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Half-Life 2 Release Date Broken

Posted by Zonk on from the please-read-all-instructions-before-opening dept.

NextWish writes "Despite being clearly marked, numerous stores have begun selling HL2. This guy even got a phone call from EB telling him to pickup his pre-order, so he did what any one would do - He picked it up. (Pic #1 / Pic #2)" Update: 11/12 19:30 GMT by Z : Thanks to the anonymous reader who sent us a link to The Inquirer story discussing Valve's savvy regarding cracked or advance copies.

16 of 208 comments (clear)

  1. That's great... by Japong · · Score: 4, Informative

    ... but with out Steam registration you're not going to get very far. He can't play single player, multiplayer, or anything else but look at the box and manual. You're waiting until the 16th, get used to it.

  2. Future Slashdot headline: Sierra/Value sue EB by bergeron76 · · Score: 4, Funny

    I can just see it now: Valve to sue Electronics Boutique over HL2 sales

    --
    Don't think that a small group of dedicated individuals can't change the world. It's the only thing that ever has.
  3. CDS?!? by rastachops · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Why is it that many games are still released on CDs? I heard that it's because Americans would have trouble if they sold just DVDs.
    [/troll]
    But seriously, why do games manufacturers still produce CD's rather than DVDs when DVD drives are so cheap now!

    1. Re:CDS?!? by djdanlib · · Score: 5, Insightful

      DVD drives are too inexpensive for the tired (and increasingly expensive) old argument of "Oh, I don't need to upgrade, my 16X CD drive works just fine. Eight or nine CDs is fine". Seriously, you can get a 16X DVD-ROM drive at Staples (AT STAPLES FOR CRYIN OUT LOUD!) for $45. And that's not a sale price, folks. If your system is of high enough caliber to run these games, it should have either come with a DVD drive, or you should have bought one when you built it. A combo DVD-ROM/CDRW drive shouldn't run you over $60. (It will at Staples, though.) I paid that for one over a year ago.

      It's time to upgrade now if you haven't yet. Just imagine. No more "Oh, I HAVE to buy the CD version because I was too cheap awhile back." Instead, you'll be saying: "Sweet, my first DVD is Half-Life 2!" And soon enough you'll be saying, "Whoa, my computer monitor is far better for watching DVDs than my 19 inch Walmart special television!"

      As far as media longevity, I have this to say. Stop storing your media outside the proper cases! If you've got a problem with piles of discs lying around, then get cases, and a shelf or box for your cases to sit in, and keep that by/on/under your computer desk. Don't use those awful sleeves or books for storage, either, because they contact the disc surface. If you don't think it matters, why is there an ISO standard (18925) for disc storage? There is no difference between the media's protective surface in either technology, so they are equally easy to scratch, break and gouge. If your drive can't read a scratched disc, then your drive is bad. I have DVDs that are as old as purchasable DVDs can be, and they have not degraded one bit due to age.

      Who wants to go to the store, and have to buy the CD version because the DVD version is sold out and nobody thus far has purchased the CD version? Not me. It's almost happened.

      Remember floppies? Must we go through the same thing again? Please insert Disc 6 to continue!

  4. Radeon, eh? by wizbit · · Score: 3, Insightful

    He's sporting a "Radeon X800" from the looks of the pamphlet next to the keyboard in the second pic. Which reminds me: I heard somewhere that ATI's are relatively bad gamer cards and was wondering, what with D3 and HL2 around, what are the gamers using these days?

  5. Either by Nomihn0 · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Gamers are using both ATI and nVidia cards, in nearly equal numbers (if I recall the Valve survey correctly). To be honest, the two companies are competing to be the most powerful for brand recognition, not for use. As much as I want one for status, and I'll readily admit this, I do not need an nVidia 6800 sucking down electricity as fast as Homer eats donuts. I'm not running predictive weather simulations on my graphics card.

    If you want to have a reasonably priced, competitive, computer system for gaming, you're going to have to do some research. You'll have to see whether the specific game you want to play runs better with nVidia or ATI drivers, you'll have to determine which midrange card is cheaper, and you'll have to decide between a cheap 256mb card or a speedy 128mb one (both bus and GPU speed). There are so many marketing ploys in effect right now, it's difficult to do a good job. Regardless of what you do, somebody will criticise you. I presonally use an nVidia card. [flames below]

  6. Guy I know on IRC got an early copy ... by oldosadmin · · Score: 3, Interesting

    http://forum.oldos.org/viewtopic.php?t=2318

    Apparently someone he knew saw them on the shelf and called him, he bought it, the registration wouldn't work, and he got that email.

    Yet another reason to hate activation.

    --
    Jay | http://oldos.org
  7. Who cares... by JavaLord · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Despite being clearly marked, numerous stores have begun selling HL2.

    It says not to display them, not to avoid selling them to the people who pre-ordered. It makes no difference since they can't play anyway.

    This guy even got a phone call from EB telling him to pickup his pre-order, so he did what any one would do - He picked it up.

    It makes sense, why not sell them to the pre-order people now, then on the games release day you don't run into the issue of having the game on hand but not being able to sell x amount of copies to the people that didn't pre-order.

    If they can't play the game anyway, what difference do the physical CD's make?

  8. What's the big deal by Matt+Perry · · Score: 3, Insightful
    Why the big deal over release dates? Why ship the product and then tell them to hold it until the 16th? What is that supposed to accomplish anyway?

    This isn't a troll, I'm just wondering what the motivation is behind companies doing that.

    --
    Slashdot: Failed Car Analogies. Amateur Lawyering. Anecdote Battles.
    1. Re:What's the big deal by Chyeld · · Score: 5, Informative

      If you want your product to be carried in the big stores, they want something in return. If you are a big store, you might be able to bully your way into releasing the product in your stores earlier than other stores. Thus, driving sales to you. However, if you go and sign such a deal, you have a much harder time getting into the other stores, since obviously they can't release it earlier and since the people who really want the product will have gotten it from the one that released it early.

      As a result, most of the time everyone has the same release date. Not only does this keep the smaller stores from just saying 'forget it, we won't be able to sell any' and still give the big stores a date to promote.

      The reason these things are shipped so early, is that the date needs to be far enough ahead of the ship date to help clear up any shipping screwups. Otherwise, if something goes wrong and one store is left out on release date, they aren't going to be as willing to carry your games in the future.

      The store agree to this for the same reason, if you don't agree to stick to the release date, then the product won't be shipped to you till the last minute. If something happens then, you've missed your best selling opportunity and probably lost a few customers to the stores that were carrying it.

      This sort of scheme is used for pretty much any product that has a 'shelf-life' in terms of demand. You aren't going to ever see any release day parties for the newest version of the Swifter Jet Dry Rhomba Auto Mop, because it'll still be selling (or not) until the end of it's product life. But things like music, movies, games, and even (to a limited extent) books, all are considered to sell most of what they are going to sell in a short period right after they come out.

  9. Seems fair by Klowner · · Score: 4, Funny

    If you're keeping score, if anyone has broken a release date, it would be Valve (3 or 4 times at least now).

  10. VALVe Responds, EBGame's employee's fired. by NextWish · · Score: 5, Informative
    VALVe Responds http://img120.exs.cx/img120/4149/hl2receipt.jpg
    Hello, We noticed that you just registered a Half-Life 2 key. Where did you come across a copy of the game? You're not in trouble or anything, but you're registered pretty early, and the game isn't activated just yet. Thanks, Erik Johnson Valve


    EBGames Employee's Fired
    In an E-Mail sent to all EBGames associates, the president of EBGames has stated that the persons who broke the street date at their stores have been terminated. As well, should anyone else break the street date the employee, manager, and district manager will all be held responsible. The e-mail was sent yesterday at aprox 5:30 PM EST.


    HL2 store release also broken in germany! http://premium.uploadit.org/tork64/P1010087.JPG http://premium.uploadit.org/tork64/P1010088.JPG http://premium.uploadit.org/tork64/P1010089.JPG http://premium.uploadit.org/tork64/P1010090.JPG http://premium.uploadit.org/tork64/P1010091.JPG http://premium.uploadit.org/tork64/P1010082.JPG http://premium.uploadit.org/tork64/P1010083.JPG http://premium.uploadit.org/tork64/P1010084.JPG http://premium.uploadit.org/tork64/P1010085.JPG http://premium.uploadit.org/tork64/P1010086.JPG http://premium.uploadit.org/tork64/P1010076.JPG http://premium.uploadit.org/tork64/P1010077.JPG http://premium.uploadit.org/tork64/P1010078.JPG

    Other sources of information: Rage3D.
    HLFallout.
  11. Re:Would it be ethical to use a crack on this? by NextWish · · Score: 3, Funny

    By the time one's out? Hell there's already three of them out!

    Half.Life.2.NOCD.CRACK-RELOADED
    Half_Life_2_Cra ck-VENGEANCE
    Half.Life.2.CRACKFIX-LuZiFeR

    The only question which remains unanswered is which one installs the best backdoor.

  12. Re:Can't play without Valve authentication by rsmith-mac · · Score: 3, Insightful
    I'm sort of torn on the whole issue. On the one hand, The Inq is spot-on that it's cool that Valve has found a way to make sure that everyone can be the first guy to play the game, and that it's not leaked ahead of time, but on the flip side, I'm not comfortable with this level of control. Who is Valve to say that I, a customer who shelled out $55+ for their game, can not play it until they say so, even though they already have my money and I have their software? When I put down that kind of money for a AAA title, I don't think it's unreasonable that I should be able to play it offline how I want, when I want, considering I've done nothing wrong unless buying a game is wrong.

    Yea, Valve now has the ability to make sure everyone gets it together, but at what cost? Must I now always be a slave to them just to play an offline game that could run perfectly fine without their meddling? I'm not at all the least bit comfortable with where this is going - I should have more control over my computer and my games than this.

  13. What sucks you in? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Interesting

    The mystery!

    There is a lot of talk about why their marketing is so brilliant, but I think we are missing the real clincher by a long shot.

    What is getting so many people talking and frustrated is they know they have the damned game loaded on their machine, yet the can't play it. How often have geeks had to change settings, updated drivers, tweaked this or that on their machine to get the newest game to work?

    It's so counter-intuitive for gamers to patiently wait for anything. THAT is why it is brilliant marketing. The game is so close, yet so far away.

    Kudos to Valve for figuring this out. It is now fair for everyone. Those that follow the rules, and those that break the rules, no matter you get the game at the same time.

    Of course the gamers will thank the developers with their hard-earned money. I dont believe pirating has ever signficiantly hurt the gaming industry. I believe those who pirate generally can't afford the software anyway and those who priate AND could afford the software, is a very small percentage. No that is not truely what the lawful gamers appreciate, they don't really care if someone gets a free ride.

    What we appreciate is for once our money and our patience and following the rules buys the same access as the thieves get. For once, following the rules pays off big. For once, I don't have to hear about some spoiled coddled 16 year old kid that spent $1800 on eBay for an early copy when $0 of his money went to those who deserve the credit for writing the game.

    I still think the most brilliant part is having it so close yet... so far. It is loaded but it isin't working! Our normal instinct is to go to the forums and find the answer. What switch do you throw? What config file do we edit? Well there is no answer, but as time honored tradition dictates, we talk and talk and talk until one is found. In this case, I doubt there will be one until the 16th.

  14. Re:No Internet? by Low2000 · · Score: 3, Funny

    This was going to be a problem, but when they ran an on-line survey on current half-life players, they discoverd that 100% of their user base had an internet connection! Thank god for on-line surveys! (statistics are fun!)