News BioShock DRM removed

http://www.bit-tech.net/news/2008/06/20/bioshock-drm-removed/1

2K Games has just announced that the SecuROM anti-pirate software included in BioShock has now been completely removed.

 

Never noticed it in the first place.

 

Me either, and I installed at least a dozen times across at least four machines using plain old retail code.

 

now i may ponder on buying it....

 

The game wouldn't run at all for me (because it didn't like my key when connecting to the internet) so I called the store, made a big fuss about it, and returned it. Now there's GRID. Likewise, the problem with "creating a big sales spike" is that not everyone can afford one game after another. Some of us bought GRID or other games recently in general and can't buy another game for quite some time, because of limited income.

 

Hopefully EA will follow suit

 

What, and wait a year?

 

It still needs to phone home though, right, as that is the way it's coded onto the discs. So, no, I still won't buy a copy. I can just put up with Activation on an OS, as I use it all the time. For a game, though? A game is optional. I don't need a game.

 

Played the demo... not a huge fan anyway.

Art Deco makes me sick.

 

So does this mean that the SecuROM software was downloaded as part of activation or will it still be installed (but left dormant)? If it's still on the installation DVD that'd probably be enough to keep me away still..

 

in fact (from the 2K forums): 'SecuROM has not been removed -- just the activation limits on number of installs and number of computers you can install BioShock on simultaneously.' - so it still installs itself on your system? I think that's still enough to keep me away for the time being...

 

Good point. I don't know which people can afford to buy every game that comes along, but some of us have to ration ourselves.

 

Nice to see the DRM gone. I won't be buying it, though, because the game bored the tits off me (I had to do a lot of work to get those back..).

 

Maybe the one on Bioshock is annoying but at least SecuROM answers lightning fast to emails. I had a copy protection problem on the TRIAL edition of Spore creature editor, and sent them an email with their diagnosis file, i got replied to within the day. And they solved the problem : i cant now play it ! (process explorer was conflicting with it, I don't know why, but killing procexp.exe did the trick)

 

Error code 5024, yeah its something to do with the latest securom, Bioshock and Spore Creature Creator both hate procexp and if you have the audacity to run it at ANY point before playing the game it will demand that you reboot before you play.

 

Because despite Process Explorer being a legit tool from Microsoft, most of the DRM systems think it's a tool for reverse engineering in an attempt to avoid DRM.

 

that seems like a fair business plan to me actually. have security and limited installs for a limited time, a 2/3 year period or something like that. this is when piracy is at it's most rampant, then when sales drop off then you can remove the security. most users will only need to install the game twice or thrice during the lifespan of the game anyhow (though obviously reviewers like bit-etch might do so a few more times)

 

Greetings!

Bioshock was cracked in under a week, Mass Effect was cracked in under a week, [insert game title] was cracked in under a week...

Securom does not prevent pirates/freeloaders from playing the game, the only ones affected by it are the legit buyers.

Now it got to Alone in the Dark. The infection is spreading...

 

Too late, allready pirate(d) it. Baught Mass Effect over weekend, brilliant game!

 

Although I may add, Mass Effect has the same DRM on it?