I’ve already gone into lengths about why you should avoid the PC version of From Dust if possible. But due to the conflicting reports of how the DRM of the game operates, Ubisoft decided to clear the matter up…by pretending they were never wrong.

Here’s the rundown of the DRM issue. Before the game was released, From Dust was to launch on the Xbox 360 and PC simultaneously July 27th. For reasons unknown, the PC version was delayed until August 16th. Before it was released, it was reported to use ‘Ubisoft Online Service’ DRM which required an always-on internet connection to play, even in single-player. Before the game released, though, Ubisoft “clarified” any confusion around the DRM issue by releasing this statement:

“We are aware of some confusion over the inclusion of DRM in the release of From Dust on PC.

To prevent any on-going confusion we would like to clarify.

From Dust PC will release with DRM requiring a one-time only online activation. After which you will be able to play the game offline.We hope this clears any outstanding confusion on the matter”

So, it seemed that the game wouldn’t require the always-on connection as originally reported. This was good news, assuming it was true. It was later proved to be false, as several users complained on the official From Dust forums. Instead of apologizing for getting this crucial information wrong, Ubisoft deleted the above post, and replaced it with this:

“Due to the recent confusion over the type of DRM used in From Dust, please find the following explanation of the type of DRM used.

‘From Dust’ requires an internet connection when you start the game.

Make sure you are connected to the internet when you attempt to start the game.

After you have signed in and the game is running, you no longer need the internet connection and can disconnect from it if you so wish.”

What the what? Way to go guys! This is the internet – your words don’t just disappear when you want them to. Now, instead of handling this debacle responsibly, Ubisoft is looking deceptive at worst and incompetent at best. I haven’t seen a gaming company bungle something so hard in awhile. Consumers have been heavily misled, and it’s going to bite Ubisoft in the ass down the road. I’ll once again reiterate, avoid the PC version of From Dust. It is patently no good. It’s a sloppy port, has almost zero video/sound options, terrible mouse support, and is burdened with draconian DRM.

The only ray of sunshine here comes from Steam – unsurprisingly. They are offering refunds to players who purchased the game, due to consumers being mislead about the DRM scheme. Once again, Valve has shown they know how to treat people fairly. They have gained gamer goodwill where Ubisoft simply squandered it.

Source: Rock, Paper, Shotgun