Ubisoft Connect
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Ubisoft Connect (formerly Ubisoft Game Launcher and later Uplay) is a
Features
Ubisoft Connect serves as a combination of a free reward system (formerly
The Ubisoft Connect client on personal computers also serves as a storefront and digital download management tool. Players can purchase Ubisoft games through its storefront and manage downloads and updates of games. The client also maintains digital rights management (DRM) for Ubisoft games, and is required to be run for any Ubisoft game, even if the game is purchased on a different storefront such as through Steam or the Epic Games Store.
An optional subscription service, Ubisoft+ (formerly Uplay+), allows subscribers to have access to Ubisoft's full library of games as well as immediate access to its newest games and closed beta tests for upcoming games.
History
The Uplay reward system was first introduced alongside the release of Assassin's Creed II on 17 November 2009.[1] The Uplay reward system allowed players to connect with other gamers, and to earn rewards based on achievements (called "Actions") in Uplay-enabled games, with Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot stating that "the more you play, the more free goods you will be able to have".[2][3]
On personal computers, Ubisoft had offered its Ubisoft Game Launcher to manage the downloads and updating of its games. The Uplay client was introduced on 3 July 2012 to replace the launcher, incorporating its features as well as management of Uplay rewards and a digital storefront for Ubisoft games.[4]
Certain Ubisoft games required an online pass known as a "Uplay Passport" to access online and multiplayer content. In October 2013, Ubisoft announced that it would discontinue its use of online passes on future games, and made the Uplay Passport for Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag available at no charge effective immediately.[5]
In October 2020, Uplay and the
In July 2023, it was reported that Ubisoft had started to permanently delete accounts it deemed "inactive", including purchased games. The company said that this was incorrect and that only accounts without purchases were deleted to comply with the General Data Protection Regulation.[12][13][14]
Reception
Early reception of Uplay with reviewers and the public had been largely negative, primarily related to the use of DRM. Early games that incorporated Uplay required players to
John Walker, writing for
Rootkit allegations
In July 2012 Tavis Ormandy, an Information Security Engineer at Google, claimed that "Uplay" DRM is a rootkit and poses a serious security risk. The software installs a browser plugin that provides access to the system.[29][30] Ormandy has written proof-of-concept code for the exploit. The exploit is believed to have been fixed as of version 2.0.4, released on 30 July 2012.[31][32][33]
Ubisoft Club
The Ubisoft Club (initially known as Uplay Club) was introduced in October 2015, which transitioned most of the reward system facets of Uplay to this program, as well as adding further ways for players to earn points towards rewards by playing Ubisoft games.[34]
In 2020, it merged into Ubisoft Connect.[10]
References
- ^ "Ubisoft Launches First Uplay Services With Assassin's Creed II". IGN. 18 November 2009. Archived from the original on 22 May 2020. Retrieved 22 May 2020.
- ^ Good, Owen (14 November 2009). "Ubisoft: All Our Games Will Do This UPlay Thing". Kotaku. Archived from the original on 22 September 2012. Retrieved 26 September 2010.
- ^ Faylor, Chris (19 November 2009). "Ubisoft Launches 'Uplay' Achievement and Reward System with Assassin's Creed 2". Shacknews. Retrieved 29 October 2020.
- ^ Cox, Kate (16 August 2012). "Ubisoft Launches Their Own PC Gaming Client, and Is Selling Some Games For $1 to Get You To Try It". Kotaku. Retrieved 29 October 2020.
- ^ "Ubisoft Kills Online Pass System, Effective Immediately". IGN. November 2013. Retrieved 4 December 2013.
- ^ Ubisoft Announces Uplay+ Subscription Service for PC - E3 2019 - IGN, 10 June 2019, retrieved 29 August 2019
- ^ Watts, Steve (13 June 2019). "E3 2019: Uplay+ Is Ubisoft Subscription, With New Releases Like Ghost Recon Breakpoint And Watch Dogs Legion". GameSpot. Retrieved 14 June 2019.
- ^ Tarason, Dominic (16 July 2019). "Ubisoft announce their Uplay+ subscription lineup". Rock Paper Shotgun. Retrieved 16 July 2019.
- ^ Boudreau, Ian (3 September 2019). "Uplay Plus launches today with access to more than 100 games". PC Gamer. Retrieved 3 September 2019.
- ^ Gamasutra. Retrieved 29 October 2020.
- ^ Gartenberg, Chaim (27 October 2020). "UPlay Plus subscription service rebrands as Ubisoft Plus, expands to Stadia and Luna". The Verge. Retrieved 27 October 2020.
- ^ Litchfield, Ted (22 July 2023). "Your Ubisoft account can be permanently deleted for 'inactivity,' but Ubisoft says that won't happen if there are purchases attached to it (Updated)". PC Gamer. Retrieved 24 July 2023.
- ^ Blake, Vikki (23 July 2023). "Ubisoft is suspending "inactive accounts"". Eurogamer. Retrieved 24 July 2023.
- ^ Valentine, Rebekah (24 July 2023). "Ubisoft Clarifies That It Won't Delete Game Libraries Due to Game Inactivity After Fan Panic". IGN. Retrieved 22 January 2024.
- ^ Ben Kuchera (18 February 2010). "Official explanation of controversial Assassin's Creed 2 DRM". ARS Technica. Retrieved 17 June 2013.
- ^ "Ubisoft's New DRM System Falls Down, Locks Out Paying Customers". Kotaku. 8 March 2010. Retrieved 17 June 2013.
- ^ "Constant net connection no longer required for Ubisoft games". PC Gamer. 31 December 2010. Retrieved 17 June 2013.
- ^ "Ubisoft's Driver: SanFran Has Always-On DRM". Rock Paper Shotgun. 27 July 2011. Retrieved 17 June 2013.
- ^ "From Dust DOES Need Online, Badly Ported". Rock Paper Shotgun. 18 August 2011. Retrieved 17 June 2013.
- ^ Ben Gilbert (9 September 2011). "PSA: From Dust patch now available on PC, removes Ubi DRM". Joystiq. Retrieved 17 June 2013.
- ^ "Interview: Ubisoft On DRM, Piracy And PC Games". Rock Paper Shotgun. 5 September 2012. Retrieved 17 June 2013.
- ^ John Walker (30 November 2012). "Far Cry 3 Servers Down Already: Ubi, This Is A Mess". Rock Paper Shotgun. Retrieved 3 September 2015.
- ^ Kyle Orland (7 November 2014). "Ubisoft pulls upcoming holiday titles off Steam". Ars Technica. Retrieved 3 September 2015.
- ^ Geoffrey Tim (28 March 2014). "Watch Dogs on PC skipping uPlay?". lazygamer.net. Retrieved 3 September 2015.
- ^ Patrick Klepek (18 November 2014). "Ubisoft's Tactics Are Making uPlay Less Attractive Than Ever". Giant Bomb. Retrieved 3 September 2015.
- ^ Shawn Sanders (6 November 2013). "Steam Vs. Origin Vs. Uplay (comparison)". gadgetreview.com. Retrieved 3 September 2015.
- ^ Brenna Hillier (2 July 2014). "Not even a lawsuit could kill Uplay". VG247. Retrieved 3 September 2015.
- ^ Wolens, Joshua (13 December 2022). "2022 saw launcher bloat turn from a minor annoyance into a genuine problem". PC Gamer. Future plc. Retrieved 20 February 2023.
- ^ Adrian Kingsley Hughes (30 September 2012). "Uplay is a rootkit". forbes.com. Retrieved 17 June 2013.
- ^ Alec Meer (30 July 2012). "Warning: Big Security Risk In Some Ubisoft PC Games". Rock Paper Shotgun. Retrieved 7 December 2016.
- ^ F, Sean. "Ubisoft DRM Contains Rootkit, Update Available To Fix Vulnerability". digital-digest. Digital Digest.
- ^ Thomas, Brewster (31 July 2012). "Ubisoft Patches Uplay Vulnerability". Silicon. Retrieved 5 September 2019.
- ^ "[Uplay PC] Patch 2.0.4 - Security fix". Ubisoft Forums. Ubisoft. Archived from the original on 10 April 2020. Retrieved 5 September 2019.
- ^ Chalk, Andy (19 October 2015). "The Ubisoft Club, Ubi's new online rewards program, opens its doors". PC Gamer. Retrieved 29 October 2020.
External links
- Media related to Ubisoft Connect at Wikimedia Commons
- Official website