Bioshock 2 - DRM Madness @ ActionTrip

There has been a lot of chatter about the DRM invlolved with Bioshock 2. With that in mind, I found a newsbit over at ActionTrip detailing the minimum requirements to play this game. The last part is dealing with DRM should be of some interest to you:

Initial installation requires one-time internet connection; Ability to save game, earn achievements, receive title updates and online play requires log-in to Games for Windows LIVE; software installations required including Microsoft Visual C++2008 Runtime Libraries, Games for Windows LIVE client, Games for Windows LIVE Client Patch, Sony DADC SecuROM, Microsoft DirectX.

More information.

Online activation, GFWL and securom? Not very smart of them. I will never, ever buy this game and I know several people who won't as well if it is that complicated. Time and convenience is my most valuable asset and I refuse to waste it every time I start a game.

Atleast they know how to piss off customers.

Oddly enough, the only way to get DRM free version of Bioshock 2, is to download warez version. And most likely it's still released before the official release date… I really hate this DRM online activation shit, no matter if it's GFWL or Steam, I'm never going to PAY for it.

This is bullshit. I'm not going to buy this game. To play one game i have to install thousands of useless programs. It's an insult to customers.

Way to get people to pirate your game. Good job.

ok, not buying that…

Online log-in needed to just save games ?

This is ridiculous, sorry.

System shock for free for all buying customers, I see.
Kinda brings supporting piracy to nextgen level.
Not that Iīm interested in a shooter rehashing its boring predecessor..

Originally Posted by Alrik Fassbauer
Online log-in needed to just save games ?

This is ridiculous, sorry.

Yep, Resident Evil 5 is the exact same way. You're forced to create a Windows Live account, even if all you want to do is play single-player.

From 2K Games' Elizabeth

Hey guys,

As many of you are aware, yesterday Steam's pre-purchase program began and the specs for BioShock 2 were posted along with that announcement.

These specs were taken from the retail packaging of BioShock 2. And since bullet points on the back of the box don't always explain the full story, here is a little more detail about what that means.

BioShock 2 is using a standard Games for Windows Live activation system, much like other games you have played in the past. That doesn't mean you always have to be online to play or save the game - you can create an offline profile for the Single Player portion of the game (you just won't earn achievements and you can't play Multiplayer, of course.)

We are using SecuROM only as a disc check method for the retail copy of BioShock 2. That is it's only use.

I am now checking the final plans for BioShock 2's specifications for Steam - and I'll get you a more complete answer by the end of the week. I have also been compiling a feature that will help answer a host of questions about BioShock 2 on the PC, including a podcast and screenshots of the PC version, and that should be out within a few days as well.

I'm sorry for the confusion, and I hope to clear it up entirely for you soon.

-Elizabeth

Originally Posted by Alrik Fassbauer
Online log-in needed to just save games ?

This is ridiculous, sorry.

No no no … you DON'T need to be *online* to save - you only need a GfWL profile, just like in Batman or Fallout 3 or RE5. You can have an *offline* profile and it saves just fine.

But still … this is ridiculous and an affront to paying customers.

It's not like I was that interested anyhow. I don't see anything in the narrative they can take it that won't just be a hacked retread. No sale.

I just hope they dont do all that to a game that I actually want to play.

Tho I remember they pulled a lot of crap on Dawn of War 2 - I had to do windows live, and STEAM, that seemed to be it tho. And yes, I could play offline, and save as well, but you have to manually go mess w/ STEAM and GFWL to allow you to play offline, and you still have the clients running.

I suspect that just like Fallout3 if you choose to play the game without being logged in to Windows Live you won't be able to use any future DLC's.

At any rate, whether I need to pull out the manual and enter a 40 digit code when I install or simply need to log into Windows Live when I start the game makes no difference to me anyway. I've been on a flat-rate connection for almost 10 years now so I really couldn't care less about having to be online to play.

Hearing Mike explain how he's often on the move and uses his laptop to play with, I can see how it *COULD* be problem to be required to be online to play, but unless that is also the case for you (or you're on a dail up connection) I'm tempted to compare all this grumbling about online connection to the two old guys on the balcony on the muppet show to whom everything was better in the old days.

Some interesting comments on this page , good people are standing against stupid DRM .

Games for Windows Live sounds scary… it sounds like bloatware and I'm hesitant to install it. I probably won't until some game that I really want to play forces me to.

Originally Posted by DeepO
Not that Iīm interested in a shooter rehashing its boring predecessor..

Well, I don't believe that many here would agree on this "boring" part.

By the way, I'm not using a "Live" account and I don't plan to.
I just wonder why should I ?

Originally Posted by Alrik Fassbauer
Well, I don't believe that many here would agree on this "boring" part.

By the way, I'm not using a "Live" account and I don't plan to.
I just wonder why should I ?

Why shouldn't you?

I can understand people complaining if they are forced to buy some third party software in order to play a game you've already paid for, but Windows Live is free. If you already have an Xbox with an Xbox Live account, you can use the same login and any achievements you earn in the Windows game gets added to your total account (if you're into that sort of thing).

Originally Posted by fatBastard()
Why shouldn't you?

I can understand people complaining if they are forced to buy some third party software in order to play a game you've already paid for, but Windows Live is free. If you already have an Xbox with an Xbox Live account, you can use the same login and any achievements you earn in the Windows game gets added to your total account (if you're into that sort of thing).

It doesn't matter that it's free. I just don't want to install lots of junk on my computer in order to play a game.