Ubisoft Apologizes for DRM Troubles With Free Games

Ubisoft has issued an apology of sorts for its wonky Assassin's Creed 2 DRM by offering free games to players who have been affected by server outages.

Ubisoft's notorious DRM for new PC releases, which requires users to be connected to the internet at all times while playing, came to very predictable grief: Not long after the launch of Assassin's Creed 2 earlier this month, the verification servers went down and a "small group" of players, as described by the publisher, couldn't access their games. Even after Ubisoft solved the problem, which it blamed on a server attack, DRM service remained intermittent for some players.

Ubisoft apologized for the inconvenience, naturally, but now it seems to be putting its money where its mouth is by offering gamers something more than just empty words: Free games. One Kotaku reader was given his choice of Prince of Persia, Heroes Over Europe, Endwar or H.A.W.X., while another, presumably the owner of the standard edition of the game, was offered the DLC that's normally only included with the Special Edition release.

It's not clear how Ubisoft is determining eligibility for these offers or if it's just putting them out to everyone who's bought and registered the game, but it's a nice gesture regardless. Not as nice as dumping the DRM altogether, perhaps, but it's better than nothing, and if Ubisoft plans on giving away free games every time its DRM servers crap out, it could work out pretty well for gamers in the long run. Have any of you found a Ubisoft freebie in your email?