Ubisoft's New PC DRM Really Requires Net Access, Ends Game If Disconnected

[CountZero]

Give things 10 years and buying software in a box will be history as will owning copies of software and other media. If you look at things like the windows 8 features and where companies like google and even EA are spending money it is on cloud computing. Cloud computing is the holy grail of software. You no longer install software, your pc is a dumb terminal. It can do the processing but the software, the OS , everything else is over the network stored on a central server.

No piracy because nobody has anything to pirate. The movie industry loves this too because they can start things like netflix on demand but in much bigger ways. The only thing keeping it from happening is people do not have broadband fast enough everywhere , but that will change. Once the capacity is high enough to allow streaming of things like blu-ray then why would a studio sell you copies when they can charge you for every time you watch it ?

The same will happen with gaming where you pay either one time or a subscription and log on to play that game. The only thing stopping it is bandwidth accessible everywhere , and that will become a reality.

I don't disagree with you (though with US broadband lagging so much I'm not sure 10 years is far enough out) but I absolutely hate this cloud stuff. To me the pros do not out weigh the cons, but that is a discussion for another thread.

 

[mindcycle]

Some of you have probably already seen this, but it pretty much sums up how DRM only punishes legit customers (even though it's not specifically game related). Funny stuff though and very true.

http://www.geekologie.com/image.php?path=/2010/02/25/piracy-full.jpg

 

[Sureshot324]

Honestly I can't blame them for doing this. This is the only way DRM for single player games has a chance of working. They're starting with save games, but eventually most single player games will work like WOW, where a large portion of the game logic happens on a server. Cracking this will be very time consuming, since the crackers will have to re-implement a significant portion of the game without seeing any of the source code, and not even seeing the binary of the part they're replacing. Cracking one game won't make cracking another much easier, because they'll have to re-do part of a completely different game.

Today's games get cracked so fast because it's extremely easy. You are just removing functionality, not adding anything. Once you get a feel of what to look for with a hex editor you can crack a game in minutes. When cracking games requires re-coding a large part of the game, you're going to see the limits of what the cracking community is willing and able to do. Yes, it was done with Wow (years after release) but there was obviously huge demand for that, and many major MMOs still have no functional private servers (lotro, warhammer online, eve) because it's just too much work to make one.

A lot of people are saying the that any DRM which causes any problem whatsoever for paying customers is totally wrong. I look at it more in terms of weighing the pros and cons. If you can effectively eliminate piracy by annoying a very small percentage of your customers, it's probably worth it.

 

[MStele]

Honestly I can't blame them for doing this. This is the only way DRM for single player games has a chance of working. They're starting with save games, but eventually most single player games will work like WOW, where a large portion of the game logic happens on a server. Cracking this will be very time consuming, since the crackers will have to re-implement a significant portion of the game without seeing any of the source code, and not even seeing the binary of the part they're replacing. Cracking one game won't make cracking another much easier, because they'll have to re-do part of a completely different game.

Today's games get cracked so fast because it's extremely easy. You are just removing functionality, not adding anything. Once you get a feel of what to look for with a hex editor you can crack a game in minutes. When cracking games requires re-coding a large part of the game, you're going to see the limits of what the cracking community is willing and able to do. Yes, it was done with Wow (years after release) but there was obviously huge demand for that, and many major MMOs still have no functional private servers (lotro, warhammer online, eve) because it's just too much work to make one.

A lot of people are saying the that any DRM which causes any problem whatsoever for paying customers is totally wrong. I look at it more in terms of weighing the pros and cons. If you can effectively eliminate piracy by annoying a very small percentage of your customers, it's probably worth it.

Actually it will be just as easy to crack as anything else. It just might take a little longer at first because its a new form of DRM. They just need to implement a packet intercept. Every time the game sends out a request to the server, the crack will simple send a return packet telling the game whatever it needs to keep running. Once made, it won't be any harder to install than any other NOCD crack out there.

 

[lupi]

Give things 10 years and buying software in a box will be history as will owning copies of software and other media. If you look at things like the windows 8 features and where companies like google and even EA are spending money it is on cloud computing. Cloud computing is the holy grail of software. You no longer install software, your pc is a dumb terminal. It can do the processing but the software, the OS , everything else is over the network stored on a central server.

No piracy because nobody has anything to pirate. The movie industry loves this too because they can start things like netflix on demand but in much bigger ways. The only thing keeping it from happening is people do not have broadband fast enough everywhere , but that will change. Once the capacity is high enough to allow streaming of things like blu-ray then why would a studio sell you copies when they can charge you for every time you watch it ?

The same will happen with gaming where you pay either one time or a subscription and log on to play that game. The only thing stopping it is bandwidth accessible everywhere , and that will become a reality.

i've heard that before, with things like AGP graphic cards for instance.

 

[Sureshot324]

Actually it will be just as easy to crack as anything else. It just might take a little longer at first because its a new form of DRM. They just need to implement a packet intercept. Every time the game sends out a request to the server, the crack will simple send a return packet telling the game whatever it needs to keep running. Once made, it won't be any harder to install than any other NOCD crack out there.

That is much easier said than done. Let's say hypothetically that all AI is done on the server (as it is in most MMOs). Whenever the game asks the server what the monster should do next, the cracker would have to implement the entire AI algorithm himself, which would than tell the game client what the monster will do. Doable, but a ton of work, and the replacement AI most likely not behave exactly the same as the original, and will most definitely be more buggy.

It doesn't have to end at AI. CPU intensive calculations like graphics/physics would have to be done client side, but everything else could be done on the server, and servers/bandwidth are only getting cheaper. It could get to the point where the cracker would have to reprogram half the game. A modern AAA game has a team of about 150 and takes several years to make.

Additionally the developers can obfuscate the data sent between the server/client to make it very hard for the crackers to make sense of it.

You might see cracks for the biggest games like a year after release, but crackers aren't going to be pumping out cracks for every game out there before they're even released.

 

[RoloMather]

This method of DRM will work and stop pirates. Whether it will be successful regarding sales is in question.

But hey, if the games are good, people will buy. No question about that. I think Ubisoft is just the first, but they will not be the last to do this.

 

[RoloMather]

Another thing, I predict that the boycott of AC2 will be as successful as the boycott of MW2 was.

 

[wanderer27]

I cannot believe the people supporting this nonsense.

It seems to me that you people no longer want to own anything . . . hmm, isn't that Communism?
Yeah, you know, the haves and have nots.
Only in this case, give the Corporations all the power and ownership - we all know how dependable and trustworthy they are.
Oh, and of course Corporations NEVER go out of business . . . .

How naive / shortsighted can you be?

A little over the top?
Maybe, but think baby steps . . . RIAA, MPAA, etc. that's their Utopia - total control = endless charges.


Here's a little something extra for you:

http://www.destructoid.com/ubisoft-s-pc-drm-is-decidedly-anti-soldier-164909.phtml

Seems the Armed Forces are pretty much going to be SOL on this.



Ah, but it continues to get better:

Ok first off, I was asked to test what happens when the game loses it's internet connection. I fired up the game, and went to try my usual method of simulating connection loss by disabling the internet adapter. I got the following message:

Picture in Link

As you can see, I was not being allowed access to disable the internet connection. As I am the administrator and sole user of this machine, I found it a bit odd to say the least. So, I shut the program down and tried to disable my connection. The connection disabled perfectly fine.

So, Ubi's DRM is denying me access to my own computer hardware when it is in use? To be honest, if I knew that I wouldn't have bought the damn game. I'm not speaking out against DRM or anything, but has anyone else experienced anything like this? No other program (like steam, which is running in both screenshots) has EVER denied me access to a setting on my machine.

http://www.overclock.net/pc-games/678244-ubisoft-drm-beware-guys.html#post8597763


But I'm sure you Lubbers are all just hunky dory with this right?


Just gives a you a warm fuzzy knowing we're graced with such wisdom . . .

 

[MStele]

That is much easier said than done. Let's say hypothetically that all AI is done on the server (as it is in most MMOs). Whenever the game asks the server what the monster should do next, the cracker would have to implement the entire AI algorithm himself, which would than tell the game client what the monster will do. Doable, but a ton of work, and the replacement AI most likely not behave exactly the same as the original, and will most definitely be more buggy.

It doesn't have to end at AI. CPU intensive calculations like graphics/physics would have to be done client side, but everything else could be done on the server, and servers/bandwidth are only getting cheaper. It could get to the point where the cracker would have to reprogram half the game. A modern AAA game has a team of about 150 and takes several years to make.

Additionally the developers can obfuscate the data sent between the server/client to make it very hard for the crackers to make sense of it.

You might see cracks for the biggest games like a year after release, but crackers aren't going to be pumping out cracks for every game out there before they're even released.

Your giving them more credit than their due. This new form merely checks to see if the game is legit, nothing more. They already stated that the network footprint required is extremely small. What your describing is what could potentionally happen as cloud networking becomes more prevalent, but for now no company is going to provide what I would consider MMO caliber networking for every single player game they release, where process interaction is required. Would work well for one game, but remember that they have to provide this for ALL future games and to many thousands of users concurrently. Logistic nightmare. Unless something really major changes in the future, there is no way they could do server side AI for this type of DRM. MMO providers charge fees to support that kind of infrastructure, and even then they require virtually all processing done client side. Remember, they need to pay for these expenses with the savings that would come from reduced piracy. If they spend more to use this system then they would have recovered from reduced piracy, there would be no reason to do it, since they would be right back where they started. The trick is to have a network footprint that is as small as possible. Trust me, its not hard for a good hacker to figure this stuff out. There is nothing random about code. It might not be as simple as a go code, but if the game sends a certain request, it will expect a certain response. All they would have to do is run the game for a period of time while tracking and recording every send/recieve packet from the game, then develop an algorithm from that. Like I said, it might take longer....but its not any harder.

 

[Sureshot324]

Your giving them more credit than their due. This new form merely checks to see if the game is legit, nothing more. They already stated that the network footprint required is extremely small. What your describing is what could potentionally happen as cloud networking becomes more prevalent, but for now no company is going to provide what I would consider MMO caliber networking for every single player game they release, where process interaction is required. Would work well for one game, but remember that they have to provide this for ALL future games and to many thousands of users concurrently. Logistic nightmare. Unless something really major changes in the future, there is no way they could do server side AI for this type of DRM. MMO providers charge fees to support that kind of infrastructure, and even then they require virtually all processing done client side. Remember, they need to pay for these expenses with the savings that would come from reduced piracy. If they spend more to use this system then they would have recovered from reduced piracy, there would be no reason to do it, since they would be right back where they started. The trick is to have a network footprint that is as small as possible. Trust me, its not hard for a good hacker to figure this stuff out. There is nothing random about code. It might not be as simple as a go code, but if the game sends a certain request, it will expect a certain response. All they would have to do is run the game for a period of time while tracking and recording every send/recieve packet from the game, then develop an algorithm from that. Like I said, it might take longer....but its not any harder.

I am aware that AC2 doesn't go anywhere near the lengths I'm describing and won't be hugely difficult to crack. But building an MMO style infrastructure for single player games is more realistic than you think.

You have to understand that the average player who buys a single player game like AC2 doesn't even finish the game once. The bandwidth/server costs that this average player will cost you is not a whole lot. The average MMO player on the other hand plays a TON, and still that $15 a month is not just infrastructure costs, but the cost to constantly create new free content. Plus as technology improves, infrastructure costs go down. I'm certain blizzard pays a fraction of the infrastructure cost per player now as they did when Wow first came out, yet they still charge $15.

The trick is to find a large and complex part of the game that doesn't regularly require a lot of CPU. AI might not be the best example, but there is a lot of code in any game that doesn't get executed often but still is very necessary.

You are correct in that all it takes to duplicate that code is more time, but that's the whole point. If it takes 200 hours to crack every game instead of 30 minutes, nobody's going to bother.

 

[wanderer27]

Well, this is lovely.

Seems the word's out that this DRM has already been cracked.

So, we've got this horrible implementation of DRM for legit Customers, and as usual the Pirates already have access to a DRM free version.

I guess now we get to look forward to even worse DRM . . . . just great

 

[mindcycle]

Well, this is lovely.

Seems the word's out that this DRM has already been cracked.

So, we've got this horrible implementation of DRM for legit Customers, and as usual the Pirates already have access to a DRM free version.

I guess now we get to look forward to even worse DRM . . . . just great

There are rumors floating around, yes, but it's a Russian version that people are claiming has been cracked. However, a cracked version of Silent Hunter 5 is already out which supposedly uses the same protection as AC2. Basically, FAIL is the only word that comes to my mind right now..

This is pretty funny though..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Env4IbSHSlc

 

[KaOTiK]

http://www.infoaddict.com/ubisofts-new-drm-cracked-in-under-25-hours

 

[Qbah]

Ouch, that was fast... Oh well.

 

[shortylickens]

Guess this is the place:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UPphDSc6ZEE

 

[coldmeat]

I find the term "crackers" offensive.

 

[mmntech]

Well, this is lovely.

Seems the word's out that this DRM has already been cracked.

So, we've got this horrible implementation of DRM for legit Customers, and as usual the Pirates already have access to a DRM free version.

I guess now we get to look forward to even worse DRM . . . . just great

Well big freakin' surprise!!

Didn't all of us who know PC gaming say this would happen. Do we know something that Ubisoft doesn't know?!

It's a giant middle finger to paying gamers. Either way, we loose.

 

[Kalmah]

That is awesome.. I hate to say it, but I had a big grin on my face when I saw that it was cracked. And I hope Ubisoft finds out about this during the time they are getting all of the complaint emails in from paying customers.

 

[BladeVenom]

Ha Ha!

 

[reallyscrued]

This method of DRM will work and stop pirates.
.

Honestly I can't blame them for doing this. This is the only way DRM for single player games has a chance of working.

Wow...people like you two must be running the DRM department at Ubisoft. I suggest you guys go fill out an application to join their development team, they could use such forward thinking minds.


I don't understand why people think for any reason, this method of DRM will work. Are you guys aware that any software that has to be installed on your PC has a program files folder, and the biggest challenge is just to figure out how to run it? None of the information needed to run the game is actually coming from an outside server; of course someone is going to figure out how to run the program when all the files are right infront of him/her.

DRM does NOT stop piracy. I challenge anyone to find a game that is not available for download through torrents. Spore? Bioshock/2? Yeah right... The only way internet based DRM will be effective will be when we have network speeds fast enough to stream the rendered game from servers by the game developers, but that will likely never happen because it will effectively kill the PC gaming industry hardware wise; I'm sure more than a number of companies will cry bloody-mary. Plus the developers will probably shut down the servers after a year or two and make people buy the sequel or next version of the game. Now there's a business model.

Ubisoft won't go out of business however. I doubt the number of people persuaded by the ass-rape equivalent of this DRM will actually go out of their way to download pirated software, people's minds just don't change that quickly, kind of like how this kind of DRM won't have an impact for pirates to suddenly buy the actual game. I imagine the two figures are relative. Ubisoft will still be around, developing and publishing shitty games that are fun for maybe 5 hours, just trying to get that 59.99 from you. It's up to the people to bring about change. Anyone heard of/remember the VG crash of '83? Lets all make it happen again.

 

[Elixer]

This just in from Ubi!

Ubi: Hey, I heard one of the games with our super-screw-em-DRM has been deprotected.
Ubi anonymous # 2: Aww man!
Ubi anonymous #3: WTF!?
Ubi anonymous # 4: Guys, didn't I tell you this was going to happen?
Ubi anonymous #5: What are we going to do now?
Ubi anonymous #6: Quick, lets put out press release that it is a virus/trojan!
Ubi anonymous #7: HAHA!
Ubi anonymous #8: Cool, that will work!
Ubi CEO: !@#@! Call the PR guys about that virus/trojan, and in the meantime, we need a change in plans!, I read on the forums at anandtech about this, and it is now time to host all content on our servers, and we will only stream what the player needs!

 

[AnonymouseUser]

Hah, funny that it's cracked already. I guess the DoS attacks against the Ubi servers that would have blocked paying customers from playing won't happen now.

 

[PhatoseAlpha]

Rumored crack, or fully functioning crack?

 

[RoloMather]

Hmm I thought their DRM has server side code that does some calculations so it's harder to replicate.

If all the code was stored locally then yea, it would be easy to crack. GG Ubi for failing at the DRM making.