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

[Bait]

We won't really know unless a Valve rep gives us an idea on what the hell we can expect if a situation like this occurs. I don't really trust anything that doesn't come straight from Valve/Vivendi without confirmation.

 

[Uranus]

Humm, if this will happen or not is not what interests me. What piqued my curiosity is the method for which they would theoretically unlock on the first copy sold.
They had to generate thousands of cd-keys and print them on the HL2 retail boxes right? So it'd be fairly simple to make steam automagically unlock for everyone if someone attempted to register HL2 with a retail key. It's possible.

Soooo, what we need is someone to code a program that will try to register HL2 with random CD-Keys until it reaches a retail one ... insta-unlock for everyone!

(heh, I can see it now... HL2 unlocking tomorrow and every employee at VUG tapping their calculators and going: "F*CK!!!")

 

[Yombi]

Soooo, what we need is someone to code a program that will try to register HL2 with random CD-Keys until it reaches a retail one ... insta-unlock for everyone!

(heh, I can see it now... HL2 unlocking tomorrow and every employee at VUG tapping their calculators and going: "F*CK!!!")

:| Illegal activites here are um *surpise* illegal.

 

[Crash Happy]

Yeah, because he was serious.

 

[KBharvester]

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.

thats a lie...

 

[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.

Confusing indeed! Rioting in the streets, storefronts being vandalized, a massive angry mob outside Vivendi's headquarters! No, dude, this is a video game. The official word from Valve/VU, as of a few days ago, was that if the retail packages were being sold early, Valve would unlock the game over Steam at the same time.

Why? Look at it from Valve's point of view. They make a lot more (well-deserved) money from Steam sales than retail ones, so why would they let Vivendi get the jump on sales? They obviously had this written into the contract so if a certain retailer started selling early (benefitting VU much more than Valve), Valve could sell early as well so as not to miss out.

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.

I'm not constantly on the forums, but I believe I've seen all the major announcements relating to this. I'm sure you saw the recent announcement stating that Valve would be able to unlock over Steam the instant a retail store sells a copy. The actual contract could include more details or even be different, but understand that this is all we (the fans) have seen so far. If it's sold on the 15th retail, Steam buyers can play on the 15th.

-UnmarkedOne

 

[MastaUK]

The official word from Valve/VU, as of a few days ago, was that if the retail packages were being sold early, Valve would unlock the game over Steam at the same time.

Have Valve/VU actually said this though? Or is it just rumour sprouting from shacknews that people are taking as gospel?

If you could point me to where Valve have officially said this, I would appreciate it.

 

[Crash Happy]

I couldn't even find it on shack. I'm just going to sit back now and when it gets released, I'll play it.

 

[YamatoTwinkie]

I couldn't even find it on shack. I'm just going to sit back now and when it gets released, I'll play it.

It was at the end of the HL2 GONE GOLD article. I'd link you, but shacknews is blocked at work.

 

[bouche]

It's here...

Steam users: Half-Life 2 will be unlocked on Steam on November 16th as well. Unless of course any retailer breaks the street date and puts it out on shelves sooner, then Steam will unlock Half-Life 2 sooner.

http://www.shacknews.com/onearticle.x/34091

Pure speculation....not sure why they would have said that.

 

[KBharvester]

http://www.shacknews.com/ja.zz?comments=34091

u see it right?

 

[YamatoTwinkie]

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.

Oh please, neither Valve nor VU knew HL2 was coming out on the 16th until quite recently. I doubt they signed a new contract. If I were to guess, the current contract that valve is under probably states that Valve cannot release the game via steam BEFORE the retail version hits shelves. If someone gets their retail game early, steam can go early as well.

 

[Zeus]

You know, you guys are going to look back and see how pathetic we all were worrying about getting the game one or two days early after we've had it for a month or two. Trust me, it doesn't seem like it now, but it's going to happen.

 

[Vinnie_NL]

Haha, so that means the people in New Zealand can play HL2 before we can. But I live in Holland so when the shops open (09:00 am) it's exactly midnight in Seattle. So I can start playing when you in the US can unlock too. Seems fair to me

 

[Sunlight]

Guys.. just wait until the release date.. you've already waited 6 years. What's a few weeks?

 

[Kamakiri]

Yep Australians/NZ will be playing it a day early. *laugh*

 

[Sunlight]

No they won't..

 

[killahsin-[CE]]

Ok im going to say it again. Steve gibson stated that if a retailer breaks the release date and release it early, steam users will get it released on that day. On a white board valve released there was a big heart and a bunch of sites around it, Gamespy, Gamespot, ign etc and inside the big heart was shacknews, steve gibsons site.

If Steve says it, it IS true. You can doubt it if you want, but steve knows the valve guys very very well.

 

[operative x]

i like guys

 

[Dougy]

Yep Australians/NZ will be playing it a day early. *laugh*

Valve = US company.

= Aussies basicly screwed becuase it will be later in the day and they wont have as much time to play that day.

if only valve would tell us definitively.

 

[killahsin-[CE]]

How is anyone screwed? This is the first game thats getting a global release. Why is it when valve does things better than any other developer, people always find a way to make it bad ?

 

[Dougy]

How is anyone screwed? This is the first game thats getting a global release. Why is it when valve does things better than any other developer, people always find a way to make it bad ?

WHAA?

1stly, read my post as to why it sucks for the aussies.

2ndly, its not the first global release for a game (by far)

3rdly, im not turning into something bad.

 

[killahsin-[CE]]

WHAA?

1stly, read my post as to why it sucks for the aussies.

2ndly, its not the first global release for a game (by far)

3rdly, im not turning into something bad.

Excuse me but releasing in 4 countries is not a global release. It is the first simultaneous global localized release in all MAJOR markets across the world.

show me another title that shipped localized versions to English, French, Spanish, Italian, German, Traditional and Simplified Chinese, Korean, Thai and Japanese speaking countries simultaneously.