A few days back, I posted my first Gamespot.com blog with my Bioshock PC Demo impressions. This is an update to that:
After finding out that even the Demo, which is legally available from many websites, was loaded with scum "copy protection" I immediately dumped it and commenced trying to get rid of the software this demo left on my machine. Below are the links with steps I took to dump this crapware from my system and some additional info I've found since then.
NOTE: Be aware that if you take these steps to remove the SecuROM software from your system, any games that use this "copy protection" software with either reinstall the software or just plain not work. Please keep this in mind before taking these steps or buying future games if you want your system to remain clean after this.
http://forums.tweakguides.com/showthread.php?t=4027
If after you take these steps to dump this software and the SecuROM folders won't delete, try this:
http://ccollomb.free.fr/unlocker/
Issues with SecuROM activation and copy protection.
"When BioShock was released, the client only allowed for two installations and required an Internet connection in order to activate the product. Due to criticism, this limit has been increased to five activations. After the five activation limit is reached, the user must manually activate the product again via telephone support due to a new version of the content protection system known as SecuROM.
2K Games has responded to the criticism by stating that a special-purpose pre-uninstallation utility that will refund activation slots to a user will be developed and made available in the future. If the yet-to-be-released application is not used before uninstalling the game, SecuROM considers the player to still be using the game, and the activation is unrecoverable without contacting SecuROM and sending them a picture of the DVD and the booklet with the CD key in order to get a new key or deactivate old installations.
The SecuROM system has also caused problems with running specific utilities and other games that use similar protection systems, see Securom for more. Microsoft's RootkitRevealer software tool also identifies SecuROM as a possible rootkit due to the insertion of null keys into the registry that cannot be removed using the limited Registry Editor. These keys remain on the system even after BioShock and SecuROM are uninstalled, with SecuROM currently providing no means to delete the registry keys, instead one may use Microsoft's RegDelNull to remove the registry keys. However, according to Ken Levine what is installed on the user's system is not a rootkit.
SecuROM has also been reported to be responsible for a cancellation of a midnight release in Australia due to downtime of the 2K Games servers on August 23, 2007, as the game would be unplayable until they were back up.
The BioShock demo also installs SecuROM. The SecuROM software remains on the system with no option for uninstallation, even if the demo itself is removed.
Ken Levine, lead designer for the game, stated that the game's copy protection will be removed at some undisclosed point in the future.
As of September 2007, torrents linking to BioShock disk images with the SecuROM protection bypassed have begun to appear on popular Torrent sites such as The Pirate Bay."
Don't you just love how they just left the fix date for this crapware vague?
Politics, gotta love it, eh?
My original recommendation still stands: Those who want a clean copy of Bioshock, go for the 360 version. PC users, stay away until it's clear that the SecuROM software has been removed from this game.
It's my hope that sometime in the future, evasive copy protection like this dies from the public outcry.
What do you guys have to say about it?