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No. 171313
With an hour and a half to go, I decided to send a response to Irrational Games that will be summarily ignored:
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Dear IG,
I'm sure your inbox(es) is(/are) blowing up with the release of Bioshock Infinite. I'm also sure that they range from undying adulation to impotent rage and are generally filled with the spelling and grammatical mistakes of a 13-year old. However, I feel I must add to this vast swath of text with my own concern.
To say that I was hype for Infinite is an understatement; this is the first game I have preordered in over a year, the first game I got the special edition of in over five. I ordered a physical copy and stood in line at Gamestop with a bunch of other poor schlubs at midnight on a weeknight in ~20 F weather. (We quoted Monty Python and the Holy Grail, a good time was had.) I was on my game (ha!) and made sure to get in early, being the fifth or so person in to pick up their copy. A major reason I got a physical copy, as opposed to buying it off Steam, was the goodies in the Premium Edition I got, as well as the ability to rush home, install it, and begin playing right away.
Sadly, reality only stuck with me until that last statement. Upon coming home, putting the nice, physical disc labeled "DISC 1", I was greeted with the standard install screen. When I clicked "Install BioShock Infinite", it opened Steam and asked me to authenticate it. This isn't a problem, as I have and regularly use Steam. The trouble began when Steam started to download the game, rather than install the game from these three, nice, shiny discs I have in my possession. Even now I sit here with an hour and a half left on the download. What manner of trickery is this? Were the discs an elaborate troll, a joke at those of us who prefer to purchase and play immediately?
Is a man not entitled to immediately install and play the game that he personally paid for?
'No,' says the man at Irrational Games, 'who would want to do that?'
'No,' says the man at 2KGames, 'we don't have a full manual available.' *
'No,' says the man at Steam, 'we have a fat pipe and all must use it'
I still eagerly await being able to play the game, and from Metacritic scores my hype will be well deserved, but after waiting years, then months, then weeks, then days it is quite agonizing to be forced to wait another two hours (or more!), especially when part of the reason I went for the physical version was to avoid the "pre loading" drama that can occur with Steam.
So, while waiting, I write to you to share my utmost sorrow, for I still have over an hour to wait yet. I suppose I can spend the time staring at what are apparently just three commemorative coasters in a plastic storage case. Why must it hurt, Irrational? Why must it hurt.
Hugs and kisses,
[Autonymoose]
*Yes, as of this writing, the link in the back of the paper manual results in a 404 page.
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