PC Conviction delay not DRM related

By Robert Purchese Published 1 April, 2010

Needed polish, debugging, says Ubisoft.

Ubisoft has explained to Eurogamer that Splinter Cell Conviction was not held up on PC because of DRM issues.

"The reason that has been given for the delay is that the extra time was need to polish and debug the game," a Ubisoft spokesperson put down in words. "The slip has not been linked to the DRM."

The PC version of Splinter Cell Conviction will be released two weeks later than on Xbox 360.

Ubisoft's DRM measures have caused controversy as they require users to be connected to the internet at all times. This causes problems if connections temporarily drop.

"We know this choice is controversial but we feel is justified by the gameplay advantages offered by the system and because most PCs are already connected to the internet," said Ubisoft in January when its DRM measures were revealed.

Picture of Robert.

About Robert Purchese

Bertie is Eurogamer's Senior Staff Writer. When he's not hunting down news stories he's often found playing with his kids or gabbling about fantasy games and strange online worlds.

Read more articles from Robert by visiting the Robert Purchese archive page.

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Comments (53) Latest comment 2 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • hiddenranbir #1 2 years ago

    Lies, filthy lies. Won't make an April Fool out of me, Ubisoft. It is obviously DRM related.

  • sneetch #2 2 years ago

    "Gameplay advantages"? What gameplay advantages? What a complete and utter load of shite.

  • bluem4gic #3 2 years ago

    I will wait for this to slip to 15 quid then

  • OnlyMe #4 2 years ago

    But who is there to fight against them? Nobody! The obvious candidates are obviously the gaming journalists. None of them ever dares to say "you know, that's just bollocks and you know it" when they say something like that. Instead they go "oh, alright, I see". Games journalists must be people who didn't have the guts to become a real journalist. We need someone like Jack Thompson, but rational, and equally aggresive on OUR side for once.

  • cwk27 #5 2 years ago

    The thing is, they've got to ask themselves at some point if all this negative DRM related PR is actually worth it?

    I mean, who are they fooling? There are no gameplay advantages. There's nothing that their software can offer that Steam or Games for Windows Live even doesn't already offer without the need to constantly be connected to the internet.

    I'd frankly have more respect for them if they just came out and admitted that it was to protect their IP and not claim that it's somehow more beneficial for the consumer, because it plainly isn't.

  • doulema #6 2 years ago

    PC gaming isnt dead at all but sure as fuck UBI and E.A. are doing their best to kill it. They will only manage to make less profits on PC versions cause I know ive stopped buying anything DRM-online-only offered to me. Im not even sad having not played Assassin's Creed 2. I could have bought it on my 360 or PS3 but i refuse to even try the game. Im sick of it without even playing it and to think i was so hyped before it's release. Im a living example of how this DRM system impacts the consumer/gamer. Splinter Cell ill buy probably on the 360 for some reasons though. I wanted to also get Settlers 7 which I wont thanks to this bs.

  • TheTingler #7 2 years ago

    I am prepared to believe that the SLIP is not DRM related. Instead it is a filthy business decision, perhaps backed my Microsoft, to accentuate the 360's sales.

  • sneetch #8 2 years ago

    @doulema

    I've decided to do the same. I was looking forward to Settlers 7 and Conviction on PC, but I'm not going to get them now (there are a bunch of posts on the Ubi Settlers forum from people who were never able to play the game because of this DRM). Conviction I could get on PS3 or 360 but I don't think I'll bother, I wanted it on PC.

    Normally I'm not one to take this kind of "moral stand", I just buy the games I want, but I'm just not going to play ball with these companies. Drop the DRM and I'll be all over your games again like I was in the past.

    Edit: realised you can't get Conviction on PS3.
    Edited by 1 at 01/04/10 @ 12:49

  • bad09 #9 2 years ago

    Sorry Ubi who? Ubisoft, Who are they?

    / goes back to the others publishers/developers, plays THEIR games
    Edited by 1 at 01/04/10 @ 12:50

  • maddoxon #10 2 years ago

    Well, only thing that people have to do is to not buy their games and spread the word to other people who don't get on game website often.

    If you do that their sales will drop and they'll stop using such DRM systems.

    They have 2 options now: lose sales due to piracy or lose more sales due to piracy and scaring legitimate customers.

    Only thing that I find sad is that some great development studios see their games flop thanks to UbiSoft DRM system.

    But I'm not angry against UbiSoft. Pirates will always win the battle. Let them just do their thing and find that out the hard way. But they should always keep in mind that a customer lost isn't gained back that easily.

  • JahB #11 2 years ago

    I wouldn't have a problem if they honestly came out and said "the pc version will be delayed to preserve the console sales", but I'm getting sick and tired of the PR babble bullshit.

  • Boomerang #12 2 years ago

    I actually find myself avoiding the Ubisoft logo when looking through games in game shops.

    /Pick up game, spy Ubisoft logo, sigh, put game back


    Good work Ubisoft, you out-of-touch idiots.

  • BobsUncle #13 2 years ago

    I don't believe for one second they are still coding at this point.

  • Fubdub #14 2 years ago

    Chill guys, it's defficult to optimize games for a non couch environment.

  • ignatiusjreilly #15 2 years ago

    But who is there to fight against them? Nobody! The obvious candidates are obviously the gaming journalists. None of them ever dares to say "you know, that's just bollocks and you know it" when they say something like that.

    EG, if any of you are reading this, I'd love to know why this never happens. Please let us know, leave a reply in this comments thread.

    As writers/journalists you must feel some obligation to report the truth, and not just regurgitate the story Ubisoft wants to tell. Even if you cannot be sure one way or the other, you have a duty to question it - partuicularly when it's something your readers feel so strongly about. Can you imagine if all newspaper journalists just took politicians at face value, and never questioned any of their decisions or statements? What a complete mess the world would be in.

    What possible explanation is there for you giving Ubisoft such an easy ride, and helping to spread their clearly dishonest statements? I hate accusations of editorial censoring due to advertising as much as anyone, but when you remain quiet about such an important issue you can't blame people for jumping to conspiracy theories.
    Edited by 1 at 01/04/10 @ 13:16

  • sneetch #16 2 years ago

    @ignatiusjreilly

    Yeah, it's odd, they did slate it in the Silent Hunter review but not when reporting on Ubi's decision to start using the DRM.

    Of course, they probably got that load of nonsense in a press release and didn't really have a chance to ask any questions.

  • login_name #17 2 years ago

    PC Conviction delay not DRM related

    It is in my house.

    So long as this DRM is active Ubi games will be forever delayed in Loginland, regardless of format.

  • ignatiusjreilly #18 2 years ago

    @sneetch

    Well I really feel it's no coincidence that the Silent Hunter review was written by a freelance (PC specialist) writer that doesn't actually work for EG, whereas the reporting of Ubi's decision was done by Eurogamer staff.

    And just reprinting a press release without questioning it just because you can't get someone at Ubisoft to give you a straight answer is not (should not be) acceptable.

  • kangarootoo #19 2 years ago

    @OnlyMe

    "But who is there to fight against them? Nobody!"

    Ummm, there is us the gamers you know. We could just, you know, not buy their games?

    Journalists giving Ubi people a hard time in interviews won't make a dick of difference to anything. It might make you feel better, but it won't change their DRM choices. SALES, or the lack thereof is what will make a difference.

    If you don't like the deal, don't buy the games. You're not addicted to Ubisoft. Play something else. Job done.

  • sneetch #20 2 years ago

    @ignatiusjreilly

    You're right of course, there's no reason at all why they couldn't have commented on the press release, they don't have to simply reprint it.

  • kangarootoo #21 2 years ago

    @sneetch and ignatiusjreilly

    There is a difference between a review and a news article though surely?

    The review is the place where EG discuss the player experience, and poor DRM is a negative point in that regard. A news piece on a new direction by a company is not the place to state "and we think its shit." That wouldn't be professional news reporting.


    Edit:
    "there's no reason at all why they couldn't have commented on the press release, they don't have to simply reprint it"

    An editorial piece is the place for that sort of thing. Reporting news should be reporting news. I expect news pieces to inform me. A blog or column is the place for personal opinion.
    Edited by 1 at 01/04/10 @ 13:49

  • Rubarack #22 2 years ago

    My apathy towards the delay is most certainly DRM related.

  • Thumbs #23 2 years ago

    EG really know how to make a headline out of nothing. A 2 week delay of a PC version of a game really isn’t new, in fact delays can be months.
    However, throw the magic DRM acronym in and they are sure to get the angry mob out in force and watch the clicks roll in.

    EG = TROLL ;0)

  • ignatiusjreilly #24 2 years ago

    @kangarootoo

    I invite you to go to the BBC News front page right now, and read their top story. The story is about a currently brewing argument over the NI tax increase. The BBC do not just print Alistair Darling's statement and leave it at that. They talk to opposing ministers and business leaders to get opposing viewpoints, use figures and statistics to test those statements, and inform the readerof any connections that apparently neutral business leaders have to the Tory party.

    This is how you write a news story. You do not just print the opinion of the guy that contacted you first. I understand EG do not have the resources to cover stories in this depth, but surely some of these processes should be followed.

    A news piece on a new direction by a company is not the place to state "and we think its shit." That wouldn't be professional news reporting.

    Obviously I am not suggesting that is how EG should write the story. I read a big post of yours yesterday about the weak straw man arguments in comments threads, but I think that is a perfect example.

  • sneetch #25 2 years ago

    @kangarootoo
    An editorial piece is the place for that sort of thing. Reporting news should be reporting news. I expect news pieces to inform me. A blog or column is the place for personal opinion.

    Maybe you're right, maybe the news article is not the place to comment on it, but surely if a press release or other statement were to contain something that is basically untrue or misleading then they should comment on it in the related news article? They're not a marketing department after all. They can however do that in a way other than by saying "and we think its shit." You're right that would be unprofessional and I never suggested they should put it that way.

    Edit: "a marketing department" not "the marketing department"
    Edited by 2 at 01/04/10 @ 14:25

  • blod74 #26 2 years ago

    And that's the reason I wont buy Ubi products anymore, I really wanted to play AC2 but I refuse to accept this type of DRM, I would like to know the sales figures as I think a lot of people have done the same thing

  • kangarootoo #27 2 years ago

    @ignatiusjreilly

    If there were other people to interview or other sources to refer to then EG could have absolutely built a more balanced and rich story (their budget is less than the BBC's I imagine, which is a consideration), but I didn't think that is what you were suggesting.


    "I read a big post of yours yesterday about the weak straw man arguments in comments threads, but I think that is a perfect example"

    Ow, that stings :)

    You refer to another comment by another poster (stating EG should tell Ubi "you know, that's just bollocks and you know it";), and said you wished that would happen.

    Maybe I am splitting hairs too much, but my impression of that was you wanted EG to voice their own opinion either in the article or directly to Ubi. Now I would object to that, but I agree that if EG went and got an expert opinion juxtaposed to Ubi's pitch, that would make for a richer article.

    Maybe I misread your suggestion. if so, my bad.

  • kangarootoo #28 2 years ago

    @sneetch

    "but surely if a press release or other statement were to contain something that is basically untrue or misleading then they should comment on it in the related news article"

    As I said to ignatius (and I'm being a proper pedant here), what EG should maybe do in that situation is find a source that states it is untrue, and quote that source.

    This is what I am waffling on about really. Good news reporting is all about sources, reliable ones in particular. As soon as the newspaper starts presenting itself as a source within a news article (in particular if it is the only source for the "other side" of the debate), it stops being a news article and starts being an editorial piece (such as a column). I think this is a really important principle, even in video games news :)

  • kangarootoo #29 2 years ago

    These spam bots are a pain in the ass btw. A penalty of your success I guess EG, as more readers make the site more attractive for spammers :(

  • ignatiusjreilly #30 2 years ago

    OK yes, the fact I quoted someone else kind of skewed how my own opinion came across I guess.

    The reason that quote rang true with me onto that is that we all know that when staff at EG are reading or listening to statements like this, inside they are thinking "this is bollocks" (they must be, everyone is) yet they still go ahead and print it without any questioning of its validity or attempt to get clarification from Ubisoft.

    Even if they don't think it's right or fair to veer from the press release in the 'news' story, where is the editorial? What do EG think of this? This is one of the biggest stories in recent years in PC gaming, and vital to the future health of the industry - do they not have an opinion?

    I realise I'm probably getting a little too worked up about this, and I've read enough music and games magazines in my time to understand you can't expect similar journalistic practices to a broadsheet newspaper, but I guess it's frustrating to be continually disappointed by the lack of support or interestinto this type of issues, while (sorry to bring it up again) the Stimulus DLC package gets multiple stories every day in the weeks leading up to its release (and beyond, no doubt).

    As I'm typing this I'm thinking that maybe this is my problem, not EG's, and I'm expecting too much from a site that isn't even aimed at a gamer like me in the first place. Perhaps in some strange reversal of purposes I should look to blogs if I want a deeper analysis of gaming news, but to news sites like Eurogamer and Gamespot if I just want a quick catch up on what's being released, what studios have been closed etc. The questionable reliability of blogs is always going to be a disadvantage of that however.

    Trouble is, as is clearly obvious, I am somewhat addicted to this site and it will take willpower to stay away ;) On the other hand, maybe I'll get some work done.
    Edited by 1 at 01/04/10 @ 15:51

  • sneetch #31 2 years ago

    @kangarootoo
    @sneetch

    "but surely if a press release or other statement were to contain something that is basically untrue or misleading then they should comment on it in the related news article"

    As I said to ignatius (and I'm being a proper pedant here), what EG should maybe do in that situation is find a source that states it is untrue, and quote that source.

    I'd go for that, I agree that it shouldn't be about peoples opinions (that's what the comment thread is for :) ).

    However, and this is where my pedantry comes in, EG are experts in this area, they themselves could be the source providing that different view. In this particular case of course it would be tricky, a company announces a new DRM system that will offer "gameplay advantages" but without giving any details about what those "gameplay advantages" will be. Very difficult to comment on that.

    Edit: actually, I now realise that EG have commented on it and that comment was linked to from this very article. I should have seen that (the last paragraph of the article below). Personally, I don't see forced uploading of save files as an advantage, it would be a nice option but I have a pretty poor net connection at the moment and having to upload and download saves is just a pain.

    http://ww w.eurogamer.net/articles/ubisof...
    Edited by 1 at 01/04/10 @ 16:04

  • kangarootoo #32 2 years ago

    @ignatiusjreilly

    Maybe a compromise would be if Tom wrote a weekly editorial (or hosted a weekly editorial, and gave each writer a crack of the whip in a round robin fashion).

    It would be the place for the writer in question to deliver their personal thoughts about the week's gaming news. They wouldn't even have to pander to the likes of us for once, they could write whatever was genuinely in their thoughts regards the passing week (slander not withstanding).

    They could call it "As a gamer..." as a play on the phrase "As a parent..." (highlighting that the usual journalistic objectivity is legitimately left at the door). What say you EG (not about the name, just the concept)?

  • ignatiusjreilly #33 2 years ago

    To be fair to EG, they do kind of do this and Rob Purchese usually copies an article from gamesindustry.biz to Eurogamer at the weekend on a particular big issue in gaming. Trouble is this is usually very much from a pro-business (rather than pro-gamer) point of view, although this is understandable given the source. These and some of the retro pieces that also get published at the weekend are usually my favourite bits of the site, because the articles have some real meat to them, even if I don't always agree with the POV.

    edit: I definitely like your idea though, and I suspect most other other readers would too.
    Edited by 1 at 01/04/10 @ 16:17

  • kangarootoo #34 2 years ago

    @sneetch

    I agree on the whole, though unfortunately I think in many cases it comes down to time and money.

    Also, specifically in this instance, it really does depend on the nature of what is being reported. Specifically it depends on whether the focus of the article is factual or not.

    In this instance the news article is about the delay of Conviction and the reasons for that delay. EG could maybe try and find someone to blow the whistle on why it was delayed, but I'm not sure what the value would be in doing so.


    Anyway, what has really irked people is the suggestion by Ubisoft that "We know this choice is controversial but we feel is justified by the gameplay advantages offered by the system". Now that is a pretty subjective statement to make. You could perhaps find many gamers that would say quite truthfully "this system has improved my gameplay experience". Its not like stating the world is round or that water is wet.

    How would EG find a factual source that disputed Ubi's statement WITH FACT. They could again maybe find a whilstle blower to give them the inside skinny on why the DRM was put in place... but don't we already know?

    Maybe its not the place of news reporting to be bat with which to hit companies we don't like (even if they are genuinely taking the piss)?

  • Eraysor #35 2 years ago

    Such a shame this is made by Ubisoft, as I would have probably bought it instantly if it didn't have the DRM.

  • cwk27 #36 2 years ago

    Sadly, if this trend in sloppy journalism goes on, I forsee more and more gamespot style accusations that the writers are too pro industry.

    I mean seriously, look at the recent IW "interview", which I might add was no better than further advertising on an already very heavily advertised site imo.

    Seriously Eurogamer, get your journalistic integrity together. Don't fall the same way of Gamespot and the Kane and Lynch fiasco, I stopped visiting their site because of that. Noone likes a corporate shill, and it'd be sad to see me have to search for a better gaming news site.

  • maddoxon #37 2 years ago

    http://i.imgur.com/rGN4K.gif :)

  • cwk27 #38 2 years ago

    @Maddoxon

    Rofl, nice gif you got there :D

  • Tobli #39 2 years ago

    Hmm, Ubisoft seem to hit roadblocks on every turn. It must be karma for pushing that draconian drm.

  • cwk27 #40 2 years ago

    @Tobli: It's not really Karma as such, it's just what all of us predicted would happen if a publisher tried to implement such a stupid system.

    I mean, noone has a perfect internet connection that never drops you, and not everyone has broadband either. Coupled with the fact that serverside issues are bound to happen eventually, and that the moral outrage that sparked off this public backlash meant that hackers were going to try to prove a point...well...I have a feeling that the execs at Ubi were only really thinking about their pockets when they tried this out.

    It's sad when execs in a gaming firm don't understand a gamer's mentality. I really don't understand why they didn't draw examples from the music and movie industry before attempting this farce of a DRM system. People view their games like they view their CDs and DVDs. Noone would like it if we were told by the manufacturers when and where we could consume our property. If I can listen to a CD or watch a DVD on the train, on a plane or on the beach, then I'll want to play my goddamn games wherever the hell I like.

    I have no idea why they thought that consumers would suddenly put our hands up and go "oh alright then, I'll let you dictate how I enjoy my purchase" when we would be up in arms if the music or movie industry did the same.

    Fucking crackheads.

  • Veracity #41 2 years ago

    @ignatius
    Listen to the podcasts if you want editorial. They're shambolic, but certainly more opinionated than anything the site generally prints.

    I think you're overlooking that EG does betray a slant purely in what it considers news and what spin it puts on it even without injecting editorial - not really a negative criticism, as that's true of any news outlet. They're (presumably) always motivated primarily by the almighty click count, but this article's using a trivial delay as an excuse to smack Ubisoft with the DRM bat again - for all we know, it might genuinely have nothing to do with beleaguered DRM or the conspiracies PC users see in every shadow. It's the same sort of thing you see often in satire about sensationalism:
    Headline: Bobby Kotick does not deny procuring child prostitutes
    Buried in paragraph 4: (No one has asked him about it.)

    I would like to see someone, ideally in something like a feature report rather than a news item (too narrow) or outright editorial, talking to publishers and actually pressing for less evasive bullshit. I don't think this'd even necessarily be bad PR - certainly, this "benefits to gamers" guff makes them come across as weaselly scum, whereas "We're sick of piracy and believe this will reduce it enough to be worth the hate we incur from a relatively obsessive subset of potential buyers." would let them off as merely regular scum with whose exasperation you might even sympathize. Who's going to volunteer for this when annoying a publisher will lose you future interviews and timely review code, I'm not so sure.

  • Macdory #42 2 years ago

    The biggest bug with these Ubi games is the stupid DRM - patch it out and I may just buy one of your tired sequels ...

    Do Ubi actually make any new IP's, or just try and drain away their "Cash Cows"?

  • Shakey_Jake33 #43 2 years ago

    @Unkempt - Looking at the sales of games like Mass Effect 2, Napoleon Total War, Football Manager 2010 etc, I'd say a hell of a lot of people. It's just that you're not one of them.

  • bad09 #44 2 years ago

    @ Shakey_Jake33

    He's a troll check out the "PC is Dying thread",he's kinda cute

  • jellyhead #45 2 years ago

    Who's negging unkempt? Stop it, he's adorable and i'd actually love EG to have some NeoGeo reviews too. Especially if Jesus Eurogamer is writing them, he sounds interesting.

    UnKempt's wrong about PC gaming though but hey, pets always have some quirks.
    Edited by 1 at 01/04/10 @ 23:05

  • TheTingler #46 2 years ago

    Especially as SEGA have just said that PC sales are really healthy and are a significant sector of the market.

  • jellyhead #47 2 years ago

    Microsoft Studios have not released much on PC because they are concentrating on the xbox360 where they had invested a lot of money and they didn't want to cannibalise their sales. ATi and NVidia have just released stupidly high-end cards both based on new designs that aren't going away anytime soon so the PC market isn't as dead as the narrow confines of the console gamer would like to believe.

    My PC still gets more gaming time than my consoles and even if all the so called 'AAA' titles dry-up then the vacuum will create a market for others to step into and release games that are creative and interesting rather than another shallow, blockbuster FPS for the sheeple.

    As for piracy, yeah, it's killing the DS, PSP and the 360 too obviously. PC Gaming, happily dying since 1985 :)

  • Red-Moose #48 2 years ago

    "We are hoping people who pirate PC games and also have a console will be tempted to get the console version before the PC version hits the torrent sites"

  • TheApologist #49 2 years ago

    @OnlyMe
    In fairness, http://www.rockpaper shotgun.com did a pretty good job kicking up a stink about this anti-consumer disaster.

    But yes, Eurogamer and my other site of choice, Giantbomb have been crap. In the latter case actively seeming to side with Ubisoft. Bizarre.

  • Tobli #50 2 years ago

    Macdory: "The biggest bug with these Ubi games is the stupid DRM "

    I think Silent Hunter 5 begs to differ,

  • obscured021 #51 2 years ago

    Razor and reloaded to the rescue please

  • Chupakun #52 2 years ago

    This Ubisoft DRM is getting quite irksome.

  • bad09 #53 2 years ago

    "Razor and reloaded to the rescue please"

    From what I hear this weekend your wish is coming true, it does seem AC2 has been cracked now. If Ubiscum are true to their word the DRM will be removed. \o/