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2K addresses BioShock widescreen issue
You might have read yesterday about complaints regarding BioShock's method of generating widescreen, which seemed tantamount to cutting the top and bottom off the fullscreen image without actually adding to the field of view at all. An article on The Cult of Rapture website, entitled "The Truth About Widescreen", has addressed the issue in lieu of "fixing" it. It states that the optimal mode for playing the game is in widescreen, the mode that 90% of 2K's development stations employed. Team members chose a widescreen field of view "that best reflected their intentions with respect to the way the world is perceived" and instead of cropping it for 4:3 displays, they "slightly extended the vertical FOV for standard def mode: we never wanted to have black bars on people's displays." In other words, the original widescreen mode lost nothing while the 4:3 mode was extended.While that sounds like a "same difference" situation, 2K feels they made the right decision. If, however, you're still not pleased, the developer is looking into ways of allowing users to manually adjust the field of view. Alternatively, you can have your memory erased and play the game blissfully unaware of issues you wouldn't have noticed had someone not pointed them out to you.
Levine responds to BioShock widescreen complaints
Yesterday, we reported on the numerous complaints that have been filling the internets surrounding how BioShock handles widescreen displays. In short, to display widescreen BioShock pulls in the 4:3 aspect ratio and cuts off the top and bottom giving 16:9 ratio players a much smaller game view. So, last night 2K Boston big man Ken Levine hopped on the 2K Games forums to ease the hostility and acknowledge that their team is looking into the issue. Levine explains that he has been trying to wrangle together people to look at the problems and find answers, but the time difference between here and their Australian dev team coupled with vacationing employees has made it difficult to get answers. So, Levine wants everyone to know they do care, that they are looking into the BioShock issues and asks that we have a "bit of understanding as to the time scale that software development issues must occur in".Even though Ken didn't give us any answers to our widescreen woes, we suddenly feel a warm fuzzy feeling tingling through our toes and into our heart. We'll be patient Ken Levine ... for a little while.
BioShock jolts Take-Two stock up 10%
Big Daddy should probably be renamed Sugar Daddy, as Reuters reports Take-Two's stock rose 10% at the close of trading on Tuesday. Wall Street seems happy with the buzz for the game and if Amazon.com's bestseller list is any indication, sales seem strong. The Xbox 360 version of BioShock is currently #2 as of this writing on their bestseller list behind the Wii, the PC version of the game is #5 behind Halo 3 pre-orders and the sexy crimson DS.Reviews for the game itself have been overwhelmingly positive, with random tech issues (especially on the PC version) and the whole widescreen problem bringing most of the hate. Following the delay of GTA IV, it probably comes as a relief to Take-Two that they'll at least have one strong mega-hit going into this holiday season.
Bioshock Tuesday: win an Xbox 360 and a copy of Bioshock
Hey, there's this new game out today called Bioshock -- we hear it's, like, the best thing ever made. Metacritic rated it at 97 / 100, which ranks it among the greatest works of modern art including Marcel Duchamp's Fountain and the first NKOTB record. We know you want it, and we'll happily send you on your way with a copy of Bioshock and an Xbox 360 Premium to play it on. Just read the rules below and promise yourself you won't play it at night, because this game is all sorts of messed up in the dark.The rules (yeah, there are always rules): Leave a comment below -- tell us your current fave game. No need to tell us whether Bioshock is likely to charm you into never ever playing it again. You may only enter this specific giveaway once. If you enter this giveaway more than once you'll be automatically disqualified, etc. (Yes, we have robots that thoroughly check to ensure fairness.) In other words, be careful when commenting and if you submit more than once, only activate one comment, ok? If you enter more than once, only activate one comment -- otherwise we'll chase you down and drain your Adam with a giant needle. Contest is open to anyone worldwide! Winner will be chosen randomly. Entries can be submitted until 11:59pm EDT on Sunday, August 26th.
Bioshock PC demo config file hints strongly at a PS3 version
A member of the GameTrailers forum has found the best evidence so far that the critically acclaimed Bioshock will be coming to the PS3. While poking around in some of the config files for the demo, an interesting entry was stumbled upon: [Console] ;; Console (XBox360, PS3) specific settings ;; StreamingDynamicFloatingLimit: ;; If this is a positive number, then instead of using the fixed per-level ;; limits, the StreamingDynamic resource will use as much memory as is ;; available as long as the total memory allocated by the game is less than ;; the specified number. In other words, StreamingDynamic will grow and ;; shrink to fit to the available memory instead of being locked to a fixed ;; budget StreamingDynamicFloatingLimit=500 The file is locate at C:\Program Files\2K Games\BioShock Demo\Content and is called ConfigINI.IBF for anybody who wants to verify this on their own computers (we've verified it on ours). It will be interesting to see when 2k Games comes out and finally admits that Bioshock is coming to the PlayStation 3. Hopefully it will turn out to be a Q1 2008 release so we don't have to wait that long.[Via PSU]
What to do with a busted Big Daddy
Before most of you have even welcomed your BioShock Limited Editions into your loving bosoms, 2K Games is warning that the Big Daddy figurine contained within might just be busted. One reader report we received said that his Big Daddy, much like a drunk dad clumsily putting together a playhouse, had a broken drill bit. Luckily, 2K says that they're already on the issue and will have a replacement plan set up soon. While new Big Daddies are being churned out, those with broken figures are going to receive a printed edition of the BioShock art book, "Breaking the Mold." Oh, and 2K's picking up the shipping cost too. While it's an unfortunate circumstance, we're glad to see that 2K is doing the right thing. ... Now about that widescreen issue.[Thanks, Michael]
Last chance: Win a BioShock Xbox 360 faceplate & T-shirt
Only two hours left! Drop a comment here and enter for your chance to win one of these limited-edition BioShock Xbox 360 faceplates and a groovy tee. Good luck!See original giveaway post for entry and official rules.
BioShock launch party at Boston's Felt bar
While there was a considerable lack of Big Daddies at the BioShock launch party -- they were all at The Eagle down the street -- events at Irrational 2K Boston's festivities held at Felt in downtown Boston went down smoothly with shots of "Adam." With syringes on platters, "Little Sister" waitresses went around squirting the "Adam" fluid into revelers mouths -- the alcohol-based substance tasted considerably like Apple-tinis. And no, in reality, it wasn't even close to as scandalous as the Rumble Roses XX injection scenes.Speaking with the people at the party, it becomes obvious Boston is starting to see a little re-emergence as a video game development town, which is what Boston Mayor Menino seems to want for the city -- despite the company he keeps. This year Boston area game developers will have produced major titles like Lord of the Rings Online, Rock Band, SimCity Societies and BioShock.Did we spend any time with BioShock designer Ken Levine? No. We did spend some time with the guy who came up with the idea of the Big Daddies and he said that he always found diving suits scary. We also had to ask him the ultimate motivation-irking BioShock question, "What would possess a man to take a syringe, with no explanation of what's inside it, and jam it into his forearm?"His response: "We get that one a lot. We probably should have had Atlas say something to make it more fluid. But it'll all make sense by the end of the game." Of course, BioShock is out now if you're looking to learn the secrets of Rapture.%Gallery-6188%
They cut it! BioShock widescreen issues reported
BioShock just released today (in the US) and already display problems are being reported. Over on the 2K Games forums, widescreen BioShock players have discovered (and are actively complaining about) how the game handles the 16:9 widescreen aspect ratio. Simply put, the widescreen display is getting its top and bottom chopped off. You see, the game's widescreen display is generated by pulling in the standard 4:3 aspect ratio display, but then cuts off the top and bottom to create the correct 16:9 ratio. This is very noticeable in the screenshot above, which was taken from a 4:3 ratio display, where the red bars show what widescreen players wouldn't be seeing as it's being cut off. This is a very abnormal of handling widescreen where developers usually render for a wider FOV and create a 16:9 ratio, then creating the 4:3 ratio by cutting off the left and right sides. It's a very odd way of handling widescreen indeed. 2K Games has yet to respond to this display issue, but we're sure they'll have an answer soon ... unless they want a horde of angry fanboys at their front door.[Via Joystiq]
BioShock LE busted Big Daddies abound
We're receiving reports that many of the Big Daddy figurines included with the limited edition of BioShock are broken. X3F reader SirUrza noted that he turned away 3 copies at his local GameStop, noticing that the tip of the Big Daddy's drill was broken. SirUrza also notes that the copies with broken figurines were put right back on the shelf, so be mindful when picking up your own copy. Luckily for those that have already purchased a copy with a broken figurine, 2K is aware of the problem and is planning to replace all broken figurines. As a consolation until the new figurines are manufactured, 2K is also doling out special printed copies of "Breaking the Mold," the BioShock art book, to affected customers.If you are one of the unlucky gamers affected by this, keep your eye on the official 2K page for updates on the replacement program.
BioShock widescreen issue causing complaints
On this, a day that many of you have been looking forward to for so long, we hate to squelch any of your BioShock joy, but we figured that this was something you'd want to know about. Some fans on the game's forums have been upset by the way the game handles widescreen. Or rather, how it doesn't. Apparently, the widescreen image is generated by just lopping off the top and bottom of the fullscreen image. Typically, a widescreen image is created by giving the player a larger horizontal field of view. You can see the part of the screen that widescreen gamers are missing out on in the red boxes above in a picture we took on our home setup.There was extra frustration from fans as Chris Kline, Lead Programmer on BioShock, had previously said in the forums, "You will see more in widescreen. We use a different projection matrix; there is no squashing or stretching of the image involved." A 2K staffer has said that they are looking into the issue and we hope to hear more soon.[Thanks, Scott]
BioShock PC demo is now available
Hey PC gamers, are you ready for 1800 MB of critically-acclaimed rapture? The BioShock PC demo is finally out, so you can now tell all your Xbox 360-owning friends to stop gloating.Our friends at GameDaily have the demo available to download here in case you need any more reason to wake up early tomorrow, call in sick for work and hit up your local retailer to grab a copy of the title.
Shipping this week: rapturous edition
Well kiddies, it's finally here. BioShock will officially hit store shelves tomorrow. Now everyone will be able to share in the joy of the lucky few who nabbed the game early at Toys R' Us (or the lucky four that won it from us -- yes, the giveaway is over, by the way). So, go out and buy it already! Don't forget that you can get it on the cheap if you know where to look. Also of interest, Two Worlds is finally shipping this week, though most advertisements list it as being available this Friday, so you may not be seeing it in your local stores on Tuesday.Now, if only we could find an honest review of BioShock, we'd be set.%Gallery-3532%[Via Joystiq]
SDF Reviews BioShock; first unbiased look at title
During the recording of this week's fancast, we were discussing BioShock's spectacular reviews scores thus far, and our special guest pointed out Sony Defense Force's take on the title. It was nice to see the journalist in question take a step back and look at the game for what it is, regardless of the platform the site specializes in. Time is taken to make accurate comparisons between the performance on the 360 as well as the potential differences found should BioShock ever run on the PS3. All in all, it was a good read, and nice to see an unbiased review that isn't afraid to point out BioShock's glaring flaws that take away from a potential immersive experience.Under the advisement of Heliophage: "Tee-hee-hee loljk guyz ^_^"
Reminder: Win BioShock Xbox 360 faceplate & T-shirt
You've got one more day to drop a comment, and thereby enter for your chance to win one of these limited-edition BioShock Xbox 360 faceplates and a groovy tee. Good luck!See original giveaway post for entry and official rules.
BioShock PC demo is really coming Monday
PC gamers are going to have to do a lot of spiritual preparation this week. Just a couple of days before they spiritually prepare themselves to play the entirety of BioShock, they're going to have to spiritually prepare themselves to finally get their hands on the demo. Actual real word has come down from on high that the PC demo of the critical (and Joystiq) darling will go live at 7 p.m. EST on Monday. That's not all the soul prep though, as PC gamers will also have to brace themselves to have console gamer friends type countless "zzzzz"s as they attempt to share their demo experiences. Yes, 360 owners, we know you've been rocking the demo for a while, but why not pretend you've never heard about it? They've had a hard week.
Jack Thompson files BioShock ad complaint with FTC
Attorney Jack Thompson has sent a complaint letter to the Federal Trade Commission for BioShock advertisements aired during Friday night's WWE Smackdown. GamePolitics has the full complaint from Thompson, a portion of it states: "Take-Two... is aggressively marketing its newest Mature-rated video game to kids under 17 years of age... On this Friday's night's 8 pm Eastern time airing of WWE's wrestling program "Smackdown," there were repeated ads for Take-Two/Rockstar Game's Mature-rated, incredibly violent BioShock ... This rampant fraudulent trade practice is precisely what 'Big Tobacco' did with its 'Joe Camel' and other teen-targeting ads, while at the same time lying to Congress that it was not marketing its adult product to kids."Hey, we had no idea Rockstar had anything to do with BioShock ... oh wait, that's right, they didn't. The FTC has already stated they think the industry is doing a relatively fine job handling itself; however, the FTC does say the movie and video game industry are both guilty of marketing R and M rated content during shows with inappropriate demographics. That's all good and fine of course, but we're just way too busy bathing in the irony of a FTC violence complaint being brought upon the airing of BioShock ads during an episode of WWE Smackdown.%Gallery-3725%
Get BioShock and All-Pro Football for the cheap [update 1]
This morning, while flipping through the Sunday newspaper ads, we discovered a few pretty good gaming deals we thought we'd share with you. The first deal that caught our is eye was All-Pro Football 2K8 over at Best Buy which has been discounted to a very affordable $39.99, probably due to a little game called Madden 08 being released as of late. Also available at Best Buy this week is an offer where if you purchase the Xbox 360 HD DVD player you'll get the movie 300 for free on top of King Kong and the five other free movie offer. Finally, we know hordes of people will be purchasing BioShock this week and if you get it at Circuit City you'll save $10. That's right, BioShock will be available this Tuesday at Circuit City for $49.99. As always, spend wisely, be safe, and feel free to share the deals you've stumbled upon this week.Update 1: Swapped out the image, because images can be confusing sometimes.
Limited BioShock soundtrack features Moby remix
2K Games sent out a press release announcing that their musical homies Moby and Oscar The Punk will have their remix skills featured on the exclusive (and so very limited) BioShock soundtrack. The soundtrack, which is included in the limited edition of BioShock, will feature three remixed tracks including "Beyond the Sea", "God Bless the Child" and "Wild Little Sisters" with all the remixing done by Mr. Moby and Oscar The Punk. We're not sure if their remixing skills are good, noteworthy or warrant a press release, but we'll trust good old 2K and proclaim that we're ready to get our jam on! w00t! Ahem, other BioShock soundtrack track listings have yet to be announced, but we're nearly certain one of them will include the words "big" or "daddy".
A week's worth of 360 related Penny Arcade comics
This past week had all three of Penny Arcade's comic had to do with 360 titles, namely Stranglehold's demo, BioShock's demo and street date breakery. Soft Targets gives insight into the Precision Tequila Bomb, and Gabe's definition of "headshot," and the Achievement that should be awarded for proficiency therein. Our Continuing Series is a public service announcement to parents and the dangers of their kids splicing with plasmids. Finally, A Dark Recipe goes to show the lengths at which Tycho would go to secure a copy of Bioshock before the street date, obviously he didn't hear about our contest.Read: Soft TargetsRead: Our Continuing SeriesRead: A Dark Recipe
