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  • Major blow for Starforce

    Ubisoft officially dumps Starforce

    Citing "complaints," the publisher ends its relationship with the copyright-protection provider.

    Following several days of rumors, Ubisoft has officially confirmed that it will no longer use the controversial digital-rights software from Starforce. "Ubisoft has decided to use an alternative copy protection system to Starforce for upcoming releases," said a rep for the company. The announcement means that Starforce software will not be included in Heroes of Might and Magic V, the publisher's much-anticipated forthcoming PC role-playing game.

    Ubisoft's decision caps weeks of controversy surrounding Starforce. In Mid-march, an employee of the Russian-German-Chinese-Cypriot company was accused of posting a link to a site where users could illegally download Stardock's space-sim Galactic Civilizations II: Dread Lords. Shortly, thereafter, Aspyr Media decided to sever its relationship with Starforce and remove its software from its forthcoming game, Spellforce 2: Shadow Wars.

    Ubisoft's motivation for ending its agreement with Starforce was more personal. At the end of March, the company was slapped with a $5 million lawsuit by gamers who claimed that Starforce's DRM system compromised the security of their PCs. "We are currently investigating complaints about alleged problems with Starforce’s software," said the Ubisoft rep.
    Citing "complaints," the publisher ends its relationship with the copyright-protection provider.


    UbiSoft was problably the biggest publisher to use Starforce for most/all of their games. UbiSoft
    Administrator of WePlayCiv -- Civ5 Info Centre | Forum | Gallery

  • #2
    I've avoided buying UBISOFT games since they started putting StarForce on all their crap, at least now I can end that for their future titles.

    If M&M V gets good reviews it may be my first UBI purchase in a long while.

    Comment


    • #3
      Your late Newsman.



      ACK!
      Don't try to confuse the issue with half-truths and gorilla dust!

      Comment


      • #4
        Originally posted by Silver14
        If M&M V gets good reviews it may be my first UBI purchase in a long while.
        I've never had any interest in HoMMM (tried one of the first ones but didn't particularly like it) but I might just buy this one just to support their decision

        That's what you get for bumping dead threads
        Administrator of WePlayCiv -- Civ5 Info Centre | Forum | Gallery

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        • #5
          HOMM IV was horrid, the worse in the series. HOMM V will have to get some praise before I pick it up but at least there is a chance I'll get it now.

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          • #6
            Yes, HOMM 4 was bad; 1 and 2 and King'Bounty so so.
            But HOMM 3 was good.
            Best regards,

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            • #7
              UbiSoft . No plans to play HOMM 5 here, but on the other hand, this deserves support.
              Solver, WePlayCiv Co-Administrator
              Contact: solver-at-weplayciv-dot-com
              I can kill you whenever I please... but not today. - The Cigarette Smoking Man

              Comment


              • #8
                While this was already posted in the other thread, it probably deserves a thread of its own.
                I'm building a wagon! On some other part of the internets, obviously (but not that other site).

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                • #9
                  That's a good first move for Unisoft, certainly. They should get rid of "copy protection" all together, though.
                  (\__/) 07/07/1937 - Never forget
                  (='.'=) "Claims demand evidence; extraordinary claims demand extraordinary evidence." -- Carl Sagan
                  (")_(") "Starting the fire from within."

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    This is good news... old news, but still good news
                    This space is empty... or is it?

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      No harm in seeing it again.

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        While they still haven't announced what they are replacing Starforce with, I would hazard that any copyprotection is better than Starforce.
                        I'm building a wagon! On some other part of the internets, obviously (but not that other site).

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          My follow up e-mail to Ubisoft:

                          Dear Jamie:

                          As a follow up to my e-mail of March 13th below, by dropping Starforce as copy protection, you've won back at least one customer. I gladly will be purchasing HOMM and look forward to other purchases of Ubisoft games. Keep up the good work!

                          Yours,

                          --Kelly

                          ---------- Forwarded message ----------
                          From: Kelly McLaughlin
                          Date: Mar 13, 2006 6:12 PM
                          Subject: Self-Imposed Boycott of Games Using Starforce
                          To: jaime.borasi@ubisoft.com
                          Cc: sales@star-force.com, marketing@stardock.com


                          Dear Jaime:

                          [Please forward this as you deem fit. Thank you in advance.]

                          As you are press contact for UbiSoft (USA), I just wanted to let you know that I am self-boycotting any games using Starforce as a result of their strong arm tactics against Stardock, developers of Galactic Civilizations 2. As you might know, GalCiv2 has no copy protection because the developer has decided not to punish paying customers by imposing copy protection schemes on them that often cause loading problems (and don't stop thieves anyway). Starforce's "answer" to this decision was to link to warez files online offering free downloads of the game. This somehow "proved" Starforce's worth? No, it was criminal and irresponsible...thieves keeping close company.

                          Of course, my boycott has less to do with developers trying to protect their hard-earned assets and everything to do with UbiSoft's use of a particular company to do so. (I have also cc'd Starforce's sales department and Stardock's marketing department on this e-mail). I have played many UbiSoft games with great interest, including (to name a few) Brothers in Arms, Splinter Cell, and Rainbow 6. I was very much looking forward to HOMM5, the development of which I have watched carefully on Gamespot.

                          I am sorry that your association with Starforce has lost you at least one customer, but the moment you change protection companies (or, better yet, follow the Stardock example), I will be back again, a loyal fan.

                          Yours,

                          --Kelly
                          I've been on these boards for a long time and I still don't know what to think when it comes to you -- FrantzX, December 21, 2001

                          "Yin": Your friendly, neighborhood negative cosmic force.

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            You newsjacker, you!


                            Ubisoft
                            <Kassiopeia> you don't keep the virgins in your lair at a sodomising distance from your beasts or male prisoners. If you devirginised them yourself, though, that's another story. If they devirginised each other, then, I hope you had that webcam running.
                            Play Bumps! No, wait, play Slings!

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Originally posted by Skanky Burns
                              While they still haven't announced what they are replacing Starforce with, I would hazard that any copyprotection is better than Starforce.
                              Maybe Yin convinced them to follow Stardock's example.

                              Comment

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