Why do Ubisoft make language restrictions?

[Serious Pony]

Why not just lock the region where the game will be added to your library?

Why do they think that everyone speaks Russian in CIS countries?

Why do they think that people there have no right to play the game in original?

Why there was no warning on the store page like with Watch_Dogs?

Russian voice-acting is awful, translation is awful and I've still paid big enough sum for the game (50+ dollars) and, yet, I suffer for this.

If any of community managers reads this, please, pass a note to the people who can make a change. Consumer has a right to play the game in the language he wants, no matter where he lives. Allow people to legally download English language via Steam and make it work with CIS version.

Seriously, it offends me that pirates can choose any language and play it any way they want, while I, law-abiding customer, have to find ways to alter the game I've paid money for.

NOW FOR THE STEAM FORUMS MEN.

Is there a working way to change the language to English? Please, post your methods below. Thanks.

[class101 [OLED deck]]

Originally posted by Serious Pony:

Why do they think that everyone speaks Russian in CIS countries?

It is not for this reason, this is much because as soon a region is on lower price, site not partnering with Valve are using some unfair ways to buy the lowest price to build unfair promotions, and the only way most publisher found to stop this is to not grant the English and most important language to these cheaper versions of the game because if it was generalized, nobody would by anymore on Steam

[Serious Pony]

Originally posted by ­class101:

Originally posted by Serious Pony:

Why do they think that everyone speaks Russian in CIS countries?

It is not for this reason, this is much because as soon a region is on lower price, site not partnering with Valve are using some unfair ways to buy the lowest price to build unfair promotions, and the only way most publisher found to stop this is to not grant the English and most important language to these cheaper versions of the game because if it was generalized, nobody would by anymore on Steam

Why not just lock the region where the game will be added to your library? This a fair and square one. I'm buying it in CIS, so I can activate it only in CIS. It stops people from buying game via gift resellers and doesn't make customers suffer.

That's easy to make games ungiftable if bought in our region. I've pre-purchased Far Cry 3 long-time ago and I still have the joy of playing it in original voice-over.

Russian language is generally spoken in Russia and the part of CIS that borders Russia. All other people are left without warning to play the game on the language they don't speak.

And the price is not that lower. Paying 50+ dollars for a game is not a common thing in Russia, most publishers use prices closer to 20-30 bucks. If AC: Unity would have cost that cheap, I wouldn't be whining. Yet, I pay a lot and receive inferior version.

IMO, that's scamming. Ubi didn't warn anyone, Ubi didn't give a choice to buy a normal version.

It's not that hard to do things like Rockstar - "subtitles only"/

[class101 [OLED deck]]

yeah I know your feeling I'm sure I would be mad like you if I had this rule, at least what I would try to do is to contact the Steam support over and over for a region unlock on the store account. I mean you should be allowed to pay in another currency like dollars, even if more expensive you could benefit as others of the other language, I just know you can find some support at Valve kind enough to do that even if it sounds weird, they can do it I know for a whole account.

They can't just set a ip restriction I think because people can use free vpns around the globe to fake the connection to be in another country

[Dad]

Nearly everyone living in CIS countries can understand Russian.

[Serious Pony]

Originally posted by HerZ:

Nearly everyone living in CIS countries can understand Russian.

Knowledge of the most common phrases is not undestanding. Not every CIS country even teaches Russian in schools.

[Dad]

Originally posted by Serious Pony:

Originally posted by HerZ:

Nearly everyone living in CIS countries can understand Russian.

Knowledge of the most common phrases is not undestanding. Not every CIS country even teaches Russian in schools.

They don't need Russian language in schools, if they were using Russian about 60 years. USSR and it's society implemented Russian in every CIS country, and even if they aren't studying Russian in school, their society do it.

[class101 [OLED deck]]

At least as a French a rarely play all titles French, when there are bad translation I prefer so much to switch over the English language and I would not imagine to pay for an French only version. It is much what the OP means I think

[Kondakov]

The problem is absence of choice for Russian/CIS customers. Yes, some of us are happy with cheaper versions and they do not care for language locking, thay do not speak any other language except russian.
BUT. Because of a terrible quality of russian localization (bad translation, same few voice actors for every localized game, terrible voice acting quality etc) a good number of gamers actually prefer to play in english. Those are hardcore gamers, those are people most likely to buy various pricier "editions". For those people Ubisoft doesn't offer any choice. And that is bad.

[Coldice]

I got this game in russian too and i live in Republic of Moldova where official language is romanian.

[Serious Pony]

I've tested a few ways to make the game work in full English (voice+text). There is one working without a single problem.

1. Procure English files for Sounddata, Video and Support folders via any means (e.g. copy them from original version)
2. Copy them to your AC: Unity folders with the same name
3. Start menu -> regedit -> HKEY_CURRENT_USER -> Software -> Ubisoft -> Assassin's Creed Unity -> click on it -> find language key -> change it to "English(US)" without quotes -> change permissions of the Unity registry sector to "read only"
4. Copy localisation,lang to a safe place
6. Start the game and while it logs you in and synchronizes (10 seconds) - delete localisation.lang
Done. The game will have English voices and subtitles. Though, you'll have to repeat step 6 each time you launch the game (don't forget to copy "localisation.lang" file back before doing it).
If you have skills, you can create batch file to perform step 6 automatically.

Same, I think, goes to Far Cry 4.

[Coldice]

can we contact support for exchange to english version?

[Serious Pony]

Originally posted by Coldice:

can we contact support for exchange to english version?

Nope. They will re-direct you to Steam Support (which redirects you back to Ubi support). Or they will tell you to buy another version. People have complained about it already without any success.

If you want to do something right, do it yourself.

[Nomado-Coyote]

Add me to the petition haha. I strongly agree with this.
I can't even remember the last time I played a game in Russian language, not even an interface or subtitles. And not because I don't speak it, but because I prefer original ALWAYS.
Very nice that you found a work-around and I will use it.
But it is still a huge complaint at least because the page on pre-order hadn't mentioned it.
If there would be no work-around to switch to english (thanks to Pony for that) I wouldn't even play it. Seriously.

[IIIX4W7EN]

If it was a Steam only game than they would just region lock it or make not giftable but it is a Uplay game and Uplay doesn't have strict IP based region locking so the best way for them to prevent $60 regions from buying cheaper CIS games is to make them russian language only, EA does the same thing and telling the truth those $ full prices aren't really meant for CIS region economy so if you want english language you have two choices (1) mumbo jumbo with language files and registry records (2) pirating it now and buying it later on sale possibly using VPN.

[Coldice]

Originally posted by 3QW7EN:

If it was a Steam only game than they would just region lock it or make not giftable but it is a Uplay game and Uplay doesn't have strict IP based region locking so the best way for them to prevent $60 regions from buying cheaper CIS games is to make them russian language only, EA does the same thing.

so there is no chance for us?