News - Ubisoft confirms DRM strategy for PC games

[Chainsaws]

Maybe the publishers would be reporting profits if people felt like they actually owned the game after they had paid for it like they do with console games. I know it's not as simple as that but being told I can't even GIVE a game to a friend after I've finished with it because I'm breaking the law is not the sort of attitude that gets me to fork over my hard earned money to someone!

Copyright law needs to update to reflect the fact that technology has changed and what was acceptable twenty or thirty years ago isn't now.

[Andy3536]

Do you think the people that run the company actually are gamers? Or just all bean counters....

[AGTDenton]

Are we talking about the same MS products here? They're full of DRM that queries your computer and tracks hardware changes etc.

I agree the support around it is much better, but few publishers can afford to spend the amount that MS does on it's support system - after all, most of MS's revenue comes from business, not private individuals interested in playing games.

Heard of Windows activation?

Most publishers make a loss, not profit.

Like I said it was a rant. Yes MS does have a DRM system but it isnt as intrusive or noticable and is fairly well built in. It at least doesnt cause your software to crash and force you to re-install a million times like a lot of game DRM systems do.
Battlefield 2142 has to be my worst experience to date. It would constantly claim I had some tampered exe file and throw me out mid way in a game. I must have uninstalled/reinstalled the game and punkbuster about 20 times before I decided I dont need the grief any more. I now dont plan on playing any other Battlefield game. As far as im concerned its the publisher/developers fault Im not buying a future release and their fault they wont be making as much money as they could.

And yes I have heard of Microsoft activation, it was what I was referring to when I mentioned that you can phone MS to activate your software.

[roorooroo]

I think i'll just catch up on all my old non-drm games instead of parting with my dabs for any of this nonsense.

[Chainsaws]

Do you think the people that run the company actually are gamers? Or just all bean counters....

Is that a serious question? If I had a solid gold Ferrari to drive I don't think I'd be playing video games either.

It seems to me that if your average five year old could look at a DRM system and realise it's bad solely from the concept then there is no way the person who forced its implementation has ever tried to use it.

[dangel]

Heard of Windows activation?

Heard of activation via ze telephone? You don't need to me OL to activate windows.. And anyway, look how everything gets pirated anyway - it's living proof that such schemes have limitations. PA is now part of many software co's products but it's potentially nowhere near as stupid as UBI's scheme.