Speaking of Ubi DRM: (and let me be clear that I HATE when they use intrusive DRM because the old argument is true - it only punishes paying customers) I've been fortunate enough to not have had any problems with their Uplay system. I realise I'm in a privileged position of having a good internet connection and no real bandwidth constraints to speak of. For me, it simply works.
It also seems to be a case of how the Uplay portion of the development team implements the system. For AC: Revelations, I had no trouble playing offline (having validated the game at install); no so with Anno 2070.
This Watch Dogs game looks to have multiplayer as a core element of the game, so going into the purchase knowing this, you can't complain when the game doesn't work because your internet is down. When the Uplay validation servers are down, then complain away
Perhaps I shouldn't be thinking this way, but I've just come to accept that always-on internet requirement is the way the gaming industry is heading for the PC platform - at least the big publishers who want to protect their investment in making huge entertainment experiences.
Nobody is forcing us to buy these games with that requirement, so ultimately we have the power to speak with our wallets. Ironically, PC gamers then lash out at publishers who then say the PC platform isn't proving lucrative. A bit of a catch 22 - do we continue to support the developers and games we love and just accept always-on internet and intrusive DRM, or do we forego purchasing, and then complain when our platform isn't supported?
While I'm a huge fan of indie game experiences as an alternative, there's also great appeal in these blockbuster titles, so I for one will probably be buying into this game (pending more info about it) and just living with Uplay.
feel, and more of a 
" feeling.
