Less than two weeks....life must be rough at Valve...

Zyphria

Zyphria

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I see dozens of computers with different configurations running installers, map demos, tens of game testers looking for every last bug. I see programers skimming through lines of C++ code hunting down that bit of loose code causing a memory leak. I see PR people working on the final touches to send out to networks to air in the days ahead. I see AI scripters reading through bug reports, looming over testers.
 
Sounds like black mesa

seriously I would love to be the gman watching from above at valve right now.
 
where do you "SEE" this happening? are there webcams??
 
Originally posted by kinggi
where do you "SEE" this happening? are there webcams??
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You mean you didn't hear about.... Tough luck man. =(
 
Sorry for double-post...wireless connection was getting wonky.

Either way, I don't think they are getting much sleep over there at Valve...
 
Not sure if it was a double post, I removed the old one because everyone started calling everyone a nazi in it.

But yeah, I bet there are few people who don't work overtime at Valve HQ right now. :)
 
The sound guys, animators and Marc Laidlaw will probably not be very busy.

Except for playtesting.
 
I think everyone is slacking off at Valve, they probably finished the game back in 1999... :p
 
Originally posted by Zyphria
I see dozens of computers with different configurations running installers, map demos, tens of game testers looking for every last bug. I see programers skimming through lines of C++ code hunting down that bit of loose code causing a memory leak. I see PR people working on the final touches to send out to networks to air in the days ahead. I see AI scripters reading through bug reports, looming over testers.
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If they have gotten into the situation you describe, I'm sure they would have made the release date later to prevent it. I'm fairly sure they're not panicking around.
 
I want to believe!
 

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Re: Re: Less than two weeks....life must be rough at Valve...

Originally posted by Abom|nation
If they have gotten into the situation you describe, I'm sure they would have made the release date later to prevent it. I'm fairly sure they're not panicking around.
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Did you not read that Article about Half Life 1? They worked an 18 hour day with no weekends. And apparently personal hygiene was completely forgotten about.

I'm imagining something similar. It's Crunch time after all.
 
They have to be at the point where there making very simple and last minute changes. With only 27 days till release(and probably a week or so till the gold date), they must be in the final stages of playtesting. Anything more than that and it simply wouldn't be coming out at the end of the month. But nonetheless, I'm sure their all probably nervous wrecks.
 
Re: Re: Re: Less than two weeks....life must be rough at Valve...

Originally posted by Feath
Did you not read that Article about Half Life 1? They worked an 18 hour day with no weekends. And apparently personal hygiene was completely forgotten about.

I'm imagining something similar. It's Crunch time after all.
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Surely from going through that, they will have learned their lesson and will have planned ahead this time.
 
They're probably completely finished the game by now, in my pinion. And are mostly tooling with packaging and advertisment maybe some tweaks.

But they are probably play testing it non-stop just in case. There are few companies as thourough as valve (well id is good too), and I really think its great that when they ship a product it is very close to if not the best it will ever be.
 
hmmm time is going to slow...can't wait...well I can(and have to) but I don't really want to :p

aaaargrrg!!!! what is it with me, and getting the first post on a new page!?
 
I imagine they are probably putting in long hours, but its mostly probably just playtesting and the occasional bug, so its the good kind of work. :b
 
I think the hardest part for them right now is deciding how to roll out the delay announcement. ;(
 
From what I heard about HL1 then used to stay a whole night, everyone took turns, a month or so before release. But on HL2 they really shouldn't have to do that, but I don't think its not realisticly happening since VALVe is one of the best gaming companys :p
 
Yeah, from early 1996 through to November 1998, scrapping everything halfway through to start again.

I think Valve may be regretting ever announcing it as September 30th

EDIT: I'm wrong. Valve got the Quake engine in late 1996, and at the time it was just a two man band. Gabe and Mike Harrington. Then they nearly called themselves Hollow Box (doh!) but decided on Valve. Then they got the people and then they got signed by Sierra (who in 1991ish had the opportunity to buy id Software but were short of a few hundred thousand dollars!)
 
Re: Re: Re: Re: Less than two weeks....life must be rough at Valve...

Originally posted by Abom|nation
Surely from going through that, they will have learned their lesson and will have planned ahead this time.
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From what I've heard crunch time is usually like this for Game Developers.

I remember reading that a Starcraft Programmer took a laptop to the hospital when his wife was giving birth. Just so he could finish in time.

Also read Angst Technology comics From this comic onwards: http://www.inktank.com/ATpage.cfm?toon=06-26-01

That sums up my view of Crunch time.
 
they got signed by sierra lol, how many albums did they produce again?

;)
 
Originally posted by Znipper
I want to believe!
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It's a shame nobody really noticed this post because it was quite fun!
 
Originally posted by Frank
It's a shame nobody really noticed this post because it was quite fun!
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its been downloaded 101 times......
 
too bad he used the picture from that lame box. shoulda used the E3 boxes as they were pretty, and better quality.
 
man am I ever gonna be broke soon, what with recently buyin a new comp, HL2 on Sept.30, and Max Payne 2 on Oct. 15
great time to be a gamer, bad time to be my bank account
 
They said "It'll be tight, but we'll make the 30th." I doubt they're laying back & chillin'. It's most definitly crunch time. And cruch time isn't pretty. Nothing but beef jurkey for food. What little sleep you have is done in a sleeping-bag in your cubicle. You stink because you haven't showered in days...
 
^^^dude are you serious!!! WHERES THE VALVE WEBCAMS!!!!
 
Originally posted by kinggi
no cmon now are there really webcams?
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No. The originator of this thread made this statement based on an article that Gamespot wrote five years ago detailing Valve's history on making the original HL. One of the sections described their crunch times towards the end of the development/playtesting process. Most employees did not get very much sleep, and most everyone on staff had to at least once spend a good three days-worth behind a closed door doing work to get things done in time. So based on all this, you can understand why some would think that this info came about from somehow 'spying' on Valve and their goings-on.
 
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