so hl2 will be released early to steam users...

[KBharvester]

if a store sells them early? that usually happens 1-3 days before release somewhere in the world with any release. so chances r, those of us who bought thru steam will be playing early? at least i'm not getting totally ripped for my impatience and lack of self control...

 

[nothingman97]

i seriously doubt that.

wouldn't it be nice though?

 

[KBharvester]

no dude...that the deal...

 

[Xrenity]

if a store sells them early? that usually happens 1-3 days before release somewhere in the world with any release. so chances r, those of us who bought thru steam will be playing early? at least i'm not getting totally ripped for my impatience and lack of self control...

I don't guess Hl2 will be sold on a sunday
Monday is very possible though

 

[Crash Happy]

What? The activation will happen via steam so VALVe are in complete control of when everyone gets to start playing (just about). I can't imagine anyone playing early, unless for some bizzare reason they decide othereise. That'd be against their agreement with VU wouldn't it?

 

[KBharvester]

or like d3, on the thursday b4...

 

[Hectic Glenn]

Tuesday i believe is the release day? for all methods of purchase...

 

[Bobcat]

The earliest we'll be playing would be 00:01 am EST on the 16th November.

Any store who sells early would be preorder, who ship the game a day early to have it delivered on time.

 

[KBharvester]

uh...they said they will unlock game early if stores anywhere in the world start sellingearly...

 

[KagePrototype]

What? The activation will happen via steam so VALVe are in complete control of when everyone gets to start playing (just about). I can't imagine anyone playing early, unless for some bizzare reason they decide othereise. That'd be against their agreement with VU wouldn't it?

Nope, this was confirmed on shacknews I beleive. If a retailer sells HL2 early, Steam buyers will be able to play it on that day as well.

 

[KBharvester]

i thought this was common knowledge...ppl herre don't know? wow

 

[FISKER_Q]

Nope, this was confirmed on shacknews I beleive. If a retailer sells HL2 early, Steam buyers will be able to play it on that day as well.

Woa, that might mean we could even get it warez-early?

I thought it would be the other way around, that retail copies would just not be able to play until 16th november.

 

[KBharvester]

retailers get copies earlier then street date usually...some sell them early...always happens...

 

[Crash Happy]

Well now I'm pissed. If they can auth early then surely we can too?

 

[FISKER_Q]

Well now I'm pissed. If they can auth early then surely we can too?

Sure if you got the retail copy

But if it happens someone sells it early, and then Valve unlocks the game early, then i'm pretty sure that Vivendi's legal and PR department will get going on sending out notices that the game can be sold right away.

However it must be hard on the british if they will indeed wait until friday regardless.

 

[Crash Happy]

Well I can't find that on shack, although their titles are less than helpful (First post!). So I choose to be cynical about this. Either way I'll be playing it soon.

 

[YamatoTwinkie]

Well now I'm pissed. If they can auth early then surely we can too?

yes, thats the point. We (if by "we" you mean "steam purchasers") can play it at the same time too. I'm guessing once the first person who buys it via retail tries to register the game on steam, the rest of us will probably unlock the game.

 

[rumblefish]

well heres to hoping...

rf

 

[Varsity]

Nope, this was confirmed on shacknews I beleive. If a retailer sells HL2 early, Steam buyers will be able to play it on that day as well.

By who?

 

[Tyrsenus]

True, but if some retailer starts selling it early, like on a weekend, do you seriously think someone at valve is gonna think "oh no, someone's selling early, better go into the office on a saturday morning to unlock HL2?" No. That doesn't make sense.

If one gamestop starts selling it early, noone's gonna hear about it; if it is heard about, it will be a few days after the fact. However, if every gamestop started selling them early, that would be something to sneeze at.

 

[Xrenity]

Well, you still can't auth the game if you got it too early and valve doesn't release it on steam.

Still hope Valve releases it a day earlier though

 

[BladeTurbo]

i thought you had to activate it via steam anyways. so if they do sell early, Valve may not start the activation until the 16th.

 

[KBharvester]

activation begins when any store anywhere in the world sells a copy...

 

[Driftlight]

So what you're saying is that every store everywhere is hooked into one big HL2 network that can automatically activate everyone's game? I find that unlikely. Gimme proof.

 

[UmbrellaMaster]

Sounds to me like Valve is giving a nice reason to give us the game early. "Ohh.. uhhh... that store in HickVille is selling early... haha lets release it! Our Steam users will love us!". I personally have no qualms with getting the game 4 days early for a made up excuse.

 

[Jhokur]

Wouldn't it be more reasonable to think that the first person to attempt activation of HL2 would trigger a server flag to allow everyone to activate? That would eliminate the "person needs to press a key @ VALVe" factor.

 

[Gossoon]

So what you're saying is that every store everywhere is hooked into one big HL2 network that can automatically activate everyone's game? I find that unlikely. Gimme proof.

Isn't that called Steam?

 

[MastaUK]

Where has shacknews got their info? Has it been confirmed by anyone at valve?

Seems strange to me, I'm wondering about the legality of valve releasing it early.

 

[FISKER_Q]

Where has shacknews got their info? Has it been confirmed by anyone at valve?

Seems strange to me, I'm wondering about the legality of valve releasing it early.

Well they do say when the game is released in stores. Maybe their contract is actually that specific?

 

[Crash Happy]

Makes you wonder... somewhere on the planet there's a games shop employee with an itch they can't scratch. It's waiting for them 3 days ahead of the shelf date, no one would miss one copy... surely?

 

[UnmarkedOne]

Nope, this was confirmed on shacknews I beleive. If a retailer sells HL2 early, Steam buyers will be able to play it on that day as well.

Yet another reason to go with Steam rather than retail. If this does actually happen and Valve, for example, unlocks HL2 three days early, only a handful of retail buyers will be lucky enough to get a copy at that time. The rest will have to wait until the store they pre-ordered at gets their shipment, meanwhile Steam users will have been playing for 72 hours.

-UnmarkedOne

 

[Geronimous]

Yet another reason to go with Steam rather than retail. If this does actually happen and Valve, for example, unlocks HL2 three days early, only a handful of retail buyers will be lucky enough to get a copy at that time. The rest will have to wait until the store they pre-ordered at gets their shipment, meanwhile Steam users will have been playing for 72 hours.

-UnmarkedOne

resulting in total mayhem and different releasedates all opver the world, and even different dates within one country. WOuldn't that be confusing as hell? If I were Valve - I'd keep ALL COPIES locked untill the 16th - that way they will keep order and everything fair enough.

 

[^Ben]

Yes i sell HL2 and i have just sold a copy of HL2 valve will now have to unlock

 

[alehm]

If I were Valve - I'd keep ALL COPIES locked untill the 16th - that way they will keep order and everything fair enough.

And that sir, is why we are glad you don't work at Valve and are in charge of unlocking HL2. :smoking:

 

[DeViouS]

And that sir, is why we are glad you don't work at Valve and are in charge of unlocking HL2. :smoking:

Agreed!!!!

 

[Goombatommy]

Yet another reason to go with Steam rather than retail. If this does actually happen and Valve, for example, unlocks HL2 three days early, only a handful of retail buyers will be lucky enough to get a copy at that time. The rest will have to wait until the store they pre-ordered at gets their shipment, meanwhile Steam users will have been playing for 72 hours.

-UnmarkedOne

Valve is under contract with Vivendi, stating that they can UNLOCK Half Life 2 on Nov. 16th, not a day earlier, not a day later. On Nov. 16th.

 

[YamatoTwinkie]

resulting in total mayhem and different releasedates all opver the world, and even different dates within one country. WOuldn't that be confusing as hell? If I were Valve - I'd keep ALL COPIES locked untill the 16th - that way they will keep order and everything fair enough.

. . . Also resulting in total mayhem. Imagine little Johnny, picking up HL2 an hour early from the stores, has his dad install it, only to find out the game doesn't work (I'm sorry Johnny, even though you've purchased the game, you have to wait for an arbitrary date for no apparent reason) . . Imagine all the angry customer service calls.

 

[mikren]

Who the hell cares early or the 16th. Man...just wait for it. You guys are very repetitive.....bla bla bla bla bla

 

[BlackMesaDude]

but if its released within 2 weeks they will be forced to release it on steam early right ?

 

[FISKER_Q]

Valve is under contract with Vivendi, stating that they can UNLOCK Half Life 2 on Nov. 16th, not a day earlier, not a day later. On Nov. 16th.

Where do you have that information from?