One can easily implement a 3D that looks like the one used on paper mario, no need for proper 3D models ;)

I don't think you understand. Paper Mario did use 3D for the backgrounds etc which lent to the depth and even though there were 2D elements they were mounted onto a flat 3D element.... whereas Rayman Origins is entirely drawn in 2D & doesn't use a 3D engine at all (So no polygons) think of it as a HD Snes/Megadrive game. To make it 3D they would have to attach every art piece in the game to a 3D model of a varying depth... it'd be very time consuming.

Edit: Infact Paper Mario seems to use Cel Shading.

I don't mean 3D in polygons. It can be horribly easy to attain a depth effect on a 2D game, particularly if it's a side-scroller like Rayman. Its mainly editing the code so the backgrounds are handled separately from the foreground, you can divide things on, lets say, three or four layers, then have the 3DS put each layer on a different level of depth. No need for polygons or depth models, just an implementation of layers and a level of depth for each of them. It might be a gimmick, but it can make the game stand out visually a lot more.

Quite possibly, but anecdotal evidence suggests that PC game revenues have nosedived since the widespread introduction of DRM in 2008-2009. Note: revenues, not sales units. Most notably, Ubisoft's own PC sales revenue fell a monstrous 90% between 2009 and H2 2011. That's not from retail sales, but from their own annual reports.

Now that's been fed back into investor relations, investors and the board are likely not to be so keen on DRM anymore. Any measure that does nothing for piracy and simply pisses customers off is likely to backfire in the way that it has.

Of course, if there is any truth to such a DRM-free release, this may be the start of the end for DRM - thankfully.

Wasn't From Dust also supposed to be "DRM-free" ?

If it's really DRM-free then it would be a good news but I definitely won't keep my hopes up.

Of course not.

The retail version will be DRM-free, digital ones will probably utilize Tages' one-time activation (at least, the Gamersgate version will).
http://www.gamersgate.com/DD-RMO/rayman-origins

I'll have absolutely no reasons to complain if that proves to be the case.

I thought it was but maybe I was wrong, but anyway for Rayman I will believe it when I see it. (and if it really is then I will probably buy it)

What you're thinking of is that Ubisoft openly and brazenly stated that From Dust would not have any third-party DRM except for Steam, and the storefront page stated this even after release, even though a constant connection UPlay was required.

It's for this reason that I'm not going to keep my hopes up, but I will be buying Rayman Origins on or near to release date if the rumours are true.

I'll believe that when I see it, but awesome if true. Even more so because I prefer showing off my games on a physical shelf rather than a virtual one (though my >200 strong GOG shelf belies that fact, personally I blame the prices).

yep, all their recent games have UbiSoft's own UPlay/GameLauncher DRM-thing which requires either a persistent internet connection or an active connection on start-up, and it's account-based as well. all of that in addition to Steam, if you purchase on Steam. talk about DRM overkill.

the only exception is RUSE because Eugen Systems developed the game as a SteamWorks title before UbiSoft could interfere. Eugen have since split up with UbiSoft and their upcoming title Wargame will be SteamWorks as well (pre-ordered!).

interesting. last time i read a UbiSoft statement regarding their PC sales and DRM they seemed to have been content with sales and attributed commercial success on the PC to their oh so effective DRM...

i don't know what to make of it since their Assassin's Creed games seem to sell well on the PC...

That sounds like what we, back in the day, called 'parallax scrolling' as seen in Shadow of the Beast on the Amiga and, of course, Parallax on the C6m only done on actual 3D hardware!

Everyone knew it would come to the PC eventually just like all other numbered games in the series

I got my copy on PS3 for 25 Euro - worth every cent, second best platformer of 2011

That's not true. Anno 2070 and HoMM VI (plus to my knowledge, that applies to AC Revelations, as well) are fully playble offline after one-time activation.

Honestly, shouldn't you be blaming Valve for that additional/totally useless DRM layer?
Gamersgate/Direct2Drive/retail copies do not suffer from this problem, so why should anyone care that Gabe blatantly abuses Steam's dominant position in the digital distribution market by refusing to drop the "every game sold on Steam requires that you run the client in the background" requirement (trying to force more publishers to adopt Steamworks)?

Ubisoft have some of their games on GOG, and they did release POP2008 100% DRM-Free, so they aren't totally opposed to the DRM-Free model.

Already own Rayman Origins on the Wii, and it's a pretty great platformer. If it's truly DRM-Free, I'll probably buy the PC version too.

I made a thread in November demanding people buy this game, but some said they only had a pc. Now they have no excuse. Buy it jerks
The game is awesome wooooooooo