Developer Ubisoft is standing by its decision to use DRM which requires an always-on internet connection for its PC games.
A source at the firm told PC Gamer that it had seen “a clear reduction in piracy of our titles which required a persistent online connection, and from that point of view the requirement is a success”.
It’s recently been revealed that upcoming title Driver: San Francisco will be the next to require an always-on connection, even in single-player mode – seeking constant authentication from Ubisoft’s servers.
Previous games that have had the same high level of DRM security have included titles from Settlers 7 to Assassin’s Creed 2.
While the DRM may reduce piracy, it also impacts regular players of those games. For example, if anything happens to Ubisoft’s servers (as happened last year), players won’t be able to access their saves. Similarly, not all households have a stable broadband connection – those without one may not be able to play at all.
Is reducing piracy in this manner really worth the risk of frustrating fans across the globe?
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