Thursday, April 4, 2013

How to play Bioshock without Steam - No acheivements.

Before I get into this story, let me preface my post by noting that this website has a Terms of Service, which you can find at the bottom of every post and page, along with the Privacy Policy, and Affiliate Disclaimer.

The information I am giving you is just information and you are responsible for how you use this information. So, don't be evil. Bioshock Infinite is a fantastic game and I suggest you buy it, but not from Steam. Below are a few links to buy from other than Steam.

Overstock.com
Ebay.com

Bioshock Infinite No Steam Guide.

This guide is meant for the user who has paid for Bioshock Infinite and would like to play it without Steam. I have heard, though I can not confirm, that you can use this method on the pre-load version of the game if you, for some strange masochistic reason, bought it through Steam.

Why No Steam?

There are many reasons for not wanting to use steam. Because you want to play the game offline without any problems, you don't want to use their cloud, or insert your own reason.  The point is not about why, but if you are hear, then you already have your reason.

What do I need?

You need a few files to make Bioshock Infinite work without Steam.  This is one method, and I am sure there may be others, but this is the best method I have found that others have used.

There are two groups that have made no-steam versions of the .exe for Bioshock Infinite. However, I suggest you check out the EULA of Bioshock Infinite as it may include prohibition of modifying the .exe of the game. That may give them reason to take actions against you in some way or another if discovered. Also, the two .exe no-steam fixes don't work very well on their own. One is by FLT and the other is by 3DM. Both can be found on The Pirate Bay, but you will have to find them yourselves. Linking to TPB is not good for my website, so use it at your own risk. I do not condone people that pirate games. I am divulging this information for those who have purchased the game.

Why doesn't it work?

The problem is that these two files don't work very well on their own.  However, if you combine them they do work.. Don't ask me how or why, I watched someone else do it and saw that it worked. It should work for you too, but there is a chance it won't so keep that in mind before you do this yourself.

How do I make Bioshock Infinite not use Steam?

So, if you have found and downloaded the two files by the groups FTL and 3DM , then here are the next steps.

1. Open the FTL file.

2. Open your Bioshock Infinite install location (the place where the bioshockinfinite.exe is located.)

3. Find the files in your Bioshock Infinite install location that have the same file names as those in the FTL download, and rename them adding "old" to the file name. i.e. - bioshockinfinite.exe becomes oldbioshockinfinite.exe: The reason for this is so that you can play the game on Steam later, if you are feeling masochistic, by renaming the files back.

4. Copy the contents of the FTL file to your install directory. 

5. Open the 3DM file and copy only the Steam.appi  to the Bioshock Install directory and overwrite the one from the FTL file.

Open Bioshock Infinite with the .exe and you can now play without steam.

What am I missing by not using Steam to play Bioshock Infinite?

Achievements. You will earn no achievements in Bioshock Infinite without Steam. You will not gain any gamer score for those who use services like raptr.com.

Is it worth it?

Only if you are loath to using Steam to play the game. If you enjoy playing on steam, enjoy achievements, and Steam services, It is completely unnecessary to play the game without Steam. That being said, check all your EULAs as there may be ramifications for being caught playing without Steam. So, don't do it if it is prohibited. If you know whether or not this is prohibited for Bioshock Infinite, please leave a comment. Don't do it if it could cause you any grief. You are just trying to enjoy the game that you paid for the way you want to. There shouldn't be any harm in that, but that kind of logic doesn't hold true in the greedy business world.

If you pirated Bioshock Infinite, I sincerely hope you pay for the game and stop being a jerk. The game has gotten the best reviews and rating scores I've ever seen. If you don't pay for this game like you are supposed to, get off of my website and never come back. You are not welcome here.

Stay Creative, It's Good For You.

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5 comments:

  1. Dint work for me .. Don't know at u meant by pre-load version othe game but I bought the disks.. Followed instructions to install it from disk instead of downloading.. Followed th steps u advised but it doesn't work.
    Error: " appid is not configured

    ReplyDelete
  2. Abeer Duggal,

    If you have the disks, you shouldn't need to do the no steam procedure. However, depending on your system, you may need to remove the intro movies, or even run it in windowed mode to stop it from crashing.

    ReplyDelete
  3. I am getting ApexFrameworkSHIPPING_x86.dll missing error..... pls guide.... M having Win7 x86 bit plateform....

    ReplyDelete
  4. How can a registered user on Steam transfer the license key another person?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You cannot transfer steam games that are in your library. You can only transfer gift copies of steam games that you have purchased but not added to your library, or are duplicates of games already in your library.

      Delete

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