BioShock Installs a Rootkit

An anonymous reader writes "Sony (the owner of SecureROM copy protection) is still up to its old tricks. One would think that they would have learned their lesson after the music CD DRM fiasco, which cost them millions. However, they have now started infesting PC gaming with their invasive DRM. Facts have surfaced that show that the recently released PC game BioShock installs a rootkit, which embeds itself into Explorer, as part of its SecureROM copy-protection scheme. Not only that, but just installing the demo infects your system with the rootkit. This begs the question: Since when did demos need copy protection?"

But why do they need to install spyware/rootkits?

[Anonymous Coward]

I though to play BioShock you already had to have Windows Vista?

ugh...

[PJ1216]

This sucks. Sony BMG was a different branch of Sony so I was able to look upon other branches and hope maybe they knew better, however, that appears to not be the case. Don't they realize Sony BMG got sued because of this? I'm guessing some guys told them they fixed the holes with the other rootkit and that this one was ok and Sony went for it. I'm of the opinion that the people making these decisions don't understand the technology because I can't see someone who understands what's going on allowing this to happen.

Re:This is why fucking capitialism needs to be

[Corwn of Amber]

In Soviet Russia, Capitalism destroys YOU!

Erm. Wait...

Re:This is why fucking capitialism needs to be

[Anonymous Coward]

In Soviet Russia ... Sony boycotts you!

Re:Oh great

[Beardo the Bearded]

Hey, consumer.

You'll buy what we fucking TELL you to buy. If it crashes your system, then your system requires more RAM.

It's situation fucking normal for a game.

If you don't like it, then millions of idiots will just buy it and install it on their parents' computer anyway. After all, kids are the only ones who play games.

(Not previewing after 5 on a Friday.)

Re:Oh great

[Short Circuit]

Here we go again. *sigh*

What, Sony and their rootkits, or the "Begs the question" abuse that seems to get on everyone's nerves?

Re:Yet another game

[Afecks]

That settles it, I will never buy this game again.

Another Beer Coaster

[firesyde424]

Do you remember those AOL CD's that came in the mail? I use them as beer coasters. Over the years, I have added companions to those first denizens of table top protection. Most have been advert cd's or the cd's that contain the bloatware from a new computer. Some, such as X3, were wonderful games that were destroyed by their DRM schemes. In that case, starforce, which forced its scheme on you without notification.

Did we not learn the first time? Why can these multi billion dollar corporations not come up with anything better than the broken and bloated software the average consumer must choke down?

I bought Bioshock today. I've played it for a full 3 hours. And that is all the more that it will be played.

Welcome to the beer coaster pile, Bioshock, I forsee many coffee rings and soda drops in your future

removing the rootkit

[Macrosoft0]

dont worry, you can easily remove it by [secureRom has detected an attempt to remove copy-protection, removing text], and then its all better

Re:Oh great

[Schemat1c]

If you don't like it, then millions of idiots will just buy it and install it on their parents' computer anyway. After all, kids are the only ones who play games.

I play games and i'm almost 27. so do all my friends, and many other people i know.

games aren't just for kids. The fact games are a multi billion dollar industry shows this clearly.

no one can make me part with my money if i don't want to. get a clue.

Whoosh!

Re:Would be nice

[Lost Penguin]

There's a song....
Fdisk, Format, Re-Install, Do-Dah

That's not a root kit...

[hickmott]

THIS [ultimatecitrus.com] is a root kit!

Re:Actually, these rootkits are good...

[bluefoxlucid]

Sweet. I've played Blue Team on the Mid-Atlantic Regional CyberDefense Competition run by CyberWATCH on the east coast with the team from CCBC for the first 2 years; but I'm out now, because I'm a security professional. Third year I'll be running red team; I've gotten permission, and I'm a student of Offensive Security (Offsec 101, going to go into Wifu and B2M when they're out too) NOW so the competition in March will let me put my studies to the test and get some experience (good arrangement!).

Re:Yet another game

[pabrown85]

so I've been downloading games wrong?!

Re:This is why fucking capitialism needs to be

[StrongAxe]

Have you watched the documentary(BBC4 I think) or read about Tetris? ...

The problem with communism is if you end up with political types not unlike G.W. Bush running it. Would you want the Ministry of Video Games to be managed by Bush cronies? Wouldn't that be just terrible

If so, Tetris would be outlawed as a Weapon of Mass Distraction.

Re:Shame on /. for linking to this

[cortana]

Yeah, and we've always been at war with Eastasia. The security restrictions we have put in place are temporary measures only. They are necessary for your own safety and protection. They will be relaxed once we have won the war.

Raaaiiiiiaaaaain on your wedding day

[Dogtanian]

I've been saying that for a while... slashdot is dominated by a clique-ish groupthink that is absolutely unhealthy, and makes it hard to take much of the opinion here seriously. Too many people spend too much time saying things that they will make them look "cool" to other similarly insecure slashdotter, and not enough time actually critically reading the articles.

So basically, you're pointing out that you agree with the +5-moderated GP post, and have been making the same "insightful" point for some time?

Looks like you're only doing this because you want to join in the groupthink and look cool!

Sorry, couldn't resist ;-)