The new tool against piracy: permanent internet connection -

***Nate*** · #91 04-02-2010, 05:58 AM

Yes, it has the most potential to work. But it has the most potential to go cock-arsedly wrong. What they're essentially saying is that the minor amount of money they'll save due to a reduction of piracy is worth more to them than an acceptible customer experience.

They're a business, that's their choice to make. I just don't have to agree with it.

AlienMagi · #92 04-02-2010, 06:06 AM

The permanent connection thing is crap IMO.

Though I did get myself an original version of Assassin's creed 2, 4 days after release.

T-nex · #93 04-02-2010, 10:58 AM

So... What about when/if Ubisoft disappears from the market and stops all support for the games?

Havoc · #94 04-02-2010, 11:58 AM

They release a patch to disable the DRM?

Hobo · #95 04-02-2010, 12:23 PM

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If this method is invested in (read, adapt the server for this specifically so they don't go down anymore) then this will be the future of PC gaming. Like it or not.

Unless people just pirate it

T-nex · #96 04-05-2010, 12:12 PM

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They release a patch to disable the DRM?

What if they don't...

Havoc · #97 04-05-2010, 12:17 PM

What if, what if...

If they don't you can hack away for all I care. And write a complaint while you're at it.

T-nex · #98 04-05-2010, 12:18 PM

Someone's grumpy today

Havoc · #99 04-05-2010, 12:21 PM

Not more grumpy then usual.

leocrow · #**100** 04-19-2010, 05:22 AM

Although i support the idea of an uncrackable drm, I don't approve of ubisoft's approach. Games have to have to be "run as administrator" in order to be able to make saves and update themselves etc. So, when a game has unlimited access to the internet, privacy becomes an issue. There have been games that look at your computer's memory to check if you are using any cheats. This drm allows companies to see what you run on your computer, the websites you are visiting, even the contents of your hard drive. Not to mention any security holes they might create for hackers to exploit. This drm is not only offensive but also dangerous. That said, i did buy AC2 because i like the game, but i don't support their decision.

Steam's drm, or a drm that needs an encrypted usb key are far better.

:

[...]Also, how often is it going to happen you want to play a game where no internet is available? 9 out of 10 times you'll just play the game at your home computer. I don't see people throwing fits because their Xbox game is tied to their Xbox which they can't take with them everywhere they go.[...]

Console users and pc users are two entirelly different things. What if there was a portable x-box (or take psp for example) but the game needs you to be at home in order for it to work? That's how laptop users and soldiers in iraq etc feel.

***Nate*** · #**101** 04-19-2010, 05:41 AM

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Games have to have to be "run as administrator" in order to be able to make saves and update themselves etc.

Only when they're badly designed. These days games should always save data in either the Application Data* or My Documents directories, where it's allowed by Windows security settings.

*Or equivalent directory names in Vista/7

Hobo · #**102** 04-19-2010, 09:54 AM

leocrow, why would they care what you're running outside of your game?
Aside from cheats

Disgruntled Intern · #**103** 04-19-2010, 11:14 AM

I think I may have adult-ADD.

leocrow · #**104** 04-19-2010, 12:29 PM

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leocrow, why would they care what you're running outside of your game?
Aside from cheats

For the same reason Google and Yahoo use hyper cookies that monitor ALL the websites you visit (ofcourse there is an opt out option but you have to go through a maze to find it and you have to do it on EVERY pc you use to log into your account in those sites).
Or to check if you run any software they don't like (clone cd etc).
Or to see what type of users play their games.
Or to check if you have illegally downloaded any other of their games. Do i need to say more? I can!

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[...]In the past few weeks I've played C&C 4 and Settlers 7 a lot and only once did I have a problem where Ubisoft's servers were down for like 15 minutes. I call that a good record for an experimental method.[...]

I was unable to play AC2 one sunday afternoon because the servers went down, AFTER they supposedly fixed them for good (on the third week after the release of the game). Twice i had the "lost connection to ubisoft servers" and a few times the game just exited to the desktop, a problem that was caused by the DRM service experiencing a problem. Several users have lost their saves because when you choose to save ofline and the launcher updates itsels, it reverts to the default option to save online, and since there were no online save files, their own saves were deleted without any kind of promt.

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Only when they're badly designed. These days games should always save data in either the Application Data* or My Documents directories, where it's allowed by Windows security settings.

*Or equivalent directory names in Vista/7

But AC2 doesn't save on My documents or AppData. And besides, it has to update the launcher all the time, it can't if it doesn't have administrative priviledges

OANST · #**105** 04-19-2010, 12:36 PM

No chance of me reading all that. Nope.

Hobo · #**106** 04-19-2010, 01:47 PM

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For the same reason Google and Yahoo use hyper cookies that monitor ALL the websites you visit (ofcourse there is an opt out option but you have to go through a maze to find it and you have to do it on EVERY pc you use to log into your account in those sites).
Or to check if you run any software they don't like (clone cd etc).
Or to see what type of users play their games.
Or to check if you have illegally downloaded any other of their games. Do i need to say more? I can!

I was unable to play AC2 one sunday afternoon because the servers went down, AFTER they supposedly fixed them for good (on the third week after the release of the game). Twice i had the "lost connection to ubisoft servers" and a few times the game just exited to the desktop, a problem that was caused by the DRM service experiencing a problem. Several users have lost their saves because when you choose to save ofline and the launcher updates itsels, it reverts to the default option to save online, and since there were no online save files, their own saves were deleted without any kind of promt.

But AC2 doesn't save on My documents or AppData. And besides, it has to update the launcher all the time, it can't if it doesn't have administrative priviledges

I don't really buy your data mining conspiracy theory I'm afraid.

OANST · #**107** 04-19-2010, 02:00 PM

Also it was too long and I don't care.

T-nex · #**108** 04-19-2010, 02:40 PM

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I don't really buy your data mining conspiracy theory I'm afraid.

Actually me being i application/webn security class and all... I can tell you that google and other such 'crawlers' actually store as much info about its users as possible.
With as much info people put of themselves on the internet(And im not even talking about pics, and personal info, but rather what browser version you prefer, what plug-isn and what skins as rarely do two people have the same exact stuff), it is really easy to do pattern recognition for certain people. This could come it handy both for us, and other companies, but put in the wrong hand it may not be so good. Who knows.

leocrow · #**109** 04-20-2010, 12:05 AM

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I don't really buy your data mining conspiracy theory I'm afraid.

If you don't believe me about yahoo and google, do check yahoo's policy about cookies here : http://info.yahoo.com/privacy/us/yahoo/cookies/ . Especially where it says that:

:

Yahoo! uses its own cookies for a number of purposes, including to:[...]# Deliver advertisements relevant to your interests when you visit the branded Yahoo! network of web sites or sites in the Yahoo! advertising network outside of the branded Yahoo! network of sites, using a cookie that gathers anonymous information based on visits to Yahoo! network sites.

* If you would rather not receive customized advertising off of the branded Yahoo! network of web sites, you can opt-out of this service.

and

:

In addition to Yahoo! using cookies, we allow certain third parties and affiliates to set and access their cookies on your computer.

As for google, check this page http://www.google.com/privacy_faq.html#toc-store

I am not saying that Ubisoft is doing that, but this DRM opens the door for them to do anything they want. Don't ignore the facts just because they don't agree with your world view

Hobo · #**110** 04-20-2010, 12:02 PM

What the fuck is wrong with you, they're collecting data for perfectly reasonable purposes... Why do you even care, it's anonymous...

leocrow · #**111** 04-20-2010, 12:35 PM

Far from reasonable and the worst part is that they don't care asking you before they do it. they believe that it's better to appologise than ask for permission (and ofcourse, they don't even apologize, they just hide an option to disable it, but it doesn't stay disabled if you go to another computer).
Anyway, i've stated my opinion and the facts that support it. Ignore it if you wish or learn something from it. Either way, i've done my duty

Hobo · #**112** 04-20-2010, 12:39 PM

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Far from reasonable and the worst part is that they don't care asking you before they do it. they believe that it's better to appologise than ask for permission (and ofcourse, they don't even apologize, they just hide an option to disable it, but it doesn't stay disabled if you go to another computer).
Anyway, i've stated my opinion and the facts that support it. Ignore it if you wish or learn something from it. Either way, i've done my duty

Learn something from it? Why would I choose to learn this shit you're spouting. By using their services, you agree to the terms and conditions, I think this is completely reasonable. You clearly do not comprehend either the computer industry or the real world.

OANST · #**113** 04-20-2010, 01:58 PM

FREE SHIT FOR EVERYBODY! CORPORATIONS NOW CHARITIES AM I RIGHT BITCHES?!

T-nex · #**114** 04-20-2010, 02:00 PM

Well... To use a product one must agree to their terms, whatever they may be. If you don't agree, simply don't use it. Make your own web-crawler.

leocrow · #**115** 04-21-2010, 12:45 AM

Not quite true, you agree because they tell you you can disable it BUT they don't tell you that you have to disable it for every account you have, on every browser you use, on every computer you use and every time you clean your cookies. It doesn't stay disabled.

Anyway, to get back to the topic of the DRM, nowhere in ubisoft's eula does it say that they have the ability or right to spy on you. In fact, you can't read the eula untill you buy the game but after that, you can't return it even if you don't agree with it. So, it's not really a choice

T-nex · #**116** 04-21-2010, 05:16 AM

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Not quite true, you agree because they tell you you can disable it BUT they don't tell you that you have to disable it for every account you have, on every browser you use, on every computer you use and every time you clean your cookies. It doesn't stay disabled.

Anyway, to get back to the topic of the DRM, nowhere in ubisoft's eula does it say that they have the ability or right to spy on you. In fact, you can't read the eula untill you buy the game but after that, you can't return it even if you don't agree with it. So, it's not really a choice

However, all these EULAs can probably be found online. It's not their fault people don't do the necessary research before buying their games.
You already know what UBI's DRM is about. Either you buy it, and agree to only being able to play it when they allow you, or you simply don't buy it.

Same with google. If you don't like that your stuff is getting logged, either secure your browser better or don't use it.

Havoc · #**117** 04-21-2010, 05:18 AM

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Well... To use a product one must agree to their terms, whatever they may be. If you don't agree, simply don't use it. Make your own web-crawler.

People can put anything they want in their terms, no-one reads those things anyway. They can write that they will own your house and kill your mother if you agree to the terms and people will still scroll right past it and click on 'agree'.

In fact there was a company not too long ago who did almost exactly that. I believe that they changed their terms on April 1st to include this:

"By agreeing to these terms you sell your soul to this company."

They were trying to prove that no one reads the damn things and no-one did. Two weeks later they offered everyone who sold their soul to them to get it back for free.

T-nex · #**118** 04-21-2010, 11:01 AM

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People can put anything they want in their terms, no-one reads those things anyway. They can write that they will own your house and kill your mother if you agree to the terms and people will still scroll right past it and click on 'agree'.

In fact there was a company not too long ago who did almost exactly that. I believe that they changed their terms on April 1st to include this:

"By agreeing to these terms you sell your soul to this company."

They were trying to prove that no one reads the damn things and no-one did. Two weeks later they offered everyone who sold their soul to them to get it back for free.

That's what I'm saying... People don't bother....

However it's most likely also because of the extreme length and difficulty of the language. Sometimes I think it should be a law to keep these things under a certain length and to use more understandable language. Or have a short version of it. It's kind of unfair to people who just wanna use a product. But it's really a fine line between it being their product, and being their say how they wanna present it, and how they'll allow you to use it, and the average users feelings they deserve something too.
I think in the end it probably is the company's choice, but on closer thoughts, they could actually pose a potential danger by having EULAS/ToS that are too long and difficult to read. Thus rather purposely 'trapping' people with them or something.

I don't bother with them. I mostly already know what they contain. And of course they can't put anything in there that conflicts with the law(hopefully o_o !! ).

It's quite obvious that google would track my behavior and shit like that.

Leto · #**119** 04-21-2010, 05:32 PM

OP:

Still a fucking stupid idea that only Havoc gives a shit about, because he fantasizes about being fucked by enormous tiger dicks.

T-nex · #**120** 04-22-2010, 01:28 AM

Hah ^^ Leto's back! Wooh.