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Half Life 2 To Be DVD Only In UK

Posted by Zonk on from the upgrade-to-access-headcrabs-plz dept.

Thanks to Halflife2.net, who today recieved word from game retailers that, at least in the UK, Half Life 2 will only be available via DVD. This is evidently becoming common for US games in Europe, as FarCry was not released on CD in Europe either.

63 comments

  1. Load time? by justkarl · · Score: 1, Insightful

    Does anybody know if it takes longer for a DVD drive to find the data on a disc? Would this make for a long load time, I wonder?

    1. Re:Load time? by SnAzBaZ · · Score: 3, Informative

      Most modern games don't read data from the CD/DVD these days anyway. They all copy 99% to the hard disk at install time for faster access times.

    2. Re:Load time? by Ayaress · · Score: 3, Insightful

      I don't know about Halflife 2 yet, but a lot of games I have install the bulk of the data to the hard drive, and only leave things like movies and background music on the CD. They requie the CD in the drive more as copy protection than data. If that's the case with Halflife 2, it probably won't seriously effect things for better or worse.

    3. Re:Load time? by JimmehAH · · Score: 3, Informative

      Half-Life 2 will use Steam for authentication. You wont need to have the CD/DVD in the drive to run it. If you preload over Steam, you wont even need the CD/DVD to install it. Just enter the key from the box and it will be playable.

    4. Re:Load time? by NotAnotherReboot · · Score: 1

      Indeed, the only reason almost any PC game these days requires the CD to be in to play is for copy protection. It just wants to make sure that you have a physical copy of the game before letting you play.

      There are cracked executables that remove the check, and the entirety of the games can be played without ever putting the CD in.

    5. Re:Load time? by Phil+Wilkins · · Score: 1

      DVD data transfer rates are higher than CD transfer rates because, even though they spin at similar speeds (limited by exploding dics problem), the pits and tracks on the DVD are closer together.

      Random seeks on a full disc are comparable for CD and DVD, because it's largely a mechanical problem. However, for a well laid out disk, and a similar amount of data, DVD wins easily.

    6. Re:Load time? by Oscaro · · Score: 1

      I don't think so. Believe it or no, many people still have a dialup connection, or no connection at all.

    7. Re:Load time? by JimmehAH · · Score: 1

      I'm not quite sure what you're disagreeing with in my post. Is it preloading over Steam?
      Besides, I've heard many stories of people using Steam happily on 56k (even though one of the recommended requirements is broadband) but if they don't want to preload then they don't have to. They can just buy the game at retail.

      If it's the DVD version and they only have a CD-ROM drive, then they failed to meet the requirements. There will be notices in at least 3 places that it is a DVD game if it's anything like Far Cry or UT2004.

  2. Kind of annoying, but... by Ayaress · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Is this another case like broadband where Europe/Asia have better coverage than the US?

    I don't have a DVD drive on any of my computers yet, and don't really plan to get one any time soon, and I know that many of the people I know don't have one either. Since most PC games still ship on CDs, I'm happy enough without spending money on one. I just assume that when games start doing this, the prices on a DVD drive will be down a bit and I can grab one on the cheap.

    Anyway, back to my point: Are DVD drives more common in the UK than the US? Or do I just have a bunch of lame friends who can't play DVDs on their computers?

    1. Re:Kind of annoying, but... by SnAzBaZ · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Anyone with the modern hardware required to run games like HL2/Farcry is almost certainly going to have at least a DVDROM drive, the cost of which is nothing compared to the rest of the system. (£10-£15?).

    2. Re:Kind of annoying, but... by Rico_Suave · · Score: 5, Insightful

      You have lame friends :) I'm not directing this at you, but a lot of people seem to have an unfounded dislike of DVD-ROM drives. They'll complain and moan about having to buy a $20 DVD-ROM drive (there are five for under $20 on pricegrabber right now), yet won't bat an eye at buying a $300 video card every year. Even DVD *burners* are dirt cheap now - if you've shelled out the cash for a system capable of playing Half Life 2 or Doom 3, there's no reason not to have a DVD drive as well.

    3. Re:Kind of annoying, but... by borg1238 · · Score: 1

      Exactly. I'd give you mod points if I had em :)

    4. Re:Kind of annoying, but... by Ayaress · · Score: 1

      They don't complain about them. Most of us (myself included) keep saying we're going to pick one up one of these days, but have just never had the need since everything still comes on CDs anyway.

      We also keep saying we'll pay for the drinks some day, but we always stick Eric with the bill at the end of the night.

    5. Re:Kind of annoying, but... by __aamkky7574 · · Score: 1
      I don't have a DVD drive on any of my computers yet, and don't really plan to get one any time soon
      Why?

      DVD drives are cheap. Even dual-layer DVD burners can now be gotten for StgUK40 (EUR60). I tried to sell my previous DVD drive on eBay the other day for £5, and didn't get a single bid. I don't see why there is such a resistance to this upgrade. It makes installation a lot smoother, and also (I would guess) means that it's a lot cheaper to get a replacement if you do scratch/break your media (I'm basing this on EA, who charge £7.50 _per CD_ to replace your disks.)

      P.

    6. Re:Kind of annoying, but... by EvilIdler · · Score: 1

      I don't know *anyone* with a relatively modern system (2 years to
      pretty recent), and no DVD drive.

      Half the geeky gamer-types I know also have a DVD burner.

    7. Re:Kind of annoying, but... by Spoing · · Score: 1
      For the record, I'm in the USA near an Eastern technology center.

      Are non-DVD CD-only drives sold anymore? I mean, beyond the bargin bins and refurbished units.

      I wouldn't have bought one over the last couple years since the price difference is minimal even if you keep it to data disks. Being able to read DVDs keeps one more option open.

      I'd expect that DVD burners will become standard equipment even on cheap systems over the next two years with the dual layer burners being 'high end' options ($25-50 more or 'free for a limited time').

      --
      A firewall can not protect you from yourself. Turn off what you do not need. Do not use the firewall to do your work.
    8. Re:Kind of annoying, but... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Amazon have a Samsung DVD drive for £14.99, they even do a Lite-On(wtf are they?) for £11.99

    9. Re:Kind of annoying, but... by luferbu · · Score: 1

      I don't know in the UK, but I've been living in Germany for a year and the first thing I noticed is that every PC I've seen to know have a DVD (and lots of them DVD-RW)... so probably it seems that DVD drives are more popular in Europe than America.

    10. Re:Kind of annoying, but... by dunkelfalke · · Score: 1

      dvd rom?

      i do not want to be elitist - at least not this time ;-) - but here in germany dvd+-rw drives are already standard in low end 350 euro pcs.

      --
      Conservatism: The fear that somewhere, somehow, someone you think is your inferior is being treated as your equal.
    11. Re:Kind of annoying, but... by Fred+Or+Alive · · Score: 1

      Are non-DVD CD-only drives sold anymore? I mean, beyond the bargin bins and refurbished units.

      Yes! A quick lok on ebuyer.co.uk reveals you can get bare CD drives for about £7. For comparison, random prices for CD-RWs is £11, DVDs for £14 and combos for £25. So you can get them, but frankly you may as well get a better device.

      The next drive I'll buy will be a DVD burner though, I've got seperate DVD and CD-RW drives, and it's only about £45 for a dual layer drive. (All prices are before VAT).

      Plus my huge amount opd MP3s would be annoying to back up onto CD-Rs really. :-)

      --
      10 PRINT "LOOK AROUND YOU ";
      20 GOTO 10
    12. Re:Kind of annoying, but... by Fweeky · · Score: 1

      The last DVD drive I bought was £15.. in my experience, US stuff typically converts $ = £ despite the 50% value difference; you're complaining about probably less than £10 of equipment, then? Is the US a lot poorer than I thought?

    13. Re:Kind of annoying, but... by warnerve · · Score: 1

      I looked a couple months back for a cheap DVD drive at a couple local stores and they didn't even carry dvd drives. All that was available were $80+ dvd writers. Typically this is something that I would buy online but I'm sure many people won't go that route.

    14. Re:Kind of annoying, but... by snuf23 · · Score: 1

      Well I don't know what type of retailer you have. Here at the local CompUSA they typically stock both DVD ROMs under $50 and DVD-Rs at about $50. Obviously if you buy online you will get a better price on a name brand piece of equipment but they are dropping even in retial stores.
      Keep in mind that $80 DVD-R was $200 a year ago.

      --
      Sometimes my arms bend back.
  3. It's about time. by badfrog · · Score: 4, Insightful

    It's taken way too long for this to happen, and there should be so many more games with at least the choice of DVD-ROM format.
    A DVD-ROM drive is only $30 or less, someone with the hardware to play a modern game has no excuse to not have the drive.

  4. I wish they would do the same in The States by GR1NCH · · Score: 2, Insightful

    At the least they should make games more readily available on DVD in the states. The only game that I've even seen DVD copies of in the store was the Myst sequal Uru. Most people have DVD's on their computers now, and hardly any new games fit on one CD. Why the wait? Does it cost too much more to put them on DVD instead of CD? Or is it just that putting the game out in both formats is expensive?

    1. Re:I wish they would do the same in The States by Karem+Lore · · Score: 1
      Actually, I remember reading somewhere that the games industry wanted to cash in on their investment in the CD industry before moving to a new format like DVD.



      I guess they may decide to jump DVD and head straight for FDROM if they wait a little longer.

      --
      When all is said and done, nothing changes...
    2. Re:I wish they would do the same in The States by hab136 · · Score: 1
      At the least they should make games more readily available on DVD in the states. The only game that I've even seen DVD copies of in the store was the Myst sequal Uru

      The Sims 2 is available on DVD. Little less than 3 gig, which it copies all to your hard drive.

    3. Re:I wish they would do the same in The States by T-Ranger · · Score: 3, Interesting

      Without a doubt the hardware that actuall does the DVD production would be more expensive then the eqivelent CD thinger (esp. since the later is already paid for). But the actuall pressing of the disc is a relativly small component. They are exactly the same size, the same robots can deal with them in exactly the same way. The box/case production, exactly the same.... In the grand scheme of things, I doubt that the thinger in question is even a signifcant cost component of a disc factory.

    4. Re:I wish they would do the same in The States by Oddly_Drac · · Score: 1

      "Does it cost too much more to put them on DVD instead of CD?"

      No, but the track density will mean that you have to replace the medium more quickly, and the market isn't judged to have matured completely yet.

      --
      Oddly Draconis
      Too cynical to live, too stubborn to die.
    5. Re:I wish they would do the same in The States by Bishop923 · · Score: 1

      Unreal Tournament 2k4 is also available on DVD, comes in a nice DVD case and has a bonus disk with a couple dozen hours worth of video tutorials on UnrealEd.

  5. DVDs are the wave of the future by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

    Like laser beams in your morning coffee and jetpack rides to the office.

    1. Re:DVDs are the wave of the future by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      ummmm.... ok.... sorry i dont have much time to reply but i'm teleporting and it's making an interference with my bluetooth buit into my fingernail.

      LOL!

  6. Ummm by MGrie · · Score: 2, Informative

    Actually, FarCry is a German game......

    1. Re:Ummm by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Pfft...we aren't concerned with such silly "details" or "facts" like that here at Slashdot.

      We're like Fox News, but with 200% more Linux jokes! =P

    2. Re:Ummm by zors · · Score: 1

      and 200% of 0 is...?

      Or have i just been missing all the good Fox News programming?

    3. Re:Ummm by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I guess it has to do more with the usual ignorance/assumption that something good CAN'T be from somewhere else than from the USA.

      And yes, Crytek Studios (www.crytek.com) is a German company based in Coburg (Germany).

  7. Come down in price? by EnglishTim · · Score: 1

    True, DVD-ROM drives do cost 50% more than CD-ROM drives, but at 15 pounds, a DVD-ROM is hardly expensive!

    1. Re:Come down in price? by Ayaress · · Score: 2, Funny

      You have to remember than I'm an unemployed college student and a compulsive spender. If I have $3 in my pocket in the morning, by noon I'll have a six-pack in my fridge. For something to be a reasonable purchase for me, it has to cost less than a six-pack, or I'll never save up enough for it.

    2. Re:Come down in price? by EnglishTim · · Score: 2, Interesting

      Wait!

      You're saying you won't buy anything more than $3, and are complaining that a game an order of magnitude more expensive won't run on your computer? Especially when a computer capable of running that game is almost two and half orders of magnitude more expensive?

    3. Re:Come down in price? by bigman2003 · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Are you a compulsive spender, or are you a compulsive drinker?

      --
      No reason to lie.
    4. Re:Come down in price? by DAldredge · · Score: 1

      Then do not drink so much.

      Damn, it ain't that hard.

    5. Re:Come down in price? by Spleener12 · · Score: 1

      I fail to see how weight is a factor in any of this.

    6. Re:Come down in price? by Ayaress · · Score: 1

      Spender. I almost never drink myself, but there's almost always somebody passing through that does.

  8. Why can't they make both CD and DVD versions? by antdude · · Score: 1

    I would buy the DVD version since I have a DVD-ROM drive. I don't like having multiple CDs in a thick case and switching CDs during installation.

    Since I got Far Cry from my AMD Athlon 64 for free, I found out it was in DVD (UK) version. I will be selling my retail CD version. I find it amusing that the DVD version that was originally for UK version.

    --
    Ant(Dude) @ Quality Foraged Links (AQFL.net) & The Ant Farm (antfarm.ma.cx / antfarm.home.dhs.org).
    1. Re:Why can't they make both CD and DVD versions? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      It sucks trying to convince a vendor to carry two products, which are essentially the same. It's hard enough to get them to give up shelf space for one product!

  9. I remember by tod_miller · · Score: 1

    When I laughed at Baulders Gate, oh how I laughed. 7 CD's? or one DeeFeeDee (whatever that was)

    Now dual/triple DVD games mags are all the rage.

    I have to lie down.

    --
    #hostfile 0.0.0.0 primidi.com 0.0.0.0 www.primidi.com 0.0.0.0 radio.weblogs.com
  10. a number of reasons by DirtySnachez · · Score: 1

    I think this will become more and more common, eventually even replacing CDs eventually. Its like all technology. Cassette tapes gave way to cartridges, to 5 1/2" Disks etc , to CD, and eventually to DVD. Its just common technological progression. Additional benifits probably include the ability to stream a higher quality cut-scene from the DVD rather than a slower CD drive. Also, obvious storage capacity benifits, the ability to include multiple platform versions on the one disc, and cost. 10 years from now, we'll be questioning why we're moving from DVD to whater-next-format succeeds it.

    1. Re:a number of reasons by Oddly_Drac · · Score: 1

      "10 years from now, we'll be questioning why we're moving from DVD to whater-next-format succeeds it."

      Probably a variant of Blu-Ray, but you might be surprised. DVD is not a long-lasting format and is frighteningly sensitive to scratches, especially in terms of data; video tends to produce glitches, data is less forgiving.

      The other thing to consider is the raw cost of producing games that fill DVDs. At the moment they're replacing a few CDs, but the next iteration won't come until the capacities get much higher.

      --
      Oddly Draconis
      Too cynical to live, too stubborn to die.
    2. Re:a number of reasons by bob65 · · Score: 1
      The other thing to consider is the raw cost of producing games that fill DVDs. At the moment they're replacing a few CDs, but the next iteration won't come until the capacities get much higher.

      Remember when games came on 15+ floppies? It will get to that stage before we start using DVDs.

  11. Not common enough by Yrd · · Score: 1

    The only game I've managed to get on DVD here in the UK is Unreal Tournament 2004. I'm generally amazed to find games that don't come on DVDs these days. The Sims 2 is four CDs, Doom 3 is three CDs (of crap)... to find a game that's on less than two is very rare indeed now. I would happily have all games on DVD, as it saves on materials, shelf space and installation hassle (hate disk swapping). I was even more surprised when Baldur's Gate 2 wasn't released on DVD, as Baldur's Gate 1 had been (although 2 did come on fewer CDs, presumably due to heavy data compression).

    So I'm very pleased to be able to get Half-Life 2 on DVD, and that it's compulsory. DVD drives are so cheap there's no excuse anymore.

    --
    Miri it is whil Linux ilast...
    1. Re:Not common enough by freakmn · · Score: 1

      It's been said before, but one of the games you mentioned, specifically The Sims 2, has a DVD version.

      --
      warning: This post is likely to contain gobs of dripping sarcasm. Consume at your own risk.
  12. DVD-roms by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Publishers have been COMPLETE MORONS about not releasing games on dvd rom format.
    What they fear they might loose a sale or two?
    Anyone with a system powerful enough to play the bloatware games from EA and others, will come with a dvd rom.
    I am shure if that is not enough a coupon for mail in rebate from plextor or whoever would be easy enough to do.

    With the extra space they could easily add in extra revenue generating goodies, like advertsing and bundled - unlockable software.

    Is it any wonder that you have to now hunt in the back of Gamestop for the peecee games now? -The rest of the store is all console game.

  13. Download HL2 by Castaa · · Score: 2, Interesting
    Forget about hard media installs. We should be moving away from that. It makes sense on multiple fronts for people with broadband connection to the Internet to download their games directly from the developer.

    • It's a much cheaper distribution method
    • Automatic updates and expansions
    • No retail (no middleman) price mark up which should result in cheaper games
    • Game developers ultimately see more return on their investment which will yield better funded (and higher quaility) games in the future.
    --
    Chew: You Nexus, huh? I design your eyes.
    Roy: Chew, if only you could see what I've seen with your eyes.
    1. Re:Download HL2 by Moo+Moo+Cow+of+Death · · Score: 1

      That makes sense in some cases but what do you do about people who lose their copies due to viruses, reformats, stolen property, etc? Send them a new key? What about the people who do this repeatedly under different names, like their cat?

      It may be all well and good in the future but I need to see a good security explanation and loophole blocking features.

    2. Re:Download HL2 by memfrob · · Score: 1
      # No retail (no middleman) price mark up which should result in cheaper games

      Heard around The Table at BigBiz, International (a division of EngulfCo Holdings):

      Peon:"So, you see, if we eliminate all of these smaller retail stores and sell direct to the consumers, we can lower the prices on our media, and the consumer will save a bundle!"

      BigBoss:"Why don't we just KEEP the money, and the consumers can just keep paying the same price?! In fact, we could even RAISE prices, since the consumer now gets the convenience of shopping in their own home!"

      P: "...er...uhm... but, our competitors could release a cheaper product!"

      B: "What competitors? Have you seen the tired copies of last year's games being pushed out the door by our Publishing Media Partners? Once we license our LatestEngine(c) technology, who cares how much they sell their knockoffs for?

      P: "...."

      B: "You're fired."

      --
      The Wizard utters the word 'frobnoid!' and cackles gleefully
    3. Re:Download HL2 by Ahnteis · · Score: 1

      They redownload it with the username and password they supplied.

      What happens to people whose CD is scratched beyond recovery?

    4. Re:Download HL2 by bob65 · · Score: 1
      They redownload it with the username and password they supplied.

      So a copy has to be kept on their servers for infinitely long?

  14. Pricing? by robot+captain · · Score: 2, Interesting

    This question has been asked in various places but no one seems to have a solid answer. Does anyone know the pricing details for the US (and UK) releases? Here is what I have found so far:


    Retail:
    Stanard (US): $54.99 (source: ebgames.com)
    Collector's Edition (US): $79.99 (source: ebgames.com)
    Standard DVD (UK): £39.99 (source: amazon.co.uk)

    Steam:
    Bronze: $?
    Silver: $?
    Gold: $?

    Other:
    Buying Day of Defeat stand-alone if you buy a
    retail version without it: $?

  15. myst 4 by andy_fish · · Score: 1

    The game Myst 4, released exactly a week ago in the US, is *only* available on DVD.

    Though in this case, it was more out of necessity than convenience, since the game has like 8gb of assets.

    --
    & I wish I knew the password to your heart . . . &
  16. Why can't they do this in America? by Mike+Rubits · · Score: 1

    It's hard to buy a computer without a DVD-ROM drive these days, unless you explicitly remove it, say on Dell's site. And, as another poster mentioned, you'll certainly have one if you're a gamer.

    We need a game for DVDs that did what Myst did to CD-ROMs.

  17. I wish more were DVD only by Drakino · · Score: 1

    I had my first DVD game in 1998, The Journeyman Project 3. Soon after, I got Riven on DVD as well. Years later, I have my CD wallet full of games that didn't give me the choice and take up 4-7 slots for their discs. It's actually costing publishers more money to distribute a game on even 2 CDs these days then it is for one DVD.

    Looking at the Steam survey results, more people on that list fall below the Doom 3 memory requirements compared to the amount of people lacking a DVD-Rom drive.

  18. Yeah, but . . . by Goobermunch · · Score: 1

    I just haven't gotten around to buying one yet. I still have the original floppy drive that came with my Gateway back in 1994, and while I've replaced my CD-ROM drive since then, it's been 4 or 5 years since then. One of these days, I might get around to it, but as long as the CD-ROM drive (and it's cousin the CD Burner) are working fine, why should I waste money on a DVD drive?

    It's not like my system is a slouch either. Intel P4 3.0, 1GB RAM, Radeon 9800 Pro. I just haven't seen the need for a DVD-ROM drive. Yet.

    --AC

  19. FarCry on CD by adochan · · Score: 1

    Nit-pickingly:
    FarCry was released on CD in the Netherlands and I'm pretty sure that is the version I am playing. (For being too lazy to build in the DVD drive yet, although I must admit changing CDs 6 or so times is not funny either.)