Check out our Monthly Survey Page to see what our users are running.
We do often include affiliate links to earn us some pennies. See more here.

Do We Want Ubisoft To Support Linux?

By - | Views: 70,184
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!

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? Article taken from GamingOnLinux.com.
Tags: DRM, Editorial
0 Likes
The comments on this article are closed.
80 comments
Page: «8/8
  Go to:

Areso Jun 23, 2014
There a places where internet are restricted (a various kinds of restricts, include p2p block, speed limitation, firewall limitation and so on), very expensive or just not present at all.
For example, if you live in Canada, Russia, China, Australia or any other big country - there are a lot of places, where is no Internet except the satellite ones (1 MB = 50 USD, yeah).
Then, if Steam suddenly goes permament offline (I don't wish it), you will lose not only achievements, but games indeed. As for I am.
What's why I prefer GOG for old games which I plaed back to school times, or HB for new indies. Steam provide a lot of useful value-added services, but there are also Steam's cons...
As for example: there are a lot of complains about Steam's refund policy... oh, one moment please, there are no refund policy on Steam at all as well there no guarantee of satisfaction or even running on your shiny new PC ;D You could buy rubbish game with misads and there are no possible way to refund... If you try to do it via chargeback - you could be banned from Steam for ages.
Speedster Jun 23, 2014
I had over a day just last week where internet was down at my house; being forced offline really is a thing that happens to people that aren't big powerful cyborgs like Beamboom ;)

It definitely would be annoying to have all my games inaccessible during internet outages, but much worse to have a game I still want to play get completely disabled because the authorization server goes away. Some gamers are betting on Valve to not get into financial trouble and get bought out by EA, with their habit of making game servers go away instead of letting the gaming community take them over http://www.ea.com/1/service-updates ... but since predictions of the future are rather difficult, not everybody would not want to make that kind of bet and would much rather keep control over games they buy. Actually some gamers get sick of a game after playing it for less than a year and can't imagine wanting to ever play it again, so they probably would just as soon rent games, which is what some of these DRM schemes amount to (rental with an unknown, but fairly long, time limit).
STiAT Jun 23, 2014
To be true, I hate the ubi launcher, and I hate the lock-in and DRM of them. But yes, I'd love to see it on Linux (FarCry 3 <3).

The thing is: in the end, I can decide if I want to go for it or not. Having the choice, that's what it all is about.
Beamboom Jun 24, 2014
Quoting: SpeedsterI had over a day just last week where internet was down at my house; being forced offline really is a thing that happens to people that aren't big powerful cyborgs like Beamboom ;)

Oooh I like the sound of that - I'll let that illusion reside. :)

Of course there's moments where I too am cut off from the internet at home (although, living in the center of the capital of Norway I must say it happens very rarely. I can only guess it's more common other places) but I don't think that's ever stopped me from starting a game. I just have never experienced the problems described.

But again, thanks for the replies, now I at least understand the anti comments better.
FutureSuture Jun 24, 2014
[Jim Sterlling on Ubisoft again.](http://www.escapistmagazine.com/videos/view/jimquisition/9462-Ubisoft-A-Sad-History-of-PC-Failures) Hot damn, Ubisoft is a really, really crappy company. I didn't know half of all that nonsense that Ubisoft had the gall to spout.
STiAT Jun 24, 2014
@FutureSuture I know all that - and still think they should. It's our decision weather to buy it or not.

They'd count me as pirate though, because even if I bought the games, I'd get cracks (non-uplay and drm bypass for not being online)...
reaVer Jun 24, 2014
Well, I pirated all the assassin's creeds and I never had the issues the video mentioned. I could play in offline mode and the only thing not available is multiplayer. Of course I'm not ever going to buy an Assassin's Creed as Ubisoft seems keen on making clear that I'm not the target audience.

Then the point of DRM... There have been companies that have publicly stated that DRM is just a load of crap. Pirates are people that aren't going to buy the game ANYWAY. What they however will do is make sure their friends play it, who might enjoy it enough to buy it. The latter will of course only happen if your game is not a piece of garbage.

Additionally, there's the multiplatform issue. If I buy a game, I expect to be able to play it or in the position to legally download a copy of it on any platform I want to. So if a consumer buys the game for the PS3, he will feel entitled to download the same game for the PC. This should not be a big deal and ubisoft should have a brain and understand it. The same way that Valve has understood it and is offering steam and steamgames for all of it's platforms based on the user account rather than the system's identifier. If they used their goddamn uplay with a bit more common sense they would easily be able to detect this.

Even CAPCOM understands this issue and has shown it understands it as they have kept release Street Fighter games for the PC despite the fact so many people pirated them. And CAPCOM has come to understand this issue because it dropped PC support for one release (SSF4) and got flamed by their consumers. But in contrast to many publishers out there, CAPCOM tends to listen rather than ignore it. (Though in secret, I expect this was all because players were modding their game to turn it into a nude fighter ;) )

Then there's the cost of people playing, which has dramatically changed. Valve has already realized this, Aeriagames has its entire business model based on it; just like nexon and a few others. People pay to support their favorite game. They pay a lot. That's why hats work. Does Ubisoft pick up on this? Of course not; they are French after all.

But for me the biggest problem of all is that I just can't wait to play Assassin's Creed 3 and onwards. I'd love to play the games but so far the games has never been released for me or those like me. I have played AC1, AC2, AC2:B and AC2:R. And because I pirated them all, I've thoroughly enjoyed them! Though in accordance with pretty much everyone else here: Ubisoft has to change. They need to focus more on making sure what they release isn't garbage and focus less on people copying their games. Pirated versions are not money lost for you cannot lose what you don't have. But with that change, I sincerely hope that we can enjoy a Linux version.
STiAT Jun 24, 2014
PS: I actually think if Ubisoft wouldn't have UPlay and the DRM they're using, a lot less people would probably pirate it.
matsaa93 Nov 20, 2014
we will need ubisoft before EA because it is more RPG games dan fucking fifa that is the same each year would rather play skyrim and oblivion and all Assassins Creed.
Nightmare Twilight Nov 22, 2014
@matsaa93
Ubisoft...RPGs.... So, what? Lunar Legends/Dragon Song? Grandia 1/2? Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance? The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind? If these are the "RPGs" you speak of, I'd rather the current Ubisoft not come any where near them. Why would we need Ubisoft for Oblivion and Skyrim? Last I looked, Assassins Creed wasn't a RPG...did I miss that memo?! Beyond the aforementioned RPGs, I didn't see any I cared for. Please help me understand why I should want Ubisoft games over Bioware games on Linux.
While you're here, please consider supporting GamingOnLinux on:

Reward Tiers: Patreon. Plain Donations: PayPal.

This ensures all of our main content remains totally free for everyone! Patreon supporters can also remove all adverts and sponsors! Supporting us helps bring good, fresh content. Without your continued support, we simply could not continue!

You can find even more ways to support us on this dedicated page any time. If you already are, thank you!
The comments on this article are closed.