Ubisoft Ends Online Pass System

Sarah LeBoeuf

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Apr 28, 2011
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Ubisoft Ends Online Pass System



Starting retroactively with Assassin's Creed IV, gamers won't have to pay a fee to play used Ubisoft games online.

Online passes have been despised by gamers since their inception. Though it's understandable that a publisher might want to see some money from the sale of its used games, consumers were miffed about having a game's online component restricted on second-hand titles. After years of complaints, EA dropped the Online Pass [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/125238-Electronic-Arts-Affirms-the-End-of-Online-Pass] earlier this year, and now Ubisoft is following suit.

Starting immediately, Ubisoft games will no longer have the Uplay Passport, which is what the publisher called its online pass system. The Passport was restricted some of the game's single-player content [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/111674-Ubisoft-Prepares-Uplay-Passport-UPDATED] to much outrage.

The Uplay Passport program was initiated as a means of giving customers full access and support for online multiplayer and features, along with exclusive content, bonuses and rewards. However, games today are blurring the line between offline and online, between what is "single player" and what is "multiplayer." Based on that and on the feedback we received from you, we recognized that Passport is no longer the best approach for ensuring that all our customers have the best possible experience with all facets of our games.

Ubisoft is even trying to make the Assassin's Creed IV Uplay Passport debacle right by removing the online pass, sort of--it's taking away the additional cost and making it free for all. Those who have already purchased the pass are instructed to "contact your regional Ubisoft support," presumably for a refund.

In a blog post [http://blog.ubi.com/assassins-creed-iv-black-flag-and-uplay-passport/], the publisher stated that it removed the online pass because "we listen to our community and understand that there are concerns" about the system. It's a shame this move had to come two days after Assassin's Creed IV was released instead of before, but gamers should be happy that the Uplay Passport is dead.

Source: Ubisoft Blog [http://blog.ubi.com/assassins-creed-iv-black-flag-and-uplay-passport/]

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Ed130 The Vanguard

(Insert witty quote here)
Sep 10, 2008
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Whoo!

Now all they need to do is ditch Uplay and not delay the PC version for once and I'll start buying their game at launch again!
 

Church185

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Apr 15, 2009
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Yay, now I might just get ACIV for PS4 after all!

Good to see that one of the last major publishers to use online passes is ditching them.
 

fix-the-spade

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Feb 25, 2008
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It amazes me that publishers keep trying these systems, the amount of infrastructure and money required to enforce it is surely a lot more than you ever get from the occasional ten dollar online pass. Better off just letting them have the game and selling them expansions for it.
 

Roofstone

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May 13, 2010
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I would be snarky about it being too little too late. But meh, take what you get.

Good on you, Ubisoft, good on you!
 

Legion

Were it so easy
Oct 2, 2008
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I like the way they pretend that they introduced it to benefit the customers rather than themselves.

The Uplay Passport program was initiated as a means of giving customers full access and support for online multiplayer and features, along with exclusive content, bonuses and rewards.
Because no other games allow you to play multiplayer without a "passport" now do they...

We recognized that Passport is no longer the best approach for ensuring that all our customers have the best possible experience with all facets of our games.
How did it ever give players a good experience? It had no benefits for the player whatsoever. The "bonuses" were things they could have implemented anyway, they just chose to hide them behind the passport system.

Don't get me wrong, it is good that they have gotten rid of it, but I really despise it when companies try and pretend that things they do for their own benefit, are really for ours.
 

Sigmund Av Volsung

Hella noided
Dec 11, 2009
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I was contemplating buying the season pass for ACIV(I got the base game as part of my new gpu purchase), and then this happened.

That feels weird.
 

gigastar

Insert one-liner here.
Sep 13, 2010
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Well theres my surprise of the day.

Now provided the PC port of AC4 doesnt suck i may actually buy it.
 

bandit0802

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Dec 24, 2008
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Finally! I can only imagine the backlash they got when they actually withheld single player components with an online pass. It really is shitty of them to say they were doing it for our benefit. Why can't companies just come out say "Ok, we realized we were being assholes. Sorry about that"? (I'm asking rhetorically. I don't want an answer.)

Just outta curiosity, what's wrong with the Uplay service besides the passport? I've never had any problems with it. Ubisoft never spammed my inbox with tons of emails about it. I'll admit I get nothing out of it, but it's never gotten in my way, either. Why the hate?
 

Rad Party God

Party like it's 2010!
Feb 23, 2010
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"...games today are blurring the line between offline and online, between what is "single player" and what is "multiplayer."
I can smell the bullshit a mile away.

OT: Good!, let's hope they keep it that way and they don't twist and contort another shitty DRM scheme (*cough*U Play*cough*).

For now, let's say we had a small victory.
 

TK421

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Apr 16, 2009
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Kungfu_Teddybear said:
That's a step in the right direction, now just drop Uplay.
Ed130 said:
Now all they need to do is ditch Uplay
Seriously, Uplay is such crap. I hate opening steam, clicking my game, then having another client open that I have to find and click my game in. Horribly inefficient, and a huge waste of my time.

OT: Good job Ubi, you are taking your first steps towards not being a horrible company! Now get rid of Uplay >.>
 

SonOfMethuselah

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Oct 9, 2012
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I still don't want to have to download something extra to use the online, even if it is free. It's the principle of the thing. Still, step in the right direction and all that jazz. Here's to hoping that the big publishers don't come out with something even more ridiculously stupid in the next gen.
 

weirdee

Swamp Weather Balloon Gas
Apr 11, 2011
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I'll start paying attention again when they stop using uplay, and being jerks that pretend that not saying anything at all, instead of the truth, is the same as not lying
 

BloodRed Pixel

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Jul 16, 2009
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Congrats UBIsoft! You managed to pull a lot of your heads out of your asses, you really positively suprised me.

Now a toast for a good PC Port...
 

Sheo_Dagana

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Aug 12, 2009
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So in short: "The online passes weren't really saving us any money, people kept complaining, and we've got a new kind of system to hinder second-hand games in the works, so we're getting rid of online passes until we get the kinks worked out."

Hopefully now they'll do what they should have been doing all along - reward customers for buying new instead of punishing them for buying used.