Bioshock and DRM

Anyone know if 2K Games are planning to sort out all this crap with the DRM in Bioshock?

I certainly won't be buying this game until they get the issue fixed.

For anyone who doesn't know what i'm on about take a look here

or

here

I've also read that the demo, as well as the full game, came with a RootKit. Is this true?

All versions of Bioshock (retail, steam, d2d, demo, etc) install it'sSecuRom implementation, which is not the same thing as a rootkit, but unwanted anyway by alot of people.

Although there is no timetable, Levine Promises Eventual Removal of DRM

I'm with you, I'm postponing buying BioShock. However, unfortunately (or fortunately for 2K), the game is going to be a huge success regardless. Well deserved by the developers, but not 2K IMO.

A note from Ken Levine -- it's cached because 2K apparently deleted the post from their forum

I buyed collector's edition but this ideea is stupid....this is my last game that i buy from them...

So many anti DRM or all that stuff on MANY forums and they didnt get it.....only 45% of ppl will buy the game i think.....and they deserve it....

I don't like DRM but it's a fact of life nowadays. Apple does it and nobody seems to give them any grief :?

I hope that this stink doesn't make developers shy away from the PC. So many PC companies already makes console games and if DRM is what I have to put up with to get PC games, then so be it.

Well, first off it has given me no problems. Secound, after seeing how much pirates are whinning about not being able to get this game to work on torrent sites makes me glad, since its actually doing good.DarKre

It's already working so DRM failed. Took a little longer than usual though.

Why not get it from direct2drive or steam?Deihmos

Don't know about D2D but the Steam version definately has the SecurRom in it too unfortunately.

[QUOTE="Deihmos"]Why not get it from direct2drive or steam?1carus

Don't know about D2D but the Steam version definately has the SecurRom in it too unfortunately.

I thought they used their own protection. I fail to see what the big deal with the copy protection though.

[QUOTE="1carus"]

[QUOTE="Deihmos"]Why not get it from direct2drive or steam?Deihmos

Don't know about D2D but the Steam version definately has the SecurRom in it too unfortunately.

I thought they used their own protection. I fail to see what the big deal with the copy protection though.

Yes, Steam does have its own copy protection, but for some stupid reason 2k decided to put SecurRom on there too. The problem with copy protection is that, well, in this case, there's piece of software installed on our computer that is hidden from us, it'd doing god knows what, and no one asked it to be there.

It's also a problem, because I can only install this game 5 times. What happends if my computer breaks down, and I need to get a reformat - that's one install gone. Maybe I'll install Bioshock and a certain file wasn't installed for a certain reason - and I need to reinstall - that's another. So now I've only got 3 installs left. I think you can see where this is going.

[QUOTE="Deihmos"][QUOTE="1carus"]

[QUOTE="Deihmos"]Why not get it from direct2drive or steam?1carus

Don't know about D2D but the Steam version definately has the SecurRom in it too unfortunately.

I thought they used their own protection. I fail to see what the big deal with the copy protection though.

Yes, Steam does have its own copy protection, but for some stupid reason 2k decided to put SecurRom on there too. The problem with copy protection is that, well, in this case, there's piece of software installed on our computer that is hidden from us, it'd doing god knows what, and no one asked it to be there.

It's also a problem, because I can only install this game 5 times. What happends if my computer breaks down, and I need to get a reformat - that's one install gone. Maybe I'll install Bioshock and a certain file wasn't installed for a certain reason - and I need to reinstall - that's another. So now I've only got 3 installs left. I think you can see where this is going.

I am sure after the 5 install limit you send an email to get more installs. I bought games like Civilization IV from Microvision and it had the 5 install limit. I reached the limt once and sent and email and got another 5. It's really not a big deal.

I don't know if people are thinking after the 5 installs you can't play the game any more. I am 100% sure that is not the case.

[QUOTE="1carus"][QUOTE="Deihmos"][QUOTE="1carus"]

[QUOTE="Deihmos"]Why not get it from direct2drive or steam?Deihmos

Don't know about D2D but the Steam version definately has the SecurRom in it too unfortunately.

I thought they used their own protection. I fail to see what the big deal with the copy protection though.

Yes, Steam does have its own copy protection, but for some stupid reason 2k decided to put SecurRom on there too. The problem with copy protection is that, well, in this case, there's piece of software installed on our computer that is hidden from us, it'd doing god knows what, and no one asked it to be there.

It's also a problem, because I can only install this game 5 times. What happends if my computer breaks down, and I need to get a reformat - that's one install gone. Maybe I'll install Bioshock and a certain file wasn't installed for a certain reason - and I need to reinstall - that's another. So now I've only got 3 installs left. I think you can see where this is going.

I am sure after the 5 install limit you send an email to get more installs. I bought games like Civilization IV from Microvision and it had the 5 install limit. I reached the limt once and sent and email and got another 5. It's really not a big deal.

I don't know if people are thinking after the 5 installs you can't play the game any more. I am 100% sure that is not the case.

That's great until the company decides to stop supporting the game, or shuts down. Can happen to any company, anytime, and leave you with a $50 coaster. Admittedly, a worst case scenario, but a very possible one.

The ridiculous thing is, this really isn't stopping any of the pirates. Slowing them down a little maybe, but not stopping them. If anything, there's probably a lot of people that are going to torrent the game instead because they don't like SecurRom on their computers. I know I'm not going to buy it knowing that it's going to install a bunch of crap on my lappy.

Honestly, were CD keys so bad? Just hard enough to piss off the munchkins, but you weren't completely screwed if you lost your key or wanted to reinstall. Not to mention it didn't **** around with your hardware the way some of this DRM crap does.

Honestly, were CD keys so bad?fnord_fred

I don't think so :) I'm glad to see many people refuse to buy this game (please DO NOT pirate it either), it restores my faith in humanity :P LOL

There's alot more at stake than a single game with draconian DRM. I completely agree with...

The software rental model is the Holy Grail for publishers. No piracy is certainly a significant plus, but what they're really after is a constant reliable revenue stream.

spongebob

That's exactly what these games that are tied to (dependent on) servers become --- rentals. Microsoft is fairly transparent about their hopes of turning Windows into a service/rental based vehicle, and has been inching their way towards that model. That model applied to games hits even closer to home, for me anyway...

They won't remove the DRM until at least the first quarter sales figures are in.

But my advice is, don't buy games from companies that include whatever they want and don't warn you on the box about it. Let such companies learn -- where it counts -- that it's not appreciated. Otherwise, since gaming is so unregulated, they can put whatever they want onto your machine without permission, despite thatyour computer is your property.