But those people have the option to avoid using the client if they want to go that route.
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Upcoming Ubisoft titles seemingly removed from Steam worldwide [edit: they're back]
- Thread starter ShockingAlberto
- Start date
But those people have the option to avoid using the client if they want to go that route.
I never used it myself but yes I do remember Trillian! Looks like the company that makes it is still around and supporting it as their sole product, maybe it's time they diversified.
Dragonborn
Member
No steam, no buy. This is why I just stick to consoles
Benzychenz
Member
its like if ubisoft games (or EA games) didnt work on PSN, they only worked on a console specific uplay / origin, so your PSN friends couldnt see you online, talk to you or couldnt play with you, unless you logged on that that other service
or if youre a collectionist, its like if you had your shelf of games, your assassis creeds 1 through black flag and whatnot, and then had a seperate lonely shelf with just that specific Assassins creed
If I want to play with a friend I just text them anyway. I haven't looked at my friend list on PS4 since I bought it and played around with the UI lol.
So yeah I still don't understand.
Sounds like you are already lost, point is Ubi has been making rather large mistakes lately when it comes to keeping their customers happy.
Well they been making mistakes for years on the PC platform. This isn't anything new for us, though certainly a notch up.
Which was my point. I don't think they are anyone's favorite but they have taken it to another level lately.
The 30% cut for valve is moot, you can sell steam keys on your own site and get 100% of sales while still keeping the game on Steam. That's how sites like amazon and GMG do business in the first place. Heck, a couple of Ubisoft games (M&M Clash of Heroes and Bloody Good Time) already do this on Uplay store.
blankempathy
Member
The thing that really annoys me that its ubisoft. I just don't have faith in them nor would I ever want to support their launcher. They've shafted pc gamers for years so why the hell would I want to support this anti consumer bs? Its the same ubisoft story. Shaft your legitimate customers over and over again.
No I won't.
NoPiece
Member
And speaking of faith in Ubisoft, what happens to your Uplay purchases when the go bankrupt or get bought? I'm already taking a risk with Valve, but they at least seem like they care about their consumer. Imagine if there was THQplay...
Omnii-chan
Member
I'm not buying them on uplay only. No way, not after the problems I've had with it just going through Steam trying to play Farcry 3 and Blood Dragon.
Candescence
Member
Trillian still works pretty damn well, aside from Skype no longer being supported because Microsoft have discontinued the API, which is a load of crap, really.
But, yeah, we do need a program that eliminates the need for having to have a whole bunch of clients open at once, because that's just bullshit. Unfortunately, said clients are also DRM, so platform holders would balk at the notion.
Mass Effect
Member
Okay, but that begs the question: Why? What does Ubisoft gain by trying to shift sales towards consoles. If anything it seems like they would make more revenue per copy sold on PC, even with Valve's cut.
D
Deleted member 17706
Unconfirmed Member
Has there been any official word on this yet, or is it still just a bunch of speculation?
PC gamers have always gotten the shaft when it comes to Ubi games on PC.
No.
Only reason I even have Uplay on my machine now is Watch Dogs I believe. I can see how this annoys people, but I've never given a shit what drm platform my games are attached to. I'd prefer not having any DRM on them at all, ala GOG. If Ubisoft makes a game I want, this won't make or break my purchase.
Sutton Dagger
Member
If this is actually the case I hope people don't cave and buy them on Uplay. It really is a shitty client.
You lost me at the bolded part.
blankempathy
Member
Oh they will. People always say "vote with your wallet" but its at the point where me not supporting certain companies is like a drop in a bucket because I'm clearly in the minority. The general consumer doesn't give a damn about shady business practices. Its the reason why modern gaming is full of preorder exclusive dlc broken games at launch with ridiculous day one patches.
As the Ubisoft rep said they had been in (evidently unfruitful) "discussions" with Valve prior to today, hopefully this impasse is like that of TV programming and cable providers: a channel goes off the air for days or even weeks, only to reappear uneventfully once an agreement has finally been reached between the two parties.
Honestly, though, I don't get what Ubi and Valve would be "discussing." (Some here wondered if it was regional pricing, most of us feel it is Ubisoft making steep demands, etc.)
Some journalist needs to break this story and find out what the hell is really going on - what is being "discussed." Or has Ubi just decided to go the way of EA, and this is just spin & damage control....
Honestly, though, I don't get what Ubi and Valve would be "discussing." (Some here wondered if it was regional pricing, most of us feel it is Ubisoft making steep demands, etc.)
Some journalist needs to break this story and find out what the hell is really going on - what is being "discussed." Or has Ubi just decided to go the way of EA, and this is just spin & damage control....
crazyrabbits
Banned
The common thread with all of the incidents today is via publishers who are unwilling to admit when they fucked up.
It took a ton of bad press before EA finally wised up and made Origin into something other than the buggy glorified spyware it originally started out as and even then, I'd say that they're still a lower-tier platform whose only value is in the free games they offer and the odd sale.
Ubisoft is going to get it too, and they're comparatively further behind than Origin was at the same point in its lifespan. Just think of all the crap they've done in the past - the botched AC2 DRM, the downgrades, the parity, the arrogance, etc. The sad part is, they've already had a massive kick in the ass, and instead of trying to remove their DRM scheme (which they seemed to be working towards over the last few weeks with better Steam integration), they instead pull their new releases just before a holiday season with no warning.
They deserve to fail. I take no pride in saying that, and I'm all about competition to strengthen the industry, but they deserve a taste of their own medicine.
Ubisoft's claimed discussions are in relation to UK availability, but it's nothing but hot air. Its retail games being unavailable on Steam UK prior to release is not a new issue and has absolutely nothing to do with Valve but rather Ubi's ties to UK retailers. Ubi passes the buck to Valve for the same reason EA blamed Valve for Crysis 2 and Dragon Age 2 being pulled back in mid-2011: because it knows Valve won't respond to the contrary.
People said the same for Origin. Now they have Origin installed alongside Steam. If Ubisoft does go this route, a lot of PC gamers will install it just as well. Why? Because there are tons of people who don't want to miss out on games like Assassin's Creed, The Crew, The Division, Far Cry 4 etc.
crazyrabbits
Banned
There's a difference, though. Origin doesn't rely on the player being kicked out of their game at the drop of a hat if the servers go down. Its main problem was the alleged "spyware" capabilities, and even then, the removal of that hasn't really put Origin over the top from what I've seen. When they come up these days, it's usually because they've trying to incentivize their service by giving away free games, or having the odd price error or cheap regional version of a game.
UPlay's failure is being coupled with all the bad press Ubisoft is receiving this year. It makes little sense to pull the rug out from its potential users just before a busy holiday season. That, and we already know that they lost a ton of sales as a result of their failed DRM. Trying to pigeonhole everyone into a platform that doesn't even work sometimes will never go over well.
travisbickle
Member
By this time next year I expect all big publishers to produce games of parity across all platforms, only to be available through their own online stores, with their own monthly subscription services on console platforms, with time-restricted shareplay option also tied to subscription (and probably online play too).
its not competition when the games are removed from the store
actually I dont have Origin alongside Steam. BUT, I will for Dragon Age Inquisition, so your point stands. Eventually there will be "that" game that you really want and you cave in
Is it really competition? Competition would be having the game available on every service, but offering the best price on uPlay. This is just bullshit that inconveniences the consumer for the sake of margins.
BAHAHAHAHA game journalists.
Please, journalist is the last thing to call them.
Unless there's some money involved (for them) nothing will happen. They won't risk a blacklist. Maybe it just gets posted on Kotaku at best, although to be fair it probably because there's nothing definite yet.
toddhunter
Member
People said the same for GFWL too.
Interesting article; company policy being driven by a psychological defense fallacy leading them further into the rabbit-hole rather than face the painful reality of their own self-harm, interesting.
blankempathy
Member
Also wanted to say to the people saying "this creates competition and competition is good". How is one less store selling keys creating competition? If steams not selling ubisoft games that means thats one less store competing in sales/discounting the game and that creates less competition.
Eteric Rice
Member
Well this kind of killed my interest in Far Cry 4... Which sucks because I was looking forward to it.
Is it really hard to understand that it's completion between different platforms/services and not completion for selling certain games?
That's like saying Nintendo/Sony/Microsoft investing in their own first-party games isn't creating competition, but Nintendo putting Mario games on Xbox is.
Along with PC Gamer, Gamespot, Kotaku, Lazygamer, Game Informer, Maximum PC, Eurogamer, CVG, Shacknews, my own site, and countless others. A simple search for "ubisoft steam" on Google yields plenty of results for this news.
Yeah, "nothing will happen." Nailed it.
toddhunter
Member
The two are linked, those platforms sell games.
True competitions is having competing services and then letting you choose the service you like best.