A Protest Is Justified And Necessary

[Sickmind]

ok people...come get your marching orders ...if this game does not see the light of day by october 31st, we should protest in some way to show that we, as a the half life community, are united and can have a real impact on the revenues that the writers and publishers make from us.


i propose that no one buy this game till at least january 2005 (if it is even out by then!). i know this is a tough thing to ask of you, but if we don't show these guys in a tangible way that they can't just fcuk with the fans, no one will ever take a fan community seriosly.

this is only if it is not out by october 31, and releases in november or december. if we can delay our purchase till january, we'll ruin their projected sales figures for 2004, and we'll still have the game to play.


if there is a delay till november, it is because only because vivendi wants their pockets to overflow, and has no regard for the people that have been waiting, and abused through all the drama about the release 0f this game.

half life gamers, this is your only opportunity to make a stand and show that you are not sheep to be led by multi billion dollar corporations, that will continue their disrespect for the little guy


make a stand...unite...make a stand...unite!

 

[|LGW|Mith]

Valve deserves our respect. They've put more than you know into this game, and leave it to just a few ****holes to leak the game, exploit the script, try to ruin it for the rest of us. Valve is trying to make this game as great as it can be, hell, they're probably working 6 or 7 days a week on this trying to finish it up. But you people freak out when it's delayed just a while longer.

Let them do their work, you dont know what it takes to make a good game.

 

[Icarus]

Fixed for Caps

 

[Ahnteis]

I REALLY hope people like this WON'T buy the game for a few ... years.

There are enough idiots to put up with in online games as it is.

If you want to stick it to Vivendi, buy it via steam instead of in a box.

 

[Chris D]

Ok, me and Icarus has had a chat. Go for your life.

My sig pwnz j00.


Fool.

Actually, your sig is too big and it needs to be resized to no more than four lines of text. Your highly contributive post has been deleted too.

 

[Impulse147]

sry sickmind can't help u with ur crusade, expressing my views got me beat up with wood sticks by cops at a protest rally.

 

[The Mullinator]

Are you even sure who to protest against? We don't even know any possible reasons for it to be delayed. What if its Vivendi that is causing any future delays? What does the protest hope to achieve? If the game isn't done then yes its Valve's fault, but then you are protesting for Valve to release an unfinished game, which of course will lead to other people being mad at Valve for releasing an unfinished game.

If the game is done and it still isn't released then its most likely Vivendi who is at fault. Of course what could any protest hope to achieve? Vivendi is driven by profits and unless you boycot the game they simply won't care, besides Vivendi Universal as a company is doing terrible right now, they could end up selling their assets anytime.

Be dissapointed yes, but don't go overboard in feeling that Valve or Vivendi are purposely trying to screw you over.

 

[Bait]

Express your views all you want. Just make sure it doesn't make you look like an impatient whino who has nothing better to do then revolve his life around a single computer game. I like HL2 and all, but for God's sakes, you people are taking this personally. It's not like Valve has commited some kind of sacrilidge, or attempted to cut down your whole family in their sleep with a rusty axe.

Read a book, play some sports, jump off a bridge, anything to get your minds off HL2 for a little while longer.

 

[Ghost Freeman]

Actually, your sig is too big and it needs to be resized to no more than four lines of text. Your highly contributive post has been deleted too.

Don't wanna sound like a hypocrite but you're sig is over the limit too.

Just an observation

 

[Murray_H]

Wow this makes perfect sense! We cry about a game being released then when it is out, we don't play it! Awesome!!111

 

[Sickmind]

I say this is warrented, only if an RC is given to Vivendi by Sept 15th, but the game isn't released till November.../there is no good reason for the publisher to hold back, except GREED.

 

[|LGW|Mith]

it takes time to make the copies for a game, especially one thats destined to sell like crazy. Sept. 15th probably wouldnt mean nov. 1st release though.

 

[-JeZ-]

Being angry gets poeple nowhere but prison cells, sickmind. Sure, if HL2 is delayed I'll be pretty dissapointed and a little annoyed but not incensed enough to put off buying the game. Have you been to anger management classes?

 

[Ghost Freeman]

I say this is warrented, only if an RC is given to Vivendi by Sept 15th, but the game isn't released till November.../there is no good reason for the publisher to hold back, except GREED.

Vivendi is being honest with us, always have been IMO. Keep that in mind at all times.

 

[burnzie]

Don't wanna sound like a hypocrite but you're sig is over the limit too.

Just an observation

It was nice knowing you.

i'd expect chris_d's internet goon squad is about to break down your door and you will probably never see the light of day again.

 

[Chris D]

September 15th plus four weeks RC testing = October 15th.
October 15th plus three to four weeks replicating the game = November.

It's a realistic timescale and no one is withholding anything.

 

[Ghost Freeman]

That sounds optimistic, but I believe Jan 2005 would be far more optimistic.

 

[The Mullinator]

I say this is warrented, only if an RC is given to Vivendi by Sept 15th, but the game isn't released till November.../there is no good reason for the publisher to hold back, except GREED.

Vivendi only said "no comment", it was an "analyst" that said it would be released in November and Gamespot made the assumption that because they said "no comment" that the November release must be true.

 

[Feath]

(Snip)

Why I think his argument is idiotic (the short version): He's suggestting that we should protest so developers release games before they are up to standard. We should encourage more developers to finish games to a high standard, even if it means getting the games later. We'll end up playing the game a bit later, but this means nothing if the game is amazing. Half-Life was delayed a year because Valve wanted to make sure that the game was good. If you were waiting for the release of Half-Life in November 1997, I'm sure you'd have been pissed off. But it was definately worth it. We wouldn't be hear now discussing the slightly late sequel. We'd have just played a medicore game for a bit then forgotten about it.

I'm glad that the only thing Vivendi can do is release the game later, I'd hate to think what would've happened if they could've forced Valve to just quickly finish the game and release it before Valve thought it was up to standard. Indepentant Developers are good.

You know, I spent an enjoyable week away from the internet in. When you do that you realise that time passes quickly. You release that the preload beginning a week late meant nothing. It's just a week. It's an insigificant amount of time. But people seem to treat it as if the preload was delayed months.

The time will pass quickly, especially if you don't spend every second doing nothing but wait for the game.

 

[Sickmind]

September 15th plus four weeks RC testing = October 15th.
October 15th plus three to four weeks replicating the game = November.

It's a realistic timescale and no one is withholding anything.

after 5 YEARS under VALVe's anal retentive attention to detail, as evident by the countless delays, you believe it will be 4 weeks of testing by a publisher who has put out it's other inferior games without such close scrutiny?

 

[john121]

if anyone should be protesting against anything, it's us against the few hackers who have delayed this game as far as they have. The only fault Valve has in being hacked is because this game is groundbreaking in so many ways.

ANY system can be hacked, no matter how tight, unless of course it is a computer covered in cement, inside a gas filled room with 20 guards with masks on, live ammunition with assault rifles and no phone lines within a 100 mile radius, and with the building having no phone signal capability whatsoever. even then... i wouldn't take my chances.

 

[Chris D]

after 5 YEARS under VALVe's anal retentive attention to detail, as evident by the countless delays, you believe it will be 4 weeks of testing by a publisher who has put out it's other inferior games without such close scrutiny?

It's possible, that's assuming of course that Gamespot hasn't got it wrong. It wouldn't be the first time.

And let me just count the delays... hmmm... One... t..... no, that's it...

The only date that Half-Life 2 has missed is September 30th 2003.

And if you know anything about the games industry you'll know that there's normally more than one release candidate before the game goes gold. That can take a while.

And if you consider that there are technically three titles being released simultaneously - HL2, HL2 CE and CS:S, you might actually consider the whole process takes a bit longer.

 

[The_Nexus]

yadda yadda yadda

get a life peeps..u know go OUTSIDE. the game wil be done when its done. its a VIDEO GAME. whah whah I WANT I WANT.

yadda yadda yadaa

 

[Ghost Freeman]

if anyone should be protesting against anything, it's us against the few hackers who have delayed this game as far as they have.

The hack attacks never delayed HL2.

 

[Sickmind]

Why I think his argument is idiotic (the short version): He's suggestting that we should protest so developers release games before they are up to standard.

I'm glad that the only thing Vivendi can do is release the game later...

No I;m not...if valve make good on their date for 9/15...they're saying it's done...I'm not asking for it to be out before it is done...I'm just saying that if it is delayed untill November, after valve says it's done it is only out of greed on the publishers part.

You're glad they can release it later?

What is it with all these Euro's anyway? You live under Democracies, yet you chide me for wanting free speech? Surely there are some out there that will respect me for speaking my mind, and understand my right to expression?

 

[Feath]

September 15th plus four weeks RC testing = October 15th.
October 15th plus three to four weeks replicating the game = November.

It's a realistic timescale and no one is withholding anything.

Realistic but a bit over the top. The RC testing for Half-Life took 48 hours. I can't imagine it taking longer for Half-Life 2. For 4 weeks RC testing Valve would have to take at least 20 days fixing the bugs that come up. that's a long time considering that they submit the RC when they think the game is bug free. And with Doom 3 going from Gold to having enough copies in less than two weeks, I can't imagine Half-Life 2 taking anything longer than two weeks. Unless it's sometime to do with it being a worldwide release, but I can't imagine it. Not only the US has CD Presses.

Anyway, Vivendi didn't even say November, the only person that said November was "some guy".

 

[Chris D]

No I;m not...if valve make good on their date for 9/15...they're saying it's done...I'm not asking for it to be out before it is done...I'm just saying that if it is delayed untill November, after valve says it's done it is only out of greed on the publishers part.

You're glad they can release it later?

What is it with all these Euro's anyway? You live under Democracies, yet you chide me for wanting free speech? Surely there are some out there that will respect me for speaking my mind, and understand my right to expression?

You keep using the word delayed but it hasn't been delayed.

 

[Sickmind]

And let me just count the delays... hmmm... One... t..... no, that's it...

The only date that Half-Life 2 has missed is September 30th 2003.

Well, I'm not bitching about that, and I'm not the one bringing that topic up, but since you mentioned it, what about the Beta delay, the preload delay? I'm pretty sure there were a few others

 

[Chris D]

Realistic but a bit over the top. The RC testing for Half-Life took 48 hours. I can't imagine it taking longer for Half-Life 2. For 4 weeks RC testing Valve would have to take at least 20 days fixing the bugs that come up. that's a long time considering that they submit the RC when they think the game is bug free. And with Doom 3 going from Gold to having enough copies in less than two weeks, I can't imagine Half-Life 2 taking anything longer than two weeks. Unless it's sometime to do with it being a worldwide release, but I can't imagine it. Not only the US has CD Presses.

Anyway, Vivendi didn't even say November, the only person that said November was "some guy".

In that case, it's possible we could see a September 30th release really...

Everyone's pissing their pants over nothing.

 

[Bait]

I honestly don't see the big problem over release dates at all really. Eventually, we will get the game. God forbid if something terrible should happen, but otherwise everyone should just calm it down.

My stance on this subject is: Judge a game by its quality, not by its release date.

So sit down, load up Starcraft/Deus Ex/Doom I and II or even the original HL and sit back and wait for it. Complaining and ranting on these forums does absolutely NO ONE any good.

 

[Citizen 1150421]

i for one will protest with you
it is getting really annoying that we have to wait such a freakin long time . . i wouldn't mind it as much but its the constant delays that they are keep bringing up that i m fed up


they are not getting my cash ..

 

[Sickmind]

I've said enough...come October 31st, you all can think for yourself...I know what I'll do.

 

[Ghost Freeman]

In that case, it's possible we could see a September 30th release really...

I don't, since the RC testers have to sleep some time, and depending on how big the bugs are, Valve could spend days at a time trying to fix them.

 

[The Mullinator]

Well, I'm not bitching about that, and I'm not the one bringing that topic up, but since you mentioned it, what about the Beta delay, the preload delay? I'm pretty sure there were a few others

Those delays are completely unrelated to the current debate. Those were most likely because they had to ensure that Steam was capable of handling everything before they sent it out, and since Steam is the first platform of its kind to do these sorts of things it only seems perfectly understandable if you can't always meet your expected deadlines.

 

[Edcrab]

Personally I'm going to remain in my state of perpetual forum-checking until I blunder into my local Game or Virgin and find a copy staring back at me; I'm going to ignore all news except an actual gold and/or release date.

Valve's primary goal is to make a game that the community will appreciate, not to piss us off (believe it or not). The Sept. 30th and CS:CZ gold fiascos are hardly inspiring, and I admit I find it increasingly hard to understand what they could've discovered to add a year of extra dev time to the game, but the simple fact remains that Half-Life 2 will be better for it.

Protest? Maybe one running in favour of killing off the rising trend for devs that, idiotically, try and keep people happy by throwing around schedules in the hope of stopping all the damn speculation and semi-literate e-mails that they're probably recieving every other minute

 

[Chris D]

I've said enough...come October 31st, you all can think for yourself...I know what I'll do.

You'll be at the front of the queue when the bloody game is released and you know it.

 

[MultiVaC]

What is it with all these Euro's anyway? You live under Democracies, yet you chide me for wanting free speech? Surely there are some out there that will respect me for speaking my mind, and understand my right to expression?

Everyone understands your freedom of expression rights. We just all agree that your 'don't buy HL2' protest is a dumbass idea.

 

[Feath]

No I;m not...if valve make good on their date for 9/15...they're saying it's done...I'm not asking for it to be out before it is done...I'm just saying that if it is delayed untill November, after valve says it's done it is only out of greed on the publishers part.

You're glad they can release it later?

What is it with all these Euro's anyway? You live under Democracies, yet you chide me for wanting free speech? Surely there are some out there that will respect me for speaking my mind, and understand my right to expression?

I'm saying that if we get up in arms about the game coming out late, and (in an extremely unlikely way) it makes a difference, what are publishers going to think. Games being finished earlier = good. That's a bad viewpoint. Nobody should encourage it.

Anyway, a better protest would be to buy off Steam. Vivendi don't get any money that way.

And a note, Half-Life 2 being released any time of the year will probably sell more than 3 average games released just before Christmas. Ever since Half-Life 2 has been annouced it's been top of any poll relating to "anticapated games". (This even applies for before it was announced. In PC Gamer UK March 2002, a poll said Half-Life 2 was the most wanted game with 22% of the vote. That's a lot for a game that people had only heard rumours of).

Also, I hate the free speech argument. You can use it to defend anything.

 

[PowerLlama]

what is wrong w/you sickmind?? it's a freakin video game... play other ones till that one comes out.. it's not like valve is shooting you in the kneecap forcing you to wait for their game to come out.

and has no regard for the people that have been waiting, and abused through all the drama about the release 0f this game.

WTF

ABUSE?! seriously man.. play another game

 

[Bait]

An online forum is hardly a place to ask people to respect your rights. Forum rules bend to the will of their moderators and admins...Anyways, back on topic.

Clearly Valve must have some sort of reason for delaying the game. The simplest reason that comes to mind is that HL2 is simply not done. Valve needed more time to smoothen things out and add/remove whatever they saw fit. Naturally, that takes time. More time than they had originally anticipated. While it isn't smart for Valve to sign checks they can't cash, it still happened. If you feel like Valve hurt you in anyway, boo-hoo to you. They are still developing the game. They are still hard at work.

The thing I think people don't understand is if Valve did release the game in a poor state, the levels of crtisism and anger towards them would be 100x worse than it is now.