Topic: Ubisofts new horrible DRM

[Pugnate]

Nuts. Worse case scenario.

[beo]

haha, nice.

i wouldn't be surprised if more "active" members of the internet community ddos'd them.

[idolminds]

Ubisoft is in full damage control mode.

[Xessive]

"Ubisoft would like to apologise to anyone who could not play ACII or SH5 yesterday," the company said in a statement this afternoon.

"Servers were attacked and while the servers did not go down, service was limited from 2.30pm to 9pm Paris time [1.30pm - 8pm GMT].

"95 per cent of players were not affected, but a small group of players attempting to open a game session did receive denial of service errors.

"All players with an open session during the attack were not affected.

"We also confirm that, at this time, no valid cracked version of either Silent Hunter 5 or Assassin’s Creed II are available."

So, what they're saying is that 95% of all players were playing the game at the time of the attack and were not disconnected, and 5% were not playing and only noticed the problem when they launched the game? I find it hard to believe that for the 10 hours or so the service has been down only 5% of players were trying to reconnect and failing and that 95% were playing or just left their games the whole time. That's an arbitrary statistic and clearly just a PR statement to try to justify Ubi's bullshit DRM scheme.

[Pugnate]

What I find far more interesting is that "Ubisoft DRM was 'attacked' at weekend"...

It seems that hackers haven't been able to crack this DRM still, so is this them taking out their frustration?

[scottws]

What I find far more interesting is that "Ubisoft DRM was 'attacked' at weekend"...

It seems that hackers haven't been able to crack this DRM still, so is this them taking out their frustration?

This is a press release, who knows if it is actually true.  Maybe the attack was just a DDoS attack caused by their own games trying to authenticate.  Maybe there was no attack at all and their DRM server solution sucked and crashed.  Who knows.  I hardly trust Ubisoft to be forthcoming, especially if it was a fault of their own.

[Pugnate]

At the same time, even if there was an attack, it is in their best interests to make sure that this blows over. While an actual hacker attack may draw some sympathy, people will be less willing to buying their products if there is aura of vulnerability, no matter what the reason.

If they have hard evidence of an actual attack, I doubt they'd want to talk about it more than they already have.

[Cobra951]

The damage is done.  If it slows down sales of this game at all, it was a triumph.

[Xessive]

Man, it's just so disappointing for me since some of my favourite studios belong to Ubi: Ubisoft Montréal, Ubisoft Montpellier (France), Massive, Red Storm.

I just hope the shitstorm blows over and Ubi release patches that alleviate this ridiculous campaign.

[Xessive]

Ubisoft has sent an email to all owners of Assassin's Creed 2 and Silent Hunter 5 providing compensation for earlier outages of their DRM servers caused by DDOS attacks. Depending on the edition you purchased, the compensation ranges from free additional content to a free game such as HAWX or Prince of Persia.

Interesting. They must be really under pressure over this DRM scheme and they think this might sway people.

[W7RE]

This whole thing just boggles my mind. One of the following had to happen:

1. They are dense enough to think most people really have an always-on net connection
2. They don't give a shit about what this will do to PC sales, and want to push people to buy a console version instead

If 1 is true: wtf? U dumb?
If 2 is true: why even release a PC version?



And this is coming from someone who bought the 360 version of AC2. I never even considered buying it for PC, and this whole DRM thing has had zero effect on me. It still makes ZERO sense.

[Cobra951]

I'm in the console group, but the effect on me is not zero.  I've decided never to buy another Ubisoft game new.  If I have to play one, I'll only buy it used.  I won't give this company a dime as long as they continue treating their paying customers this way.

Why do they do this?  Because they can.  Because people continue to buy their games regardless.  Do you think introducing this nut squeeze in a popular sequel was an accident?  As long as the money keeps going their way, what the hell do they care if we're unhappy?  The end justifies the means, as long as the means go unpunished.  All we can do is vote with our dollars (pounds, yen . . .).  Ranting online, even by big groups, won't accomplish anything.  Money talks.

[MysterD]

Interesting. They must be really under pressure over this DRM scheme and they think this might sway people.

I would say if I was one of the SH5 or AC2 PC owners -  "Thanks for the free game, but I still want the Ubi DRM patched-out for my other games."

[MysterD]

Austrailians are having problems running Settlers 7 b/c of the Ubisoft DRM.
We all knew something like this would likely happen...AGAIN.

[scottws]

I'm guessing it's basically Ubisoft DDoS-ing themselves with all the shiny new copies phoning home constantly.  Their infrastructure probably can't cope with the traffic.

[MysterD]

I'm guessing it's basically Ubisoft DDoS-ing themselves with all the shiny new copies phoning home constantly.  Their infrastructure probably can't cope with the traffic.

Yeah, basically - and they have nothing to gain by doing this.

Are they gonna give a free game from Ubi Store out again like they did to AC2 PC and SH5 owners? A free game is still not gonna convince PC gamers to deal w/ this ridiculous DRM scheme.

[idolminds]

So from what I've read, Assassins Creed 2 has been "cracked". In quotes because the games files aren't changed at all. Instead its a server emulator program. They had a few people play through the game and all the side missions while collecting all the incoming server data. So the user just downloads the server and that database, makes a change to their hosts file to redirect the game to the local server...and you play. Now that they have this figured out, they should be able to do it with future Ubisoft games. A quick look at torrents and the server + database is only 6MB.

I guess it "worked" if all they wanted to do was delay it...what, a month? But does that cover the cost of developing and running the system, the increase in support calls, the bad PR, etc? We'll never find out, I guess.

[Cobra951]

Excellent.  I hope it's a complete fix.  If I had a PC capable of playing it, I'd pirate it just out of spite.

[gpw11]

That sounds.....complicated. I'd be tempted but seriously? Like, I don't even...are you sure it's not just a giant key logger?

[Cobra951]

If you direct everything to localhost, I don't think so.  You can always pull the plug on the internet, and make sure it still works.  My firewall would prevent by default any app from phoning anywhere.  It should also be fairly easy to detect outgoing net traffic, so that someone would have blown the whistle on it by now.

It doesn't seem complicated at all.  I assume there's a setup program for this server thing.  It just completes the game code (which is most likely a longer and more involved install).  Setup, redirect, fuck you, Ubisoft.  I assume this would also work with legitimately purchased copies of the game.  Since this doesn't break any digital encryption or modify any game code, I doubt it runs afoul of the DMCA either.

[Xessive]

I downloaded the server files, and it looks like it's as you guys mentioned: you basically mod your hosts file and launch the server, the game redirects to the localhost. It supposedly works but it's not a clean job, you have to tweak a bit here and there. Still, if it works it'll mean Ubi has failed and looked stupid doing it.

EDIT:
I forgot to mention, the private server files are being updated consistently. They're on v0.44.1902 now.

[gpw11]

Well, I'll be checking into this....if you know what I mean.

[Xessive]

Good news, it works!

[Pugnate]

Well, I'll be checking into this....if you know what I mean.

Yea that first sentence was pretty clear.

[MysterD]

You know, all UbiSoft really should've done if they were so worried about this stuff was let the game require the standard activation and disc-in-the-drive Securom everybody was using...

Steam version - just stick w/ Steamworks DRM and no extra bullshit. Steam DRM's always enough DRM in itself, anyways.

All of these issues they having w/ their games makes them look foolish. They will drive customers away. Even if there is a unofficial crack/fix out, I still ain't buying this until it gets WAY cheaper - unless Ubi modifies the DRM scheme to something not-so-ridiculous.

[Cobra951]

The irony is that this crack may actually help Ubi, in some markets anyway.  If the servers are self-DDOS'd, no problem.  Download the server emulator+DB, and off you go.  No need for Ubi-bashing online or class-action suits.

[Xessive]

The irony is that this crack may actually help Ubi, in some markets anyway.  If the servers are self-DDOS'd, no problem.  Download the server emulator+DB, and off you go.  No need for Ubi-bashing online or class-action suits.

That wouldn't be the first time this scene has helped Ubi. I recall when Rainbow Six 3 was getting a lot of complaints about disc recognition and Ubi tech support offered a fixed exe, which turned out to be a NoCD crack made by a group known as Reloaded.

[MysterD]

That wouldn't be the first time this scene has helped Ubi. I recall when Rainbow Six 3 was getting a lot of complaints about disc recognition and Ubi tech support offered a fixed exe, which turned out to be a NoCD crack made by a group known as Reloaded.

I thought that happened w/ Rainbow Six: Vegas 2?

Personally - I think if game companies want to use a CD crack as a fixed EXE, as long as it doesn't contain any additional malware provided by the cracking groups (like Reloaded), so freaking be it. It's THEIR game, not Reloaded's.

Though, they probably should thank Reloaded in the credits for doing their DRM-cracking work for them, somewhere in Readme and in-game Credits...

There was a recent complaint by someone on GOG forums that Arcanum: GOG Edition is a cracked edition from some group that cracks DRM on games. Guess what? Hackers didn't make the game and publish it. As long as it doesn't contain any additional malware, who cares?

[Xessive]

My mistake! I meant Vegas 2 hehe For some reason when I think Rainbow Six, "Raven Shield" is always the one that pops into my head.

I don't complain about supposedly illegitimate sources providing legitimate solutions to problems, I just think it's ironic that the groups that Ubi (and others) are so vehemently combating are sometimes the ones who save them. I'd like to think these corporations at least offered some of these people jobs.

I hope Ubi get their heads out of their proverbial asses and resort to more "normal" protective measures.

[gpw11]

Yeah, I took advantage of the situation and checked out the workaround.  It does indeed work well, but there IS outgoing traffic (windows firewall asked for a permission), which I don't understand the reason for.  Doing a scan now.

That said, I'm not going to pay for this game.  The protection scheme is whacked, but the thing that really gets me is the shitty controller support.  It's straight out of 2000.  It DOES recognize my 360 controller, but unlike every other game on the market, it doesn't have a scheme for it.  That's one thing, but the real kicker is that it recognizes the two analogue triggers as either throttle buttons or another stick (three?).  So, as a result, I can't map them to any functions other than camera control.  Not a huge deal as it seems there are at least two controls I don't need that can be ignored so that the commands normally associated with these buttons can be  remapped to the bumpers, but a huge pet peeve of mine.

[Xessive]

Yeah, I took advantage of the situation and checked out the workaround.  It does indeed work well, but there IS outgoing traffic (windows firewall asked for a permission), which I don't understand the reason for.  Doing a scan now.

That said, I'm not going to pay for this game.  The protection scheme is whacked, but the thing that really gets me is the shitty controller support.  It's straight out of 2000.  It DOES recognize my 360 controller, but unlike every other game on the market, it doesn't have a scheme for it.  That's one thing, but the real kicker is that it recognizes the two analogue triggers as either throttle buttons or another stick (three?).  So, as a result, I can't map them to any functions other than camera control.  Not a huge deal as it seems there are at least two controls I don't need that can be ignored so that the commands normally associated with these buttons can be  remapped to the bumpers, but a huge pet peeve of mine.

Wow, that's pretty messed up considering how well the first game supported controllers. If I had one here I'd test it out.

Look into it, that doesn't seem right at all. Could it be an "xinput" driver issue?

[gpw11]

I looked into it a bit and didn't find anything except comfirmation that others are having the same issue. I'll do a more in-depth search when I get home.

[gpw11]

Problem solved. Apparently, this only occurs with the wireless Xbox 360 pads.  Ubisoft support replied to someone that "they should play with the wired pad, the wireless isn't supported."  What the fuck?  You'd think from the developer's perspective it's the same thing.  I mean, the driver is even the same.

Anyways, someone edited a couple files and if you install those everything works fine. 

[Pugnate]

Problem solved. Apparently, this only occurs with the wireless Xbox 360 pads.  Ubisoft support replied to someone that "they should play with the wired pad, the wireless isn't supported."  What the fuck?  You'd think from the developer's perspective it's the same thing.  I mean, the driver is even the same.

WTF?

[Cobra951]

WTF? x 2.  Why should the wireless pad look any different to the software in a PC?  Joypad wireless support is not internal to PCs.

[W7RE]

That's pretty stupid. I own 2 wireless pads and zero wired ones. So if I wanted to buy the game for PC and use a 360 controller I have to go buy a new and debateably inferior one just because they fucked it up?

[Cobra951]

I'm on the other side of that fence.  The wireless pad that came with my current Xbox still sits inside its factory-sealed plastic wrapped.  I just want to understand how wireless is different (from wired) to a PC once the signals get past the USB port.  And if there really are differences, some designer or coder is an idiot.

Edit:  Or . . . is it related to a capability for multiple pads to interface through a single USB connection?  (Is there such?)  That would be one legitimate reason for a difference, though it should still have nothing to do with pad functionality once a device is uniquely identified.

[W7RE]

Yea I'm not sure how the 2 are different. The wired one is USB (right?). The wireless one connects to the PC with a USB reciever wth a sync button on it. I would think that either way, the computer would see an xbox 360 controller coming in on a USB connection. Though, the drivers to give you the ability to hit the guide button and get an onscreen battery display, even if you're not in a game.

[scottws]

It shouldn't matter at all.  The Windows OS properly detects the controller and provides an API for it.  Ubisoft must be doing their own thing.

[W7RE]

Well there's apparently a difference somewhere in the hardware. There's a popular 3rd party set of drivers people like to use for 360 controllers, because it allows more options for games that don't specifically support for 360 controllers. I don't use them though, because they don't work with the wireless controller.