Ubisoft DRM circumvented by hackers
Group claims to have removed need for constant internet connection entirely
A consortium of hackers calling themselves Skid Row has claimed to have completely circumvented Ubisoft's controversial new DRM solution, with a hack that removes it from its PC games entirely.
The DRM, which first appeared in titles Assassin's Creed II and Silent Hunter 5, is planned for use in every new Ubisoft title. It requires that users have a constant internet connection in order to play their games, which introduces the risk of losing progress if their connections drop out for any reason.
However, as reported by CNet, news of a hack that disables the DRM has been spreading via peer-to-peer file sharing networks and social news sites.
The hack claims to remove the DRM entirely, requiring only that users download and install a modified version of a game's executable file to their computers. That's then used alongside a crack that can be applied to any retail version of a game.
Attached to the readme file that comes with the content a note from Skid Row told Ubisoft it should focus more on gameplay than on anti-piracy measures.
"Thank you Ubisoft, this was quite a challenge for us, but nothing stops the leading force from doing what we do," it said.
"Next time focus on the game and not on the DRM. It was probably horrible for all legit users. We just make their lives easier."
The group also claimed that its methods were safeguarded against reverse-engineering in order to protect it from other hackers and from Ubisoft itself.
Ubisoft has been plagued with difficulties relating to the DRM since its introduction. Its servers have been attacked by hackers preventing people from playing their games, and Settlers 7 also encountered teething troubles at launch.
Ubisoft however has remained determined, compensating Assassin's Creed II users for the inconvenience caused by server downtime, and insisting that it must react to PC piracy that is cannibalising its profits.
Last year it said that 700,000 copies of Assassin's Creed were downloaded illegitimately, leading to millions of pounds of lost revenue.