I just can't help but wonder if this is really the case or not. I've had serious issues with these services in the past, and I feel like it becomes more and more intrusive.
Obviously, Ubisoft's interest is to help protect it's copyright and to combat piracy, but if it's done at the expense of user friendliness then I have to wonder how Ubisoft continues to justify it's continued use.
I noticed that even simply downloading the recent demo for Rayman Legends requires access to a Uplay account...forcing players to create an account just to play something that is supposed to promote sales. Why attach this to a DEMO, of all things? What is there to protect, and why on the Steam platform where software is already protected? Why is it necessary to create, verify, and log into an account for the purpose of playing a free promotional product like a demo? With the issues I've had with my previous accounts for similar services, all this does is scare me away from the PC version.
Don't get me wrong, I feel for Ubisoft and other PC developers who have to combat hackers and pirates stealing their products. I do...but when protection goes too far, the only ones it truly punishes are legitimate customers who must now deal with multiple levels of security, whereas the people who have illegally downloaded cracked versions of the game via various file-sharing services bypass the inconvenience entirely. Doesn't it hurt Ubisoft when the pirates actually have a more user friendly, pain free distribution process than they do? One that not only allows people to steal the product for free, but also completely eliminates the painful and annoying process of conforming to constantly annoying security protocols and DRM?
Obviously, Ubisoft's interest is to help protect it's copyright and to combat piracy, but if it's done at the expense of user friendliness then I have to wonder how Ubisoft continues to justify it's continued use.
I noticed that even simply downloading the recent demo for Rayman Legends requires access to a Uplay account...forcing players to create an account just to play something that is supposed to promote sales. Why attach this to a DEMO, of all things? What is there to protect, and why on the Steam platform where software is already protected? Why is it necessary to create, verify, and log into an account for the purpose of playing a free promotional product like a demo? With the issues I've had with my previous accounts for similar services, all this does is scare me away from the PC version.
Don't get me wrong, I feel for Ubisoft and other PC developers who have to combat hackers and pirates stealing their products. I do...but when protection goes too far, the only ones it truly punishes are legitimate customers who must now deal with multiple levels of security, whereas the people who have illegally downloaded cracked versions of the game via various file-sharing services bypass the inconvenience entirely. Doesn't it hurt Ubisoft when the pirates actually have a more user friendly, pain free distribution process than they do? One that not only allows people to steal the product for free, but also completely eliminates the painful and annoying process of conforming to constantly annoying security protocols and DRM?