Most annoying 30 minutes of a new game (vent)

M

Megalomaniac

2[H]4U
Joined
Jul 27, 2004
Messages
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:mad:

Like many of you, I have a backlog of games, so I wanted to play something new for a change, instead of sticking with the old faithfuls. I had downloaded Batman a few months ago to my Steam folder but did not have a chance to play it yet. I was watching SVU marathon and decided to give Batman a whirl and see what the game has to offer.

- The game updated a few things on my PC, like Something like .net or DirectX, fine that, done.
- Then I got to the start menu and had to enter the game code for the game server to authenticate me.. Ok Steam has the code "cut to clipboard" and paste. done.
- Then the Windows Live screen comes up. Oh crap, havent used this since DOWII a year ago. Forgot my password, so I follow the link and reset it. done.
- Another pop up, this time for Windows live to again enter my game code... em, ok. done, again.

and now I can play.. oh yeah, I watched half of the SVU episode while this was happening.

Is it just me, or is this too much work? Shouldn't it be as simple as insert disk into device, press play? That works with a lot of games.

Am I whining, absolutely, but the bigger question is, why does a pirate not whine, but have a fun game without any of this BS? Publishers, anyone of you have an answer to this?

/vent

All that said, the game is pretty fun. A bit too much of a console game for my liking, but still fun.

This entire episode really reminded me of how annoying DOW II was when it first came out. I know it got rid of Windows Live, but I just couldn't get back into it....
 
Good games that are marketed well and are tailored to each platform they appear on will sell themselves; half a dozen forms of bloatware bundled with the game - all requiring their own sign-ups and sign-ins - does nothing to prevent lost sales.
 
Yep, Games for Windows Live is the worst thing to happen to gaming maybe ever. Now go into Control Panal so you can remove the Games for Windows Marketplace client that it installed on your computer. Bastards.
 
100% agree with Poster. Batman was a bitch to get installed. Took so long I didnt even feel like playing after I was done installing buuuuuuuuuut, if you think Batman is a bitch to get working try Bioshock 2. GFWL is all messed up on that one. You have to play Vanilla Offline mode to get it to run consistently.
 
GFWL is awful and just plain obtrusive, if I had known it was on GTA I would have avoided the PC version like the plague. I was really gearing up for Arkham City for PC but it's gonna have that shite on it I know it.....really pushing me towards the PS3 version.....
 
Strangely enough, Batman is the only GFWL title that didn't give me any trouble at all. The rest of them, however...
 
The only GFWL games I have are on steam which is a problem mainly because the patch versions never match. Do you guys that have games that are GFWL only have less problems?
 
piscian18 said:
100% agree with Poster. Batman was a bitch to get installed. Took so long I didnt even feel like playing after I was done installing buuuuuuuuuut, if you think Batman is a bitch to get working try Bioshock 2. GFWL is all messed up on that one. You have to play Vanilla Offline mode to get it to run consistently.
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Bioshock 2 was my first gfwl game so I had to go through the process of setting up a live account and everything. It took me at least 45 minutes of fiddling alt-tabbing and at least one reboot before I could finally play the game. :(
 
wait, it only took you half an hour for you? When I tried playing Batman AA, I spent about half an hour just installing GFWL. It had me in an endless loop of starting the game > downloading newest gfwl > exit to install > repeat, and it never worked until I worked out for myself to go to the xbox website and get the manual installer.
Then I had all kinds of trouble with the retarded account management system because my ancient account wouldnt let me play.


Fuck GFWL, the only people only remotely satisfied with it are the achievement-whoring Xbox players who are lucky to have the software work the first time they install it
 
Had no problem with Batman... but getting the Dirt 2 to work was kinda tricky :)

However the game I had most problems with was Modern Warfare 2. First the game installed from the disk, only to leech about 9gb of data from Steam... took me some friggin hours to be able to play it (as I have only connection of about 2 Mb/sec )
 
Had the same problem with Fallout 3. Given that the game itself is buggy as hell,having to jump through hoops just to get GFWL working so you can start the game is ridiculous.
 
Mokkat said:
wait, it only took you half an hour for you? When I tried playing Batman AA, I spent about half an hour just installing GFWL. It had me in an endless loop of starting the game > downloading newest gfwl > exit to install > repeat, ....
Click to expand...

This was my experience almost to a T. It's very frustrating when you try to hop into one of your Steam games that you hadn't tried before and find it taking over half an hour because you are forced to update some piece of shit software that you're not even going to use.
 
I quit DOWII just for that reason then this last weekend I picked up retribution on sale and low and behold windows live is gone. If I had know it got rid of WL I would have paid $60 and not waited 4 months for it to go on sale.
 
MorgothPl said:
Had no problem with Batman... but getting the Dirt 2 to work was kinda tricky :)

However the game I had most problems with was Modern Warfare 2. First the game installed from the disk, only to leech about 9gb of data from Steam... took me some friggin hours to be able to play it (as I have only connection of about 2 Mb/sec )
Click to expand...

The only GFWL gma eI currently have is Dirt 2.

Had no issues whatsoever setting it up... I just wish they would remove that stupid key combo prompt to bring up GFWL that pops up when you load the game.

It took me quite a few times to remember not to press it.
 
GFWL is shitty if you forget your login details but as soon as you get past that (giant) hurdle it's plain sailing. Always has been for me, at least.
 
dieseldog49 said:
I quit DOWII just for that reason then this last weekend I picked up retribution on sale and low and behold windows live is gone. If I had know it got rid of WL I would have paid $60 and not waited 4 months for it to go on sale.
Click to expand...

They got rid of it before the first expansion I think. It was one of the main patches. I remember playing the Last Stand free DLC and Windows Life was already gone by then.

I really dont see the point of putting one online service on top of another. In Batmans case, its 3 online authentications. I have steam, then Ubisoft server for authentication and finally Windows Live.. I mean, isn't that over kill?

Same question for Origin and BF3. If I purchase the game through GamersGate or Impulse or where ever, why do I need Origin installed to play it!?

For me, the game excitement level went like this:
1) First videos are out - me: Alright! This looks like a buy!
2) News that Origin will be required to play it - me: err well, let's wait and see what Origin actually is.
3) It's pulled off steam, Origin must be installed to play it no matter what, and Origin scans all the files on your PC - me: BF3, it would have been nice knowing you, but alas, your publisher is too much of a draconian nazi dictator who believes all must conform. Me and my money are going elsewhere.
 
Your PC must be slow. Everything that you've described takes <10 minutes (including 5 minute bathroom break) to be done on my PC.
 
Megalomaniac said:
They got rid of it before the first expansion I think. It was one of the main patches. I remember playing the Last Stand free DLC and Windows Life was already gone by then.

I really dont see the point of putting one online service on top of another. In Batmans case, its 3 online authentications. I have steam, then Ubisoft server for authentication and finally Windows Live.. I mean, isn't that over kill?

Same question for Origin and BF3. If I purchase the game through GamersGate or Impulse or where ever, why do I need Origin installed to play it!?

For me, the game excitement level went like this:
1) First videos are out - me: Alright! This looks like a buy!
2) News that Origin will be required to play it - me: err well, let's wait and see what Origin actually is.
3) It's pulled off steam, Origin must be installed to play it no matter what, and Origin scans all the files on your PC - me: BF3, it would have been nice knowing you, but alas, your publisher is too much of a draconian nazi dictator who believes all must conform. Me and my money are going elsewhere.
Click to expand...

At this point its less about DRM and more about pushing additional purchases through their client.
 
ChuckLogan said:
Or messing with DMA and IRQs to get sound working. I would say we have gotten spoiled as PC gamers over the years. If you want simplistic get a console. Part of why I like gaming on a PC is tweaking the computer.:cool:
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I would agree except FUCK YOU REALTEK HD AUDIO. Seriously we still to this day have games released that dont work properly with realtek hd audio. Not sure whos fault it but hopefully that shit will go away with windows 8
 
At least you don't have to mess with config.sys and autoexec.bat on a floppy for a few hours.
 
Wrecklusive said:
At least you don't have to mess with config.sys and autoexec.bat on a floppy for a few hours.
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Or messing with DMA and IRQs to get sound working. I would say we have gotten spoiled as PC gamers over the years. If you want simplistic get a console. Part of why I like gaming on a PC is tweaking the computer.:cool:
 
PC gaming would be so much better if Games for Windows LIVE and Origin didn't exist.

Steam is really the only similar program that I approve of.
 
Admiral-Awesome said:
PC gaming would be so much better if Games for Windows LIVE and Origin didn't exist.

Steam is really the only similar program that I approve of.
Click to expand...

I see online stores as divided into two categories.

1) DRM of one sort or another - Steam falls into this
2) Just an online store - I think Impulse falls into this and Good Old Games also.
These are the same as going to the store and buying a CD, except they download and install the game directly to your PC. You don't need to be always on to play them, and they do not provide any DRM functionality.

I approve of many more stores of the second kind, its is competition and it is good, but steam like stores are dicey and only steam really knows how to do it great. (after years of trial and error I might add)
 
+1 to OP's frustrations with getting B:AA working for first time. Massive PITA - seems like I had to update GFWL and re-start the game over a half-dozen times before it finally quit bitching and let me log in and play.

I still need to go back and actually finish playing through the game too - seemed like it would be a pretty good amount of fun, it's just a couple slots too far down in the back-log for me to have played through it yet.
 
Wrecklusive said:
At least you don't have to mess with config.sys and autoexec.bat on a floppy for a few hours.
Click to expand...

Oh, come on. I had maybe 5 or 6 different boot floppies, that between them, would let me play any DOS game I ever threw at them.
 
GORANKAR said:
Oh, come on. I had maybe 5 or 6 different boot floppies, that between them, would let me play any DOS game I ever threw at them.
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Yeah, after a while you got a couple of setups (one for EMS and one for XMS...one with CD.,.etc) and you just used them when you needed them.

I don't do any DRM'd titles any more. I hate it. I will reluctantly do a Steam title (or XBLA on the console) for $10 or so...but that's it.

Honestly it takes less time for me to get a good DOS game working under DOXbox/D-fend reloaded these days than it does to sign up for an account / install whatever stupid game service/sign in/etc.
 
Plague_Injected said:
Strangely enough, Batman is the only GFWL title that didn't give me any trouble at all. The rest of them, however...
Click to expand...

I've had no trouble out of Batman Arkham Asylum, Street Fighter IV, and Super Street Fighter IV Arcade Edition. Other games on the other hand in the past when GFWL were another story. I got a copy of Halo 2 hoping the port was as awesome as the first one, and I never could play it more than once or twice. (Game sucked anyway.)
 
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