BioShock PC launch short-circuits

2K servers go down, preventing PC players from completing installation process for single-player, offline game.

PC owners trying to install their brand-new copy of BioShock have had a rough time of late, with several users reporting that 2K Game's patch servers were down for some hours today.

Installing BioShock on a PC requires a user's computer to connect to 2K's auto-patch servers before the game can be played, something made impossible for some time today when the 2K servers crashed. 2K's own forums were alight with disgruntled BioShock buyers who were prevented from playing the game due to the required connection. As of publication time, 2K's official Web site was timing out, as was the BioShock Cult of Rapture site.

A 2K Games Australia spokesperson said 2K technicians were working on the issue, and had already added additional servers to help cope with the influx of traffic.

526 Comments

  • spiny

    Posted Aug 24, 2007 8:59 am PT

    If you're going to require online registration, then you have to be prepared for 100% online availability. If you're going to require the CD in the drive to play, then you have to be prepared to give me a new CD if the one I currently have breaks or gets lost.

    Otherwise, steal away my droogs. Im tired of companies putting the burden of fighting piracy on legitimate consumers.

  • mtron32

    Posted Aug 24, 2007 8:47 am PT

    "Sorry for the flame. I was once like you, but wised up. I decided years ago, back when I spent $350 dollars for a new graphic card just so I could play C & C: Generals, that I would never again spend more money on my rig to play games. Besides, the money I saved on upgrading left more to actually buy GAMES. Sure, PC's outgun consoles because of versatility (mouse/keyboard combo, forward compatibility, etc.), but simply can't beat consoles for gaming functionality (all console players can play the same game, PC gamers cannot say the same). As such, their role as gaming systems is quickly being out paced by consoles. Also, I don't need to look at specs on the box to see if I can play a game. "

    I will have to agree with you, PC's are a very expensive hobby for gaming. I upgrade every 3 years and it costs around 500 to do so. I work as an animator so in addition to my work, I also have the added bonus of being able to play the latest games. I prefer KBAM for my shooters, but I also have a console for all the other stuff that comes out. The thing that most console gamers need to reallize is that you really should have BOTH. Why shoot yourself in the foot by ONLY playing your console?

    As for the console to PC ports, I don't get it. I loved Gears of War, but it's a console game. Its slow just like Halo was, and absolutely sucks with a KBAM settup. I think console games need to remain on the consoles they were calibrated for. I'll stick to UT3 and Crysis.

  • foxhound_fox

    Posted Aug 24, 2007 8:43 am PT

    Marvelii & Cork2: too bad the consoles are trying to be more like PC's this generation instead of consoles. Compared to PC's the only thing consoles have going for them is the "ease-of-use" factor. It makes playing games simpler for those who do not have the patience or desire to set up their own hardware and troubleshoot their own problems. One of the major problems is, consoles are now starting to suffer from the same problems as PC. Hardware failure, firmware update issues, patching, etc.

    Console gaming is dying and being replaced with a pseudo-PC styIe of gaming.

  • Marvelii

    Posted Aug 24, 2007 8:39 am PT

    Chernnunos, were you being sarcastic when you posted "Consoles are a joke?". Game consoles are made to play games period. Game consoles dont need to have word, web browsers, etc. they are there to play games nothing else.

  • Cork2

    Posted Aug 24, 2007 8:38 am PT

    Chernnunos what are you blabering about of course consoles can't do that stuff they are made for games. and for gameing the consoles are jsut as good as a pc if not better.

  • foxhound_fox

    Posted Aug 24, 2007 8:33 am PT

    Copy protection. Making the lives of legal owners worse and worse. Doing nothing to stop piracy.

  • Chernnunos

    Posted Aug 24, 2007 8:33 am PT

    Shaner258 "Yeah, I just checked it, Oblivion was not on the PC first."

    Maybe so....but they used a PC to create it

  • Chernnunos

    Posted Aug 24, 2007 8:26 am PT

    Consoles are a joke. You can't design a web page on them. You can't edit or synthesis music on them. You can't do your homework on it and print it out afterwards. You can't browse the internet and see every webpage out there as it's meant to be seen with all plugins enabled. You can't create/edit/patch video files with them. You can't open one up and put a new, better, faster video card or sound card or hard drive into it. You can't add ANOTHER video card into it to make it run better. You can't overclock the video cards. You can't completely change the appearance of the console and how it runs. You can't take parts out of an old console and put them into a new one to save money. For your $400 Xbox you can play games and a few other bells and whistles. For my $2000 computer, I can play MORE games than you can, customize them with mods, and do every single thing I listed above that you can't. You got what you paid for. So stop saying it's the EQUAL of a PC. It isn't even close.

  • matthewjackman

    Posted Aug 24, 2007 8:19 am PT

    Just wanted to say I got the disc version in the UK and everything is working fine on vista =)

  • Shaner258

    Posted Aug 24, 2007 8:14 am PT

    Yeah, I just checked it, Oblivion was not on the PC first.

    Plus, the 360 game got a better score. Same with Rainbow 6 vegas.

    So you are WRONG, so your argument has no standing at all.

  • Shaner258

    Posted Aug 24, 2007 8:12 am PT

    Ballasteve, Oblivion was not on 360 first, or at least not for a good time.

  • Srinivassa

    Posted Aug 24, 2007 8:11 am PT

    I hate this trend. Steam is a pile of steaming **** for this exact reason. I have a completely offline game, but I can't play it without being connected to Steam. I guess BioShock is the same way. Why do devs do this? Why do they place this UNNECESSARY burden on PC gamers? The game could run fine without any internet connection whatsoever. I HATE this tactic to get more people to use the dev/pub on-line service (which is usually completely useless).

    Even iTunes hacks me off. I'd rather have a 3rd party mp3 player that doesn't REQUIRE iTunes for no reason other than forcing people to use Apple's on-line service.

    I don't suppose my complaining will do any good though. The more devs/pubs can force you to use their software, the better off they are. Bottom line: We don't care if we annoy you and inconvenience you, as long as it makes us more money.

  • DFTricks

    Posted Aug 24, 2007 8:08 am PT

    That got to s*ck4them :S and i was thinking of buying... :/

  • Seth_GRAVIJAH

    Posted Aug 24, 2007 8:06 am PT

    Ahah very brillant... according to the fact that such protection doesn't stop crackers but prevents people like me (with internet only at office) to buy the game... Yeah, brilliant is the keyword.
    Thinking how much I was looking forward the release of the game (29th august in france) I feel really angry to be forced to leave. I won't pay 60 euros for a game that won't launch. And don't tell me to bring my computer at office, my boss should not appreciate ! >

  • ballasteve

    Posted Aug 24, 2007 8:05 am PT

    ""BTW, with a $2000 computer, I can run pretty much any game that any console can run at the same graphical settings."

    Hmm, I can run pretty much any game that any console can run at the same graphical settings too, on my um, $400 xbox.""
    loooooll if you get a 2000 dollar computer, itll have dx10, which is actually graphically superior to consoles.

    ""PC's also advance gaming technology, which is passed on to consoles"

    Hmm, Gears of War, Oblivion, GRAW..."
    you forget, oblivion was on the PC FIRST so your argument has next to no standing.

    ""Sure, all your games may run just fine, but PC games will always have the new OMGWTF graphics that consoles just can't handle cough*Crysis*cough*"

    Really, cough*Oblivion, Half-Life 2, Bio-Shock, F.E.A.R, Rainbow-Six*cough. You're right, consoles simply can't handle PC games "
    again, all the games you mentioned (minus bioshock) were on pc for a good period of time before being ported to consoles. therefore, again your argument holds no standings.

  • boneass

    Posted Aug 24, 2007 8:03 am PT

    I am sorry to go off topic, but I simply need to state otherwise.

    *Applauding*, you state your case well. And yea, you indicate that Consoles are head to head with the PC's? As Sony has stated, they want PS3 to last for 5-7 years minimum, therefore the high prices.

    They might last that long, however gaming industry technology evolves so fast that in 3 years, the games for the PC are going to out-perform the consoles by a scale factor of 1 to 5. With more core technology getting better and better for the PC and Nvidia currently working on a GFX that can outperform a 8800GTX 640 Mb RAM by 4 times, at an affordable price (or so they say), consoles will be outdated in about 2-3 years.

    Oblivion runs smoothly on your xbox360 ? I wanna see that before I believe it, with smooth loadings and all? It does on my PC.

    The same goes for FEAR which I bought, what, 1½ years ago? Which ran with a 7800GT smootly, and I now have a 8800GTS?

    CD-keys? Show me a console that supports such a wide array of internet browsers/services, and I'll tell you that they wouldn't be necessary if the Torrents didn't exist.

    As for the gaming exprience itself I will have to agree, that I prefer sitting with a Controller in front of a 40" tv.. Can't argue with that

  • jberner

    Posted Aug 24, 2007 7:43 am PT

    Regarding Bioshock, PC developers need to stop treating their customers like criminals. Console gamers don't have to deal with this. It really is a shame.

    The following is a little off topic but...

    Responses to Pooey_Mess post:

    "BTW, with a $2000 computer, I can run pretty much any game that any console can run at the same graphical settings."

    Hmm, I can run pretty much any game that any console can run at the same graphical settings too, on my um, $400 xbox.

    "On top of that, I don't throw away my PC after 4 years because better stuff comes out."

    Still playing Dreamcast, 'nuff said.

    "Sure, all your games may run just fine, but PC games will always have the new OMGWTF graphics that consoles just can't handle cough*Crysis*cough*"

    Really, cough*Oblivion, Half-Life 2, Bio-Shock, F.E.A.R, Rainbow-Six*cough. You're right, consoles simply can't handle PC games

    "Old PC's are actually useful long after their gaming days."

    Old consoles make excellent paper weights (see original xbox)

    "And have you ever thought that people are buying less PC games because they're playing older ones more consistently?"

    You're delusional. True, certain games have awesome staying power on PC (MMORPG in particular), but developers simply aren't producing as much for PC as they were, say 10 or even 5 years ago. Back then, revolutionary games were PC developed because consoles couldn't touch PC's. Today though, most of the groundbreaking (and popular) stuff is being developed for consoles and later ported to PC's (Halo 2 and 3, Gears of War, all the GTA's, etc)!! Want proof? Go into any major gaming retailer and tell me the PC section doesn't look like a diseased bastard step-child.

    "CD keys"

    My console don't need no stinking CD keys.

    "PC's also advance gaming technology, which is passed on to consoles"

    Hmm, Gears of War, Oblivion, GRAW...

    "In my opinion, a console is more likely to disappear because they're entirely dependent on its parent company. If Microsoft goes down..."

    Sorry, had to stop that quote right there. Microsoft go down? Are you mental? Did someone forget to take their meds this morning?

    Sorry for the flame. I was once like you, but wised up. I decided years ago, back when I spent $350 dollars for a new graphic card just so I could play C & C: Generals, that I would never again spend more money on my rig to play games. Besides, the money I saved on upgrading left more to actually buy GAMES. Sure, PC's outgun consoles because of versatility (mouse/keyboard combo, forward compatibility, etc.), but simply can't beat consoles for gaming functionality (all console players can play the same game, PC gamers cannot say the same). As such, their role as gaming systems is quickly being out paced by consoles. Also, I don't need to look at specs on the box to see if I can play a game.

    My 2 cents.

  • LikwidX3

    Posted Aug 24, 2007 7:25 am PT

    "kaziechameleon

    i love it i see people saying calm down, servres crash all the time, or it rocks to play console, no problems, i say BS"

    i completely agree with everything u just said, single player games shouldnt require online connectivity, i mean can they imagine how p/o'ed i was when my internet was out and i was lookin for a good game (HL2) to play? theres even steam offline mode, but whats the use if i cant play my crap offline? and yes, pc prevails

  • kaziechameleon

    Posted Aug 24, 2007 7:23 am PT

    i love it i'm still reading how people argue, i can buy a console and know that the games will work, sorry have you played DBZBT2 on the wii, that game chugs in the multiplayer department, guess i'll add more ram, oh wiat i can't. or how about the fact that GOW split screen has barely functioning audio, wiat they haven't patched that crap. what about the dip in framerates i get with GOW can't upgrade. how about the fact that GRAW just plian sucked, bad visuals, mising animations, brocken AI, Glichy/broken helicopter boss battle(most overrated F@#$ing game). how about how many console games now are patched out of the box. yeah the console standard is going down hill. don't talk smack to PC's. i still see AAA titles that don't run right on my "reliable" console.

  • umbaquaw

    Posted Aug 24, 2007 7:20 am PT

    Just watch... thousands of pissed off gamers are going to go run to Bioshock's PC page on Gamespot and rate it a 1... Just wait, then they'll attack the 360 version since they can play it and they can't :/

  • kaziechameleon

    Posted Aug 24, 2007 7:13 am PT

    i love it i see people saying calm down, servres crash all the time, or it rocks to play console, no problems, i say BS to both those responses, first, this is a single player game why the $%#@ should it have to go online at all. i don't have internet half the year or more somtimes and i still want to be able to play my single player games. this is bull if you buy it in a store HL2 or bioshock they should play offline out of the box fine. multiplayer games should assume a online connection but single player games shouldn't. that's that. as for consoles, ha. so your average game is a few grades lower in quality(and it is i play pc 306 and Wii) halo and halo2 can't scratch the quality that was built around HL2 with CSsource and DOD source and soon TF2 and portal. let alone look at farcry for pc and crysis to see who's shooters blow you out of the water. online pc wins everytime. but still several games have launched with neccessary patches, for your beloved system, every multiplayer game has had a huge patch look at chrome hounds, and several singleplayer games have been revised, like GOW. oh and GOW split screen COOp still buggy as all get out so no high and mighty consoles rock. onthat note if you've playe bioshock it will melt your face it's that awsome. can't wiat to see how Metriod 3 does next to this.

  • Chernnunos

    Posted Aug 24, 2007 7:04 am PT

    @jim0n You're right, whining and pitching an overdramatic fit IS your right as a consumer, and it's our right as consumers to call you out on it. I've had no trouble with this game. None. So, it's my right as a consumer to talk about how GREAT this game is and argue with your complaint. Having a game that patches ITSELF is a huge bonus. a huge plus. I used to play games when there was no such thing as the internet that automatically fixed a game. You got what you got when you bought it. There is no possible way ANY Piece of software can be designed that works 100% of the time on 100% of the machines out there...and the autopatches save you time and effort doing it all yourself so that you can play quicker. EVERY company is going to make mistakes. You are a human. You make mistakes. Do you have an angry, overly dramatic and irrational "critic" hanging onto your back to cry about it over and over when you do?

  • jim0n

    Posted Aug 24, 2007 6:57 am PT

    @shinobukaizoku,

    I disagree. It's inconvenient enough that people have to connect to the autopatch servers before they can play; they now have to wait until they fix the server crash too. It wouldn't be a big deal if it was just a minor patch, but this is a pretty game-stopping(before it even started) matter.

    It seems like you're saying that people should just keep quiet and wait it out. Would you be silent if you bought a game and it ends up totally unplayable until they fix it a couple days later(oops, we forgot to type in the 'execute' code?)? I wouldn't, and that's the case here. When I buy a game, I want it to be playable as soon as I get home and finish installing it. Otherwise it's still an unfinished product. I will b**ch and moan, and that's my right as a consumer.

    And like GreenMan said, if you're gonna force people to connect to your servers, you'd better be able to handle the people(that you are forcing to connect to your servers).

  • Chernnunos

    Posted Aug 24, 2007 6:56 am PT

    I've had no trouble with this game.

    I am en"Raputred" By it. Completely. I love it. Alot. Stop whining. Be patient. Go outside or play another game for like, 30 minutes, if the server is down. Servers are down on every other game at certain points across the board. Deal with it. jfc.

  • DryvBy2

    Posted Aug 24, 2007 6:50 am PT

    Bunch of idiots. Look, if hackers will easily be able to bypass this and crack the game, so what the heck is the point of making it difficult to play a game people bought? Not everyone has access to internet unless it's AOL (I do but I know a lot of people in the outskirts of city that can't get online that play games). Quit trying to prevent something that will always be around.

  • zeus_gb

    Posted Aug 24, 2007 6:46 am PT

    2K Games: Oops, we really didn't think this through fully did we?

    Everybody who has purchased the game: Yeah no kidding!

  • GreenMan

    Posted Aug 24, 2007 6:24 am PT

    Yet another company underestimates release-day demands on their servers. If you're going to force players to connect to a server to play, you better be damn sure they won't be overloaded.

    Incidently, the authentication process means a game can only be registered twice AT THE SAME TIME. If you uninstall one version you can then install it on another machine. No idea what happens if you get a virus and the game is wiped without uninstalling first though...

  • 1337pwnage

    Posted Aug 24, 2007 6:20 am PT

    I just want to tell all you 360 fanboys talking smack about PC games to shut up. I can tell you fanboys that because I game on PC and 360, and you should realize that many of your great 360 game originated on the PC.

  • Da1ShrpSh0trGrl

    Posted Aug 24, 2007 6:00 am PT

    That's the good about having a console on the side.

  • shalashaska88

    Posted Aug 24, 2007 5:41 am PT

    shinobukaizoku

    People are excited to play this game so its normal that we complain when this kinda thing happened. We dont care abt u working in servers or how good you are at it or watever. Just shut up.

  • Dust24311

    Posted Aug 24, 2007 5:41 am PT

    Look at all the x360 fanboys making fun of PC gamers.... shouldn't you be making fun of 2KGames instead of innocent gamers!?!?

  • STARS_Splinter

    Posted Aug 24, 2007 5:31 am PT

    Wow, glad I avoided the PC version. I mean, my run-of-the-mill PC could barely run the demo anyway, but I do think its rather sucky to force a buyer to then register their software online. And as for the reducing piracy theory, give it a week. I'm sure you'll see perfeclty working hacks on usenet and suchlike by then, if they aren't there already.

    As for the PC / Console gaming debate, for me it all comes down to one thing: Money. I can spend £300 to get a brand new console (well, unless its a PS3) and a game or two. I can then buy any game I like and know it'll run perfectly until, as pooey_mess correctly says, the next console comes out in 4-5 years time for another £300-£400.

    Meanwhile, I could take my fairly average PC which cost £600 and run some games on it ok, others at ropey framerates. I could then upgrade said PC to have a new graphics card for another £100 or so for something decent. And whoa! Hold on a minute. I've spent more on it already than I have on two games consoles, and I haven't even bought a game yet! And the games dont even run as well, since mine isn't top spec! WTF?

    Of course, if you can afford it, the PC is the best way to go. if dropping £2000 on a gaming rig is nothing to you, then thats just great. You'll get some amazing stuff out of it. If, however, money *is* an object- and lets face it, it is for most of us- the consoles represent a much better choice for gaming and entertainment, IMHO.

    And lets not get started on the "but you can't word process on a console" debate. Yes, I KNOW you can't. But you can pick up any old piece of crap 2nd hand PC for £50 for that.

  • football_legend

    Posted Aug 24, 2007 5:28 am PT

    Feel bad for PC users.

  • zer0ne

    Posted Aug 24, 2007 4:55 am PT

    Wat a bummer! Luckily I decided not to buy the PC edition due to rumour that BioShock would be release on the PS3 platform. Its crap to be unable to play an offline game without an internet connection. Its similiar to Half Life 2 when I finish installing that game. It would not let me play without internet connection establish on my PC 1st as the Steam software installed before the game prevented it. Until now after played that game twice, I never touch it ever again. Ever since I change to my new PC and new OS, I have forgotten my access ID and password for my Steam account that I have created when I install the game. Wat a waste of money.

  • Makhdoom82

    Posted Aug 24, 2007 4:47 am PT

    One thing is for sure that if we all love Bioshock we would hate it even more if the people behind it does that kind of things to the buyers !!!! So better see our loving side 2K !!!

  • 2p4eva

    Posted Aug 24, 2007 4:40 am PT

    To be honest i think its incredibly stupid that you need an internet connection for a game that is completely online. Before people say it is necessary, how about oblivion? that only had a cd check and it was selling great, piracy hardly hurt its sales. A good game will sell regardless.

  • SunnySimantov

    Posted Aug 24, 2007 3:47 am PT

    There are ways to get over it, you know!

  • zombie_hellspaw

    Posted Aug 24, 2007 3:22 am PT

    hmmm, steam version is looking alot more tempting is the box version has install limits

  • pete_merlin

    Posted Aug 24, 2007 3:12 am PT

    haha how bad for them lol

  • shandrill

    Posted Aug 24, 2007 2:57 am PT

    Well, there goes me buying the game, t'was to be my first FpS after loving to demo to death!. There is no way I am forking out $80 for a game I can only install twice or only on two different pc's, gosh in the last year I have almost built this PC 3 times! what about replay value? I also have one pc optimized for the net and one for gaming, so are they demanding that I mess around networking my gaming pc which means bringing it into another room, and take it back again? I am sure that like me, many other people are going pass on buying this one and wait for something that is installable without the crap.
    On the subject of piracy, people will buy a game that is good, simple. I myself will heartily confess to dling a cracked copy of a game, playing it, loving it and buying it and all of its expansions. I would never have seen how great the game was otherwise as there was no demo and I am so dam tired of spending the equivalent of a days work on a game and getting some crap that wont install with the developer's saying 'well fix it in the next patch!! Of course said patch will only arrive if enough people have bought the game in the first place to make it worthwhile. It is not like we can take it back for a refund. If game sellers sell a defective game/ product they get paid anyway. I can think of no other industry where they can get away with that beside undies lol. Just asking for piracy I think.

  • CrispyLog

    Posted Aug 24, 2007 2:45 am PT

    Zero9167
    Yeh, welcome to 2004 and Half-Life 2.

  • MKOwnzU

    Posted Aug 24, 2007 2:26 am PT

    perfectly worded, i totally agree

  • kingdeath08

    Posted Aug 24, 2007 2:06 am PT

    wow.. i dont know why i bother reading these, your all stupid... 1 mess up on 1 game and its the end of pc gaming. a patch server has nothing to do with copyrights.

    and if pc's didnt have cd keys and registration piracy would be so easy. with no required keys you could install a game on every computer with 1 cd. personally i have no problem with pc gaming right now. never had a problem, and most likely will.. and when it does happen i dont go **** just learn to live with it, **** happens. thats life.

  • F4ll3n_1

    Posted Aug 24, 2007 1:55 am PT

    Meep, again, I agree. PC Gaming is becoming more annoying by the month due to registrations/copy protections etc. But I think in this case, its just the patch servers i.e. to get a patch/update.

  • zero9167

    Posted Aug 24, 2007 1:49 am PT

    you have to have an internet connection to play a completely offline game?

  • Doolum

    Posted Aug 24, 2007 1:43 am PT

    i could agree no less with you Meep

  • Dshenlong

    Posted Aug 24, 2007 1:42 am PT

    this game is awesome...Ive been playing the 360 version since yesterday....Im hoping System Shock 3 is alot like this.

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