RANT – What Is The Point Of Ubisoft Connect?

I would seriously love to know what the point of Ubisoft Connect is, because as far as I can see (and have experienced) is that it was created, to be as annoyingly stressful as possible!

Far Cry is one of my favourite video game series. Since playing Far Cry 2 on the PlayStation 3, I have always kept an eager eye out for the next major release. I have played all the main releases since then, some of which (3, and 4) were really enjoyable games to play, whilst a few others (6) were something of a nightmare based experience. I have also played several in-between releases, which again are a bit of a mixed bag, but decently enjoyable enough to play.

I played 2, 3 and half of 4 on the PS3, but since 2018, after I bought a big gaming PC, I have played most of them on that. But it’s not been what could be called plain sailing, as in order to play them, I have to get past what I am assuming is blocker software, called Ubisoft Connect.

Each time I wanted to play Far Cry, or any other games somehow related to Ubisoft, I would launch the game through Steam (the platform I purchased the game from), only to be met by Ubisoft Connect, which would prevent the game from being played, for some unexplored reason. I would then have to wait an age for Ubisoft Connect to update itself (something that its so incredibly slow to do), and then the game would be un-launched from Steam, and then I would have to launch it through Ubisoft Connect instead? Now given that I bought the games through Steam, and I don’t see what the problem is with launching them on Steam, because surely if Ubisoft doesn’t want them launching through Steam, why did they allow the game’s to be sold on it in the first place?

Now, Ubisoft Connect is not the only game blocking software out there. Everytime I launch an EA game, or a Rockstar game; their respective PC software platforms also interupt the eprocess. However, Rockstar’s doesn’t stop the game from being launched, it just sort of connects with the game to track the progress, and then lets you play the game. EA’s meanwhile sort of pops up, then as it seems to keep itself largely updated, a box appears asking if you want to play the game, to which you just click a button, and then off you go. Ubisoft Connect meanwhile, decides to download a 20+ minute update, and prevents launching the game, until it A: does this, and B: asks if you want to play the game (which given that you’ve launched it in Steam, should be a sign that Yes is already the answer to part B)?

And then there was the time I tried re-playing Far Cry 3 on Steam, about 10 years after it’s release. Basically it was plain sailing, well as plain sailing as it can be when Ubisoft Connect is involved. Anyway, after going through the Ubisoft Connect debacle each time, the game would play fine. But then after 10+ hours of gameplay, the game just wouldn’t launch anymore. It just stopped being playable, for no reason. Just not launching! It did this after Ubisoft Connect did one of it’s irregular large updates…Why Ubisoft? I paid for the game, why aren’t you letting me play my games?

I can understand the idea that Ubisoft does this so that they can have an independant platform to track player achievements, screenshots, and create a community, whilst potentially cutting out the middle man, and make more money on purchases, than the cut they give to Steam, or Epic Games Store. But then it gets a bit ridiculous!

So when Far Cry 6 came out, at first it was only available on Epic Games Store, not on Steam. Now I didn’t have an Epic account, and was unsure if it required any additional cost. So I wondered if I could get it through Ubisoft Connect instead, as it was a Ubisoft platform, and as it’s a Ubisoft game, it would make sense that I could get a copy of it on Ubisoft Connect, right? WRONG! It was not available…on Ubisoft’s own platform?! I waited until it came out on Steam, before then having to go through the ridiculous launch process everytime I wanted to play the game. I can’t tell if it was the game’s fault why it was so bad, or if it was Ubisoft Connect, for getting me riled up before I got to play it each time?

So right now, I try to avoid any PC game that Ubisoft makes, just so I can avoid going through that ridiculous software, that desperately wants me not to play any of Ubisoft’s games (that can’t be normal right?)! So other than to annoy at least one of their customers, what is the actual point of Ubisoft Connect?

Have you experienced simillar issues with this questionable piece of software?