11-16 eh?

[karnage]

so if they are going to release the game on 11-16 at 12:01 am, how do they determine where you are located? if they use your ip, you could simply use a proxy server in an earlier time zone (let's say in New Zealand) and get it almost a whole day earlier. :burp:

 

[Yombi]

er no.. it gets released that time, VALVe time. No matter where you are you get it the same time as everyone else thats on steam

 

[Clumsyorchid]

They'll probably flip the switch at 12:01 PST

 

[urseus]

No they just set a time to release it, and no matter where you are, it has to hit that specific time they have stated and the game will unlock.

 

[OrphanBoy]

Have they actually said anywhere that it's gonna be at midnight? If they did it relative to your timezone then at least it'd stagger the load on their servers
But seriously, I reckon it'd be all at the same time, worldwide... (dunno what shops would do tho)

 

[karnage]

er no.. it gets released that time, VALVe time. No matter where you are you get it the same time as everyone else thats on steam

you're in new zealand, right? that would mean you would almost have to wait another whole day to get it.

 

[Yombi]

you're in new zealand, right? that would mean you would almost have to wait another whole day to get it.

lol, i wouldn't have to wait any longer than anyone else. We all get it at the same time. Just because we're in different time zones doesn't mean anyone get's it later or eairly

wonder what time 12:01 am is for here :S

EDIT: woo 4am lol

 

[OrphanBoy]

you're in new zealand, right? that would mean you would almost have to wait another whole day to get it.

Sounds like someone'd have to do a night shift, just to get their body on the right time If you wake up with the rest of Valve, you'd be just fine!

 

[Lanthanide]

I am too.

Yes, we'll have to wait until like 3-4 pm (roughly) the 17th before it's unlocked for us. But at least we'll be able to play it during the evening instead of the middle of the night. And bonus for me, I don't have to cook on Wednesday

 

[UltimaGecko]

I would think that it would just be a small update that unlocks the game (such as sending the .exe to people who have purchased it). Instead of unlocking it at a specific time.


So, I would assume it would be November 16th, sometime Pacific. To appease the public it may be 12:00AM or it could just be when someone gets in the office to bother uploading the .exe or something .

[hooray HL2, I guess]

 

[Investigator]

Lol, what a stupid question ( i am sorry but i had to say that :angel: ). Man where is your ability to think logical? :monkee:

 

[OrphanBoy]

And bonus for me, I don't have to cook on Wednesday

I'm simply gonna go without food Or if I get desperate, I can always order a pizza from the takeaway across the road!

Hang on - I feel an idea coming on: how about the HL2 hunger strike? We all refuse to eat until HL2 comes out? If VUG notice how many of their potential customers are dying of hunger, maybe they'll release it early to save us!

 

[Yombi]

I'm simply gonna go without food Or if I get desperate, I can always order a pizza from the takeaway across the road!

Hang on - I feel an idea coming on: how about the HL2 hunger strike? We all refuse to eat until HL2 comes out? If VUG notice how many of their potential customers are dying of hunger, maybe they'll release it early to save us!

We're gonna have alot of dead forum members :O

 

[Lanthanide]

Works out to some time between 7 and 9 pm Wednesday, depending on the daylight savings situation at the time.

If it were the east coast it would have been ~3-4 pm.

 

[SLH]

Am i right in thinking that providing retailers have the stock i'd get HL2 earlier by buying it in the morning, as opposed to at midnight (or later) valve time?

Was gonna go retail anyway, but just a thought.

 

[karnage]

Lol, what a stupid question ( i am sorry but i had to say that :angel: ). Man where is your ability to think logical? :monkee:

where is it not logical? IF they release the game at 12:01 your time, how are they going to determine when 12:01 is? IF they use your ip and whois the ip to determine when to release it, you could fool them by using a proxy server. granted, it's ifs, but does anyone know exactly how they are going to do it?

 

[karnage]

Am i right in thinking that providing retailers have the stock i'd get HL2 earlier by buying it in the morning, as opposed to at midnight (or later) valve time?

Was gonna go retail anyway, but just a thought.

well, the game does have to be activated by steam, so maybe they would make them wait. i would be pissed!

 

[OrphanBoy]

We're gonna have alot of dead forum members :O

At least I'd save Valve a load of bandwidth on Steam downloads! It's not like they'd care about the money - they've already had mine!

 

[Yombi]

where is it not logical? IF they release the game at 12:01 your time, how are they going to determine when 12:01 is? IF they use your ip and whois the ip to determine when to release it, you could fool them by using a proxy server. granted, it's ifs, but does anyone know exactly how they are going to do it?

They will release it once it hits USA stores.

 

[tokin]

Guys holy shit it's finally here! I can see HL2 from a distance, as each day goes by we get closer. WOOHOO!!

 

[Lanthanide]

Am i right in thinking that providing retailers have the stock i'd get HL2 earlier by buying it in the morning, as opposed to at midnight (or later) valve time?

Was gonna go retail anyway, but just a thought.

Probably. But it depends on the embargo conditions set by the publisher/valve. They could just say "midnight of 16-11" in USA and "midnight of 17-11" in Auzzie/NZ wherever else, or they could be more specific and say "midnight of 16-11, PST... 4 am AST of 16-11".

Just depends what they do. The former is the more likely situation, but what will actually happen is hard to say right now.

 

[eLGee]

I just have to get up at 9 AM to play HL2. I can play all day.

 

[SLH]

well, the game does have to be activated by steam, so maybe they would make them wait. i would be pissed!

That's a good point - forgot about that.

I guess however you buy, you'll be able to play at the same time as everyone else.

 

[Yombi]

Probably. But it depends on the embargo conditions set by the publisher/valve. They could just say "midnight of 16-11" in USA and "midnight of 17-11" in Auzzie/NZ wherever else, or they could be more specific and say "midnight of 16-11, PST... 4 am AST of 16-11".

Just depends what they do. The former is the more likely situation, but what will actually happen is hard to say right now.

Not sure, NZ is getting halo 2 first because of time zones. Not sure if in NZ we will get retail on the 16th for HL2. Could be 16th in USA, 19th Europe etc etc.

They did say world wide release so not sure :S

 

[Investigator]

@karnage

The point is (althoungh i never had the intension to discuss this, i was just making a joke in the post before), that the game is unlocked at "8 am" in Seatel and everybody in the world can start downloading no matter what time it is in their time zone. the only difference is that some people have to play it when it is dark outside and the others when it is light outside ( :x what a stupid formulation, lol).

:dork:

 

[karnage]

Probably. But it depends on the embargo conditions set by the publisher/valve. They could just say "midnight of 16-11" in USA and "midnight of 17-11" in Auzzie/NZ wherever else, or they could be more specific and say "midnight of 16-11, PST... 4 am AST of 16-11".

Just depends what they do. The former is the more likely situation, but what will actually happen is hard to say right now.

ok, now how do they determine when that time is on steam? ip? then what i first posted could hold true.

 

[karnage]

@karnage

The point is (althoungh i never had the intension to discuss this, i was just making a joke in the post before), that the game is unlocked at "8 am" in Seatel and everybody in the world can start downloading no matter what time it is in their time zone. the only difference is that some people have to play it when it is dark outside and the others when it is light outside ( :x what a stupid formulation, lol).

:dork:

agreed, but then we get back to the time zone thing again, are the stores in australia going to open up at that time to release the game?

 

[ne0_shiny]

umm why is it at 12:01
why not at 12:00
12 is the immeadate(spelling) next day, not 12:01

 

[Lanthanide]

What does steam have to do with the retail stores?

Or are you talking about that activation thing requiring you to have a net connection to validate the game before you can play?

I think that's bogus, I doubt valve would do that - if you have a legitamate CD in the drive, why would they need to check the steam servers? Apparently Gabe said at one point (months ago) there would be 2 validation methods for steam - one using the CD and one connecting to steam, I don't see why this would have changed (if indeed it was true).

And, even if it is true, chances are the game will be pirated before it hits the shelves, which will involve a way to get passed the cd-key check, so even if you did buy it and had to twiddle your thumbs for 4 (or more) hours before steam would validate it for you, you could get the crack and play it anyway.

 

[Yombi]

agreed, but then we get back to the time zone thing again, are the stores in australia going to open up at that time to release the game?

like i said, it sounds like they could be releasing in USA 16th, euro 19th and go that way. We would get it on steam at the same times as the americans.

If it is the other way around, NZ first, aussie etc. Everyone on steam should get it at the same time as us kiwis.

I think the 1st one is more plausable tho.

 

[DannoHung]

Hmm.... while it's Valve SOP to do updates at 6 PST, considering the Worldwide release, they might break from that and do Midnight GMT.

Then again, it's possible they could set it so that you would get access to the game according to your timezone.

 

[Some_God]

Guys holy shit it's finally here! I can see HL2 from a distance, as each day goes by we get closer. WOOHOO!!

Technically it's not that close... I mean a month is still a while away... and the date might be subject to change... so don't hold your breath.

 

[karnage]

Hmm.... while it's Valve SOP to do updates at 6 PST, considering the Worldwide release, they might break from that and do Midnight GMT.

Then again, it's possible they could set it so that you would get access to the game according to your timezone.

and how would they do that? if they went by the time on your computer, you could turn it ahead now and play it, lol. if they went by ip, well, the scenario that i suggested would be plausible. of course, i really doubt that would really be plausible anyways, but its a good conversation piece.

 

[Milo 7]

so if they are going to release the game on 11-16 at 12:01 am, how do they determine where you are located? if they use your ip, you could simply use a proxy server in an earlier time zone (let's say in New Zealand) and get it almost a whole day earlier. :burp:

OR u could change ur date and time to 11-16 12:01 and play it TODAY!@!!!!! :imu: :E

 

[karnage]

OR u could change ur date and time to 11-16 12:01 and play it TODAY!@!!!!! :imu: :E

tried that already!



j/k :farmer:

 

[Fr4g L R0ck]

I just have to get up at 9 AM to play HL2. I can play all day.

8 AM for me :cheers:

 

[FISKER_Q]

Probably. But it depends on the embargo conditions set by the publisher/valve. They could just say "midnight of 16-11" in USA and "midnight of 17-11" in Auzzie/NZ wherever else, or they could be more specific and say "midnight of 16-11, PST... 4 am AST of 16-11".

Just depends what they do. The former is the more likely situation, but what will actually happen is hard to say right now.

Sure, problem is that we bought the game in USA.

 

[Hanta Swe]

hope Valve just press the button 00.00 GMT, That would be great.

 

[Nuclear_Gerber]

If they did it relative to your timezone then at least it'd stagger the load on their servers

It doesn't matter anyway. Unlocking is unlike downloading a whole new 500MB file, just Valve sending a command to your steam..

 

[Spugmaster]

agreed, but then we get back to the time zone thing again, are the stores in australia going to open up at that time to release the game?

Dude - it's exactly the same as when they released CS:S. They just do it at 12:01am local seattle time and the rest of the world adds or subtracts from Greenwich Mean Time to compensate.

They don't have to change or track anything. So midnight Seattle time would be:

Australia - 7:00pm on Tuesday
New Zealand - 9:00pm on Tuesday
UK - 8:00am on Tuesday

All us people in other countries just have to wait for that time to roll over. Like now - it is 7:20pm on Tuesday 19th October here in Australia but it is only the 18th of October in the US. We just wait till your time rolls to the correct one and we get it exactly the same time you do, only the calendar is a day forward.

Hope that makes sense.

EDIT: As for the stores - it will be just like Doom 3. They get the stock before the release and only sell it on the official street date.