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Half Life 2 Available, Delays Not Valve's Fault

Posted by Zonk on from the thanks-for-making-my-weekend-guys dept.

Evil Avatar has the word that even Best Buy is selling Half-Life 2 boxes at this point. If you're planning on picking this one up it should be available pretty much anywhere. Voodoo Extreme has news from Steam that in no uncertain terms are the delays in opening the game to customers their fault. From the article: "This is not Valve's choice. Vivendi is insisting that the game has not yet been released, and has threatened that Valve would be in violation of its contract if we activate the Half-Life 2 Steam authentication servers at this time."

25 of 759 comments (clear)

  1. going down the list by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    Everquest 2... check
    Doom3... check
    Half-life 2... check
    Duke Nukem Forever... hmmm

    1. Re:going down the list by UniverseIsADoughnut · · Score: 5, Funny

      I think you don't understand the concept of the game for Duke Nukem Forever, the whole game is the waiting, the wondering, the coming up with better and better jokes about duke nukem forever.

    2. Re:going down the list by garroo · · Score: 5, Funny

      No, No, No.... The whole "Duke Nukem Forever" thing is just a mistake! I'm telling you, in all seriousness... there was a big screw up when the canned the program.

      See, the reporters couldn't kept hounding the developers, even though they were told it was a Dead Game. Finally, after one guy asked for about the 1000th time: "How much longer will we have to wait for this?!?"

      To which the PR guy replied, "Duke Nuk'em? Forever."

      So you can see it was a simple grammar error that has caused so much consternation over the years. :-)

      --
      Oh my gawd, they killed kenny's mod points!!!!
  2. you can buy it.. but you can't play it by Elminst · · Score: 5, Informative

    The game has to be activated via STEAM before you can play it. Even for single player.

    ACtivation does not start until Tues. Nov 16th.

    But you can drool over the box and wear your T-shirt until then!!

    --
    No unauthorized use. Trespassers will be shot. Survivors will be shot again.
    1. Re:you can buy it.. but you can't play it by Jason1729 · · Score: 5, Insightful

      So you wont buy a game that needs to be activated online, but you will pay a monthly fee in addition to around 60$ at the register for a game that can ONLY be played online?

      I'll pay a monthly fee for a service. It costs to run those servers and it is an online game. I'm not too happy about the initial fee.

      I will not ask a company for permission to run a game locally on my own computer after I've already paid for it.

    2. Re:you can buy it.. but you can't play it by Amorpheus_MMS · · Score: 5, Funny

      But you can drool over the box and wear your T-shirt until then!!

      Does it say I bought Half-Life 2, but all I can do is wear this stinking T-Shirt! ?

  3. Copy protection at its best! by shepd · · Score: 5, Insightful

    This will either result in:

    - People downloading a crack
    - People returning the game
    - People deciding not to play the copy protection game

    All three look good to me, and should hopefully promote a more copy-protection free future. As far as blaming Vivendi... Did Vivendi put the authentication in there? No?! Hmmm...

    Whose fault is this really, then?

    --
    If you could be told what you can see or read, then it follows that you could be told what to say or think - BoC
    1. Re:Copy protection at its best! by Honig+the+Apothecary · · Score: 5, Insightful
      Vivendi did not put the authentication in there. But they are the ones insisting that "the game has not shipped yet" and not letting Valve turn on the authentication servers allowing people to play.

      It is the same old business model as music if you look at it. Valve came up with robust system for distributing a game to users, who could have had the game turned on two weeks or more ago, but there is a traditional publisher saying "No you cannot do that, you will steal our profit".

  4. What's the Problem? by BinBoy · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I want to play as much as anyone, but we've all known for some time that the release date is the 16th. They aren't doing anything wrong.

    1. Re:What's the Problem? by Chasing+Amy · · Score: 5, Insightful

      > They aren't doing anything wrong.

      And neither was DiVX (not the codec, the early DVD competitor) when it sold its customers encrypted DVD discs that required the player to have online validation. DiVX Gold or Silver discs weren't conceptually rentals like most DiVX, but were meant to be purchased and unlocked for unlimited viewing.

      Tried playing a Silvered disc lately? Every single DiVX disc became a coaster when the validation servers were shut down, even "unlocked" ones. Sure, refunds were given for "lifetime" purchased discs, but that's hardly the point--when I purchase a game or movie, I expect that a company won't be turning it on and off at the mercy of their whims. Sorry, but selling crippleware that requires online activation even for single-player is as shortsighted and wrong as--well, as DiVX and its crippling of everyone's movies.

      --

      Chasing Amy
      (We all chase Amy...)
      "The more corrupt the state, the more numerous the laws"-Tacitus
    2. Re:What's the Problem? by RedWizzard · · Score: 5, Insightful
      Unless you are playing on-line, it is a one time activation.
      No, it's not. It's an install time activation. If I have to reinstall for any reason, I'll need to reactivate. Are Valve going to be providing authentication 10 years from now?
  5. Indeed... by mcknation · · Score: 5, Insightful


    I really will laugh when someone cracks the authenticaion for single player play and releases the iso + crack before people who actually *bought* the game can play.
    Valve really needs to find an alternative to Vivendi. /-McK

    1. Re:Indeed... by AKnightCowboy · · Score: 5, Insightful
      It's rather clever really. I can't think of the last time I've seen a major game that wasn't available from pirates before release day - and game publishers are certainly taking note...

      Yes, this sets a wonderful precedent. Once companies no longer wish to support a game they just shut down that channel and voila... you can't run it or activate a re-installed copy anymore. Pure genius. It eliminates the idea of abandonware completely.

    2. Re:Indeed... by Slothy · · Score: 5, Informative

      Getting your game into stores is not a matter of calling them and telling them it's available. You have to have contacts at the companies (called "buyers", as in "I have a meeting with the buyer for Best Buy"), you have to sell them on why they should even bother to stock it (usually preorders determine the amount they stock, and that's a bit of a chicken and egg problem when you're looking to find places to sell it), and you have to know their buying schedule (Best Buy buys new products 4 times a year, and if you miss that you have to wait until the next one to try to convince them to buy a batch). Plus anyone who has worked with Wal Mart knows that they call the shots and they will ask for a censored version of your game if it is too violent/adult/etc. You are absolutely, positively at the mercy of Best Buy, Circuit City, Wal Mart, EB, Gamestop, Fry's, etc.

      I worked on a game called Savage, where we created our own publisher for it, and still contracted out to Tri Synergy to handle getting the boxes into stores. We had a lot of people who couldn't find the game at stores, precisely because we didn't have a bigger publisher who could convince the stores that they needed to have more than a couple copies at each store. Again, it's a chicken and egg thing. Almost regardless of the quality of your game, if you can convince the stores to buy LOTS of copies and put up big displays, you'll have big sales. If you remember on Savage, we did a deal to get into the beta if you pre-ordered the game. This wasn't some money-grubbing thing, it was because we were desperate to get the game into stores and we needed pre-orders to show them that some Indy developer had something worth selling.

      Finally, my mom isn't going to go on Steam and buy Half Life 2 Silver for a family member as a Christmas gift. She's going to want a box to give. Holiday sales make up 60% of game sales for the year.

      Valve stands to make some nice cash off their sales over Steam, but don't kid yourself and think they'll get even 10% of the total sales on there. They need a publisher more than you can imagine.

      *obvious note: my statements are my own and do not reflect the views of either S2 Games or Activision

  6. Re:Even single player requires Steam by tymbow · · Score: 5, Interesting

    More interesting is what happens in a few years when you dust off the HL2 box to play it again and find that the activation system is no longer online. What then?

  7. Valve and Vivendi by Floydius · · Score: 5, Insightful
    Well I've been mulling this over so here we go.

    My first reaction was "wow, what a bunch of jerks Vivendi U are for keeping this game out of play any longer. I said to myself: 'I'll never spend any money on them (after HL2, of course) again.' But if I were in their shoes, i might feel differently.

    What I mean is, if I had a deal with Valve that I would produce and distribute hard copies of HL2, then i would not want to be shafted at the last minute. Vivendi invested a lot of money in the raw materials to produce the copies of HL2 that are being sold. I'm sure it was a shock to them (it was to me, but i hated it for other reasons, i'm sure) when Valve came out with steam and started offering their product in a mode that totally bypassed Vivendi. While it is not illegal, it is certainly a dirtbag thing to do. If that was going to be the deal, Valve should have said so up front. perhaps old habits die hard for ex-MS employees.

    In any case, VU would have probably been glad to stop all the legal nonsense and allow Valve to unlock much earlier if they had agreed to share a fair portion from steam purchases (since they're not discounted, apparently) with VU. of course that won't happen. in this case, VU would be shooting themselves in the foot to let any more early releases occur, because what gets sold early is going to be their main profit before the massive remainder of hard copies go to the bargin bin.

    i'm just as disappointed as the next guy that I can't play until monday, and that i still have to use steam, for that matter (although that's improved a lot), but VU is just looking out for their best interests and that of their employees.

    i'll start feeling warm and fuzzy w/ valve again whenever they hire icculus-the-person to do a port. :)

    1. Re:Valve and Vivendi by actor_au · · Score: 5, Informative

      Valve, unlike almost all other developers out there, are financially independent of their publisher. VU have never given them a cent of money for anything they didn't earn.
      HL1 was funded out of the founders own savings and HL2 was funded entirely of HL1's profits.

      VU has only one task and that is to release the game on Valves terms, they don't own anything or anypart of HL except the rights to publish and release it in stores.
      Valve started to get screwed when the old management team from Sierra left and Sierra became VU, they were selling HL licenses to Cyber-Cafe's without cutting Valve in on the action(which is still under legal dispute) and Valve demanded a contract re-negotiation(which they got).

      Thats why Valve are pushing the Steam platform, they want out from dealing with Publishers and Steam is the most direct way to do it.
      By using the most anticipated PC Game outside of Doom 3 to promote Steam they have an excellent chance to show other developers that they don't need a publisher to take a cut from their game to sell it to the public.

      --
      Read Errant Story.
  8. Re:it *is* Valve's fault by rokzy · · Score: 5, Insightful

    as far as copy protection methods go it's actually very good.

    no limit on number of computers you can install, no need for CD in drive. in fact, no need for CDs at all - if you were away from home and on a computer with a decent internet connection, you could log into your account and play it there.

    so it's good because whereas all other copy protections are just about making things shit, this one actually has some benefits for the legitimate user.

    the only problem with it is that Vivendi are a bunch of twats (like all distributers are) and will piss of customers and sue their clients before accepting the fact they don't deserve profits from a game they didn't make sold via a method they weren't involved with.

  9. Re:Even single player requires Steam by shepd · · Score: 5, Interesting

    When you buy a new Nissan and you crash it in 30 years time, is Nissan still going to be making the same original parts for your car? What if you can't find any originals? WHAT THEN! HUH???

    Hmmm. You're talking about trying to use a destroyed item. He was discussing how to use a fully factory original condition item. The difference is important.

    I fully expect a properly stored vehicle would work just fine in 30 years. I would be extremely pissed off if Nissan managed to stop all cars 30 years old from starting, whether properly stored or not.

    --
    If you could be told what you can see or read, then it follows that you could be told what to say or think - BoC
  10. Hey - Vivendi! by Mr.+Flibble · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Hey - Vivendi!

    I was going to buy the hard copy of Half Life 2 - however I just fired up steam. I don't care if it takes longer (which it probably won't) to get to play it. I am not giving you my money.

    Especially after reading This article about Valve and Half Life 2. I now sympathize with Gabe and the delays the game had. I don't really fault him - people make mistakes.

    Granted I understand Vivendi's side - but if a publisher only gets $7.00 from a retail game, you start to remind me of the RIAA Vivendi... Download here I come.

    To quote George Broussard:

    Fuck you.

    --
    Try to hack my 31337 firewall!
  11. Re:it *is* Valve's fault by Nogami_Saeko · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Actually, I look at it rather differently.

    Valve built a very clever content distribution and protection scheme into HL2 that will activate on Nov 16th. Everyone buying online with Steam knows this and has accepted it.

    Stores decide to jump the gun and sell early. They know the street date is on Tuesday, but they release anyway because "everyone else is doing it". Customers get home and find that they can't activate and start whining up a storm. This wouldn't have happened if stores stuck to the dates they were told.

    Vivendi is pleased.

    They know Valve can't release the game early or break the contract, but stores CAN release the game early and they know that the stupider section of the population is going to be mad at Valve and be all bent out of shape about how their "RIGHTS" are being violated, and how unfair it is that they might actually have to wait until the real "street date" in order to play.

    Vivendi WANTS this uneducated reaction because they DON'T want people to accept Steam.

    They want people complaining about "some kind of retarded copy-protection scheme" to try and frighten people away from online distribution that will cut them out of the equation. Just like the RIAA and MPAA don't want people buying media online but make a few lame attempts to do something (ie: new napster) to pretend they're not the bad guys.

    Stores also don't like the idea of Steam. They like selling products to their customers, retail markups, etc. If more game designers sell direct to customers in the future, that's less money in the bank for them.

    So get a clue folks... get a clue.

    N.

    --
    "Nothing strengthens authority so much as silence." - Charles de Gaulle
  12. Actually, I *AM* pissed. by Da+VinMan · · Score: 5, Informative

    I didn't know that HL2 would REFUSE to be run until the 16th no matter what. So, like a good little lemming, I went and bought a copy today when I was at Best Buy. For $80, I thought "what the hell, the higher price will be worth it because I can play it tonight and not have to wait until the 19th to play it".

    "The 19th???" you say? "But the game comes out on the 16th, right?" Yeah, but what person with a real job and family can actually play games on weekdays?! Gimme a break....

    So, in a way, it IS a big deal. Granted, no one is going to die over this, but it is enough to piss me off to the point where I am considering making a complaint to Best Buy about selling the game before I can even play it. THAT is just not cool...

    I already had the HL2 preload. Someone could have saved me around $30 or so by telling me that no matter what I did I wasn't going to get to play the game early.

    --
    Please mod this post only if you think others should/n't read this. I have enough ego^H^H^Hkarma. Thanks!
  13. Way to go by JNighthawk · · Score: 5, Informative

    WTG with knowing all the facts. VU and Valve are involved in lawsuits with each other. VU doesn't want Valve games distributed over Steam because they wouldn't get any money as publisher. Valve counter-sued and now they're basically hating each other.

    It's not denial. It's a legal tactic.

    --
    Wheel in the sky keeps on turnin'.
  14. If I buy something by Sycraft-fu · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I have an expectation that I be able to use it then. I do not go buy a hamburger and then wait for permission from Wendy's to be able to eat it, I can devour it while driving away if I like.

    If Vivendi doesn't want the game on the market, they need to take the appropriate steps to prevent it from going there. This crap of selling it but not letting you use it till later is just that: crap.

    Why is it that people seem to think that creators of digital content should have some kind of unlimited rights to their works. If anything the constution allows a more limited set of rights than on physical property. There has been a long standing concept of Doctrine of First Sale. That means once you sell some IP, be it a book, CD, whatever, you lose control over the copy. Peopel can destrouy it, resell it, whatever, they just can't copy or derive works from the content.

    Sorry but Vivendi is just wrong here. If they want to cut the games lose to retailers and allow sales, the damn game better work. Had I bought a copy, I'd be filing a lawsuit on Monday in small claims court (since software companies tell retailers not to take returns on opened merchandise).

  15. Re:As they said on IGN by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Hey Vivendi...seriously, fuck you.

    Hear hear. I won't buy Half Life 2, not only because VU Games sucks a fat one, but because of the you-must-connect-to-the-server garbage. If I buy a CD, I want to be able to put it in my PC and play the game that I paid for, not screw around poking holes in my firewall to let it phone home and check with mommy to see if I've been naughty or not. Doom3 runs fine totally firewalled, and runs great for LAN games without any connections to the outside world as well. I've probably spent at least $500 on id games since the Commander Keen days, and I'll keep it up since they're not asses about the control mechanisms. HL2 and this Steam business, on the other hand, is utterly annoying. I'm glad VU is being so obnoxious and I hope it costs them a half million dollars in revenue and additional support overhead.