Gamespot Confirms SDK is due in next few weeks

[ray_MAN]

Mmmmmmmmmmm mushrooms. /me eats the mushroom named Brian Damage

 

[D33]

How quickly you forget though when the fake emails from Gabe Newell were posted on this site and around the other communities regarding, "Despite of the code leak, we are still releasing HL2 on time!" We told everyone that it was not releasing at the same time you confirmed the email being fake. So let's not go there.

It's that's the one I think it is then there's a valid story behind that which no one outside the halflife2.net team knows about. Needless to say, and probably the most I can divulge, is that it was a joke played on other staff members which accidently got forwarded outside the team.

 

[Brian Damage]

Oooooooookaaaaaaayyyyy ray MAN... that's very weird...

/me becomes a deadly fly agaric toadstool...

That'll learn ya.

 

[ray_MAN]

Why is that wierd? /me sits on a deadly fly agaric toadstool...

 

[andyhodges]

It's that's the one I think it is then there's a valid story behind that which no one outside the halflife2.net team knows about. Needless to say, and probably the most I can divulge, is that it was a joke played on other staff members which accidently got forwarded outside the team.

Yup, and this is probably where some people say, "HL2.net has fake interviews!" because of some bozo compiling an email and faking a Gabe Newell interview. Just about every site fell for it, including mine. People don't realize that this wasn't the fault of HL2.net or for that matter, my site.

This is why many people are skeptical of emails ever since, although not the fault of HL2.net. I guess if people want to say, "HL2.net has fake interviews from fake emails!" they might as well label my site and all other HL2 related sites the same thing, as we carried it and then later announced that it was fake.

-Andy Hodges
Half-Life Radio
www.halfliferadio.com

 

[Dile]

Yup, and this is probably where some people say, "HL2.net has fake interviews!" because of some bozo compiling an email and faking a Gabe Newell interview. Just about every site fell for it, including mine. People don't realize that this wasn't the fault of HL2.net or for that matter, my site.

This is why many people are skeptical of emails ever since, although not the fault of HL2.net. I guess if people want to say, "HL2.net has fake interviews from fake emails!" they might as well label my site and all other HL2 related sites the same thing, as we carried it and then later announced that it was fake.

-Andy Hodges
Half-Life Radio
www.halfliferadio.com

This information has been confirmed a hundred times, including the one that Gamespot recieved, still you handle it like a lie.

 

[Dile]

And BTW the e-mails in the Valve info thread are not posted on HL2.net, they are posted on HL2.net's forums, which is a big difference.

And e-mails that have been proved as fakes have all been deleted.

 

[Brian Damage]

I'm not sure what's going on, Dile, but Andy Hodges seems to have apologised. Kinda.

 

[D33]

This is why many people are skeptical of emails ever since, although not the fault of HL2.net. I guess if people want to say, "HL2.net has fake interviews from fake emails!" they might as well label my site and all other HL2 related sites the same thing, as we carried it and then later announced that it was fake.

It happened long after HalfLifeSource community started spreading the fake interview rumours m8.

 

[Dile]

I'm not sure what's going on, Dile, but Andy Hodges seems to have apologised. Kinda.

Apology is not the exact thing I want. An answer is more like it.

 

[andyhodges]

This information has been confirmed a hundred times, including the one that Gamespot recieved, still you handle it like a lie.

Confirmed a hundred times? Well let's see, when we asked Valve, they didn't know anything about it. It's also embarassing to bring a Valve spokesperson on the air and they don't know about it either.

When the GamingElement asked Valve, they were told the very same thing. Gamespot later (yeah, this always seems to happen) confirms it from Doug Lombardi, but changed their story and said that it wasn't in "2 weeks" as everyone thought (and posted).

Then another site said that Hovac was suing Valve for 18 million dollars, and that's why the 2 week delay. (Rick Ellis said 'legal hangup' in an email). This of course came from a person who copied the original email and reconstructed it as if there was a lawsuit between Valve and Hovac. This other site being a large site as Gamespot. So just because it's "Gamespot" doesn't mean it's legitmate. They already proved that by having to re-confirm it again about the 2 week thing.

As for the 2 week thing that was going around - I was correct. The SDK is not coming out in 2 weeks. As for the 18 million dollar lawsuit between Havoc and Valve, I was correct again. There is no such lawsuit.

Learning from the past, we don't want to excite too people if something isn't coming out for several months. In this case, both the Steam and the HL2 SDK. Far away and not "soon".

You totally missed my point, even though you quoted me. This would never happen if Valve released a mint condition press release as other companies do. It is obvious that Valve has many departments has the Half-Life Radio staff have been there to witness, but the way information and news is passed is different. This is the job for the PR department, not Rick Ellis.

All PR information should be funneled through the PR department (Doug Lombardi) so that this doesn't happen again. This means going back to Official Press Releases instead of replying to an email to some guy in Nebraska and telling them that HL2 SDK will be out. That is big news and should be treated officially. NOT EMAILS. There are many people that agree with me on this subject, probably more so than people that disagree.

-Andy Hodges
Half-Life Radio
www.halfliferadio.com

 

[Dile]

As for the 2 week thing that was going around - I was correct.

Can you tell me why do you think you were you correct?

I'll explain the situation:

1. An e-mail from Rick Ellis says that "The SDK will be released soon" This info is been confirmed by e-mails that are also posted in the Valve info thread.
2. The Hype machine starts. Emails are sent to Valve, in which people ask about the SDK. Speculation starts. Everyone is becoming happy again.
3. Gamespot confirms the e-mail.
4. Everyone's happy
5. Halfliferadio makes a newspost. This includes:
"Of course, the only evidence of this is a so-called email that was found on another website that is famous for staging fake emails and interviews in the past."
"The information is false"
"Valve told Half-Life Radio today that they very much doubt Rick Ellis or Yahn Bernier addressed anything regarding the Half-Life 2 SDK in any email or message board whatsoever and, "there are no legal hang-ups regarding the SDK release.They went on to say that the Steam SDK is the only SDK at this time that Valve might be releasing soon for Half-Life Mod developers (to port their games to the Steam format). " <- This one becomes suspicious, because the SDK has already been anounced that it's going to be release before the game, and the "steam SDK" is not known by the most.
7. This "misunderstanding" starts.
6. HLRadio's newspost is edited a bit. Here's a snap: "Don't expect the SDK within a couple weeks. If anything, perhaps the STEAM SDK but certainly not the HL2 one."

 

[Quixote]

I agree Valve needs to get their PR department in gear. While you think my idea would never work it's the best solution possible in the absence of actual press releases. The reponses via email is really cool of Gabe and Yahn and everyone else to do but it seems more often than not they end up putting their foot in their mouth. What ends up happening is the community is left with a contradiction and has to attempt to figure out what is going on with a game we are all excited about. An example of this a question on hl2.net forums regarding creation of a random 3d object in a defined space. We seem to have gotten contradictory emails and the community tries to make them not.

 

[Shuzer]

Shuzer, I do have to clarify something that you kept saying over and over again in previous messages in this thread. You kept saying that we at Half-Life Radio do not talk to Valve nor have we ever talked to Valve about this topic. That is very untrue. We talk to Valve all the time, if not each day. We don't necessarily talk to them about stuff like this or "Hey, when is HL2 coming out?" as there are other things we discuss. Obviously we run Half-Life Radio. Valve has been on the radio, it's no "sudden" surprise that we talk to Valve. Then again, you probably don't listen to Half-Life Radio to know this.

I should've rephrased what I said in my posts. I didn't believe you could've talked to VALVe in the few minutes that the article got changed in. The fact that the entire lower portion of your article was changed was a bit shady to me. I understand that you talked to VALVe, and they told you about the Steam SDK, however, after I posted what I posted at your site, your article changed. This was the reason for my accusations, again, I didn't mean to come off as an asshole, I hope you don't hold that against me/HL2.net

The lower portion of your article went from you talking to VALVe about the SDK, to you talking to VALVe about the legal hangup. Again, this happened in a perioid of 5 minutes (hence my pessimism), plus I was peeved that I was banned for no reason, that I am sorry for I have listened to HLRadio a few times, and from what I heard it was quite good overall. I just didn't like the fact that, instead of getting a civil reply to my message at your site, the message got deleted and I was banned.

Edit: Andy, any chance I could get unbanned, though? I'd like to check your site out, but, unfortunately I can't. There's no way I'll ever be able to even listen to one of your broadcasts if I can't access your website

And, once again, I apologize for calling you guys liar about talking to VALVe. I'm just a little confused, as I stated, why the lower portion of your article morphed into something completely different than originally posted.

 

[sharp]

Confirmed a hundred times? Well let's see, when we asked Valve, they didn't know anything about it. It's also embarassing to bring a Valve spokesperson on the air and they don't know about it either.

When the GamingElement asked Valve, they were told the very same thing.

GamingElement? Are you serious? I never heared about that 'gaming site'

http://www.thegamingelement.com/ you mean this gaming site? When we look at their forums you can't really say it is very proffesional or a trustfull site. 'General Discussion' got 6 replies for example. :rolling:

Gamespot later (yeah, this always seems to happen) confirms it from Doug Lombardi, but changed their story and said that it wasn't in "2 weeks" as everyone thought (and posted).

Not everyone was posting the '2 weeks'. There were some people speculating because my email from Rick Ellis said 'soon' As you can see some people might think 'soon' could mean 2 weeks, 3 weeks or 4 weeks for example. Gamespot still saying this at the first day about this 'hype':

The impending SDK released was confirmed Valve PR head Doug Lombardi. "We will be releasing v.1 of that in the coming weeks," he told GameSpot. Presumably, the game's release would be not far behind.

I think that says enought. Gamespot is a very proffesional and trustfull source. 'In the coming weeks' COULD mean: soon, 3 or maybe 5 weeks.

As for the 2 week thing that was going around - I was correct. The SDK is not coming out in 2 weeks. As for the 18 million dollar lawsuit between Havoc and Valve, I was correct again. There is no such lawsuit.

Ofcourse: ' I was correct because some forum members of GamingElement said [probably] 9 years' that is an idiotic example mate.
My email from Rick Ellis, He wasn't saying '2 weeks' It was saying 'soon' You are afraid from the truth. Now you want to be the winner by saying we all said 2 weeks wich we didn't. And you were saying HL2.net using and posting fake interviews and fake/edited emails.

HL2.net never said '2 weeks'... there were only some forums members speculation about how far 'soon' means. Gamespot was only asking to Valve because they heared some remours going on according to the hl2.net forums members saying it COULD mean a lawsuit

This is the job for the PR department, not Rick Ellis.

Have you ever thought about Rick Ellis shouldn't had opened his mouth. I do think Rick Ellis talks to Gabe Newell every day. I think the head of the SDK knows enough what they are planning to do in the couple of months. I think Rick Ellis was speaking the thruth about 'soon and 'legal hangup'! And 'legal hangup' could mean alot ofcourse.

All PR information should be funneled through the PR department (Doug Lombardi) so that this doesn't happen again.

According to GameSpot DL did by telling this story to GameSpot: 'in the coming weeks'

 

[Letters]

The SDK is coming soon... what the Hell is so hard to grasp about that?!

 

[Orange]

I;ll be short and crisp : )
1. Professional posts Mr. Hodges

2. There do need to be uniform releases or information (press releases)

3. . . . which would avoid these instances of miscommunication and validity wars

4. To an extent this reminds me of Fragmaster being flamed to hell, then proven right, hohoho.

5. I repeat that a couple weeks could be anything over 1 D:

 

[andyhodges]

The lower portion of your article went from you talking to VALVe about the SDK, to you talking to VALVe about the legal hangup. Again, this happened in a perioid of 5 minutes (hence my pessimism), plus I was peeved that I was banned for no reason, that I am sorry for I have listened to HLRadio a few times, and from what I heard it was quite good overall. I just didn't like the fact that, instead of getting a civil reply to my message at your site, the message got deleted and I was banned.

Edit: Andy, any chance I could get unbanned, though? I'd like to check your site out, but, unfortunately I can't. There's no way I'll ever be able to even listen to one of your broadcasts if I can't access your website

And, once again, I apologize for calling you guys liar about talking to VALVe. I'm just a little confused, as I stated, why the lower portion of your article morphed into something completely different than originally posted.

With so many things going on week by week, and with so many members on my staff (49 people!) It's hard to keep up on exactly what went on. Your post and banning happened by a moderator, I'm sure as we were trying to keep that stuff off the website. As we got new information, we added and changed the news story. Since Tuesday, we changed the news story about 10 times because of conflicting reports.

Rick Ellis might be the main SDK guy at Valve, but I'm sure by now he's learned not to send out new information in emails. I think this took Valve and everyone else by surprise, afterall, everyone has been waiting 4 months to hear something from Valve and when we do - it's about the SDK. We spoke about the STEAM SDK on Half-Life Radio last month. We only learned of the HL2 SDK in Rick's email. We didn't learn this from the PR sources or the folks that we talk to at Valve. Either way, it's good that something is coming out and this is a good indication that things are getting done at Valve.

You don't have to apologize for things you said or did. Don't worry about it, I'm sure a lot of that was just frustration and I totally understand. I found your account and have un-banned you.

Unfortunately, I won't be back on this site as my time is limited. If anyone else is still banned from Half-Life Radio, please email me at: [email protected] so that I can fix it.

Take care everyone,

-Andy Hodges
Half-Life Radio
www.halfliferadio.com

 

[hero]

ya gotta believeeeee :monkee: :sniper: :dork: :afro: :naughty: :smoking: