Ubisoft takes DRM to the next level

[hippiesandwich]

Sadly with simulation games like Silent Hunter you're practically using every key on the keyboard for something so it wouldn't work very well on a console platform.

My other favorite computer game was EA Sports NHL hockey which has now been discontinued on the PC platform altogether.

 

[boomtisk]

Well, it's not like a lot of realistic simulation games are still being made, though -- they're not accessible and pick-up-and-play enough which makes it difficult to sell millions of copies of them. On the other hand, shooters are pretty much the perfect casual game because anyone can figure out how they work in like a minute. Which probably means PC gamers have been gobbling down casual games like crazy for like 18 years now.

 

[tplyons]

Ubisoft lost lots of legitimate customers. I, for one, will not be buying a Ubisoft game, nor pirating it.

 

[Kipaste]

Well, it's not like a lot of realistic simulation games are still being made, though -- they're not accessible and pick-up-and-play enough which makes it difficult to sell millions of copies of them. On the other hand, shooters are pretty much the perfect casual game because anyone can figure out how they work in like a minute. Which probably means PC gamers have been gobbling down casual games like crazy for like 18 years now.

That's true about simulations. I remember back in like early 90's every game store was packed with quality sims. But still, even if simulation, or gaming alltogether is mostly pretty crappy these days, I think there are still enough options, they're just harder to find.

For example flight sims started to become a rare thing a little bit after the year 2000 or so. But even since then, there has been a major release every couple of years. Not major like sales numbers, but as in quality. Think about the Il-2 series for example. Completing all the single player campaigns and missions would probably take several thousand hours compared to the common 5-6 hours that come with most of this console crap. And then there was the modding tools, mission and campaing builders etc meaning that there is a pretty infinite amount of stuff to play. And then there's the multiplayer.. and so on. And it even sold pretty well.

And that is even without going to the hardcore simulation territory. Games like falcon 4.0 or the newcomer, DCS: black shark. There is no need for a new game every year since it takes about 6 months to even learn the basic stuff.

FPS gaming and such will probably quite soon die on PC. It's inevitable. Consoles and the new gaming generations have allowed making shorter games with less content, less need or even possibility to really push the envelope with graphics and hell, they can even charge more money for those games. But I don't think PC gaming will die completely or atleast not before there is console suitable for running more diverse games.

I don't have any special need to play on a PC. I'd be just as happy playing FPS games with a console. If the controls were good and the gameplay was smooth that is. And I believe, or atleast hope it will happen someday. And there's no reason why consoles could not run more complex games either. All they'd need is more power under the hood and decent controllers. No reason why that couldn't happen. It's actually pretty weird that consoles have so limited contoller options these days, after all, the common game pad is only really good for sport games. But until the day someone manages to make a versatile console, there will enough people wanting to play sims and strategy games to ensure a couple of good releases every year.

 

[Bocete]

The only way you can make people pay you in this realm is to provide an online service. If that service is the part of the game, is what makes it tick, people are going to buy. Otherwise, the developer can seed the torrent himself. MMOs come to mind: there are pirated servers for WoW everywhere, some of them are even popular; but they'll never have the volume or quality battle.net has. So people buy WoW. With SC2, battle.net does some pretty neat things that I'm not sure pirated servers could support, or with that quality. So original SC2 it is. We've seen the success of Spore. It's not about closing the product, it's about opening up.

Translated into music domain: it's easier to download an album than to buy one and listen from a CD. Odds are you're going to rip it if you buy it, it's just convenient. So why not allow free download of music from the band's own website, but put nice artwork on an album, a silly booklet, some nice print on the CD etc so people can have the CD as a collectors item. It's the way things work even now, but it's unofficial. Be honest and fair to people, and they'll recognize and respect that.

 

[boomtisk]

I don't have any special need to play on a PC. I'd be just as happy playing FPS games with a console. If the controls were good and the gameplay was smooth that is. And I believe, or atleast hope it will happen someday. And there's no reason why consoles could not run more complex games either. All they'd need is more power under the hood and decent controllers. No reason why that couldn't happen. It's actually pretty weird that consoles have so limited contoller options these days, after all, the common game pad is only really good for sport games. But until the day someone manages to make a versatile console, there will enough people wanting to play sims and strategy games to ensure a couple of good releases every year.

I know you'll probably skin me alive but I think the Wiimote is actually a pretty damn good controller -- it does need a few more buttons, though. I also think it works awesome for first person games, playing Metroid Prime 3 which emulates mouselook with looking around with the pointer felt like a revelation.

Too bad most developers hate the Wii because Nintendo put old hardware in it on purpose. I wonder if their next system will be less low-tech to prevent this from happening again.

 

[Happynoj]

I won't be happy playing FPS on a console until I can do it with a mouse.

 

[i_got_a_mohawk]

I won't be happy playing FPS on a console until I can do it with a mouse.

I hear that!

 

[Jonyak]

I won't be happy playing FPS on a console until I can do it with a mouse.

this.

when I can use a mouse and keyboard with a console, I will buy it.

 

[L-A]

this.

when I can use a mouse and keyboard with a console, I will buy it.

Playstations have been supporting this for a long time. It's up to the developpers to add this control possibility to their games.

But then again, if a keyboard and a mouse are a preference like they are to me, it's better to have a good computer.

 

[Jonyak]

Playstations have been supporting this for a long time. It's up to the developpers to add this control possibility to their games.

But then again, if a keyboard and a mouse are a preference like they are to me, it's better to have a good computer.

but they never will because mouse/keyboard offers to great of an edge over the controller.

thats why I have a high power gaming computer.

 

[playinpearls]

Whats funny is the more they try to stop hackers from ripping their crap and torrenting it, the more they screw the customers that are buying their stuff. I like to pay people for their work. I would mind paying some money for a good game, but the way they come out, i might as well buy them game, then keep it wrapped in the box and download a cracked version that isn't gonna put me in a stupid software "cage" just to enjoy their game...

at least then i can sell it on ebay when i dont feel like playing anymore.

and this monthly subscription "online only" crap is killing the industry also...

 

[i_got_a_mohawk]

Tell the folk at Blizzard that, I'm pretty sure they're getting by very nicely thanks to the monthly subscription "online only" crap! And to be fair, there have always been games that have been like that (look back at the old Ultima games for instance).

I do agree that it's crap tho. I'll pay for a game once. If I need to pay for a game and then every month to play it, it's not getting bought!

 

[playinpearls]

yeah, i'm sure they are down to the 60th or 70th person in line to receive their gold plated toilet...

 

[Happynoj]

+1 to all of this.

I am more than willing to pay the people who have put their time and effort into producing games, but buying into this DRM scheme feels very much like buying the PC version of COD: MW2 - paying people to screw you over, just because you prefer playing games on a PC.

Also, something that I hadn't thought of before, but just read - these games will only work as long as Ubisoft continues to support them. Say in a couple of years, Ubisoft decides that they need more server space for a new game, and there's only a couple of hundred people playing Assassin's Creed 2 around the world, they could easily pull support for it and then suddenly everyone's copies of AC2 are now useless.


Speaking of which, after the first Assassin's Creed came out, I was quite excited about AC2. Now I am not so excited.

 

[Kipaste]

I know you'll probably skin me alive but I think the Wiimote is actually a pretty damn good controller -- it does need a few more buttons, though. I also think it works awesome for first person games, playing Metroid Prime 3 which emulates mouselook with looking around with the pointer felt like a revelation.

Too bad most developers hate the Wii because Nintendo put old hardware in it on purpose. I wonder if their next system will be less low-tech to prevent this from happening again.

No skinning alive here.I I don't doubt it's abilities and I'm not saying there wouldn't be tons of games that are really fun to play with one. And it's just the kind of thing I think consoles need. More experimentation, more options. Not just the common gamepad. But I'll still stick with a mouse when playing civilization

 

[boomtisk]

And to be fair, there have always been games that have been like that (look back at the old Ultima games for instance).

Pray that there are no old-school Ultima fans around these parts, they'd probably be inclined to punch you in the face over the Internet.

All of the "old Ultima games" were single player games which helped shape RPGs as we know them today. Eventually, EA felt the series wasn't profitable enough and Ultima Online was born. I actually thought it looked pretty cool back when it came out but as I couldn't get comfortable with paying a monthly fee for a game, I never messed with it.

 

[Jonyak]

Pray that there are no old-school Ultima fans around these parts, they'd probably be inclined to punch you in the face over the Internet.

All of the "old Ultima games" were single player games which helped shape RPGs as we know them today. Eventually, EA felt the series wasn't profitable enough and Ultima Online was born. I actually thought it looked pretty cool back when it came out but as I couldn't get comfortable with paying a monthly fee for a game, I never messed with it.

I playe dultima online for years.

I also played all the ultimas before that. it was always my favorite game.

and as far as I know the old ultima games were never pay to play.

 

[L-A]

I have the same feelings here. It seems that the games are targeting hackers, not players.

 

[i_got_a_mohawk]

Pray that there are no old-school Ultima fans around these parts, they'd probably be inclined to punch you in the face over the Internet.

All of the "old Ultima games" were single player games which helped shape RPGs as we know them today. Eventually, EA felt the series wasn't profitable enough and Ultima Online was born. I actually thought it looked pretty cool back when it came out but as I couldn't get comfortable with paying a monthly fee for a game, I never messed with it.

Sorry, I should have said Ultima Online, not just Ultima