Ubisoft's DRM for Assassin's Creed II is Cracked

[hoofhearted]

What really pisses me off about this type of DRM, is that it totally rips off the consumer.

Now most consumers don't know about this DRM when they purchase the game from the local Walmart. They buy the game, get it home, and only realize this DRM crap after they install it. Now they can't even return the game. Why? Because most stores will not take it back after the shrinkrap or seal is broken in the event that you made a copy. I want a refund simply because it wasn't what I expected. A game that I don't really own, but more a game client. But I can't even do that. I am stuck with a worthless pile of crap.

I keep a gaming PC without any internet connection. Awesome video card, motherboard, etc, but no constant internet connection. I only use it when I have to run an update or play a multiplayer game. I also have a laptop which I like to take on the road when I am riding with my wife on a long trip and like to play a game. Bothe of the gaming venues are lost for me.

 

[XJDHDR]

First of all, everyone should read this article: http://www.tweakguides.com/Piracy_1.html
I know it is long but read it all. It is a real eye-opener.

Next, I have to ask the question:
If your internet connection can't handle the small bandwidth requirements required to use this DRM (my 100Kbps dial-up meets the requirements), how is it going to handle the enormous bandwidth required to download a pirated game? If you have a good internet connection, you have no reason to complain about the DRM. If you have a bad connection then tough luck, you won't be able to get the pirated version either.

You don't have to crack a console game. Yet piracy rates on consoles is about 6 times lower than PC even though the install base is nowhere near that number. Two months ago, a game magazine I subscribe to declared that "THE PS3 HAS FINALLY BEEN HACKED!". Therefore, piracy on a console is much harder than a PC and that explains why every game developer prioritizes the consoles above the PC (including the former PC-exclusive Crytek).

Next, none of you have any evidence that shows how much money Ubisoft has gained or lost through using this DRM so stop acting as if you do. All it proves is how stupid you actually are. I have studied Business Management so I know what the goals of a business are.

The first priority of every business is to make a profit, end of story. Therefore, it is not logical to assume that a business would make business decisions that would risk that profit without a good reason. Once you think logically, you realise that this DRM makes sense. The game went uncracked for over a month. That is more than a month of people who couldn't wait for a cracked version and bought the game rather than wait. If you look at statistics, most of a game's sales happen in the week after it is released. If a pirated version of that game is released in that week, sales plummet. Therefore, DRM is only meant to protect the game in that first week.

Someone said that DRM hurts sales more than piracy. I'm sorry to say that your theory is not factual to the point that it is completely wrong and it proves that you have a very short memory. I, however, still remember the fiasco that happened with the latest Prince of Persia. Do you remember? The high-quality game that had absolutely no DRM? That was pirated so heavily that it has only made 2 mil sales to date (AC2, with it's highly-intrusive DRM, made more than half that figure in it's first week). Visit Wikipedia and you will find these sales figures. So actually, it is piracy that hurts more. YOU just shot yourself in the foot with that rediculous theory.

Actually, hacking future games that use this DRM will be just as hard because the whole system works by storing files on the Ubisoft server. The entire problem faced by the hacker is getting those files onto their PC. Even the person that created the emulated server had to ask people to donate their save games to make it work (Which is stupid of them. Why should they donate their saves from their paid copy to help others get the game for free? Talk about lambs to the slaughter).

To close off, I would like to pose a question to all of you:
When a shop is selling a game to someone, how is the person selling the game supposed to tell the difference between a legitimate buyer and a cracker?
When you can provide an answer that a gaming company can use, then you can complain about how DRM punishes the legitimate buyer. Otherwise, you're just showing off the fact that you are selfish and self-centered.

And finally for those of you that respect Skidrow, I have some bad news. According to this forum topic:
http://cs.rin.ru/forum/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=56074&sid=a3d0e980e106d8e61ff6bcdceebd1cf3&start=30
Skidrow actually stole the missions file that made the emulated server work to use in their crack then turned around and insulted the server emulation, describing it as "Inferior to our cracks". So what does this say about them?

 

[Teirdome]

In reality, Ubi won here. The majority of sales occur in the first 30 days after purchase. Keeping it from being pirated for that long is a big win.

 

[christop]

there is always away around DRM.

 

[Guest]

Companies continue to lose my business with their stupid DRM. No way ill buy a single player game that requires an internet connection to play.

The industry is pretty screwed up when you have to download a crack to be able to play the game you payed money for. Unfortunately ive had to do this multiple times. Pay $50 for a game, that wont run AT ALL unless i download a crack for it. Even more insulting when the demos work fine, but the real game wont work at all without a crack.

I don't pirate games, i just don't buy from companies that use invasive DRM.

 

[pyroghozt]

You know there are 3rd World Country gamers that don't have internet at their homes (or sometimes only net on the weekends) who have to have to find other means of getting downloads. Its clear that Ubisoft was not thinking of them when they did this. I'm not surprised if they just torrent and crack the game out of spite now.

Thanks Ubisoft for not thinking ahead and being absolute jerks.

 

[Talon]

I am happy to hear it has been cracked as the main reason I had no intention of buying it were due to the DRM. Having said that I may buy the game now that I know I can disable the annoyances that would hinder my enjoyment of it.

I find it odd that most say they didn't buy due to DRM but now with the crack, they don't say they still won't buy it, oh no, they say they still won't buy it but will certainly download it (pirate it) for free then use the crack. That is why they keep pushing these DRM schemes.

I dislike Ubisoft for their tactics but if I just DL it and play it with the crack I'm sort of giving justification to the same tactics I despise. I have bought or traded for every game I've ever played and regardless of the idiot company making it tough, if there is a crack that alleviates the pain and I feel like I really want to play it I will purchase it legitimately or be no worse than the pirates themselves imo.

There are plenty of games I have passed over due to DRM and even when cracked still not purchased but not because I Downloaded for free then played it but because it wasn't enticing enough for me to spend $50 on so I passed the game over completely.

Make a stand with your buying dollar, I encourage it, but if you "want" to play the game don't "steal" it just because the company or publisher had a moronic moment. That makes them badguys (jackasses?) and you bad as well for playing it illegally by never purchasing your license.

my 2 cents....

 

[rooket]

nice but well with this crumbling economy we live in, I have found that there is no point in purchasing video games. so I think even after we pull out of it I won't be buying any. makers of this game need not worry i'm not interested in this game at all anyway. I've heard stories about why the DRM on EA games is bad and well it is easy enough to avoid by simply not supporting the manufacturer at all in not pirating their game and also not buying it.

 

[haze4peace]

DRM on Avatar has been cracked too. Too bad for the legitimate customers who bought the Blu-Ray that doesn't play on their Blu-Ray player.

 

[randomizer]

Their servers were brought down by pirates in a DDoS attack to show how poor the DRM is.

So if I DDoS your DNS does that show how poor the Internet is? Your statement makes no sense.

 

[eddieroolz]

As with most here, I am also supportive of SkidRow's efforts.

 

[doorspawn]

Randomizer, his statement makes perfect sense.
One of the reasons DRM is poor because it prevents players playing unless their servers are up. This is therefore poor in comparison to most games where you can play without producers' servers.

There are many other reasons their servers won't be up. Technical problems at either end can cause this. As can bankruptcy, perhaps faulty DNS like we just had due to China (depending on whether their IP is static).
Note: That's completely ignoring those who for some reason don't have Internet wherever they want to play.

 

[haplo602]

This whole situation makes me sad. It seems this is a downward spiral for the PC game industry. The worst part is the publishers not realising one thing: the more DRM they employ, the more hackers will crop up with the intent to crack/circumvent it just because of the challenge. They are NOT interested in actualy playing the game for free, that's a byproduct of their actions. All they want is to rise to the challenge of cracking/circumventing the DRM protection.

This is a win-win situation for the hackers and loss for all the others. However this is the same with movies and music. The publishers are still lost in time about 50 years ago.

HINT to game publishers: DLC is the way to go. Offer upgrades and expansions to the game for a fee and make a Steam like distribution engine (hell sign up for Steam for all it's worth) and split the cost of the game in a reasonable manner. This way you get all the benefits with little loss:

1. Less incentive to pirate the game beacuase it costs less on release, there's no intrusive or any other restrictive DRM on the game.

2. Future revenue from DLC if the game is good (hint: moder content validation and rating in the DLC for a fee -> free money)

3. Game holds resale value because it is not restricted and people that would not meet the DRM can actualy play it.

Now the split between DLC and off-line part needs to be done right and the games actualy have to be worth it (i.e. if you botch the offline part, forget about revenue from DLC).

See ? It's that easy.

(A hint for the anti-pirate people: you cannot steal software. The most you do is copyright violation, also there's no IP theft in simple usage of it, the author still retains the original IP. The only IP violation is in reuse for commercial purposes without the creators consent.)

 

[xrodney]

[citation][nom]bison88[/nom]Took 'em almost a month to crack efficiently, so in a way they are making copy protections and DRM more difficult for those breaking it, but not making it efficient for people who actually BOUGHT the games with it.[/citation]
Month only because it was something new, now when they know how to do it it wont take more then few days to crack same DRM in other games.

 

[agawtrip]

ubisoft, what will you do with SC conviction now?

 

[bebangs]

Quote: SkiDrow "We just make their lifes [sic] easier."
SkiDrow - WIN!
Ubisoft - Fail

 

[isamuelson]

Until UBISoft actually releases a patch to remove it, I refuse to purchase and play this game. I won't pirate it either because that's wrong. Sure, if I purchase it, I could get the crack, but who would you trust getting it from? Viruses are spread through those like wildfire.

Too bad too many people got suckered into purchasing this product. As I said, I will be staying away from it, as well as any future release that contains this draconian type of protection until it is legally removed by the publisher. Until then, they will not see a penny from me and the game will not find a place on my hard drive.

 

[xrodney]

[citation][nom]isamuelson[/nom]Until UBISoft actually releases a patch to remove it, I refuse to purchase and play this game. I won't pirate it either because that's wrong. Sure, if I purchase it, I could get the crack, but who would you trust getting it from? Viruses are spread through those like wildfire.Too bad too many people got suckered into purchasing this product. As I said, I will be staying away from it, as well as any future release that contains this draconian type of protection until it is legally removed by the publisher. Until then, they will not see a penny from me and the game will not find a place on my hard drive.[/citation]
Same here, steam had it on sale but had to pass as I am no way paying for that crap drm, want to play anytime, and not just when I am on internet.

 

[tommysch]

Reloaded must be pissed

 

[jitpublisher]

Hmmm. DRM? I won't buy. I'll spend the money on bait and go fishing, or go to a movie, or go skiing, or maybe clam digging, or to a ball game, or something. I am not going to get into the whole pirating/legal/crack thing, I'll just find other entertainment to spend my money on. I think that the best message to send Ubisoft, "you are not getting my money". But alas, guess what? An awful lot of people will buy it anyway. But not me. I am sure if I never play the game, my life will somehow go on.

 

[rollerdisco]

[citation][nom]kd0frg[/nom]digi, just buy the game then use the crack is your that bent on it.[/citation]
Dont give them your money, f-them. download it for free and enjoy.

 

[kdashjl]

time to play

 

[STravis]

Once again - DRM is designed to prevent the casual pirate from stealing the game and will NEVER stand up to the dedicated pirates... with that being said, is it worth it?

Probably not. Companies spend way too much time devising DRMs (that could probably be better invested in developing actual game code) and can - particularly in the case of this DRM - cause nothing but grief for your paying customers (while the ones running illegal copies of the game have no issues).

A piss poor idea if I have ever heard of one.

 

[viometrix]

i dont agree with piracy, but these people need to loosen up on drm, i mean sheesh in this economy what if you cant offord internet for a period of time?

 

[rooket]

lol I get -1 on my comment about saving money and not supporting piracy. u guys can go ahead and go far into credit debt in this depression but I won't.