I have several other UbiSoft games that use this very same DRM, but not Assassin's Creed 2. Here's what happens in those other games when I lose internet connectivity.
- The game inexplicably freezes with no error message.
- After several moments (I'd guess about 1 - 2 minutes) a message finally appears on the screen telling me that "UbiSoft's servers have become unreachable".
- After another few seconds, if you still can't contact UbiSoft's servers, the game drops you to your Windows desktop and all unsaved progress to that point is lost.
To be clear, it doesn't have to be YOUR internet connection that fails. It could also be a problem on UbiSoft's end, or anywhere in between. The game only cares about being able to contact UbiSoft's servers, it doesn't care whose fault it is.
To be fair, I've played A LOT of the latest Settlers game and only been kicked out maybe five times. However, much like with the early days of Steam, the first few days of actually owning Settlers 7 I couldn't play it at all, because UbiSoft's DRM servers were under heavy load and wouldn't authenticate my game.
I would not recommend buying a game with this type of DRM, and had I known the games I bought had this DRM, I would not have bought them. I will never buy a game with this type of DRM again.
According to BioWare:
2) Is constant Origin connection required or is it a single one off authentication when the game is first installed. Is there also a limit to the number of installations available?
Mass Effect 3 will require a one time, single authorization for the single player game. There is no limit to the number of installs. Playing Mass Effect 3 Multiplayer will require a constant connection.
I believe this was intended for the PC version, but PS3/Xbox 360 DRM tends to be less strict than its PC counterparts, so I'd say it's unlikely that the PS3 will require a constant connection for single player.
When you start the game on consoles, you get the following message:
Welcome to EA Servers.
You must create an Origin Account (EA) or log in to an existing one to join multiplayer games or access online features.
I was given the option to cancel, and even if I did, I could still play the single player campaign. Therefore, I don't believe that there's always-on DRM for consoles for this title.
However, the game seems to authenticate with EA servers every time you load - it appears as though DLC installed alongside the game may be checked at each load. Some users are reporting that they are locked out of their DLC if the game is unable to authenticate with EA servers. Bioware has not released anything official on this matter, and all I have are sporadic reports on forums that seem to be talking mainly about the PC.
Best Answer
Yes. This is a necessary consequence of Diablo 3's online cash auction system. All your stuff has to be stored on the server to prevent 'fraud'.
As you can see, the official system requirements include a broadband connection.
http://us.battle.net/support/en/article/diablo-iii-system-requirements
On further investigation, there appears to have been a rumour at some point that Diablo III will feature an "offline" mode, but this information is a year old, and Blizzard's system requirements seem to contradict it.
(from http://forums.battle.net/thread.html?topicId=27800569797&sid=3000)
A more recent and presumably up to date FAQ on the Diablo III wiki appears to agree that there will be no offline play.