Installer update
New Ubisoft Connect installer to prevent install errors
New Ubisoft Connect installer to prevent install errors
Original post 
From Dust
Ubisoft Montpellier · Ubisoft
- Released
- Aug 17, 2011
- Platforms
- Windows
- Last updated
Updates & announcements
- Developer post
- Rock, Paper, Shotgun
Have You Played From Dust?
Have You Played? is an endless stream of game retrospectives. One a day, every day, perhaps for all time. The god game genre hasn’t had many breakout hits, and it’s hard to argue From Dust is one of ’em. But despite a load of hoo-ha about DRM when this first released on PC, back
Have You Played? is an endless stream of game retrospectives. One a day, every day, perhaps for all time.Original postThe god game genre hasn’t had many breakout hits, and it’s hard to argue From Dust is one of ’em. But despite a load of hoo-ha about DRM when this first released on PC, back in 2011, it’s probably the most meditative god games I’ve ever played. You’re not omnipotent, you see. You don’t actually have a lot of powers. You can move sand around like nobody’s business, though.
- Announcement
Daily Deal - From Dust, 66% Off
Today's Deal: Save 66% on From Dust ! Look for the deals each day on the front page of Steam. Or follow us on twitter or Facebook for instant notifications wherever you are!
- PC Gamer
EA and Ubisoft now carrying each other’s games on Origin and Uplay
Some weird cosmic alignment must be taking place today, because a number of EA games—including the sparkling Crysis 3 and pre-orders for SimCity—showed up on Ubisoft's Uplay store. It's no less strange on the digital shelves of EA's Origin, where Assassin's Creed III and Far Cry
Original post
Some weird cosmic alignment must be taking place today, because a number of EA games—including the sparkling Crysis 3 and pre-orders for SimCity—showed up on Ubisoft's Uplay store. It's no less strange on the digital shelves of EA's Origin, where Assassin's Creed III and Far Cry 3 sit prominently on the store's splash page. What's going on? As Ubisoft announces today in a press release, it's all part of expanding third-party support to bring titles from various developers.
And those various developers are:
Warner Bros. Interactive
1C Company
bitComposer Games
Bohemia Interactive
Encore Software
Focus Home Interactive
Freebird Games
Iceberg Interactive
Nordic Games
Paradox Interactive
Recoil Games
Robot Entertainment
Telltale Games
Torn Banner Studios
Ubisoft also says plunking down $20 or more on Uplay through March 4 nets you a free copy of Driver: San Francisco, From Dust, Might & Magic Heroes VI, Rayman Origins, The Settlers 7 or World in Conflict.
What say you? Are we all seeing the stirrings of stronger, teamed-up competition for Steam and GOG? - Rock, Paper, Shotgun
From Dust Now Playable From Browsers
Yesterday , I noted that I haven’t played many god games lately, so I suppose it only makes sense that some RPS-reading deity would start flinging the things at me. “ Know my burden ,” it seemingly bellows from on high. “ With great power… you know the rest .” And hey, remember t
Original post
Yesterday, I noted that I haven’t played many god games lately, so I suppose it only makes sense that some RPS-reading deity would start flinging the things at me. “Know my burden,” it seemingly bellows from on high. “With great power… you know the rest.” And hey, remember that neato whizz-bang pow space streaming technology that allowed Bastion to run in your browser – as if by teleporter from Mars and also the future? Well, it’s backtofrom said future, this time with Ubisoft’s once-DRMed, still poorly ported From Dust in tow. So maybe it could’ve brought a better god game, but still, I can’t entirely knock something of this fidelity when it’s playable in my browser almost instantly. - Kotaku
From Dust Is Now Available on the Chrome Store
Eric Chahi's distinctive god-game From Dust is now available through the Google Chrome store for a discounted price of $9.99. The game was one of the more pleasant surprises of last year.
Original postEric Chahi's distinctive god-game From Dust is now available through the Google Chrome store for a discounted price of $9.99. The game was one of the more pleasant surprises of last year.
- Announcement
Ubisoft Publisher Weekend - Day 2 - From Dust, Rayman Origins and Shoot Many Robots 50% off!
The Ubisoft Publisher Weekend begins today with 33% off the Ubisoft Catalog* ! Additionally, each day will bring a new Daily Deal with even deeper discounts! Today only, save 50% off From Dust , Rayman Origins and Shoot Many Robots ! Plus, this weekend only, Pre-Purchase the Tom
The Ubisoft Publisher Weekend begins today with 33% off the Ubisoft Catalog*! Additionally, each day will bring a new Daily Deal with even deeper discounts!
Today only, save 50% off From Dust, Rayman Origins and Shoot Many Robots!
Plus, this weekend only, Pre-Purchase the Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Future Soldier™ Deluxe Edition for the Standard Edition price. Pre-Purchase also includes Ghost Recon Future Soldier inspired items to use in Team Fortress 2!
Be sure to check back each day, now through Sunday, for more great deals!
*Discount does not apply to the Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Future Soldier™ Pre-Purchase.
- Announcement
Midweek Madness - From Dust 66% off!
Save 66% on From Dust during this week's Midweek Madness! Immerse yourself in a world as exotically beautiful as it is dangerous! You control the destiny of a primitive tribe against the backdrop of a world in constant evolution—a universe where mighty Nature reclaims what is her
Save 66% on From Dust during this week's Midweek Madness!
Immerse yourself in a world as exotically beautiful as it is dangerous! You control the destiny of a primitive tribe against the backdrop of a world in constant evolution—a universe where mighty Nature reclaims what is hers; and your mastery of the elements is your people’s only chance of survival...
- Kotaku
2011: The Year in Pleasant Surprises
2011 saw its share of disappointments , but it was also a year that contained a good number of nice surprises. Some were games we just didn't see coming—they snuck up on us and grabbed us with their excellence. Others were games that we thought were going to be terrible or at bes
Original post2011 saw its share of disappointments, but it was also a year that contained a good number of nice surprises. Some were games we just didn't see coming—they snuck up on us and grabbed us with their excellence. Others were games that we thought were going to be terrible or at best so-so, but which would up being terrific.
I polled my fellow Kotaku editors and assembled a list of some of the most pleasant surprises of 2011.
Bulletstorm
I'll be the first to admit that I wasn't sold on Bulletstorm. It looked juvenile and boring, like a generic FPS dressed up with some color and silly language. I played a bit of it at a press event and remained unimpressed. I wrote a skeptical, critical preview.
As it turns out, I should have given Bulletstorm, and by extension its developers at People Can Fly, much more credit. Our reviewer back at Paste loved the game, and when I finally really sat down and played it, I found that I loved it too. It's genuinely funny in its brash dumbness, and it plays like a dream. The slide-kick alone is one of the most satisfying, endlessly fun gameplay mechanics of the year. I am still surprised at how much I love this game.
SpaceChem
An iPad/PC game based around making chemical compounds certainly doesn't sound fun, but boy is it ever. As Stephen Totilo wrote in his Review, it is "a stellar puzzle game well worth your time and brain cells." Easily one of the best iOS games of the year, and the most fun I've ever had nerding right the hell on out.
This one was a surprise mainly because it came out with so little preamble, pomp, or circumstance. And yet it was a fantastic game, utterly worth buying in every way. Ashcraft called it "his new favorite shooter," while Totilo described it as "the total package of retro-chic style and substance," and one of his favorite PlayStation 3 games of the year. (!!) That alone puts it on the "surprises" list.
When Totilo wrote this game up, he said that it's not perfect, but simply surprising that it's so good, given the crappiness of most Superman games. I haven't played it, but I'm actually surprised that a Superman iOS game is good at all, so it makes the list!
The Witcher 2
It wasn't so much a surprise that The Witcher 2 was good—its predecessor had also been a fantastic game that got better and better the more you played it. The surprise was the way that The Witcher 2 was good. The Witcher had been a fairly niche game, a stat-based hardcore CRPG that made those of us who love that sort of thing very happy, but didn't have much mainstream appeal. With a new engine and control scheme, The Witcher 2 arrived on PCs loaded for bear, a game that was ambitious not only in its scope and storytelling, but in its mainstream accessibility. In fact, it was the game that the very-mainstream Dragon Age II wished it could be, a complex, hugely branching tale of moral intrigue loaded with great characters, cheap thrills, and fun action combat (once you got past the first few levels.)
I'll be very interested to see how its coming Xbox 360 port does—provided it's a console translation of the amazing game we PC gamers played in 2011, The Witcher 2 will surprise a whole new crop of console gamers in 2012.
What looked like a somewhat strange god-game from Eric Chahi wound up surprising us with is depth, difficulty, and satisfying gameplay loop. Stephen Totilo described it as "a very good video game that starts badly," going on to say that it crept up on him, and as he wrapped up the campaign, he was in love with it.
Trenched
Trenched, of course, is now known as Iron Brigade, a humorous action/tower-defense game from Tim Schafer's Double Fine Productions. I remember when Schafer unveiled it at the end of the GDC awards in March, and I felt… underwhelmed. It was weird, the tone was kinda bro-y, there was this guy yelling, and I wasn't clear on what the game was. Then, it came out, and I played it—and fell in love with it. Double Fine has a reputation for making games that favor art and story over gameplay, but project lead Brad Muir's design chops made Trenched arguably the best-playing Double Fine game of all time. It's great in single-player and even more fun in co-op, and was one of the summer's most enjoyable surprises.
Superbrothers: Sword & Sworcery EP
So obviously, I loved this game a whole lot, but that doesn't mean it wasn't a surprise. I knew next to nothing about it before it came out, and it sure took me by surprise.
As our own Brian Ashcraft put it, "I had no idea iPhone games could do that." Indeed, Ash.
Ghost Recon: Shadow Wars
When the 3DS launched, the pickings were pretty slim. I had a bunch of the launch titles, but there were very few that I wanted to play for more than five or so minutes at a time. Ghost Recon: Shadow Wars was the exception in a big, big way. A combination of Ghost Recon and X-Com, it was a top-down tactical strategy game with an emphasis on troop positioning and canny battlefield exploitation. It was also supremely addictive. Our own Brian Crecente agreed, calling it a 3DS Must-Buy. Later games like Super Mario 3D Land and Cave Story 3D replaced in in my regular rotation, but I still play Shadow Wars quite a bit.
Dead Space 2
I'm putting this one in because I was all but convinced that it was going to suck. I had liked the first Dead Space no small amount, largely because of its isolation and genuine scares. Seeing trailers (like the one at the left, actually) with Isaac talking, stupid rock music playing, Uncharted-ish action sequences… it left me thinking they were going to amp up the game and wreck it. Little did I know that Dead Space 2 would be one of the most polished and enjoyable mainstream action games of the year, a near-seamless blend of horror and action that was almost impossible to stop playing. Bravo, Visceral.
Gunstringer
Man, did I not see this one coming. Who did, really? I'd been kept in the loop by Microsoft PR, and when they finally sent me a copy, it was right after I got a Kinect. So, I plugged it in, thinking "This will be a silly kids' game for sure," and what did I get but one of the two or three funniest games of the year. It worked great with the Kinect tech, it was hilariously written, and it was really fun to play. As it turned out, the origin story for the game was a hilarious case of last-ditch improvisation. I can only say I'm glad the guys at Twisted Pixel faked it like they did—the result was a game that all but proved that the Kinect could have super-fun games.
This one certainly snuck up on me—I'd liked the first two Saints Row games fine, but I was most certainly not expecting the third one to be as polished, smart, hilarious, and balls-out fun as it was. I tried to articulate that as best I could in my review of the game—this was a game that was generous, funny, and would go to almost any length to show the player a good time. At times, I couldn't even figure out how they were getting away with the things they were, but there ya go. Saints Row: The Third was easily one of the most welcome surprises of the year.
But those are just a few of the things that surprised us. What games pleasantly surprised you this year?
- Kotaku
Check That, From Dust Hits PSN Next Week
Announced yesterday for a Sept. 27 release on the PlayStation Network, god-game From Dust has had its delivery date moved up two weeks to Sept. 13. It's still $14.99. Because some have wondered, no, the game does not support PlayStation Move.
Original postAnnounced yesterday for a Sept. 27 release on the PlayStation Network, god-game From Dust has had its delivery date moved up two weeks to Sept. 13. It's still $14.99. Because some have wondered, no, the game does not support PlayStation Move.
- PC Gamer
From Dust DRM removed
Last month, Ubisoft said they would patch their online-at-startup-DRM out of From Dust and now RockPaperShotgun are reporting that they have made good on their promise. The next time you fire the game up on Steam it should update and sync up your savegames with the Ubisoft server
Original post
Last month, Ubisoft said they would patch their online-at-startup-DRM out of From Dust and now RockPaperShotgun are reporting that they have made good on their promise. The next time you fire the game up on Steam it should update and sync up your savegames with the Ubisoft servers. Rejoice!
Previously gamers would have to be online and connect to the Ubisoft servers when they started From Dust, although they could disconnect and continue as normal afterwards.
The DRM was one of many issues with From Dust's launch, if you want our verdict on the game itself, read our From Dust review. - Rock, Paper, Shotgun
To Ashes: From Dust’s DRM Removed
Ding dong, the witch is dead! As promised , Ubisoft have now removed the legitimate consumer-punishing always-on DRM from the disappointing PC port of their strategy/puzzle/sorta-god game From Dust. Let Steam auto-update it and the unpleasant eggy stench of a constant internet re
Original postDing dong, the witch is dead! As promised, Ubisoft have now removed the legitimate consumer-punishing always-on DRM from the disappointing PC port of their strategy/puzzle/sorta-god game From Dust. Let Steam auto-update it and the unpleasant eggy stench of a constant internet requirement will be gone, plus it’ll grab your savegames from Ubi’s servers and sync them to your PC.
(more…) - Product Update
From Dust Update Released
Updates to From Dust have been released. The updates will be applied automatically when your Steam client is restarted. The major changes include: From Dust Title can be played in offline mode (no connection to the Internet is required after installing the patch) Save file is mov
Updates to From Dust have been released. The updates will be applied automatically when your Steam client is restarted. The major changes include:
From Dust- Title can be played in offline mode (no connection to the Internet is required after installing the patch)
- Save file is moved from the Uplay/Ubisoft server to the local machine
- Title can be played in offline mode (no connection to the Internet is required after installing the patch)
- Kotaku
From Dust Empowers PlayStation 3 Players September 27
That an entire console worth of gamers haven't experienced Eric Chahi's glorious strategy game From Dust weighs is a shame, but a shame that will be rectified come September 27 when the game hits the PlayStation Network for $14.99.
Original postThat an entire console worth of gamers haven't experienced Eric Chahi's glorious strategy game From Dust weighs is a shame, but a shame that will be rectified come September 27 when the game hits the PlayStation Network for $14.99.
- Rock, Paper, Shotgun
Steam Is Offering Refunds For From Dust
With peculiar timing, Valve seem to finally be offering refunds on From Dust. Customers who bought the game under the belief its DRM required a one-time only activation angrily responded to the revelations (as brought to the world by the fine eyebrows of RPS) that the game requir
Original postWith peculiar timing, Valve seem to finally be offering refunds on From Dust. Customers who bought the game under the belief its DRM required a one-time only activation angrily responded to the revelations (as brought to the world by the fine eyebrows of RPS) that the game required a connection for every launch. Demands for refunds were being met with stony silences in every direction, with Ubisoft pointing customers to the retailers. And while there were rumours of Steam giving some money back, most were being met by their questionable stance that they don’t offer refunds for anything. Well, despite the recent announcement that the DRM would soon be patched out, that seems to be changing, as it appears (from the text of Valve’s emails) Ubisoft have specifically asked Valve to return the cash. (Let’s put in a disclaimer here – this is based on reports from a couple of readers, and Valve are notoriously fickle in these regards.)
- Kotaku
Ubisoft Breaks Their Own Record for Playable Games at PAX
Ubisoft is coming to PAX this week with nearly a dozen games and a slew of freebies. They say it will be their biggest line up for the annual show to date. Ubisoft will occupy four booths, all of which will be different from the last, showcasing eleven unreleased video games. The
Original postUbisoft is coming to PAX this week with nearly a dozen games and a slew of freebies. They say it will be their biggest line up for the annual show to date.
Ubisoft will occupy four booths, all of which will be different from the last, showcasing eleven unreleased video games. The line-up consists of Assassin's Creed Revelations, From Dust, Just Dance 3, Might & Magic: Heroes VI, Might & Magic Heroes Kingdoms, Rayman Origins, Rocksmith, Shoot Many Robots, Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Online, Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Future Soldier, and TrackMania 2 Canyon.
Fans who preorder games at Ubisofts booths will receive special gifts for certain games. Preorder incentives include both in-game and peripheral gifts. You can get an exclusive PAX gun skin for Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Future Soldier, an Altair avatar, a neon watch for Just Dance 3, a Rayman t-shirt, and an exclusive guitar strap for Rocksmith. Even if you don't preorder, there will be prizes and giveaways at Ubisofts's booths throughout the weekend.
In addition to a huge line-up of games, Ubisoft will be hosting an exclusive panel about Assassin's Creed at the convention center. The panel will take place on Friday, August 26, from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. in the Main Theatre (The Paramount, 911 Pine St.). The panel will include a live demo of the game, as well as YouTuber Tobuscus, performing the literal Assassin's Creed Revelations trailer.
- Kotaku
Does This Fix the From Dust Disaster?
When PC title From Dust was released, PC gamers discovered that, yes, you must have an always-on internet connection. Previous claims stated that it wouldn't. Now, Ubisoft is ready to make amends. As Kotaku posted last week, Ubisoft originally said that reports of a mandatory alw
Original postWhen PC title From Dust was released, PC gamers discovered that, yes, you must have an always-on internet connection. Previous claims stated that it wouldn't. Now, Ubisoft is ready to make amends.
As Kotaku posted last week, Ubisoft originally said that reports of a mandatory always-on connection were erroneous. Yet after From Dust's release, Ubisoft evidently deleted and then restored the post in its official forums making that claim. For the record, Ubisoft now confirms that, yes, you'll need to be connected to the Internet to launch the game, no matter what.
Steam even offered refunds to gamers who purchased the game based on misrepresentations of DRM.
A future patch will apparently eliminate the need for internet authentication to play the game. From a Ubi Forum Manager: "Our tech teams are working on a patch that should release in approximately two weeks that will eliminate the need for any online authentication. This development time is required as we are working to ensure that those who have already started the game, and who's progress is currently saved on our servers, will receive and save their game information locally. Once the patch is ready, players who already have the game will automatically receive the update on their next login and subsequent game sessions will be 100% offline."
Smart move on Ubisoft's part that will hopefully make amends for a very stupid one. But will this be true of all future Ubisoft PC games or is this a one off deal?
From Dust PC Official Statement [Ubi Forums via Rock Paper Shotgun]
You can contact Brian Ashcraft, the author of this post, at [email protected]. You can also find him on Twitter, Facebook, and lurking around our #tips page. - Rock, Paper, Shotgun
Ubisoft U-Turn On From Dust DRM!
Well blimey, here’s a thing. After Ubi’s frankly dreadful performance over From Dust, there appears to be a degree of capitulation afoot. On the From Dust forums (which now appear to be the only way to learn such news from the publisher) it has been revealed that the team are wor
Original postWell blimey, here’s a thing. After Ubi’s frankly dreadful performance over From Dust, there appears to be a degree of capitulation afoot. On the From Dust forums (which now appear to be the only way to learn such news from the publisher) it has been revealed that the team are working on a patch that will remove online authentication DRM entirely. Which would be, well, brilliant!
- Rock, Paper, Shotgun
Ubisoft Edits Forum, Keeps From Dust DRM
Update: Lo-Ping are claiming that Steam is offering discounts to those who apply. Edit: A claim which is increasingly proven to be false. Astonishing. Ubisoft have yet to respond to our questions today, when we asked why From Dust was requiring an internet connection to launch de
Original postUpdate: Lo-Ping are claiming that Steam is offering discounts to those who apply. Edit: A claim which is increasingly proven to be false.
Astonishing. Ubisoft have yet to respond to our questions today, when we asked why From Dust was requiring an internet connection to launch despite their making it very clear it would not. They also have yet to respond to our queries as to why it hasn’t been properly ported, despite the weeks of last-minute delay for the PC version. And now, incredibly, rather than apologising to the huge numbers of people who had been deceived by the previous untrue claims about the game’s DRM, they’ve instead just deleted the post, and put up a new one. From Dust requires an internet connection to launch, and tough shit if you bought it when they were saying otherwise. (Edit: They’ve now somewhat confusingly edited in the original post to the new post.)
- Kotaku
From Dust's PC Release is a Man-Made Disaster
Ubisoft's release of From Dust on the PC has been, in every sense of the word, a disaster. Just the fact that the game requires an always-on Internet connection—putting the lie to earlier claims that it wouldn't—is a throat-slash to its credibility. The additional fact it's a gli
Original postUbisoft's release of From Dust on the PC has been, in every sense of the word, a disaster. Just the fact that the game requires an always-on Internet connection—putting the lie to earlier claims that it wouldn't—is a throat-slash to its credibility. The additional fact it's a glitch-strewn port of a console game is the cherry atop a shit sundae for a raving mad PC gaming community.
A locked 30 fps framerate that frequently skips, jaggy graphics and no way to improve them, bugs and glitches by themselves would be enough to alienate PC gamers who resent getting console leftovers. But the DRM is its own Godzilla-sized PR disaster, especially as Ubisoft originally said that reports of a mandatory always-on connection were erroneous. Yet after From Dust's release, Ubisoft evidently deleted and then restored the post in its official forums making that claim. For the record, Ubisoft now confirms that, yes, you'll need to be connected to the Internet to launch the game, no matter what.
Now Steam is said to be offering refunds to those who purchased From Dust, based on the misrepresentations of its DRM.
The real force multiplier to this is Ubisoft's institutionally tone-deaf, often Orwellian posture on DRM, which says it's a good thing for gamers despite slapstick calamities like hackers taking down its Big Brother servers in the week Assassin's Creed II launched, and the mumbling apologies and half-assed make-goods that followed.
This time, it didn't even take motivated, indignant hacktivists to embarrass Ubi. A terrible port would have been more than enough.
From Dust DOES Need Online, Badly Ported [Rock, Paper Shotgun]
You can contact Owen Good, the author of this post, at [email protected]. You can also find him on Twitter, Facebook, and lurking around our #tips page.