'BioShock' for iOS is officially dead, developer 2K reveals

Posted:
in iPhone edited January 2017
Following a hyped release in 2014, and a subsequent removal from the App Store due to compatibility issues, developer 2K has revealed its lauded first person shooter "BioShock" is unlikely to make a return to Apple's portable devices.




After promising work on a pending fix in September 2015, 2K last week quietly reworded the BioShock for iOS support webpage to reflect an apparent change in policy. It seems the company no longer plans to issue the revision that would have delivered support for iOS 8.4 and beyond.

Released in 2014, BioShock for iOS promised a complete port of the original title first released for Windows PCs and Xbox in 2007. Fans of the franchise were expectedly excited at the prospect of revisiting the world of Rapture -- and potentially playing sequel titles -- on-the-go, but initial reviews fell flat.

BioShock mysteriously vanished from the iOS App Store after the release of iOS 8.4 in June 2015, a concerning development for customers who shelled out $15 for rights to download the game on their various devices. 2K ultimately issued a statement some three months later -- after the launch of iOS 9 -- saying that while BioShock is incompatible with iOS 8.4 and above, a forthcoming update would restore the title to full functionality.

It seems 2K is no longer interested in extending the life of the iOS port.

"In June 2015, BioShock became incompatible with iOS, following Apple's version 8.4 update. As a result, the game was removed from the App Store and is no longer supported," the company's support page now reads.

As noted by a former PocketGamer editor who goes by the handle Killercow, and subsequently reported by Digital Trends, a previous version of 2K's statement said BioShock had been "temporarily removed" from the App Store.

For customers, the finality of 2K's update means the game will remain incompatible with devices running anything newer than iOS 8.3. When Apple issued iOS 8.4, its latest-generation devices were iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus and iPad Air 2.
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 21
    calicali Posts: 3,494member
    I wish Apple would take Apple TV seriously for gaming. We would see more games like this.
    watto_cobrawilliamlondonjbdragonfrankieboltsfan17StrangeDays
  • Reply 2 of 21
    cali said:
    I wish Apple would take Apple TV seriously for gaming. We would see more games like this.
    What more are you after? Steelseries has a great controller. Apple no longer requires Apple remote support.. Dev's can require a solid controller and develop for it.. Nothing is really holding developers back.. I think the main issue is Game / App discovery on Apple TV just plain sucks.. I saw some cool games on Apple TV the other day, but didn't know they existed .. having searched for games previously just couldn't find / browse anything.. I also think they REALLY need to allow some kind of trial play.. I'd pay more if I could at least see some of the game play first.
    watto_cobracali
  • Reply 3 of 21
    They need to upgrade the processor as soon as possible and maybe pay developers to bring some amazing games to the platform. As it stands it feels about as exciting as Tizen. (I exaggerate a little there).
    watto_cobracali
  • Reply 4 of 21
    adrayven said:
    cali said:
    I wish Apple would take Apple TV seriously for gaming. We would see more games like this.
    What more are you after? Steelseries has a great controller. Apple no longer requires Apple remote support.. Dev's can require a solid controller and develop for it.. Nothing is really holding developers back.. I think the main issue is Game / App discovery on Apple TV just plain sucks.. I saw some cool games on Apple TV the other day, but didn't know they existed .. having searched for games previously just couldn't find / browse anything.. I also think they REALLY need to allow some kind of trial play.. I'd pay more if I could at least see some of the game play first.

    I think Cali means that Apple should be more proactive in courting big game developers to make games that are on par with PS4/ Xbox 1 games.
    watto_cobracaliwilliamlondonsmaffeifrankie
  • Reply 5 of 21
    cali said:
    I wish Apple would take Apple TV seriously for gaming. We would see more games like this.
    Why?   That's why Sony has PS4.  Blows away AppleTV. 
    williamlondonxzu
  • Reply 6 of 21
    That happens if you rely on 3rd party libraries instead of using the native frameworks., Most other 2k titels have massive issues as well. The Unity engine is currently the most common problem in Apps. Much like the old Flashplayer for macOS situation.
  • Reply 7 of 21
    calicali Posts: 3,494member
    cali said:
    I wish Apple would take Apple TV seriously for gaming. We would see more games like this.
    Why?   That's why Sony has PS4.  Blows away AppleTV. 
    I like how you disagree and prove my point point at the same time.

    adrayven said:
    cali said:
    I wish Apple would take Apple TV seriously for gaming. We would see more games like this.
    What more are you after? Steelseries has a great controller. Apple no longer requires Apple remote support.. Dev's can require a solid controller and develop for it.. Nothing is really holding developers back.. I think the main issue is Game / App discovery on Apple TV just plain sucks.. I saw some cool games on Apple TV the other day, but didn't know they existed .. having searched for games previously just couldn't find / browse anything.. I also think they REALLY need to allow some kind of trial play.. I'd pay more if I could at least see some of the game play first.
    So why aren't developers running to Apple TV? App discovery is a bad excuse.

    Apple TV can't compete with consoles. Otherwise we'd have Bioshock already. Why would it be pulled at all?

    adrayven said:
    cali said:
    I wish Apple would take Apple TV seriously for gaming. We would see more games like this.
    What more are you after? Steelseries has a great controller. Apple no longer requires Apple remote support.. Dev's can require a solid controller and develop for it.. Nothing is really holding developers back.. I think the main issue is Game / App discovery on Apple TV just plain sucks.. I saw some cool games on Apple TV the other day, but didn't know they existed .. having searched for games previously just couldn't find / browse anything.. I also think they REALLY need to allow some kind of trial play.. I'd pay more if I could at least see some of the game play first.

    I think Cali means that Apple should be more proactive in courting big game developers to make games that are on par with PS4/ Xbox 1 games.
    Yeah Apple TV is no where near consoles and this is Apple we're talking about. I have no idea why they shipped it with outdated chips. 

    I'd like to see an A-series gaming chip similar to the A10x but for console gaming. This would enhance the whole Apple TV experience even outside gaming. Considering that, it may not even reach the level of graphics PS4 or even Wii U are capable of, and hardware is important to developers.

    To end this, me and my roommate play Xbox1, Wii U and AppleTV.
    this is how much game time each gets:

    Xbox1    %90
    Wii U      %9
    Apple TV %1

    and that's a nice round number. It's actually more like %.3 for Apple TV.
  • Reply 8 of 21
    crowleycrowley Posts: 10,453member
    cali said:

    So why aren't developers running to Apple TV? App discovery is a bad excuse.
    Is it?  Not having a decent store to sell your product seems like a pretty good reason not to invest in a product to me.
    williamlondon
  • Reply 9 of 21
    cali said:
    I wish Apple would take Apple TV seriously for gaming. We would see more games like this.
    Don't hold your breath it was Apple who broke their promise and drove away Halo to Xbox. 

    If Apple wants people to think about gaming for the ATV, they would've added a game controller with it. 
    williamlondon
  • Reply 10 of 21
    gatorguygatorguy Posts: 24,176member
    The NVIDIA Shield TV is a great example of what a TV box should be IMHO. Far smaller than an Xbox or PS4 but still powerful, capable, and with expandable storage. Covers both casual "app store" gaming along with console-quality gameplay. It offers all major streaming media subscription services, voice control, can serve as a hub for home automation and with soon-shipping small remote pucks similar to Alexa Dots extends control to other rooms. Oh and it comes with a real game controller in the box. 

    But there's still room for improvement and I expect Apple to do something similar but in some ways better sooner rather than later. The living room is important to Apple and that's what I think the Apple TV will strive to be: One small box that serves gaming, media streaming and home control needs. Our home has both and the Shield (the older first version which just got every feature and speed/interface upgrade as the new) is far faster and more useful, but costs no more than the least expensive 4th gen. Apple TV plus a controller.
    edited January 2017 williamlondonxzu
  • Reply 11 of 21
    calicali Posts: 3,494member
    crowley said:
    cali said:

    So why aren't developers running to Apple TV? App discovery is a bad excuse.
    Is it?  Not having a decent store to sell your product seems like a pretty good reason not to invest in a product to me.
    How is it any worse than the most successful App Store in history?

    these replies are BS excuses when Microsoft and Sony have stores that are no better than apple's.
    StrangeDays
  • Reply 12 of 21
    calicali Posts: 3,494member
    cali said:
    I wish Apple would take Apple TV seriously for gaming. We would see more games like this.
    Don't hold your breath it was Apple who broke their promise and drove away Halo to Xbox. 

    If Apple wants people to think about gaming for the ATV, they would've added a game controller with it. 
    I don't think Apple has to develop games but it would be nice if they didn't give away the market to MS and Sony as I don't like their consoles.
    williamlondon
  • Reply 13 of 21
    smaffeismaffei Posts: 237member
    I don't think Apple has to develop games but it would be nice if they didn't give away the market to MS and Sony as I don't like their consoles.
    Shame. Resident Evil 7 VR for the PS4 is pretty damn amazing!
  • Reply 14 of 21
    sirlance99sirlance99 Posts: 1,293member
    cali said:
    cali said:
    I wish Apple would take Apple TV seriously for gaming. We would see more games like this.
    Don't hold your breath it was Apple who broke their promise and drove away Halo to Xbox. 

    If Apple wants people to think about gaming for the ATV, they would've added a game controller with it. 
    I don't think Apple has to develop games but it would be nice if they didn't give away the market to MS and Sony as I don't like their consoles.
    What don't you like about them? They both pretty much do the same thing. 
  • Reply 15 of 21
    adrayven said:
    cali said:
    I wish Apple would take Apple TV seriously for gaming. We would see more games like this.
    What more are you after? Steelseries has a great controller. Apple no longer requires Apple remote support.. Dev's can require a solid controller and develop for it.. Nothing is really holding developers back.. I think the main issue is Game / App discovery on Apple TV just plain sucks.. I saw some cool games on Apple TV the other day, but didn't know they existed .. having searched for games previously just couldn't find / browse anything.. I also think they REALLY need to allow some kind of trial play.. I'd pay more if I could at least see some of the game play first.

    I think Cali means that Apple should be more proactive in courting big game developers to make games that are on par with PS4/ Xbox 1 games.
    You are kidding right - at least about the iPhone!? 
  • Reply 16 of 21
    They need to upgrade the processor as soon as possible and maybe pay developers to bring some amazing games to the platform. As it stands it feels about as exciting as Tizen. (I exaggerate a little there).
    They have updated the processor -- just not w/ the target you have in mind. Not to many fold want a fan in their iPhone. I certainly don't want size to dbl to hold more battery & get less time on it.
  • Reply 17 of 21
    jbdragonjbdragon Posts: 2,305member
    Many games like Bioshock really aren't great games to play on a iOS device. You really need that big screen and a real controller. If possible, Surround sound. Porting these type of games onto a touch screen interface and no controller generally works out poorly.
  • Reply 18 of 21
    boltsfan17boltsfan17 Posts: 2,294member
    cali said:
    cali said:
    I wish Apple would take Apple TV seriously for gaming. We would see more games like this.
    Don't hold your breath it was Apple who broke their promise and drove away Halo to Xbox. 

    If Apple wants people to think about gaming for the ATV, they would've added a game controller with it. 
    I don't think Apple has to develop games but it would be nice if they didn't give away the market to MS and Sony as I don't like their consoles.
    Apple will never compete with the console gaming market. What they need to do is work out deals with like Nintendo to port old classics over to the Apple TV. They can even work out a deal with Sony to port over PS3 classics. I would buy old Nintendo classics in a heartbeat to play on the Apple TV. 
  • Reply 19 of 21
    StrangeDaysStrangeDays Posts: 12,844member
    crowley said:
    cali said:

    So why aren't developers running to Apple TV? App discovery is a bad excuse.
    Is it?  Not having a decent store to sell your product seems like a pretty good reason not to invest in a product to me.
    I've never really bought the "app discovery" problem. Retailers like Best Buy and Target have very limited shelf space, their customers don't and can't discover many apps because space. Instead gamers know about the apps they want, and go out and get them. It's always been that way with useful utilities for me -- I read about them, then visit their site and purchase. The software publisher relies on press and marketing, but never random "discovery".
    williamlondon
  • Reply 20 of 21
    StrangeDaysStrangeDays Posts: 12,844member

    jbdragon said:
    Many games like Bioshock really aren't great games to play on a iOS device. You really need that big screen and a real controller. If possible, Surround sound. Porting these type of games onto a touch screen interface and no controller generally works out poorly.
    iOS devices support controllers.
    williamlondon
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