Dammit all to hell.  I decided that I really want Assassin's Creed II.  The graphics look great.  The time and locations look interesting.  My computer specs are more than adequate.  I found a great price.  I just can't bring myself to buy this game because of Ubisoft's customer-as-pirate attitude.  I read on Tom's Hardware that the hack works beautifully.  The angel on my shoulder tells me that downloading the hack is probably wrong, and certainly not the answer to bringing Ubisoft to its senses - only NOT buying their games with this ridiculous new bit of DRM will do that.

What's an honest gamer to do? (rhetorical) 

Anyone here have thoughts on this subject?  And is it likely that later "printings" of the game will come without the always-on crap?  Might Ubisoft have a change of heart once the initial sales period is over and sales slow?  Or doesn't that usually matter to a publisher?

Gregg B said:

My thoughts on the subject: how many games have you got queued up now Spike?! [Image Can Not Be Found]

Only 7, I think, but only the Penumbras and Portal sound interesting just now, and The Orange Box containing Half-Life 2 et. al.  is in the mail as I type.  So yes, I should forgo ACII for the nonce and see how things shake out with the always-on DRM (The "D" stands for "damned", doesn't it? [Image Can Not Be Found])  But, oh, the lovely graphics, and Italy....   Willpower.  Must have willpower.  And I'm still trying to finish Mothership Zeta so I can say I completed the F3 world.  I hate aliens - even ones so easy to kill - and maybe that's why this add-on is the least fun for me.