Yesterday, news hit the web that Ubisoft’s latest addition to the Driver franchise, Driver: San Francisco, will require users to stay online at all times.

This draconian form of DRM is obviously not very popular with Ubisoft’s consumers. Fans were vocal in their outrage over always-on DRM with Assassin’s Creed 2 and, at least for a few titles, Ubisoft seemed to back down on their stance by removing the restrictions. But that changed.

In a statement provided to PC Gamer, a Ubisoft representative classified the overly restrictive always-on DRM as “a success” for the company. “[We have seen] a clear reduction in piracy of our titles which required a persistent online connection, and from that point of view the requirement is a success.”

As unfortunate as rampant piracy on the PC platform is, it’s ultimately the loyal, honest consumers who are punished by restrictive always-on DRM. Such DRM may play some small part in cutting down piracy, sure, but it’s hard to justify it when, through no fault of their own, an innocent consumer is locked out of their game because their connection dropped out.

Does the DRM bother you, or do you think it’s a necessary evil?

Ubisoft thinks their always-on DRM is “a success” is a post from: The Inquisitr

The decision, announced at the Macworld Expo today, will be fully in effect by the end of March. Already, about 8 million of iTunes’ 10 million tracks are available for DRM-free downloads, Apple says.

The change is accompanied by a shift in pricing. Rather than offering all songs at a rate of 99 cents, iTunes will soon introduce a three-tiered system. Beginning in April, songs will be available for either 69 cents, 99 cents, or $1.29. Apple’s Phil Schiller said the decision will be made based on what record company is behind the song. He also said more tracks will be at the 69 cent rate than the $1.29 rate.

Finally, as of today, iTunes purchases will be made available over 3G networks for iPhone users. Previously, iPhone users had to connect via a Wi-Fi connection in order to make a purchase.

iTunes Goes DRM-Free, Changes Pricing System is a post from: The Inquisitr