Ubisoft PC sales down 90% since always on DRM was implemented

[KaOTiK]

http://www.pcgamer.com/2011/10/07/opinion-ubisoft-piracy-and-the-death-of-reason/

And it seems they don't understand why their sales have dropped.

Glad to see people did vote with their wallets on this.

 

[Mike Gayner]

Correlation =/= causation, and anyone who believes the DRM has had anywhere near this effect is completely delusional. Keep in mind that the VAST majority of gamers, including PC gamers, don't know/care about DRM.

 

[bononos]

Any idea what caused the catastrophic drop then?

 

[lavaheadache]

Any idea what caused the catastrophic drop then?

Yeah, they released Far Cry 2

 

[veri745]

This tells me that Ubisoft's games are crappier, not that people are "voting with their wallets".

However, Ubisofts declaration that their DRM is a success probably goes something like this:
Less people want to play their games -> Less pirates want to play their games -> Less people pirating their games -> "DRM is a success!"

 

[Demo24]

Perhaps if they would stop releasing horrible console ports for the PC, and give us something worthwhile it buy on the PC that won't happen anymore.


...Oh wait no, I think PC just needs some more DRM

 

[Barfo]

I don't remember the last Ubisoft game I wanted to buy. I was mildly interested in From Dust a while ago but reading about how Ubi lied about the DRM in the game made me abandon any hope of buying it.

*shrug*

 

[smackababy]

This tells me that Ubisoft's games are crappier, not that people are "voting with their wallets".

However, Ubisofts declaration that their DRM is a success probably goes something like this:
Less people want to play their games -> Less pirates want to play their games -> Less people pirating their games -> "DRM is a success!"

I think it goes more like: sales drop 90% -> must be from pirates -> needs more DRM

 

[ImpulsE69]

Well, I've been an avid gamer on all fronts all my life and I've never been so disinterested in new stuff coming out as I have been the last few years. The games are just...not that good. Sometimes I think people try to convince themselves that they are to justify the money they spent. Production value while seemingly has gone up, quality of service has gone way down. Is there any reason that Dead Island and Rage are so buggy on PC? Plain laziness in meeting a deadline and the "we can fix it later" with a patch mentality that exists in the PC world. It's already hitting the console world as we speak, so soon they won't be much better.

Piracy has always been the scapegoat they turn to when they fail because they don't want to admit that they suck. For every study they've "done" that shows piracy hurts sales, there's another study that can say just the opposite.

And these days, I'm sorry, people are a bit too savvy and can google just about anything. DRM is not a success. On any front. Closest thing to successful DRM is Steam.

 

[Udgnim]

looking at their game releases from 2009-present it looks more like they just don't release games that PC gamers are really interested in

http://store.steampowered.com/searc...rt_order=DESC&publisher=Ubisoft&category1=998

 

[KaOTiK]

This tells me that Ubisoft's games are crappier, not that people are "voting with their wallets".

However, Ubisofts declaration that their DRM is a success probably goes something like this:
Less people want to play their games -> Less pirates want to play their games -> Less people pirating their games -> "DRM is a success!"

I wont argue that their games are crappier but plenty of people have been voting with their wallet as well. I would have bought Silent Hunter 5, Settlers 7, Assassins Creed 2, Assassins Creed Brotherhood, and From Dust if it wasn't for their always on DRM. I know some of those are now changed to a check when you launch the game, but I still wont touch them due to it.

 

[you2]

I think it is a combination of both. There has been a couple of ubi soft games I vaguely consider but quickly decide not worth the hassle when I see ubi soft is the publisher. On the flip side many of their titles have been lack luster. I'm interested to see how diablo iii always on drm impact sales...

 

[zerocool84]

I wont argue that their games are crappier but plenty of people have been voting with their wallet as well. I would have bought Silent Hunter 5, Settlers 7, Assassins Creed 2, Assassins Creed Brotherhood, and From Dust if it wasn't for their always on DRM. I know some of those are now changed to a check when you launch the game, but I still wont touch them due to it.

I've voted with my wallet as well. I haven't bought one of their games since their drm. Every little bit helps.

 

[AyashiKaibutsu]

I think it is a combination of both. There has been a couple of ubi soft games I vaguely consider but quickly decide not worth the hassle when I see ubi soft is the publisher. On the flip side many of their titles have been lack luster. I'm interested to see how diablo iii always on drm impact sales...

Yea, I'm the same. Haven't bought an Ubisoft game since they started their shenanigans. I suspect it won't hurt D3 as much since it's basically a multiplayer game. It bothers me, but I'm intending to buy it (at least that's how I feel now). I'm done with buying Blizzard CEs because of the direction they're going so I guess in that way it's hurting them a tiny bit.

 

[frozentundra123456]

I will go contrarian here. I dont really see such a problem with always having to have an internet connection to play the game. If you want to play an MMO, you have to be on the internet. If you want to play multiplayer, you have to be on the internet. I know a lot of people are extremely upset by this, and I respect their feelings. I just dont understand why it is so much more terrible than any other kind of DRM. Personally, I have had more problems with Punkbuster and secu-rom than anything else. (Ubisoft doesnt use secu-rom does it??)

 

[Nintendesert]

Correlation =/= causation, and anyone who believes the DRM has had anywhere near this effect is completely delusional. Keep in mind that the VAST majority of gamers, including PC gamers, don't know/care about DRM.

Vast majority of gamers? How do you know that? Did you conduct a survey or study? Do you have a study or survey you can cite or are you just talking out of your ass?

 

[Mr. Pedantic]

Ubisoft is to piracy what Jenny McCarthy is to thimersal. The way they have become attached to this issue, regardless of whether they are right or not, means they deserve to be put out of business. The kinds of blind, childish accusations that Ubisoft makes about PC gamers has no place in a proper business.

 

[KaOTiK]

I will go contrarian here. I dont really see such a problem with always having to have an internet connection to play the game. If you want to play an MMO, you have to be on the internet. If you want to play multiplayer, you have to be on the internet. I know a lot of people are extremely upset by this, and I respect their feelings. I just dont understand why it is so much more terrible than any other kind of DRM. Personally, I have had more problems with Punkbuster and secu-rom than anything else. (Ubisoft doesnt use secu-rom does it??)

They use to use securom till they started their always on BS and Punkbuster is a anti-cheat program, not DRM.

MMO/Multiplayer isn't comparable when you have always on DRM for a single player game. My internet is decent, it drops here and there for a minute or so sometimes but it does go do it at least once a week. I have no other choices though for internet where I live (besides satillte which isn't an option imo). So it isn't as easy as switching to another provider and many many people are in the same boat, one provider and that's it. Then to top it off, I do take my laptop and go to some places for a few days at a time that I do not have any net access at all. So not being able to bring along a game I want to play cause of always on DRM is a no go for me.

Even if I had perfect internet everywhere I went I still wouldn't buy always on DRM games out of principle though. It isn't right and there are plenty of others that don't have the luxury of a reliable net connection. People need to stop thinking about themselves only for everything and look at the big picture. If always on DRM games sell just as well or close to as well as non always on DRM games then nearly every game that comes in would soon have it. I'd rather give up gaming before being bent over like that.

 

[Specop 007]

I will go contrarian here. I dont really see such a problem with always having to have an internet connection to play the game. If you want to play an MMO, you have to be on the internet. If you want to play multiplayer, you have to be on the internet. I know a lot of people are extremely upset by this, and I respect their feelings. I just dont understand why it is so much more terrible than any other kind of DRM. Personally, I have had more problems with Punkbuster and secu-rom than anything else. (Ubisoft doesnt use secu-rom does it??)

Maybe because the internet isnt everywhere? What do you do when your internet goes out for whatever reason, just not play single player games because the internet is down?

Theres no good reason to say a single player game needs always on internet.

 

[HeXen]

Vast majority of gamers? How do you know that?

experience. It provides much general information.

 

[AyashiKaibutsu]

I will go contrarian here. I dont really see such a problem with always having to have an internet connection to play the game. If you want to play an MMO, you have to be on the internet. If you want to play multiplayer, you have to be on the internet. I know a lot of people are extremely upset by this, and I respect their feelings. I just dont understand why it is so much more terrible than any other kind of DRM. Personally, I have had more problems with Punkbuster and secu-rom than anything else. (Ubisoft doesnt use secu-rom does it??)

When my internet goes out (which does happen from time to time) that's generally when I want to play single player games the most... Except, there's DRM that's keeping me from doing it... Not going to support that.

 

[BladeVenom]

experience. It provides much general information.

My experience is that people who are so clueless as to not even know what DRM is, are usually playing on consoles not on PC.

 

[zerocool84]

I will go contrarian here. I dont really see such a problem with always having to have an internet connection to play the game. If you want to play an MMO, you have to be on the internet. If you want to play multiplayer, you have to be on the internet. I know a lot of people are extremely upset by this, and I respect their feelings. I just dont understand why it is so much more terrible than any other kind of DRM. Personally, I have had more problems with Punkbuster and secu-rom than anything else. (Ubisoft doesnt use secu-rom does it??)

As others have said, your connection can drop out and you're assed out, or even worse, when Ubisoft's servers crapped out and no one could play.

 

[shingletingle]

Correlation =/= causation, and anyone who believes the DRM has had anywhere near this effect is completely delusional. Keep in mind that the VAST majority of gamers, including PC gamers, don't know/care about DRM.

And what research did you do to conclude "that the VAST majority of gamers, including PC gamers, don't know/care about DRM"?

 

[Elcs]

I've purchased one Ubisoft game since they turned up their DRM policies and I've pre-ordered another one.

RUSE as far as I am aware isn't loaded down with anything nasty as far as DRM goes.

M&M Heroes VI seems to have a one-time online activation and after that you can play offline infinitely. I believe some sort of single player feature is not available when you're not in online mode but that seems to be rather insignificant.

DRM is fine as long as it is not so restrictive that it makes the paying public, legitimate purchasers suffer in any way... and that includes stuff like Starforce, the DVD reader destroyer.