The Customer is Always Wrong: How DRM Ruins PC Gaming
Locked up Tighter than Guantanamo Bay!
During the Steam summer sale, my girlfriend knowing that I’d enjoyed the first game, gifted me a copy of Bioshock 2. For $15 it seemed like a steal! Little did she know the hoops that I’d have to jump through just to get this legally purchased game running.
What follows is a painful overview of the steps I had to follow just to play the single player campaign with running commentary on each step.
1. Download the game through Steam.
So far, so good.
2. Install.
I don’t see why Steam needs to install DirectX for the umpteenth time, but okay whatever…
3. Securom activation.
Hmm, now this is new. I suppose this is the CD-key check. Key entered, validated, it looks like we’re good to go!
4. Alright, game time!
Bioshock 2 requires a Games For Windows Live ® account.
But, I only want to play the single player now and I’m already using Steam; another form of DRM!
Tough luck buddy…
5. Create Games For Windows Live ® account.
Well this isn’t so bad. I can use my hotmail account.
6. Bind product key to your Games For Windows Live account ®
Are you kidding me? I need to enter the CD-key again? Fine, whatever. Can I play now?
7. Update Games For Windows Live ®
Yeah… I saw that one coming.
8. Woohoo! Let’s play!
Games For Windows Live ® requires you exit the game so it can finish the update process.
Seriously!?
*insert expletive*
9. Restart Bioshock2, Sign into Games For Windows Live ®
Alright Rapture, here I come!
10. Games For Windows Live ® found an update for Bioshock 2, you need to exit the game to finish installing the patch.
*exasperated sigh*
11. Restart Bioshock2, Sign into Games For Windows Live ®
… *groan*
12. We’re sorry, but this Games For Windows Live ® account doesn’t have an associated GamerTag™
That’s cool, I only want to play the single player for now.
You still need a GamerTag™
What is this XBOX Live? I’m gaming on the PC! Whatever! FINE! I’ll MAKE YOUR STUPID TAG!
13. Create Games For Windows Live/Xbox Live GamerTag™
I’ll just use the name I use on PSN and Steam 
14. Name taken.
Bah! *adds a space*
15. Name taken.
*adds spaces between each word*
16. Name taken.
*removes spaces, changes ’s’ to a horribly lame ‘z’*
17. Name *still* taken.
GRR!! *changes name to atrocious spelling, looking like the username of someone with a 3rd grade education level.*
18. Name available!
*Bangs head off desk*
*disheartened sigh*
19. Meanwhile, in Bioshock 2…
Bioshock 2 has encountered a fatal error and needs to be closed.
*struggles to make the Windows Task Manager terminate the process and not just repeat the error dialog*
20. Restart Bioshock2, Sign into Games For Windows Live ®
Oh my god, I can FINALLY play!
Or so I thought …
I spent the next couple hours trying to resolve a graphics issue that seems to be common to games using Unreal Engine 3. As primarily a PC gamer, I hate to say this but, if you want to avoid this arduous process then go for the console version.
With that having been said, after I finally got the game playable, it’s been really fun. I’m enjoying it even more then the first game.
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Now that was an entertaining read! PC’s DRM are a big pain in the ass. And this is a great example of how. Forcing people to do that much to play a game is ridiculous
Sorry it ended up being so complicated. I had no idea there was so much crap involved with some PC games. This would be why I am a console fangirl.
The install process put me off playing the game for a day or so. It killed my enthusiasm. After around step 6, I figured it was getting ridiculous enough to write about
I think their trying to kill off PC gaming, or their possibly trying to push it back into a platform that consists of only games like Solitaire, Mine-sweeper, Peggle, etc! If I’m wrong then perhaps they will find away to streamline this process, or find a alternative to the DRM nonsense…
ha ha just buy a console and none of that is an issue
it auto updates when you go online
no linking anything to anything else
no cd keys
pc gaming is dead
I know this thread is old but you forgot the part where your pc automatically just reboots without any warning after one of the updates. And if you were say…taking a break from doing your taxes to play a level of a game and had that happen it would really upset you. The only other thing just as upsetting is thinking that the whole windows live thing was only for multiplaying and ignoring it and going about playing for 3 hours ..not seeing where to save and figuring the game must just level save. Then starting it up again and finding out you have to start all over. That is why the game I spent 3 hours playing is sitting collecting dust on my desk and why I have never bought another windows game since despite buying plenty of the microsoft games prior. I hope their business model is generating tons of cash for them…I do not care. I can live without a game no matter how cool it supposedly is if they are going to treat me that way.