BioShock 2 DRM Explained

[aPod]

I don't care about disc checks or whatever DRM is targeted for the people who buy the game and if you don't know about that, think about it. The game is going to be up on a torrent site 3 days before it hits store shelves and it will have all that nasty DRM removed, and DRM counts any hardware changes (ram/HDD/dvd) and counts that too. They'll play it anyway as much as they like installing it as many times as they will need while we, the people who actually buy their games are stuck with shit.

I would hope that publishers and devs would learn that punishing your consumer base doesnt stop pirating it causes it. They have yet to make a protection scheme that hackers cant find a way around. So why are they shelling out extra cash to have it put on thier games?

This is one of the reasons PC gaming has lost its place in my heart. Plus pirates love this... it gives them another reason for them to say f' the man... i think every dev/pub should take a Stardock approach to pirating, realize its going to happen, but try to have great customer support and games and you'll limit it.

 

[Pegghead]

Good thing I'm getting it for my xbox eh.

I'm boycotting the XBox version too. If I can't have it on the system of my choosing because the developers/publishers are being dicksmurfs, I won't then go hand them the same money for a different version.

Do we really need more boycotters?

 

[ThrobbingEgo]

Sounds like it's just meant to keep 15 keys from playing the game online simultaneously. You know, that piracy thing? If they're willing to reset the activations, then I don't see the problem.

The only reason I'm not planning on picking the game up is because I didn't think Bioshock needed a sequel. Unless I hear that Bioshock 2 is as good a storytelling experience as the original, or better, I don't feel I need to own it.

 

[Snotnarok]

I don't care about disc checks or whatever DRM is targeted for the people who buy the game and if you don't know about that, think about it. The game is going to be up on a torrent site 3 days before it hits store shelves and it will have all that nasty DRM removed, and DRM counts any hardware changes (ram/HDD/dvd) and counts that too. They'll play it anyway as much as they like installing it as many times as they will need while we, the people who actually buy their games are stuck with shit.

I would hope that publishers and devs would learn that punishing your consumer base doesnt stop pirating it causes it. They have yet to make a protection scheme that hackers cant find a way around. So why are they shelling out extra cash to have it put on thier games?

This is one of the reasons PC gaming has lost its place in my heart. Plus pirates love this... it gives them another reason for them to say f' the man... i think every dev/pub should take a Stardock approach to pirating, realize its going to happen, but try to have great customer support and games and you'll limit it.

I hate when they do this, it makes me hate the company. DRM also slows your PC down because it's ALWAYS checking your hardware. I want to strangle the guy who made this choice, I want to strangle him and shake him like a ragdoll.

 

[CD-R]

Congratulations, my preorder has been cancelled.

Go frig your selves. When will you learn that we won't take that shit, and that all DRM does is make the Pirate Bay seem ever so friendly.

Excuse me while I go check to see if we are spared from DRM in Mass Effect 2.
-------
Securom has caused me to have to reformat both my drives more then I'd like to admit.

Minimal DRM and good game makes me more willing to throw my money at the developers.
_____

Final note, if you're gonna treat me like a thief before anything has been done then frig off I'll go ahead and BE A THIEF. It makes no difference in your eyes anyways.

Mass Effect 2 doesn't have DRM if I remember correctly. EA for the most part learned their lesson from the whole Spore DRM debacle.

 

[dududf]

Congratulations, my preorder has been cancelled.

Go frig your selves. When will you learn that we won't take that shit, and that all DRM does is make the Pirate Bay seem ever so friendly.

Excuse me while I go check to see if we are spared from DRM in Mass Effect 2.
-------
Securom has caused me to have to reformat both my drives more then I'd like to admit.

Minimal DRM and good game makes me more willing to throw my money at the developers.
_____

Final note, if you're gonna treat me like a thief before anything has been done then frig off I'll go ahead and BE A THIEF. It makes no difference in your eyes anyways.

Mass Effect 2 doesn't have DRM if I remember correctly. EA for the most part learned their lesson from the whole Spore DRM debacle.

Thank god for that!

I better go pre-order it now... already cancelled my Bioshock 2 order. Probably not gonna miss it, Amnesia as a major plot driver is pretty weak.

 

[ThrobbingEgo]

I hate when they do this, it makes me hate the company. DRM also slows your PC down because it's ALWAYS checking your hardware. I want to strangle the guy who made this choice, I want to strangle him and shake him like a ragdoll.

I don't think you understand what DRM is. DRM is any technology that restricts how digital data can be used, and there are many different approaches to DRM. iTunes used to use DRM for its music, and it certainly wasn't constantly checking your hardware. Steam uses DRM for everything. If DRM just consists of a disc-check at the program's startup, which is the norm for PC games, then it's not going to be constantly checking your hardware, slowing down your PC.

To make the claim that all DRM constantly checks your hardware and slows down your PC.. that's a ridiculous statement.

Your computer's likely slow because your registry's a mess - from normal use - and this is fairly easy to fix with a decent registry cleaner. (Try Glary Utilities. It's even free.)

Certainly there are reasons why you may dislike specific forms of DRM, but please know what you're talking about.

People are just freaking out because the name SecuROM's attached. It's the name of the DRM developers, not the program. They make more than one product.

 

[Zefar]

It's always fun to see how people react to these things.

Because

1: SecuROM will most likely NEVER cause a problem for them by now. It didn't do it to me ever and I have used a few virtual driver programs.

2: Activation limits. Seeing that you now got 15 of them the odds of you losing ALL of them quickly enough is like one in a million. IF you are retarded enough.
Now most of you probably don't know that you can just contact them and ask for more. *Gasp* I know it's amazing.

This is like the internet version of Moon landing hoax. Keep em coming boys.

 

[Snotnarok]

I hate when they do this, it makes me hate the company. DRM also slows your PC down because it's ALWAYS checking your hardware. I want to strangle the guy who made this choice, I want to strangle him and shake him like a ragdoll.

I don't think you understand what DRM is. DRM is any technology that restricts how digital data can be used, and there are many different approaches to DRM. iTunes used to use DRM for its music, and it certainly wasn't constantly checking your hardware. If DRM just consists of a disc-check at startup, which is the norm for PC games, then it's not going to be constantly checking your hardware, slowing down your PC.

To make the claim that all DRM constantly checks your hardware and slows down your PC.. that's a ridiculous statement.

Your computer's likely slow because your registry's a mess - from normal use - and this is fairly easy to fix with a decent registry cleaner. (Try Glary Utilities. It's even free.)

Certainly there are reasons why you may dislike specific forms of DRM, but please know what you're talking about.

I like that you assume so much, I'm experienced with computers. I know a lot about DRM because I read on it, and I happen to know someone who works in the game industry. It limits your installs, and it monitors your hardware so it can identify your computer this is a process on your PC. That process, like all processes is a task that slows your pc down because it uses resources, sure it's not slowing it down a lot but it's just one process I don't want while I'm not playing the stupid game.

Perhaps you should read before calling me out on my " ridiculous statement" because a task uses resources on your PC, inother words it slows your "personal computer" down. Because it's wasting "calculations" and "memory" to monitor or "watch" your computer and "validate" this with the servers it's "registered on". Hardware changes count as an install varying from RAM, HDD, DVD-ROM drive, DRM monitors all of these and is a process that watches while your PC is on, not only when the game is on. If you change any of these, you lose an install.

Next time don't talk to me so condescending about a topic that I'm sure you're so well read on. I deal with computers every day, I make PCs for people, and I fix them. But if you're okay with installing malicious software that isn't labeled on the software that your buying then go right ahead.

Edit: I'm mad enough about DRM, this may be a bit of a harsh post but I'm not going to let the shit of the earth known as DRM be misunderstood. It's bullshit and it's not good for the consumer, their PC or the industry.

 

[Fayathon]

I'm still unhappy that I didn't just get it on my PS3.

 

[shMerker]

I bought a game with SecuROM once. It didn't run on either of my computers. Won't make that mistake again.

 

[j0z]

I wonder how the Steam version will work? Will it still have GFW, and will we get the DLC from Steam or GFWL?
Overall, this sucks, but not as bad as the original Bioshock. Rootkits anyone?

It will have GFWL and you have to get the DLC through that piece of retarded software.

:O

So, I, a proud PC gamer, is going to have to go out and buy a LIVE points card, so that I can buy my DLC? When I have a perfectly fine digital distribution program installed on my computer, that I can use REAL money on?
Earth to Microsoft: MS Points are stupid, and worthless. Charge us real money, or else at least for us PC gamers, distribute it through D2D and Steam.

In fact, because of this DRM I might buy the game, and then grab a nice copy off the internet so I will not be under some kind of totalarian regime.

 

[Zac_Dai]

There's more to it than activation limits. I for one don't want Games for Windows Live. Won't use it, won't buy a game that requires it. SecuRom is just another nail in a long-buried coffin.

Its true, Games for Windows Live is what hurts the most.

Its just such a pointless yet terribly intrusive piece of software. I swear MS must be paying developers big money to put that shit in their games, no sane devs would voluntarily use it.

 

[ThrobbingEgo]

I like that you assume so much, I'm experienced with computers. I know a lot about DRM because I read on it, and I happen to know someone who works in the game industry. It limits your installs, and it monitors your hardware so it can identify your computer this is a process on your PC. That process, like all processes is a task that slows your pc down because it uses resources, sure it's not slowing it down a lot but it's just one process I don't want while I'm not playing the stupid game.

2.5 Does SecuROM? decrease the performance of my PC?

No,SecuROM? does not influence PC performance. SecuROM? is a library integrated into the protected application, and recent versions of SecuROM? do not contain any stand alone applications.

Some older versions of SecuROM? install the ?User Access Service?, which allows a user to share DRM licenses among multiple Operating System user accounts. The User Access Service consumes very little memory (a few hundred kBytes) and virtually no CPU power. This service does not cause a performance decrease.

3.4 Why does SecuROM? sometimes remain active in the background, even if the protected application is not running?

By default, SecuROM? does not install any permanently active applications, services, or drivers. Some older versions of SecuROM? protected applications use a special configuration which will install a Windows Service called ?User Access Service?. This service allows a user to share DRM licenses among multiple users of the same PC.
This service is only used during the initial SecuROM? authentication upon the start of the application. At all other times, the service runs in the ?idle? mode. This means that it is passively waiting for a SecuROM? protected application to perform the respective DRM authentication during the startup of that protected application.

Current implementations of SecuROM don't run in the background (IE, while you're not playing the specified game) at all. Let alone enough to hamper performance on your computer in any way.

Your friend's information is blatantly incorrect, as, like I said, there are many different implementations of DRM. "DRM" isn't a thing itself.

You're welcome.

 

[Snotnarok]

I like that you assume so much, I'm experienced with computers. I know a lot about DRM because I read on it, and I happen to know someone who works in the game industry. It limits your installs, and it monitors your hardware so it can identify your computer this is a process on your PC. That process, like all processes is a task that slows your pc down because it uses resources, sure it's not slowing it down a lot but it's just one process I don't want while I'm not playing the stupid game.

2.5 Does SecuROM? decrease the performance of my PC?

No,SecuROM? does not influence PC performance. SecuROM? is a library integrated into the protected application, and recent versions of SecuROM? do not contain any stand alone applications.

Some older versions of SecuROM? install the ?User Access Service?, which allows a user to share DRM licenses among multiple Operating System user accounts. The User Access Service consumes very little memory (a few hundred kBytes) and virtually no CPU power. This service does not cause a performance decrease.

3.4 Why does SecuROM? sometimes remain active in the background, even if the protected application is not running?

By default, SecuROM? does not install any permanently active applications, services, or drivers. Some older versions of SecuROM? protected applications use a special configuration which will install a Windows Service called ?User Access Service?. This service allows a user to share DRM licenses among multiple users of the same PC.
This service is only used during the initial SecuROM? authentication upon the start of the application. At all other times, the service runs in the ?idle? mode. This means that it is passively waiting for a SecuROM? protected application to perform the respective DRM authentication during the startup of that protected application.

Current implementations of SecuROM don't run in the background (IE, while you're not playing the specified game) at all. Let alone enough to hamper performance on your computer in any game.

Your friend's information is blatantly incorrect, as, like I said, there are many different implementations of DRM. "DRM" isn't a thing itself.

You're welcome.

It may have changed but games like Farcy 2 do run shit in the background, how do I know? I installed the bloody game and it's clear as day in the process tree. If it HAS changed, it hasn't changed that it's still a anti-consumer software that does not fight piracy at all.

I'm not going to bother arguing with you anymore, be smug all you want, install what you want on your PC.

 

[ThrobbingEgo]

It may have changed but games like Farcy 2 do run shit in the background, how do I know? I installed the bloody game and it's clear as day in the process tree. If it HAS changed, it hasn't changed that it's still a anti-consumer software that does not fight piracy at all.

I'm not going to bother arguing with you anymore, be smug all you want, install what you want on your PC.

So you really have no idea what DRM even is, but you saw one program do something sketchy and now all DRM is the devil?

There are logically sound reasons not to like it, especially with music and movies which I may want to play on something other than iTunes, but a disc check and what amounts to a pin for online play? That isn't insane. What do you think the XBox does?

 

[UnravThreads]

If BioShock 2 is anything like FO3 and GTAIV, I have news... You won't have to sign in unless you want to play Multiplayer.

This news doesn't register with me at all, mainly because I'm buying the Steam version and secondly because GFWL doesn't really bother me in the slightest.

 

[Snotnarok]

It may have changed but games like Farcy 2 do run shit in the background, how do I know? I installed the bloody game and it's clear as day in the process tree. If it HAS changed, it hasn't changed that it's still a anti-consumer software that does not fight piracy at all.

I'm not going to bother arguing with you anymore, be smug all you want, install what you want on your PC.

So you really have no idea what DRM even is, but you saw one program do something sketchy and now all DRM is the devil?

There are logically sound reasons not to like it, especially with music and movies which I may want to play on something other than iTunes, but a disc check and what amounts to a pin for online play? That isn't insane. What do you think the XBox does?

Okay I'm confused here, I know what DRM is. They've changed it is all, that doesn't make me wrong about DRM considering they haven't changed the DRM on the older games, so what's to miss about this? The reasons I do not like it is because it limits the installs I have on a game, I have games that are 12 years old that I still play.

12 years from now I could run out of installs or the servers could simply not be there. And it's easier than they say it is to run out of installs, change your ram? That's an install, add a new drive? That's an install too. THAT is why I hate it, it limits something that I bought. Xbox live doesn't limit what you install to your system, XBLA games are linked to your email. They say it targets pirates but they just remove it and play happily while the consumer is the asshole and left with a game they can't play because they chose to support the bloody thing. I could have pirated your game but I chose to buy it to support games like it and I get boned?

They don't list anywhere on the box that DRM is there, perhaps now they've started, I heard they did for Riddick but I wound up getting it for 360 anyway.

 

[300lb. Samoan]

Seems like this copyright system will really throw a wrench in second-hand sales of the game. I can't tell if they're saying it can be activated on 15 Games-for-Windows accounts or if one GfWl account can activate it on 15 different systems/hardware configs.

 

[ThrobbingEgo]

It may have changed but games like Farcy 2 do run shit in the background, how do I know? I installed the bloody game and it's clear as day in the process tree. If it HAS changed, it hasn't changed that it's still a anti-consumer software that does not fight piracy at all.

I'm not going to bother arguing with you anymore, be smug all you want, install what you want on your PC.

So you really have no idea what DRM even is, but you saw one program do something sketchy and now all DRM is the devil?

There are logically sound reasons not to like it, especially with music and movies which I may want to play on something other than iTunes, but a disc check and what amounts to a pin for online play? That isn't insane. What do you think the XBox does?

Okay I'm confused here, I know what DRM is. They've changed it is all, that doesn't make me wrong about DRM considering they haven't changed the DRM on the older games, so what's to miss about this? The reasons I do not like it is because it limits the installs I have on a game, I have games that are 12 years old that I still play.

Now if you had said that from the beginning, that would be valid. Except that has nothing to do with Bioshock 2. The limits in Bioshock 2 only apply to online multiplayer, which won't work anyway if the Windows Live service (which is who you'd contact if you ran out of installs) is closed.

Yeah, have fun not playing Bioshock 2.