News from Tokyo

[Pi Mu Rho]

Shamelessly ripped from www.evilavatar.com

It appears that Valve is working on localizing the game into up to 12 languages - English, Japanese, French, German, Italian, Spanish, Chinese, Korean, etc. for simultaneous shipment and sale worldwide sometime between November and December (before the end of 2003). Which may partially explain the delay - they're trying to get all the localization done first.

Secondly, there are a few lines in the article that seem to imply that there will be an 'extended version' of Half-Life 2 to be released by the end of next year, but Mr. Lombardi couldn't provide or reveal any other details. Something similar to what was done with the orignal Half-Life and Counter-Strike, Blue Shift, etc. (So an expansion to Half-Life 2 is due sometime before the end of 2004? Wouldn't be too surprising.)

 

[.5c0ut-WHoR3.]

Cool.

I can play it on holidays (next ones that is) then.

 

[Rice-Rocketeer]

Extended version meaning...with mods? Would we have to pay more?

Heck, I'll just download the user-made ones. Mods should always be bloody free, I say!

 

[.5c0ut-WHoR3.]

Mods will always be free, thats what they are made for.

I think it will be tf2.

 

[Typhon]

Extended version = expansion packs. Please, everyone, don't start screaming about even more alternate versions...Valve just likes to talk about things with complete disregard for accepted industry jargon.

 

[Doobz]

so, we're waiting so they can put it in german and do basic localizing? that kinda sucks

 

[Xtasy0]

Originally posted by Typhon
Extended version = expansion packs. Please, everyone, don't start screaming about even more alternate versions...Valve just likes to talk about things with complete disregard for accepted industry jargon.

i assumed they meant expansion pack as well, but you've gotta remember this is an article translated from japanese....im almost 100% certain valve said expansion pack, and then it was put up in japanese and got messed up in the conversion.

 

[Ghost Freeman]

w00t! OpFor2!

 

[-JeZ-]

Originally posted by Doobz
so, we're waiting so they can put it in german and do basic localizing? that kinda sucks

/agree

 

[Headwires]

they should just get the english version on steam then :/ if u want HL2 in ur own language then u should wait for retail. selfish but i bet most ppl wouldn't care

 

[el Chi]

Jesus - the xenophobia around here... People who don't speak English have just as much right to play the game as you do so why should they wait?
The delay's no biggy: This way we can fritter away our Christmas holidays. Huzzah!

 

[Combat-Wombat]

its delayed by 4 - 8 weeks, do you have any idea how short of a time that is?

 

[Someone]

Originally posted by Combat-Wombat
its delayed by 4 - 8 weeks, do you have any idea how short of a time that is?

Exaclty!

It took 50+ months to get this far....4-8 more isn't so incredibly bad

 

[Frank]

Yeah it's like 8 percent of the 50 months...

 

[kawada]

Maybe we'll get the steam version tomorrow, you never know with valve


*just hoping *

 

[Pol]

!! xmas gaming is better than october it has to be said

 

[kawada]

Originally posted by Pol
!! xmas gaming is better than october it has to be said

nah christmass is about being with friends and family , and having some good party's not sitting behind your computer 24/7 :cheers: :cheers:

 

[Nutwhack]

right, that's what exam time is for

 

[mchammer75040]

If they are gonna pack it in with anything i doubt it would anything else than cs:cz.

 

[indocomplexity]

Originally posted by kawada
nah christmass is about being with friends and family , and having some good party's not sitting behind your computer 24/7 :cheers: :cheers:

dunno about you but i sit in FRONT of my computer =P

 

[Stryyder]

Originally posted by el Chi
Jesus - the xenophobia around here... People who don't speak English have just as much right to play the game as you do so why should they wait?
The delay's no biggy: This way we can fritter away our Christmas holidays. Huzzah!

Well its not like games developed in Europe don't get released first there. Don't be Hypocritical.

 

[Sporky]

Originally posted by Stryyder
Well its not like games developed in Europe don't get released first there. Don't be Hypocritical.

Heh.. You'd be suprised how often that isn't the case. Especially with Bullfrog or UK developers games

 

[Joneleth]

Well its not like games developed in Europe don't get released first there. Don't be Hypocritical.

Since America is such a big market, most games are either released first in America or simultaneously with Europe. Unfortunatly, American games tend to get released in America first and Europe later. HL2 is such a big game, though, that they'd rather capitalize on all markets at once (and Vivendi is a European company, so that might have something to do with it).

 

[Combat-Wombat]

i said 4 - 8 weeks, not months, 4 - 8 months would be ages.

So thats 2-4% of the current time extra.

 

[Homer]

OMFG If they are delaying it to get the game out in japanese at the same time I will be VERY pissed off. hell, those damn japs make us wait a freaken year to get games from over there!

 

[Murray_H]

Originally posted by el Chi
Jesus - the xenophobia around here... People who don't speak English have just as much right to play the game as you do so why should they wait?

 

[ilove64]

"It took 50+ months to get this far....4-8 more isn't so incredibly bad"

You do realize those for 5 five years we had no idea it was in development nor did we receive any coverage on the game up until this year? Now that we have been waiting for 5 months now, waiting any longer is just agony.

 

[Garp]

The game's lip-sync technology should make translating a breeze--shouldn't take long at all. Think about it, just get a few voice actors for each language, slap it in the game and the facial animation automatically does the rest.

 

[Garp]

Originally posted by Steelhed
My Sources Still Say Feb 2004, And He's been right so far. Thats Not that much farther than Dec Though...

In terms of waiting for this game, yes it is.



It WILL hit before Christmas. They'd be crazy to let it slip past then.

 

[Garp]

Originally posted by Steelhed
Don't get pissed, But, It will NOT be here by Christmas!
Feb, and Poss Mar 2004.. You've been informed..

I'm not pissed, but I know you're wrong.

 

[N0N1337H41]

Originally posted by Garp

It WILL hit before Christmas. They'd be crazy to let it slip past then.

I agree to a point. Not getting the game out before x-mas would hurt the great opportunity they have to hook the mass market with this game. While VALVe "cares" about their rabid fanbase, if we were the only ones who bought the game it would be considered a miserable failure commercialy. What they need are the average-everyday-consumers to see this game on the shelves and WANT it. In the long run we really don't matter to game companies. We represent a niche market. So to let it slip past x-mas, which is the biggest sales boom all year long, would be a very big mistake for them commercialy. I, on the other hand, don't care if it slips that far, just as long as the game isn't buggy as hell when I install it. It's always such a letdown to have to wait months for a game to be patched, only because the company pushed it out the door.

 

[richpull]

Vivendi is the controlling force, they would force Valve to either release it for the holiday season or find another publisher.

 

[kawada]

Originally posted by Steelhed
Don't get pissed, But, It will NOT be here by Christmas!
Feb, and Poss Mar 2004.. You've been informed..

woooh... scary

:dork:

 

[Joneleth]

The game will come out this year... You've been informed.