Bioshock 2 activation limits

[Calneon]

System requirements have been released for Bioshock 2, on IGN (http://uk.pc.ign.com/articles/106/1062217p1.html). It also however mentions that the game has a limit of 15 machine activations, in other words you can upgrade and install the game on 15 different computers before you have to, I guess, phone them up and ask for more.

/startrant

What the fuck is going on in the developer's heads? I mean, come ON! There used to be an activation limit of 5 in Bioshock 1 which people moaned at so I guess that's the reason they increased it.

15 installations

FIFTEEN

Given that the whole concept of activation limits actually works (WHICH IT DOESN'T), 15 machines or 15 upgrades is more than most people will use in 15 YEARS. If you're going to increase the limitation to 15 why not just GET RID OF THE WHOLE SYSTEM.

People complained about the first one not because they thought the 5 limit was unfair, it was because the fucking SecuROM bulltardhorseshit system didn't work. It installs on your computer when you install the game and for some people it prevented them from playing the game FULL STOP.

The icing on the cake is that to get more activations you need to phone them up and ask for more. Presumably this is so if you have a pirated version they will know and not give you more activations. WHEN I HAVE A PIRATED VERSION I DON'T HAVE LIMITS IN THE FIRST PLACE. Another thing, if all I have to do is ASK them for more, why include the whole fucking system in the first fucking godamn place.

Another quote from the story:


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.

Which is another thing that pisses me the fuck off. The ability to save your game in an OFFLINE GAME requires that you are ONLINE. I'll say that again.

A singleplayer, offline game REQUIRES you to be online to play the game. Admittedly, this isn't a problem for most people who have an internet connection, but the whole principle just sucks donkey balls.

And what do you get if you pirate the game? You get a game with a) NO SECUROM b) NO WINDOWS LIVE c) NO REQUIREMENT TO BE ONLINE WHILE PLAYING THE GAME.

Now, please somebody enlighten me, HOW DOES THAT STOP ME PIRATING THE GAME?

/endrant

I hate Activision just as much as anybody else but at least they did it the right way and used Steam instead of GFWL and SecuROM.

[D_K_Head]

it dosen't... and shouldn't this be on alttabbed?


Games companies are desperate to look as if they're trying to do something against piracy. Even a token limit that dosen't affect the game much, like this... to be seen to be doing nothing is to be seen to lie down and accept piracy (this is from the perspective of the companies by the way, we both know it dosen't work that way...)

[Calneon]

it dosen't... and shouldn't this be on alttabbed?

It would need some.... editing lol.

[Vicious Horizon]

Lol, it does seem pretty pointless tbh, I mean, 15 installs is a huge number, and pirates will crack the game anyway, this stupid fucking SECUROMRAROMAWORMOAWRM software is a bunch of bollocks in my opinion, we should go Sims 3 and take out the DRM completely, as I really didn't want to pirate Sims 3 because for once the companies were on our side.

[Isphera]

One reason I switched away from GH and quit WoW again - run by Activision, who are doing a better impression of EA than EA. The limit does seem a bit redundant, and the online to play SP reminds me of GoW1 on PC, although I stopped playing that because GFWL and the game itself was just horrifically broken to begin with.

[Target]

Yeh they try and stop piracy but really just make it worse, tbh there wouldn't be as many pirates if you made a really awesome game that was well supported, people would buy it so you make more. This is why companies are focusing on console tard games and ruining good pc games because there are pretty much no piracy issues with consoles unless you can be bothered to do pay for it or no how to do it

[Bloo]

Few things - there is piracy on consoles, not as much as PCs, but ME2 got cracked for Xbox before it got cracked for PC, that said, a lot of pirates only pirate games to play it as a demo and if they truly enjoy the game, will buy it. So it is never as bad as it looks. Of course there are people who will pirate something no matter what.

Install Limits - Seriously 2K? I thought publishers were over that failed idea. I know it isn't really an anti-pirating feature and more of an anti-second hand games feature, but still...

GFWL - I have no problem with having to be online when playing a game if I say, bought it over Steam (so erm, a lot of my games now..) and generally I don't think it would annoy me. What does annoy me is GFWL making my games unstable and corrupting 3 weeks worth of FO3 files. Grrrr.

Activision - Yeah they've pretty much became the new evil empire for videogames. EA get a bad rep but that is a thing of the past in some ways, Dead Space, Mirrors Edge, Spore... all quite different and in innovative games. Not saying they're good games, just that they try something new. Of course they've turned Battlefield Heroes into a money-grubbing exercise and will milk their sports and sims games to extract as much money as possible, but honestly, the people who like those games will buy them up quite readily so I don't see what the problem is there.

Activision on the other hand I don't like because after reading some stuff about the release of Modern Warfare 2, I gotta say it sounds bad for the games industry as a whole. Even though the game itself is perfectly sound.

And uhh yeah that is my view on the games industry, now I must go back to admiring my many shiny pennies!

[D_K_Head]

...I never knew there was an install limit or any sort of anti-piracy stuff in the sims 3... but then again, I didn't buy it :P

[Bloo]

...I never knew there was an install limit or any sort of anti-piracy stuff in the sims 3... but then again, I didn't buy it :P

There isn't, the big announcement for the Sims 3 was that there WOULDN'T be any anti-piracy software. Just a disc check like back in the 90's.

[Vicious Horizon]

...I never knew there was an install limit or any sort of anti-piracy stuff in the sims 3... but then again, I didn't buy it :P

That was my point of comparison ^^

- Saying that I applauded EA for not having any dumb-shit anti-piracy stuff.