From Dust PC patch to remove DRM

By Fred Dutton Published 22 August, 2011

Ubi backtracks on internet authentication.

Controversial DRM that demands users log on to the internet every time they boot up the PC version of From Dust is to be removed from the game via a title update, Ubisoft has announced.

Following uproar on the game's official forum last week over contradictory claims from Ubi over how the game's online authentication works, the publisher posted a statement on the message board today explaining that it had decided to ditch the DRM.

"We recognise that one of our posts in the From Dust forum regarding the need for authentication in the game was not clear. We sincerely apologise for the misunderstanding," it read.

"Our tech teams are working on a patch that should release in approximately two weeks that will eliminate the need for any online authentication. This development time is required as we are working to ensure that those who have already started the game, and whose progress is currently saved on our servers, will receive and save their game information locally.

"Once the patch is ready, players who already have the game will automatically receive the update on their next login and subsequent game sessions will be 100 per cent offline."

It's currently unclear whether the update will also address any of the other myriad technical issues users have reported with the game.

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About Fred Dutton

Fred Dutton is Eurogamer's US news editor, based in Washington DC.

Read more articles from Fred by visiting the Fred Dutton archive page.

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Comments (30) Latest comment 9 months ago

Comments for this article are now closed, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • Lexx87 #1 9 months ago

    Well that's a first from Ubi, hopefully they finally realised the stupidity of it all.

  • Shikasama #2 9 months ago

    HAH!

  • bad09 #3 9 months ago

    They had no choice, it wasn't a "misunderstanding" it was plain wrong information from their official forums. Still good for them for doing the right thing.

    Now if only they'd patch the anti-consumer crap out of their other games and stop using it in the future I could actually buy a game with Ubisoft involved.....

  • Butr0sButr0s #4 9 months ago

    It's a good move - I wasn't going to buy the game for precisely this reason. It's also nice to see the reaction come from a fan uprising - now forum members can stick it to all those people who wrote "complain all you want, it won't change anything" on the message boards.

  • DUFFKING #5 9 months ago

    But will Ubi learn their lesson and stop putting this crap into their games? Unlikely.

  • Zaxlor #6 9 months ago

    Why are they even storing game saves, to a single player only game, online?

    I can understand something like making Diablo 3 a persitantly online game, as it stops characters from being hacked/changed for when people PVP. From Dust, has no multiplayer though, so what's the point? I do like the idea of cloud data saving, so you can play the game anywhere, but why not have both?

  • deadstoned #7 9 months ago

    About time. Now scrap the entire online only DRM system Ubisoft!

  • gm914 #8 9 months ago

    Nice work Ubi, shame half the world just pirated it..

  • Valland #9 9 months ago

    Because of the ridiculous DRM, I already pirated the game and found it to be crap.
    It's good to see them doing the right thing, but it's too little too late, I'm keeping my 15€.

  • TudeScud #10 9 months ago

    @Lexx87 This is far from a first with Ubisoft. They really show no signs of learning. They've had to tweak DRM requirements on almost every game they've released. StarForce on Heroes V is an early example, but they've tweaked the more infamous case of always on DRM with Assassin's Creed as well. I'd like to be encouraged by the somewhat consistent basis of their removing DRM, but their PR statements are continually antagonistic. If Ubisoft gave an assurance that every game with DRM would have it patched out sometime after release, I think they'd get a lot more support. Well that and not releasing lazy ports and actually updating broken games.
    Edited by TudeScud at 23/08/11 @ 04:07

  • Caimbeul #11 9 months ago

    Glad to hear it UBI, thank you from all of your customers. Now what about not being able to change graphical settings? A given in 99 of PC games?

  • DrStrangelove #12 9 months ago

    Cool. Thanks.

  • UncleLou #13 9 months ago

    Because of the ridiculous DRM, I already pirated the game and found it to be crap.

    Congratulations, you have now become part of the problem.

  • Darkjinxter #14 9 months ago

    Sounds to me like new players will still need a ubisoft account and login with it to obtain the patch. I'm still not buying into it.

  • Superastic #15 9 months ago

    OR they knew it was going to cause an outrage but decided to leave it on for a couple of weeks to increase sales and then remove it to make it seem they care about what the community wants. Sorry, no, that would be too sneaky. Hmm.

  • dingo75 #16 9 months ago

    Don't bother Ubi.
    SKIDR0W already did it for you and while they were at it they fixed "Shaun White Snowboarding" as well which they had forgotten last year.

    On a bright note you probably sold millions of copies of that game as it was not cracked for close to a year and "H.A.W.X. 2" is still unbroken which allows it to continue holding the charts hostage!

  • bad09 #17 9 months ago

    "If Ubisoft gave an assurance that every game with DRM would have it patched out sometime after release I think they'd get a lot more support"

    Absolutely. It wouldn't be ideal as I would still have to wait for the patch before buying but that route would certainly let me buy their games again which is something I haven't done in the last couple of years, I know many others would be happy with that compromise as well.

    Wouldn't happen though, the mentaily they have they would see it as admitting some kind of "loss" against the pirates and seeing as the cold war with pirates are the primary focus above all else (including their customers) for Ubi I really don't see that happening. You saw the statement recently, they actually think their DRM is a success FFS!

    The only reason it's being patched out of From Dust is damage control because consumers, whether through error or intentionally, were lied to regarding the DRM infecting the game.

  • butler` #18 9 months ago

    What a confused, backwards publisher.

  • OverWind #19 9 months ago

    I'd be willing to bet a few bucks on the fact that this was planned from the start. Heavy DRM for the first few weeks to "counter" piracy (as I see it, they managed to do the opposite). And then disabling it, to look like good guys.

  • butler` #20 9 months ago

    Congratulations, you have now become part of the problem.

    Hardly.

    That's saying that the people pirating because of DRM are serving as the reason to implement it in the first place.

  • bad09 #21 9 months ago

    @butler`

    It is a endeless circle. There were pirates, publishers whacked DRM on legitimate customers thinking it would somehow stop pirates, legitimate customers pissed off with the restrictions placed on their products turn to piracy to avoid the restricition, publishers see piracy downloads increasing and inflict even stupider DRMs on legitimate customers, more legitimate customers turn to piracy. Repeat, repeat repeat until the industry eats itself alive.

    Saying that I do have my suspicions that piracy is actually one big smoke screen to get level of control over customers they've never had before through DRMs. If piracy stopped tommorrow I honestly doubt anything whatsoever would change with regard to DRM.

  • butler` #22 9 months ago

    If piracy stopped tommorrow I honestly doubt anything whatsoever would change with regard to DRM.

    My thoughts exactly. DRM doesn't stop, or even reduce piracy, which begs the question: why are they still using it?

    Short-termist publishing execs that need to be seen to be doing something to appease shareholders, is my guess.

  • Brutal_Zen #23 9 months ago

    @butler` and others pirating games...

    Here's a thought...
    If everyone would buy a game then there will be no need for DRMs and other piracy preventing software.

    Thanks

  • ronorra #24 9 months ago

    "Here's a thought...
    If everyone would buy a game then there will be no need for DRMs and other piracy preventing software."

    Here's a thought... If companies wouldn't screw over their consumers and just make good games...

    As long as we got crap ports ports (like Saints Row 2), companies that shit on their consumers (EA, Ubisoft), no way to trial a game but to believe companies on their word... downloading and testing it yourself is the only way to avoid being screwed over again and again.

  • Miths #25 9 months ago

    I couldn't care much less about "always connected" DRM (although on principle I think it's a bad idea) - my Internet connection is down for perhaps an average of an hour or so every couple of months - but I don't really think I'll bother to load up this game again until they've removed the ridiculous 30 fps framerate cap. And it certainly wouldn't hurt either if they made some improvements to the sloppy mouse controls, but that's probably too much to hope for.

  • Brutal_Zen #26 9 months ago

    @ronnora

    So, if I understand you correctly, you would buy GOOD games and not BAD games seeing that BAD games made by companies makes you feel screwed over? Thus, giving you the need to go for pirated games?

    Also, you state that you do not trust companies on their word? And you'd like to 'try before buy'...

    Companies will always try to sell you stuff and most of the time the item that is hyped is likely to be less than advertised, obviously. 'Cause, if a company says 'hey, my product sucks but plz buy it anyway...' The chances are that ppl will buy less of this product...

    Thank the gods for sites like eurogamer.net and gaming mags where games get reviewed and rated. If a game gets a lot of low grades chances are that 'it will really suck' and the reverse is obviously also true...

    So, the world is a difficult place to live in. If you do not learn to trust you'll probably have a hard time having fun in life...
    Seeing you've got a computer and an i-net connection. I would suggest reading up on some reviews on for example meta-score sites and use this knowledge to make an educated purchase.

    Do not blame the companies that make the games but rather try and ask yourself why you did not read up first (reviews etc.) before you bought something. And even if you did read up first... sometimes things just aren't what you want them to be. That is also a part of life...

  • Lord_BeeJee #27 9 months ago

    Too late Ubi, not playing your games anymore for some time now.

  • kristo #28 9 months ago

    @Brutal_Zen: Great in theory but with 8 being the new 5 the lack of ability to try games is a bit of a case of buying the cat in the sack.

    I honestly would trust most reviewers about as far as I could throw them (not far) and expect them to be as ethical as a wall street banker (oh yes, we did notice all that advertising you bought on our site).

    The absolute best policy, with all games, is just be 6 months behind. Except for online stuff (bf3 is a release date buy, no doubt) cause then you'll get a fully patched, probably with the dlc included (game of the year *cough* editions) and for about 30-40 euros. Why beta test for them?

  • bad09 #29 9 months ago

    @butler`

    Someone on here once said DRM is merely a deterent just like a car alarm. Not really effective in stopping car theft but makes a thief think twice. I don't buy that myself it would be like having a locked and alarmed car sitting right next to a car unlocked with no alarm and the keys in the ignition and a note from the owner sayiing "please, take the car!"

    When Capcom opened discussion with customers on SSF4AE DRM Sven seemed to think accepting the game will be cracked was some sort of defeatist attitude, like Capcom were in some war they have to win or at least stand and fight and facing up to that reality would mean they've "lost". Of course we all told him it's not defeastist just being a realist, someone WILL crack your game that's just the reality of the digital age and DRM will just massively highlight that cracked version for every customer to see.

    I don't think it's trying to please shareholders personally (surely even shareholders are not that stupid!), I honestly think the industry doesn't realise the real battle against piracy is not actually stopping those hackers who make a game out of beating their sillly DRMs but converting the hearts and minds of those who take advantage of that crackers work. once they figure out trying to convert the pirates into customers will reap more rewards than battling the hackers constantly things might get better.

  • immateriaux #30 9 months ago

    Two weeks til purchase so