Ok, Don't tell me not to bash / blame Vivendi; heres why!

[razorblade kiss]

People have been backing up Vivendi for some reason. Why? I dont know. Lets go over a couple things.

Valve and VUG have been in a pushing contest for a while now. Valve says the game is ready and can be unlocked right now. VUG won't let them unlock it. Why? Because their mad at Valve for pushing the game through STEAM. It's decreases VUG's profits in the end. The more people who buy it from steam means the less people who buy it in a store, where you get all VUG's hard work; boxing, cd, manual, etc. Their just pissing off fans now. And they don't care either, because they know people will buy this game no matter how pissed they are.

Secondly, Vivendi is to blame for people buying the game at Best Buy early. Lets assume I know of HL2. And just that. I know it's a game and its coming out. I don't know about STEAM, who Valve is or any finer details of the game. But I do know that my son wants it for his birthday. SO I go out,and Whoa Best Buy is selling it! I gotta get it. SO I bring it home and install the game, but it doesnt work? Whats wrong with this disc? Is it broken? Is my computer broken? Maybe I got a bad version of the game, I don't want this anymore. I'm going to return it. See, Vivendi is supposed to make Best Buy and other retailers inform their customers that no matter when they buy the game they can't play it until the 16th. That was the set date. It hasnt changed since the gold announcement. And it wont either.

Valve is ready to go, and has been, but VUG is holding them back. It's corporate scum those guys. I hope for HL3, Valve uses just STEAM and doesnt sell the game via retailers. Who the hell needs em.

(feel free to argue any points I might have made), I'm up for a debate.

 

[KurtCobain]

I dnt agree with the last bit about HL3, i think VALVe should just change publishers , there is obviously friction between VUG and VALVe.

 

[Sharrd]

Best Buy is to blame for their actions.
VUG doesn't, of course, want VALVe to unlock the game early since not all stores are ready to start selling right now.
I really don't think it's immoral to release the game the day said they would.

 

[Hectic Glenn]

Dude...its like a day and a bit till its released, they are hardly holding it back for ages?

 

[The Monkey]

The last part is just stupid. No publisher at all?

 

[sam_justice]

why are their threads moaning ? why don't we just wait or talk about what we really want too see in it

 

[Munro]

Valve and VUG have been in a pushing contest for a while now. Valve says the game is ready and can be unlocked right now. VUG won't let them unlock it. Why? Because their mad at Valve for pushing the game through STEAM

Valve and VUG both agreed on the 16th November release date there's no reason to release it before then. The game has been ready for weeks - it's been sitting on our hard drives for ages from Steam. The release date and time is there for a reason.

Secondly, Vivendi is to blame for people buying the game at Best Buy early

Wrong. Best buy and any other store that released it early did so wrongly. They were all clearly told the game is not to be sold until the 16th of November and is no fault of Vivendi's.

You really need to stop looking at Valve as gods.

 

[Tropico]

VUG stuck behind valve for hl1 even after there was a 1 year late delay (history does repeat itself)
VUG has a contract and i beleive in sticking to my word and honour.
So we wait. If you hate VUG buy it on steam

 

[KagePrototype]

VUG stuck behind valve for hl1 even after there was a 1 year late delay (history does repeat itself)

That was actually Sierra, before VUG bought them out...

</nit pick>

 

[denlife7]

I like Steam and I'd buy hl3 off Steam just like I bought hl2 off it, but if this is the future I don't want to have to have 50 different versions of Steam or whatever other developers release for online distribution. Imagine the number of icons there'd be in your taskbar next to your clock!! I think there should be a third party program that is used by all developers...

 

[razorblade kiss]

Valve and VUG both agreed on the 16th November release date there's no reason to release it before then. The game has been ready for weeks - it's been sitting on our hard drives for ages from Steam. The release date and time is there for a reason.



Wrong. Best buy and any other store that released it early did so wrongly. They were all clearly told the game is not to be sold until the 16th of November and is no fault of Vivendi's.

You really need to stop looking at Valve as gods.

Mr. Admin, somehow the part in my thread where I priased Valve as my gods, got deleted. Can you bring it back?

Publishers and game developers, always know a game will break the street date if retailers have it 5-7 days before the official release date. VUG should have had a sticker on the box saying, this game won't work until the 16th. I mean come on, common sense. And its only on the wrapper to the box Im talking, so it wont ruin your pretty piece of card board.

 

[Solver]

If it wasn't for VUG, Valve would be able to let Steam owners play it immediately. So, Steam purchases might have been playing the game for two weeks or so now.

 

[Tropico]

We all share the frustration. Im not on HL2.net everyday because i like Chris_d pontuation.
Shops sold the game when they knew they shouldnt.

 

[The Monkey]

If it wasn't for VUG, Valve would be able to let Steam owners play it immediately. So, Steam purchases might have been playing the game for two weeks or so now.

Yes, but what of those that don't have a credit card? They would have to wait while the others play it.

 

[Solver]

Yes, but what of those that don't have a credit card? They would have to wait while the others play it.

Yeah, but there would be about a million happy Steam purchasers .

 

[Munro]

Publishers and game developers, always know a game will break the street date if retailers have it 5-7 days before the official release date. VUG should have had a sticker on the box saying, this game won't work until the 16th. I mean come on, common sense. And its only on the wrapper to the box Im talking, so it wont ruin your pretty piece of card board.

There shouldn't be any need for a sticker saying it wont work until the 16th because it wasn't meant to be released until the 16th.

 

[Vegeta897]

Publishers and game developers, always know a game will break the street date if retailers have it 5-7 days before the official release date. VUG should have had a sticker on the box saying, this game won't work until the 16th. I mean come on, common sense. And its only on the wrapper to the box Im talking, so it wont ruin your pretty piece of card board.

I agree, but then people might get confused after the 16th, when it says it won't work until November 16th, it could turn down a couple (stupid) buyers.

Not having a publisher and only going through Steam is a BAD idea. Alot of people didn't use Steam because their internet is bad, and they don't want to wait 3 weeks to preload it. So they buy retail. Having a publisher is a good idea. Vivendi on the other hand, might not be the best choice. A less greedy one would work...

Oh, and there is a grammar error in your sig. ("There" should be "their")

 

[destrukt]

if it wasn't already being sold, vivendi wouldn't be 'corporate scum' by wanting to follow the plans they made [releasing the game on the 16th].

so who's to blame, the stores. now start ringing them fanboys.

 

[razorblade kiss]

I agree, but then people might get confused after the 16th, when it says it won't work until November 16th, it could turn down a couple (stupid) buyers.

Not having a publisher and only going through Steam is a BAD idea. Alot of people didn't use Steam because their internet is bad, and they don't want to wait 3 weeks to preload it. So they buy retail. Having a publisher is a good idea. Vivendi on the other hand, might not be the best choice. A less greedy one would work...

Oh, and there is a grammar error in your sig. ("There" should be "their")

Sorry it's early Sunday morning.

About the publisher. Perhaps your right. I've had cable modem since 98, and I thought by now everyone in the world would have it. Thats wrong. ANywhoo. yes another publisher would be great. I know alot of Vivendi's history, and their not friendly people. They don't care about the gamer.

 

[StardogChampion]

There shouldn't be any need for a sticker saying it wont work until the 16th because it wasn't meant to be released until the 16th.

Agreed. Vivendi are not to blame at all.

 

[Sharrd]

Sorry it's early Sunday morning.

About the publisher. Perhaps your right. I've had cable modem since 98, and I thought by now everyone in the world would have it. Thats wrong. ANywhoo. yes another publisher would be great. I know alot of Vivendi's history, and their not friendly people. They don't care about the gamer.

There aren't many publishers that are the good guys when it comes to games. Gotta love the stories of EA using their employees as slaves.
Try to stay away from the forums next time you feel irritable.

 

[Alyx]

I'm afraid if you were a publisher yourself you would likely go for the money before the fans. Like everyone else, that is the only reason they are in this business. They have a right to be annoyed about Steam as like anyone else they want the money.

Hating a publisher for doing their job is crazy and immature to say the least. No faults with Vivendi.

 

[FISKER_Q]

Something must be on.

Obviously Valve would not be discussing to release it early unless it was actually possible. Furthermore they wouldn't be contacting users to check where they bought it from(Vivendi would take care of that).

They wouldn't be announcing that they're threatened by legal action if the game is activated over steam early, especially not when Vivendi says the game has not been released.

As far as i know there is no mention of Vivendi on the box, nor in the game installer. The only way to know that Vivendi even has anything to do with it, is knowing that they bought sierra or phoning their support, which is probably rather farfetched since all support basically gets direceted to Valve after the installation.

So why is any references to VUG removed? As far as i remember even newer games as Larry: Magna Cum Laude and Tribes: Vengeance are also marked with Sierra, but if i recall correctly not all references to VUG are deleted.

And again if there were no clause letting Valve release the game early why are they denying the fact that the game is released?

 

[Ownzed]

Vivendi threatened to sit on HL2 for 6 months. :flame:

 

[Asknoone]

Vivendi are poor to begin with, i dotn like them, but in the long run its a release date, like any other game (and its only 2 days away...sorry a day away now)...how can the blame rest on vivendi?

Granted, theres no harm in releasing it now but then again why did those retailers have to release it?

 

[thecheekymonkey]

People have been backing up Vivendi for some reason. Why? I dont know. Lets go over a couple things.

Valve and VUG have been in a pushing contest for a while now. Valve says the game is ready and can be unlocked right now. VUG won't let them unlock it. Why? Because their mad at Valve for pushing the game through STEAM. It's decreases VUG's profits in the end. The more people who buy it from steam means the less people who buy it in a store, where you get all VUG's hard work; boxing, cd, manual, etc. Their just pissing off fans now. And they don't care either, because they know people will buy this game no matter how pissed they are.

Secondly, Vivendi is to blame for people buying the game at Best Buy early. Lets assume I know of HL2. And just that. I know it's a game and its coming out. I don't know about STEAM, who Valve is or any finer details of the game. But I do know that my son wants it for his birthday. SO I go out,and Whoa Best Buy is selling it! I gotta get it. SO I bring it home and install the game, but it doesnt work? Whats wrong with this disc? Is it broken? Is my computer broken? Maybe I got a bad version of the game, I don't want this anymore. I'm going to return it. See, Vivendi is supposed to make Best Buy and other retailers inform their customers that no matter when they buy the game they can't play it until the 16th. That was the set date. It hasnt changed since the gold announcement. And it wont either.

Valve is ready to go, and has been, but VUG is holding them back. It's corporate scum those guys. I hope for HL3, Valve uses just STEAM and doesnt sell the game via retailers. Who the hell needs em.

(feel free to argue any points I might have made), I'm up for a debate.

well said

 

[eQUIV]

Sadly I think Valve is contractually obligated to do one more game with them, which I'm assuming will be half life 3.

 

[ShaithEatery]

Sadly I think Valve is contractually obligated to do one more game with them, which I'm assuming will be half life 3.

they are contractually obligated to produce another entire engine for vivendi

 

[razorblade kiss]

There shouldn't be any need for a sticker saying it wont work until the 16th because it wasn't meant to be released until the 16th.

is this hard?

"Dear Best Buy (and retailers alike) managers, and associates;

You've probably received your HL2 shipments by now. We ask that you do not sell the prior to the 16th release date. The game cannot be activated until the 16th so any customer who buys if (if you break the street date) will most likely return to the store wanting a return or exchange because they think their game is broken. The game is not broken. It can be installed but not used. Not until the rest of the world can use theirs on the 16th as well. Do not sell HL2 before the 16th.


Sincerely
Joe Lamer
Vivendi Universal Games
Product Release Coordinator"

I know people at Best Buy and they said they recieved nothing like this.

 

[Tropico]

they are contractually obligated to produce another entire engine for vivendi

linky? i dont think this is true seems ti me hl2 is the last game valve has contract with VUg