06/09/2022

BioShock is unplayable for Linux users with new update

We don't want it, 2K Fifteen years later, BioShock remains one of the most recognizable and beloved series in gaming, and publisher 2K is still releasing updates to support the series. Or, more specifically, to make the games run through their own launcher, as evidenced by the patch notes from both older updates and a new one (via PC Gamer). This time around they even labeled the patch as a "Quality of Life Update," when all it did was enable linking to 2K accounts and added the new launcher "which includes a store to purchase new content." So they're forcing yet another game launcher on us, but what really has fans peeved is that this new update has rendered the games unplayable for players running them on Linux. At first, it seemed to just be BioShock Infinite that was affected, but now it's looking like the entire series is a bust. The Linux Gaming subreddit is full of players decrying the changes, and trying to find solutions to fix the problem. Some players are expressing their wish that Steam would let them access earlier builds rather than forcing them to use the most recent version, and I'm kind of surprised that wasn't an option already. Naturally, fans took to the review section on Steam to voice their discontent, where one user said that 2K's launcher is riddled with bugs, crashes, and corrupted saves. I have my BioShock collection on my PlayStation so I'm in the clear, but man, I am feeling the frustration on behalf of PC gamers. Here's hoping that 2K gets the message soon and decides to scrap the launcher altogether, or at the very least releases a patch to fix the games for Linux users. Recently I've been partial to arguments about why it's important to own physical media, and I have to say this situation is only pushing me further into that camp. If I spent money on a game, I certainly want to be able to play it without the meddling of a company years after the game's release. The post BioShock is unplayable for Linux users with new update appeared first on Destructoid.

06/09/2022

‘Quality of Life’ update makes Bioshock games unplayable on Steam Deck, Linux

Software updates are generally supposed to make software, you know, better. That’s especially true when you label an update “quality of life,” as is the case with the latest patches for 2K’s classic Bioshock FPS series. But the newest patches to Bioshock Remastered, Bioshock 2 Remastered, and Bioshock Infinite are making the game straight-up unplayable for many Linux players, including those on the super-popular Steam Deck handheld. According to a litany of support forum posts and Reddit threads, the culprit seems to be the new game launcher, which publisher 2K decided to staple onto the executable files for games that are about a decade old or older. (Gamers tend to hate unnecessary add-on launchers, much preferring games to simply open from Windows, Steam, or any of the other launchers from which the games already launch.) As PC Gamer points out, it’s an especially unfortunate occurrence for an update specifically called “quality of life,” which apparently exists only to add direct links to years-old DLC packages. While the Steam Deck isn’t explicitly supported by any of the Bioshock games, and Valve lists all three titles as “unsupported” in its ever-growing list of Steam Deck titles, they have been officially released and are supported on Linux (and by extension, SteamOS). That means the games should play on the handheld without any need for go-between systems like Proton. Suddenly having perfectly functional games undermined by a mandatory update from the publisher is something that would boil Andrew Ryan’s libertarian blood. 2K has yet to comment on the situation. Some Linux gamers have resorted to tracking down (ahem) “unofficial” versions of the game pre-patch, or running the game through Proton with the commensurate performance hit. Hopefully someone will take notice — simply rolling back the update and removing the unnecessary launcher would do the trick. Hint, hint. Gaming

05/09/2022

Bioshock Infinite Steam update adds new launcher, to upset of its community

A recent "Quality of Life" update for Bioshock Infinite on Steam has added a new launcher, which includes a "Store to purchase new content".This update went live over the weekend, and also added an in-game account linking option.However, despite being labelled as a "quality of life" update, this move by publisher 2K has left some fans unhappy, with several stating the game is now broken. Read more