Followers of the penguin, witness with me the insolence that is Ubisoft's most recent tomfoolery. Speaking to GameSpot, Ubisoft VP of digital publishing Chris Early enlightens us with what many of us knew years ago, namely that any game will be cracked and made available online given enough time and effort. Here's the kicker! Developing games that people actually want to pay for fixes this! No way!
Sounds reasonable, right? Well, as is logical, take one step forward, two steps back. As this visionary goes on, it is eventually revealed that the focus shouldn't merely be on developing better, more compelling games, rather, that Ubisoft's games should have more online services (which pirates do not have access to) built into them.
Ahhh, what Ubisoft really means is that current DRM is failing, so new DRM needs to be brought in to fix this. Got it. To my knowledge, Ubisoft does not yet have a presence on Linux, but with Windows gamers constantly getting shafted, do Linux gamers want such a company to join the fray?
Ubisoft VP of digital publishing Chris EarlyWhat becomes key for us is making sure we're delivering an experience to paying players that is quality. I don't want us in a position where we're punishing a paying player for what a pirate can get around. Anything is going to be able to be pirated given enough time and enough effort to get in there. So the question becomes, what do we create as services, or as benefits, and the quality of the game, that will just have people want to pay for it?
Sounds reasonable, right? Well, as is logical, take one step forward, two steps back. As this visionary goes on, it is eventually revealed that the focus shouldn't merely be on developing better, more compelling games, rather, that Ubisoft's games should have more online services (which pirates do not have access to) built into them.
Ubisoft VP of digital publishing Chris EarlyI think it's much more important for us to focus on making a great game and delivering good services. The reality is, the more service there is in a game, pirates don't get that," Early said. "So when it's a good game and there's good services around it, you're incentivized to not pirate the game to get the full experience.
Ahhh, what Ubisoft really means is that current DRM is failing, so new DRM needs to be brought in to fix this. Got it. To my knowledge, Ubisoft does not yet have a presence on Linux, but with Windows gamers constantly getting shafted, do Linux gamers want such a company to join the fray?
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I must be reading somebody radically different, because I'm pretty sure what they said doesn't equal DRM. Services could be anything, from achievements to free roaming multiplayer.
People on the internet always complain, yet their games keep selling millions. There obviously is a demand.
The only recent Ubisoft game that was really good in my opinion was R.U.S.E.
Anno 2070 and it's perpetual connection required to play... I had to wait 6 month to activate it, since I was behind a restrictive firewall, and unable (I was trying to play on windows) to redirect everything trough a VPN. The support said they couldn't do anything.
Splinter Cell : conviction was a ok-ish game, not really a stealth and infiltration game.
I never tried assassin's creed, but I really dislike this entirely scripted combat system (and the whole mechanics of this game), where you are not really in control of the game. Sure, this makes really smooth movements, but if you want beautifully executed actions from someone you don't control, just watch a movie.
Settlers online. I won't comment on this.
There may be some other games I can't remember right now, but since I can't remember those, I certainly disliked them.
But, what I dislike most about Ubisoft games, is their character animations : those must be right into the uncanny valley for me, but I can't stand the way people move around in ubisoft games. Either in Anno 2070, settlers online, or what I have observed in assassin's creed (some of my friends are really hardcore fans of it), this is always, more or less, the same body animations for the peasants, that I find simply revulsing. And I am not really exigent in terms of animations : I have no problems with those of Deus Ex, or Half-life 1. This is specific to Ubisoft games.
I was wondering... Is there anyone else annoyed by this, or am I the only one?
To temperate a bit : I liked Trackmania, HAWX, Just dance (Wii), and some others.
Yes, I would like to see Ubisoft games on Linux, even if I disliked some. NO, I DON'T WANT to see those Ubisoft "services" on Linux. Just make GOOD games, please. That will be enough for you to be paid, and you have great room for improvements, just see Watchdogs.
Being honest with you I don't really have a problem with their titles, however I do always play their games once they land on sales (so they are patched up by then). Uplay doesn't bother me too much as well, it just extends the loading. The only time I really had a problem with it was after Watch Dogs launched and I was trying to play Far Cry 3, it just won't launch it, took me a few tries. I'm not saying I like it, but it's only a minor drawback to me.
Considering that I read that article before seeing the GOL article, I still stand by what I said.
I dont want them anywhere near my precious kernels.