Every time I hear about a gamer having problems with a game they've bought because of an excessively aggressive DRM system, I cry a little. Inwardly of course, so people don't think I'm some sort of weirdo. Sadly, many user are having problems with BioShock, having bought the game and not being able to play it while they wait for it to be activated (before you can play it you need to activate it over the Internet). There's also a lot of reports of people having problems reinstalling or putting it on other machines.

For people having problems or people considering buying BioShock, I've written a brief article about the problem and looked at the issues of DRM in games in general, which might be of interest.

Update: Contrary to some unfortunately popular belief, BioShock does not have a rootkit. This rumour was spread by some blog site, the author admitting he added the dreaded 'r' word to increase Google rankings.

Top article dude, brought up a lot of interesting points. I think something else worth mentioning is that PC gamers that bought BioShock on Steam have none of this securerom crap to worry about and because of exchange rates, it works out cheaper than buying it retail in Australia.

It's funny that you mention consoles as a saviour in the last section. Ironic in this instance because the copy protection on PC is actually still in-tact. The PC version of BioShock is yet to hit the warez scene, whereas the Xbox 360 version was available even before the official release date for consoles with hacked DVD firmware.

Also FYI, the developer 'Irrational Games' was renamed to 2K Boston and 2K Australia, BioShock now being credited as having been developed by both studios.

I think something else worth mentioning is that PC gamers that bought BioShock on Steam have none of this securerom crap to worry about and because of exchange rates, it works out cheaper than buying it retail in Australia.

Yep, good point, I will add that - I tried to find that out but couldn't confirm it. I wonder what protection it has as a Steam game - I assume you can't just copy your Steam cache folder, which presumably means its using Steam-based copy protection instead of SecuROM?

Also something I wanted to mention was that I think they should be given Mad Props for letting you install the game on more than one machine in the first place - not really a practice that is typically endorsed any more, but they quite clearly state they're happy for you to run the game on multiple PCs at home if you want to.

It's funny that you mention consoles as a saviour in the last section. Ironic in this instance because the copy protection on PC is actually still in-tact. The PC version of BioShock is yet to hit the warez scene, whereas the Xbox 360 version was available even before the official release date for consoles with hacked DVD firmware.

Heh, I didn't know that, but I guess I should have assumed it :)

Also FYI, the developer 'Irrational Games' was renamed to 2K Boston and 2K Australia, BioShock now being credited as having been developed by both studios.

Yep, I was going to change them but decided not to as at the moment I think they're still more widely recognised as Irrational (I noticed Joystiq still refer to them as that as well, so I decided to stick with that convention for now :)

Stick it to em. It's an awesome game and they know it. After such an intense build-up, they should have been fully prepared to handle the number of legitimate users who just want to install and play the damn thing.

It's pretty lame really, it isn't going to stop the warez scene. There WILL be a cracked version out one way or another soon enough. It works on the simple principle that anything that can be done up can be undone again.

So they go ahead anyway and put another retarded and obviously not sufficiently tested security measure into the game and piss off a large number of legit users.

They have absolutely no excuse as everyone with ties to the gaming world would have knowledge of the Starforce s***storm - which eventually got dropped because of all the problems it caused for legit users.

I honestly don't see the problem with just using the steam delivery system, it seems to work great for many many other titles.


When will the developers learn :/

last edited by rubba-chikin at 17:15:23 25/Aug/07

Thanks for the article trog im glad to see you were covering it. I was concerned (paranoid) at how FEW gaming blogs and websites were covering this as news.

Oh and dont take my word for it but from what i've read and been told the steam version also carries the secureROM DRM.

When will the developers learn :/

Dont blame the developers, it wouldn't have been the developers that decided to do that, it would have been something forced onto them by the publishers. So direct your angst at the publishers and not the awesome guys at Irrational :) And I don't care that its called 2k Boston and 2k Australia anymore, I'm going to keep calling them Irrational.

I think that part of the problem is that publishers are giant money-grabbing c***s who are usually the people to blame for failures in areas like copy protection. Often games require the CD to be in the drive under the release candidate and then when a dev makes a new patch, the CD is no longer required.

I think that is indicitive of the devs understanding that every single copy protection system in the history of games has been cracked and its futile; where as publishers still attempt the same old s***. So it ends up being removed to help out the end user because the devs actually care about experiance rather than sales. Its hard to see through the murky waters that 2K has created but 2K is the publisher and Irrational (I simply wont call them their bastardised, identity-theft name because I think its sad to lose such an important name in gaming) are the devs.

The only exception to this rule that I can think of in the whole industry is valve. Steam has been a massive boon for valve and with the amazing support that steam is now seeing, the library of games available has become pretty huge. (iD collection for example - ie. not just smaller companies that cant attract big publishers but 1st rate devs now using steam... bioshock is of course another example)

I believe bioshock on steam just uses the same system all games on steam uses which is to allow access to each game that your 'account' has purchased. What game files you have on your computer has nothing to do with what games you have access to.

It's pretty lame really, it isn't going to stop the warez scene.

Well it's not going to stop it forever, but it has succeeded in preventing a warez version from being available before retail release. I think that is one of the key aims.

Yeah sorry Khel you are correct, my brain is on autopilot after working on a Saturday :/

Dirty dirty publishers indeed.

There's a pretty interesting review with Ken Levin over at Joystiq - he responds to issues with activation and widescreen read it.

thx tim, I linked to it in my article :P

The point of Copy Protection is not to try and make it uncrackable forever. The developers are well aware that any copy protection will eventually be cracked.

The majority of game sales happens within the first few weeks of release. The whole point of copy protection is to delay the availablity of pirated versions to get the most they can out of sales within those first few weeks.

EDIT:

This activation is for the early period of the game when it's really hot and there are people really trying to find ways to play the game without buying it. Of course, there are a lot of people who are legitimately trying to play it. We're not trying to be Draconian, we're trying to find a balance.

From Ken Levin, a Bioshock maker type dude.

last edited by Tollaz0r! at 13:57:40 26/Aug/07

Well after hearing about this I called the shop yesterday and they were happy to cancel my pre-order, just gave it to someone who wanted a copy. They won't be getting any of my money for this kind of crap. I'll be more inclined to pirate the game than anything just because they put this s*** in the game to f*** with people who actually pay for it (not that I'm saying I will).

Yay for buying it on steam for $62 without activation crap :D

They won't be getting any of my money for this kind of crap. I'll be more inclined to pirate the game than anything just because they put this s*** in the game to f*** with people who actually pay for it

Why not just buy it on 360 then if you're so against the security stuff they put in the PC version? Better than cutting yourself off from one of the best games of the year, you're the only one thats gonna suffer if you do that.

f*** that, less console support more pc support and there would be less s***fests like this.

The majority of game sales happens within the first few weeks of release. The whole point of copy protection is to delay the availablity of pirated versions to get the most they can out of sales within those first few weeks.

Is it really worth all the negative publicity they are getting for it? It will forever be remembered as a sweet game with all the bulls*** protection problems.

EA have already gone down that path with all the bug infested rushed releases which has definitely tarnished their name. It takes a lot more effort to come back from dumb decisions than to have to done it properly to begin with.

I'm not saying have no protection at all, but whatever method they are going to use make sure the systems in place will cope/work with whatever can be thrown at it. Otherwise it just shows poor planning on their behalf.

I bought my copy via steam so I had no issues and got it 2 days earlier :) hehe, suckers :P

What problem did HL2 have?

well having a look at some torrent sites, there is a (non-functional) ISO of Bioshock available, and it has many many comments along the lines of:

"screw this, I can't be bothered waiting for a working crack. I've just gone and bought the game"

And thats the bottom line. This activation process has successfully at the moment prevented piracy.

Bioshock was cracked yesterday according to a couple of sites. Dunno if it is legit but meh.

last edited by Twisted at 21:18:34 27/Aug/07

Only problem with the steam version is the fact that they didn't create a GCF Content file that extracts and rebuilds the image of the game, if it is damaged or files are missing, it will redownload the whole 5.6 GB woth of data again.

you can back up the files though, can't you?

also, there is still no crack for bioshock.

The Steam version still has Securom installed, and you are still limited to two copies of Bioshock installed.

After spending 4 hours on launch night trying to get my Steam installed BioShock working I would seriously recommend gamers to purchase the 360 version purely to ensure less frustration in getting the damn thing started.
Sure I understand the 360 version is more likely to kill to your Xbox, but that's a problem with microsoft and no so much the game.

Here's a rough plan on what I did to get it working...

1. Installed Bioshock from steam, downloaded additional 500mb from pre-load and unencrypted game. Launched BioShock and was greated with an error SecuRom
"Activation Failed. Server Error - wrong/invalid serial"

wtf... a cd/dvd authtication error for a Steam game? After a bit of digging it turns out BioShock not only has the Steam encryption system but also securom... sigh. After a couple a glasses of wine and banging my head on the table i did the following to try and resolve my probems.

1. Exited Steam and delete this key from your registry:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Valve\Steam\Apps\7670\S ecuROM <- this should remove the secuROM key. But then msvcr80.dll get crashing BioShock with 'Bioshock.exe has caused a crash...'

2. Screwing with the msvcr80.dll DLL, putting it into system32, and the BioShock release folder.

3. Downloaded the Latest DirectX Runtimes (August 2007) - http://download.microsoft.com/downlo...dxwebsetup.exe

4. Verifying Steam cache, and erasing parts. Running bioshock.exe directy.

5. Tried downloading unencrypted def...ini - http://files.filefront.com//;8371717;;/

6. Tried loading both different versions of the Visual C++ 2005 Redistributables: http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/d...displaylang=en

7. Loaded the latest nVidia BioShock specific drivers (163.44). http://www.nvidia.com/object/winvista_x86_163.44.html - http://www.nvidia.com/object/winxp_2k_163.44.html

8. Adding -dx9 to the bioshock.exe shortcut.

9. Game STILL WASN'T WORKING. So I backed up the BioShock install using the Steam backup process and erased the BioShock install in steam.

10. Turns out the Bioshock backup process is bugged in steam and doens't have the restore process working. Backed up counterstrike:source and hacked the install process on that to restore bioshock.

11. Re-installed bioshock and verified cache again, re-downloaded another 500Mb or so. Running BioShock again came up with a nice "Activation Failed. Server Error - wrong/invalid serial".

12. Went back into the registery to look at the SecuROM key (HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Valve\Steam\Apps\7670\ S ecuROM) and noticed that it stated that my key was 'DEACTIVATED' - so i promptly erased it.

13. Double Clicked on BioShock and boom, it started up. huzzah, spent the next 10 mins trying to configure the graphics settings to an acceptable level and ran around zapping people.

^ Holy s*** mate - I'm glad you know what you're doing... :)

PC Gaming is superior in every way to console gaming.

fpot is right

although im liking the wii controllers, they are something new;

by new you mean a gimmick.

also, i had no problems getting bioshock via steam (except for the fact that steam is a pile of cocks and it took forever to download). it loaded first time, no f***ing around with the authing or whatever.

I was being sarcastic.

doesn't mean you weren't right though

No problems Authorizing here via Boxed version.

Bought it to pop my new comps cherry.
Mmmm, max details flawlessly ftw!

Shame about no AA, hope they bring out a patch for it.

Also, CSAA seems to be a damn efficient form of AA.

8xCSAA seems to take quite a significantly lesser impact on framerate than standard AA

(CSAA being nvidia specific antialiasing I think).

Tis a new kind of AA that has been brought out with the 8* series nvidia cards, so any previous gen cards cannot do it.

It is basically MSAA + extra smoothing that costs almost no additional processing power.