Career Suicide For Vivendi???

[Grand Architect]

Am I the only one that thinks valve deliberately and knowingly breached their contract?

Come on people, if you sign a contract for a publisher to give you money or whatever to develop a game, and in return give them a slice of the pie, you don't then spend their money developing a system that intentionally shafts them out of the agreement, I think vivendi are in the right and valve are just being microsoft.

Vivendi did not pay valve to make HL² only for the rights to be the sole distributer of hard copys, Valve retand the rights for online distributing. And it was Vivendi that First broke the contract by distributing to cyber cafes in 2002. As far as I have seen Valve as done little wrong other then strong arming contract agreements for sole ownership of the IP and the online distributing rights.

 

[Feath]

Am I the only one that thinks valve deliberately and knowingly breached their contract?

Come on people, if you sign a contract for a publisher to give you money or whatever to develop a game, and in return give them a slice of the pie, you don't then spend their money developing a system that intentionally shafts them out of the agreement, I think vivendi are in the right and valve are just being microsoft.

If you read the article, everything Valve have done is in accordance with the contract and Vivendi want that contract changed.

You have to realise that Valve are self-funded, Vivendi didn't give them much money to develop Half-Life ($800 000 sounds like a lot but not in the case of game development) and probably gave them no money to develop Half-Life 2. The money they used to develop Steam is either the money that Gabe and Mike Harrington have (they were millionaires before they formed Valve) or the money they made from Half-Life.

 

[moondynejoe]

Most people seem to forget that vivendi has shown they are willing to hold back a "blockbuster" game out of what would appear to be spite.
They held back the release of two interplay games, one of which was Baldurs gate dark alliance 2, whilst that may not be the level of hl2 it was by no means a minor release, yet it was held back through the critical christmas period for no good reason. The game was finished and interplay itself wanted the game released sooner.
Sorry but i believe vivendi are willing to wait the court desision on this one as well, i cant see them releasing the game in the hope that they will win at some later date.

God I hope I am wrong

 

[Sparta]

Vivendi wont hold back HL2.

It would be like Microsoft holding back Halo 2 or Activision holding back Doom 3.

Stupid

 

[Steelwind]

After it is all said and done, will anyone remember this little civil fiasco between Valve and Vivendi? I hear people talking about the fall of VUG, how they'll never get developers to sign on board. I don't believe that at all. I think after all this blows over, whether VUG wins or loses, they will still be known as the publisher of Half-Life 2, one of, if not the most, successful releases in PC gaming history. Not to mention they have several other titles late this year that have sold well, and more in the works for 2005.

At this point it is all just about money, no one's career is at stake here. VUG will still be known as a solid publisher of electronic entertainment. Developers would still be happy to have them as a publisher. I don't think any of that will change.

 

[groovy]

they're a big company, they have money, why should they care if some gamers will have a sook?

 

[Yombi]

they're a big company, they have money, why should they care if some gamers will have a sook?

VUG doesnt have THAT much money And the VU share holders are quite happy to let go of that whole division.

 

[czrsink]

Commercial suicide is around the corner. Vivendi have the title that will save their company from virtual breakdown - if they really have enough money to hang on till 2005, I'll be amazed.

They can't compete with the likes of EA and Ubisoft without any AAA blockbusters, and cash cows such as the FIFA series, the Splinter Cell series and even the Sims. Half Life 2 is the last card in their hand - if they don't play it, they'll be in serious financial trouble, even worse than that they face now.

200 posts!

 

[Kouler]

Yes. Expect Half-Life 2 this year.