Chewing Through The Leather Straps
Thanks to SlickDeals.net, I found that Amazon had the download of Bioshock 1&2 for $7.50 (that's for the pair, nice). I loved BS1 and never played BS2, so figured this was a good time to snag them. As it was my day off, i got the downloads going and installed.
Here, the story falls apart.
Install BS1. Go to fire it up, it takes a very long time to boot and then the menu screen has no mouse response. Needless to say, this annoys me. Screw around with everything I can think of, find, and look up, nothing. Decide I'll get 2 downloaded and installed and deal with it all at once. 2 downloads...and then the installer fails. OK, now I'm really mad. Go to reboot...and find that the downloader for 1 is still in the background, somewhere. Hmm...get that cleared, BS1 works fine. OK, victory one.
So, to work on 2. Nothing makes this run...until I ignore what it's trying to fire up and fire up a different file in the folder...installs fine. Eh? Well, no complaints. OK, now the REALLY fun part, the DRM bullshit. This is 2KGames, so that means SecureROM...*sigh* OK, OK, gimme...yes, here's my serial number, connect to your goddamn server and allow me to play the thing I've legally bought. All things check out, game should be activated...failed? Why? No god-damned reason. try again...and again. nothing. Manually? OK, i have all the numbers. Go to the proper site, put it all in, get the unlock code, apply to install...nothing AGAIN. Ready to go set 2KGames on fire, i try the auto-activate...and it works.
My head hurts, I'm hot and uncomfortable, and somewhat unhappy in general and what not....and then this. I'm glad it all works now, and I look forward to playing (hopefully), but man, this is just bullshit. These companies need to figure out that one reason people pirate software is due to these heavy-handed security measures. When you treat your customers like you're doing them a favor and like they are a bunch of scum, it only promotes the piracy. Look at DVD piracy: would you rather pop in the movie and have it start at the click of your button, or the "legal copy" way of having to sit through the FBI and InterPol warnings, the overdone animated menu, the ad for BluRay, a commercial, some trailers, and then all the logos for the production house, the distribution house, Dolby, etc.? Same with games. We'd rather be able to PLAY THE FUCKING THING than have to jump through a bunch of hoops...and the only ones that do have to go through this shit are the ones who bought it legally.
Make it worthwhile (and not overpriced!), and people will buy it. Pirates will always exist...and your security measures only make them more likely to stay in business.
(In unrelated news, while I cannot talk about the Secret World beta, I can say that I have now managed to get my guy through the first 'dungeon' instance. Tough but doable with a good team, and gorgeous.)
Here, the story falls apart.
Install BS1. Go to fire it up, it takes a very long time to boot and then the menu screen has no mouse response. Needless to say, this annoys me. Screw around with everything I can think of, find, and look up, nothing. Decide I'll get 2 downloaded and installed and deal with it all at once. 2 downloads...and then the installer fails. OK, now I'm really mad. Go to reboot...and find that the downloader for 1 is still in the background, somewhere. Hmm...get that cleared, BS1 works fine. OK, victory one.
So, to work on 2. Nothing makes this run...until I ignore what it's trying to fire up and fire up a different file in the folder...installs fine. Eh? Well, no complaints. OK, now the REALLY fun part, the DRM bullshit. This is 2KGames, so that means SecureROM...*sigh* OK, OK, gimme...yes, here's my serial number, connect to your goddamn server and allow me to play the thing I've legally bought. All things check out, game should be activated...failed? Why? No god-damned reason. try again...and again. nothing. Manually? OK, i have all the numbers. Go to the proper site, put it all in, get the unlock code, apply to install...nothing AGAIN. Ready to go set 2KGames on fire, i try the auto-activate...and it works.
My head hurts, I'm hot and uncomfortable, and somewhat unhappy in general and what not....and then this. I'm glad it all works now, and I look forward to playing (hopefully), but man, this is just bullshit. These companies need to figure out that one reason people pirate software is due to these heavy-handed security measures. When you treat your customers like you're doing them a favor and like they are a bunch of scum, it only promotes the piracy. Look at DVD piracy: would you rather pop in the movie and have it start at the click of your button, or the "legal copy" way of having to sit through the FBI and InterPol warnings, the overdone animated menu, the ad for BluRay, a commercial, some trailers, and then all the logos for the production house, the distribution house, Dolby, etc.? Same with games. We'd rather be able to PLAY THE FUCKING THING than have to jump through a bunch of hoops...and the only ones that do have to go through this shit are the ones who bought it legally.
Make it worthwhile (and not overpriced!), and people will buy it. Pirates will always exist...and your security measures only make them more likely to stay in business.
(In unrelated news, while I cannot talk about the Secret World beta, I can say that I have now managed to get my guy through the first 'dungeon' instance. Tough but doable with a good team, and gorgeous.)