"Ubisoft server switch to render always-online DRM games unplayable next week"

[kane_magus]

But... but... but I thought if you were one of those uber-nerds with perfect Internet you would never have to worry about crap like this! What's going on here?! How is this possible?!! AAAAHHHHH!!!!

</blatantly obvious sarcasm, but putting the tag here anyway just in case>

(Why yes, I am indeed implying that Blizzard's always online DRM will be at least as bad as Ubisoft's always online DRM has proven to be.)

Comments

[owsf2000.livejournal.com]

The fun thing is that doing a server switch like that does NOT require extensive downtime. The reason there will be downtime is because Ubisoft is taking the cheapest method available to the detriment of their loyal customers. The article is on slashdot now, and the comments predictably enough list various ways to avoid downtime.

I've seen server switches take place where the downtime would be an hour or so at most.

Mind you, I agree that this kind of DRM shouldn't have been used in the first place.

[kane-magus.livejournal.com]

Not to try to sound like the self-entitled assholes that the stuffed suits in charge of these companies like to claim we are, but I would posit that even just an hour of downtime for single-player games that otherwise wouldn't need downtime at all if not for these shitty DRM servers is an hour too much. So in other words, yeah, I also agree that this kind of DRM should never have been used to begin with. That's the main point, regardless of how much or little time it takes them to switch these servers. The servers simply shouldn't have existed at all.

Of course, I don't play any of these games since I refuse to buy games that make use of this type of DRM, so it's all a moot point as far as I am personally concerned. I certainly won't be affected by any downtime.

[owsf2000.livejournal.com]

Personally I await the day when the fanboies start accusing us of picking the pockets of developers and publishers for boycotting them for any reason whatsoever.

It's sad that I can see them actually gain this mentality. -_-

[kane-magus.livejournal.com]

It's a small step from saying that boycotts are stupid and the reasons for the boycotts are stupid (as is already being spewed by more than a few gamers these days) to what you say there, true enough.