Ubisoft's relationship with PC users has been a rocky one, thanks to the company's erratic DRM policies. Sometimes its games require a constant online connection to play, sometimes not.

Assassin's Creed II required an Internet connection at first, even if you were playing single-player. So did Splinter Cell: Conviction. Ubisoft eventually patched out that requirement, instead asking players to verify the game's authenticity through a login screen. After that, the game didn't check for an Internet connection. Ubisoft relied on a similar login method for Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood. Not perfect, but it worked.

Ubisoft is returning to the always-on requirement for the PC version of Driver: San Francisco.

"I can confirm that the PC version of Driver San Francisco will require an online connection to play in both single player and multiplayer modes," said Ubisoft public relations representative Dominic DiSanti to me this afternoon.

The change in DRM policy was noticed on the game's official Twitter account.

On the console versions of Driver, players will have to activate Uplay in order to access the game's multiplayer, as Ubisoft adopts the now regular "online pass" feature designed to combat used games.

"When we first introduced the connection requirement last year, we stated that our decision to implement it into our PC titles would be considered on a case by case basis and this remains true," said DiSanti. "We will assess each future PC title and strive to offer the best gameplay experience possible while also ensuring that we are protecting the amazing work and effort of our talented creative teams."

Part of the reason people react strongly to Ubisoft's DRM policy is out of principle. They own the content, why can't they play it, with or without Internet? The other reason is practical, as hackers brought down Ubisoft's DRM authentication servers, which prevented some users from being able to play Assassin's Creed II and Silent Hunter 5, two games with always-on DRM.

It's possible Ubisoft will change its stance, depending on user feedback; the company has done so in the past. As it stands, however, when Driver ships in September, it'll mark a return in DRM policy.

Ubisoft's relationship with PC users has been a rocky one, thanks to the company's erratic DRM policies. Sometimes its games require a constant online connection to play, sometimes not.

Assassin's Creed II required an Internet connection at first, even if you were playing single-player. So did Splinter Cell: Conviction. Ubisoft eventually patched out that requirement, instead asking players to verify the game's authenticity through a login screen. After that, the game didn't check for an Internet connection. Ubisoft relied on a similar login method for Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood. Not perfect, but it worked.

Ubisoft is returning to the always-on requirement for the PC version of Driver: San Francisco.

"I can confirm that the PC version of Driver San Francisco will require an online connection to play in both single player and multiplayer modes," said Ubisoft public relations representative Dominic DiSanti to me this afternoon.

The change in DRM policy was noticed on the game's official Twitter account.

On the console versions of Driver, players will have to activate Uplay in order to access the game's multiplayer, as Ubisoft adopts the now regular "online pass" feature designed to combat used games.

"When we first introduced the connection requirement last year, we stated that our decision to implement it into our PC titles would be considered on a case by case basis and this remains true," said DiSanti. "We will assess each future PC title and strive to offer the best gameplay experience possible while also ensuring that we are protecting the amazing work and effort of our talented creative teams."

Part of the reason people react strongly to Ubisoft's DRM policy is out of principle. They own the content, why can't they play it, with or without Internet? The other reason is practical, as hackers brought down Ubisoft's DRM authentication servers, which prevented some users from being able to play Assassin's Creed II and Silent Hunter 5, two games with always-on DRM.

It's possible Ubisoft will change its stance, depending on user feedback; the company has done so in the past. As it stands, however, when Driver ships in September, it'll mark a return in DRM policy.

Great :/

I don't quite get Ubisoft's logic of testing the proverbial waters every time they release a big-name PC title. You'd think they'd have learned by now that not a single PC user is going to support always-on DRM.

No-one was going to buy D:SF anyway.

Not buying ths on pc

I can't wait for the day someone figures out a way to do DRM that's fair to the end user and every publisher will just accept

No-one was going to buy D:SF anyway.

Nah I'm good.

Meh, I wasn't interested anyway; and that just went significantly lower to laughable levels. 

Well, at least it can be modded :P

they somehow made me want a new driver game less. well done ubisoft. well done.

Wow, they really don't want me to buy their games! Impressive.

Well now i wouldn't buy this for 5$ on launch day, keep up to good work Ubisoft!

And I never bought another Ubisoft game again.

One less game to buy

Why? It doesn't work and everybody hates it..

@CL60 said:

Why? It doesn't work and everybody hates it..

Exactly. And they backed down from it on Assassin's Creed 2. Why revive it now?

Eww, gross.

But this is only a problem for the PC Master Racer? (Pun intended)

Driver: San Francisco on PC Marks Return of Always-On Driver: San Francisco, So You Don't Need to Buy it Anyway

Guess my 'bitching' in that From Dust thread was in place, why can't we have nice things?

Nice, so now only pirates will be guaranteed to be able to play 100% of the time.

UbiSoft - Supporting Piracy Since 2010

The game already looked pretty boring. Now, well now I don't see any reason to buy it ever. Legitimate consumers get saddled with intrusive DRM while pirates nearly always figure a way around it. What's wrong with this picture?

I wouldn't mind seeing ubisoft go out of business. hopefully this DRM policy helps.

Good thing I wasn't buying this anyway, now I wouldn't play it if my life depended on it. Steam is bad enough, there's no need to try out even worse DRM-schemes.

Because it went so well the first time around.

Gross.

vote with your wallet, not your pithy sardonic comments.

Also known as "the pirates got the better deal"

One less game to buy, thanks Ubisoft.

Looks like I'll cancel my pre-order and postpone the purchase either until Ubisoft stops being jerks or until the game hits the bargain bin.

I don't understand why this war against piracy has to be waged against the paying customers.

Driver, more like Drove 'er.

As a man with an ISP that is great but not perfect and has monthly moments of hiccups losing contact with the internet for 60 or more seconds, no thanks UbiFlaccid.

err, this shit got cracked last time they tried it.  Only loser is the chump who is honest and buys the game while the pirate is laughing his ass off.  I might be more annoyed if I though there was any chance of this game not stinking to high heaven..

If I wasn't already going to not buy it because it looks terrible, I would not buy it because of this DRM. How do ya like that Ubisoft? Now I'm double not buying your game.

If I wasn't already going to not buy it because it looks terrible, I would not buy it because of this DRM. How do ya like that Ubisoft? Now I'm double not buying your game.

Honestly, at this point I'm shocked and amazed when Ubisoft doesn't fuck over the PC release of a game.

Woah woah woah woah woah woah woah woah. Woah. Woah people were going to buy Driver: San Francisco?

It's extremely easy to get a DRM-free pirated copy of anything these days. DRM should be removed completely, or at-least handled by the digital store client (Steam, GFW, etc).

Aaaaaand here's where I will never ever buy this game. Not that I ever meant to but you know, still.

Dear Ubisoft, please kindly fuck off.

Man, now this shit starts again. Don't care about this particular game, but I won't buy a game that requires to be online all the time, even in SP.

@MattBosten: They did. It's called Steam. Unfortunately, publishers are greedy asshats and would rather use their own shitty services like Uplay and Origin.

Way to punish your paying customers, Ubisoft. Such bullshit.

Doesn't something like this piss people off enough to pirate more?

the game will suck either way and they found a reason to justify poor sales...way to go Ubisoft.Now turn the Assassin's Creed into another Call of Duty and don't bother releasing another game on PC never again...either you want to sell your games or get out of the PC gaming community..and i agree completely that the only people who will play this on PC would be the ones to get their hands on pirated copies of this game...

@slantedwindows: vote with your wallet, not your pithy sardonic comments.

And i say, why not do both?

@ajamafalous said:

@Jimbo said:

If I wasn't already going to not buy it because it looks terrible, I would not buy it because of this DRM. How do ya like that Ubisoft? Now I'm double not buying your game.

This.

Word.

Ubisoft doesn't want me to buy their games! That's OK, I'll keep that money for Battlefield 3.