A solution to the Valve vs. VU stalemate

G

gunz

Guest
Ok, first post, but here's my solution.

We know that several print magazines are now in possession and in the process of reviewing a (pretty much) final version of hl2.

If the situation progressed where it was clear that VU was going to hold an embargo over the games release, all it would take is for a simple 'leak' of one of these copies out on the internet, which would most certainly spark Vivendi into immediately shipping the game, for risk of losing all their retail sales and probably going bankrupt in the process!
 
Yes and the subsequent FBI investigation would probably result in the arrest of Gabe and whoever else at Valve was involved in the leak and Valve would cease to exist.
 
and what if the FBI came to this thread and concluded that it is this thread that inspired who ever leaked the game to do so.

but um, seriously, does FBI investigate game leaks? all games leak.
 
hasan said:
and what if the FBI came to this thread and concluded that it is this thread that inspired who ever leaked the game to do so.

but um, seriously, does FBI investigate game leaks? all games leak.
Click to expand...
i think they investigated about the HL2 beta leak
 
They weren't mainly about the HL2 leak. They just got lucky. The hacker was called Anon. He was part of a bunch of other game leaky stuff, and they happened to get him during an investigation of those other things.
 
DarkSonic said:
They weren't mainly about the HL2 leak. They just got lucky. The hacker was called Anon. He was part of a bunch of other game leaky stuff, and they happened to get him during an investigation of those other things.
Click to expand...

They raided one guy speficaly for HL2. Cant find his site atm. BUt anyway stop with the past hehe
 
If a computer is connected to a network that is somehow connected to the outside, a game can get leaked...now, if it was in a personal LAN where only employees can access it from within the building ONLY cause of no outside ties...well, an employee can only leak the game. So let's home some doof connected that LAN to the internet so a super nerd can leak it and then we can get the real one. Heck, I'll start a charity to fund the hacker nerds release for at least gettin the game out.
 
or valve could release it, i'm pretty sure they just can't sell it.
 
Jakeic said:
or valve could release it, i'm pretty sure they just can't sell it.
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What's the point if they can't sell it.
 
DigiQ8 said:
i think they investigated about the HL2 beta leak
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That "leak" was a stolen build, it's not a leak, every body calls it "leak" or "beta" but leaks are different I think.

I think .. games leak before the specified release date because some employees give it to some of thier "friends" and those distribute it on the net.
even if that's not the exact definition of "leak", the leak originally in question was this kind of leak.
all it would take is for a simple 'leak' of one of these copies out on the internet
Click to expand...
 
I've thought about this as well.

Within a couple of weeks, lots of magazines will have exclusive HL2 reviews. If They game isn't released for another 6 months what would happen?

Would the reviews be delayed as well, or would we get to read them anyway?

And the review copies would have to be destroyed immediately because no game magazine office (especially that one near me in Belgium) can withstand a frustrated mouthfoaming gamer eeh?
 
The magazine reviews are the cresecendo before the release. Valve have been building up to this moment for a long time and if Vivendi come in and delay the game for 6 months it's going to hurt everyone involved.

Maybe Vivendi are run by a bunch of masochists and want to lose millions of dollars? They are an evil evil corporation, it wouldn't surprise me.

http://www.cnn.com/2002/BUSINESS/12/12/vivendi.raids/
 
Don't be afraid.

The game will be released as soon as possible, as it is has the potential to become one of the biggest selling titles of all times.

Read the statement of VU's vice president again. What he is basically saying is that VU is in charge of releasing and Valve should keep their mouths shut about it. Technically, he's correct, although it seems that their realtionship could be better. I could imagine that the quarrel is fueled by the second release channel via Steam.

Anyway, we will see Hl2 soon :)
 
Don't be afraid.

The game will be released as soon as possible, as it is has the potential to become one of the biggest selling titles of all times.

Read the statement of VU's vice president again. What he is basically saying is that VU is in charge of releasing and Valve should keep their mouths shut about it. Technically, he's correct, although it seems that their realtionship could be better. I could imagine that the quarrel is fueled by the second release channel via Steam.

Anyway, we will see Hl2 soon
Click to expand...

i hope so i hope so
 
anon was short for anonymous.

It wasn't his actual alias I don't believe, but the feds and the hacker and his contacts are the only ones who know for sure :]
 
fluX said:
Don't be afraid.

The game will be released as soon as possible, as it is has the potential to become one of the biggest selling titles of all times.

Read the statement of VU's vice president again. What he is basically saying is that VU is in charge of releasing and Valve should keep their mouths shut about it. Technically, he's correct, although it seems that their realtionship could be better. I could imagine that the quarrel is fueled by the second release channel via Steam.

Anyway, we will see Hl2 soon :)
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Yeah, but then you look at CZ which they did delay for 4 months.
 
Feath said:
Yeah, but then you look at CZ which they did delay for 4 months.
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Right, but have you played the "lost scenes"?
Maybe they delayed it , because it was crap?

Well, I think so...

Cmon, VU is not some evil monster, they are doing an important job in Quality Assurance. It is an important step of game design, you have seen in the past with a lot of titles what happens when you fall short on that one...

Actually Duke Nukem Fornever is planning about RC 257 :)
 
Feath said:
Yeah, but then you look at CZ which they did delay for 4 months.
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But that wasn't through christmas.

I do think everybody is making a big deal about nothing.

It seems to me that CSS needed to be patched, and now it has to be thouroughly tested. That right there is good enough reason why we haven't heard a gold announcement.

VUG is probably going to take a little time to assess the situation, but I bet they'll cash in and try to recoup alleged losses later. That would be the smartest move,.

Ok, they might do something stupid. But right now theres no reason to suspect they're doing it yet.
 
fluX said:
Right, but have you played the "lost scenes"?
Maybe they delayed it , because it was crap?

Well, I think so...

Cmon, VU is not some evil monster, they are doing an important job in Quality Assurance. It is an important step of game design, you have seen in the past with a lot of titles what happens when you fall short on that one...

Actually Duke Nukem Fornever is planning about RC 257 :)
Click to expand...

This is part of Valve's court case. That CZ was done but Vivendi delayed it out of the holiday season. The version we have now is the version that was meant to come out in November. (I thought otherwise, I thought the deleted scenes version was meant to come out in November, but this CSN preview of CZ shows that it's the same version: http://www.csnation.net/articles.php/article_170/1/ )

And Publisher testing has nothing to do with the quality of the game, it has more to do with the game running on different systems.
 
fluX said:
Right, but have you played the "lost scenes"?
Maybe they delayed it , because it was crap?
Click to expand...
I thought Valve scrapped it because it was crap.
 
f|uke said:
But that wasn't through christmas.

I do think everybody is making a big deal about nothing.

It seems to me that CSS needed to be patched, and now it has to be thouroughly tested. That right there is good enough reason why we haven't heard a gold announcement.

VUG is probably going to take a little time to assess the situation, but I bet they'll cash in and try to recoup alleged losses later. That would be the smartest move,.

Ok, they might do something stupid. But right now theres no reason to suspect they're doing it yet.
Click to expand...

CZ was meant to come out in November, but if came out in March. That is definately delaying it through the holiday period. Like I said, this is part of Valve's case against Vivendi.

I'm not saying that Vivendi will delay the game till after Christmas, I'm just saying that they've done it before.
 
why does everyone think stuff from way back when applies now?
9m euros in deficit is what was sais in the press conference last week. 9m! That's it! Remember that the company was going under. WAS

they are far from where they were in january.

from the cnn article:
Messier was blamed for building up a 19 billion euro debt pile following a two-year buying spree in Europe and North America. The group's share price has tumbled along with revenue, prompting the board to replace Messier with Jean-Rene Fourtou
-CNN.com 2freakinthousand2

in the press conference LAST WEEK, when once again asked about selling off VU american assest, the answer was still no! they joined with nbcu, selling off 80% of the group, but retaining 20% of NBCU....netting them 500m+ euros starting 2005... and have already paid off all but a few million now..heck, they paid down almost 2 billion in the first half this year. they are no means hurting for money.

SO, really, VU could care less about when they release HL2...this forum itself goes to prove that no matter when it comes out, most will buy it, and a heck of alot may buy it through STEAM to spite vivendi, but they just might end up lining vivendi's pockets as well, if things go bad in court!
 
Feath does not rhyme with Teeth.

Then what - enlighten us ! :cheese:
 
fluX said:
Feath does not rhyme with Teeth.

Then what - enlighten us ! :cheese:
Click to expand...
He thinks you pronounce it "feth"... but he's wrong. :E
 
Cadaveca, could you post some links please? According to the VU first half report:

Net loss of €1,858 million, mainly negatively impacted by the non-cash foreign currency translation adjustment on the NBC-Universal transaction (€2,105 million). This result does not take into account the Consolidated Global Profits tax system.
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(From http://www.vivendiuniversal.com/vu/en/files/PR040914Resultats .pdf)

Whereas VU Games itself has reported a net loss of 9million Euros (http://www.vivendiuniversal.com/vu/en/subsidiaries/u_games.cfm).
 
fluX said:
Feath does not rhyme with Teeth.

Then what - enlighten us ! :cheese:
Click to expand...

Click the link, it's guide on how to pronounce it.
 
Feath said:
Cadaveca, could you post some links please? According to the VU first half report:


(From http://www.vivendiuniversal.com/vu/en/files/PR040914Resultats .pdf)

Whereas VU Games itself has reported a net loss of 9million Euros (http://www.vivendiuniversal.com/vu/en/subsidiaries/u_games.cfm).
Click to expand...


maybe i got that backwards.....i did not read it, i listened to the taped conference, so that i could get the remarks afterwords.
i wrote down some points as i listened, but what remembered was someone saying that there was only a loss of 9m euros, and that they were not worried about it at all, because of W.o.W.


feath, you have to keep in mind that it is NET LOSS as well, not gross.
they lost 2.1b in the currency translation adjustment loss(whateva that is), paid 303m euros back on high yeild bonds, and actually made 243m euro more than they forcasted. Does not sound bad to me... might be a good time to invest, especially with W.o.W. and HL2 in the near future. they also said they could raise 543m from sales of property assest, but were going to hold off until the end of the year before doing so, as they have 500m expected from nbcu next year. they netted nothing really from the sale, but it allowed them to balance a few debts over multiple years.
thanks for pointing out my discrepancy..it's 3:30 am!


anyway, i posted the VU link days ago....check my history.
 
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