What with Adam Orth and his suggestion that those who don't like the idea of an always-on console should just “deal with it” (which Microsoft promptly apologised for, despite insisting Orth's views did not reflect those of the company as a whole), not to mention the issues that plagued the launch of SimCity, the topic of “always-on” requirements is a hot one. Now, as spotted by GamingBolt, the anonymous sleuth who goes by the handle of “superannuation” has a rumour to share that adds fuel to the flames:
Watch_Dogs and AC4 are also rumored to have a persistent connection requirement? Can buy Watch_Dogs having one, iffy on AC requiring online.
— superannuation (@supererogatory) April 5, 2013
Like it or not, it's highly likely that Watch Dogs will require a constant internet connection. It makes sense, because as creative director Jonathan Morin has said, the game is “all about hyperconnectivity”. As we've seen in some of the gameplay demonstrations, including the video shown at the PS4 reveal event, the multiplayer involves another player jumping into your game and trying to make things more difficult for you, for example by controlling surveillance cameras. So it seems reasonable to expect that Ubisoft will try to push players to stay connected rather than restrict themselves to a solitary experience.
But as for Assassin's Creed, well, Ubisoft has some bad history with that series. The company required a constant internet connection for Assassin's Creed II in an attempt to combat piracy, but modified it following criticism from players so that it only required an internet connection on starting the game. Only at the end of last year, Ubisoft announced that it was dropping its DRM policy, so if the rumours are true then players presumably won't be happy to see it back so soon.
Would an “always-on” requirement prevent you from playing either of these games?