Bioshock 2 System Requirements Released! (SecuROM act limit: 15)

Souness · 21 Jan 2010 at 14:20

More outraged about GWFL live than the install limit which I've never had a problem with. If it's anything like dirt 2 where I can't even reply to steam messages while logged into the game, I will be mad.

Evilsod · 21 Jan 2010 at 14:33

Souness said:
More outraged about GWFL live than the install limit which I've never had a problem with. If it's anything like dirt 2 where I can't even reply to steam messages while logged into the game, I will be mad.

Its a shame terrorists don't just blow up Microsoft HQ, half the world would probably congratulate them.

Disjunto · 21 Jan 2010 at 14:35

Souness said:
More outraged about GWFL live than the install limit which I've never had a problem with. If it's anything like dirt 2 where I can't even reply to steam messages while logged into the game, I will be mad.

dirt 2 is horrible, can't even alt tab out of it :|

z0mbi3 · 21 Jan 2010 at 14:38

Disjunto said:
dirt 2 is horrible, can't even alt tab out of it :|

I can.

orderoftheflame · 21 Jan 2010 at 16:09

No activation limit according to 2K.

http://forums.2kgames.com/forums/showpost.php?p=597558&postcount=93

And the steam store is wrong apparently.

http://forums.2kgames.com/forums/showpost.php?p=597993&postcount=271

mrk · 21 Jan 2010 at 16:17

OMG 15 times? WTF were they thinking? I install my games 26 times jesus dammit!

'Wes · 21 Jan 2010 at 16:20

Disjunto said:
dirt 2 is horrible, can't even alt tab out of it :|

I could briefly, but not entirely.

Evilsod · 21 Jan 2010 at 16:25

mrk said:
OMG 15 times? WTF were they thinking? I install my games 26 times jesus dammit!

Thats besides the point

Why even include it if you're going to limit it to something completely arbitrary like 15? Not to mention the usual uproar over SecuROM when it serves no purpose.

Greebo · 21 Jan 2010 at 16:34

Durzel said:
lol you can't save the game without logging into GFWL

I hate that. Too many games rely on that and not everybody can/wants to play on a machine with an internet connection.

Living out in the sticks we sometimes lose our phone line/broadband. Why or why do they keep doing this?

kylew · 21 Jan 2010 at 16:35

Disjunto said:
dirt 2 is horrible, can't even alt tab out of it :|

You're doing it wrong! All my games that run on GFWL (Street fighter 4, DIRT 2, Fallout 3 off the top of my head) all alt tab without problems.

Evilsod · 21 Jan 2010 at 16:37

Greebo said:
I hate that. Too many games rely on that and not everybody can/wants to play on a machine with an internet connection.

Living out in the sticks we sometimes lose our phone line/broadband. Why or why do they keep doing this?

They didn't. You can play with an offline account and save.

Disjunto · 21 Jan 2010 at 17:07

kylew said:
You're doing it wrong! All my games that run on GFWL (Street fighter 4, DIRT 2, Fallout 3 off the top of my head) all alt tab without problems.

lucky you, mine just sit there, and sometimes allow windows infront of them. every other game works fine

chaparral · 21 Jan 2010 at 19:57

message from 2K Elizabeth
2K Community Manager

A message about PC specs, Games for Windows Live, and SecuROM from 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

http://forums.2kgames.com/forums/showthread.php?t=55023

stude1983 · 21 Jan 2010 at 20:11

lol check out post #29 chaparral

alex24 · 21 Jan 2010 at 20:13

securom, GFWL....argh! 15 is such an arbitrary number, why even bother.

chaparral · 21 Jan 2010 at 20:16

stude1983 said:
lol check out post #29 chaparral

Oops

MeMeMeMe · 22 Jan 2010 at 00:22

kylew said:
You're doing it wrong! All my games that run on GFWL (Street fighter 4, DIRT 2, Fallout 3 off the top of my head) all alt tab without problems.

I can't alt+tab out of Dirt 2. Are you running it in a window?
I can use ALT+Enter to switch it into a window, then I can alt+tab out of it.

About GFWL

Evilsod said:
They didn't. You can play with an offline account and save.

That's a bit crap though. It should allow you to play offline, then when online, sync up with the online save and update your achievements. using an offline account means you are missing that aspect of the game - and it is a fun part of games.

JimAroo · 22 Jan 2010 at 00:26

Steam version has no DRM and no activation limit from what I've seen.

Evilsod · 22 Jan 2010 at 00:32

MeMeMeMe said:
That's a bit crap though. It should allow you to play offline, then when online, sync up with the online save and update your achievements. using an offline account means you are missing that aspect of the game - and it is a fun part of games.

Well... no. What were you expecting? The lastest studies have shown your gamerscore is proportional to the size of your penis. Its hardly unlikely that if the game were run in offline mode and continued to allow achievements that people would cheat/unlock/bypass or whatever else they do to get all achievements for a game without it being verified correctly by the master server (i'm talking out my arse, i know). Its the same thing Steam does.

AWPC · 22 Jan 2010 at 03:16

Whats sucks most about this is all the layers of DRM. All they needed to do was only use SSA to link the game serial number to your gamertag & that's it your done as SSA does not have any limits its infinity & beyond.

GFWL you can even create an offline profile on any GFWL title & still save & have it hidden in the background doing nothing if you so wish.

What 2K have done here is apply a stupid DRM strategy:

1: Disc check will get bypassed on day 1. Securom even release patches to bypass this on their website but never advertise them you have to look deep but there freely & legally available. They did it for GTA4 & many other big PC games so people with unsupported DVD drives could still play the game.

2: Now worse case scenario is you have to call MS for the 15 limit GFWL activations AND you have to contact 2K support for the securom activation limit if say you have a big hardware issue or forget or are unable to revoke your licence before your HD fails (most common scenario) although routine hardware changes can flag Securom to need reactivating.

I even posted on 2K website in that forum but doubt they will listen as its only 2 weeks so probably set in stone & the game is waiting in boxes to be shipped right now I should imagine! Its not like they did not sell well on PC as Bioshock1 sold over 1M copies :rolleyes: