Uplay, Steam, Impulse, Origin..oh my arrggh

[HeXen]

i just have to vent somewhere. because its been a good 10 minutes spent staring at a "create your username" in yet another gaming service i'm required to have in order to play a game on the same platform.

i bought Driver SF on Steam deal. Now i'm required to sign up for Uplay apparently and every name i think of that is gonna be memorable months later down the road after i'm done playing this game, is taken. even stupid names like C17 is taken...seriously? i have to come up with some alpha numerical name, which would be fine if i thought i could recall it when some future title comes out after i'm done using auto login for so long on this game.

So now i have Steam with a certain username. Origin with a different one since my Steam name is already in use and of course i have 1 game using Impulse with yet another name....and now, Uplay

Just sayn, this is just too many services to sign into, i guess Uplay is nicer that i don't have to download another client running in the background at all times but still. Sign into Steam, press play then sign into onother service?...wtf, its retarded.

 

[shortylickens]

I never heard of Uplay, but Yuplay gave me so much shit I stopped using it entirely. Shame cuz I like Wings of Prey.

 

[ImpulsE69]

Actually...it's not just the gaming servers, it's also the games. There was some game that I basically said screw it because they wanted a login name and a user name, and you also had to have a forum name. None of which could be the same and their "rules" were rediculous for names.

If companies can't at least just let ppl use emails as names rather than the dumb hoops..blah..yea..I know..its probably not a big deal, but it is rather annoying. /end rant

 

[lupi]

welcome your new drm overlords.

 

[Nintendesert]

welcome your new drm overlords.

Hey, I'll take these online services over the rootkits and securom BS any day. At least some of them offer something beyond just DRM.

 

[Dankk]

I never heard of Uplay, but Yuplay gave me so much shit I stopped using it entirely. Shame cuz I like Wings of Prey.

Uplay is the service Ubisoft requires you to sign into with all of their newer games now. As for Yuplay, I only have one game that uses it, and it seems like the Russian equivalent of Uplay or something. Same old stuff pretty much.

 

[HeXen]

well Uplay seems to be more like Steam from what i can tell, which is fine but would be nice to have ALL my games completely on one service should i choose. http://uplay.ubi.com/en-GB

But forcing it when buying through steam? c'mon. i noticed they have a Uplay client you can download which looks nicer than Origin and i'm guessing steam is using some type of light version which is just a sign on into the server....alright fine, but let me pick a decent username that doesn't require multiple numbers involved. i'll never remember that and lose it if i write it down.
still don't have a username yet btw.
I've tried before to keep the same username across every service i use, from my PS3, to web forums but there's always a few that won't allow certain characters or require a letter first before any numbers ...etc. its impossible.:thumbsdown:

But this is just too much because when does it end? Activision and Sega going to come up with their own too? we goin to have 10 + game services from which to log into or have running?
So many services for games yet they all only work in Windows for the most part...just complaining theres no real Linux gaming in this regard. Steam has mac version but with limited selection.

Hey, I'll take these online services over the rootkits and securom BS any day. At least some of them offer something beyond just DRM.

i dunno, the thing with rootkits, at least a properly designed one specifically for DRM purposes, you wouldn't know its there really and most of all, you wouldn't have to sign in just to play. whatever data a rootkit may send is no different than you not knowing what Origin..etc really sends out either.
Besides, Origin has been called a Trojan around on the net, why i dunno, but reading the EULA's on these and then on top of that the game's EULA's both you have to agree to, they all might as well be malware but i won't go so far as to call any of them that just yet.

 

[SMOGZINN]

If only we could have one service that could handle all this for us. It could be funded by selling games and act as a hub for both downloading and launching the games we want to play.
If only such a thing was possible. Why would game companies not use such a service?

This is not DRM, it is that they want your information because information is valuable. The more places they can get you to sign in the more information they can get from you.

 

[Nvidiaguy07]

If only we could have one service that could handle all this for us. It could be funded by selling games and act as a hub for both downloading and launching the games we want to play.
If only such a thing was possible. Why would game companies not use such a service?

steam?

 

[HeXen]

If only we could have one service that could handle all this for us. It could be funded by selling games and act as a hub for both downloading and launching the games we want to play.
If only such a thing was possible. Why would game companies not use such a service?

This is not DRM, it is that they want your information because information is valuable. The more places they can get you to sign in the more information they can get from you.

you mean like Trinity chat that lets you log into AOL chat, Yahoo chat..etc all under one client interface?
yeah, that wouldn't be too bad, but if you had to use different usernames for each one it would defeat the purpose in regards to a game service

I would actually prefer to see some more standards in PC gaming. Steam felt closer to that, but the openness allows for monstrosities to occur, greedy copy cats making their own and force gamers onto it if they want to play, likely all because of money.

Just wait, before long, individual developers will have their own clients to sell games through and try to bypass publishers.

 

[thilanliyan]

Any Ubi game requiring UPlay, I just get a fixed EXE. I am not dealing with more online crap for the SP games I payed for.

 

[surfsatwerk]

No Steam, no good.

 

[shortylickens]

No Steam, no good.

A lot of junk on Steam has other people's DRM too. I hate that.

 

[HeXen]

ha, just a few of the stupid names that Ubisoft says is already taken.

airconditioner
mycar ...really? someone chose the name mycar as a username? lol whatever Ubi
carmy...even backwards too eh.

but hey, found a non alpha numeric that Ubi accepts...gofarkyourself. ha, surely i can remember that one cause that's how i feel about Uplay right now.

 

[PrincessFrosty]

Yep.

I have 1 mobile and 1 mobile network to service my call needs and in the same way I have 1 digital distribution service to service my game needs, that happens to be steam, pick a platform and stick to it is my advice.

I have had to sacrifice some games in order to remain exclusive to one platform but i'll be buggered if I'm going to buy 260 games on steam and then install 1 other client for BF3, then another client for game X and another client for game Y, repeat ad nausem.

1 client is enough, either publishers can release on that or no sale, it's honestly that simple.

 

[HeXen]

pick a platform and stick to it is my advice.

.

but i had to sign up for Uplay from a game i bought on Steam. lol. that is the whole end game rage for me atm.
You can't get away from this crap and can only assume it will get worse.
So now if i want to play Driver: SF, i have to go through steam, which pops up Uplay, sign in through that using another account name cause heaven forbid they should use the same account name or email name. Then after i'm done playing, i have to see a second pop up saying "thanks for playing" ...and mind you theres tons of crap in the background for me to buy games or whatever. close that then close the Uplay screen...its just more clicking, more hassle for basically no real good reason.

1 client is enough, either publishers can release on that or no sale, it's honestly that simple.

agree, but i don't see any indication that warns the buyer beforehand that you will have to sign into Uplay to play. maybe it was there and i missed it, i doubt it.

I don't know if EA forces Origin login if you buy Crysis 2 on steam, but i'm sure its only a matter of time.

 

[natto fire]

A lot of junk on Steam has other people's DRM too. I hate that.

Yep, and I really hope Valve figures out a way to stop that, even if it means carrying fewer games. I only use Steam at this point because of how well it works for me, and I own loads of games on it. I loved BF2, so it was hard to resist BF3, but I put my money where my mouth is when it comes to praising Steam, not that it didn't have it's growing pains.

 

[PrincessFrosty]

but i had to sign up for Uplay from a game i bought on Steam. lol. that is the whole end game rage for me atm.

Oh right, I see what you mean.

I just don't buy those games at all, I really wanted to get the new Batman Arkham City but I didn't because it requires GFWL, you have to sacrifice some truly good games to stick to your principles which is a shame and often quite hard to do especially when the games drop in price in sales, but it has to be done to discourage this behaviour.

I don't care if I'm the only person left in the world doing this, out of principle I will always act in a way which if everyone acted in that way, we'd all benefit. I'll always encourage others to do the same.

 

[TheKub]

I just don't buy those games at all, I really wanted to get the new Batman Arkham City but I didn't because it requires GFWL

I know it installs it as part of the game but I could've swore that you could skip signing up/in and just use "local mode" for it.

 

[darkswordsman17]

I agree, and it was one of the things that made Xbox Live a good experience early on (that and the consistent chat setup, and global chat features), but that's not true any more (and multiple logins on consoles is really annoying without a good keyboard).

I know it installs it as part of the game but I could've swore that you could skip signing up/in and just use "local mode" for it.

Is there a way to skip it? I bought Insanely Twisted Shadow Planet without seeing that it was GFWL and then just quit and uninstalled it after it went to it. I don't care about achievements or any of that crap, I just want to play the damn game.

 

[TheKub]

I would have to double check it when I got home but I am almost certain there is, I think it gives you a couple confirmation boxes about all the "cool" things your missing out on but its lets you set your bindings and save games just fine. Mind you, it is still installed, just not "used" so if your protest is with having it installed you're still stuck but if you just object to being forced to use it you may be clear.

 

[HeXen]

anyone remember GTA IV's forcing of Rockstar social club AND GFWL? god i was so pissed and early on it was buggy as hell just to log in to either one of them. they finally removed it in a patch later though.

I wouldn't mind Origin in my BF3 if Origin would just shut down after i'm done playing and quickly log me in when i click to play...though clicking to play through a browser i was not happy with.
i just prefer to open up a simple GUI like steam. see my games, click play and see the damn game play.

 

[shortylickens]

Yep, and I really hope Valve figures out a way to stop that, even if it means carrying fewer games. I only use Steam at this point because of how well it works for me, and I own loads of games on it. I loved BF2, so it was hard to resist BF3, but I put my money where my mouth is when it comes to praising Steam, not that it didn't have it's growing pains.

I got stuck with Yuplay cuz they didnt say anything on Wings of Prey's store page.
A week AFTER I complained about it, they started doing a better job of putting such info up there.

 

[mindcycle]

Any Ubi game requiring UPlay, I just get a fixed EXE. I am not dealing with more online crap for the SP games I payed for.

yup, same here, except I don't buy Ubisoft games.

 

[HeXen]

i'm not gonna miss out on enjoyable games due to a brand bias. i just think there needs to be a limit when it comes to forcing a gaming service and its wrong to hold exclusive titles to a specified service...lookn at you EA with your BF3. but i still bought it why can i no buy on steam EA?