Ubisoft's controversial 'always on' DRM, which has caused fury amongst PC gamers, has apparently been hacked.
The DRM is attached to every new Ubisoft PC game and requires that gamers have a constant connection to the Internet in order to play their games - But no more.
The hack, being claimed by a group called 'Skid Row', completely removes the hack by getting users to download and install a modified version of the game's executable file.
Neslted in the readme file that comes with the hack was a message to Ubisoft:
"Thank you Ubisoft, this was quiete [sic] a challenge for us, but nothing stops the leading force from doing what we do. Next time focus on the game and not on the DRM. It was probably horrible for all legit users. We just make their lifes [sic] easier."
I swear to god this has been hacked for some time now. You can never beat the hackers, especially on an open platform like the PC. Any1 who thought otherwise is just stupid.
So essentially its a crack. Not a hack. lol. Basically the same thing you do to every other pc game to play without the disc. Though here you are using it to play without the drm.
on another note not related to accuracy, I agree with the message the team left. This drm is exactly the reason I bought AC2 pre-owned on ps3.
The stupidest thing about all this nonsense is I would buy Spintercell right now if it didn't have this crap on it. Would consider Assassins Creed at some stage during the year but im in no hurry for it.
On the subject did you notice GTA4 EFLC has an install limit on steam? whats that about? Capcom have also done it with Dark Void zero which seems very silly as they don't have it on their other games. Another 2 games I would buy right now
Excellent news, Ubisoft is only harming itself with this stupid DRM always-online crap! Ignoring the poor reviews I was originally going to buy SH 5 until I heard about it having this DRM rubbish, which is a shame as I expect it’ll be the last in the series as cant see it being a financial success.
Skid Row? Om my! I remember them during the Amiga days. I wonder if any of the original members are part of them still. That is one blast from the past!
The sad thing is most software houses treat pc owners as thieves instead of legit customers, what you dont see is that for xbox 360 they dont need to be onloine all the time to play there games and that system has been hacked since day 1, and every 360 game and (wii game) is available to download at your local download site, are any of these users having to play games with there internet connections on?.Yes piracy is a problem but it is a problem on all systems (apart from ps3, but that is only a matter of time) so why do pc owners always get singled out....? And lets not forget something one pirated copy does not always mean one less sale, because was the person going to buy it in the first place anyway ? or is that just to simple for game , music, tv, etc industries to understand, and another way to make a game company understand you dont want its drm, dont buy the game until the company removes it....Hit them were it hurts, in there pockets..I will not buy another ubisoft game untill the drm is removed.....
The sad thing is most software houses treat pc owners as thieves instead of legit customers, what you dont see is that for xbox 360 they dont need to be onloine all the time to play there games and that system has been hacked since day 1, and every 360 game and (wii game) is available to download at your local download site, are any of these users having to play games with there internet connections on?.Yes piracy is a problem but it is a problem on all systems (apart from ps3, but that is only a matter of time) so why do pc owners always get singled out....? And lets not forget something one pirated copy does not always mean one less sale, because was the person going to buy it in the first place anyway ? or is that just to simple for game , music, tv, etc industries to understand, and another way to make a game company understand you dont want its drm, dont buy the game until the company removes it....Hit them were it hurts, in there pockets..I will not buy another ubisoft game untill the drm is removed.....
By and large i agree with you. But Hacking consoles is harder and also voids your warrenty. That means that if/ when your 360 RROD's or your wii breaks. you have to buy a new machine. Also if you hack your 360 you'll more than likely get banned from xbox live locking you out of any extra content and multiplayer features. Fair enough you don't have to be online to play games on the 360 but you miss out on a lot by not having that functionality.
PC gaming gets singled out for two reasons. One, It's easier to crack PC games. (its an open platform) and two; It's easier to blame a lack of sales on piracy rather than the game been crap and therefore they can just right off the platform without looking like bottomholes. (well at least try to)
The sad thing is most software houses treat pc owners as thieves
why do pc owners always get singled out....?
The reason that PC owners get singled out is that you don't have to break the lid open and hard mod it to get the funcitonality to play pirated games. The Xbox,360, PS & PS2 all needed bits soldering onto the mainboard or some awkward method of holding down bits while you swap disks over.
From a 360 flashing tutorial:
Important: you can break, fudge, kill or maim a perfectly good Xbox 360...
Removal of the DVD-drive from the Xbox 360
Three methods of getting the DVD-drive recognized by your PC
My DVD-Drive has been sucessfully flashed now what?
We need to obtain the security sectors of the Xbox title we wish to create a back-up for.
Frankly, I reckon I'm fairly technically competant, and even if I had a 360 and wanted to pirate games I don't think I'd fancy pulling my £150 device apart to try this. Let alone if I wasn't technically confident.
On the PC you just get a copy of the game and download a modified .EXE which pretty much anyone can do with only the most basic of technical know how making it far easier to do and far more prevelant.
This makes me happy. I was going to get Conviction on 360 but now I can get it on PC. Yay!
EDIT: I'd also like to point out that I really don't like piracy. I will be buying the game legit (as I do with ALL my games) and then cracking it to run sans DRM.
I support DRM in PC games because before you know it the only genre left on PC will be MMORPG's becuase they are unhackable (so long as you don't play on the dirty private servers.).
Also while I'm talking about MMO's, people seem to have no problem with an always on connection then, I wonder how many MMO players are compaining about Ubisoft's DRM on one hand and then on the other they are playing World of Warcraft?
I don't think you can really make a DRM that everyone is going to be happy with and is un-hackable. If you make some sort of online DRM then the people with s**t network connections end up having a s**t fit. If you ask me, PC gaming is just dying a slow death. Everyone blocking studios that use DRM will only speed the process up.
Skid Row? Om my! I remember them during the Amiga days. I wonder if any of the original members are part of them still. That is one blast from the past!
I was thinking the same thing!
As someone pointed out in squall's thread, Final Fight on PS3 requires you to be logged in to PSN in order to run it. I think you have to do this on 360 for downloaded stuff, but only if playing on a different console to the one than it was downloaded to. Surely that is sufficient.
I just think this has to be the most ridiculous DRM method. I reckon piracy is the main reason PC games are being made similar(ish) to console games, if sales/piracy are a concern, they're not going to bother optimising it to really shine on a PC. Shame.
Also while I'm talking about MMO's, people seem to have no problem with an always on connection then, I wonder how many MMO players are compaining about Ubisoft's DRM on one hand and then on the other they are playing World of Warcraft?
The clue is in the acronym MMO. You know, the O for online, you're basically going into it knowing you need a constant connection. On the other hand do you see the logic in thinking that you are required to stay online to play a sp only experience?
MMO means online, we no what we are buying into but when you buy a game that has a single player game why do you need an online connection, fine to play online in two player mode etc, but for single player no they are taking the p**s.You can buy your 360 or wii already flashed, and to be fair its not hard to flash your 360 or your wii, there are enough online help videos on enough different sites, including youtube, for people to follow. PC gaming is not dieing it will see out this gen of consoles and more then likely the next, yes it is changing but you will still get big publishers making games for the pc, due to it being the largest platform worldwide and of course the most open, so no fees upfront before you start to make your game...
If you ask me, PC gaming is just dying a slow death. Everyone blocking studios that use DRM will only speed the process up.
Which only shows that you really need to get a brain. PC gaming is dying has been used 10 years ago, is used now and will be used 20 years from now. However the reality is the same, PC gaming is alive and well, right now gamers are turning more to indies than AAA titles. Check the indie scene and you'll see a vibrant community unlike any.
And anyone supporting this DRM are the ones that will really kill PC gaming. We don't need this DRM and we don't need supporters of this DRM.
If you ask me, PC gaming is just dying a slow death. Everyone blocking studios that use DRM will only speed the process up.
Which only shows that you really need to get a brain. PC gaming is dying has been used 10 years ago, is used now and will be used 20 years from now. However the reality is the same, PC gaming is alive and well, right now gamers are turning more to indies than AAA titles. Check the indie scene and you'll see a vibrant community unlike any.
And anyone supporting this DRM are the ones that will really kill PC gaming. We don't need this DRM and we don't need supporters of this DRM.
This.
Kudos to Skid Row for throwing the gauntlet right back at Ubisoft.
And when the Publisher comes up with something even more stringent for their next game, we'll end up thanking Skid Row or whoever for their next hack.
And when the Publisher comes up with something even more stringent for their next game, we'll end up thanking Skid Row or whoever for their next hack.
See where this is going? How long before the games we play have to contact a central server to figure out what that badguy is going to do next or to see what sort of loot/ammo that badguy you just killed dropped?
People seem to forget it takes two to tango. If games were never hacked and cracked, developers would never have started to waste time and money developing methods to prevent it.
And when the Publisher comes up with something even more stringent for their next game, we'll end up thanking Skid Row or whoever for their next hack.
And when the Publisher comes up with something even more stringent for their next game, we'll end up thanking Skid Row or whoever for their next hack.
See where this is going? How long before the games we play have to contact a central server to figure out what that badguy is going to do next or to see what sort of loot/ammo that badguy you just killed dropped?
People seem to forget it takes two to tango. If games were never hacked and cracked, developers would never have started to waste time and money developing methods to prevent it.
Indeed it does take two to tango, which begs the question as to why Ubisoft seems to think that it is better to focus on the pirates rather than focusing on their paying customers, as well as those individuals such as myself whom are willing to pay money for their games as long as they focus their efforts on us and the service they provide us? It's really quite elementary: In a free market capitalist society where people have rights many of them will not put up with receiving an inferior service - especially not when said inferior service is the direct result of intentionally implemented measures that harm the faithful more than the pirates while still failing to stop the pirates.
Basic truth of business 101: Treat your customers right. Remove obstacles for them to use your service/product and many (not necessarily all,) of them will be willing to pay extra for the convenience factor as opposed to seeking out alternative solutions. EA has learned this lesson (at least for the time being,) and it has seen a noticeable surge in good will amongst many gamers which appears to have translated in to strong sales for a number of its titles. "Spore" is a classic example of what can happen when companies bite the hands that feed them. I hope Ubisoft receives the same treatment, if not worse, since it seems to be the only message that these corporate entities understand.
It does take two to tango, as you pointed out, so why are the companies still dancing when they haven't won one single round to date but have successfully harmed and provoked their fans in the process? It's a pipe dream thinking that one can completely eradicate all potential harm/crime/threats, etc. in the world - the same goes for the gaming industry's campaign against piracy. Of course one can try to minimize certain risks yet when various measures employed end up actively blocking the very people's whose money you are after ability to use your goods/services that's an exceedingly poor business model and deserves nothing less than complete and utter total annihilation.
The only thing DRM has managed to achieve in regards to me, is turn me from being a devout defender of IP holders' rights in to someone who now views some of these pirates as freedom fighters. Keep on keepin' on Skid Row!
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