Another Uplay Nightmare For All You DRM Haters

Jarhead0331 · January 23, 2013, 03:45:18 PM

Most people will not argue against the notion that Uplay, Ubisoft's DRM software, sucks giant elephant testicles. Seriously, this is just widely accepted.

I had brief problems with it when Silent Hunter V first came out. I remember there was some freaky bug that wouldn't let you play the game because of a server issue with Uplay, but I don't really remember the details. It eventually got sorted and I moved on.

So fast forward a couple years...I get my new system with nice big monitor. One of the main reasons why I bought a new system is because my old rig has one leg out the door, and it refuses to run Ghost Recon Future Soldier. I beat the campaign awhile ago, but recently got the new Raven Strike DLC...so to make a long story short, I REALLY wanted to play. So badly, that I went out and bought a new computer.

I set the new bad boy up and install steam. I then install GRFS and go to run it. Of course, having one DRM system just isn't enough, so I have to load up uplay too. What's this? Uplay wants me to renter my CD Key? Why? That's odd...I'm logged into my uplay account that shows I have GRFS and even has all my uplay points for making various achievements from beating the single player campaign. An inconvenience, but its the price I must pay if I want to feel the thrill that only a good headshot and subsequent pink mist can provide. So I type the key in...invalid. I type it in again...invalid. Hmmmm...there is a second key listed with steam, so I type that one in...this key is already associated with a different uplay account. That's really odd. This is my uplay account. WTF? Let me try it again, something must be off. Type in the key...invalid. This time i get a message, "this account has been temporarily banned. Please contact customer support."

So I go to contact "customer support" but there is no link to do so anywhere in the uplay client. So I actually have to go onto google to find it. More nonsense that gave me serious douche chills and only encouraged me to write a very strongly worded letter.

Now I'm really pissed, but totally powerless. I had no choice but to retire to my bedroom angry. You ever get that thing where you want to play a game really bad but for some technical reason you can't get it to run, and the harder you try to get it working, the angrier you get and the more you want to play? i was so in that homicidal gaming zone.

In the morning the ban was lifted...but I was still unable to register the game due to the CD Key problem. I did some snooping around the internet to see if anyone else was having the same problem, and sure enough, half the damn world had, at least at some point, experienced this horse crap. someone suggested that I log into my uplay account with my uplay username rather than with my email address, which I did, and would you believe that actually worked? I did not have to register the game and there it was in my play list.

What a stupid system.

LongBlade · January 23, 2013, 04:03:21 PM

I really don't like stupidity, especially when it's sanction by an organization and being passed off as a better mousetrap.

Sorry to hear that JH. It's difficult to understand how that kind of asshattery exists.

Longdan · January 23, 2013, 04:05:51 PM

Like they couldn't tell you how to make it work? Without the blood pressure.
That's why I hates these guys. I don't mind them protecting their stuff. Just
don't make it harder for the customer than it is for the thief. I have a very deep
aversion to piracy but these guys test it.

Arctic Blast · January 23, 2013, 04:07:21 PM

I don't have any real horror stories of any individual client screwing me over. Games for Windows Live, Steam, UPlay, Origin...it's all fine.

But when I run into requirements for a few of them at once, THAT is when things go wrong. I had serious teething issues at one point with Dawn of War 2 because Steam and GfWL won't play nice together. Batman : Arkham City was a mess when I picked it up on Origin and then ran in to persistent crash problems that seemed to be a glitch between Origin and GfWL.

Just pick one, folks! Please!

Longdan · January 23, 2013, 04:09:55 PM

Maybe if they had a scenario where you drive to their house and shoot their windows out and take
their dog hostage and shoot the tires off their Prius and loot their fridge and it is the first one you get to play.........

Huw the Poo · January 23, 2013, 05:45:48 PM

Sorry to hear it, Jarhead, and yes I completely understand the feeling you describe. This is why I don't like it when people say "I don't know what your problem with <DRM X> is, it works fine for me." Yeah, until the day it doesn't.

This is also why I absolutely refuse to buy any game loaded with what I consider to be draconian DRM. No more Ubisoft games for me, and much more sadly, no more Kalypso games either.

Silent Disapproval Robot · January 23, 2013, 06:23:42 PM

I had similar issues with GFWL and DIRT2 when I upgraded my machine. They never did sort it out and I resorted to using a modified .exe I downloaded from an arrrggg matey site but I lost all my game progress.

Greybriar · January 23, 2013, 08:14:57 PM

I rarely buy any Ubisoft title and then only when it's on sale for cheap. Your experience reminded me of why, Jarhead. Thanks for sharing.

Nefaro · January 23, 2013, 08:39:10 PM

Typically buggy-ass DRM software. I half expect to encounter such delays when trying to get this stuff installed and running any time past the very first installation.

Maybe some day all the angry mails to these paranoid jackasses will get through to them - Stop Assing Your Customers!

Jarhead0331 · January 23, 2013, 09:00:30 PM

Now all you guys know how law abiding gun owners feel...

Nefaro · January 24, 2013, 01:29:30 AM

Quote from: Jarhead0331 on January 23, 2013, 09:00:30 PM
Now all you guys know how law abiding gun owners feel...

Already do. ;)

It's 'people' harassing law-abiding citizens who've done nothing wrong.

Martok · January 24, 2013, 04:06:39 PM

Ugh, what a nightmare. Sorry you had to suffer through that crap Jarhead, but thanks for the warning/reminder to be on our guard.

DoctorQuest · January 24, 2013, 05:14:06 PM

I suspect as long as gamers keep buying the DRM infected games they will keep producing them.

No game is worth this kind of hassle. None.

Silent Disapproval Robot · January 25, 2013, 03:26:52 PM

Anyone else having issues with Steam? I got an email from Valve about a forgotten password this morning. Seeing as how I sent no such request I was less than thrilled. I reset my password and changed the secret question and whatnot in my Steam account but I can't log into Steam support. Hope the buggers didn't get in there.

Bison · January 25, 2013, 03:33:05 PM

I had some server issues refreshing the store and community pages but nothing really out of the ordinary. Hopefully your account wasn't hacked.