Breaking the street date a non issue?

[Dr.breen]

I was thinking, even if someone gets Hl2 early and lets say for instance this friday (most likely) then valve won't let anyone activate their copy until everyone else anyway so it's not a problem right?

 

[azz0r]

Exactly.

 

[CarLBanks]

Valve hsas said they'll open up the activation and unlock Steam copies.

 

[KurtCobain]

That is wot 90% of people, including me. have been saying on the streetdate threads....


Did this realy need another thread ?

 

[azz0r]

They did, but with Vivienda now doing a worldwide time release its extremely likely that wont happen now.

 

[KurtCobain]

Valve hsas said they'll open up the activation and unlock Steam copies.

Poeple keep saying this and yet they never hyave links or any proof of valve stating this.

I think its just optimistic people that want to convince themselves theres a slight chance they might get it b4 16th , but it aint gonna happen tbh


Very very vert suprised if this did...but no

 

[mezz]

Valve hsas said they'll open up the activation and unlock Steam copies.

Is that true or just a rumour, I havn't seen any decent source for this claim. Clearly they'd want to do this (especially to reduce network load because it will catch all us Steam pre-orderes by suprise and we wno't all be there activating at once) but I doubt Vivendi would let them.

 

[koopa]

Is that true or just a rumour, I havn't seen any decent source for this claim.

shacknews is the only source for this. Presumably it was based on a comment by one of the Valve guys, but there is no other evidence as far as I know. I think it's a rumor Valve will let fly because they want people to buy via Steam, but Vivendi won't let them release early.

 

[jakoblindberg]

The only official source is the HL2 FAQ in the Steamforums. There they claim the game will be unlocked the second the game hits the streets.

Does this include or exclude copies that are sold early? No one knows - anyone claiming they know are also wrong...

However - a little speculation: Will an early sold game be playable? I would say yes - unless each copy is labelled with "not playable until 00:01 PST 16/11-2004", which I doubt. If the game is unlabelled in such a way they need to unlock it to oblige to most European consumer laws (probably the same in the US). So the question is, will Valve unlock Steam copies in conjunction with early sales? I would say no - because Vivendi would send a legion of lawyers to Valve since Steam would attract a lot of early sales.

So (I am a Steam silver) I do not think I will play the game before the 16th. However, there is a slim chance that I (we) might.

 

[Maxi]

Well to play the game, you need to auth your copy via steam, and that cant be done untill H hour on the 16th.

 

[mezz]

unless each copy is labelled with "not playable until 00:01 PST 16/11-2004", which I doubt. If the game is unlabelled in such a way they need to unlock it to oblige to most European consumer laws (probably the same in the US).

Thats a very good point. Unless it is labelled as such then they will have to unlock it. But I doubt they would unlock them without also allowing steam pre-orderes to play, it just wouldn't make sense, I think they must have something sorted with Vivendi letting them let us play OR the packaging is labelled.