Report: Black Ops 2 for PC Shipped with Mass Effect 2 Discs
Many Activision customers report that Disc 2 of Black Ops 2 is actually an installation disc for EA's Mass Effect 2.
Joystiq reports that complaints posted on Steam, Reddit, 4chan and the Black Ops 2 forums reveal that the retail (DVD-ROM) PC version of Black Ops 2 contains installation data for Mass Effect 2, not the just-released Call of Duty shooter.
The new Call of Duty installment was launched early at 12:01am Tuesday morning at participating retailers. Anticipation for the new Black Ops title has been relatively high since its initial announcement, enough so that gamers were willing to skip sleep and stand outside in line on a cold November night early Tuesday morning. But imagine their surprise when they rushed home to play their new shooter and couldn't even install it on the hard drive.
According to the various complaints, it's Disc 2 that's causing installation problems, as this disc supposedly plays host to Mass Effect 2 installation data, not Black Ops 2. Because of this, consumers can't install the game using their physical copies, but rather must use the provided Steam code to unlock the digital version. In the end Call of Duty gamers can still install their new purchase, but they now must wait for the digital version to download and install before diving into the shootfest.
"The same thing happened to me and I just checked the files. The 7 GB file is listed as ME2_RTP and the other 2 are autorun and autorun," said one Steam forum member.
"It's a COD BO2 disc face, but it's been mastered with Disc 2 from Mass Effect 2," said another on the Black Ops 2 forums.
As one customer points out, those affected by the disc switch can't return their game to the retailer. Thus, their physical copy is utterly useless and must rely on the supplied Steam code. So far Treyarch and Activision have not acknowledged the problem, and they may not given Black Ops 2 ships with an unlockable digital version.
However the big question is this: how did an Electronic Arts game disc end up in an Activision retail package? That's what we – along with thousands of other Black Ops 2 gamers across various forums – are dying to know.
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Kevin Parrish has over a decade of experience as a writer, editor, and product tester. His work focused on computer hardware, networking equipment, smartphones, tablets, gaming consoles, and other internet-connected devices. His work has appeared in Tom's Hardware, Tom's Guide, Maximum PC, Digital Trends, Android Authority, How-To Geek, Lifewire, and others.
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joytech22 They've released so many bloody COD games, maybe it's a curse telling them to stop making COD games..Reply -
slabbo "how did an Electronic Arts game disc end up in an Activision retail package?" Uh, simple answer really. Both EA and Activision use the same company to master the disks. Was it really that hard? DUH!!!Reply -
What moron would eveh buy this game over the age of 25 and even worse for PC. A ridiculous re hash of the same old stuff as before same graphics just run and gun. For sure a terrible PC port on top of that.Reply
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StormOfRazors I dont see what the big problem is, since it is tied to steam anyway they can just download it. Its not like it used to be where if the CD or DVD was stuffed you couldnt play the game AT ALL. Yes, it will cause some bandwidth issues for people on a cap, but its not the end of the world.Reply -
IndignantSkeptic WTF is a disc and why are people buying contraptions like that when they have a PC? We have a thing now called the Internet which works with this thing called electricity. Google it. Some people should be just sent to live in Talibanistan/Poliostan, I swear.Reply -
hate machine StormOfRazorsI dont see what the big problem is, since it is tied to steam anyway they can just download it. Its not like it used to be where if the CD or DVD was stuffed you couldnt play the game AT ALL. Yes, it will cause some bandwidth issues for people on a cap, but its not the end of the world.Reply
It is not an issue if you buy a product and it does not function at all? -
ddpruitt Replyhow did an Electronic Arts game disc end up in an Activision retail package? That's what we – along with thousands of other Black Ops 2 gamers across various forums – are dying to know.
Simple both EA and Activision outsourced disc mastering to the same company. Someone screwed up and set the machines to master from the wrong source.
Not that complicated is it? -
dudemcduderson hastenLOL!! How do you make a blunder this big?hastenWe get it you're a fanboy for some other game. Good for you.Reply
Hasten, not really COD really is just that bad of a game that you don't have to be a fanboy of something else to realize how terrible it really is