Ubisoft defends DRM amidst activation issues

Ubisoft has defended DRM built into Anno 2070 after reports of hardware changes eating up the game’s limited activations.

Speaking to RockPaperShotgun after it was revealed that simply changing a PC’s graphics card could eat into the title’s three installs limit, the publisher said that “the vast majority” of users never encounter this scenario.

It added that customers should contact its customer service to quickly resolve the situation should it arise.

“While it’s correct that copies of Anno 2070 include three activations and that changing hardware may trigger the need for reactivation, the vast majority of Anno customers never encounter this scenario,” read a Ubisoft Statement.

“On the rare occasion when a customer does need additional activations, Ubisoft customer service is available to quickly resolve the situation, and we encourage those customers to contact us directly so that we can ensure they are able to continue to enjoy their game.”

The story was originally picked up by Guru3D after performing a VGA performance review on Anno and encountering the game’s install limit after various hardware alterations.

The website said it had contacted Ubisoft over the matter, but were told that there was “no way to bypass” the activation limit.

Developer Bluebyte later rectified this however, and unlocked the game to allow for more installs and hardware changes.