Email from Gabe. Re: Pay 2 Play

Status
Not open for further replies.
Originally posted by Beazil
In my understanding, a mod is a game that uses the same code as the retail it is based on (not to be confused with licensing an engine).
Click to expand...

But it IS licensing an engine. The only reason free mods don't have to pay licensing fees is because they don't charge for the game. If the CS developers had tried to publish CS on their own (without Valve), they certainly would've had to pay Valve a licensing fee.

You can divide a game into three main components: Engine, gamecode, and art. Counter-Strike uses new gamecode (gameplay rules) and new art (models, animations, levels, etc), on top of the existing HL engine. Similarly, Elite Force uses new gamecode and art on top of the existing Q3 engine. Fundamentally, the only difference is that CS1 was created by unpaid developers working for free, and Elite Force was created by a development studio working for salaries.

The CS and DoD teams work for Valve now. They are no longer 'non-professionals', they are like any of Valve's other developers.

Originally posted by Beazil
The publisher will only be increasing their customer loyalty by doing this, and this fact by itself makes business sense.
Click to expand...

But you could say exactly the same thing for the WC3 expansion. It would increase WC3 sales, so why not give it away for free? Clearly Blizzard made the right decision by not giving it away for free, because it's sales are going to fund Blizzard for about the next 5000 years.


Originally posted by Beazil
Separate products do not require me to another product in order for them to work. They may be based on licensed technology from an estabished engine, but they are stand alone. This is what makes them different from a mod or expansion.
Click to expand...

As you know, you can buy CS or DoD as standalone in the store today. Why wouldn't CS2 and DoD2 be standalone?

Originally posted by Beazil
I feel that once you purchase a game you should be able to play it whenever you want, as often as you want without having to shell out fees to play it.
Click to expand...

If you buy HL2, you'll be able to play HL2 for the rest of your life. Valve should've called the 'subscription option' a 'renting option'. You pay ten bucks and you can rent all Valve games for a month.
 
Also nobody has said anything about Counter Strike 2 or Day of Defeat 2.

They both could be retail games that use modified versions of the Source Engine and be stand alone. Just because the first version was free, doesn't mean the second one should be. It would be professionally produced to a higher standard.
 
if by suck, you mean Steam+HL2 = giving the freedom of mod creators to finally make money on their hard work, then yes, I suppose.

Oh no ... I can't get anymore free games ... the sky is falling .. the sky is falling ...

-_-

Its not like your going to have to pay $50 for every mod. Get a job. If you can afford HL2 in the first place, you can save a measily $20 or so for a mod one time.
 
they will pwn im sure If they will even freakn come out nobody has confirmed
 
Im not so sure i want HL2 now but this thread has maid me sad
 
Guess what Frag. don't buy it, save us from seeing you online.
 
Originally posted by Fraggz0rz
Im not so sure i want HL2 now but this thread has maid me sad
Click to expand...

Trust me, when Half Life 2 is released you won't even notice the difference. Nothing much has changed.
 
Originally posted by Feath
Trust me, when Half Life 2 is released you won't even notice the difference. Nothing much has changed.
Click to expand...

HL2 and Steam is no different than HL1?, damnit I thought it was.
 
Silver.Fox, I agree with you completely. Too many people have been spoiled by some very talented developers doing a lot of work on their mods and giving them away for free. These are the same people, mind you, who will pay $100 bucks for a couple of crappy playstation games that last a week each, but will play counter-strike every night non-stop for a year for free and somehow think that the CS creators owe it to the community to make CS2 free also.
 
What happend to the HL gamer community?
It use to be making mods for fun and being labeld as the best mod not for freakn mony just because the guns somebody maid a model differnt I would pay for official mods from the company but not thirdparty. not that many gaming communitys charge for dling a mod (Im not sure about RPGs)
 
I must say, i'm rather scared about my pre-order from Amazon.co.uk now, what version am I getting?
 
Originally posted by nw909
HL2 and Steam is no different than HL1?, damnit I thought it was.
Click to expand...

I mean about the pricing and stuff. Obviously the Steam thing is different but you are going to go get Half Life 2 in a shop, come home, install it and play it, almost exactly the way you play Half Life 1.

The main difference would be there's a list of Mods in Steam and you get updates automatically.
 
Thats because other gaming communities dont LET you download their mod - they make you PAY for them.

Any time you see a game that says "Built off the [insert game] Engine" for $50 - guess what, its just a fancy mod.

Just like expansion packs - those are nothing more then Mods of the original, but I bet you'd buy those without a second thought cause it says "Expansion" instead of "Mod".
 
Well I hope all that succsess didnt go to there heads they need to think about the game not fees steam differnt versions just make one freakin standerd GAME that will pwn make it like HL1 no new freakin dumb stuff just make it simple
 
Silver fox I thank you for being one of the only ones with a point
 
Originally posted by Silver.Fox
Thats because other gaming communities dont LET you download their mod - they make you PAY for them.

Any time you see a game that says "Built off the [insert game] Engine" for $50 - guess what, its just a fancy mod.

Just like expansion packs - those are nothing more then Mods of the original, but I bet you'd buy those without a second thought cause it says "Expansion" instead of "Mod".
Click to expand...

If the engine is liscensed then the engine can be changed. Half Life 1 used the Quake engine, and they changed a lot of stuff.

And yeah, Expansion Packs are basically Mods, and people seem to be angry that they aren't free. They never were free. I don't mind paying for a good official expansion pack.
 
Got little confused, lazy to read all this posts and need explaining.
One simple question: When i'll buy HL2 in shop and don't want to pay monthly fee, i'm gonna be able to play basic multiplayer mode? Or it's only "pay2play full version" and "buy-it-once single player version"?
 
Someone want to tell FraggzOrz that maid is spelt made.. it just annoys me.. but otherwise good english :)

And if the game goes subscription to get all the content Valve has to offer, so be it.. I am sure the mods that the community will make will always be free til beta stages are over and the mod is good enough to go retail a la CS and DOD. Valve has hired some modders from the community to help them make an excellent multiplayer game and it is that you will be paying for, extra content and add ons to existing mods that will be released via Steam or expansion packs. No need to pay monthly if you only want what comes initially with HL2 MP and then play mods that are made by modders not associated with Valve.
 
Dscowboy, I think you and I are saying the same things. Just remember that CS was originally a mod. Just because valve bought out Gooseman doesn't mean I should pay to play. In fact I don't. And that is good. Gooseman is now employed by a reputable game developer as a result of his hard work, recognition by the gaming community, and original game developer. Again, this is good.

Sometimes the reward of doing a mod is to get recognized and "scooped up" as a professional. Call it putting your time in the trenches. It is a way for fans of a game to add new content etc. I don't think we should pay for it.

Now if I didn't own half life, and wanted a copy of the now retail version of cs (which just happens to be compatable with the half life mod) I could go out and buy it alone. This is also good.

But just because some guy puts in a lot of time to develop a mod does not mean I should have to pay for it. If I want to make a contribution that's a choice. Why would I want to pay for non-professional content?

If the only way for me to get mods is to pay for it via steam, then it is not an option I will exercise. Mods and expansions are very different things my friend. I agree with your last suggestion regarding the naming of the subscription service.

Gawd, I hope this helps to clear things up, as the mood in this forum seems to be getting uglier as I continue reading.
 
Originally posted by Cujo
Got little confused, lazy to read all this posts and need explaining.
One simple question: When i'll buy HL2 in shop and don't want to pay monthly fee, i'm gonna be able to play basic multiplayer mode? Or it's only "pay2play full version" and "buy-it-once single player version"?
Click to expand...

You can buy Single Player Only in the shop but you can get the traditional Single player + Multiplayer.

If you buy the game in the shop, you don't pay any more money to play online.
 
Feath, Silver.Fox, Reek, I'm glad we're around to spread the good word. Relax everyone, with the Steam network Valve is going to shake up the whole industry. Publishers are going to piss themselves when they find out that the most popular PC games are being sold over a distribution system completely out of their control. The mod/indie community is going flourish like never before :D
 
Listen there isn't going to be a monthly fee for Half-Life2, Think of the monthly fee as like Steam Premium Package where you can download all the content that Valve produces without any extra charge on top of the monthly fee (games, videos etc...)

Half-Life 2 will still be a retail package that you can play for free after purchase.
 
Why I still think its stupid to pay for mods its just Freakin changing stuff
 
This is all just BS I can't even understand my choices its all too ******* confusing for my simple motored mind. Can't they just make one freagin box!?
 
Im just saying no new stuff just simple gameplay like HL1 none of this steam crap or other stuff plz keep its SIMPLE one version with all of the good stuff I agree with the super uber version (Im going to get that if its not above $100)
 
Originally posted by Feath
If the engine is liscensed then the engine can be changed. Half Life 1 used the Quake engine, and they changed a lot of stuff.

And yeah, Expansion Packs are basically Mods, and people seem to be angry that they aren't free. They never were free. I don't mind paying for a good official expansion pack.
Click to expand...

yea, excuse my rush in typing .. fast thread .. rofl

I ment things like Elite Force and the Team Fortess version for Q3 I can't remember the name to ... rofl
 
You know what, people always ask me why I can't be nice. This why, stupid people should be killed. Frag is first in line.
 
You people are THICK THICK THICK.

You'll only be paying for 3rd party mods if the MOD CREATORS want you to. That's right - Valve will let mod makers *attempt* to make their own product and sell it. Guess what though - you don't have to buy it if you don't want to. That's JUST LIKE NOW except that they're making things easier for mod makers. (It was previously much harder to sell mods although some people have tried.)
 
Dude you know like me that almost every mod would charge its plz ppl dont be greedy
 
Originally posted by Silver.Fox
yea, excuse my rush in typing .. fast thread .. rofl

I ment things like Elite Force and the Team Fortess version for Q3 I can't remember the name to ... rofl
Click to expand...

Elite Force used the licensed Quake III engine. They modified the engine. Elite Force wouldn't have been able to run as a Mod on Quake III.

In the same way that Half Life 1 won't run as a Mod to Quake.

EDIT: But there have been a lot of bad games just being churned out on liscensed engines.
 
Originally posted by Fraggz0rz
Dude you know like me that almost every mod would charge its plz ppl dont be greedy
Click to expand...

Ask a lot of Mod teams and they'll say that they won't be charging. But it's up to them really, there's no point getting angry at Valve about it.
 
Originally posted by Feath
Elite Force used the licensed Quake III engine. They modified the engine. Elite Force wouldn't have been able to run as a Mod on Quake III.

In the same way that Half Life 1 won't run as a Mod to Quake.
Click to expand...

Did they then? Excuse my ignorance .. rofl


it just .. always looked like Q3 to me, I figured they just changed the usual mod crap .. lol
 
This is sad why did valve have to do this crap
simple is better
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar threads

Chris D
Forum update
Replies
8
Views
2K
Tollbooth Willie
Tollbooth Willie
TechnoHippyChic
If you post it, they will come...
2
Replies
63
Views
6K
TechnoHippyChic
TechnoHippyChic
ríomhaire
History
Replies
5
Views
5K
Shem
Shem
bbson john
Hi everyone. I am new to this forum!
Replies
11
Views
6K
Tollbooth Willie
Tollbooth Willie
MFL
Fascinating look at the ongoing psychological evolution of flat hieirarchies.
Replies
2
Views
2K
Tollbooth Willie
Tollbooth Willie
Back
Top