My view on the delay-cause after the Alcatraz-Info

[rebb]

I used to think that the delay has occured due to Sales-Tactics ( Holiday Season, the pet-idea of all the Men-In-Ties-Salesmen ).
However all this jumping ship of content-server providers makes perfect sense somehow.

Maybe its like this :

Valve already had a good portion of content-server-providers on board before the release of Steam 1.0, which was the first REAL test for the whole Steam System.
However, things got a lot more messy than expected and the amount of content-servers didnt quite cut it - so Valve talked to some firms again about how much more bandwidth would be needed in order to launch a game like HL2 over a content-delivery service.
As it seems, be it will or budget constraints, some firms denied the widened support, thus forcing Valve to delay the Game 1 Week before the announced Date.

:dork:

 

[Morgenes]

or maybe the game isn't done yet?

(as Gabe is quoted as saying numerous times in the Valve info forum)

 

[FriScho]

and why no boxed normal old-school sales version in the store next door? If steam is not ready for HL2 now, they should sell it the old fashioned way in the meantime. You know, with getting a box with manual and a cd/dvd and such stuff

They can sell TF2 via Steam, maybe then it's fast enough for online mass distribution of several hundreds of megabytes to every customer.

 

[Mr.Magnetichead]

Originally posted by Morgenes
or maybe the game isn't done yet?

(as Gabe is quoted as saying numerous times in the Valve info forum)

/Smacks you hard.

Use your ****ing brain.

 

[Edge]

Originally posted by FriScho
and why no boxed normal old-school sales version in the store next door? If steam is not ready for HL2 now, they should sell it the old fashioned way in the meantime. You know, with getting a box with manual and a cd/dvd and such stuff

They can sell TF2 via Steam, maybe then it's fast enough for online mass distribution of several hundreds of megabytes to every customer.

Steam is still required for online version... even if you plan to play offline.

 

[FriScho]

Woho... just made
http://invis.free.anonymizer.com/http://wind.prohosting.com/outabout/antlion.jpg

 

[twofold]

The problem is, this doesn't explain why retailers were told a fair while ago that it was going to be delayed.

 

[MrMethane]

Originally posted by FriScho
Woho... just made
http://invis.free.anonymizer.com/http://wind.prohosting.com/outabout/antlion.jpg

I'm curious. Why did you anonymize it?

 

[Steamed]

As it seems, be it will or budget constraints, some firms denied the widened support, thus forcing Valve to delay the Game 1 Week before the announced Date.

The most convincing thing i've read about the delay so far. Good point.

Lets face it the games content is finished.....but the WHOLE PACKAGE isn't, therefore in some ironic twist valve/ vivendi could be waiting on us....whereby we as the client have no issues with steam, because steam is required for hl2.

 

[azz0r]

see sig

 

[FISKER_Q]

Steam 2.0 was nearing release. Everything was doing fine.

Suddenly AT&T and Gamestorm.net found out the big load and they quitted, since the benefits weren't big enough.

 

[Aknot]

I say blame my Exwife, I do.

With that said we can speculate all we want. And will not know until (and maybe not even the truth then) we get an official word. Not busting anyones chops but this is starting to get like delay threads. Who, What, Why? Its like trying to get to the center of a totsie pop. The world may never know.

(seems I have to explain my cryptic posts)

 

[FriScho]

Originally posted by MrMethane
I'm curious. Why did you anonymize it?

Just to be sure that it will be displayed. Too many deep-link protections with pr0n these days

 

[dawdler]

Originally posted by Munro
Finally, someone is nearly on track

Tsts... You answer it but doesnt move it... We have a forum for delay threads, remember?

Personally, I still think G-Man is behind it all. If we look closely on the coming alcatraz footage, I'm sure we will see a dark man standing in a corner with a sinister look... Possible petting an evil albino pet headcrab he has in his arms...

 

[Benji]

I blame capitalism :dozey:

 

[obsidian]

It seem strange they only released delay info a week b4 the supposed release. So that would support your idea. Gabe had said on numerous occasions something like "we'll see"m "it'll be close". But given valves record for releasing info it maybe they knew a while b4. And with recently gabe saying its simply not finished yet, were doin languages maybe the delay is becuase of that. Who knows. In any case in around 2months we should have it.

 

[Mountain Man]

Originally posted by Munro
Finally, someone is nearly on track

Why? Do you know something you're not telling us?

And what of recent announcements that the game was simply not finished, or that the only thing left are specific optimizations and localization?

I'm to the point where I'll only believe my local EB when they call to tell me that my preorder has arrived, and even then I'll probably remain skeptical until I have the actual box in my hands.

 

[Mountain Man]

Originally posted by twofold
The problem is, this doesn't explain why retailers were told a fair while ago that it was going to be delayed.

Exactly.

 

[Democritus]

I am hearing this right? Did Valve expect people to give them bandwidth FOR FREE? Wha??? I guess they did get little ads in the Steam browser that no one would pay attention to, but geez. We may never see a Steam release of HL2 unless Gabe can get a government grant to fund research on "distributed content delivery over the internet."

 

[genocide604]

The retail is ready, but steam is not .... and since they want both to come out at the same time. That is the problem.


they realized a sept 30th launch of ghetto steam would have been a disaster.

 

[Mountain Man]

If Valve was expecting free bandwidth or bandwidth in exchange for advertisements then they really need to get their heads checked. Maybe they haven't heard that the .com bubble went "Pop!" a couple years ago.

 

[OtherLight]

I blame pirating, having the ability to release it through steam may cut down on the amount of pirating this game will go through. Granted, people will always find a way to pirate it, but maybe releasing it through steam is an attempt to limit the speed of which the game is pirated and released on the net. Who knows? I personally feel that Valve had nothing to do with the delay, I think that in the end, its the publishers decision to decide when the game is released. I dont quite understand why the sales would be different when the game is released in November. I think the only difference will be that there will be more copies sold in a smaller amount of time. I don't know, its all speculation and all of us contemplating it isnt going to make the game come out any quicker. Just for confirmation, has anyone else heard that the release date is now November 14th?? Something like the 5 year *to date* anniversary of hl1s release.

 

[FriScho]

Originally posted by dawdler
I'm sure we will see a dark man standing in a corner with a sinister look... Possible petting an evil albino pet headcrab he has in his arms...

Hehehe, great idea