BioShock 2 MP Details: No LAN or Dedicated Servers

There's a BioShock 2 Multiplayer and Matchmaking Q&A on The Cult of Rapture as 2K Games interrogates itself about plans for multiplayer support for the underwater shooter sequel. They describe how there is no distinction between ranked and unranked gameplay, discuss dealing with griefers, and outline systems that will allow you to stay buddied up with a group of friends. They also explain that the game will not support dedicated servers or LAN, saying this is due to time considerations:
Do you support LAN play on consoles or PC? Do you support dedicated servers?
Short answer, no and no. There is always a finite amount of time for the development of a game. Bringing Multiplayer to BioShock was a daunting task between the tech (there was no multiplayer support in the codebase from the first game) and the expectations of the community. Either you try to do everything and so nothing feels finished or you focus your efforts to do a smaller number of things really well like an accessible online experience. We chose to spend the time we had creating a solid game foundation and unfortunately that did not include LAN play or dedicated servers.
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38.
 
Re: BioShock 2 MP Details: No LAN or Dedicated Servers
Feb 3, 2010, 11:27
38.
Re: BioShock 2 MP Details: No LAN or Dedicated Servers Feb 3, 2010, 11:27
Feb 3, 2010, 11:27
 
Some people just like Macs. Other people are pretentious little shits who want to think they're better than everyone else.
Avatar 51617
37.
 
Re: BioShock 2 MP Details: No LAN or Dedicated Servers
Feb 3, 2010, 09:55
37.
Re: BioShock 2 MP Details: No LAN or Dedicated Servers Feb 3, 2010, 09:55
Feb 3, 2010, 09:55
 
I own both a PC and a Mac...The real question is where is the OS X version? Bioshock released a Mac version shortly after launch, now nothing? At least that is a legit reason for not wanting to buy it.
What's the point when you can save yourself money by buying a proper gaming computer? Not only that but a PC runs games perfectly and is widely supported, unlike Macs where you'll be lucky to receive AAA titles and even then typically years after release. No, you can't seriously claim the lack of a Mac version is a legitimate reason not to purchase a game when you own both platforms.
"The price of freedom is eternal vigilance."
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36.
 
Re: BioShock 2 MP Details: No LAN or Dedicated Servers
Jan 29, 2010, 13:53
36.
Re: BioShock 2 MP Details: No LAN or Dedicated Servers Jan 29, 2010, 13:53
Jan 29, 2010, 13:53
 
I own both a PC and a Mac...The real question is where is the OS X version? Bioshock released a Mac version shortly after launch, now nothing? At least that is a legit reason for not wanting to buy it.

Fyrestorm, Streetpreacher, etc why don't you cry about something else. PC Gamers did themselves in, only people to blame ARE YOU!

I guess it's time to buy a console huh?
35.
 
Re: BioShock 2 MP Details: No LAN or Dedicated Servers
Jan 29, 2010, 11:20
35.
Re: BioShock 2 MP Details: No LAN or Dedicated Servers Jan 29, 2010, 11:20
Jan 29, 2010, 11:20
 
StreetPreacher wrote on Jan 28, 2010, 15:24:
@fyrestorm: Either man up and pay for a legit copy of the game or don't play. It's spoiled little pricks like you that cause DRM headaches for the rest of the honest gaming public.

And no, I don't believe for a minute that you were going to pay for the game. You probably don't even have a job.

Your point is null due to your assumptions. I WANTED to buy this until I heard the news. I also get paid quite handsomely, thanks. Good childish behavior though. Bravo. I am of the honest gaming public, I own plenty of games that are legitimately bought from digital distribution/retail, and I think I represent a good voice of a majority of PC gamers who have been playing for years. If a company decides to remove key tried and true client/server technologies from their game, they deserve to be punished by their audience for not providing. If they announce they implement dedicated servers later on? Watch the game sales spike. Maybe thats the whole point/market strategy (but I doubt they'll do it)

DRM is a joke, scene releases come out quick and ready to play.

No reason for me to buy any game that purposely diminishes online gaming quality, period. This trend to remove dedicated server support from games is a horrible move, and a majority of gamers would gladly accept a delay in release to have the game full featured. 2K just screwed over anyone who wanted this for multiplayer purposes by accepting pre-orders before announcing this.

tl;dr version: casual gamers make me cry

This comment was edited on Jan 29, 2010, 11:36.
34.
 
Re: BioShock 2 MP Details: No LAN or Dedicated Servers
Jan 28, 2010, 15:24
34.
Re: BioShock 2 MP Details: No LAN or Dedicated Servers Jan 28, 2010, 15:24
Jan 28, 2010, 15:24
 
@fyrestorm: Either man up and pay for a legit copy of the game or don't play. It's spoiled little pricks like you that cause DRM headaches for the rest of the honest gaming public.

And no, I don't believe for a minute that you were going to pay for the game. You probably don't even have a job.
33.
 
Re: BioShock 2 MP Details: No LAN or Dedicated Servers
Jan 28, 2010, 13:36
33.
Re: BioShock 2 MP Details: No LAN or Dedicated Servers Jan 28, 2010, 13:36
Jan 28, 2010, 13:36
 
It's already too late man. Consoles won awhile ago when they started outselling PC versions of multiplatform games 50:1.
Avatar 51617
32.
 
Re: BioShock 2 MP Details: No LAN or Dedicated Servers
Jan 28, 2010, 12:44
32.
Re: BioShock 2 MP Details: No LAN or Dedicated Servers Jan 28, 2010, 12:44
Jan 28, 2010, 12:44
 
Overon wrote on Jan 27, 2010, 19:14:
What the hell is happening to PC gaming. It's devolving right before our eyes. I hope this is not a trend of things to come, no dedicated servers or no publicly released dedicated servers. It's madness, how can people accept this?

Why do people accept this? Because they're blind to what's going on right in front of their eyes. You'll hear tons of people saying PC gaming is better than ever, that PC game sales are fine, and piracy is OK over and over. What they don't realize is they're killing the thing they're love, and they've almost succeeded in doing just that.

For all intents and purposes, what everyone loved about PC gaming IS DYING!. The only way this will get better is if people stop bullshitting around and start actually buying games.

You see someone gloating about pirating a PC game on a forum, don't let him rest. Better yet mods should be banning those fucks. Pirates are not your friends, and if you're pirating games now open your eyes and see the damage you're doing.
31.
 
Re: BioShock 2 MP Details: No LAN or Dedicated Servers
Jan 28, 2010, 09:37
31.
Re: BioShock 2 MP Details: No LAN or Dedicated Servers Jan 28, 2010, 09:37
Jan 28, 2010, 09:37
 
Since it's Bioshock, I was never interested in multi-player. The lack of dedicated servers is simply a trend; expect to see NONE this time next year, with the exception of the last bastion of real PC gaming: Independent Developers.

^m^
30.
 
Re: BioShock 2 MP Details: No LAN or Dedicated Servers
Jan 28, 2010, 08:50
30.
Re: BioShock 2 MP Details: No LAN or Dedicated Servers Jan 28, 2010, 08:50
Jan 28, 2010, 08:50
 
Translation: "This is my excuse for this game I was going to pirate anyways".
Avatar 51617
29.
 
Re: BioShock 2 MP Details: No LAN or Dedicated Servers
Jan 28, 2010, 06:16
29.
Re: BioShock 2 MP Details: No LAN or Dedicated Servers Jan 28, 2010, 06:16
Jan 28, 2010, 06:16
 
fyrestorm wrote on Jan 28, 2010, 00:01:
i was going to buy this for multiplayer.. BUT THANK GOD I DIDNT. nice move, 2k, announcing this just a few days before your release. I am proudly pirating this. If you decide to incorporate dedicated servers, i will gladly buy your game. Learn from Valve ffs. Until then, YARRRRRRR!
So...wait, you were going to buy this for multiplayer but decided against it due to the lack of LAN or dedicated server support. But now you're going to pirate it to...do what exactly? Play multiplayer? You can't, you need a legitimate key for matchmaking. So you're basically saying you'll pirate a crap multiplayer game to play the (probably average) singleplayer game.
Nice.

I'm all for making a stand and not purchasing on principle, but that makes no sense.
28.
 
Re: BioShock 2 MP Details: No LAN or Dedicated Servers
Jan 28, 2010, 02:45
28.
Re: BioShock 2 MP Details: No LAN or Dedicated Servers Jan 28, 2010, 02:45
Jan 28, 2010, 02:45
 
Basically waht he says is "multiplayer in this game is just afterthought, something that we don't care about".
"On 2646.215 I myself attacked & destroyed TCS Tiger's Claw in my Jalthi heavy fighter"
Bakhtosh Redclaw Nar Kiranka
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27.
 
Re: BioShock 2 MP Details: No LAN or Dedicated Servers
Jan 28, 2010, 00:01
27.
Re: BioShock 2 MP Details: No LAN or Dedicated Servers Jan 28, 2010, 00:01
Jan 28, 2010, 00:01
 
i was going to buy this for multiplayer.. BUT THANK GOD I DIDNT. nice move, 2k, announcing this just a few days before your release. I am proudly pirating this. If you decide to incorporate dedicated servers, i will gladly buy your game. Learn from Valve ffs. Until then, YARRRRRRR!
26.
 
Re: BioShock 2 MP Details: No LAN or Dedicated Servers
Jan 28, 2010, 00:01
26.
Re: BioShock 2 MP Details: No LAN or Dedicated Servers Jan 28, 2010, 00:01
Jan 28, 2010, 00:01
 
Don't worry guys, we're not just tacking on multiplayer.
Avatar 17249
25.
 
Re: BioShock 2 MP Details: No LAN or Dedicated Servers
Jan 27, 2010, 22:59
25.
Re: BioShock 2 MP Details: No LAN or Dedicated Servers Jan 27, 2010, 22:59
Jan 27, 2010, 22:59
 
Creston wrote on Jan 27, 2010, 19:00:
Next week on "How we can make Bioshock 2 even LESS interesting to you : it rapes your sister!"

Next week on "How we can make Bioshock 2 even LESS interesting to you : it rapes your little sister!

fixed

Bringing Multiplayer to BioShock was a daunting task between the tech (there was no multiplayer support in the codebase from the first game) and the expectations of the community. Either you try to do everything and so nothing feels finished or you focus your efforts to do a smaller number of things really well like an accessible online experience. We chose to spend the time we had creating a solid game foundation and unfortunately that did not include LAN play or dedicated servers.

biggest truckload of nonsense I've ever heard. But wait, it came out of Elizabeth 2K's mouth, oh well... no surprise here.
24.
 
Re: BioShock 2 MP Details: No LAN or Dedicated Servers
Jan 27, 2010, 22:43
24.
Re: BioShock 2 MP Details: No LAN or Dedicated Servers Jan 27, 2010, 22:43
Jan 27, 2010, 22:43
 
They should have to balls to say "fuck you" like IW instead of spewing some random bullshit in their FAQ. Why the hell did they do multiplayer and then go with this half-assed effort and try to justify themselves?. If they weren't going to do stellar multiplayer (which requires dedicated servers for an FPS with 4+ players), why lose the time?. Their SP was more than strong enough to sell the game, and this idiocies only burn PC gamers against them.

I'm glad I already cancelled my preorder due to the DRM.
23.
 
Re: BioShock 2 MP Details: No LAN or Dedicated Servers
Jan 27, 2010, 22:23
23.
Re: BioShock 2 MP Details: No LAN or Dedicated Servers Jan 27, 2010, 22:23
Jan 27, 2010, 22:23
 
I don't think it's a big deal that Bioshock 2 will not have LAN or dedicated servers. I do think it's a big deal that it's another game going that route. The more games that use this design philosophy now, the more games will use it in the future.

How many companies have to do this before it becomes a serious problem? By the time most people realize it's a real issue, too many companies will be doing it for consumers to be able to turn it around. Even if most of us have no intention of ever playing Bioshock 2 in multiplayer, buying it as such tells 2K's bean counters that we want that. It also tells everyone else's bean counters that, according to Infinity Ward (proven), 2K Games and Blizzard (speculative), we want less flexibility and more direct company control in our multiplayer options. Give it five or ten years and we'll be up to our noses in games that don't work anymore because the developer runs the only server that lets you play, and they don't want to run it anymore so they can make you get the new game. EA's been doing this for years with their sports games, at least for multiplayer. It was only a matter of time before it spread.

This is how production standards are eroded. First they tell us, "Take a look at our upcoming game! It's the dog's nuts! Our atmosphere is second to none. The AI is simply brilliant. 50 hours of challenge and fun, plus countless hours of compelling multiplayer! Oh, and you can't play LAN." Then it's more like, "Take a look at this one! Simply brilliant! The atmosphere is pretty neat. Our AI is pretty bright. 40 hours of challenge and fun, if you die a few times and stop to read every single word of the narrative. Oh, and only we can host multiplayer servers, and you still can't play LAN but you're ok with that now." Then, "Check this out! If you don't compare it to our previous efforts, it's the shit! 20 hours of challenge and fun, if you leave the game running every time you take a dump. Highly atmospheric and immersive levels that are an amazing forty meters wide! Five unique weapons, WITH SECONDARY FIRE! Our AI can walk through doors and not even bump into the sides! Oh, still no LAN or server hosting. Since you're ok with that, we don't want you playing it at all without online verification each time you start it up." Production value goes down, not just in corners cut from the game itself but also in what the extras (or lack thereof) cost. Every time consumers accept the next cut corner, they cut another. When does it end? Never, if developers keep doing it and we consumers keep rewarding them for it.

This comment was edited on Jan 27, 2010, 22:34.
Huh? I'm sorry, I was thinking about cake.
22.
 
Re: BioShock 2 MP Details: No LAN or Dedicated Servers
Jan 27, 2010, 21:49
22.
Re: BioShock 2 MP Details: No LAN or Dedicated Servers Jan 27, 2010, 21:49
Jan 27, 2010, 21:49
 
Thanks Icewind. So they're really just saying "all multiplayer games must talk to the master server." Meh ... BFD. I had LAN parties at my place in the late 90's that always had broadband Net connectivity. If you can't manage it in 2010 then I'd say you've got no business having a LAN party in the first place.

And doubly so for Bioshock, a game that everyone's buying for the single play anyways.
21.
 
Re: BioShock 2 MP Details: No LAN or Dedicated Servers
Jan 27, 2010, 21:24
21.
Re: BioShock 2 MP Details: No LAN or Dedicated Servers Jan 27, 2010, 21:24
Jan 27, 2010, 21:24
 
With Irrational and Ken Levine out of the picture on this one, I have no expectations for this game.
20.
 
Re: BioShock 2 MP Details: No LAN or Dedicated Servers
Jan 27, 2010, 21:14
20.
Re: BioShock 2 MP Details: No LAN or Dedicated Servers Jan 27, 2010, 21:14
Jan 27, 2010, 21:14
 
StreetPreacher wrote on Jan 27, 2010, 20:56:
OK, I'm feeling stupid. I just can't comprehend what people mean by "no LAN play." Do they mean no direct IP join? If there's no dedicated server, then one of the players is obviously acting as the host. And if that host and the others playing with him are all on a LAN, isn't that LAN play?

I'm lost.

By LAN play, they mean the ability for you and your friends to pick up your desktop PCs and cart them to a large area where you network them all together and play multiplayer games without any connection to the actual internet (a WAN) whatsoever.

EDIT: Most companies don't like to support LAN gaming anymore because they view it as a way around authentication servers and that "only pirates play on LAN". Foolishly, they believe this shit.

Blizzard has been receiving flak for not allowing true LAN play in Starcraft 2. If I remember correctly, they've made it so you have to log into battle.net even if you are playing on a LAN.

This comment was edited on Jan 27, 2010, 21:17.
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19.
 
Re: BioShock 2 MP Details: No LAN or Dedicated Servers
Jan 27, 2010, 20:56
19.
Re: BioShock 2 MP Details: No LAN or Dedicated Servers Jan 27, 2010, 20:56
Jan 27, 2010, 20:56
 
OK, I'm feeling stupid. I just can't comprehend what people mean by "no LAN play." Do they mean no direct IP join? If there's no dedicated server, then one of the players is obviously acting as the host. And if that host and the others playing with him are all on a LAN, isn't that LAN play?

I'm lost.
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