Square Enix removes offline play capability of PC version of Final Fantasy X/X-2 [UP: It was a bug; update rolled back]

rpm · Mar 26, 2019

Couldn't find a thread on this. Also my first thread, go easy on me.

Was thinking about picking this up, but then I stumbled onto the Steam reviews and found an issue that hasn't been widely reported on yet.

On March 7th, 2019, Square Enix updated Final Fantasy X/X-2 HD Remaster to version 1.0.1, its only update since its release in May 2016.

Square Enix only mentioned that they added bug fixes. However, they also either introduced a bug when adding Steamworks DRM which prevents offline play, in addition to breaking mods and causing launch issues and crashes for many players.

https://www.reddit.com/r/FinalFantasy/comments/b53y5o/psa_dont_buy_ffxx2_hd_on_steam/
No news outlets have reported on this, from what I've seen. The only places talking about it I can find are Steam reviews/discussions and the above reddit post.

There are ways of reverting to version 1.0.0, luckily.
https://steamcommunity.com/app/359870/discussions/0/1839063537798763497/#c1850323802570327987
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1086279994

HAHAHAHAHA me if old.

Update:

Durante said:
I'm 99% certain this is a bug.
The question is how long it will take S-E to patch it.

Writing a review based on the product you receive is perfectly fine.
Whether it's a bug or intended DRM doesn't have any bearing on the end result for players who expected to play the game offline.

Dr. Caroll said:
We are very much discussing a bug. There is zero evidence of "always online DRM" being implemented in the game. Previously, the game would boot without the Steam API dll. It is now hooked into Steam, but they seem to have done it wrong. Hence the game is crashing in offline mode, much like other Japanese/Japanese published games that crashed in offline mode.

The most likely explaination is that SE broke offline capabilities when they tried to add Steamworks DRM to the game (the game is not playable in both Steam's Offline Mode and Online Mode without an internet connection) instead of adding any seperate always online DRM solution. Hanlon's razor in action, folks.

Durante said:
No, not at all like that.

If a game doesn't work without an online connection, then from the consumer perspective it's always online. Whether that is by choice or by accident isn't actually relevant to the capabilities of the product.

Either way, the current version of FFX/X-2 for PC is not currently playable without an internet connection. It remains to be seen if this is intentional or unintentional,. but it's been 3 weeks and SE has yet to acknowledge it or any of the other bugs introduced in the update. This is this game's only update since its release almost three years ago, and given SE's poor track record of fixing its PC ports (see: Nier), I'm not holding my breath for a fix.

vestan · Mar 26, 2019

dude what

for what reason

rpm · Mar 26, 2019

vestan said:
dude what

for what reason

My personal speculation is that SE thinks PC piracy will cannibalize sales of the upcoming Switch/XB1 ports
That doesn't make any sense, but that's the only reason I can think of, not sure why else DRM would be added now

Potato_Control · Mar 26, 2019

Square Enix and Konami trying very hard this gen to take EA's most hated game company award away.

Caiusto · Mar 26, 2019

vestan said:
dude what

for what reason

To fix some minor bugs, obviously.

texhnolyze · Mar 26, 2019

Detective Loki · Mar 26, 2019

Oh no baby what is you doin'

GrrImAFridge · Mar 26, 2019

Please ~~be exicted~~ check your internet connection.

unknownspectator · Mar 26, 2019

SE has been going downhill in the decision making process. It's like they saw that capcom was doing better, saw it as a bad thing, and decided to take their place.

Flandy · Mar 26, 2019

wtf
what possible reason could they have for this?

rpm · Mar 26, 2019

I edited the OP, but I originally forgot to add that there is a (somewhat complicated) method of reverting to version 1.0.0, so PC players aren't completely fucked
https://steamcommunity.com/app/359870/discussions/0/1839063537798763497/#c1850323802570327987
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1086279994

Tizoc · Mar 26, 2019

Potato_Control said:
Square Enix and Konami trying very hard this gen to take EA's most hated game company award away.

Are the konami classic collections having always online drm?

rpm said:
I edited the OP, but I originally forgot to add that there is a method of reverting to version 1.0.0, so PC players aren't completely fucked
https://steamcommunity.com/app/359870/discussions/0/1839063537798763497/#c1850323802570327987

Heh i was gonna search for that myself, thanks for the link.

Umbrella Carp · Mar 26, 2019

Awesome, they basically trojan horsed it in there to avoid scrutiny. You're fucking scum, Square.

StarStorm · Mar 26, 2019

Please be excited for DRM?? An update after 3 years and its this.

Dr. Caroll · Mar 26, 2019

Does the game actually have always-online DRM or is this one of those cases where the update broke the game? There have been multiple cases where games stopped working offline due to API oversights. It seems to me people are just leaping to "always online DRM" when the studio screwing up modifications to the save/load system, for example, is equally, perhaps even more likely.

matrix-cat · Mar 26, 2019

Does Steam's refund policy cover something like this? Surely publishers can't just pull that kind of shit.

Deleted member 8001 · Mar 26, 2019

Are you fucking serious SE? You can't be assed to fix your ports but you do this shit?

Hamchan · Mar 26, 2019

Why do this for old ass games.

I could have pirated this since 2001 if I wanted to.

Elven_Star · Mar 26, 2019

This makes no sense.

Quad Lasers · Mar 26, 2019

The brain worms are strong at Square HQ.

Deleted member 51691 · Mar 26, 2019

But why? Anyone who was interested in this game on PC would have gotten it by now. Square Enix is only harming loyal customers.

Deleted member 1074 · Mar 26, 2019

this only hurts legit consumers.

Dalik · Mar 26, 2019

Can't fucking patch nier but can add a drm 3 years later what the fuck

rpm · Mar 26, 2019

Dr. Caroll said:
Does the game actually have always-online DRM or is this one of those cases where the update broke the game? There have been multiple cases where games stopped working offline due to API oversights. It seems to me people are just leaping to "always online DRM" when the studio screwing up modifications to the save/load system, for example, is equally, perhaps even more likely.

I only have the handful of Steam reviews/discussions to work of off, due to this not being covered by any news outlets.
People are saying SE has actually added DRM. In a best case scenario, SE only broke offline mode + introduced crashing & launching bugs
Perhaps someone who owns the game can chime in, I was thinking of picking this up on PC (hence how I came across it) but I don't want to support online only DRM + game breaking bugs with no acknowledgement (at worst) or breaking offline mode + game breaking bugs with no acknowledgement (at best)

MysticDistance · Mar 26, 2019

I'm honestly offended by how they snuck in online DRM under the guise of "bug fixes" as if people were waiting three years for that type of update.

m_dorian · Mar 26, 2019

Neverbuy for me.

TaleSpun · Mar 26, 2019

Curious if they do this to XII, since the new features added to the Switch/XB1 version make it the definitive release, on Xbox One X in particular.

Deleted member 14377 · Mar 26, 2019

Dalik said:
Can't fucking patch nier but can add a drm 3 years later what the fuck

Nier is a fine shitty port. There is nothing more they can do to make it worse. FFX was running a little too well, so they had to fuck it up.

ConHaki66 · Mar 26, 2019

lol what?

Samanosuke Akechi · Mar 26, 2019

Please be excited?

Mahonay · Mar 26, 2019

That is an impressively asshole move.

GalaxyDive · Mar 26, 2019

Can't fix the music looping bug on FFIX and FFVII even as they release those ports on console after console, but can add DRM to a three year old port.

Deleted member 420 · Mar 26, 2019

should be illegal but I don't read the EULA

Bradford · Mar 26, 2019

Wow, I fundamentally do not understand this move. They didn't add anything other than DRM, right? I guess it doesn't make sense even if they did... but still. What the heck?

rpm · Mar 26, 2019

Griff said:
Wow, I fundamentally do not understand this move. They didn't add anything other than DRM, right? I guess it doesn't make sense even if they did... but still. What the heck?

They actually did add the minor bug fixes they said they did.
They also added DRM + crashing issues + launching issues + broke mods.

Deleted member 4037 · Mar 26, 2019

After 3 years we finally fixed the bug of being able to play FF X/X-2, thank you square

Bradford · Mar 26, 2019

rpm said:
They actually did add the minor bug fixes they said they did.
They also added DRM + crashing issues + launching issues + broke mods.

Sorry, to clarify I meant like, specific DLC or content that would potentially lead to more sales and necessitate sales protection.

I still don't think it would really make much sense even if this were the case, but, yeah.

RadioJoNES · Mar 26, 2019

Did they fix the music bug?

rpm · Mar 26, 2019

Griff said:
Sorry, to clarify I meant like, specific DLC or content that would potentially lead to more sales and necessitate sales protection.

I still don't think it would really make much sense even if this were the case, but, yeah.

Yeah, no new added content besides "minor bug fixes"

RadioJoNES said:
Did they fix the music bug?

The music bug was fixed in the PS4 version in 2015, many months before the PC version came out
Did they seriously not include that fix in PC v1.0.0?

Tagg · Mar 26, 2019

Surely the game already has a pirated version out there, though, so what's the point?!

Joltik · Mar 26, 2019

That title banner is very fitting. That's a really dick move, SE.

Also if this is going to be the case with future Square Enix titles on Steam, looks like I would have to avoid them on that platform from now on.

Cheerilee · Mar 26, 2019

I just removed the game from my Steam wishlist.

Yabberwocky · Mar 26, 2019

Come the fuck on, Square.

Dary · Mar 26, 2019

Deleted member 40604 · Mar 26, 2019

SE can't be bothered to fix the music loop bug in their half assed ports of FF7 and FF9 after several fucking years but they took the time to add DRM to this? Lol foh with this shit Square.

rpm · Mar 26, 2019

Joltik said:
That title banner is very fitting. That's a really dick move, SE.

Also if this is going to be the case with future Square Enix titles on Steam, looks like I would have to avoid them on that platform from now on.

Thanks. I was torn between Tidus laughing and Shinji Hashimoto laughing, it was a tough call

All of SE's new releases already include Denuvo and have for some time (FFXV, Last Alive, basically any full price SE game in the past year or so)

Soj · Mar 26, 2019

I am no longer capable of being surprised by the moronic shit Square Enix do.

Cheesetriangles · Mar 26, 2019

Closing the barn door after the horse has already died of old age.

Aters · Mar 26, 2019

This is the most fucked up shit I've heard. The game is out there in the open. Both on Steam and pirate site, what's a DRM gonna do now?

texhnolyze · Mar 26, 2019

What if the game being released without online DRM was actually the bug, and they finally fixed it with this patch?

Square Enix removes offline play capability of PC version of Final Fantasy X/X-2 [UP: It was a bug; update rolled back]

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