Will there be CO-OP

[B1g Boom]

Alot of games on the Xbox 360 have online split screen or Lan Co-op options I was wandering if Bio Shock would have this as well

[Da Bubs]

nope, no multiplayer. none whatsoever

[B1g Boom]

nope, no multiplayer. none whatsoever

know that for a fact :confused:

[Newbeing]

Yup. 100% no MP at all.

[jackinthebox]

Will there be multiplayer or online gaming in BioShock?
There will be no multiplayer (hold on before you complain!!!!) but for a very specific reason. BioShock features a compelling storyline that revolves around the experiences of one man as he enters the decaying world of Rapture. Having a multiplayer component would have compromised the story we were trying to tell so we made the decision to keep this game as a single player experience. There will be an online component, however, where new content can be downloaded.

you can read this at the Cult of Rapture COMMUNITY Q&A (http://www.2kgames.com/cultofrapture/qa1.htm)

[Epiphany4004]

I realize that the creators do not want to compromise the story and its single player experience, but do you/they realize how many gamers are waiting for an amazing cooperative experience? I know that this is constantly compared to System Shock 2, but the fear effect was not compromised by having 1-3 other players with you (when the mod was installed). In fact, my friends and I loved playing the game even more because we could play through an awesome FPS storyline (a good one at that) with other people. That is something that we have not found comparably in any other game. What would be the harm in offerring for a cooperative option for those who want to play cooperatively? Let the user decide whether they want to damage their effect.

[LowEnergyCycle]

What would be the harm in offerring for a cooperative option for those who want to play cooperatively? Let the user decide whether they want to damage their effect.

A fair point, but since the focus of Bioshock has always been a totally immersive single-player experience, let them focus on getting that part right before dedicating any time what-so-ever to making a secondary function like co-op work properly.

And even if the devs don't provide it, if the tools are released to the community (it is based on Unreal3 technology, so it isn't too hard to imagine), it will only be a matter of time before somebody hacks together a rudimentary co-op mode.

So to answer the topic question: Yes, in one way or another, I guess there will be co-op. So does this question need to ever be asked again?

[witch]

A fair point, but since the focus of Bioshock has always been a totally immersive single-player experience, let them focus on getting that part right before dedicating any time what-so-ever to making a secondary function like co-op work properly.

And even if the devs don't provide it, if the tools are released to the community (it is based on Unreal3 technology, so it isn't too hard to imagine), it will only be a matter of time before somebody hacks together a rudimentary co-op mode.

So to answer the topic question: Yes, in one way or another, I guess there will be co-op. So does this question need to ever be asked again?

No, :D, but some one's going to ask, it's the way of the Internet and inquisitive gamers. I'd love Co-Op, after I beat the game it would be great to have a buddy and team up against the world of Rapture.

[pn18]

I totally agree with lowenergy:)

[v.dog]

Alot of games on the Xbox 360 have online split screen or Lan Co-op options I was wandering if Bio Shock would have this as well
And even if the devs don't provide it, if the tools are released to the community (it is based on Unreal3 technology, so it isn't too hard to imagine), it will only be a matter of time before somebody hacks together a rudimentary co-op mode.A qualifying statement: MS's Xbox Live QA means there will never be a fan made Co-op mod on the 360. The only way it could happen is if Irrational put it together themselves, ala SS2.

It may happen, but don't hold your breath, Bx is big enough project has it is. With August looming (on a six year project five months is a very short time), Irrational have more than enough on their plate already. Let them do what they are doing, and get it right. It's better to have a polished single player experience than to have both SP and MP modes that are full of bugs.

[LowEnergyCycle]

No, :D, but some one's going to ask, it's the way of the Internet and inquisitive gamers.
This has to be at least the 30th time I've seen the ol' Co-Op question in some forum or another... I'm sure it's been asked around these parts twice now.
Aah well.:rolleyes:

A qualifying statement: MS's Xbox Live QA means there will never be a fan made Co-op mod on the 360. The only way it could happen is if Irrational put it together themselves, ala SS2.
I don't yern for Co-Op in Bioshock too much, but I was kinda hoping for Xbox-Live and it's much-talked-about XNA service to provide a platform for fan-made modifications just like the PC has enjoyed for so long. I'm still not sure why this hasn't happened - perhaps the Microsoft Money Vultures are keeping the spirit of the freeware mod-scene firmly squashed under their expensive size 10s with all this subscription malarkey. If I'm not mistaken, they also charge a fee to publish XNA programs for the 360 on XBL.
I think if developers support it, and MS learn to realise that they have enough money already, a facility of fan-made mods on XBL would be a Really Good Idea.

[v.dog]

Money is a part of it, yes, but like I said it's also a QA issue. Unlike the internet, XbL is a MS service. MS has to set standards and maintain them, as it's got their name and reputation on it. If things go pear shaped as the result of some third-party content, they are the ones who have to deal with the mess and possible litigation.

For that reason, you'll never see mods or unlicenced content on XbL.

If you want to mod Bx, get the PC version.

[LowEnergyCycle]

Money is a part of it, yes, but like I said it's also a QA issue. Unlike the internet, XbL is a MS service. MS has to set standards and maintain them, as it's got their name and reputation on it. If things go pear shaped as the result of some third-party content, they are the ones who have to deal with the mess and possible litigation.

For that reason, you'll never see mods or unlicenced content on XbL.

If you want to mod Bx, get the PC version.
So you don't think there will ever be a future in user-created mods through XBL, or any bespoke digital distribution service?
I can see your point regarding the QA side of things, and I can imagine exactly why MS would want to avoid a Hot Coffee-style fiasco.
But what if a compromise was met where user-mods were vetted for inappropriate content, or even placed into seperate age-rating brackets? If they had to pass through an official channel first before they were let lose on XBL, disasters like Hot Coffee can be avoided. A similar process must happen with mods released via Steam, and that seems to work out fine.
I would hate to see a future where something as brilliant as the user-mod community is solely limited to the realm of the PC platform. It has become a huge feature of gaming over recent years and is responsible for extending the play-life of many many games. It allows for some truely unique ideas that would never get the green light elsewhere. It also gives us, the audience, a chance to customise our own experiences even further. For example: Don't like a lack of Co-Op mode? Then make your own!
With digital distribution services like XBL growing in strength, I see no reason not to at least consider some solutions to the problems behind the idea.

[D'Sparil]

Ya, withouts mods I wouldn't have been playing my favorite love to hate game all these years: Counter-Strike. Which, as a good example, got so popular that it took off on its own.

[LowEnergyCycle]

^^ Exactly. Some guys are bored of playing usual deathmatch modes so they put together what soon becomes the most popular multi-player game since the begining of time itself. It is played, and loved by millions.

So it just seems silly to me that user-mods are still limited strictly to the PC.

[witch]

Yeah, it seems pretty odd, I understand the whole licensing thing and maintaining your online service integrity but it would still be great, :D Hard drive size really isn't a problem anymore since the ps3 has a 60gb (I'm sure MS will release a similar upgrade for the 360).

[v.dog]

Mods have ended up on digital distribution systems: Counter Strike, Red Orchestra, and Garry's Mod are all on Steam. To get there though, they had to become licenced, and since that costs money, you now have to pay for them.

The other problem for console modding, is that you can't just whip up a mod on a PC and port it over. You need a Developer's Kit for your console, and they're not cheap.

[LowEnergyCycle]

Mods have ended up on digital distribution systems: Counter Strike, Red Orchestra, and Garry's Mod are all on Steam. To get there though, they had to become licenced, and since that costs money, you now have to pay for them.

The other problem for console modding, is that you can't just whip up a mod on a PC and port it over. You need a Developer's Kit for your console, and they're not cheap.
As I understood it (although it's been a while since I was last connected to Steam), many HL2 mods were available for free. I know Garry's Mod now comes at a price, but there certainly was a time where new maps, mods and content could be taken straight from the Steam front-end for no cost at all. So why couldn't this work for XBL?

The requirement for a devkit is a given, but the freely downloadable XNA software suite, a PC, an Xbox360 and its included network cable effectivley is a devkit. Sure, it would require developer support from the start (they'd no doubt have to develop games exclusively using XNA for example) in order for the whole modding proccess to work, but the framework is kinda there already.

In my opinion, there's no solid reason why the PC crowd should be the only ones to enjoy user-created content. There's just a couple minor hurdles to jump over, is all.

[Banis]

Hi everibody

I have read lots of times on the forums that will not be a multiplayer on bioshock and most off ppl seems to agree because that will screw up the main history but i dont think so.

I think that rapture became a ruin because of some kind of war that hapened some time ago before the player comes into action, then why there cant be a multiplayer were you play as one of the Rapture citizens wen that "war" started?

Im not talking about some deathmacht or capture the flag im talking about making missions that would have happened during the war that destroyed rapture, players will fight in one of the sides angainst the computer (NPC) in cooperative misions (such as hack some info from a computer or sneak into a lab to rescue a litle sister before she becomes a container) and wen u end then u get reward to buy weapons equipment or plasmids.

This multiplayer could be released some time afther the main game (so all play the main game to know the history and then play the history) as some expansion set.

I hope everibody understood me because mi english is not pretty good, thanks and bye.

[Irrational_Alexx]

I realize that the creators do not want to compromise the story and its single player experience, but do you/they realize how many gamers are waiting for an amazing cooperative experience? ... What would be the harm in offerring for a cooperative option for those who want to play cooperatively?

Once upon a time, a developer said, "Let's put co-op into our game! It'll be easy! All we have to do is make it just like the single-player game, only with multiple people!" And the gods looked down and laughed. But the developer's friends believed him at the time, and went forward with that design. Several man-years of effort and thousands of bugs later, it didn't look nearly so easy, but it was too late to stop by then...

Seriously, the simple answer to "Why no co-op?" is "resources". Doing co-op would take a huge amount of time, money, and manpower. Implementing co-op would inevitably compromise the single player experience, simply by virtue of our having less resources to spend getting that part of the game right.

We have nothing against co-op here, and many of us really enjoy it. I'm having a blast playing Lego Star Wars II with friends, for example. But that's a game that was built to be Co-op from the concept up, and BioShock wasn't.

Alexx Kay, Designer, Irrational Games

[Rapture_Tourist]

Thanks for the confirmation, Alexx!

I think it underlines what most of us said about the Co-op in the general discussions.