Ubisoft has a horrible reputation among PC gamers, due to the fact that it is an absolutely terrible company when it comes to the platform. The transgressions are many, including horrific DRM in big-name titles, but the latest issues concern the PC version of From Dust, an Xbox Live Arcade title that was launched three weeks ago on the Xbox 360.

The game was scheduled to be released alongside its console counterpart, but it was delayed at the last moment, with Ubisoft promising that it would not require an Internet connection to play after an initial activation. The game was finally released and... guess what? Ubisoft lied. The original forum post has been edited with the new information, the company is stone-walling fans and the press who ask for comment, and no one is happy. Oh, and the port is absolutely terrible.

The story changed after launch

Ubisoft originally told the press and its fans that the game would require a single activation, after which the game would be playable offline. That forum post has since been removed, but Rock Paper Shotgun had grabbed the above image of the original statement before it was pulled. What's distressing is that the original statement is in no way accurate.

"It's impossible to launch From Dust, even from Steam in offline mode, without being online. Launching the game fires up their new Ubisoft Game Launcher, which refuses to work unless it can find a connection," Rock Paper Shotgun reported.

Ubisoft has posted a new statement, "clarifying" the type of DRM used:

Due to the recent confusion over the type of DRM used in From Dust, please find the following explanation of the type of DRM used. From Dust requires an internet connection when you start the game. Make sure you are connected to the internet when you attempt to start the game. After you have signed in and the game is running, you no longer need the internet connection and can disconnect from it if you so wish.

There is no one-time activation; the game has to phone home every time you attempt to launch it or you cannot play the game you paid for. This is even more galling after being promised something completely different before the game's launch.

What's worse is the utter lack of care given to the game, even after the delay. The title is locked at 30fps, with no graphical options. There is also no support for anti-aliasing, causing the game to look jagged on the PC. To add insult to injury, the game has already been successfully cracked, making the activation requirement apply only to paying customers. Pirates, once again, get a fully functional version of the game.

This is becoming a trend

This isn't the first time Ubisoft has misled PC gamers. The company had originally promised the PC version of Driver: San Francisco would not see a last-minute delay, as was the case with From Dust. The news that the game would not be delayed came in an attempt to calm PC gamers who were upset that Driver would require an always-on Internet connection. Ubisoft has delayed the PC versions of Call of Juarez: the Cartel, Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood, and Splinter Cell: Conviction in the past.

While some customers are reporting success in obtaining refunds from Steam, others haven't been so lucky. Our advice is simple: don't buy From Dust. In the future, do not buy Ubisoft games at launch until their claims can be verified. We've contacted Ubisoft for comment, and have not heard back as of the time of publication.