Official Bioshock sound issues thread.

[Miain]

Hey dude, its WRONG that 2K Games releases an unfinished game. No-one should accept that they pay for the game and cant play it because of the GAME, not the SYSTEM. It's like I'd sell you a dildo and what you get is a pussy, and oh no, you little gay cant drill it in your ass.

I know this aint helping anything but your argument was just so annoying.

Idiot.

Explain to me then, how they can test their game on every single different combination of hardware and software.

And that post did pretty much clear up you being childish.

[Miain]

And if its because of the game, why does it work fine for so many people too?

[Miain]

For all you Vista 32 bit users with Realtek soundcards.

I had the error this morning whereby i had sound up until the intro then it just stopped, after much fiddling and reading through these forums this is what i have done.

1) Uninstalled my Realtek drivers.
2) Let windows search and find new one automatically (takes all of 1 minute)
3) Install the LATEST drivers. (Now this is where i went wrong, i went to ASUS website and downloaded the latest from there, only later did i realise they are only the R171 drivers. You will need the R177 from the Realtek website as these install some extra components at the end which the previos R171 ones did not do).
4) Installed oalinst.exe from the creative website (fixes some issues - not sure what but the link is posted earlier in this thread)
5) Went into Realtek centre and chose 16bits, 48000 Hz (DVD quality) from the menu (as another user posted - am sure others might work but the game is working so im not fiddling anymore).

Launch game and that should solve it.

To those with other OS's and sound cards im sorry :(

This worked for me, thanks a million :)

[ilizaros]

And if its because of the game, why does it work fine for so many people too?

Aarrgghh.. Think, man, THINK!
THIS IS ****ING LOTTERY!! The game works for some and dont work for others, cant you ****ing understand that the publishers has messed up when publishing the game so early, that it is their mistake!! This isnt a game that should be on the market! This game just isnt compatible to a bunch of PC's! And some people may be _angry_ and fustrated when the game is not working even though they had Alienware running, and dont just stay sitting quiet in the corner waiting for that maybe the patch would appear in 2012.

And could you Miain please tell me, is my system above the minimum reqs?
If it is, shouldn't the game work?
Works it?

Vista Home Premium 32-bit
Core2Duo E6750
Club3D 8800 GTS 640MB
3 GB DDR2 800 mhz
ASUS P5KSE
onboard Realtek HD

ALL LATEST DRIVERS INSTALLED, game still crashing after 10? min. Not due to overheating, have checked that. But, wohoo got my sound problem fixed when messing with the .ini file.

[BS_Modify]

Well, that didn't work for me. For those of you without sound, just start up your favorite media player and start playing some music before playing the game. That way, you don't have to play the game in dreary silence.

[ilizaros]

Explain to me then, how they can test their game on every single different combination of hardware and software.

And that post did pretty much clear up you being childish.

Well that's something I cant explain you and what I really WOULD like to know. I dont even know if that's true what your saying and really doubt that. Well couldn't care less even if the hole forum thinks i'm childish

[Miain]

Well that's something I cant explain you and what I really WOULD like to know. I dont even know if that's true what your saying and really doubt that. Well couldn't care less even if the hole forum thinks i'm childish

The point of it was that its impossible to test it on everything...PCs aren't consoles

[iPablos]

i want a patch now... i'm waiting a long time. 2k games the patch now please.

[Miain]

i want a patch now... i'm waiting a long time. 2k games the patch now please.

You give out about them rushing the game out, now want them to rush out the patch? :confused:

[jus71n]

[QUOTE=Miain;218863]Explain to me then, how they can test their game on every single different combination of hardware and software.

Its 2k's responsibility to make sure the game works....full stop!! If they want to release a game thats only compatible with certain PC configurations then it should be stated on the products packaging. But no, they state a min spec for a system that their product will work on..... regardless of its make, manufacturer or specification (aslong as it meets the minimum spec)

So the answer to your question is 2K should invest in old and new technology, and extensive testing + beta testing before releasing to the retail customer. It's not the point that it works for some so they are ok. IT SHOULD WORK FOR EVERYBODY, NO MESSING ABOUT!!!!!!!

[jus71n]

You give out about them rushing the game out, now want them to rush out the patch? :confused:

You either work for 2K games, or yours works perfectly and you just don't give a stuff about the people who have paid out good money for a game that don't work for them.


Why are you confused about people wanting 2K too, (you say rush) but I think its more along the lines of "prioritise the rectification of the faults in the original release of this game via a patch"!!!

[Miain]

[QUOTE=Miain;218863]Explain to me then, how they can test their game on every single different combination of hardware and software.

Its 2k's responsibility to make sure the game works....full stop!! If they want to release a game thats only compatible with certain PC configurations then it should be stated on the products packaging. But no, they state a min spec for a system that their product will work on..... regardless of its make, manufacturer or specification (aslong as it meets the minimum spec)

So the answer to your question is 2K should invest in old and new technology, and extensive testing + beta testing before releasing to the retail customer. It's not the point that it works for some so they are ok. IT SHOULD WORK FOR EVERYBODY, NO MESSING ABOUT!!!!!!!
And they probably did extensivly test it but as you have to remember, no one has identical hardware and software.

My game didn't work perfectly. Again, you must not have read since its only a page back.
You either work for 2K games, or yours works perfectly and you just don't give a stuff about the people who have paid out good money for a game that don't work for them.


Why are you confused about people wanting 2K too, (you say rush) but I think its more along the lines of "prioritise the rectification of the faults in the original release of this game via a patch"!!!

"Patch now" means rush to me. I don't know your interpretation of english but that would be mine.

[ilizaros]

[QUOTE=jus71n;218981]
And they probably did extensivly test it but as you have to remember, no one has identical hardware and software.

My system is almost so average on higher class section how you can get it. It is waay above the minimum reqs, what you didn't answer me. No, the pc aint a console, BUT WHEN YOU WRITE DOWN THE MIN OR REC REQ'S SHOULDNT THAT BE TRUE??? I'F THE GAME DEVELOPERS TELLS SO, SHOULDNT IT WORK??? IF IT DONT WORK, DOESNT IT MEAN THAT THEY HAVE LIED?? And I'm not an exception because there are tons of guys with same problems.

Cant you just admit that 2K Games HAS FAILED? I'm not gonna concentrate on talking why they failed, done that too many times. All the facts has been written along the forums, so there is only brain job left to find out what's going on. And the job aint big.

And if you dont understand what i mean there^
Miai, read this post. If you dont believe it, read the others. If you havent looked around, then this is already the 27:th page on sound issues only, so yeah, there are others. After you have read this and some others you cant denie that 2K has screwed up. That this is their fault, not my computers, myself or anyone elses.

<snip>

[Miain]

[QUOTE=Miain;219021]

My system is almost so average on higher class section how you can get it. It is waay above the minimum reqs, what you didn't answer me. No, the pc aint a console, BUT WHEN YOU WRITE DOWN THE MIN OR REC REQ'S SHOULDNT THAT BE TRUE??? I'F THE GAME DEVELOPERS TELLS SO, SHOULDNT IT WORK??? IF IT DONT WORK, DOESNT IT MEAN THAT THEY HAVE LIED?? And I'm not an exception because there are tons of guys with same problems.


This is what I mean by you don't understand, just because its above min spec does not mean there will be no problems(They are a guideline)They can only test a product so much. No PC game ever comes out perfect.


Cant you just admit that 2K Games HAS FAILED? I'm not gonna concentrate on talking why they failed, done that too many times. All the facts has been written along the forums, so there is only brain job left to find out what's going on. And the job aint big.

Bad news reaches the forums, good news means they're playing the game not complaining about it.


And if you dont understand what i mean there^
Miai, read this post. If you dont believe it, read the others. If you havent looked around, then this is already the 27:th page on sound issues only, so yeah, there are others. After you have read this and some others you cant denie that 2K has screwed up. That this is their fault, not my computers, myself or anyone elses.


I didn't once say it was your computers fault. And if you'd read my posts, you'd see I had a problem with sound, I did however fix it on my PC. And I'm pretty sure a lot of these posts would be fixed if people got the latest drivers, because very few people reply to the posts by mods when asked if they have them. Just too busy demanding "patch now" because they are too inept or lazy to do a bit of work themselves

[Tech Dan]

To ilizaros and Miain,

Please do not continue off topic discussion in this thread. Please continue via pm or in the Game Discussion Forum. Also please be courteous toward each other. Any further posts of this nature in the technical support forum will be deleted.

[zazzle]

Hi all,
I haven't read through all of these posts but I can tell you I tried all of the recommendations outlined in the first post and had no success. Here is my original configuration:

Athlon 64 3500+ (Socket 939)
2 gb ram (4 x 512 sticks)
BFG Nvidia 8800 GTS 320 Mb
Philips Aurilium Sound Processor PSC805 (external sound card)

I had a very bad sound experience with this setup. Pops and cracks and skipping and repeating, ughh it was horrible. So much so that I couldn't even play and I shelfed the game after 30 mins of play time. I was about to upgrade my sound card as I was sure that was the root cause but then read these forums and saw that people with all different kinds of sound cards were having the exact same experience as myself. I decided to squeeze the last upgrade out of my Socket 939 mobo by getting the Athlon 64 X2 4200+ (dual-core).

Guess what, no more sound issues.

So for those that have single core 939's, this may be a somewhat cheap fix to make the game playable. The 4200+'s are going for about $70 at newegg.com.

[PlasmaPlague]

Same disastrous problem on my pc.. loud static noises from the beginning till the end,can hardly hear the original sound... 2k ppl please i`ll have 7 days off since 1st Oct,& I really dont want to spend those on twoworlds or oblivion again..

WinxpPro;A8N32SLID;2Gcorsair3500LLpro;AthlonX2 4800+->2.6G;7900GTXsli; SG 7200.10 raid0

[Tech Dan]

PlasmaPlague, could you post some system specs including you operating system and sound card?

[deathpie]

It sounds to me like complaining here in this thread does not help. Upgrading sound cards usually would help, but it looks like that does not help here. So here's the issue as far as I see. The game takes up too much of the CPU's memory and graphics memory. That affects the sound greatly in games like BioShock. So I suggest that processors and graphics cards be upgraded. Yep.

By the way, I am too cheap to buy a new card of ANY kind right now. I am just putting that out there. I plan to get a quad core processor soon. Intel 6850 Extreme quad core.

~~Ben

[CreepyD]

I think it's a problem with all Athlon single cores. 3200+ up to 4000+ or so.
Some other people have something different, but the vast majority seem to have a single core athlon.
Also you talk of rushing out a patch.. it's been 5 WEEKS!
Without even a hint of a patch on it's way, or any hot fixes. there should at least be hot fixes for such serious problems.
I've not seen this happen to any game in last couple of years.

[PlayerOfGames]

Creative LabsBioShock Audio Guide
Guide to running BioShock on Windows XP and Windows Vista™ with your Sound Blaster X-Fi™ audio device.

http://www.soundblaster.com/Applications/article.asp?articleID=71545&categoryID=13

Just in case it helps anyone out.

PoG

[iPablos]

I think it's a problem with all Athlon single cores. 3200+ up to 4000+ or so.
Some other people have something different, but the vast majority seem to have a single core athlon.
Also you talk of rushing out a patch.. it's been 5 WEEKS!
Without even a hint of a patch on it's way, or any hot fixes. there should at least be hot fixes for such serious problems.
I've not seen this happen to any game in last couple of years.

yes, the patch for amd dual core resolve the problem. why dont creating a patch for a single core amd user?

[Para2normal]

I think what is most annoying is the apparent lack of care for its customers shown here. The suggestions posted by the Techs are viable but expecting a level of work post buying the game that is unreasonable. All in all a great dissapointment.

[da96mdn]

Ok, I can admit that this game convinced me to buy a new computer to try it out. So now I got the following:

OS: Windows Vista Home Premium (32-bit)
Processor: Intel Pentium Quad Core - Intel(R) Core(TM)2 Quad CPU Q6600 @ 2.40GHz
memory: 2046 MB
sound card: SigmaTel High Definition Audio CODEC
graphic card: 256 MB NVIDIA GeForce 8600 GTS

Sound card is updated with the latest drivers. Sound work without any problem in the game menu and the intro movies but NOT when the game actually starts. So I am a little disappointed with that, but I know PC is a problem for developers with all different OS&hardware, its hard to make it work for everybody. Guess I should have bought a Xbox instead :rolleyes:. Well, hoping for an upcomming patch soon.

[PlayerOfGames]

Ok, I can admit that this game convinced me to buy a new computer to try it out. So now I got the following:

OS: Windows Vista Home Premium (32-bit)
Processor: Intel Pentium Quad Core - Intel(R) Core(TM)2 Quad CPU Q6600 @ 2.40GHz
memory: 2046 MB
sound card: SigmaTel High Definition Audio CODEC
graphic card: 256 MB NVIDIA GeForce 8600 GTS

Sound card is updated with the latest drivers. Sound work without any problem in the game menu and the intro movies but NOT when the game actually starts. So I am a little disappointed with that, but I know PC is a problem for developers with all different OS&hardware, its hard to make it work for everybody. Guess I should have bought a Xbox instead :rolleyes:. Well, hoping for an upcomming patch soon.

I've seen this reported for people that have either GOM Player or VLC (in one case only) installed, do you have either of these installed.

link to GOM Player post
http://forums.2kgames.com/forums/showpost.php?p=216068&postcount=195

Apparently the issue could be due to a codec veing installed with either of these two players that is casing a conflict with BioShock, but I have not been able to reproduce and verify this, so this is a blind shot in the dark.

PoG

[Osp42]

Ok, I can admit that this game convinced me to buy a new computer to try it out. So now I got the following:

OS: Windows Vista Home Premium (32-bit)
Processor: Intel Pentium Quad Core - Intel(R) Core(TM)2 Quad CPU Q6600 @ 2.40GHz
memory: 2046 MB
sound card: SigmaTel High Definition Audio CODEC
graphic card: 256 MB NVIDIA GeForce 8600 GTS

Sound card is updated with the latest drivers. Sound work without any problem in the game menu and the intro movies but NOT when the game actually starts. So I am a little disappointed with that, but I know PC is a problem for developers with all different OS&hardware, its hard to make it work for everybody. Guess I should have bought a Xbox instead :rolleyes:. Well, hoping for an upcomming patch soon.Have you tried the other usual workarounds, such as setting the program to run in XP compatibility mode, installing the latest OpenAL drivers and fiddling with all of the options in the game's audio options (speaker config, EAX and reverb)? The game is messed up, but I'd be a bit surprised if you couldn't solve your problem, considering that you have a beefy system.

[Osp42]

I guess that I'll just update everyone. A couple of weeks ago, the MCE shortcut method that Blah72 came up with removed all crackling from my audio. Then, sometime in the last week, the crackling returned. I'm not sure what I did (if I did anything). I could use System Restore to roll my system back, yes, but then it'd just happen again, eventually.

I've had this game for a month now and am back where I started: with horrible crackling. At least I lost the vast majority of my interest in the game a loooong time ago, so not being able to play hardly matters to me anymore. I wish that I could say that that saddens 2K, but they have my money, already, and they're proving that they obviously don't care what I get out of their product (which is nothing for me).

[GFree]

I guess that I'll just update everyone. A couple of weeks ago, the MCE shortcut method that Blah72 came up with removed all crackling from my audio. Then, sometime in the last week, the crackling returned. I'm not sure what I did (if I did anything). I could use System Restore to roll my system back, yes, but then it'd just happen again, eventually.

I've had this game for a month now and am back where I started: with horrible crackling. At least I lost the vast majority of my interest in the game a loooong time ago, so not being able to play hardly matters to me anymore. I wish that I could say that that saddens 2K, but they have my money, already, and they're proving that they obviously don't care what I get out of their product (which is nothing for me).
Let this be a lesson for ya - don't pre-order games anymore (at least for the PC). I've decided not to bother purchasing any game unless I can try it out for free, which normally means a demo. If there is no demo and I'm unable to find any way to try the game short of doing something illegal (which I won't do), I simply won't buy it. I'll go without, it's not like it's gonna kill me. :)

Fortunately, Bioshock DOES have a demo, and the demo served its purpose, but not in the way 2K hoped. The demo showed me how screwed-up the audio ran on my Vista + AC97 system, so I was saved from wasting my money. If I had pre-ordered the game, I'd have been stuffed with no guarantee of a fix. Same reason why I don't bother pre-ordering games on Steam anymore, particularly if they're new and demo-less.

No wonder consoles are so popular. The game has to run perfectly otherwise everyone's gonna have the same issue, so they have to make sure it's acceptable. Ah well, live and learn. :cool:

[Grav]

I think it's a problem with all Athlon single cores. 3200+ up to 4000+ or so.
Some other people have something different, but the vast majority seem to have a single core athlon.
Also you talk of rushing out a patch.. it's been 5 WEEKS!
Without even a hint of a patch on it's way, or any hot fixes. there should at least be hot fixes for such serious problems.
I've not seen this happen to any game in last couple of years.

I reckon this is a definite part of the issue. Earlier in this thread I posted about having the crackling/stuttering audio as well. In vista the game was unplayable while using an Athlon 64 3500+(AM2) with 2GB of DDR2-533, yet under XP it ran perfectly.

Yesterday I changed my CPU to an Athlon 64 X2 4200 and changed my ram to a Geil 2GB DDR2-667 matched pair. The game is now playable under Vista, I still get the occasional stutter but I haven't tried any of the tweaks yet as it is a fresh install.

[Baby_Seal_Killer]

At least I lost the vast majority of my interest in the game a loooong time ago, so not being able to play hardly matters to me anymore.

Well said and I am starting to agree with you. I mean, haven't we BETA tested enough for this company to get a patch out.

How many different system specs do they need? If they had 100 different systems in house surely they have heard from 5000 more about this problem.

I feel bioSHAFTED :o

[iPablos]

I reckon this is a definite part of the issue. Earlier in this thread I posted about having the crackling/stuttering audio as well. In vista the game was unplayable while using an Athlon 64 3500+(AM2) with 2GB of DDR2-533, yet under XP it ran perfectly.

Yesterday I changed my CPU to an Athlon 64 X2 4200 and changed my ram to a Geil 2GB DDR2-667 matched pair. The game is now playable under Vista, I still get the occasional stutter but I haven't tried any of the tweaks yet as it is a fresh install.

it's not a solution! why in xp the game play great? the solution it's possible...whit a patch.

[dantheman999]

I've seen this reported for people that have either GOM Player or VLC (in one case only) installed, do you have either of these installed.

link to GOM Player post
http://forums.2kgames.com/forums/showpost.php?p=216068&postcount=195

Apparently the issue could be due to a codec veing installed with either of these two players that is casing a conflict with BioShock, but I have not been able to reproduce and verify this, so this is a blind shot in the dark.

PoG

Do you know which Codec. am havng problems and do have GOM installed. Would uninstalling GOM uninstall the codec>

[Grav]

it's not a solution! why in xp the game play great? the solution it's possible...whit a patch.


Did I say anywhere in my post that it was a solution? I was just stating what effect my upgrade had done in regards to the error in the vain hope that it may help the devs get the problems rectified. I think the devs would have a better chance of patching the game if people provided relevant information rather than constantly ***** about "WHERE'S THE PATCH!!!!!" :rolleyes:

[PlayerOfGames]

Do you know which Codec. am havng problems and do have GOM installed. Would uninstalling GOM uninstall the codec>

I'm not sure which codec it is, sorry I have XP and can't reproduce the problem. I'll try on a Vista machine at work and see if I can figure it out some time.

Uninstalling the GOM Player has been reported as resolving the problem, so try an uninstall, reset your machine (just in case) and then try BioShock again.

Please report back if it works for you.

[Punisher!|ITA]

We really need a sound patch for Vista! Damn!!!

It is absurd 2KGames is ignoring us like this!!!

[Tech Dan]

Although it may be true that a possible update is needed Punisher, I assure you we are not ignoring you. If you need help in the meantime with your problem. please post your details and problem and possibly a thread link if you have provided more information elsewhere on this board.

[Punisher!|ITA]

Although it may be true that a possible update is needed Punisher, I assure you we are not ignoring you. If you need help in the meantime with your problem. please post your details and problem and possibly a thread link if you have provided more information elsewhere on this board.

I have already posted all the damnd details and also tens of other people did!

DFI Lan Party NF4 Ultra-D with Realtek NOT-HD ALC-850, latest 6251 drivers for Vista.

Already installed OpenAL and FMOD API\client, DX updates, etc.

The problem is the same of course, the COMMON one.

Always crackling sounds (also in the game menù and more in game) or sound just the menù and no wound in game trying to force D3D audio via .ini file in stead of FMOD.

NO CHANCE TO SOLVE IT BY OURSELF. Tried everything.

[iPablos]

I have already posted all the damnd details and also tens of other people did!

DFI Lan Party NF4 Ultra-D with Realtek NOT-HD ALC-850, latest 6251 drivers for Vista.

Already installed OpenAL and FMOD API\client, DX updates, etc.

The problem is the same of course, the COMMON one.

Always crackling sounds (also in the game menù and more in game) or sound just the menù and no wound in game trying to force D3D audio via .ini file in stead of FMOD.

NO CHANCE TO SOLVE IT BY OURSELF. Tried everything.

me too... i need a patch for play it. i dont reinstall Xp for one game

[Punisher!|ITA]

me too... i need a patch for play it. i dont reinstall Xp for one game

Yeah, it is absurd!

[magoo]

I agree this is completely absurd. We are Vista Beta testers. Perhaps we should form a union.
Anyway I read this:http://www.soundblaster.com/Applications/article.asp?articleID=71545&categoryID=13
Then I researched my Vista OpenAL. I had an older version, which I updated.
I played the game some tonight, the Orphanage Level, I used several Kiosks and played straight through without a freeze.
Maybe it did something......maybe it was luck......
I seem to have more lock-ups when there is music in the background, and the Orphanage didnt have any. I dont know.....
try it it may help if you dont have the most up to date OpenAL.

[da96mdn]

I've seen this reported for people that have either GOM Player or VLC (in one case only) installed, do you have either of these installed.

link to GOM Player post
http://forums.2kgames.com/forums/showpost.php?p=216068&postcount=195

Apparently the issue could be due to a codec veing installed with either of these two players that is casing a conflict with BioShock, but I have not been able to reproduce and verify this, so this is a blind shot in the dark.

PoG
Ok, no I didn't had GOM Player installed, but K-Lite Codec pack full, so I to uninstalled the codec pack, and used the Vista codecs instead "used in GOM post" but with no luck, still no sound in the game.

[da96mdn]

Have you tried the other usual workarounds, such as setting the program to run in XP compatibility mode, installing the latest OpenAL drivers and fiddling with all of the options in the game's audio options (speaker config, EAX and reverb)? The game is messed up, but I'd be a bit surprised if you couldn't solve your problem, considering that you have a beefy system.
Think I tried out the most, setting the program to run in XP compatibility mode actually makes the sound to work in game. But the game becomes unplayable because it freezes after about 5 seconds, every time I tried. It just stops responding and I have to shut it down manually.

[da96mdn]

Finally got it to work! The sounds works fine now and the game seems stable.

There was something left to try out, I downloaded the OpenAL installer
http://developer.creative.com/articles/article.asp?cat=1&sbcat=31&top=38&aid=46
(thanks Osp42 for mention this)

Then made sure that the game was NOT running in XP compatibility mode (as it made the game unstable). Then enabled the EAX sound option in game, and restarted.
I tried the EAX option before, but not with the OpenAL libraries installed, this time it worked.

thanks for the help!

[jeebs84]

Hi Guys,

I've tried a bunch of things posted on these forums: updating OpenAL codec, updating sound drivers, updating NVidia drivers, updating BIOS, updating mainboard drivers, modifying Default.ini settings and Bioshock.ini settings - i even changed soundcard from my onboard realtek to a Soundblaster Live 24-bit.

The only way i've been able to get the sound stuttering problem to stop is to run the game in Windowed Mode. Seriously, all my problems with sound stuttering and popping stops when running in windowed mode. If i go back to full screen, the popping immediately starts again - change back to windowed, works fine.

Not sure if that's going to help anyone, but might be a clue for the devs who are trying to fix the problems. My system specs are:-

Mainboard: ASUS A8N-SLI
Audio: Onboard Realtek AC'97 (Tried with SBLive 24-bit, no change)
CPU: Athlon 64-bit 3200+ (running @ 2.2ghz, did try clocking down, no change)
RAM: 2GB DDR-400
Videocard: NVidia Geforce 8800gts 320mb
OS: Windows Vista Home Premium

Great game, btw.

[shavedaccord]

No sound after the crash scene here.. computer specs below..

Dell XPS 720
Intel Core2 Cuo E6600
2GB 800mhz PC-6200
nVidia 8800GTX
On-Board sound

So it is a problem with dual core Intels as well.

[iPablos]

why the 2k dont help me and the other whit this problem? 2k respond!!

[Dragis]

Originally:

I would start the game, get voice in the plane crash sequence, then loose all sound.

I enabled windows compatibility mode and edited my .ini so that only 32 channels came through. I made sure I had the latest realtech drivers, video drivers, and uninstalled/reinstalled them (I was certain that Vista auto detected my sound drivers before installing the realtech ones, as suggested earlier). I reinstalled the game and redid all this stuff. I have tried the game windowed, with and without EAX and reverb, and in and out of windows compatibility mode. I installed OpenAL.

Now:

I have sound in regular windows mode (not compatibility mode), but the game crashes while loading my save game/level. With compatibility mode on, I can PLAY the game, but not ENJOY it, as the sound is crackling as it is with other users. Is there anything I have missed, short of buying new hardware (and in the case of a new soundcard, this doesn't seem to be helpful according to what other users are saying), or installing XP?

Also, I realize that 2K can't immediately release a patch, but they could at a BARE MINIMUM provide a knowledge base entry on this issue, as it's pretty widespread, and 2K has been aware of the issue for some time now. A sticky with a basic outline of what other users have done could be compiled to alleviate a lot of the stress anyone would have after scrolling through this much forum hate.

Core 2 Intel 2.66 Ghz E6700
EVGA 640-P2-N821-AR GeForce 8800GTS 640 MB
Foxconn P35A-S LGA 775 Intel P35 ATX Intel Motherboard (realtek HD sound)
4x 1g DDR2 800hrtz Corsair RAM
Windows Vista

And yes, I recently bought this computer and was looking forward to playing this game and can't wah wah wah wah wah.

Just a thought, has anyone tried playing the game with a fresh install of their drivers and Vista (ie without vista updates?) I can't remember if when I built my machine and Vista hadn't updated, if it had the sound problem. Just something to try, maybe it sounds like a lame idea. /shrug

[GFree]

Well, it would appear that putting the game into Windowed mode seems to alleviate some of the issues with the audio, at least in my case. Doesn't remove all the stuttering/popping, but it's barely enough to play it the demo.

Now that I have I won't be buying it. No game with worth this amount of trouble

[lechuck]

3D sound positioning issues with Sigmatel HD on board sound.


Sounds don't come from the right direction.

Here's the sound card details (couple of words in spanish but u get the gist)


Description: Altavoces / Auricular (SigmaTel High Definition Audio CODEC)
Default Sound Playback: Yes
Default Voice Playback: Yes
Hardware ID: HDAUDIO\FUNC_01&VEN_8384&DEV_7618&SUBSYS_102801DB&REV_1002
Manufacturer ID: 1
Product ID: 100
Type: WDM
Driver Name: stwrt.sys
Driver Version: 6.10.5511.0000 (English)
Driver Attributes: Final Retail
WHQL Logo'd: n/a
Date and Size: 7/10/2007 09:03:44, 326656 bytes
Other Files:
Driver Provider: SigmaTel
HW Accel Level: Basic
Cap Flags: 0x0
Min/Max Sample Rate: 0, 0
Static/Strm HW Mix Bufs: 0, 0
Static/Strm HW 3D Bufs: 0, 0
HW Memory: 0
Voice Management: No
EAX(tm) 2.0 Listen/Src: No, No
I3DL2(tm) Listen/Src: No, No
Sensaura(tm) ZoomFX(tm): No

Description: Dispositivo de salida digital (Salida SPDIF) (SigmaTel High Definition Audio CODEC)
Default Sound Playback: No
Default Voice Playback: No
Hardware ID: HDAUDIO\FUNC_01&VEN_8384&DEV_7618&SUBSYS_102801DB&REV_1002
Manufacturer ID: 1
Product ID: 100
Type: WDM
Driver Name: stwrt.sys
Driver Version: 6.10.5511.0000 (English)
Driver Attributes: Final Retail
WHQL Logo'd: n/a
Date and Size: 7/10/2007 09:03:44, 326656 bytes
Other Files:
Driver Provider: SigmaTel
HW Accel Level: Basic
Cap Flags: 0x0
Min/Max Sample Rate: 0, 0
Static/Strm HW Mix Bufs: 0, 0
Static/Strm HW 3D Bufs: 0, 0
HW Memory: 0
Voice Management: No
EAX(tm) 2.0 Listen/Src: No, No
I3DL2(tm) Listen/Src: No, No
Sensaura(tm) ZoomFX(tm): No


Please solve ASAP guys!:confused: :)

[lechuck]

might i add, that sound positioning works fine for Half life 2 Doom3 and family

[stefano.b]

Well, i'm running Bioshock with an
Athlon XP3000+, 1 gig RAM, Ati Radeon 1950GT AGP, Sblive! 5.1.

I had sound problem.

Now I solved all stuttering audio issues uninstalling ALL software + drivers from creative
then running in safe mode and installing Kx drivers...

http://download.kxproject.lugosoft.com/?file=kxdrv3537-full.exe

So if you have Audigy1/2, Live! or Sb512 I think this can solve the problems.

[nordicsnoopy]

Although it may be true that a possible update is needed Punisher, I assure you we are not ignoring you...

I haven't seen a post on my comment yet...

http://forums.2kgames.com/forums/showpost.php?p=216971&postcount=219

I'm trying to be as patient as I can, however, you have just said that it only 'may be true that a possible update is needed'

With 300 posts in this thread alone, approximately 60% are errors, can you please tell us how to fix these problems if you still currently believe that there only 'may be a problem'.

not one single straight answer.

cheers.

[Gilmartin]

I have tried all suggestions in this thread in an attempt to get sound in this game. Last night I read a suggestion on another forum to download and install Direct X SDK from the Microsoft website. And- I have sound now!
I'm glad I can play the game and hope this of help to others. But perhaps 2K can explain why I've had to install nearly 1 gig of bloatware to get their game to run??
Seems to me this game is a Battlecruiser 3000AD for the 21st Century:rolleyes:

[NOCCA]

I also get no sound after menu and opening movie.

At first the game couldn't even launch but I updated nVidia drivers and DX10.

I have tried all of the suggested fixes to no avail.

Specs:

2.4 ghz core 2 duo
2gb RAM
8600m GT
Vista Home Premium
(macbook pro running boot camp)

[eddie595]

I've been playing BioShock V 1.0 and noticed sound issues such as clicking and the like...
Since the game is based off the UT, I modified the number of channels the audio mixes... it is set very high by default on the PC (over 64 seems much, even with future, single-player games). It might not work for you, but it "seemed" to fix my issues. Play around with it and tell me how it goes.
I am not at my workstation at the moment, so just look in the BioSchock game directory for text strings such as Channels= or the like... there should be a sub-section for the game as well as the new sound system they are using. Modify values as you like. Realistically, 32 channels should be sufficient and may help performance...

[Tech Dan]

A Possible workaround maybe

run the game in Windows XP Compatability mode.

- right click on the shortcut for the game
- left click on properties
- click on the Compatability tab
- tick the box called "Run this program in compatability mode for"
- select Windows XP
- click on apply
- click on ok

then start the game go into the audio options and turn off the reverb and EAX,then try your game.

This has worked on some systems

[nordicsnoopy]

I have tried all of the suggested fixes to no avail.



ok, let me just add this quote to the top of all the emails so I don't have to include a maximum verbosity version.

All of these 'possible' workarounds have been user generated unless they have been standard FAQ manual situations (using the XP compatibility option).

now onto the facts. Threatening us has just added another level to this problem

http://forums.2kgames.com/forums/showpost.php?p=222379&postcount=3

bottom line.

1. my sound doesn't work and you are not giving us the solution to this problem. We are the ones finding workarounds.

2. it has not been confirmed that there even is a problem.

Here is my specific sound question

If I am meeting all system requirements based on your testing of bishock, and in good faith purchased this game understanding the duty of care that is involved by 2K games in telling me the truth.

How do I make the game run on my fully compatible system (as outlined by bioshocks official system requirements) so the sound works as it is supposed to?

I have already posted my system specs so you know what they are.

I fully accept _the_ (not just 'an') answer will take some time, but this is the bioshock technical support forum for people with sound issues and nobody from 2K has fixed my issue.

cheers.

[Dragis]

BioShockWins, thanks for the discourtesy. I've filed a complaint against you and the state this board has degenerated into. PS, get firefox, it has spell check.

MODS: Please, please please please, make a sticky out of the fixes that users have suggested, because finding relevant information on here is getting hard. Suggestions:

-Change your executable to run in XP compatibility, if you have Vista.
-Disable EAX audio and reverb settings
-Install OpenAL from creative labs (link?)
-Uninstall and reinstall sound card drivers
-Do the same for video card drivers
-Try running the game in windowed mode
-Change your number of sound channels in the .ini to 32

I'm sure there are more workarounds people can suggest, these are the ones I thought of off the top of my head. Even if some of these don't sound like great solutions, people have given positive feedback about all of them in one way or another, so I can't see how it hurts too bad at this point.

[IneX]

Got the same problem as others, no sound after the intro :(
Gonna try some of the things that are mentions here and see if that helps


system:
asus pk5 motherboard
intel quad core 2,4Ghz cpu
xfx 8800gtx
2gb memory
using the onboard soundcard.

[NOCCA]

Well, it seems I didn't try EVERYTHING, cause once I tried that Channels=32 thing...

I've Got Sound!!! :eek:

This is still inexcusable that I need to edit a file in a game to get it to even work.

For the record I was also in XP compatibility mode, but without the edit to the .ini file, it still didn't work.

Well, I'm happy that it works now, unhappy that I had to make it work my self.

>>AG

[SystemShocked]

I have an abit IP35 motherboard with the on-board Realtek HD sound. I'm running Vista 64.

I uninstalled the Realtek driver (which was the latest from their site) and let Windows install its own HD audio driver. Presto...sound in-game!

The downside seems to be the volume - I changed the volume in the game from 10 down to 2 and it didn't seem to make a difference. But loud sound is better than no sound to be sure!

SS

[nordicsnoopy]

just tried the new Realtek r178 drivers (upld'd 26/09/07). Sounds still missing and cutting out.

This doesn't mean the drivers dont work, they just dont work work with my game.

cheers.

[AngelGraves13]

Dear 2K, please add an option under the Audio options for Channels, with values of 32 for LOW, 64 for MEDIUM, and 128 for HIGH.

This way, people can be able to try different settings and 32 should work for most old hardware.

[ByClops]

I had problems under vista 32bit that the sound was gone after plane crash intro.
Tried all other suggestion's made here and on other site's.

I fix my sound isseus with this driver Link to Realtek download page (http://www.realtek.com.tw/downloads/downloadsView.aspx?Langid=1&PNid=14&PFid=24&Level=4&Conn=3&DownTypeID=3&GetDown=false)
This driver is for the ALC880, ALC882, ALC883, ALC885, ALC888, ALC861VC, ALC861VD, ALC660, ALC662, ALC260, ALC262, ALC267 of ALC268 series.

Hope it helps.

system spec:
Pentium Q6600
4GB Geil Gaming DDR2
Geforce 8800GTS XXX
Realtek ALC885

[Finpete]

Yes I did, but I don't know how it happened. Maybe when I click - run it in a windowed mode and then put it back to normal mode..:)

[Anders]

The only problem for me with sound is when theres more than 1 enemy shooting at me, then sometimes the sound kinda skips, and plays only 1/3 of the enemy gun sound.

[Drakelet]

Sound cuts out during gameplay, but works during menus and cutscenes.

I'm using XP and have no sound card (not sure what make though). I do have the NVIDIA nForce Audio Codec though. I have the latest DirectX. I'm trying OpenAL right now.
I tried compatibility mode, but because I have XP there was no link for it in the compatibility tab.

It might be because in Default.ini I changed:
AudioDevice=FMODAudio.FMODAudioSubsystem
to
;AudioDevice=FMODAudio.FMODAudioSubsystem
AudioDevice=D3DDrv.D3DAudioDevice
However, if I don't do that the game doesn't even start (get an error).

If anyone needs any more info just ask. :)

[rek075]

Sound cuts out during gameplay, but works during menus and cutscenes.

I'm using XP and have no sound card (not sure what make though). I do have the NVIDIA nForce Audio Codec though. I have the latest DirectX. I'm trying OpenAL right now.
I tried compatibility mode, but because I have XP there was no link for it in the compatibility tab.

It might be because in Default.ini I changed:
AudioDevice=FMODAudio.FMODAudioSubsystem
to
;AudioDevice=FMODAudio.FMODAudioSubsystem
AudioDevice=D3DDrv.D3DAudioDevice
However, if I don't do that the game doesn't even start (get an error).

If anyone needs any more info just ask. :)

You need to use the FMOD Audio system to hear the gameplay sounds, since they are in .fsb format.

[Jeorne]

amongst other problems, I'm getting the same juddering sound errors too. It's like the echo or reverb is not working well. At times it so bad that I can't make out what the Splicers are saying. On one occasion the sound even stopped all together.

At the begining of the game, everything was fine (which tells me its not a s/c problem) but at the later levels the problem is becoming more persistant - and worse.

Other problems is the constant crashing. I just upgraded the ATI Catalyst drivers from 7.7 to 7.9 (which has a fix for Bio) which made it smoother but now I crash all the time. I notice that the changes made in options revert to default following a crash.

Hope they fix this soon.

Specs: X-fi fatal1ty, Radeon XT1650, 3Ghz CPU, 1G Mem

[Drakelet]

You need to use the FMOD Audio system to hear the gameplay sounds, since they are in .fsb format.
That's what I thought. But with that the game won't even start, and I get the error (see my thread).

Ideas?

[el badman]

I've seen this issue and its solution in this thread, but I'm still having problems with it.
I know that the low volume issue for in-game messages can be fixed by increasing the .wav level in Windows volume settings. But having Creative's latest driver for my SB Live! 24bit External, the default volume menu does not appear anymore, I only get Creative's menu, and nowhere to find the slider to increase the level of .wav sounds.
Anyone knows where I can find this setting to alter it?
Thx

[Drakelet]

I haven't tried it yet, but in Bioshock.ini (dir: C:\Documents and Settings\James\Application Data\Bioshock\) there is VoiceVolume=1.0. Try changing it to 1.5 or 2.0.

[Retail Dragon]

just tried the new Realtek r178 drivers (upld'd 26/09/07). Sounds still missing and cutting out.

This doesn't mean the drivers dont work, they just dont work work with my game.

cheers.

I used the .exe file provided by Realtek. With that, I uninstalled my current drivers. Then I restarted Vista. When it came back, Vista automatically downloaded drivers. I then installed the R178 drivers. Again, I restarted. Once everything came back on, I booted up Bioshock. Got into my game, and I could finally hear stuff.

Prior to doing this, I had no sound at all. I would occasionally get the menu music to loop during gameplay, but I couldn't actually hear what I was supposed to. I finally have the desire to play this game now that I can hear whats going on.

Here are my system specs in case anyone is wondering:

Nforce 560
EVGA Geforce 8600 GTS-512
AMD Athlon 64 X2 6000+ Processor (3.02ghz)
3GB RAM
250GB Hard Drive

[randyest]

And I wasted hours of my time trying all the "fixes" in this thread. None of them worked. I returned the game. Better luck next time, I guess.

For the record: c2d 6600, 4gb ram, geforce 8800gtx, vista 32bit

[Drakelet]

Deleting msacm.divxa32 didn't work for you?

[nordicsnoopy]

new drivers just released. best of luck everyone.

[Blah72]

Well i came across this on the fmod website:

http://www.fmod.org/forum/viewtopic.php?p=33561

Pretty much shows that the problem is with Fmod and it's up to 2k games to update the Fmod engine with bioshock. I can't believe though that such a simple thing can take them so f***ing long to do.

FOR THE LOVE OF GOD PLEASE HURRY UP WITH THE PATCH 2K !

[nordicsnoopy]

new drivers just released. best of luck everyone.

Well, so far so good. Realtek 1.79 drivers seem to have fixed my missing sounds issue. Have only played for a few minutes but I definitely noticed a difference.

[lapy]

For me the problem is caused by the realtek driver...infact I solved the sound issue installing manually the hd audio driver from microsoft. It works fine at maximum audio settings too. Now I'll try the new realtek driver.

[iPablos]

new drivers just released. best of luck everyone.

it's for realtek ac97 NO hd??

[iPablos]

it's for realtek ac97 NO hd??

i respond me... NO :mad:

[Vanon]

ARGH! I've tried everything, but i still have missing sound when there is more than 2 people shooting at me:mad: i'm on xp and i've got the latest drivers, so the problem is the realtek hd chip, simply a big piece of :p

[speed10wing]

:mad:

I'm another one with no sound after the intro. I do seem to have it in the cut/menu screens (eg when hacking etc) which seems a little bizarre :confused:

I'm pretty narked about paying through the nose for what seems to be a great playing game to a company who can't get something as simple as the sound right and aren't exactly falling over themselves to sort it out, and I for one don't want to waste my time and effort buggering about with the settings or OS on my machine every time I want to play a(n expensive) game...:rolleyes:

System specs are E6700 dual core, 2GB RAM, nVidia 8800 GTS 320Mb graphics, ooops can't remember graphics... school boy error... only says Microsoft Definition Audio Device(??) Ok so I'm a bit ignorant...but bloody annoyed :mad:

[Tech John]

:mad:

I'm another one with no sound after the intro. I do seem to have it in the cut/menu screens (eg when hacking etc) which seems a little bizarre :confused:

I'm pretty narked about paying through the nose for what seems to be a great playing game to a company who can't get something as simple as the sound right and aren't exactly falling over themselves to sort it out, and I for one don't want to waste my time and effort buggering about with the settings or OS on my machine every time I want to play a(n expensive) game...:rolleyes:

System specs are E6700 dual core, 2GB RAM, nVidia 8800 GTS 320Mb graphics, ooops can't remember graphics... school boy error... only says Microsoft Definition Audio Device(??) Ok so I'm a bit ignorant...but bloody annoyed :mad:

Have yul tried any of the suggestions on the thread to try and fix the issue?

If not please try this.

Right click on the game shortcut on the desktop and choose properties.
Then choose the "Compatibility" tab.
Check the box labeled "Run this program in compatibility mode for".
from the drop down menu please choose "Windows XP SP2".
Now apply the changes.
Right click on the shortcut for the game again and choose to run as admin.

If you do not have a shortcut on the desktop, navigate to the following and right click on the Bioshock.exe file.

Local Drive C:/Program Files/2K Games/Bioshock/Builds/Release

[Fumega]

Hi, I've the same problem of you guys, the sound starts great, but after 5 minutes of playing the chops start appearing, horrible omg, I can't play the game like this.
Tried everything, installed new Realtek sound drivers, but nothing worked (I'm at windows XP)
My system:
Computer Type PC multiprocessador PCACPI
Operating System Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition
OS Service Pack Service Pack 2
Internet Explorer 7.0.5730.11 (IE 7.0)
DirectX 4.09.00.0904 (DirectX 9.0c)
Computer Name FUMEGA
User Name António Azevedo
Logon Domain FUMEGA
Date / Time 2007-10-09 / 23:11

Motherboard:
CPU Type QuadCore Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600, 3200 MHz (9 x 356)
Motherboard Name EVGA NF68 (2 PCI, 2 PCI-E x1, 3 PCI-E x16, 4 DDR2 DIMM, Audio, Dual Gigabit LAN, IEEE-1394)
Motherboard Chipset nVIDIA nForce 680i SLI
System Memory 2048 MB (DDR2-800 DDR2 SDRAM)
BIOS Type Award (07/11/07)
Communication Port Porta de comunicações (COM1)

Display:
Video Adapter NVIDIA GeForce 8800 Ultra (768 MB)
Video Adapter NVIDIA GeForce 8800 Ultra (768 MB)
3D Accelerator nVIDIA GeForce 8800 Ultra
Monitor Samtron 98PDF/99DF/99PDF [19" CRT] (HVAY108818)

Multimedia:
Audio Adapter Realtek ALC885/889A @ nVIDIA nForce 680i SLI (MCP55PXE) - High Definition Audio Controller

Storage:
IDE Controller Controlador Dual Channel PCI IDE padrão
IDE Controller NVIDIA nForce 590/570/550 Serial ATA Controller
IDE Controller NVIDIA nForce 590/570/550 Serial ATA Controller
IDE Controller NVIDIA nForce 590/570/550 Serial ATA Controller
Storage Controller SCSI/RAID Host Controller
Disk Drive Maxtor 6L200M0 (200 GB, 7200 RPM, SATA)
Disk Drive ST3120022A (120 GB, 7200 RPM, Ultra-ATA/100)
Optical Drive ASUS DRW-1814BLT (DVD+R9:8x, DVD-R9:8x, DVD+RW:18x/8x, DVD-RW:18x/6x, DVD-RAM:14x, DVD-ROM:16x, CD:48x/32x/48x DVD+RW/DVD-RW/DVD-RAM)
Optical Drive JX3725B VTG998R SCSI CdRom Device
SMART Hard Disks Status OK

Partitions:
C: (NTFS) 114463 MB (24976 MB free)
D: (NTFS) 143259 MB (27312 MB free)
H: (NTFS) 51215 MB (32591 MB free)
Total Size 301.7 GB (82.9 GB free)

Input:
Keyboard Teclado padrão de 101 ou 102 teclas ou Microsoft Natural PS/2
Mouse Rato compatível com HID

Network:
Primary IP Address 192.168.1.101
Primary MAC Address 00-04-4B-05-A7-00
Network Adapter Hamachi Network Interface (5.108.222.250)
Network Adapter NVIDIA nForce Networking Controller (192.168.1.101)

Peripherals:
Printer EPSON Stylus Photo R300 Series
Printer Microsoft Office Document Image Writer
FireWire Controller Texas Instruments TSB43AB22 1394A-2000 OHCI PHY/Link-Layer Controller (PHY: TI TSB41AB1/2)
USB1 Controller nVIDIA nForce 680i SLI (MCP55PXE) - OHCI USB 1.1 Controller
USB2 Controller nVIDIA nForce 680i SLI (MCP55PXE) - EHCI USB 2.0 Controller
USB Device CanoScan D646U #2
USB Device Dispositivo composto USB
USB Device Dispositivo USB de interface humana
USB Device Dispositivo USB de interface humana

DMI:
DMI BIOS Vendor Phoenix Technologies, LTD
DMI BIOS Version 6.00 PG
DMI System Manufacturer EVGA
DMI System Product 122-CK-NF68
DMI System Version 2
DMI System Serial Number 1
DMI System UUID CF4CA21A-064B0400-00000000-00000000
DMI Motherboard Manufacturer EVGA
DMI Motherboard Product 122-CK-NF68
DMI Motherboard Version 2
DMI Motherboard Serial Number 1
DMI Chassis Manufacturer EVGA
DMI Chassis Version 122-CK-NF68
DMI Chassis Serial Number
DMI Chassis Asset Tag
DMI Chassis Type Desktop Case
DMI Total / Free Memory Sockets 4 / 2

[bazeret]

Problem:
Sound doesn't work after intro movie.

Things I have tried:
Running the game in XP compatibility mode and 'Run and Administrator' - Results in various crashes
Running the game in DX9 mode with XP compatibility turned on - Crashes when trying to use vending machines

PC specs:
Vista 32 Bit
Core 2 Duo 6600
Realtek Onboard Sound (clearly the problem area)
2GB RAM
Nvidia GeForce 8800 GTX

Retail version of BioShock
i have exact same problem, if u find a cure could u plz let me know? cheers.

[Tech John]

If anyone has not tried this, i would recommend it. Its worth a try at least.

http://forums.2kgames.com/forums/showthread.php?t=13486

[speed10wing]

Have yul tried any of the suggestions on the thread to try and fix the issue?

If not please try this.

Right click on the game shortcut on the desktop and choose properties.
Then choose the "Compatibility" tab.
Check the box labeled "Run this program in compatibility mode for".
from the drop down menu please choose "Windows XP SP2".
Now apply the changes.
Right click on the shortcut for the game again and choose to run as admin.

If you do not have a shortcut on the desktop, navigate to the following and right click on the Bioshock.exe file.

Local Drive C:/Program Files/2K Games/Bioshock/Builds/Release

Cheers Tach }John I'll give it a whirl and see what happens; I'll try the reset of the sound settings too... ;)

[Wamboz]

Well, so far so good. Realtek 1.79 drivers seem to have fixed my missing sounds issue. Have only played for a few minutes but I definitely noticed a difference.

The 1.79 drivers didn't fix it for me. (I have the RealTek HD integrated sound on my MSI motherboard.) So apparently it's a **** shoot.

Playing in XP Compatibility mode did make the sound work (with the original RealTek drivers), but the game crashed every other time I went to save it. That got old fast. And anyway, playing in XP Compatibity mode is hardly a solution. If I wanted to play in XP with DX9, I wouldn't have bothered to upgrade my PC. I'm amazed at how often this work-around is suggested by support. It's silly.

Anyway, I ended up putting the Audigy 2 from out of my old PC into this one and disabling the on-board sound, and everything works fine now. From what I've rbeen reading, the Creative cards work. That's probably what the game was tested on.

This is obviously a major bug for some very common hardware. Hopefully this will be addressed in a patch soon. Such is the world of PC gaming.

[Punisher!|ITA]

It is incredible and unbelievable that this problem has still TO BE FIXED from 2KGames... I won't buy ANYMORE a 2KGames game.

[63Echo]

It is incredible and unbelievable that this problem has still TO BE FIXED from 2KGames... I won't buy ANYMORE a 2KGames game.

I agree with this. I'm very disappointed with how 2K has handled this.

I've had Bioshock since the day it came out, and a simple sound stuttering problem (which makes the game unplayable for me on either of my machines...the problem is addressed in a 19 page thread here: http://forums.2kgames.com/forums/showthread.php?t=5677) can't even be simply acknowledged by 2K.

Booo. I want my damn money back. All those 5 star reviews don't mean a thing to me since I can't play your game.

My desktop:

Vista Home Premiium (32 bit)
Athlon64 4000+
2 GB ram
GeForce7600GT (256mb)
Soundblaster Audigy LS (tried with onboard audio as well...same ****)

Laptop:

Vista Ultimate (32 bit)
Turion64 ML42
2 GB ram
GeForce Go 7900GS (512 mb)

[pjlambo]

Tried all the suggestions to run the game eg. DX9, XP mode all as administrator but no dice. Audio is there for the opening intro only and strangely enough in the hacking screen but for the rest of the game dead silence. I've tried messing around with all the sound options mono, stereo, 5.1 (which supports my sound set-up) etc. I have turned Reverb on and off. Since I'm not using a Creative Soundcard or on-board audio I have this option turned off. I have all three sound filters set to 10 (maximun) but no sound. Here's something interesting that I noticed. When I switched to 360 controller mode and went into audio options all three filters were set at zero. When I switched back to mouse/keyboard control they are set where I left that at 10. Here's another thing, when I turn on subtitles they don't while playing the game. I don't have any sound issues whatsoever in my other games both new and old.

Here's a short list of my specs. (PC is only 2 months old)

CPU:Intel Quad Core Q6600
MOBO:Asus P5N-E SLI (nforce 650i chipset)
MEMORY:4 GB DDR2 Kingston RAM
GPU:(1) EVGA GTX 8800 Video card
AUDIO: BOSE Companion 5 USB Speakers

[Procession]

Haven't read through this entire thread so sorry if this has already been mentioned, but try altering the max number of channels in the Default .ini file. (C:\Program Files\2K Games\BioShock\Builds\Release\Default .ini.

I opened it with Notepad++ (google it) and altered the maximum number of channels from 128 to 32 (listed under the [FMODAudio.FMODAudioSubsystem] heading) and blow me down if it didn't fix all my sound problems!

If you're still having probs, check this invaluable tweak guide out.
http://www.tweakguides.com/Bioshock_7.html

And I quote

As noted above, BioShock uses the FMOD audio engine, and not the generic OpenAL (ALAudio.ALAudioSubsystem) engine. Therefore only the settings under this section and audio-related options under the ShockGame.ShockUserSetting section further below affect the audio in the game.



MaxChannels=128



This option controls the maximum number of individual audio channels used for sound in BioShock. Almost all modern sound cards support at least 32 channels; Audigy series cards can support up to 64; X-Fi cards support up to 128. If you're having audio problems set this maximum to the maximum channels supported by your audio device, or a lower value such as 32 or even 16 if all else fails. This can reduce audio glitches and may improve performance, but if set too low will result in missing sound effects.



MaxStreams=8



BioShock uses a streaming audio system, and this setting appears to determine the maximum number of concurrent streams of audio which are possible at any time. Experimentation with this setting didn't show any real benefit, but if you find you're getting a lot of stuttering you might want to try lowering this value (e.g. to 4).



StreamBufferSize=256



This option determines the buffer size in KB for each audio stream. Buffering the audio before playback prevents skips and stutters. The default seems optimal, but if you find you have audio stuttering or skipping, or audio delays, try lowering this value this value, e.g. to 128, especially on systems with only 1GB of RAM.
Hope some of this helps.

[Calvino]

I think for everyone who has posted in this thread regarding sound problems, there are probably hundreds, maybe thousands of people who have sound issues but just lurk hoping a solution is to be found.

I've played though the game twice with no problems. I had an Abit AB9 Pro, Intel Core 2 Duo, an EVGA GTX 8800, 2 gigs of DDR2 Crucial memory, and a Razor Baracuda sound card. Operating system = XP.

Then I decided that I wanted to go SLI. So I picked up the Abit IN9 32Max, an Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600, an additional EVGA GTX 8800, and 4 gigs of Corsairs (2 x 2gb) DDR2 800 (PC2 6400). Still on XP. And that was the beginning of my adventure to make the sound work in Bioshock and the introduction to this thread.

Everything was fine and dandy until I stepped away from the computer and upon returning, I heard a high pitched....very nasty sound coming from my headphones. The sound card (the Razor Baracuda), being sandwiched in between two 8800 GTX's was being cooked and died an un-natural death. I popped it in another computer to make sure it was damaged and not something else and sure enough, it was a goner. I have a Thermaltake Armor case with lot's of fan's...I wish it had one on the side panel now as those video cards are toasty...anyway...

So, an external sound card was the solution. I picked up the USB Soundblaster Live SB0490 5.1, and guess what - It worked! Everything was great. And then, everything went to hell in a hay basket and I had the choppy sound..no sound etc that everyone else in this lengthy thread has posted. I didn't changed anything on my computer, it was a case of one day it worked and the next day it didn't. I'm a pretty rational, scientific guy so this just threw me for a loop.

I've literally tried everything posted as solutions in this thread and still no sound. I've pretty much have given up making the sound work until 2K gives us a clearer explantion and solution. The amount of time and frustration I've gone through the past week and a half is crazy. I had to make this post because, like I said, for everyone that does, there are probably multitudes that haven't and lurk hoping for a solution.

[OU812]

I spent the last week trying to solve the sound issues that are similar to what many of you are facing, where the game goes mute after the plane crash scene.

I'm running Vista 32 bit, and using a Asus P5K mobo with the on-board sound.

The .ini changes, reinstalling Realtek v 179 software, enabling/disabling EAX/REVERB etc did not work.

I finally got it to work by installng the OpenAL Installer for Windows (http://developer.creative.com/articles/article.asp?cat=1&sbcat=31&top=38&aid=46&file=oalinst.exe"), and enabling REVERB and EAX.

Give it a try and tell everyone if it works for you.

Thanks 2K Games for a lot of wasted time to solve this problem by ourselves.

[Punisher!|ITA]

I spent the last week trying to solve the sound issues that are similar to what many of you are facing, where the game goes mute after the plane crash scene.

I'm running Vista 32 bit, and using a Asus P5K mobo with the on-board sound.

The .ini changes, reinstalling Realtek v 179 software, enabling/disabling EAX/REVERB etc did not work.

I finally got it to work by installng the OpenAL Installer for Windows (http://developer.creative.com/articles/article.asp?cat=1&sbcat=31&top=38&aid=46&file=oalinst.exe"), and enabling REVERB and EAX.

Give it a try and tell everyone if it works for you.

Thanks 2K Games for a lot of wasted time to solve this problem by ourselves.


Yeah this works, but just with NOT-HD chip!!! What about us (millions)? :(

[Punisher!|ITA]

I mean just with HD chips! Sorry!!!

With RealTek AC '97 NOT-HD codec the problem is still unsolvable.

[yermaw20]

what i found

If you have a dual core AMD cpu you need to explore the contents of your bioshock disk and install the "AMD Dual Core Timing Fix" its the very first folder on the CD so it isnt hard to find.

secondsly u can try on the bioshock shortcut right click it go to compatability make sure it says microsoft xp service pack 2 or windows vista

also make sure that u rightclick and run as a adminastrator i done that and now my game works perfectly

hope it helps ya :)

[yermaw20]

if that dosent work run the game and go to sound options make sure u turn everything on and the little slider at the top slide it right to the end... then it shuld world:)

[freighttrain]

this is stupid.. been over month now and no news on when this damn patch is being released! I even asked for my refund and i never received a reply back from the tech!! FIX THE GAME... or REFUND. This is a ****ty way of doing business when so many people can't even use what they paid for!!!! :mad:

[nordicsnoopy]

ok, so I gave it a serious whirl last night and yet again the sounds started missing during battle sequences. It seems fine playing a few sounds, but get into a battle and it fails.

bioshock for the loss...

Just accept that 2K has chosen to remain silent and let the patch speak for itself. EVEN THOUGH WE MIGHT NOT BE ABLE TO HEAR IT SPEAKING.

[Sterozoid]

MSI P6N SLI-FI
Intel Core 2 Duo E6850
NVIDIA Geforce 8800 GTX
Sound on Board 7.1 - Channel HD Realtek ALC888

No sound in-game. It's freaking annoying. The game is out for almost 2 months and no fix yet? OMG WTF!?

[freighttrain]

To clarify my recent pissy comment!! Things I have done to fix the game and NONE worked!.

1. Game crashed on install when it's trying to get the old patch on auto-update! (only way to install was doing it on safe mode)
2. Obviously had the original 2x limit install which was pretty stupid
*3. Game has shuttering/popping sound through out the game. Not playable!
4. I've tried everything posted on forums and none fix this.
5. Tech support didn't even reply back, not even ... "We don't know how to fix this yet" no reply at all now over 2 months!
5. I purchased a new sound card (SB Audigy SE) thinking it was my on board Realtik card since that's what most ppl had... nope.. no change AT ALL.
6. Updated to VISTA (same problem)
7. Reinstall Vista with all updates/drivers (same problem)

That's a lot **** for me (customer) have to do to play a game that I paid for!!! it's been actually over 2 months now.. no patch... no updates and you guys are recruiting for a patch tester when this should have been done through your QA process??? this is why we "pay" for the game assuming this game has been tested fully and QA properly before a major release! Trying to make more money by releasing a game before other games coming out is good business idea but not a long term idea as I, personally will never buy a game from 2K again! (one customer you lost) I've never had this many problem with any games I ever had!

[CoolHandLuke]

Okay, this is weird. As recommended I right clicked on the Bioshock -MEC shortcut and seelcted "Windows XP" emulation mode. The game starts up and runs fine in Vista - I now have in game sound. The only problem is that it only runs at 1042x768 resolution on my 1680x1050 resolution widescreen on the upper left hand corner - so that I can still see my desktop in the remainder of the screen. Resetting the game resolution to 1680x1050 causes it to crash (Screen goes black).

I'm running Windows Vista 32bit on a Dell XPS, Dual Core 2.4 GHz Intel, 2GB Ram, GeForce 8600 GT, onboard SigmaTel sound.

Anybody have any suggestions?

[rk2]

when i downloded the demo on steam it had sound problems and all i had to do was turn of reverb and then it work fine so could we use the ini from the demo:confused:

[Sterozoid]

It's not only the sound you do not see any suntitles (except hints on environment objects) as well. Seems like whole subsystem failed to initialize and load into game.

[woodson]

so is there a patch for no sound on vista? :eek:

[Sterozoid]

Take a look at this http://www.fmod.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=9303&highlight=bioshock

Looks like we found the root cause now let's wait for the solution.

[Calvino]

Take a look at this http://www.fmod.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=9303&highlight=bioshock

Looks like we found the root cause now let's wait for the solution.

Hmmmm what about people using XP and still have problems....

[Sterozoid]

Hmmmm what about people using XP and still have problems....

Should be another problem? I have sound in XP _emulation_.

[Otreum]

Still no fix on this yet? oh my....what are you doing 2k?

Is there no fix for XP users, my dad is getting horrible sound loss during battle, it's really stupid.

[Dixxhead]

Hi guys,

I think I've found a fix for the no sound-issue on vista (without having to resort on backward-compatibility and therefore loosing DX10 capability).

All that I had to do was enable the "Stereomixing" unter the Recording devices and now I've got crystal clear sound coming from my Speakers (Realtek High Def Audio is the soundcard, btw.). Now not only does the game run smoother than in Backwardcompatibility, but also all of the Sound-bugs I had with that (e.g. Popping and scratching) seem to be gone...

Here's just a screen of where you have to enable that thing (sorry for the german):
http://img484.imageshack.us/img484/8158/howtozi7.th.jpg (http://img484.imageshack.us/my.php?image=howtozi7.jpg)
Follow the steps as in the Image: 1) right-click on the speaker-symbol in your tasktray (or find it in the control panel if you have disabled it) 2) Select Recording-devices. 3) Choose the "Stereomix" device from the list. 4) Click on properties. 5) Enable the device by clicking on the box and accept it all by clicking on "Ok"

6) Play this fantastic game with proper sound! :D

[tholus2000]

I have tried ALL the things and possible solutions mentioned in this thread.
No success.

Audio stops after intro.

Usual configuration seen in thousands of posts:
Vista+Realtek on asus motherboard (i have sent dxdiag to support: no reply so far)

I REALLY think 2k should release a patch SOON.

Otherwise here is another paying customer that will never buy a game from your esteemed company.....

[Dixxhead]

I have tried ALL the things and possible solutions mentioned in this thread.
No success.

Audio stops after intro.

Usual configuration seen in thousands of posts:
Vista+Realtek on asus motherboard (i have sent dxdiag to support: no reply so far)

I REALLY think 2k should release a patch SOON.

Otherwise here is another paying customer that will never buy a game from your esteemed company.....


Did you try the fix I posted above? Can't think of a reason why it would only work for me.

[tholus2000]

Did you try the fix I posted above? Can't think of a reason why it would only work for me.

Done..... no changes.

Thank you for the attempt.


(I am still wondering why spending money on original games when this is the support you receive......)

[tholus2000]

Can I ask to the moderator if (and when) a patch will be release for this sound problems on Vista?

Thanks

[iPablos]

Can I ask to the moderator if (and when) a patch will be release for this sound problems on Vista?

Thanks

me too... :(

[del3165]

Hi guys,

I think I've found a fix for the no sound-issue on vista (without having to resort on backward-compatibility and therefore loosing DX10 capability).

All that I had to do was enable the "Stereomixing" unter the Recording devices and now I've got crystal clear sound coming from my Speakers (Realtek High Def Audio is the soundcard, btw.). Now not only does the game run smoother than in Backwardcompatibility, but also all of the Sound-bugs I had with that (e.g. Popping and scratching) seem to be gone...

Here's just a screen of where you have to enable that thing (sorry for the german):
http://img484.imageshack.us/img484/8158/howtozi7.th.jpg (http://img484.imageshack.us/my.php?image=howtozi7.jpg)
Follow the steps as in the Image: 1) right-click on the speaker-symbol in your tasktray (or find it in the control panel if you have disabled it) 2) Select Recording-devices. 3) Choose the "Stereomix" device from the list. 4) Click on properties. 5) Enable the device by clicking on the box and accept it all by clicking on "Ok"

6) Play this fantastic game with proper sound! :D


Thanks that worked

[pjlambo]

I have an Asus mobo with built-in Realtek sound but I'm not using it. In fact it is disabled in BIOS. I have a set of very good USB speakers from BOSE, all my other games sound awesome on these except Bioshock which has no audio after the intro if I play it in Vista. Playing on XP, my least favorite option due to lack of DX-10, there are no sound issues but the game still crashes every now and then and this happens even after trying every Nvidia driver (beta and approved) released so far.

This game has been out over two months and still not a single sign of a patch. This is very poor support. In comparison another fine game "World in Conflict" only took two weeks for the first update to come out.

[Grandpa1676]

A lot of SNAP CRACKEL & POP you would think it's Rice Krispies ....LOL
I too have the Intel D875PBZ Mother Board with P4 3.2 Dual processor, ATI X1950 graphic card, and Sound Blaster Audigy SE EAX advanced HD sound card. 2GB ram need some advice to clean-up sound have performed everything the others have tried also.

[nordicsnoopy]

new r.180 drivers are out. Best of luck.

[juthys]

hello,

when there is a voice over, audio diary , radio, or even splicers saying things, other sounds, specialy guns are lower , flatter, and may as well disappear. i dont know if any of you noticed this relationship. and if it gives any idea to anyone

im on xp with soundmax hd audio


cheers

[nordicsnoopy]

new r.180 drivers are out. Best of luck.

ok so playing with 'stereo' option selected seems to work without sounds missing.

Playing in 7.1 mode has sounds missing in larger battles, especially when you have hacked some of the bots to help you, their helicopter sound and bullet sounds miss a lot.

closer but not yet.

[Apollyon]

Sorry for poor english...
First, comp specs:
AMD single core Athlon64-3500 (Soc939, 2.2GHz, Venice)
nForce3-250 mobo (EPoX)
2GB RAM
GeForce 7600GS 256MB AGP 8x (MSI)
Creative Audigy 2 ZS
Windows XP SP2

I had all this crackles, pops, loops etc.
Tried to update ForceWare, Creative drivers, use mobo-integrated Realtek sound instead of Audigy, edit Bioshock.ini, install latest OpenAL, disable acceleration in Windows sound recording settings, use low graphics settings in game. No luck. :(
Finally, I tried to increase PCI latency for Audigy 2 ZS from default value 32 to 64 (later changed to 96). And YES! - game's become playable!!
Now I've restored original values in Bioshock.ini, turned reverb and EAX to ON and all is still normal. I've walked from opening intro to Neptune's 'somewhat' (I'm playing localized version of the game :) ) with just 2 ot 3 little sound bugs.
XP (and XP64) users can search web for "PCI Latency Tool" and try to reproduce my experience...

[nogills]

i am a beta patch tester and i just tested it out. the patch fixes the sound issue completely.

[nogills]

NEVERMIND. it doesnt. GOD DMNIT!!!

[iPablos]

NEVERMIND. it doesnt. GOD DMNIT!!!

what??? it's a joke???
**** off :mad: :(

[pjlambo]

Will this patch fix the missing audio after the intro in Vista? What about crashing when playing the game in XP with High Detail Shaders turned on? The only way I get full audio in Vista is if I use the DX-9 switch in game explorer. If I try to play with DX-10 features turned on, there is no in-game audio except for the intro sequence.

Also why has so little been said about the subtitles being completely out of synch with the spoken speech in the game. It's terrible.

My lord pls. release a patch to fix these problems that should have been fixed before the freakin' game was released.

[Xantos]

Hey everyone,
got the same problem of crackles and I found a way to stop it...
I have just unactivated the sli from the nvidia control pannel, then no more problems about it.

The fact is that unactivating sli may appear to be a problem for frame rate...

I think I managed to find where's the problem may come from? So don't change anything about your sound card or anything else, it comes from graphic drivers!

my pc:

asus p5n32-e sli+ (I use the integrated sound card)
2 x 8800gtx sli
winxp sp2

[majmo]

whenever i try to edit any of the settings in the default.ini i keep getting an error message stating i cannot create that file and to check to make sure that the path and file name are correct.

[Optional]

I think i may have found a temporary fix that works most if not all of the time for sound dropping out in the middle of battles.

Basically, I took the default.ini from the bioshock demo and used it to replace the default.ini in the full bioshock \builds\release directory. Then, I went into the .ini file and put in '32' inside the 'maxchannels' line. It seems to be working alright for the moment, the dropout is much less noticeable, but it's still there.

Come on, 2k, patch this game as soon as you can please! :(

[Optional]

I think i may have found a temporary fix that works most if not all of the time for sound dropping out in the middle of battles.

Basically, I took the default.ini from the bioshock demo and used it to replace the default.ini in the full bioshock \builds\release directory. Then, I went into the .ini file and put in '32' inside the 'maxchannels' line. It seems to be working alright for the moment, the dropout is much less noticeable, but it's still there.

Come on, 2k, patch this game as soon as you can please! :(

I am a dirty, filthy liar. Just came back from a machinegun battle with a security bot. It's still ****.

I've got a Radeon HD 2600, a pentium 4 HT 3.2 Ghz, 2 gigs of ram, and a Soundblaster Live! 24 bit card. I'm running on windows XP SP2.

Pleeeease help. I've tried the default.ini fixes, turned EAX and Reverb off, tried changing my soundcard acceleration from basic to max and back again. I even installed the new sound card drivers and reinstalled my graphics card ones. The sound in the Bioshock demo are almost perfect, all I have to do is turn off reverb! I just don't get it!: :confused:

[Tech John]

I am a dirty, filthy liar. Just came back from a machinegun battle with a security bot. It's still ****.

I've got a Radeon HD 2600, a pentium 4 HT 3.2 Ghz, 2 gigs of ram, and a Soundblaster Live! 24 bit card. I'm running on windows XP SP2.

Pleeeease help. I've tried the default.ini fixes, turned EAX and Reverb off, tried changing my soundcard acceleration from basic to max and back again. I even installed the new sound card drivers and reinstalled my graphics card ones. The sound in the Bioshock demo are almost perfect, all I have to do is turn off reverb! I just don't get it!: :confused:

Are you using the Steam version or the retail DVD version?

[rk2]

i downloaded the steam demo of bioshock and the sound worked after i turnd off reverb and eax so the demo ini sound like a good idear (exscuse the pun):)

[Tech John]

i downloaded the steam demo of bioshock and the sound worked after i turnd off reverb and eax so the demo ini sound like a good idear (exscuse the pun):)

Thanks for the input.

[Sterozoid]

whenever i try to edit any of the settings in the default.ini i keep getting an error message stating i cannot create that file and to check to make sure that the path and file name are correct.

Fix permissions, you have no credentials to write in this file.

[MONSTER9]

the game was running great on XP then I go and upgrade to vista.

Now the game stutters, when the sound flickers on and off it also affects the movement of the game rendering it unplayable.

I tried the various fixes on this forum but with no success. boo hoo.

my machine
Operating System: Windows Vista™ Ultimate (6.0, Build 6000) (6000.vista_gdr.070627-1500)
Language: English (Regional Setting: English)
System Manufacturer: AWARD_
System Model: AWRDACPI
BIOS: Phoenix - AwardBIOS v6.00PG
Processor: AMD Athlon(tm) 64 Processor 3000+, ~2.0GHz
Memory: 2046MB RAM
Page File: 1025MB used, 3301MB available
Windows Dir: C:\Windows
DirectX Version: DirectX 10
DX Setup Parameters: Not found
DxDiag Version: 6.00.6000.16386 32bit Unicode

[Tech John]

the game was running great on XP then I go and upgrade to vista.

Now the game stutters, when the sound flickers on and off it also affects the movement of the game rendering it unplayable.

I tried the various fixes on this forum but with no success. boo hoo.

my machine
Operating System: Windows Vista™ Ultimate (6.0, Build 6000) (6000.vista_gdr.070627-1500)
Language: English (Regional Setting: English)
System Manufacturer: AWARD_
System Model: AWRDACPI
BIOS: Phoenix - AwardBIOS v6.00PG
Processor: AMD Athlon(tm) 64 Processor 3000+, ~2.0GHz
Memory: 2046MB RAM
Page File: 1025MB used, 3301MB available
Windows Dir: C:\Windows
DirectX Version: DirectX 10
DX Setup Parameters: Not found
DxDiag Version: 6.00.6000.16386 32bit Unicode

Could you list what you have tried to fix it. Just so i dont suggest anything that you have already tried.

[Optional]

YES! OH YES! SUCK IT DOWN, TECHNOLOGY!

All I had to do was disable hyperthreading in my BIOS! The loading times are ****, the textures take a lifetime to attach and I'm pretty sure that the physics will cause major slowdown, but it's more or less perfect now!

Thank you 2k, I've had to impede the performance of my entire PC just to get one piece of your crappy software to work!:D

[TruffleSnifferGB]

Reckon we have all been taken to the cleaners with this one mine is going trade in at Game . It sucks 2K should be in the dock under The Trades Description Act. GOODS NOT FIT FOR PURPOSE.:mad: :mad:

[NeonSurge]

Since purchasing Bioshock over 2 weeks ago I've been watching this thread with interest and if I'm honest, growing frustration.

First things first: Athlon XP 3400+, 2Gb RAM, Vista Ultimate, Nvidia 8600GTS, AC97 onboard audio.

Now, I'm one of the many suffering with terrible audio crackling, popping and distortion. Before anyone asks, I've tried EVERYTHING suggested in this thread so far and a lot more besides. I estimate I've spent 8-10 hours fiddling with config files, uninstalling and reinstalling every different version of audio and video drivers I can find, trying different combinations of versions, running in different compatibility modes and even running memory and process monitors in an attempt to identify where the problem lies. FWIW, I'm pretty sure it's an audio hardware initialization problem in the Bioshock code that no amount of playing with drivers and configuration is going to fix and an official patch is the only hope for me and the thousands of others experiencing this issue.

BTW, why do several of the config files seem to contain an awful lot of 2K internal comments? Just seems a tad unprofessional for all that stuff to be allowed into a public release. Just a thought.

Anyway, under normal circumstances I'd just write it all off to experience and avoid 2K products in the future but due to the time I've invested in this I want my forty quid back. Can I return the game to the shop from which I purchased it or is there an official returns procedure I need to follow?

[Para2normal]

Dunno about the official returns policy, but after three weeks of trying all the fixes mentioned I gave up and took it to a second hand games dealer where I got £5 for it, thanks a lot 2K...... remind me not to buy any of your material in future and don't expect me to reccomend either your company or the so called game of the year to my friends.
There is a truism in the catering industry about 1 complaint means 25 customers stay away, maybe you should listen a bit better to the people who pay your wages, thats us!

[captain_coffee]

Bought a new system just to play the game, I liked it so much (from playing on a friends working game :cool:

dual core athlon 5200+, vista 64, geforce 8800gts etc., etc

Like others no sound after the intro.

Certainly no need to post any more examples of this, clearly the issue is well known and I trust/hope they're working on a fix.

Folks, I will say though that there's no point harping on the developers. It's a complicated software project and working in that arena, I can tell you release dates are largely pushed by management and not the poor (obviously talented & capable) sods who are trying to put a stable project together, and now put together a fix for the issue.


Communication could be better, but since most of the posts here sound like whingeing children, whats the point? They're only going to be lambasted when they do post.


Sit down, take some Ritalin, and be patient. When it gets fixed you'll all be happy again (unless it doesnt get fixed, and even then, it aint the end of the natural world - blame all of us for our exhorbitant power consumption on video games for that ;)

For me, it'll be worth the wait.

-M (doesnt work for 2k or anything realted)

[NeonSurge]

captain_coffee, I do appreciate what you're saying. I'm a development team lead (financial and accounting systems) and while the work that we do is nowhere near as low-level as games development, it is frequently at least as complex and more mission-critical which means that QA is always at the top of my priorities. I also know exactly what it's like to work to ridiculously tight deadlines that are driven by market forces.

I will concede that game testing and QA is extremely difficult, especially on the PC platform where it's a constantly moving target in terms of hardware support and optimisation (despite DirectX and all that stuff). I really don't envy the guys at 2K and genuinely believe that from almost all angles, they did a fantastic job and Bioshock is a remarkable piece of software.

BUT... it's not as if the people posting in this thread have particularly exotic hardware components. For example, the Realtek AC'97 and HD audio chipsets are extremely common and I struggle to understand how the crackling and popping problem wasn't noticed during the first round of QA, bearing in mind that I (and many others more familiar with the hardware than I) believe that the problem lies in the Bioshock audio initialization code, not the drivers. The final straw for me was finding all those odd comments in the configuration files. That's just sloppy in my opinion and unfortunately suggests that the same sloppiness may exist in other, less immediately visible areas. It's entirely possible that a marketing drone somewhere said "we know there are problems, ship the bloody thing anyway" and if so, I've no doubt that the programmers and other technical people at 2K weren't happy but from a consumer's point of view that's irrelevant. What we've bought is a faulty product.

I don't mind having to update drivers and change configuration settings if it fixes the problem - that's the price you sometimes have to pay for being a PC gamer. However, I suspect that all of the "have you tried this....?" advice that's coming from 2K is just stalling tactics while they work on the patch. I'd be less annoyed about this if they'd just been honest and said "Yup, the audio initialization is bust. Sorry about that, we're working on it."

I realise that I've made some technical assumptions here that may be off the mark but based on all of the available evidence I don't believe I've said anything that's unfair.

[captain_coffee]

Neon, you're right, I'm just tired of wading through a bunch of (not referring to anyone in particular) childish 'threats' to get to real info. People should say their piece and be done, though with little response from 2k, the frustration is understandable.

Still though it would be interesting to see the # of happy customers (xbox, pc) vs. the # of troubled ones - I think the developers still don't deserve a thrashing for what the company probably considers a 'corner case' considering the broader achievement.

A fix is the only real way out here, otherwise the complaints are justified - I hope it happens soon.

I'll quietly sit and wait for an official response - not the first time I would have bought a dud though.

-M

p.s. just tried out the crysis demo on my 'new' system - it just barely runs! that thing is a hog - apparently they're recommending quad core..

[pjlambo]

In Gamespots glowing review of this game they pointed out there was a problem with the audio not working on some of their test systems. That should have been a red flag to alot of people. Myself like others, chose to ignore it and wound up with the same problem.

In XP with the latest Nvidia beta driver (not the new one for Crysis) the game runs perfectly but that is XP so until a patch finally comes out I won't be able to experience this game in all it's DX-10 graphical glory on my brand new Quad Core PC with 4 GIGS of RAM and a GTX 8800 card that is barely 2 months old.

[Metalking]

well i have the sound popping and crackling issue too. but i don't consider the ac97 onboard sound to be the problem. its a incompatibilty with single core amd's 64 / vista and bioshock. i can't find a solution tho

i remember that there was a driver for amd cpu's for win xp , but none there is for vista.

btw there are similar problems with the latest crysis demo too. dunno why but amd single cores really have a major prob with vista. its a shame cause my overclocked fx57 is a beast when it comes down to gaming.

gotta stick to choppy intel dual / quad core cpus then ;C

[BS_Modify]

Yeah Crysis demo's sound is **** for me too. I don't think it's fixable short of replacing the motherboard, honestly. Well we'd know if that patch is ever released, but I have a feeling it won't be for a long long time yet.

[pjlambo]

Well guys I have a Quad Core so called-choppy CPU that I got with my new PC just over two months ago. I haven't tried the Crysis demo yet but I heard it practically begs for a Quad Core. So you see this CPU isn't exempt from problems in Bioshock related to sound in Vista. I can't even get the game to run in DX-9 or XP mode inside of Vista with sound after the opening intro movie. Till this patch comes out I'm forced to play the game in XP mode which means no DX10 effects. This problem is the reason I was forced to adopt a dual OS boot-up on my PC. It's a pitty these DirectX 10 games didn't come out a year later from after they had a full year to work out Vista issues.

[nordicsnoopy]

crysis demo didn't just work, it worked perfectly.

glorious 7.1, no settings needed. It just worked.

[Stray_Cat_Strut]

So not sure if I have the same stuff as others.

It all starts to go wrong when I go to load up a saved game, then after about 1 cycle, the popping starts and then next time around (sound of waves crashing that is) the popping starts and then we get into a weird delay thing where the sound starts echoing.

I actually (in my Homer moment) thought it was part of the prog given it was underwater - wondered if they had tried to be clever.

That was until the character voices pop and crackle and stutter badly.

Have tried most things that other have suggested although still cannot get it to work.

My Diag is:


------------------
System Information
------------------
Time of this report: 10/29/2007, 16:51:38
Machine name: X-5F9B03FB79694
Operating System: Windows XP Professional (5.1, Build 2600) Service Pack 2 (2600.xpsp_sp2_gdr.070227-2254)
Language: English (Regional Setting: English)
System Manufacturer: INTEL_
System Model: D945GTP_
BIOS: Default System BIOS
Processor: Intel(R) Pentium(R) 4 CPU 3.06GHz
Memory: 2046MB RAM
Page File: 580MB used, 3357MB available
Windows Dir: C:\WINDOWS
DirectX Version: DirectX 9.0c (4.09.0000.0904)
DX Setup Parameters: Not found
DxDiag Version: 5.03.2600.2180 32bit Unicode

------------
DxDiag Notes
------------
DirectX Files Tab: No problems found.
Display Tab 1: No problems found.
Sound Tab 1: No problems found.
Sound Tab 2: No problems found.
Music Tab: No problems found.
Input Tab: No problems found.
Network Tab: No problems found.

--------------------
DirectX Debug Levels
--------------------
Direct3D: 0/4 (n/a)
DirectDraw: 0/4 (retail)
DirectInput: 0/5 (n/a)
DirectMusic: 0/5 (n/a)
DirectPlay: 0/9 (retail)
DirectSound: 0/5 (retail)
DirectShow: 0/6 (retail)

---------------
Display Devices
---------------
Card name: Radeon X1300/X1550 Series
Manufacturer: ATI Technologies Inc.
Chip type: ATI Radeon Graphics Processor (0x7146)
DAC type: Internal DAC(400MHz)
Device Key: Enum\PCI\VEN_1002&DEV_7146&SUBSYS_0840174B&REV_00
Display Memory: 512.0 MB
Current Mode: 1024 x 768 (32 bit) (75Hz)
Monitor: Plug and Play Monitor
Monitor Max Res: 1600,1200
Driver Name: ati2dvag.dll
Driver Version: 6.14.0010.6727 (English)
DDI Version: 9 (or higher)
Driver Attributes: Final Retail
Driver Date/Size: 9/29/2007 03:06:18, 268800 bytes
WHQL Logo'd: Yes
WHQL Date Stamp: n/a
VDD: n/a
Mini VDD: ati2mtag.sys
Mini VDD Date: 9/29/2007 03:06:00, 2456064 bytes
Device Identifier: {D7B71EE2-3206-11CF-BC6E-4A28A1C2CB35}
Vendor ID: 0x1002
Device ID: 0x7146
SubSys ID: 0x0840174B
Revision ID: 0x0000
Revision ID: 0x0000
Video Accel: ModeMPEG2_C ModeMPEG2_D ModeWMV8_B ModeWMV8_A ModeWMV9_B ModeWMV9_A
Deinterlace Caps: {6E8329FF-B642-418B-BCF0-BCB6591E255F}: Format(In/Out)=(YUY2,YUY2) Frames(Prev/Fwd/Back)=(0,0,1) Caps=VideoProcess_YUV2RGB VideoProcess_StretchX VideoProcess_StretchY DeinterlaceTech_PixelAdaptive
{335AA36E-7884-43A4-9C91-7F87FAF3E37E}: Format(In/Out)=(YUY2,YUY2) Frames(Prev/Fwd/Back)=(0,0,0) Caps=VideoProcess_YUV2RGB VideoProcess_StretchX VideoProcess_StretchY DeinterlaceTech_BOBVerticalStretch
{552C0DAD-CCBC-420B-83C8-74943CF9F1A6}: Format(In/Out)=(NV12,0x3231564e) Frames(Prev/Fwd/Back)=(0,0,2) Caps=VideoProcess_YUV2RGB VideoProcess_StretchX VideoProcess_StretchY DeinterlaceTech_PixelAdaptive
{6E8329FF-B642-418B-BCF0-BCB6591E255F}: Format(In/Out)=(NV12,0x3231564e) Frames(Prev/Fwd/Back)=(0,0,1) Caps=VideoProcess_YUV2RGB VideoProcess_StretchX VideoProcess_StretchY DeinterlaceTech_PixelAdaptive
{335AA36E-7884-43A4-9C91-7F87FAF3E37E}: Format(In/Out)=(NV12,0x3231564e) Frames(Prev/Fwd/Back)=(0,0,0) Caps=VideoProcess_YUV2RGB VideoProcess_StretchX VideoProcess_StretchY DeinterlaceTech_BOBVerticalStretch
Registry: OK
DDraw Status: Enabled
D3D Status: Enabled
AGP Status: Enabled
DDraw Test Result: Not run
D3D7 Test Result: Not run
D3D8 Test Result: Not run
D3D9 Test Result: Not run

-------------
Sound Devices
-------------
Description: SigmaTel Audio
Default Sound Playback: Yes
Default Voice Playback: Yes
Hardware ID: HDAUDIO\FUNC_01&VEN_8384&DEV_7680&SUBSYS_80860606&REV_1032
Manufacturer ID: 1
Product ID: 100
Type: WDM
Driver Name: sthda.sys
Driver Version: 5.10.4825.0000 (English)
Driver Attributes: Final Retail
WHQL Logo'd: Yes
Date and Size: 11/17/2005 13:40:46, 1076472 bytes
Other Files:
Driver Provider: SigmaTel
HW Accel Level: Standard