I have, in the past, taken forum talk as “confirmation” of DRM-based restrictions. For instance, I thought Bioshock 2 wouldn’t allow you to save games if you weren’t connected to the internet. This turned out to be an exaggeration, as you are able to create an “offline” Games For Windows Live profile once you’ve activated the game. With the offline profile you can save games even if you’re not connected to the internet (though, I repeat, you have to connect to the internet at least once to activate the G4WL DRM).

Ubisoft has put some ridiculous DRM into effect that I’m comfortable calling ‘confirmed’, as the source is the magazine PC Gamer.

The game in question? The PC version of Assassin’s Creed 2. The ridiculous restriction? Even though it’s a single-player game, you can’t play the game unless you’re connected to the internet. Yes, that’s right.

If you’re playing the game and your internet connection fails, you will be kicked out of the game.

Guess what? If their servers go down, that’ll kick you out of the game too.

Way to alienate your fan base. Of course, the terrible sales will be chalked up to PC games being a dying market, having nothing to do with increasingly awful DRM.

Fuck that, and fuck Ubisoft.

The story has changed a bit, though Ubisoft seems to be contradicting themselves. Rock, Paper, Shotgun has a really good writeup on the whole situ.

Lark

So not only did I just get a Nokia N900 that, to be fair, I have been saving up to buy for a while. Play time with this phone probably won’t be over for a few more weeks.

Not only am I really busy with work, meaning the grindstone now has the shape of my nose worn into it.

Not only that, I just bought Mass Effect 2. I know, I know. I don’t know why.

Does anybody remember my post on Batman Arkham Asylum? About it’s DRM? About it’s requirement to have a ‘Games for Windows Live’ account in order to save games? Well I still haven’t played it. I’m instead playing Bioshock until I stop being mad at Eidos/Rocksteady for making me install bloatware and register with Microsoft before allowing me to save my progress in the game.

Part of the reason I’ve been playing Bioshock is so I can be finish it in time to play the sequel, Bioshock 2 when it comes out in February.

Then I saw this.

The tech specs for Bioshock 2 are out…To save the game or play online, you need to be logged into Games for Window Live. This still applies on Steam – so SecuRom and Games For Windows Live are needed in addition to the Steam client. Hmm.

Just wanted to throw out a quick clarification to my last angry post about Batman: Arkham Asylum (which I purchased on Steam) requiring a Games for Windows Live account in order to save my progress in the game.

There is ‘Games for Windows,’ a certification and branding that requires the following (from Wikipedia):

I haven’t talked about Steam, the amazing service/store for PC games in a while, and without looking at my archives none of the previous articles I’ve written may have survived the latest redesign.

So for those that don’t know, or do know but just love hearing about it, Steam is a program that you install to your computer. It is the brainchild of Valve Corporation, the creators of the Half Life franchise and the Left 4 Dead (soon to be) franchise. I’m a big fan of their games, and am awaiting the release of Half Life, Episode 3 with baited breath.

So what’s so great about Steam?