven't played anything of theirs since the SNES) is planning on moving away from the PC. Bethesda seems more like a Developement house than a producer since they really only have a couple franchises of note (Elder Scrolls and now Fallout). 2K dicked us over with DRM and install limits on Bioshock. The only think I can think of that I played from THQ was STALKER which was Ukrainian. While I love Stardock for their stance on DRM the only thing I know from them is Sins of Solar Empire (I don't really like RTS), and Impulse (which is great). Capcom has made a couple good games as of late.

Essentially my point is that if companies like EA, Ubisoft and Activision put this kind of DRM on their titles the only real choices for distribution for games are Steam and Impulse, which is fine if you have a good enough internet connection to download many gigabytes. Furthermore we will be relying almost exclusively on the smaller companies to develope and distribute games, which is fine but the overall polish of the games may be less than desired.
 
EA hasn't figured out how to make its game or stat servers run reliable, how do they expect to make something like this work?

While I don't like this I can say it does effect me. After EA's history with shitty battlefield games that didn't work on the pc I gave up on them. Gave up on ubisoft after splinter cell installed a virus on my notebook(starforce). Pretty much I will not give either company money for pc games because of the shitty software their pc devisions put out. I'll still buy some of their games on the consoles but I can say that with a few of the last EA games I've bought it is getting to the point I'll avoid them on the consoles as well.
 
Chombo said:
Not to split hairs but... isn't Deep Silver based out of Ukraine?
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I wasn't sure, so I looked them up, and from what I can see they're based out of the UK.

Essentially my point is that if companies like EA, Ubisoft and Activision put this kind of DRM on their titles the only real choices for distribution for games are Steam and Impulse, which is fine if you have a good enough internet connection to download many gigabytes. Furthermore we will be relying almost exclusively on the smaller companies to develope and distribute games, which is fine but the overall polish of the games may be less than desired.
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My point was that I have games from almost all of those publishers, if not all of them, either installed or sitting in a box near my desk. Not so for EA, Ubi or Activision. If you're a fan of their titles, well, I'm not sure what to tell you. Time to buy an Xbox I guess.
 
Wow another defense of piracy thread. I am SO tired of people beating up on others for protecting their property. I'm not saying that companies are being great about this situation but why aren't there a hundred threads beating up on PIRATES, the people who CAUSED this situation? I guess they are all saints.
 
heatlesssun said:
Wow another defense of piracy thread. I am SO tired of people beating up on others for protecting their property. I'm not saying that companies are being great about this situation but why aren't there a hundred threads beating up on PIRATES, the people who CAUSED this situation? I guess they are all saints.
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Who do you think is the people bitching? The saints. :p
 
My legit copy of Butcher Bay wouldn't work due to DRM. My legit copy of Jade Empire wouldn't work due to DRM. I was unable to start Batman:AA because the Auth server was down.

I stopped giving devs/pubs money for games with such DRM (not downloading either). DRM like this is hurting them more than they know.

Piracy is a social problem, not a technological one. It will be combated best not by technical measures, but by open communication and the standards of good customer service and high quality products.
 
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Man, the last few games I've bought were EA. This concept blows because I actually rarely game when I've got internet connected.

EA is such a huge freaking publisher, avoiding them like UBI isn't going to be as easy when I'm a fan of Devs like Bioware, DICE and Maxis.
 
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