Prompted for activation again

[fatcat1111]

I bought BioShock about three weeks ago. After fighting with it to "activate" I was, after several frustrating hours, successful. It has been fun to play since.

Tonight I open the game, and I'm again prompted to enter my serial number. Wtf. I am over at my girlfriend's place tonight, and it turns out that I don't travel with all of my serial numbers with me, so I am apparently locked out. Somehow I doubt that re-entering the serial number after I get home will actually make it work.

To be clear, I haven't changed my hardware configuration, nor have I reinstalled my OS since yesterday when I last played, not that any of that should really prevent me from using the software that I purchased.

I paid good money for this game and I am tired of being treated like a criminal.

2K, this is the last game that I ever buy from you.

[fatcat1111]

It just occurred to me that the one change I have made to my system since yesterday was installation of Spore, which also uses SecuROM. Indeed, several of the files in my %UserProfile%\AppData\Roaming\SecuROM\UserData directory have mod dates from this morning, when I installed it. Could these files have overwritten my Bioshock authentication files?

[japester]

I'd like to try and help you, but that bridge you set on fire is still smoldering....



FYI, a lot of us here are volunteers. We offer our time to try and help other gamers. And when you come in with a dumb, insulting poll and a post that says you are done with 2K for good, it makes you look pretty darn petulant when you turn around and ask for help. That kind of attitude won't get you far in life, chum.

[headkase]

@fatcat1111: Sorry you're having issues. No system is perfect and we wish that people could always play the games they put their hard-earned money down for. japester is right, however frustrated you may be please still try to act in a civilized manner. Looking through your computer screen there are people on the other side of the text. Hopefully when you do have access to your product key again re-entering it will resolve the issue.

BTW, check out the this: Post as I'm really hoping this is a real and solid alternative protection method that could satisfy the vast majority of cases!!! Constructive and critical comments are most welcome there for the purpose of improvement!

[fatcat1111]

Japester, Headkase, and all the other volunteers out there helping 2K - my message is not for you. It is very generous of you to give up your time and effort filling in for 2K's absent tech support. My message, born of real frustration, is for the people who have my money.

You're right, I am petulant. I am contemptuous. Had I paid an equal amount of money for a dinner at a restaurant and then been treated like a criminal by the staff I would be equally upset.

Really I'm not even looking for help, though I deserve it from the people who sold me the game. I've read the posts on this forum and others regarding this problem and I doubt anybody is capable of suddenly providing a solution. I've seen 2K's tech support in action, and would be surprised if anyone in the company even reads my post.

I posted here on the off chance that someone in the company does read the forums though, and further that they would seriously consider what this means to me and tens of thousands of other customers hurt by this behavior, and further that they would escalate this to somebody in the company that could make a decision regarding this, and further that said decision maker would actually care rather than just shrug if off, saying they already have the money. I know this is a long shot.

[japester]

Let me say that I do appreciate your reply. And I understand your frustration. I never had any issues with my PC version of BioShock. The security measures always worked invisibly and never inconvenienced me. If they had, I'm sure my perception would be somewhat different.

The problem with the "don't treat me like a criminal" mantra is that it's unfair to apply it solely to videogames. Security measures are everywhere. I don't know how many times I've been stopped by security while leaving a department store because their scanners went off by accident. I was detained, and I was asked to show my receipt. It was a glitch, and it wasn't anything personal. I wished it didn't happen, as it was an inconvenience (and embarrassing), but I understand the system is in place because of shoplifting. No, it doesn't stop a determined thief, but it does cut down on casual theft. So, too, with DRM. Headkase, who is very knowledgeable, is trying to start a reasoned conversation about a compromise that might please both users, who want transparent security, and software companies, who want to curb rampant theft of their intellectual property. Feel free to weigh in with some ideas.

Let us know if you were able to reactivate your game.

2K does read these boards with great regularity (you can see the employees in the Who's Online list down below), and 2K Elizabeth is always answering questions to the best of her knowledge.

[fatcat1111]

One of the first things I did after returning home was to dig through my filing cabinet for my game manual. I tried launching it again, was prompted to "activate" it as expected, typed in my serial from the back of the manual, and was told that my serial number is invalid.

I tried typing my serial three times. I'm looking at the page that it is printed on right now, and comparing it character by character to what I've typed in. They are identical. Still, I cannot play my game. I've sent mail according to the directions on the "Activation Falied" form, and I'll chime in on the thread if I ever hear back.

For the past 14 years I have been a professional software developer, from start-ups to the biggest names, from assembly code to language design. I understand software piracy in a way that most don't - in my wallet. So believe me when I say I understand where software houses and publishers are coming from in wanting to get paid for their hard work.

That said, after I have given them my money I should be able to use my software without their continued and repeated permission to do so. Yet even that point is moot, because I am unable to get their permission, because of a half-baked activation scheme slapped on top of this game.

They put thousands of man-hours in to an amazing graphics front end, a deeply engaging story that I have been retelling to my sister (a literary fiction editor), believable AI (I believe that is the highest compliment regarding AI), stunning models and art, brilliant music (did I hear Django Reinhart?!), and thoughtful game mechanics. Then the publisher ruins the experience by tying it to a buggy, ill-conceived DRM loader that leaves people who understand this stuff shake their heads and people harmed by it fuming.

My earlier analogy regarding being treated like a criminal was not a good one. Because I am deprived of my property (well, given that I purchased a license to run the software, I should say that I am deprived of my rights, but that sounds a bit strong despite being technically true) it is worse than that: I have been presumed guilty rather than innocent.

Were I not somebody whose livelihood depends on software sales I would have downloaded a cracked version by now. I would feel justified in doing so, as I have paid for something that has been wrongfully removed from me. I personally cannot engage in such behavior, but I'm sure that I am in the minority.

[headkase]

You're right despite the best of intentions the protection has failed you. So, if you're interested I could really use your help - come on over to the: Grassroots Bioshock 2 DRM Discussion Thread and help us (the contributors to that thread so far) prevent this from happening to someone else again for future products. You're a professional, you can point out all the spots where I'm being an idiot!

I'm also sorry for you but cannot magically make it work.

Edit: I don't know a lot about how SecuROM works internally but as you mentioned in the previous post Bioshock ceased to be activated when you installed Spore which also uses SecuROM. That would logically point the finger at some conflict that was caused in SecuROM. So maybe contacting SecuROM and not letting them put you onto the hamster-wheel of referring back and forth with 2K instead asking them specifically if there is any way you can - knowing what you're doing - go into the registry or wherever SecuROM stores its credentials and reinitialize the key for Bioshock itself. Best case this would make it go after putting in your product-key one more time, worst case you're at where you are now.

[fatcat1111]

I discovered the root of my the SecuROM failures: Playing Spore. In repeated tests I was able to verify that every time Spore is launched, the next time Bioshock is launched the user is prompted for their serial number. Subsequent launches of Bioshock do not cause the prompt, until Spore is launched again.

Using some tools from System Internals I found that when either Bioshock or Spore (both of which use SecuROM) is launched they read and modify files in C:\Users\%USER%\AppData\Roaming\SecuROM\UserData. Apparently they are stepping on each other's data. Perhaps the people that make SecuROM didn't consider a user installing more than one game on their system.

[FtRapture]

Aside from coming here, did you actually attempt to contact 2k tech support or Securom tech support?

They both have means of contact, since you mentioned lack of support I was wondering what they said when you called? just an evil laugh and hang up? Or in Securom's case a blank email with lol at the bottom?

[fatcat1111]

I mailed 2K support and received only an auto-reply back. Never spoke with a person.

I mailed SecuROM (after figuring out that they were at fault), and received an email in reply directing me to their support website.