Bioshock - Demo on the Way?

god i hope so the system shock 2 demo was awesome, 2nd to only gothic maybe.
 
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Wow, wonder if it will release BEFORE the game now that would be cool. <drools>
They are covering all their bases, afaik this is one of the few games that needs a demo.

Edit
"Important Note: Game requires Internet connection for activation."

Damn, now this is a surprise and sort of shocking.

Eidt
I meant to say, one of the few games that does Not need a demo for me.
Opps. :)
 
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"Important Note: Game requires Internet connection for activation."
Damn, now this is a surprise and sort of shocking.

Why? Don't you have Internet? :) The only people I can see would have a problem with online activation would be the pirates - otherwise it's just a transparent part of the normal installation. Most people with a computer that can run Bioshock is probably connected to the net constantly - I know I've been for the last 8 years or so...
 
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Why? Don't you have Internet? :) The only people I can see would have a problem with online activation would be the pirates - otherwise it's just a transparent part of the normal installation. Most people with a computer that can run Bioshock is probably connected to the net constantly - I know I've been for the last 8 years or so...

Doubt it will affect the pirates, it will be cracked in short order I expect. It would impact me as I currently don't have internet at home (3 months unpaid bill - they cut me off!!!) but thankfully by the time it's released I should have a connection again. I also know some families will have computers for their kids that have no internet connection for safety reasons.
 
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And please let me add the people who (like me i.e) do not connect their main
system for various (mainly safety) reasons. i.e I bought a laptop with a wireless
card for exactly that reason and though its not completely weak I certainly dont game on it.

No, that thing usually puts me off, even for games I am not exactly "dying for" but
was still quite interested in (like Bioshock i.e)...
 
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KasperFauerby
"Why? Don't you have Internet? The only people I can see would have a problem..."
Hehe, yes I am using telepathic powers to transmit my thoughts in this post. :)

Certainly, there is no security risk involved with internet activations, what about people whom play games, during breaks at work, on a network?
Think requiring network activation is good idea, remember what happened when Steam/Valve tried this it was mostly chaos for 6 months to a year, does 2k have a tested secure and functioning system?
What data are they collecting, if I am on a high security network, is the information stored , safely, is a credit card required, is it a secure transmission?

Why would you even think pirates would care, it's has that ever affected pirates?
If so could you post a link, cause I remember reading these don't matter to pirates as they apparently play them anyway.

I take it your not aware of the huge data breaches happening all over the world, people's bank accounts and ids, are being stolen at an unprecedented rate, or maybe you don't care who has your personal information?

Not to mention affecting sales numbers, there are in fact large populations that don't have internet access, due to regional locations but not totally cut off from tradtional media, as an example here in the US, we lag very far behind many first and second world nations in connectivity, so this means people can know about the game, want to play it and not be able to.

Now that we have covered most of your points, lets turn a bit at your, statements. :)

"otherwise it's just a transparent part of the normal installation."
Really, only person that might say something like that would be an industry shill?
Mind, running down this for me, i.e. why don't you provide us with a short list of RPGs, that confirms this phenomenon, known as "transparent part of the normal installation"? :)

Does none of this ring as a bit shocking to a (industry shill) concened gamer like yoiurself? :)
 
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@Bjon:
The point about the kids is actually one valid argument against online activation in general - but in this particular case I don't think Bioshock is the correct game for the concerned parent to give his child in anyway.

@Acleacius:
Let me start by saying that I find your post slightly offending and aggressive in its tone - and I don't understand what part of my original post could have caused you to reply in such a matter. You have your opinions, and I have mine. I'll answer your points, but I'll only do this as long as we can keep a civil tone - agreed?

Regarding your points - lets seperate discussing the *concept* of online activation from the *implementation*. You're obviously assuming the worst, where I of course assume that the online activation part is implemented in a safe way that protects all information in a secure way. A game like Bioshock does not have a monthly fee, so of course they should not (and almost certainly will not) ask for anything like credit card information etc! In fact, online activation does not even have to be the same as online *registration* - so it might not require any personal information at all! Most likely it'll be a simple communication with some server, where it sends the CD key or something. I recently installed Two Worlds, which also have online activation, and they did indeed seperate registration from activation - so I didn't see any difference from installing any other game, but when I entered my cd key it briefly communicated with some server.

I don't think the discussion of identity theft belongs in this topic, but I'll comment on it briefly anyway. I don't know how it is in your country, but here in Denmark the banks *always* cover all loses from online transactions and cases of identity theft. It's annoying and very troubling to be victim of an identity theft - but you'll most likely not be held responsible for the loss in the end. This makes online shopping one of the most safe ways of shopping, since if you go out on the street and is robbed, or someone steals your visa-card and pin-code and then uses it - then you might actually be held responsible for the loss yourself!

Finally, regarding demographics, I think it's up to each company to judge whether or not it'll hurt their sales to require an Internet connection. As long as it's clearly noted on the package I think it's the same as any other system requirements. And the number of gamers playing WoW for example shows that there are quite some potential customers, even if you require an Internet connection.
 
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Why all the fuss; it's not even an RPG!! :)
 
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I'll agree about the SS games, though they were called RPG's at the time!!
 
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... a bit shocking to a (industry shill) ...

<sigh> And we often wonder why devs seldom visit fan boards...

Kasper, thank you for sticking around the Dot/Watch and offering your insights, in spite of the ill manners of our more rapscallious members.
 
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KasperFauerby
"n this particular case I don't think Bioshock is the correct game for the concerned parent to give his child in anyway."

Not trying to speak for Bjon, I don't think that's what he meant. :)
If you choose not to get a connection because of preventing your kids from getting online, would Prevent the Adult from registering the game, not giving it to the kids. :)

"Let me start by saying that I find your post slightly offending and aggressive in its tone........"

I reread my post and it certainly was tying to confront what seemed to be, only what an industry shill would say, but I thought I gave you the benefit of the doubt by responding to your comments first, before toying with you at the end. :)

There are people whom are paid to go to game sites to make fake statements about games, but I certainly never attacked you and I will try to seem less aggressive and offensive as long as you don't mind being a little more accurate when you use the word pirates, people might get the impression your calling them a pirate. :)

"You're obviously assuming the worst,"
Nah not really, caution about your personal information in dealing with online, is like making sure you have smoke detectors/fire extinguishers in your house.

I merely pointed out real world examples, in regards to Denmark not sure if your in the EU law suit against the psycho's running the government here in the US but I hope the EU wins. :)
At least England was involved but I believe other countries too, they were tricked in to giving out personal bank accounts info from many major EU banks.

"where I of course assume that the online activation part is implemented in a safe way that protects all information in a secure way"
This is not an attack since obviously you stated I was using worst case for using real world examples, but don’t you find your words are exactly the best case, almost as if you were not aware of the dangers?
Yet you do seem to know about having to connect to servers.

"I don't think the discussion of identity theft belongs in this topic"
Pirates by defintion steal something and sell it for a profit, this can be anything including personal information, I mentioned it only as an example and personal information can easily be taken any or everytime you connect to another server, in most cases.

"someone steals your visa-cardand pin-code "
I hope that is a very extreme/rare example, I have never heard of anyone being on the street being robbed of their card and pin, but I do not hear about everything.

"I think it's up to each company to judge whether or not it'll hurt their sales to require an Internet connection."
Well, it's a fact it will prevent sales, there by hurting sales, but a company has a right to choose to require or not an online registration, afaik.

"And the number of gamers playing WoW for example shows that there are quite some potential customers, even if you require an Internet connection."
Yes, wow requires a internet connection to play.
-----------

I never said it couldn't be safe, only that it was shocking to see it required.
Bioshock is a single player only game, even your examples were multiplayer online games.
Now since the info is new and maybe not accurate, as in this is only required for 360 version, so they can get those merit points or whatever they are called, that’s fine, but requiring a Single Player ONLY game to have Online Registration is pretty unheard of, so being shocked doesn’t seem out of place.. :)
Have you ever heard of a Single player only game requiring, online regesteration?
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xSamhainx
Hehe, proabalby mine too, especially in the first 24 hours, when a billion people try download it at the sametine.

Corwin
"Why all the fuss; it's not even an RPG!!"
Oh really, well I can wait to hear why not, hehe.

Stanza
"in spite of the ill manners of our more rapscallious members."
Ill mannered, you have anything to back that up with, you just sucking up or normally full of crap?
If KasperFauerby is a Dev, I certianly wouldn't know, as he doesn't have some form of Dev id like Dev under his name or special color, nor did he identify himself as such.
 
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KasperFauerby if you are a Dev then I shouldn't have used the word, industry shill, appoligies.

"Why? Don't you have Internet? The only people I can see would have a problem with online activation would be the pirates",

This statement could resonalbly be taken as saying," if you have a connection and your against online regestration, you would be a pirate".


Reguardless of Stanza's arrogant statement, I acutally treat eveyone as an equal, if the KLevine came on here and said or insuated, something like that I would call him on it, even knowing he is a Dev.
 
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"Important Note: Game requires Internet connection for activation."
Damn, now this is a surprise and sort of shocking.
While I have no problem with this (after all I'm a big Steam user), I don't like how it kills the ability to trade or pass on games - heck, if you buy 'Half Life #1' now you have to activate it through Steam and can't trade it on ...
 
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Pirates by defintion steal something and sell it for a profit,

Huh? That is just silly. If anything the term pirate would indicate taking something that doesn't belong to you. Profit or profiting can be applied to people benefiting from something they did not pay for, earn, or should be using. Pirates are profiting from paying customers making the production of the product they stole viable. I fucking hate pirates. I also hate stupid children that justify pirating with retarded gibberish (I'm not saying you did, just making a general statement that applies to all pirates or people that justify it and that is not directed specifically at anyone besides anyone who is a pirate). But, if the term pirate offends people maybe we can just call them parasitic retarded leaches. Scum of the earth.

Pirate:
4. a person who uses or reproduces the work or invention of another without authorization.

I can't wait for the day that software becomes pirate free somehow. I don't care how much of a hassle anti-pirate measures becomes.

If you live in the US and you feel like someone stealing your credit or debit card number is horrible, check out Regulation E. You are zero percent liable for any fraudulent or unauthorized activity on your account if reported within 60 days. If you go over 60 days without checking your account you are an idiot. Account info is not senitive info. When you give someone a check they have your account and routing number, and your address. Sometimes even phone number and dl: number.

The largest contributor to id theft is still snail mail theft and with wallet/purse theft, and online activity lags far, far behind in numbers.

Corwin
"Why all the fuss; it's not even an RPG!!"
Oh really, well I can wait to hear why not, hehe.


Huh? I can't wait to hear why it would be. The devs purposfully made it an action game. On purpose. It wasn't by accident. So how could it be an rpg? Because it has a couple numbers? Thats all it takes? How many other games that were made to not be rpgs would become rpgs then?


Sorry to butt in, I'll stop.
 
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Online activation usually means online registration, which is bad, IMHO, for privacy concerns. Why do they need to know who I am and what I'm playing? And if you/they (the developers of Bioshock) think that you can stop pirates by online activation, yuo're all mistaken. Case in point: Two Worlds - if you use a crack, you won't even know that the game requires an online "activation".
 
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Let's not get started on what makes a game an rpg. It's one of the oldest(and dumbest) arguments on the net.

Is Bioshock an rpg? Not in my opinion, but then again I don't really consider Super Mario brothers an rpg either. Can SMB be considered an rpg? Sure it can, you're playing a role aren't you? In the end it just boils down to personal opinion.
 
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Online activation usually means online registration, which is bad, IMHO, for privacy concerns. Why do they need to know who I am and what I'm playing?

Who says that you need to enter your real info? Most of the time (exception: subscription based games) the only thing that matters is that you enter the correct CD/product key. Whenever a game asks me for registration in conjunction with a key check, I magically turn into Duffy Duck, Ducklingstreet 1337, 01234 Ducktown, duffy@duck.de or some crap like that :) .

I really don't get what the fuss is all about as long as you have an Internet connection. It's just a simple check of a pair of keys (a "handshake") basically. If Take2 got their act together (as opposed to Valve who majorly screwed up when HL2 was released as they didn't provide enough activation servers) then activation should take under 10 seconds and you're good to go.
 
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