About Half-Life 2 Gold / Release Date Posts

[Subatomic]

Haha why did you guys take down the Thanks Valve! news?

 

[mr_angry]

Valve suck at software estimation. They should get some kind of professional in to do it in future.

 

[The Mullinator]

Valve suck at software estimation. They should get some kind of professional in to do it in future.

I don't think any company or any programmer can ever be "good" at estimating the amount of time it will take for software development. You can make an educated guess and rely on luck, thats it.

 

[Chris D]

Haha why did you guys take down the Thanks Valve! news?

Because a load of retards started hurling abuse towards us, Gabe, Valve and Half-Life 2 in general. After saying I was proud to be in a community like this in the news post, and I read that, I decided I was actually ashamed at times.

 

[Dr. Shim]

Valve suck at software estimation. They should get some kind of professional in to do it in future.

My dear end user, there is no such thing as a professional software-release-date-guesser. :E

Although that would be quite funny.

 

[kurly]

Gosh, and I thought Aussies spoke 'the Queen's English'

the ad should be written "IT'S DONE" *not* "ITS DONE"

I was actually taught - in an accredited school - that the "it is" contraction is so common that the apostrophe is optional. Same for the possesive sense.

Besides its journalistic license.

 

[Dr. Shim]

My mom says that you can just say "its," instead of "it's." I love my mommy.

 

[mr_angry]

My dear end user, there is no such thing as a professional software-release-date-guesser. :E

Although that would be quite funny.

I don't want to sound like an asshole here, but I am a software engineer, and there is an entire aspect of Computer Science devoted to software project estimation. Some people (professionals) are very very good at it, and I think Valve are very very bad at it (not the worst by any means though). I think a marriage between the two would be in Valve's best interests in the future. And ours!

 

[Dr. Shim]

Really? I didn't know that! You see, I was the one sounding like an ass-hole.

I believe Valve has a scope-creep problem. What else would explain a September 2003 release date, when later on, Newell says that date was waaay too early? Maybe they should start laying down some good, hard requirements, and reinforcing them.

What do you think?

 

[mr_angry]

Well, I'm a network programmer, not a software estimation expert, so I'm not sure my advice would be all that helpful. I think the problem itself probably stems from the marketing dept. not talking to the actual programmers about how long it will take them to complete each stage. Valve haven't been around for that long either, so its reasonable to assume that there isn't a company-wide estimation process in place.

Anyway, they're probably too busy having fun making games to bother with much of that! To be honest, I'm not really that bothered how long it takes, as long as its brilliant.

 

[Labia Minora]

HL 2 rules big time no matter what the waiting is all about. cheers
And Labia Minora rules

 

[skull24]

NOV. release date is looken better

Doug Lombardi said this to Gamespot when asked about the NOV. release date.

Doug Lombardi at Valve. "We're currently planning to send release candidates to Vivendi by September 15th," he told us. The timing's right. "However," he adds before we can get our hopes up, "VUG hasn't given us a ship date yet. Might be best for you to ask them directly. Let me know what you hear."

I post this in another thread as well, IM broed ok but its fact.

 

[DrunkPanda]

lolzorz. weren't valve planning on releasing a release candidate in AUGUST just a few weeks ago? who wants to bet it will be "we're planning on releasing a release candidate in october" in a few weeks?

 

[iicehawk15]

cmon hl2