Thu, Jan 21, 2010 | 22:32 GMT
BioShock 2 on PC has unlimited installs, but GFWL limits activations
Community manager Elizabeth Tobey has posted over on the official 2K message boards that BioShock 2 on PC will only use SecuROM as a disc check only.
After that, you can install as many times as you like, however – GFWL will limit the number of activations.
According to three different forum posts (thanks, Blue), here is what we found out:
- You can install the game on as many PCs as you like, with no limit, but Games for Window Live will limit you to only 15 activations.
- Should you try to activate it for the 16th time, you’ll have to call Microsoft to get the key reset.
“This is a number set by Microsoft,” said Tobey. “We went with this option because we wanted to go with non-ssa keys, because we felt that was better for you guys all around.”
PC requirements for the game were listed on Steam yesterday.
Game’s out in February.
16 
Posted in: 2K, Action, Games for Windows, Hot, PC, PS3, Xbox 360
Tags: bioshcok, BioShcok 2, SecurROM, steam
16 comments
#1
blackdreamhunk
21/01/10, 10:45 pm
I shouldn’t have to call no one to play a game I payed for.
#2
jnms
21/01/10, 10:45 pm
“We went with this option because we wanted to go with non-ssa keys, because we felt that was better for you guys all around.”
Better for people all round is to have no piracy protection. Works for Bethesda and they still have sales figures in the millions.
#3
blackdreamhunk
21/01/10, 10:46 pm
who are going to stop pirates from pirating console verion of the game.
#4
Hunam
21/01/10, 10:50 pm
Having no piracy protection isn’t always the way. You mention Bethesda but Fallout 3 had securom CD check and GFWL for one. But on the other hand, they are a big publisher that can do well without it like they did in Oblivion, but other, like Troika aren’t so lucky. Vampire had no copy protection and that was pirated to the companies demise.
Having a CD key is worth it from a basic security type of perspective as far as I’m concerned, anything more than that just ruins the experience.
#5
Yoshi
21/01/10, 11:07 pm
@1 Agreed!
I pay for the fukin game so let me download and play it as many times as i fukin want!
#6
Hunam
21/01/10, 11:14 pm
I love piracy, the only one that get shafted are the legitimate customers.
#7
loki
21/01/10, 11:21 pm
PC games another sucks
#8
Cess
22/01/10, 12:22 am
It’s going to get cracked and people will pirate it anyway. This sort of move just encourages me find a cracked version instead of paying for it.
Treating the buyer like a criminal is just stupid.
#9
SunKing
22/01/10, 12:34 am
Don’t care; damage done. I will now be buying it for the 360.
#10
Hunam
22/01/10, 4:31 am
I’m generally not so put off by DRM and all that as much as other people are but it does bug me, so I’ll wait till it’s cheap on retail for the PC and pick it up then. Though the lack of dedicated servers disturbs me.
#11
Soong
22/01/10, 4:42 am
@Hunam: agree with the rest of your post, but in no way was a lack of copy protection on Vampire: Bloodlines the reason Troika went under.
#12
JesteR
22/01/10, 8:04 am
Just a thought…. the torrent version will have unlimited installs and unlimited activations. So whos the screwed one here?
#13
DarkElfa
22/01/10, 8:29 am
Its stupid to put any kind of piracy counter measures on a disc. Whether its something easy or super complicated, it all gets cracked, all of it. In fact, the harder it is, the more of a challenge the hackers find in doing it. There’s no point in DRM or protection. Every game released today for the PC is cracked and usually on zero day, every game. The same goes for movies and music. DRM on media is like building a wall of straw to stop a charging rhino.
#14
JesteR
22/01/10, 8:36 am
Yap i know Bioshock 2 will be available on torrent next Tuesday so i can only laugh about it. They just punish the honest buyers.
#15
Gheritt White
22/01/10, 12:10 pm
I can’t *believe* you cunts are complaining about being limited to 15 simultaneous activations! Do you guys live in a computer lab or something? Come on! Who is *ever* gonna need more than 15 activations? Yeesh…
#16
Tiger Walts
22/01/10, 12:40 pm
This isn’t so much a way to stop piracy but a way to stop the game entering the second hand market. 15 activations is plenty but I doubt you can transfer that key to another Live account.