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Half-Life 2 Preloading from Steam: Part 2
BrainsVolpe writes "For those of us on Steam, we can continue our 'preloading'of Half-Life 2. This time around we'll be downloading 'the majority of the audio of Half-Life 2 in encrypted form.' Does this mean we'll be getting HL2 before September 30th? Only Valve knows for sure... sorta."
I got the prompt to pre-load before, denied it to let the server load subside a bit and now I can't get it to ask me again. Now what?
Money for nothing, pix for free
It is cool that you can preload unreleased media in encrypted form, I like how they are doing this.
A bad joke would be that you preloaded thier source code a few months ago, but lets not go there.
I can't wait for a doom3 demo, let alone a half life 2 demo.
I am holding my breath for a Duke Nukem Forever (that is so true it isn't even funny)
#hostfile 0.0.0.0 primidi.com 0.0.0.0 www.primidi.com 0.0.0.0 radio.weblogs.com
No, it'd only be news if you were downloading the mod and you couldn't use it until next year...
stuff
Ok, so if you can download something but not use it right away it's "news" worthy. He! 3DReleams. You should release a single file for Duke4 every week. (Encrypted ofcourse)
It would be newsworthy if it was the news that describe the new business model of valve with steam, but it has been done a long time ago.
Or it would be newsworthy if it was the news that talks about the protocol behind steam, or the news that talk about some problem/success related to steam, or the people behind steam, or the community accepting/rejecting steam, or something new about half life2/cs/modding. But none of that.
It would be almost void of any interrest it it was the news that announce that the preloading of hl2 has started.
But no, this is the news that say that part2 of the download of people that are preloading hl2 has started.
No, your not right.
The downloading is free.
You only have to pay to play the game, once its been released.
It costs exactly nothing to preload. When the game is officially released, you pay Valve/VU (I think VU is their publisher anywayws) the same amount of money as you would for a box (blame the publishing contract), only you get it the second it's available instead of worrying about what store will have it when.
Ah. I just saw the "account holder" text and assumed it was a paid account type thing.
I'm still not seeing a point, though. Why not just release the game all at once on a private torrent tracker or something instead of what sounds like a convoluted plan at increasing anticipation....
Oh wait, nevermind.
stuff
I really like this (legal) digital form of selling games. The pre-loading makes it as instant as a game box, but Valve can't really go out of stock. Makes it easier for lazy people like me who aren't pre-ordering HL2 from their local game shop.
Well, yeah, but you won't get it on a nice permanent medium (read CD\DVD) and not nice printed manual or box.
So you pay the same for less, but you get it earlier.
...I would be happy if they just consider to make a port... thre isnt a port planned, is there?
I think the current Slashdot quote has some relevance: "Dibble's First Law of Sociology: Some do, some don't."
Some people have an interest in this stuff, others don't. It is much easier to skip over an article that doesn't interest you than to find ones that do interest you, but are not posted.
I tend to think that if a topic is really that uninteresting, why bother with spending the time to read or to reply to the posts.
And probably not even earlier that retail if you know the owner of a small game store who will be getting boxed versions a day or two before the oficial release date.
If the official release date on steam and retail is the same, retail buyers may even have working copies before steam users... Assuming the boxed version doesn't require steam to authenticate before it'll start, otherwise Valve could hold back the retail buyers until the official date (and simultaneously royally piss off a lot of people.)
Why all you all bashing valve for this?! This has got to be the coolest way to get a game yet, you download it before its released, then pay and tada you got the game, no need to move out into the sunlight only to find the store hadn't gotten a copy yet, no need to install from crappy slow CD's which you have to change 4 times.. How can a geek NOT like this?!
Now, the real question from me is: who will get all the money? We know that if one were to buy the reatil box at the store, that much of that money goes to the publisher/middleman. If one pays for the game online, does Valve get a bigger piece of the pie? If so, that's okay with me. I'd much rather have the people who do all the hard development work get more of my money. Sure, it would be nice to make the game cheaper, but if it's going to cost the same I'd rather the money go to the developer.
Besides, I know a few people who will likely end up buying HL2 just because they can d/l it. They are the type who "wouldn't buy HL2 if they had to go out, but will end up buying it because they can d/l it when they get bored and want something to play" Their words exactly.
Valve starts to pre-load the Half-Life 2 Read Me file.
You're assuming there ARE files for DNF.
Justice is the sheep getting arrested while an impartial judge declares the vote void.
You get it the second it's available, assuming the severs can handle the last minute download everyone will be taking part in.
While this may be the future of games delivery, I don't quite understand the "protection" involved with this Steam system. I mean, once the entire game is on your system, how long would it take for a pirate group to crack the thing and let you play it without paying? How is this going to be any different that other methods of copy protection?
I believe that if an article is higly uninterresting, most of the posts will resolv around the fact that highly uninterresting articles shouldnt appear.
Surprise, this is happening.
It would be newsworthy if it was the news that describe the new business model of valve with steam, but it has been done a long time ago.
Or it would be newsworthy if it was the news that talks about the protocol behind steam, or the news that talk about some problem/success related to steam, or the people behind steam, or the community accepting/rejecting steam, or something new about half life2/cs/modding.
What you mean is, it would be newsworthy TO YOU, in those cases.
To hundreds of thousands of other people that are waiting for this game to be released, it is newsworthy that we are one major step closer.
Ironically, the word ironically is often used incorrectly.
If they're encrypted, how would anyone know if they were files for DNF or just kiddy porn, RIAA-infringing MP3 files, MPAA-infringing DivX files, and 0-day warez for a private 3DRealms p2p service?
-PainKilleR-[CE]
This distribution method is quite cool (if it works as expected, we'll see), but does Steam has any way of providing the user some way to burn a hard copy of the game?
All a bit pointless really. I'm getting HL2 but I have a wife, house and work so I'll probably start playing HL2 some weeks after you have finished it.
but doesnt steam use bit-torrent-like(c) technology, which allows users to p2p the files? so after a critical mass has downloaded the rest can grab it off eachother.
Would you a new single without listening to it first?
Yeah, I heard all the press on Doom3, if I am to buy it, I want to try it.
Movie trailers, movie reviews, book reviews, radio playlists, game demos.
Right up there. Plus, if I get bored of it after playing the demo (play halo demo, mmm, a good bedtime game to play *yawn*) I won't buy it.
I say demos are the answer to piracy.
#hostfile 0.0.0.0 primidi.com 0.0.0.0 www.primidi.com 0.0.0.0 radio.weblogs.com
If you don't believe me you can try it yourself. Exit and logout from Steam and then disable your internet connection. When you open steam again, it will state the following:
This was my original point by stating you MUST go into offline mode when exiting Steam as opposed to exiting and logging out. Again, if you don't believe me I encourage you to try it yourself.