Ubisoft DRM Servers Down; Gamers Can't Play
Ubisoft's DRM servers unreachable as gamers try to play Assassin's Creed II and Silent Hunter V.
Gamers have been up in arms ever since word got out about Ubisoft's internet-required DRM scheme. It seems that a worst-case scenario has happened, as owners in of Silent Hunter V and Assassin's Creed II were unable to play due to Ubisoft's authentication server being down.
Ubisoft's latest DRM effort will not allow its game to play unless there is a connection between the player and the publisher's servers. If anything should happen at either end, the player – even if in the middle a game – will be ejected to the main menu screen. Over the weekend, Ubisoft's servers went down, which left gamers with relatively new games unable to play.
North American weren't as largely affected by the downtime as Assassin's Creed II doesn't launch here until Tuesday, but those in Australia and Europe held back from their games show a critical weakness in this form of DRM.
An Ubisoft UK community manager commented in the official forum:
I don't have any clear information on what the issue is since I'm not in the office, but clearly the extended downtime and lengthy login issues are unacceptable, particularly as I've been told these servers are constantly monitored.
I'll do what I can to get more information on what the issue is here first thing tomorrow and push for a resolution and assurance this won't happen in the future. I realise that's not ideal but there's only so much I can do on a weekend as I'm not directly involved with the server side of this system.
In another post, the same community manager wrote:
Due to exceptional demand, we are currently experiencing difficulties with the Online Service Platform. This does not affect customers who are currently playing, but customers attempting to start a game may experience difficulty in accessing our servers. We are currently working to resolve this issue and apologize for any inconvenience.
Source: Rock, Paper, Shotgun.
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Wonderful example of why you don't buy games with DRM.
This is a wonderful example for why you do not buy games with DRM. Thank you Ubisoft!
Ubisoft's is current DRM is currently not winning against pirates.
Or anyone one for the matter.
All I can picture right now is Nelson from the Simpsons going...
"HAAAA-HAAAAAAA!"
i honestly feel sorry for the poor saps trying to be legal with ubisoft .... but i am sure they have seen the light now
That's rediculous, I would be irrate if I was trying to play one of those games. I have Asassins Creed II, I wish I wouldn't have bought it now, and I won't buy ubisoft until they quit with the rediculous DRM.
lol i wonder if they are getting Ddos attacked?
I wonder if someone will try and sue them for this. I mean really, you cant play a game you just purchased...hmmmmmm
Total bs I will just wait till the game is out and hacked pass this stupid drm..
Bam. Lawsuits. DRM goes down. No more. Bye bye.
Hahahaha, Steam wannabees who apparently don't know sh*t about high availability server systems.
i honestly think that toms agrees with the users that post here ... even though they will never come out as say this .... why else would they post a game related article like this on a hardware/computer web site .... giveing us all a wonderfully large bulls eye to shoot/vent at ...
thank you toms ... i agree with your agreement of us .... you guys rule !
"I realise that's not ideal but there's only so much I can do on a weekend"
Maybe there should be a disclaimer on the game box saying something like
"Caution! Only playable during regular office hours. Because if the server goes down outside those hours, nobody's on it until the next day."
><
Shocked. SHOCKED, I tell you!
Ubisoft is pretty much telling us to go out and buy parrots, wooden legs, and eye patches.
I can see how DRM can be a good thing to be protective of a company's IP however the last couple of years is going TOO FAR! games like bioshock imposing 5 install limits, what happens if you have a series of bad hard drives? After 5 your game would no longer work!. Now we see this kind of BS, not every gamer in every part of the world is going to always have an internet connection (maybe you're on a train or plain and don't own a 3G rocket stick) or you maybe they won't always have a super reliable connection. I think the schemes were it's internet required at install then it goes out verifies you have a legit key and that it's not in use multiple places at the same time and then says ok you're verified have fun is best. That way it wouldn't matter if you didn't have internet you could still play the single player game. FU Ubisoft! whoever thought of this half baked DRM scheme needs to get FIRED and quick
Pirates - 1
Pirate wannabes - 100
Ubisoft - 0
"haaaa ha!"
Ubisoft's is current DRM is currently not winning against pirates.Or anyone one for the matter.
It's winning against Ubi's crappy servers and PR.
Bam. Lawsuits. DRM goes down. No more. Bye bye.
Given the way laws are written, especially UCITA and the EU equivalent, making license agreements legally enforceable contracts, I very much doubt it. After all, you agreed to their terms, including the one that it'll never be their fault, when you installed that game.
That is hysterically funny.
My ISP was up 30% for the past 2 days and I was barely online. All I wanted to do was play a little Titan Quest. But since my ISP was down I was stuck programming. Why can't you just let us play we legal purchase!
Bam. Lawsuits. DRM goes down. No more. Bye bye.
You're plaintiffs' counsel, I presume?
I don't know why people are crying about this scheme now, I have been unable to connect to the Dawn of War II login servers many times and been unable to play, even though my connection was fine.
All around retarded.
So when can we silly sheep who were affected by this expect our refunds in the mail from Ubisoft? I expect to be compensated one way or another.
Arrrrrrrh you ready kids?
Pirates will easily crack the DRM. Assassin's Creed II will turn out to be one of the most pirated PC games. Ubisoft are shooting their self in the foot.
I just disputed my purchase of Silent Hunter V. Not for DRM but because of it crashing constantly. I paid for a working title, which it is not. We shall see how it goes.
Had they allowed the game to be reviewed this wouldn't have happened.
if you bought either of these games, return them to where you bought them from, and tell them it just does not work. that's how you tell them how you feel about drm. Oh, or don't buy it in the first place.
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!!!
The only way to stop the DRM madness is to stop buying their games. If half of the people who bought this game where to return it as a result of this incident, I bet they'd see the light and drop the DRM scheme overnight. If I were one of their customers I would quickly change into a former customer and let them know why...