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2K splices DRM out of BioShock photo

As you BioShock PC owners have probably long since been aware, both the retail and Steam versions of the game came bundled with some pain-in-the-ass DRM. While 2K was quick to increase the install limits after receiving bags of consumer hate mail, one had to wonder why they didn’t just do away with it altogether.

Although it’s taken a good ten months since release, 2K has finally realized that their copy protection really hasn’t been doing anything besides pissing people off.

“Good news! As promised, all activation restrictions, including install limits, have been removed from BioShock PC as of today,” 2K Community Manager Elizabeth Tobey announced in the company’s official forums. “You don’t have to patch or install anything for this to go into effect for your copy of BioShock – it’s already done!”

In a world where facepalm-inducing DRM is introduced all the time, it’s certainly good to see some of it getting the ax. Still, I have to wonder why it took 2K almost an entire year to figure out that including intrusive DRM is a terrible idea. Did they not want to admit that they were wrong? Did they think that everyone that was going to pirate the game already has? Were they just being stubborn/dense? (Probably that last one.)

[Via Kotaku – Thanks, Joe!]


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22 comments | showing # 1 to 22

eternalplayer2345's Avatar
eternalplayer2345 at 06/20/2008 20:17
I saw splice and thought Batman Beyond, how in the world did that happen?
brainderailment's Avatar
brainderailment at 06/20/2008 20:21
Truly all it was doing was pissing off people. Because anyone could torrent the game even with DRM. I'm all for keeping pirates away, but don't give the paying customers more hassle than the non-paying leeches get.
Cheeburga's Avatar
Cheeburga at 06/20/2008 20:38
Yay
boylie's Avatar
boylie at 06/20/2008 20:51
I thought I remembered reading somewhere that they had only planned to keep the DRM in place temporarily right from the start. Something about keeping piracy down during it's initial launch. Thank god they finally got rid of it, but it makes you wonder if it was because they realized that DRM soul purpose is to piss off paying customers, or just because they had stuck to their plan of having it for so long and then removing it. If it's the latter, don't be surprised to find that they 'didn't learn their lesson', and future games still have it.
Mxyzptlk's Avatar
Mxyzptlk at 06/20/2008 20:59
Good. Now if every other PC publisher would do the same thing.
Ali D's Avatar
Ali D at 06/20/2008 21:31
Never bothered me; I got the 360 version.
Sharpless's Avatar
Sharpless at 06/20/2008 21:54
Actually, I heard that while they removed the install limit, there's still some DRM remaining within the game. Might not want to celebrate too quickly.
Fronz's Avatar
Fronz at 06/20/2008 22:02
This Just In: don't ever fuck with Justin, his brother will kill you.

Proof: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joey_Villasenor
Milkman519's Avatar
Milkman519 at 06/20/2008 22:05
Is it even worth taking off this late? Who needs to install the game on more than 5 systems anyway?
BlackSunEmpire's Avatar
BlackSunEmpire at 06/20/2008 22:15
DRM on PC has a long way to come, so far it seems to be along the same lines as that extra piece of plastic you filed off your snes to allow to import games.

Install limiting does nothing but limit paying customers, I'm over supporting any company that feels the need to do this.
Justin Villasenor's Avatar
Justin Villasenor at 06/20/2008 22:21
@ Fronz

I actually have a cousin named Joey, but seeing as he's only six I don't think it's the same guy. :)
MrFrunkus's Avatar
MrFrunkus at 06/20/2008 22:47
I worry for spore...I genuinly want it...but...if Mass Effect is any sign....then I will not be buying spore
mistic's Avatar
mistic at 06/20/2008 23:49
Wow a company listened to us? is hell freezing over?
JonDarkwood's Avatar
JonDarkwood at 06/21/2008 00:15
DRM on PC games sounds like something that would come out of some kind of board meeting as a suggestion by people who don't actually know anything about games. I imagine the discussion ending along the lines of, "Well, just try it anyway, if it doesn't work we can take it out later."

I can't imagine game developers really wanting to waste their precious time developing effective DRM.
kratosmaster's Avatar
kratosmaster at 06/21/2008 00:20
Crazy idea moment: maybe they had a built in timer so that it would stop working at this specific day and time? That was my immediate thought and reaction, anyways.
The Bez's Avatar
The Bez at 06/21/2008 02:55
Snake = Fontaine
Perry Simm's Avatar
Perry Simm at 06/21/2008 03:46
Yeah, they had planned that from the beginning. They didn't realize anything. Anyway, it's a good thing that I don't need to worry if I want to install the game in ten years.
wardrox's Avatar
wardrox at 06/21/2008 06:25
They still have a lot of DRM, only now it's more relaxed, which is what they had originally said they were going to do. Once they have sold billions of copies, they worry a little less about piracy.
Timmeh's Avatar
Timmeh at 06/21/2008 07:02
The thing is, if this doesn't require patching, all they've done is remove the checks in place when their server is contacted. That means you'll still end up with a useless game if it gets switched off.

Removing DRM after a period of time isn't that unusual either, ti doesn't mean anyone 'listened' really. If these companies listened, they'd stop putting the shit on discs in the first place. Can anyone honestly name me a game that wasn't cracked either prior or within a month of release? Didn't think so.
Capn Birdseye's Avatar
Capn Birdseye at 06/21/2008 17:57
As some people mentioned, it was meant to be temporary from the start. I guess it costs money to maintain the verification infrastructure needed to enforce the DRM, so they put a time limit of a year on it, which ensures that after everyone has played it and the hype has worn off, they can just cut it out to save costs.

Don't kid yourself that they did this because it was pissing gamers off or that they actually care about what you think, there is too much money in this for them to listen to us consumers.

As much as people post that they aren't going to buy something thats DRMed up to the hilt, realistically if you want the game, you aren't going to let some DRM get in the way, and we all know it.
Pixelated's Avatar
Pixelated at 06/22/2008 21:31
Timmeh, There were a couple of StarForce games from Ubisoft, Tom Clancy Rainbow Six Vegas I think was one. It took just over nine months to crack. It gave pirate group RELOADED enough of a problem that they had to develop their own tools to remove it. Which pissed them off enough to promptly release them to the Warez community for future titles.
meronkun's Avatar
meronkun at 06/23/2008 06:41
Hey, I actually think that's not a bad compromise --
DRM in place for about three months - six months,
DRM guaranteed to be turned off the release phase.
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