Bioshock - Issues Addressed

[Dhruin]

2K has been fast to react to various Bioshock issues and criticisms, although the solutions still won't satisfy everyone. Here is the word from Cult of Rapture (http://www.2kgames.com/cultofrapture/home.html):
We have been reading and listening to your frustrations over SecuROM, PC activation problems, and technical support issues since BioShock launched on Tuesday, and we've devised a plan to help.
Starting immediately, we will be upping the activation count to a 5 by 5 plan. We will be raising the maximum amount of computers a user can have BioShock installed on simultaneously from 2 to 5, and allowing a user to reinstall BioShock on each of those computers from 3 times to 5 times. Also, we have in the works a revoke tool which you will be able to run on your machine if you want to free up that key and move it to to another computer (this works very much like Steam or iTunes system). We are also working with SecuROM and 2K customer service, so that when you do need to call in support problems, you get answers to your questions faster, without much waiting or being bounced around. SecuROM has been given much more autonomy to help fix your problems quickly and effectively. I am personally sorry for anyone who got bounced around in the past couple days (I even think I contributed to this problem) and we're going to make sure that does not happen in the future.
As for other technical issues, we are bringing on a team of tech support that will be on the 2K forums 24/7 to help people resolve their technical issues. Our QA guys are in the offices and on the forums, too, reproducing issues and looking for workarounds and compiling information that they can put towards making you a patch and updating the knowledge base (http://support.take2games.com/cgi-bin/take2games_en.cfg/php/enduser/std_alp.php?p_sid=2H54JVJi&p_lva=&p_li=&p_accessibility=0&p_redirect=&p_page=1&p_cv=&p_pv=&p_prods=0&p_cats=&p_hidden_prods=&prod_lvl1=0&p_search_text=bioshock&p_new_search=1).
Also, we are aware that our activation server went down last night, stopping some of you from finishing your installs. The server is up and running now and we have corrected the problem that caused that crash.
Finally, we have released a FAQ, which you can view in full below (and will also be posted on the 2K Forums in the Technical Support area) that will help clear up a lot of questions and misinformation that has been floating around about SecuROM and PC activation.
And as for widescreen, we also want to say we completely understand a user's desire to augment their FOV. BioShock is a harrowing experience, but we don't want anyone to feel limited (or motion sick!). So we are in the process of working on an official PC patch to give widescreen PC users a choice to expand their horizontal FOV, and are investigating creating a similar update for the 360.
And finally, I want to personally congratulate Racer_S from the Widescreen Gaming Forums, and his awesome user patch to expand the widescreen FOV in BioShock. I'm currently tracking him down via email, but hopefully, he'll accept my gratitude, and maybe an Nvidia 8800 to boot.
Read the full technical FAQ. (http://www.2kgames.com/cultofrapture/pc_faq.html)
In other news...

PopCultureShock has a video interview (http://www.popcultureshock.com/index.php?p=42517)
Review at Ars Technica (http://arstechnica.com/reviews/games/a-different-kind-of-rapture-a-review-of-bioshock.ars) (thanks Acleacius)More information. (http://www.rpgwatch.com/show/newsbit?newsbit=6112)

[GhanBuriGhan]

Well, thats a decent response, as far as I can tell. None of the usual stonewalling, but an honest attempt to resolve issues.

[Dyne]

By "...and allowing a user to reinstall BioShock on each of those computers from 3 times to 5 times", do they mean one has to leave it installed on the computer after, for example, uninstalling it to make room for something else four times, otherwise it can never be played again?

Oh well, it's currently moot for me anyway. Darned SM3.0 only stuff, and aging computer.

[Acleacius]

Dyne please don't forget to sign the SM 2.0 petition, or anyone else for that matter. :)
http://www.rpgwatch.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2515

Btw the team has announed today they have rewritten the Shader Code for 2.0 but they hare haveing the issues with long load times and the Team also reports that have made contact with 2K/Irrational. :)

[Dyne]

Ooh, didn't know about that. Duly signed.

[Prime Junta]

Now, that's what I call a class act.

[woges]

I have it installed on 2 computers atm and no problems. Well just one - the sound kinda fecks up on the vista machine but you can solve that with a quick save and reload the game.

Edit: Ofc that could be the soundblaster drivers or Vista itself (not surprising).

[aries100]

It is nice to see that web 2.0 is at the works again :) -- getting publishers and developers alike to change their minds about - eh- something - that could have been done better.

As for the petition: Duly signed.

[txa1265]

I am glad to see how quickly and seriously they are taking this stuff. Most of it I think is pretty typical internet over-reaction, whining and entitlement, but the whole issue of DRM and game 'ownership' is very important and it just isn't clear where it will all go.

[txa1265]

On the widescreen thing, I actually captured the same view using three resolutions and posted it here (http://web.mac.com/txa1265/Site/Bioshock.html).

[Reyla]

The viewable area in 4:3 is remarkably better. I now can see why everyone was screaming "cropped!" Thanks for that upload.

[txa1265]

The viewable area in 4:3 is remarkably better. I now can see why everyone was screaming "cropped!" Thanks for that upload.

I couldn't believe it when I looked at it on my screen - because I would never have even thought about it if I hadn't heard the uproar. I was just happily moving along at my 16:10 res ...

[Thaurin]

Yes, people just automatically assume that wide-screen is supposed to have a bigger viewing area. In this case, it wasn't. But oh well...

[Stanza]

On the widescreen thing, I actually captured the same view using three resolutions and posted it here (http://web.mac.com/txa1265/Site/Bioshock.html).

I don't see any pictures, just words.

Also: Are you taunting the poor, deprived Mac owners of the world who can't partake of our Bioshockish DRM delights?

[txa1265]

I don't see any pictures, just words.

Also: Are you taunting the poor, deprived Mac owners of the world who can't partake of our Bioshockish DRM delights?

Hmmm ... I can see it in Safari & Firefox on Mac and FireFox and IE6 on PC.

As for the Mac thing ... I am showing that I am 'platform diverse' to use the politically correct term :D I love the Mac tools for image, video and DVD creation, the new versions are just sublime.

[Lucky Day]

This isn't good enough and will probably signal the start of a pattern. I don't want 5 I want unlimited. I don't like crippleware. If this were a multiplayer game they'd have an argument but it's not.

Either way, I'm not buying this game for sure now.

[Moriendor]

Well, I don't mean to be mean to people who do have legit issues with Bioshock (please be assured of my deepest sympathy and condolences :) ) BUT just so it doesn't seem that this game is drowning in a sea of shit, I'd like to add a positive note by saying that I got my Euro CE in the mail today, installed, activated, played.
Not having multiple systems and not having a widescreen display might have helped but this game does actually work just in case anyone was beginning to completely doubt it would work at all. It does :biggrin: .

[Stanza]

Hmmm ... I can see it in Safari & Firefox on Mac and FireFox and IE6 on PC.

IE works (which I only use for insecure, cookie-riddled internal devices), but Firefox 1.0.6 does not. Presumably your sight only recognizes the latest, greatest revs for Firefox.

[txa1265]

IE works (which I only use for insecure, cookie-riddled internal devices), but Firefox 1.0.6 does not. Presumably your sight only recognizes the latest, greatest revs for Firefox.
Oh the wonders of browser compatibility issues ...

[Sepulchrave]

Oh the wonders of browser compatibility issues ...

I use No Script in Firefox and had to tell it to allow scripts to run on that page and then I was able to see the pictures. Might be a possible reason Stanza can't see anything.

[Stanza]

Might be a possible reason Stanza can't see anything.

I usually chalk it up to horrible eyesight.

But that didn't stop me from spotting something over at Rock, Paper, Shotgun (http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/): To make up for the Moby tracks in the box, they've put the the real soundtrack (http://downloads.2kgames.com/bioshock/BioShock_Score.zip) up for download from 2K's site.

[txa1265]

I usually chalk it up to horrible eyesight.

But that didn't stop me from spotting something over at Rock, Paper, Shotgun (http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/): To make up for the Moby tracks in the box, they've put the the real soundtrack (http://downloads.2kgames.com/bioshock/BioShock_Score.zip) up for download from 2K's site.
Sweet - I saw that elsewhere but the URL was all messed up ... I loved that music.

[elikal]

I havent yet bought Bioshock, but as System Shock fan I wanted to. Now I hear you can install it only 2 or 5 times, is that true? I must say, if this were the case I would not buy this game. I tend to replay games, and I want to play them again, even after many years, and if the game company doesnt exist then? It does make online requests to install, right? Well, what about ppl who dont have online, does the package say it needs online connection even for normal play? I wonder.

This is a bad step in a bad direction.

[woges]

On the back of the box it says:

Important note: Game requires internet connection for activation.

So indeed, you have to have internet to play it at all.

[Sepulchrave]

I usually chalk it up to horrible eyesight.

Welp, that'll do it also.

[fatBastard()]

By the time anyone without technical issues would run into trouble regarding the limited installations there will be at the very least a dozen different hacks available on the net and quite possibly an official limitation remover utility to boot.

If anyone is refraining from buying BioShock due to philosophical reasons then that is your prerogative but don't miss out on BioShock because of actual concerns about the ability to reinstall that game at a later date because it will NOT be an issue in a few days/weeks.

[Dhruin]

I had a problem and couldn't get it to go without reinstalling Windows (which would point to a problem at my end) but from the limited play I've had so far (I'm in the medical centre), this is a superior piece of gaming that (so far) is worth the $50 for even one play through.

Everyone has their own expectations, of course, but don't miss out without serious thought as to whether the group intarweb consciousness has possibly overreacted to the situation.

[r3dshift]

Ken Levine is a highly sympathetic guy for me (a pity so few of such people are around, generally). An honest repsonse, as he isn't afraid to admit that they made mistakes, and even rewards the mod-maker. Sweetness.

[Badesumofu]

I've finished the game, and all I can really say (without spoiling the game) is that it's simply stunning.

The Securom thing was initially frustrating, mostly because my game just wouldn't activate. Once it did and I started playing all that was forgotten. This game is better value than 99% of what's out there. Now that they've lifted it to 5 activations and have a revoker forthcoming, it should really be a non-issue (as long as the activation servers stay up).

Buy the game, do it now.

[Tsukku-san]

Stunning how? Graphically? What if I can’t play a repetitive game and like diversity of action? What if I never have bought or enjoyed a FPS? Would the game be stunning to me? Compared to, say, the Northlands Trilogy is it stunning? Or just stunning compared to Doom? What if I played the demo and was not even a little impressed? Should I buy a game that failed to hook me in the demo? Isn’t the game like the demo but longer?

[Badesumofu]

I haven't played the demo. I'm running a 6800GS, Athlon 3800 XP Venice, 2 GB RAM. So the game runs acceptably well, but I have all the graphics turned down. It's not the oohh shiney ones that make the game stunning. I love using my environment to my advantage, setting up traps etc. I love the setting and its story.

The game is not repetitive. Each level is distinctly different to the last. New concepts are regularly introduced. The story advances, you character advances, your sense of place in the gameworld advances. The action is varied, you will fight in different ways, you can focus on different abilities or weapons. You only have so much ADAM to spend on new plasmid/tonic slots or abilities.

I've not played any DOOM game, ever. I'm not much of an FPSer, the only ones I've played through are both Deus Exs, both Max Paynes, and the first Half-Life. I suppose I should give HL2 a go.

My understanding is that the game is not just a longer version of the demo.

[ffbj]

Uninstalling the Malware.
http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/98241-13-remove-securom-malware-uninstalling-bioshock-demo

[Corwin]

Interesting read ffbj, though far too technical for me. Perhaps you should re-post the link in our tech help forum as well.

[aries100]

Uninstalling the Malware.
http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/98241-13-remove-securom-malware-uninstalling-bioshock-demo

This looks way to technical, even for me. It would be much better, if SecuROM would make a SecuROM removal tool like Starforce did. I installed Dreamfall which uses Starforce, I then un-installed Dreamfall some timer later. And downloaded the Starforce removal tool. Presto - no sign of Starforce of the computer. I'm not saying that SecuROM is a threat to the computer, butit could be used as a carrier of virus and trojans - sometime in the future.

Right now, I'm frustrated and mad :evil: since nowhere, not in the preview or in the demo release readme, that the demo would install SecuROM software on our computer or that the demo (maybe?) only allowed us 2 (or 5) installs all together.
Or that (perhaps) there would be a time limit on the demo so that it would be null&void after a week or so...

Anyway, I keep getting the error 'you don't have access to the appropriate rights' for this program, even after a fresh download from Gamespot, yes, even, after a fresh install from Steam, the demo will not play :( I'm not a happy camper right now, as you can tell. If I had known about this, I would have waited untill a PC Game Magazine had the Bioshock demo...

However, I might be tempted to use the advice from Tom's Hardware just to see if it is the SecuROM files on my system that makes it so that I can't play the demo.
(since I apparently installed it 2 times to many...) If I do, would system restore point then count as 'backup of the entire system' ??

[ffbj]

I am not sure that when people speak of backing up your entire system they are referring to a restore point. If so why not just say that?. Personally I am avoiding this, including the Demo until the questions are resolved. I know that does not help you in the least since you already tried to install and play the demo. I know that the game requires internet activation to play, that is a given. Not sure that this is also required just to play the demo. Posted link in the Tech Forum as suggested. The appropriate rights usually refers to admin privileges which you may have to enable. Yes installing multiple times would cause the game not too work.

http://www.scribd.com/doc/590/Changing-The-Administrative-Privileges-of-A-Windows-XP-User-Account

Also some info in the video describes the problem you are having as to the dismay of the announcers when they tried multiple installs:

http://www.twitchguru.com/site/flash_videos/second_take_the_bioshock_drm_problem.html

[ffbj]

The most complete synopsis of events thus-far also from twitchguru:

http://www.twitchguru.com/2007/08/27/bioshock_drm/

Part of the conclusion:
"There's no question, however, that the issues surrounding SecuROM have triggered a badly botched launch for an early contender for game of the year. In fact, this may go down as the worst fumble in PC game launch history. To its credit, 2K Games has made efforts to be accountable for the mess; rather than ignore the incensed PC gaming community, people like Levine and Tobey attempted to answer questions and resolve the issues (even though some statements proved to be false and misleading)."

Yes. I would call it a fiasco.

[txa1265]

In fact, this may go down as the worst fumble in PC game launch history.

That is just laughable - talk about (comparatively) much ado about nothing.

This game is polished, complete, installs correctly, works perfectly on most hardware and is one of the best freakin' games in recent years.

Because people are wearing tinfoil hats it has suddenly become 'teh w0rstest g4me launch EVAR'?!?!

Yeah, sure.

Again, I think that this method of copy protection is wrong-headed and anti-consumer, but seriously ...

[JDR13]

In fact, this may go down as the worst fumble in PC game launch history.

I think that honor still belongs to Gothic 3 for now.

[Alrik Fassbauer]

I believe this as well.

[txa1265]

In fact, this may go down as the worst fumble in PC game launch history.

I think that honor still belongs to Gothic 3 for now.

If Gothic 3 is a fumble, then Dungeon Lords is a mis-cast spell which renders you inside out before exploding you, guts flying everywhere ...

[JDR13]

If Gothic 3 is a fumble, then Dungeon Lords is a mis-cast spell which renders you inside out before exploding you, guts flying everywhere ...

I'm not so sure about that. They're pretty close as far as bugginess goes, but Gothic 3 was a much more anticipated game release, so the resulting "thud" was much louder.

[Dhruin]

I don't agree. Bradley had a reasonable following, Gothic 3 didn't include 4/5 of the game where they hadn't actually placed any content (from furniture to NPCs)...and at least G3 is ambitious, which in hindsight, DL wasn't.

[Lucky Day]

In fact, this may go down as the worst fumble in PC game launch history.

I think that honor still belongs to Gothic 3 for now.

Ultima Online, Star Wars Galaxies and Ultima 9 come to mind. Ultima 7 too maybe. Riven's launch on DVD wasn't smart either. A lot of units sat on the shelves.

Or how about Return to Zork's 45mb object file on the hard drive requirement? That was a lot of space back then. Gothic is still not well known enough in NA to make that distinction.

Another bad launch? The Wing Commander movie.

[magerette]

Don't forget the Pools of Radiance:ROMD wipe your hard drive thing. That probably didn't help sales much either. :)

The bad thing is that even after things like this are fixed, the internet buzz never seems to quite catch up, and the game keeps its reputation as having the scary issue.