Ubisoft takes the next step in killing game keys, enter silent key activation

[Bouzoo]

Illegal key sales and grey market sites have been a problem for literally everyone in gaming industry, and seems that Ubisoft will lead the charge it removing game keys completely. It's called Silent Key Activation (SKA) and it's actually quite simple. This is not their in-house solution, they have developing this with a UK company Genba Digital. How it works is that you buy a game from a site, like Fanatical, and at checkout you have to enter your uPlay account.

Quote

If someone goes on a website like Fanatical and buys a Ubisoft product, it will take them through the checkout process, then ask you to enter your UPlay account – if you don’t have one, it asks you to set one up. The game is then automatically activated in UPlay. Fanatical doesn’t get a key, and neither does the player. They just log into UPlay and the game is there, as if they bought it from the UPlay Store.

 

They also say:

Quote

With silent key activation now in place, Ubisoft is refusing to sell its PC game keys through any third-party marketplace that isn’t SKA approved. Genba has already set it up for ten digital game distributors – including Fanatical and GamersGate – while others like Green Man Gaming have their own equivalent tech in place.

Basically a lot of them have been on this for some time it seems.

 

Of course I can see few issues here. Let's break them down:

1. What if you wanna sell a gift? Do you enter someones specific account and an let's say e-mail invitation gets sent?
2. Security. I am sure not a lot of people will be happy with linking their accounts to third party sites, no matter which ones. 
3. What if you buy a bundle and already own some games? Do they get stuck between two worlds in vacuum?

 

They believe this will be the industry standard in a year and Genba Digital is working with another AAA publisher on another platform. My guess is EA and Origin.

Yeah I can see this taking off immediately. 

 

Source:

https://www.pcgamesn.com/ubisoft-silent-key-activation

[pas008]

this sounds like more compromised accounts and emails

 

and how is gifts given?

 

and how has keys been a problem in gaming world?

if I recall many companies are thriving without using drm

[lvh1]

10 minutes ago, Bouzoo said:

1. What if you wanna sell a gift? Do you enter someones specific account and an let's say e-mail invitation gets sent?
2. Security. I am sure not a lot of people will be happy with linking their accounts to third party sites, no matter which ones. 
3. What if you buy a bundle and already own some games? Do they get stuck between two worlds in vacuum?

To me it sounds like this is just a standard oauth authentication flow, like how you can login on some sites using your google/facebook/whatever account, I suppose they could make you choose on the ubisoft website if it's for yourself or a friend.

2. Shouldn't be an issue, the third party site shouldn't get anything more than a user id and maybe an email address from Ubisoft, not your actual uplay credentials.

And for point 3:  https://i.imgur.com/rUc2hMU.png

... Very useful, they just give you 2.

[Bouzoo]

8 minutes ago, lvh1 said:

To me it sounds like this is just a standard oauth authentication flow, like how you can login on some sites using your google/facebook/whatever account, I suppose they could make you choose on the ubisoft website if it's for yourself or a friend.

2. Shouldn't be an issue, the third party site shouldn't get anything more than a user id and maybe an email address from Ubisoft, not your actual uplay credentials.

And for point 3:  https://i.imgur.com/rUc2hMU.png

... Very useful, they just give you 2.

I figured it would be mostly like the usual Paypal authentication for instance. 

And for unused games, I mean will it stay in your acc? Do you legit need to link another Ubi acc to your Fanatical one to activate it? Is there an option to send it to someone directly? You see where I'm getting with this.

[Bouzoo]

13 minutes ago, pas008 said:

this sounds like more compromised accounts and emails

 

and how is gifts given?

 

and how has keys been a problem in gaming world?

if I recall many companies are thriving without using drm

Most platforms have DRM. Mind you it's the grey market that has been a thorn in their eye. Stolen keys, keys that are being resold that you get with a graphics card for instance (not that this will solve that one) and similar stuff. They basically want all profit. Mind you if a company wants a regular key, I suppose they will still have them?

[lvh1]

2 minutes ago, Bouzoo said:

I figured it would be mostly like the usual Paypal authentication for instance. 

And for unused games, I mean will it stay in your acc? Do you legit need to link another Ubi acc to your Fanatical one to activate it? Is there an option to send it to someone directly? You see where I'm getting with this.

That stuff depends on how Ubisoft decides to implement it. If they do it the lazy way (probably will) then you'll just have duplicates I guess. They could implement it so you can choose how to activate each of the products, but I doubt they'll go through the effort to do that.

[Stefan Payne]

32 minutes ago, Bouzoo said:

How it works is that you buy a game from a site, like Fanatical, and at checkout you have to enter your uPlay account.

That's basically how it worked with the AMD Radeonrewards. The Division 2/RE2/DMC5 bundle I got had to be linked to the Account, no Key was given - neither for the Steam games.

[PlayStation 2]

I'm pretty sure that G2A has a similar system in place with those free games they do when you purchase something at a certain amount.

[Origami Cactus]

Hasn't this been like this for quite some time?

For example when buying games from Humblebundle, you link your Steam/Uplay account, and then the game just goes to that account when bought from there? With steam games it gives you a key, but it is tied to your account, so can't use it for anything else anyway.

[PlayStation 2]

Just now, Origami Cactus said:

Hasn't this been like this for quite some time?

For example when buying games from Humblebundle, you link your Steam/Uplay account, and then the game just goes to that account when bought from there? With steam games it gives you a key, but it is tied to your account, so can't use it for anything else anyway.

You can activate Humble Bundle keys via the Steam site, but I don't believe they're account-locked.

My boyfriend had recently activated a couple of keys for games that I already owned that I purchased off of Humble (guess the bundle) and they went through just fine.

[SpaceGhostC2C]

So it's basically the second-hand market they want to kill?

[Bouzoo]

Just now, SpaceGhostC2C said:

So it's basically the second-hand market they want to kill?

Yes. 

[Misanthrope]

I bet Epic Store will be all over this immediately "Hey third party people, we'll throw in this anti-russian-keys scheme for you....for free if you become exclusive to us"

 

I think that we're experiencing peak PC gaming popularity: it's no coincidence that so many companies are taking an interest in actively trying to squeeze the fuck out of every single motherfucking cent you have and in the process "AAA" gaming becomes indistinguishable from console gaming: Instead of MS, Sony and Nintendo you have Steam, Epic and the rest (Origin, Uplay, Beth store, etc.) all fucking each other (and of course, the customer in the process) to get ahead and get you not only to buy their stuff but to actively avoid buying other people's stuff.

 

I have no worries however: I am already downsizing quite a bit and any gaming stuff I might want can be covered by indie games but this is what a successful videogames industry looks like.

[TOMPPIX]

big game publishers are slimy fucks and deserve no sympathy.

[TigerHawk]

1 hour ago, Bouzoo said:

Illegal key sales and grey market sites have been a problem for literally everyone in gaming industry, and seems that Ubisoft will lead the charge it removing game keys completely. It's called Silent Key Activation (SKA) and it's actually quite simple. This is not their in-house solution, they have developing this with a UK company Genba Digital. How it works is that you buy a game from a site, like Fanatical, and at checkout you have to enter your uPlay account.

 

They also say:

Basically a lot of them have been on this for some time it seems.

 

Of course I can see few issues here. Let's break them down:

1. What if you wanna sell a gift? Do you enter someones specific account and an let's say e-mail invitation gets sent?
2. Security. I am sure not a lot of people will be happy with linking their accounts to third party sites, no matter which ones. 
3. What if you buy a bundle and already own some games? Do they get stuck between two worlds in vacuum?

 

They believe this will be the industry standard in a year and Genba Digital is working with another AAA publisher on another platform. My guess is EA and Origin.

Yeah I can see this taking off immediately. 

 

Source:

https://www.pcgamesn.com/ubisoft-silent-key-activation

1. Seems like a plausible method

2. I don't think this will be an issue whatsoever. It probably works via an API, like "linking" your twitch or steam accounts to discord. It's all API, discord has no information other than a username. The authentication stuff happens through the API in the background.

3. It could prompt you saying this, this, and this already exist on your account. Would you like to make them giftable? Or, it could ask you to confirm that these extra copies will be disappearing into oblivion if they don't make a gifting option. Could be up to the platform (uplay, origin, steam) to give options for that, though. On Steam for example you can keep extra copies in your inventory and gift them to friends later.

 

Seems like a good idea, frankly. Some of those key sites are shady AF. Like hmmm you have this game for literally 50% off retail and it just came out last week, and you only have Russian/Chinese copies? Sounds legit.

[Sauron]

1 hour ago, Bouzoo said:

Illegal key sales and grey market sites have been a problem for literally everyone in gaming industry

Except for the end users.

1 hour ago, pas008 said:

and how is gifts given?

You log in with your account and enter the other person's account name. Doesn't seem like a big problem, the game still only gets activated once and you can't resell it.

1 hour ago, Bouzoo said:

What if you buy a bundle and already own some games? Do they get stuck between two worlds in vacuum?

Nah, they just get invalidated. Maybe they'll refund you in store credit.

6 minutes ago, TigerHawk said:

Seems like a good idea, frankly. Some of those key sites are shady AF. Like hmmm you have this game for literally 50% off retail and it just came out last week, and you only have Russian/Chinese copies? Sounds legit.

Ok, but... as a customer how does that harm you?

[TigerHawk]

2 minutes ago, Sauron said:

Except for the end users.

You log in with your account and enter the other person's account name. Doesn't seem like a big problem, the game still only gets activated once and you can't resell it.

Nah, they just get invalidated. Maybe they'll refund you in store credit.

Ok, but... as a customer how does that harm you?

It makes game companies/publishers complain they are losing x% of sales to piracy and an excuse to nickel and dime you or raise prices? Also ridiculous DRM? Though TBF they will still nickel and dime you anyways?

[Sauron]

41 minutes ago, TigerHawk said:

It makes game companies/publishers complain they are losing x% of sales to piracy and an excuse to nickel and dime you or raise prices? Also ridiculous DRM? Though TBF they will still nickel and dime you anyways?

Exactly, that's not a problem with gray market resellers, it's a problem with the publishers.

[Guest]

It’s a lot better than buying a key off G2A and then it’s already been used or stolen.

[Feranoks]

I don't mind it. Of course it's another step away from the costumer "owning" the actual product.
It's even less physical if you don't even have a key anymore.

I would assume that while you no longer have a activation key, you still have your License key?

(Retail key? CD-key? Whatever they call it in the steam properties).

Although it's not like you can use that liscense key on another account. Unlike the old days where you would reinstall the game and had to give in the key on the back of the manual. Manuals.... jeez that's been a while 

[Neftex]

well seems like ubisoft is starting to dig again. fk that

[WereCat]

So how do I buy game for someone else from a 3rd party website?
Do I have to log into their UPlay account to activate it for them or what?

[Neftex]

14 hours ago, TigerHawk said:

you have this game for literally 50% off retail and it just came out last week, and you only have Russian/Chinese copies? Sounds legit.

afaik russia has lower prices even on retail games, so theres one reason

[Bouzoo]

28 minutes ago, WereCat said:

So how do I buy game for someone else from a 3rd party website?
Do I have to log into their UPlay account to activate it for them or what?

That is one of big questions. Maybe an email invite? Direct uplay inv? I am sure they thought of that. 

[Trik'Stari]

So even more reasons to not buy Ubisoft games.

 

Shall we dig out the old Ubisoft digging memes then?

 

*insert bad joke eyebrows gif here*