Bioshock - SEE STICKIED THREADS.

[hal]

Change your clock!!

[schild]

Didn't work. Next.

[schild]

I am now disconnected from the net and reinstalling. The manual says net connection required.  I am not a happy camper.

[Miasma]

That's very interesting, I doubt it is the authentication servers because it would be unusual to have put that error message into a command prompt.

I would unplug from the net, uninstall the game, change the date to the 22nd, then reinstall the game.  If that doesn't work you're probably screwed.

[schild]

you get that error when you run the game the first time. the shortcut to the exe had no picture. maybe you download the exe?

[Big Gulp]

Anyone have any ideas how to beat this?

Maybe unplug from the net?

[schild]

No dice guys. It needs to connect to the autopatcher to finish the install. Only other option is to install, load the autopatcher, and then unplug. But that's sooooooooooooooooooooooooooo not likely.

This is some bullshit from 2k. I mean I could go pick up the Xbox version and play RIGHT NOW. I'm very tempted to rant about this second-rate citizen bullshit.

[caladein]

No dice guys. It needs to connect to the autopatcher to finish the install. Only other option is to install, load the autopatcher, and then unplug. But that's sooooooooooooooooooooooooooo not likely.

That trick would only work if you can trick the patcher into thinking the auth server is down (unplugging mid-process usually does it), but then it'll just leave you up shit creek if there isn't an alternate auth method, but you'd need to get a crack/generator for that anyway! And I don't think they would offer one considering:

**Important Note: Game requires Internet connection for activation**

So yeah... today is a weird day. A very weird and frustrating day.

[schild]

[LK]

Has there been a release with more drama than this?

[schild]

No. But this is enough for me to send angry fucking letters. I literally pursued this so no one could spoil it for me. They're practically FORCING ME to buy the 360 version. You know damn well they could've kept people from playing that too.

Fuck.

[Trippy]

I people wonder why I hate Steam with a passion.

[Signe]

I You Me Too!

[NiX]

I YOU ME TOO!

Steam isn't this bad. Was, but isn't now.

[Fabricated]

Supposedly the online authentication is only done once. Anti-Piracy measures are so stupid anymore. Way to harass people who actually buy your shit. Like this won't be cracked within a week tops.

[Bstaz]

Did you poke around the install directory?  A lot of these games that auto update and patch usually have more then one exe.  One that starts up and patches then it passes off to the second exe to run the game.  Long shot but eh..

[bhodi]

I'd just like to pop in and say fuck steam. That's all.

[Calantus]

I'm seriously going to choke a bitch if I don't get paid very very soon. I could stand not buying anything non-essential for 2 months but if this hits and I STILL don't have enough money to spend some on recreation someone is going to DIE.

[Signe]

I'm seriously going to choke a bitch if I don't get paid very very soon. I could stand not buying anything non-essential for 2 months but if this hits and I STILL don't have enough money to spend some on recreation someone is going to DIE.

Calm down, my small Asian screaming girl.  I have said a prayer for your wallet.  I expect your right palm to start itching soon.

[UnSub]

Someone must have hacked this feature by now. Or let go a reviewer copy patch or something.

Also, the thread title needs to be changed to "Bioshock - IF YOU'VE GOT IT, YOU CAN'T PLAY IT".

[Tebonas]

Explain to me why you are mad at 2k. Didn't the vendor of your choice give you the game too soon? Shouldn't you be mad at THEM?

[schild]

Explain to me why you are mad at 2k. Didn't the vendor of your choice give you the game too soon? Shouldn't you be mad at THEM?

A street date is a contract between a vendor and a publisher. Not a publisher and a customer. Keeping me from playing the game is utter shite. I didn't sign anything that kept me to a release date. ANd it's not like it was a steam digital download.

[Tebonas]

Yeah, and the vendor broke that contract. Up to the street date you own an illegal copy. Illegality doesn't vanish with redistribution. If it did, money forging would be a blast.

You are not even an unfortunate victim because you brought this upon yourself by persuading the vendor to sell it to you. As a fellow gamer I feel for you, but as somebody who does software distributions on target dates all I can say is "What did you expect? Nobody pays the company to bring up the authentification server before the contractually agreed on date"

[schild]

Up to the street date you own an illegal copy.

Uh, ok, how's that work? You're telling me everyone who walked into TRU and bought one has an illegal copy. Something is telling me that is Bullshit.

[Tebonas]

You honestly tell me you never used a local program with authentification server based licenses? Once the license runs out that software is dead weight on your local machine until you renew the license, regardless of what you paid prior to that. Target date releases are a staple there as well. The new licence file on the server invalidates all old versions of the client, so you can only use the old clients up to the target date and the new one from then on. I wouldn't be entirely surprised if review copies stopped working on the 21st of August, though I guess that would be overkill for a game.

[schild]

So, are the Xbox 360 ones illegal?

[Velorath]

Up to the street date you own an illegal copy.

Uh, ok, how's that work? You're telling me everyone who walked into TRU and bought one has an illegal copy. Something is telling me that is Bullshit.

I wouldn't say that they're illegal copies.  I would say that anyone who walked into a TRU and bought a copy of Bioshock, knowing that it was breaking steet date, is a bit of a douche for potentially getting people in trouble who likely didn't know any better, all so they could play a video game a week early.

[Azazel]

I don't see why the employee would care, it's not like the loss of the sale comes out of his pocket but if he breaks the date there is a good chance he'll catch hell for it.  He's not going to stick his neck out for some stranger who wants the game *now*.  If you knew him really well you might get away with Schild's "get the disks and pay next week" thing though.

Exactly, he's not getting paid enough to care about your gamingness more than the few bucks he makes from his job. You got one now and you're waving it in his face? Good for you, 'cos he doesn't care.

Supposedly the online authentication is only done once. Anti-Piracy measures are so stupid anymore. Way to harass people who actually buy your shit. Like this won't be cracked within a week tops.

On the other hand, this kind of authentication bullshit tempts me to "aquire"a copy by more dubious means. Then install it, get it running. And then not play it. 

[Tebonas]

Illegal is maybe too harsh a word because it implies you doing something you could land before a judge for.

They are entirely in their right to make it work on the 21st of August and no second sooner. No customer enters a business contract with them (via buying a copy) before that date. Because the vendor didn't have the right to sell the copy before that.

[Ironwood]

HA HA.

Pride Goeth and whatnot.

[Ironwood]

So, are the Xbox 360 ones illegal?

Nah, we're saying that they don't have protection against it.  Different thing.


Look, I fully understand the inner child in everyone wanting and wanting NOW, but come on; Grow Up.

It's not available till the 21st.  It doesn't matter if it's on a disk, in a warehouse, in your back pocket or preinstalled on your machine.  It ain't ready till the 21st.

Fuck me, it's only a couple of days away.

And the Spoiler thing is PURE rationalisation.  Really.

[Azazel]

Look, I fully understand the inner child in everyone wanting and wanting NOW, but come on; Grow Up.

It's not available till the 21st.  It doesn't matter if it's on a disk, in a warehouse, in your back pocket or preinstalled on your machine.  It ain't ready till the 21st.

Fuck me, it's only a couple of days away.

And the Spoiler thing is PURE rationalisation.  Really.

I have no intention to buy it for probably a month at the very least, so it doesn't effect me, but I do think the way they've set up their street date protection is petty.

Hence my own spiteful comments about "aquiring" the softwarez. I do agree re: the "spoiler" thing though.

[Ironwood]

I really don't think you can ascribe 'petty' motives to a corporation in that manner.  There will be a WEALTH of internal reasons for setting a release date and STICKING TO IT.

Not least the authentication servers.

lolz.

[MrHat]

Hah. Made my officemate wonder why I was laughing.

Also, this game doesn't have Multi right?

[Riggswolfe]

I have no intention to buy it for probably a month at the very least, so it doesn't effect me, but I do think the way they've set up their street date protection is petty.

Hence my own spiteful comments about "aquiring" the softwarez. I do agree re: the "spoiler" thing though.

Petty? Yes, a company is holding a product back and keeping you from giving them money to be petty. Please.

If you don't understand the concept of a street date, do some research. The authentication servers aren't turned on because the company has no reason to expect people to be wanting to authenticate at this point.