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

[RoloMather]

I wonder if the cracked game can save?

 

[Liet]

Funny, I was just popping over here from a submarine forum to mention that the DRM for Silent Hunter 5 has been cracked, and ridiculously fast.

I still refuse to buy SH5, which is a shame, because I fell in love with SH3 and if this DRM stuff hadn't happened I'd have paid full price on Day 1 for it. But now? Fuck it.

The sad thing is I think there are no winners. I get screwed as a paying customer, Ubi gets screwed because I won't buy their products. They brought it on themselves, and it's just depressing all the way around.

 

[reallyscrued]

Love this logic.

I don't like invasive DRM. Company ABC uses invasive DRM in an effort to protect their work from being used without due compensation. Therefore, I am going to use it without compensating them to teach them a lesson!

Yup. It's like civil disobedience, but with violence!

People, just admit you are stealing the game. No one cares except you-be-soft.

 

[Liet]

Old, old argument. It fails, and you're right, reallyscrued: anyone who uses it should just admit to theft.

 

[coloumb]

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

nice.. [I was actually going to post a link to that pic].

And it's sooo true - why can't we go back to the days of VHS - FBI warning, then movie plays. No stupid menu, no stupid previews, nada...

And there is this picture - "piracy guide"

http://www.gameproducer.net/images/piracyisnottheft.jpg

Theft removes the original, Piracy makes a copy

 

[shortylickens]

Rumored crack, or fully functioning crack?

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

R.T.F.A.

 

[lsquare]

Well, that changes my stance. I supported the requiring an internet connection but assumed they meant in a similar manner to Steam. This is highly restrictive. My internet connection's up time is really good but it has the occasional hiccup or wireless can lose it's signal momentarily. If that results in my singleplayer game also shutting down and losing unsaved progress than Ubisoft needs to rethink things through.

Sorry, but I'm new to the world of Steam, but how is Steam as restrictive as what's being reported on Ubisoft's future DRM practices?

 

[lsquare]

as much as i hate to agree with ya..
My position is the same.

IF i bought the game, i would most defnitely go find a crack for the game i bought so i could play it offline.

If you're going to do that, then you mind as well pirate the game.

 

[PhatoseAlpha]

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

R.T.F.A.

Yeah, look, a copy-paste from a warez release doesn't mean that the warez release actually functions. And a 4chan demotivational poster makes the article suspect to say the least.

Which, incidentally is why I asked after reading the 'article' to begin with.

 

[vshah]

i tried SH5 out of curiosity, it seems to work/save fine. not really into sub games though. I would actually be interested in a technical explanation of what they did.

 

[crownjules]

Sorry, but I'm new to the world of Steam, but how is Steam as restrictive as what's being reported on Ubisoft's future DRM practices?

Other way around. I said Ubisoft's DRM is more restrictive than Steam.

 

[shortylickens]

Yeah, look, a copy-paste from a warez release doesn't mean that the warez release actually functions. And a 4chan demotivational poster makes the article suspect to say the least.

Which, incidentally is why I asked after reading the 'article' to begin with.

Well, not be a jerk or anything, but if you read the same article we read.......
Nah forget it, theres no way I can finish without sounding like a jerk.


Just out of curiosity I loaded up Direct Connect for the first time in a while, did a search, and found the game being shared. Based on what little knowledge I had, the file name indicated it was a cracked version.

 

[mindcycle]

Yeah, look, a copy-paste from a warez release doesn't mean that the warez release actually functions. And a 4chan demotivational poster makes the article suspect to say the least.

Which, incidentally is why I asked after reading the 'article' to begin with.

I'm not going to claim that the game works 100% without issues, because i'm not going to pirate it to find out, but the fact of the matter is that Ubisoft's DRM has been cracked. At least on Silent Hunter 5. Right now that is a fact.

 

[smackababy]

This is hardly a surprise it was cracked with such swiftness. I would, however, wager that the "pirates" cracking this software probably worked a little harder just to prove they are, as of now, unbeatable.

 

[mindcycle]

Assassin's Creed 2 DRM Tweaked in First PC Patch, While Crackers Reportedly Break DRM Outright

While Ubisoft Montreal's open-world murder simulator Assassin's Creed 2 won't hit North American PCs until March 16, a patch has already been issued with changes including a tweaking of the controversial DRM scheme that requires players be online.

Rather than being kicked back to the last checkpoint should their connection drop out--as was originally the case--players will be able to resume the game "from the exact same point" when they reconnect. The 19MB patch is over on FileShack now.

Meanwhile, a cracking group claims to have successfully circumvented the DRM solution's implementation in Silent Hunter 5, enabling Ubisoft Romania's submarine sim to run irrespective of the player's online status--or the legitimacy of their copy.

Ubisoft has responded on Twitter saying "any gamer who downloads and plays a cracked version of [AC2] and [SH5] will find that their version is not complete"--a statement that seemingly confirms the crack is functional in some manner.

While Ubisoft does not specify in which way cracked copies are "not complete," it's a safe bet that online saved game storage is one such unavailable feature.

via: http://www.shacknews.com/onearticle.x/62628

There are already many reports stating that saving works just fine on SH5, so it's most likely FUD that Ubisoft is trying to spread here since they know the protection is no longer viable. However, I wouldn't be surprised if there are DRM triggers within the game itself, so even if the main protection is removed, cracked versions may run into other issues still.

Anyway it goes the protection has been cracked, that much is a fact. And once again the only real losers in the equation here are going to be legitimate customers.

 

[HeXen]

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

I have all 3 matrix movies, i have never seen all that crap aside from fbi warning. maybe its one of the variaous versions like uncut or 3 in 1 pack or something but i kinda laughed cause i havent personally seen a DVD i could not skip past the trailers and go directly to root menu

 

[pmv]

I have all 3 matrix movies, i have never seen all that crap aside from fbi warning. maybe its one of the variaous versions like uncut or 3 in 1 pack or something but i kinda laughed cause i havent personally seen a DVD i could not skip past the trailers and go directly to root menu

I've seen plenty. Though some don't. Not sure why some let you skip and some don't. The bit that annoys me (here in Europe) is endlessly getting the same stupid warning about not watching it on an oil rig or a prison, only in 20 different languages.

 

[smackababy]

I've seen plenty. Though some don't. Not sure why some let you skip and some don't. The bit that annoys me (here in Europe) is endlessly getting the same stupid warning about not watching it on an oil rig or a prison, only in 20 different languages.

He's using a concept called hyperbole. It is a literary technique. You should look it up.

Actually here: hyperbole: obvious and intentional exaggeration (dictionary.com)

 

[pmv]

He's using a concept called hyperbole. It is a literary technique. You should look it up.

Actually here: hyperbole: obvious and intentional exaggeration (dictionary.com)

Sorry, but I don't know what you are referring to. I'm quite aware of what it means, but who is using it?

 

[smackababy]

Sorry, but I don't know what you are referring to. I'm quite aware of what it means, but who is using it?

I'm sorry I quoted the wrong person... =( I meant to quote the guy talking about the geekologie's picture.

 

[mindcycle]

I have all 3 matrix movies, i have never seen all that crap aside from fbi warning. maybe its one of the variaous versions like uncut or 3 in 1 pack or something but i kinda laughed cause i havent personally seen a DVD i could not skip past the trailers and go directly to root menu

I've never run into non-skippable previews on DVD's but I definitely have on Blu-ray discs.

 

[pmv]

I'm sorry I quoted the wrong person... =( I meant to quote the guy talking about the geekologie's picture.

Fair 'nuff.

I really hate the stupid anti-piracy bit on UK DVDs. Not that I'm pro-piracy at all (why bother anyway, when you only watch a DVD once?) but seeing that crap over and over and over again gets annoying quickly.

And declaring "You wouldn't steal a car" really just invites the response "hmm, though I might make a copy of one if only I could". I mean, look I haven't pirated the damn video, if I had I wouldn't be watching this stupid message would I? Why are you picking someone who clearly _isn't_ a pirate to accuse of potentially being a pirate? Its like those shop-keepers who treat every customer as a potential shop-lifter and follow you round the shop.

 

[Bob151]

Wasn't it a European Ubisoft development office that got caught with high-end graphics development software sometime between FC1 and FC2? Something about each installed instance of this software cost about $10K-20K each, only they didn't have license.

 

[smackababy]

Fair 'nuff.

I really hate the stupid anti-piracy bit on UK DVDs. Not that I'm pro-piracy at all (why bother anyway, when you only watch a DVD once?) but seeing that crap over and over and over again gets annoying quickly.

And declaring "You wouldn't steal a car" really just invites the response "hmm, though I might make a copy of one if only I could". I mean, look I haven't pirated the damn video, if I had I wouldn't be watching this stupid message would I? Why are you picking someone who clearly _isn't_ a pirate to accuse of potentially being a pirate? Its like those shop-keepers who treat every customer as a potential shop-lifter and follow you round the shop.

The thing is though, if stealing a car only took the effort it takes to "steal" music, and the repercussion were the same, auto theft would be so high nobody would buy a car.

 

[zerogear]

LMAO.. I can't remember the last time I bought a Ubisoft game.