Ubisoft Reveal PC Online Services Platform Details

Seemingly much more open for the player than either Microsoft's Games for Windows service or Valve's incredibly popular Steam, Ubisoft's Online Services Platform allows PC gamers to play their games on any PC with an internet connection. Of course, the proof is in the pudding, and we'll only really know how efficient and reliable the Online Services Platform will be when we've had the chance to use it. But for now you can take a look at the details delivered directly by Ubisoft, and wonder when other PC gaming platforms will take note.

[chak_]

gutted

that fvcking sucks, it's a middle finger to customer, what if people don't have internet, what if I change location and don't have internet for 2/3 weeks, I simply cannot play, thanks for that.

and for the same price.

If this sh*t comes with SC conviction I will seriously think about passing, I DO NOT want to kind of sh*t, I want to play when I want, where I want, online of offline.

Gutted, badly

I hate the way things are going, I've always been a real customer, buying me games, a lot actually, DRM didn't bother me that much since I had no problem and knew how to uninstall a game to revoke the license, But this !!

That's too much to me. I don't speak for ME, has I have quite a good internet line, but failure happens, and a lot of people don't have internet, or quota or whatever.

This shouldn't be a solution, and I think Ubi will face a massive NO from PC community.

[PrimordialSoupBase]

This is essentially Games for Windows: bullshit that I will not support.

[Nihilism]

This B.S is already starting with other publishers, Bioshock uses GFWL for activation, limited activation I might add, if that isn't the B.S idea of all time, I don't know what is.

I NEVER play games online, so I don't see why I should have to log on at all.

I buy all my games retail, but I'm going to have to start pirating, or quit gaming because steam activation is as far as I am willing to go in terms of throwing rights away for the sake of gaming.

[M337ING]

I think it's too bad that you're disagreeing with this, as this is where the entire PC market is going. If publishers want to make any money on PC games, they have to resort to these measures. Maybe if less of us pirated, this wouldn't have happened as quickly as it did. Gamers have only themselves to blame. You can't blame a company for trying to protect their work from being stolen.

[Nihilism]

What kind of B.S generalisation is that. I have never pirated a game, but you say I should accept blame for this?

I also don't game online, but you think I should accept being forced to log on every time I play, which means that whenever i'm at my DL limit or my internet goes down, that I can't play games. What a crock of $#!+, I don't have to accept anything. You're also forgetting the most important thing. THIS WILL NOT STOP PIRACY.

Every single technique has been hacked, steam games, DRM games, online activation, MMO games, all pirated, the only people who this affects are the legitimate customers. Within a week a cracked version will be released with no need for online, which will people choose?

They are only screwing themselves out of more sales by doing this, any fool can see it.

If games were DRM free then buying a full priced game would be more worthwhile, because you really are buying the game, and it is yours to use as you see fit, with DRM, there is no guarantee that it will work in 5 years time, and people are no longer willing to accept that. I am no longer willing to accept it, and will boycott it.

[DeadlyFire]

I don't see what the big deal is really. Its exactly the same as STEAM so far. I don't see any difference other than the fact that Ubisoft is behind it. So that could be good or bad. I both hate and like Ubisoft.

Stardock is also doing this with Impulse service. I don't see the difference or why people think this is a big deal.

Its not like all the publishers are doing this just yet. If you only play Ubisoft games then well it sucks for you when you do have offline day or week. But essentially you still have the game under your account.

Its smart for Ubisoft to step in and do this before the PC market gets crowded with these types of platforms. STEAM is probablly the biggest right now for PC, but with Impuse, and this one from Ubisoft likely at some point EA or Activision/Blizzard might follow suit. Another way to think about it is if you really look at these platforms. They are kinda a stepping stone for a more united PC network. I know some dread such a thing, but its necessary in a way for some people to pave it out. Sure there are a few limits that noone likes, but it keeps the PC games as PC games with dedicated servers and mod support so what real harm is there?

[Faelan]

I love Steam for the convenience it brings, but it doesn't pause my game in the middle of things if my ADSL modem decides to do a hiccup, nor am I forced to keep my save games on their server. It even has an offline mode even though I've never tried to use it, so how well it works I don't know. What Ubisoft is proposing is far more draconian.

If it was exactly like Steam, I would have had no problem with it and just accepted it as the lesser of two evils - ie. the need to log in rather than going through a stash of DVDs trying to find the right one and wondering if this will be the time the drive decides to commit suicide and eject a mass of flying shrapnel which happened to a friend of mine once.

Oh... and an interesting note... the spell check couldn't figure out Ubisoft, so it suggested the word "abusive" instead LOL.

[DeadlyFire]

I guess that is true.

[Rush]

How on earth is this "Seemingly much more open for the player than either Microsoft's Games for Windows service or Valve's incredibly popular Steam" I don't know about Games For Windows but Steam does everything this does.

And Steam doesn't pause your game if your playing single player and you lose your connection. So Steam is less restrictive then this and its about 1000x more popular. Does Ubisoft really expect this to be a hit with the PC community.

I loose my connection every now and then for sometimes 2 minutes at a time here in the UK. So this system will shut my game down until my connection is back and start me at my last save point.

Steam does all of what this new Ubisoft system does and 10x more. You can open cross game voice chat totally free on steam with your friends and party chat, It also gives you clans and your own community page. Achievements and much more, sorry Ubisoft you really don't stand a chance.

[kevco33]

I actually think this could be a lot worse - at least it's not got a limit on your instals, and you can play without the disc.

[Saryk]

I happen to like the idea Ubisoft is using. Will it stop pirates? Doubt it, but it is a step in the right direction. Guys, right now we are going through an evolutionary phase. You might not agree with the ways they are doing it. But you are not the one losing tons of money. If any of you have a better idea and the means to make that idea a reality, do it.