*OLD*Official Bioshock Thread

[Balt]

Steam hardware survey

If those are the required specs, they've limited themselves to a pretty small percentage of the gaming population.

 

[Noema]

Those are the recommended requirements posted at the Official Site Here are the minumum requirements:

Minumum Requirements:

CPU: Pentium 4 2.4GHz Single Core processor

System RAM: 1GB

Video Card: Direct X 9.0c compliant video card with 128MB RAM (NVIDIA 6600 or better/ATI X1300 or better, excluding ATI X1550).

As for the 512MB Video Card...we all here know that Video RAM is not the most important factor for video performance. A 8800GTS with 320MB of RAM can easily outperform a X1600 with 512MB. Publishers usually simplify the specs on the box to avoid confusing the masses.

 

[Aikouka]

Originally posted by: Balt
Steam hardware survey

If those are the required specs, they've limited themselves to a pretty small percentage of the gaming population that runs steam.

Fixed.

 

[MarcVenice]

Noema, more like they want to push more gamers to buy new hardware, scam scam scam I say

 

[Fenixgoon]

Originally posted by: Noema
Those are the recommended requirements posted at the Official Site Here are the minumum requirements:

Minumum Requirements:

CPU: Pentium 4 2.4GHz Single Core processor

System RAM: 1GB

Video Card: Direct X 9.0c compliant video card with 128MB RAM (NVIDIA 6600 or better/ATI X1300 or better, excluding ATI X1550).

As for the 512MB Video Card...we all here know that Video RAM is not the most important factor for video performance. A 8800GTS with 320MB of RAM can easily outperform a X1600 with 512MB. Publishers usually simplify the specs on the box to avoid confusing the masses.

but large amounts of video ram are useful when pushing high resolutions, in addition to raw gpu power, no?

 

[Noema]

Originally posted by: Fenixgoon

Originally posted by: Noema
Those are the recommended requirements posted at the Official Site Here are the minumum requirements:

Minumum Requirements:

CPU: Pentium 4 2.4GHz Single Core processor

System RAM: 1GB

Video Card: Direct X 9.0c compliant video card with 128MB RAM (NVIDIA 6600 or better/ATI X1300 or better, excluding ATI X1550).

As for the 512MB Video Card...we all here know that Video RAM is not the most important factor for video performance. A 8800GTS with 320MB of RAM can easily outperform a X1600 with 512MB. Publishers usually simplify the specs on the box to avoid confusing the masses.

but large amounts of video ram are useful when pushing high resolutions, in addition to raw gpu power, no?

Oh, certainly. But it's just one of many factors involved in Video Card performance. Look at the benchmarks for the 8800GTS 320 and 640MB. They are not that different.

By the way, there's a mini-podcast in the site I linked earlier with an interview with a member of the team handling the port to PC. He says that game runs great on a 7800GTX with high settings at 1024x768, so hopefully us 8800GTS and GTX owners will be able to get good performance at 1680x1050 and higher.

 

[Newfie]

Arrgh, time to pony up for some more memory

 

[Schadenfroh]

Originally posted by: DAPUNISHER

Originally posted by: Schadenfroh
I wonder if they wrote that game for OpenAL or if that EAX is still going through DirectSound?

It has to be OpenAL for Vista.

I know, but they might have programmed it for DirectSound / EAX and they are just letting Creative run it through their Alchemy system instead of just using OpenAL flat out:laugh:

That would be lame.

 

[Regs]

Originally posted by: Noema

Originally posted by: Fenixgoon

Originally posted by: Noema
Those are the recommended requirements posted at the Official Site Here are the minumum requirements:

Minumum Requirements:

CPU: Pentium 4 2.4GHz Single Core processor

System RAM: 1GB

Video Card: Direct X 9.0c compliant video card with 128MB RAM (NVIDIA 6600 or better/ATI X1300 or better, excluding ATI X1550).

As for the 512MB Video Card...we all here know that Video RAM is not the most important factor for video performance. A 8800GTS with 320MB of RAM can easily outperform a X1600 with 512MB. Publishers usually simplify the specs on the box to avoid confusing the masses.

but large amounts of video ram are useful when pushing high resolutions, in addition to raw gpu power, no?

Oh, certainly. But it's just one of many factors involved in Video Card performance. Look at the benchmarks for the 8800GTS 320 and 640MB. They are not that different.

By the way, there's a mini-podcast in the site I linked earlier with an interview with a member of the team handling the port to PC. He says that game runs great on a 7800GTX with high settings at 1024x768, so hopefully us 8800GTS and GTX owners will be able to get good performance at 1680x1050 and higher.

1680x1050 is wide screen res right?

I'm thinking about jumping on a 8800GTS right now with 640MBs. Though with my new wide screen 20'in LCD I'm thinking 640 would be a better idea.

Any advice would be appreciative, but I pretty much all ready know that it's a wait and see game.

 

[Noema]

Originally posted by: Regs


1680x1050 is wide screen res right?

Yes, 1680x1050 is 16:10 widescreen, just like 1440x900 or 1920x1200.

If you are planning to upgrade for BioShock, I suggest you wait for some benchmarks before buying. The game will be out in less than 3 weeks; we'll no doubt see some benchmakrs pop-up very soon.

I'm particularly interested in seeing how the game looks and performs in DX10...so far all the pics that have been released are from the Xbox 360 version. The game is supposed to look "spectacular" in DX10.

However, due to how poorly DX10 games are running on current cards (perhaps with the sole exception of Company of Heroes with the newest G80 drivers), I'll go out on a limb and declare that the game will be utterly unplayable on a 8600GTS or lower in DX10 unless one drops the resolution very low, with low settings as well. I hope I'm wrong...we'll see.

 

[jonks]

Early Bioshock reviews are in on Metacritic, one for the 360 and one for the pc version.

95
PC Gamer UK
A dark and astonishing masterpiece...I spend my career, and my gaming life, waiting for a moment when a game just astonishes me, when I can't believe what I'm seeing, what I'm doing. BioShock has five. [Sept 2007, p.66]

100
Official Xbox Magazine UK
Amazingly written and beautifully constructed, it's a complete emotional rollercoaster which we can't drawn any parallels with...You'll be playing this game for months to come, exchanging story elements to build up the bigger picture, and arguing about what it all means. [Sept 2007, p.88]



I'm quite psyched.

 

[imported_Imp]

is the Xbox360 a direct port of the PC or vice versa? We have an Xbox, but my PC is also fully capably running widescreen. Might be 'issues' if we got two copies of the same thing, albeit on different platforms.

 

[jonks]

I'm sure when the reviews are rolling in they'll be comparing the two versions and will articulate the ups and downs of each

 

[Inspector Jihad]

Originally posted by: Aikouka

Originally posted by: Balt
Steam hardware survey

If those are the required specs, they've limited themselves to a pretty small percentage of the gaming population that runs steam.

Fixed.

i'd say thats a pretty decent cross section.

 

[manowar821]

Originally posted by: Regs
**Important Note: Game requires Internet connection for activation**

God dammit!

 

[CaptainJackSwallows]

anyone know if it uses quad core?

 

[Regs]

Originally posted by: CaptainJackSwallows
anyone know if it uses quad core?

"The game will also be multi-core friendly, and can fully utilise up to quad core CPUs on the PC. Physics and AI will each have their own threads ? something that Irrational admits it learned from coding for the three-core 360."

http://www.atomicmpc.com.au/ar...SCID=27&CIID=83180&p=5


I would take that with a grain of salt though.

1. Computer x86 code is a different story from the Xbox360. And even if windows can correctly schedule the commands to an actual benifit of performance, it could only be 1-5% difference from single or dual core.

 

[shortylickens]

Originally posted by: manowar821

Originally posted by: Regs
**Important Note: Game requires Internet connection for activation**

God dammit!

GOD FUCKING DAMMIT TO SHIT HELL!!!!! :|

 

[jonks]

Originally posted by: shortylickens

Originally posted by: manowar821

Originally posted by: Regs
**Important Note: Game requires Internet connection for activation**

God dammit!

GOD FUCKING DAMMIT TO SHIT HELL!!!!! :|

Why the hate? I'm guessing you have an Internet connection, no? The hackers will circumvent this before launchday anyway.

 

[shortylickens]

Originally posted by: sirjonk

Originally posted by: shortylickens

Originally posted by: manowar821

Originally posted by: Regs
**Important Note: Game requires Internet connection for activation**

God dammit!

GOD FUCKING DAMMIT TO SHIT HELL!!!!! :|

Why the hate? I'm guessing you have an Internet connection, no? The hackers will circumvent this before launchday anyway.

I didnt say dick about the internet connection.

I'm not activating any games. I didnt like it with Windows and I refuse to put up with it for a video game.
Its not going to happen.

And I dont trust the hacks. You can only get them off pirated discs or shady websites.
I'm not letting a virus loose in my system just so I can play a game the way its SUPPOSED to be played.

 

[CP5670]

As much as I hate internet activation schemes, I would take them over Starforce, Securom 7 and other such muck that most games come with these days. (assuming it's not loaded with that stuff too for good measure)

 

[jonks]

Originally posted by: shortylickens

Originally posted by: sirjonk

Originally posted by: shortylickens

Originally posted by: manowar821

Originally posted by: Regs
**Important Note: Game requires Internet connection for activation**

God dammit!

GOD FUCKING DAMMIT TO SHIT HELL!!!!! :|

Why the hate? I'm guessing you have an Internet connection, no? The hackers will circumvent this before launchday anyway.

I didnt say dick about the internet connection.

I'm not activating any games. I didnt like it with Windows and I refuse to put up with it for a video game.
Its not going to happen.

And I dont trust the hacks. You can only get them off pirated discs or shady websites.
I'm not letting a virus loose in my system just so I can play a game the way its SUPPOSED to be played.

I understand your annoyance, and I agree. I think it was Oblivion that was released without any copy protection, recognizing it's futility and the problems associated with those schemes. But you should recognize there's plenty of virus free hacks on "reputable" websites I've used for years to circumvent cd checks. cdcopyworld, etc. I can't stand swapping dvds just to play different games. It's nonsense, and copy protections are always cracked anyway. The only people inconvenienced are those who legally buy the game anyway.

 

[Modelworks]

The 512MB ram on the recommended specs makes sense.
Remember that bioshock and a lot of future games are going to make heavy use of textures.
It doesn't matter how fast your video card is if it has too little ram on the card then it will have to transfer those textures over the bus when it needs them, slowing down game play.
You also have to have enough ram on the card for the frame buffer.

There will probably be an option in the game whether to use compressed/uncompressed textures.

I would not buy a card now without it having at least 512MB ram.
Thats why my next card will be a 640MB 8800.

You can't compare benchmarks between a 320MB card and a 640MB card until you start using more 300MB+ in textures. Then you will see the 640MB card take the lead.

 

[Skott]

I feel confident my rig is up to the task of playing it well enough. Looking forward to it.

 

[Xellos2099]

Think my system can run it decently?
Intel E6400 oc to 2.66
4 gig DDR2 667
Evga 7800gt 256