Simulatenous release is bizarre

[Mr-Fusion]

Simultaneous release is bizarre

Why have a simultaneous HL2 release on steam and in store?

Steam is designed to eliminate distributors and the hassles/delays that come with them, amoung other things. I find it strange that Valve would be in a contract that inhibits their most prized piece of software.

If you could buy Half-Life 2 on steam a month before it's released in retail stores, would you?

 

[Mr-Fusion]

That's an interesting question Mr Fusion. I know i certainly would. I've had enough of this waiting around scratching my ass. I'd buy it through steam in those circumstances.

 

[Gunner]

I would. Even though I want the box and everything, but then I could buy the boxed version for my bro

 

[bJARKE]

I'd like to buy the box also, but I hate waiting, so of course I'd buy it over Steam.

 

[Chris D]

If you're going on this from what HLRadio said I think you'll find they're mistaken.

They were under the impression that CS:CZ was released fully on Steam first before in the shops. The reality is, and what will happen with HL2, that they will allow people to pre-order and download an encrypted version of HL2 a couple of weeks before its official release which will be unlocked sometime after midnight on it's release.

 

[RipperRoo]

I would wait and get the box version, I hate steam, and I dont trust it for shit!

 

[Varsity]

Not having simulatenous releases would just be inviting piracy. Whether or not Steam 'designed to eliminate distributors and the hassles/delays that come with them', Valve have sensibly chosen to have HL2 avaliable in stores, and that requires some sacrifices.

If you could buy Half-Life 2 on steam a month before it's released in retail stores, would you?

Not if you a) had dial up/slow broadband b) didn't know about Steam c) wanted a box or d) were a publisher/retailer very pissed off at Steam 'stealing' your sales. Valve aren't ready to abandon publishing just yet - I'm sure they'd gladly release it early on Steam if they new that the retailers/Steam bigots wouldn't complain. Wait until the payable HL2 content packs start arriving.

 

[RoguePsi]

I'm concerned for Mr Fusion's mental state. He answered his own thread!!!

 

[Reaperman]

I would wait and get the box version, I hate steam, and I dont trust it for shit!

well you had better start liking it, WON is only going to be around for so long, and steam is going to be the only way to play HL2 online...

 

[Mr-Fusion]

My sanity hangs by a thread.

On the issue of piracy, Steam encryption/copy protection/whatever is pretty good. I don't follow what goes on in the warez community so if the Condition-Zero gcf file has been cracked so any hobo can play it, let me know. At the moment i'm of the opinion that it hasn't been cracked. If that's true, hackers will probably spend 3-4 weeks trying to figure out how to crack it. By that time it will probably be in stores as well. So i don't think it would promote piracy at all.

 

[Gunner]

I would wait and get the box version, I hate steam, and I dont trust it for shit!

Trust steam? just what do you mean? it has an integrated secure system of payment, games cannot be pirated and it's better than any game browser I've seen. It's stable and the UI can be customized, what more do you want?

 

[Pi Mu Rho]

The reason for the simultaneous release is Valve's contract with Vivendi. They can't publish it themselves (via Steam) until the same day as the SKUs hit the store shelves.

Otherwise, Valve would release via Steam as soon as HL2 went gold - that way, they'd get a huge amount of Steam purchases.

My esteemed colleague, Chris_D, is absolutely correct. After the gold date, Valve will package HL2 and release it for preload, to be activated on the VU-sanctioned release day.

 

[caged]

Well, since I'm buying HL2 trough Steam no matter what so... yes.

I got a coupon with my GF card, wooo! =)

 

[Frank]

I could wait...

 

[Mr-Fusion]

Surely you jest Frank!

 

[Varsity]

On the issue of piracy, Steam encryption/copy protection/whatever is pretty good. I don't follow what goes on in the warez community so if the Condition-Zero gcf file has been cracked so any hobo can play it, let me know. At the moment i'm of the opinion that it hasn't been cracked. If that's true, hackers will probably spend 3-4 weeks trying to figure out how to crack it. By that time it will probably be in stores as well. So i don't think it would promote piracy at all.

You have it the wrong way round. It's the non-encrypted CDs that would be open to piracy: the GCFs would already have been unlocked anyway. Pirates would get millions selling perfectly working illegal copies long before any retail stores were able to do so.

 

[Mr-Fusion]

Are you talking about the guys (Razor, Deviance etc) who get the finished copies straight off the printing press, run away like madmen, then crack it and distribute it on the net weeks before it hits the stores?

 

[TIIMMYY]

I would get in in a shop. reason: it would take me forever to download it, as i dont have broadband

 

[Gunner]

So what if they can crack singleplayer... no group has ever cracked a game for multiplayer online. And don't give me any of that cracked servers crap.

 

[Varsity]

It isn't cracking, it's using Steam's lack of international boundaries to give people copies weeks before anyone legal can in a country.

 

[RipperRoo]

Ive been using Steam since it came out...
That doesnt mean I like it.

They never should have moved off WON, it was more reliable, had less bugs and problems, needed far less updating and worked fine.

 

[Crusader]

I don't understand this. Wouldn't people be able to get it legally on steam?

 

[Rupertvdb]

i have a 56k how the hell am i supposed to download the bugger?

 

[Crusader]

Same way I downloaded all my steam games, I guess

 

[Rupertvdb]

how did you do that?

 

[Johan_Tayn]

leave it on at night.

/me loves Steam.

 

[x84D80Yx]

**** steam, ill wait for the in store box :smoking:

they will be released at the same time anyway....why would they not? i bet my life on it

im just waiting for some kid to email somebody at valve so they can get some info that completely contridicts the info hlr/hlsource has. :burp:

 

[dream431ca]

So what I am hearing is that Valve does not set a release date but Vivendi does?? I'm kinda confused on that. :hmph:

 

[lans]

there won't be the feeling of own-ness untill I have the box...

 

[KurtCobain]

But for a WHOLE MONTH of playing , for that month ide buy it on steam and then buy it from retail for the box etc

EDIT:They will be released at the same time , but steam will probly get them first , because of shipping dates/times etc etc.

 

[wayne white]

i would not touch steam with a 10 foot pole...

 

[acme420]

im not trying to be an asshole or anything but why do you all keep starting up the same threads and polls over and over? i mean of course they would buy the game theyve been waiting for for close to 8 years on steam if it wouldnt come out in retail stores for a month.


look for my new threads.

would you buy hl2 if it came with no instruction manual,
would you buy hl3 if it came out before hl2,
and my poll on whether you would eat feces to have hl2 today where no one else will have it till sept 30th.

 

[Shuzer]

im not trying to be an asshole or anything but why do you all keep starting up the same threads and polls over and over? i mean of course they would buy the game theyve been waiting for for close to 8 years on steam if it wouldnt come out in retail stores for a month.


look for my new threads.

would you buy hl2 if it came with no instruction manual,
would you buy hl3 if it came out before hl2,
and my poll on whether you would eat feces to have hl2 today where no one else will have it till sept 30th.

What.. the hell? 8 years? HL came out less than 6 years ago
Furthermore, your other threads sound pretty pointless and aren't the same as this

 

[riTuaL]

I really can't stand the wait any longer, but like most of you, I want the actual box and CD. I don't think Valve would do something like this but if they did, yes, I'd buy from Steam.

PS: Acne420, this thread actually has some validity to it because something like this might happen, don't talk down to Mr.Fusion. KTHXBAI

 

[PvtRyan]

i would not touch steam with a 10 foot pole...

Have fun not playing HL2 then!

 

[Dougy]

Trust steam? just what do you mean? it has an integrated secure system of payment, games cannot be pirated and it's better than any game browser I've seen. It's stable and the UI can be customized, what more do you want?

well so far its ate £40 worth of my CD keys.

so i wouldnt even kid myself by promoting it as stable nor secure.

 

[Moto]

I'll probably get the boxed version. I would get the special edition, but I heard that it is supposed to come out a little later. I'll get the Gordon box. Oh, and I love Steam. It automatically patches your games like every few days, the games don't need CDs to be played, and it has never failed me even once. Of course, I have cable internet. :thumbs:

 

[Feath]

well so far its ate £40 worth of my CD keys.

so i wouldnt even kid myself by promoting it as stable nor secure.

Steam itself is secure, just CD keys aren't

People can't consider themselves as not harming people when they use a keygen to download a game. That means they've stolen that CD Key off people who paid for it.

 

[Ownzed]

I won't buy it through steam because I already have it reserved.

 

[Wolf]

well so far its ate £40 worth of my CD keys.

so i wouldnt even kid myself by promoting it as stable nor secure.

How? Did it perhaps involve you losing your original Steam account password & email and registering another one? Perhaps you tried to contact Valve but because you’d lost the box, receipt and cd jacket, they couldn’t help?

I’m not saying Steam is perfect (far from it), but in many cases (perhaps not this one) of cd-key problems there is preventable user error involved.