News

Piracy chief reason for no PC version of I Am Alive [Update]
Posted: 24.11.2011 01:01 by JonahFalcon Comments: 27
Gamers who are curious about Ubisoft's upcoming survival game I Am Alive won't be seeing it on the PC platform. Piracy is the chief reason that the PC version would be passed over, according to the game's creative director Stanlislas Mettra.

"We've heard loud and clear that PC gamers are bitching about there being no version for them," Mettra stated, "But are these people just making noise just because there's no version or because it's a game they actually want to play? Would they buy it if we made it?"

"It's hard because there's so much piracy and so few people are paying for PC games that we have to precisely weigh it up against the cost of making it. Perhaps, it will only take 12 guys three months to port the game to PC, it's not a massive cost but it's still a cost. If only 50,000 people buy the game then it's not worth it."

UbiSoft has continually experimented with ways to combat piracy, from having no DRM at all with the PC version of Prince of Persia in 2009, to the controversial always-on DRM found in, among other games, the PC version of Assassin's Creed II. Apparently, their final solution is no release at all.

Update: Mettra followed up on his comments in PC Gamer.

He stated, "I would really love to see a pc build of the game and I dont think I meant to say "the game won't happen on pc" it's probably an English language miscommunication (I am not native English speaker).

What I meant is that the pc version did not happen yet. But we are still working to see the feasibility of it, which is not necessarily simple. I gave some examples to illustrate the problematic, but obviously it is not in my hands and not my part to talk about this.

Honestly, which game maker would not love his game to be playable on as many platforms and by as many people as possible?

Regardless console or pc, what matters is the game and the pleasure people can get from it."
Source: G4TV

Comments

By neilmike (SI Core) on Nov 24, 2011
neilmike
jesus christ' ...well, shove it up your arse you-BESOFT !!!!

p.s . ubi have also cancelled ghostrecon future soldier on pc as well...ONE BIG F--K YOU !!

GHOST RECON ONLINE for pc only...garbage !,garbage !
By MindCoil (SI Veteran Member) on Nov 24, 2011
MindCoil
They just don't get it. Even on consoles piracy is rampant too. Just because on PC it's more visible doesn't mean there's more.
By Longsword (SI Core Member) on Nov 24, 2011
Longsword
"We've heard loud and clear that PC gamers are bitching about there being no version for them"... does this sound rather harsh to anyone?
By JonahFalcon (SI Elite) on Nov 24, 2011
JonahFalcon
Well, they make gobs of money on the 360 and PS3, but not as much on PC.
By herodotus (SI Herodotus) on Nov 24, 2011
herodotus
What a load of bullscookies. If you don't want to port to pC, just fess up that you don't want to.
By SiyaenSokol (SI Elite) on Nov 24, 2011
SiyaenSokol
I am disappointed to hear that this game is not going to be for PC, but then again, who can blame them. If you are not going to make money off a platform, then what is the use of spending money to create it on that platform.

This is why I am against Piracy. I just read an article about why piracy is higher on PC than it is on Consoles.

Check it out: http://gametheoryonline.com/2010/08/30/console-piracy-pc-game-pirate/
By FoolWolf (SI Elite) on Nov 24, 2011
FoolWolf
Well - who cares? It's Ubisoft games and they aren't worth pirating anyway - Ubisoft is simply just bitching too much - so I don't give them money and I no longer wants to defile my computer with their crap anyway - so win win for me - yeay! :)
By Chosen_One (SI Elite) on Nov 24, 2011
Chosen_One
Well, Xbox360 and ps3 can run illegal copy too, so what?
By JonahFalcon (SI Elite) on Nov 24, 2011
JonahFalcon
Yes, but you have to take the time to mod the console.
By nocutius (SI Elite) on Nov 24, 2011
nocutius
Too bad, this one looked kinda interesting but i don't know if i would have actually bought it.

As long there are strategy games on the PC i'm not going to be too sad.
By Chosen_One (SI Elite) on Nov 24, 2011
Chosen_One
Ubi's policy is rubbish, everyone knows this, I refused to buy their games as well as I refused to buy Activision games.
By djole381 (SI Elite) on Nov 24, 2011
djole381
@JonahFalcon
You need to take time to crack PC games, especially Ubi's which are most difficult to crack, so this whole "piracy chief reason for no PC version" is just one of their lame excuses.
By Chosen_One (SI Elite) on Nov 24, 2011
Chosen_One
@djole381

Matter of hours ) Really, they crack Ubi's defense quicker than to make a crack for some old disk protection system ) That internet requirement are tricky )
By djole381 (SI Elite) on Nov 24, 2011
djole381
@Chosen_One
Matter of hours for some games, matter of weeks or months for others. And those games with Ubi's "always on" DRM are by far the trickiest to crack, so I don't really see the reason why Ubi complains about piracy because they're not loosing their customers because piracy, but because of their draconian DRM that punishes legitimate customers instead of pirates.
By SirRoderick (SI Elite) on Nov 24, 2011
SirRoderick
The only two reasons some games are cracked later are:
-The game is low profile
-The "scene" is doing a smaller dev a favour and is purposefully withholding a crack.
By Kres (SI Elite) on Nov 24, 2011
Kres
Well there will be other PC games to play. My 360 just got broken over the weekend. That means no more PES. :( But anyway, if they want my money they'll make it on PC. I don't mind if they don't do it.
By unsilviu (SI Core) on Nov 24, 2011
unsilviu
" PC gamers are bitching " You, Sir, need a lesson in manners. If that's the way they treat PC gamers, then I don't want their product, unless it comes with a gilded certificate of apology.
By herodotus (SI Herodotus) on Nov 24, 2011
herodotus
Well at least the Ubi Devs working on the Ghost Recon MP and "Ghost Recon: Future Soldier" aren't being nobs. They're actually treating the PC community with a fair dollop of respect, as they should. The franchise wouldn't exist without us.
By FoolWolf (SI Elite) on Nov 25, 2011
FoolWolf
Hero: http://www.strategyinformer.com/news/15625/ghost-recon-future-soldier-dropped-for-pc-due-to-piracy

Ubi is crap and rotten to the core for all purposes...
By FoolWolf (SI Elite) on Nov 25, 2011
FoolWolf
Update: Mettre - it is not about your game - its about your attitude - and your attitude just stinks...
By Kres (SI Elite) on Nov 25, 2011
Kres
Ah he is making a more diplomatic approach in the update. Good for him!
By herodotus (SI Herodotus) on Nov 25, 2011
herodotus
Hey Wolfy, I was reading an interview about both titles being made for PC, but I see now that they are caving into their console market and using pircay as the standyby excuse for cancelling the full game on PC. Thanks for the correction. Talk about about a backflip.
They don't want our money, fair en0ough but to state 90-95% of us will pirate the PC version is absurd and just goes to show how committed they are to ditching the PC as a release platform.
Fine. No console port for me. I can live with that. Doesn't mean the game won't be pirated, as the console version will be torrented just as quickly. "GR Online" - they can have it.
By JonahFalcon (SI Elite) on Nov 25, 2011
JonahFalcon
"Caving in"? It isn't caving in. Businesses want to make MONEY. If they feel they can't make money doing something, they'll stop.
By shibdib (I just got here) on Nov 26, 2011
shibdib
Fucking bullshit, ubi the reason ur not making PC versions of ur games is because none of ur old pc fans wanna download and deal with ur bullshit restrictive DRM on ur shitty ass console port games.
By bosnian_dragon (SI Core) on Nov 26, 2011
bosnian_dragon
Hold on, 50 000 people x 30€ (let's say a minimum price at release date) = 1 500 000 €

12 people porting a game to PC cost THAT MUCH!? WOW!? They could hire a band of experienced modders who would do tons of job for only being mentioned in credits, or for some small fee.

P.S. In Bosnian language, "Ubij" means "kill". Me and my fellow gamers here have been calling Ubisoft a "Killsoft" company. Guess we were right, they are softly killing the PC platform with such stupid decisions.
By herodotus (SI Herodotus) on Nov 26, 2011
herodotus
Yep Jonah, they're what we call "surrender monkeys". I have yet to see Ubisoft make one good, and honest, business decision in the past couple of years. Just ask Oleg Maddox.
Just hope that Eugen Systems have broken free after "RUSE" so that "Wargame: European Escalation" can still come to PC.
Language miscommunication - what an idiot.
By FoolWolf (SI Elite) on Nov 28, 2011
FoolWolf
@Jonah have you missed that made real money on the PC this year? Ubi can't make a thing right so goid riddance, Hero is right.