DRM: Always Online

Software concept

Any DRM that requires player to be constantly connected to authentication servers to play, even for singleplayer and LAN games.

35
games
6
platforms

Alternate names: Always-On
Name variations: Always On, Constant internet connection

Any connection loss to the authentication server is likely to force player to quit the game, from where they can continue their game when the connection is resumed is at discretion of the game makers or publishers.

This only covers the requirement for the internet connection for purposes of DRM, not for save cloud, online leaderboards, or any other online services.

A commonly touted reason for the necessity of always online system is presence of cloud computing, though this is often not actually covered how it is actually necessary for anything compared to processing everything on client side or on dedicated player run servers.
Parent:
* DRM

Implementations:
* Ubisoft's Online Services Platform (info) — nicely named as if it was useful for the end-users.
* EA's DRM (unnamed?)

Related:
* Online activation
* Defunct

Not to be confused with online passes.

The first DRM: Always Online video game was released in 1999.

Ubisoft, Electronic Arts and Mojang published most of these games.

Parent group

Digital rights management

Platforms

Windows 23
Mac OS X 6
Linux 3
Android 1
iOS 1
X360 1

By year

990001020304050607080910111213 123690

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