Something about the release date ..

[hasan]

Does anyone else find it ironic that they can't set a release date even though there is an RC? I mean, last year at E3 they announced a date, when they were seemingly far away from finishing the game. And now after it's finished, they don't know the release date.

Well, if they can't set a date even now, why did they bother setting one last year :/

All they know is "soon", which is kinda funny, because now they are just like us. They have no control over the release date now, it's all in the hands of VU. now they can taste what we've been through :cheese: the suspense and excitment and everything (actually, I can't find the right word :/)

/me imagines Gabe praying desperatly for the RC to be accepted ASAP

 

[cadaveca]

uh...don'tcha know, the world is being attacked by aliens, and the US are fighting them in IRAQ. The aliens and the US are in a airfight over northwestern Canadian provinces, and the sprays of alien blood have caused beattles to infest canadian forests, and they can't publish HL2 because it tells the story of what is happening...but the story isn't over yet..

David Koresh had followers too....

 

[UKchaos2]

Once bitte, twice shy. They probably could give a date, but are too afraid they will miss it (yet again )

 

[Homer]

Valve isnt like other companies, in that what they do doesnt make... whats that word... ah yes, "sense".

 

[ShadowFox]

The date will be set when it goes gold.

 

[Democritus]

The e3 2003 sept 30 date wasn't an actual date they thought they could hit, IMO. In the words of the Fragmasterized Doug Lombardi: "I wasn't lying! I was using marketing strategies all up in yo' hizzay."

Gabe said it was "bad planning," but c'mon. Saying you'll go gold in 4 months and then missing it by a year is either marketing strategy crap or egregious, bungling incompetence.

 

[Lavrik]

Why don't you just sit back and watch and then think about it a few years later?

 

[Feath]

The e3 2003 sept 30 date wasn't an actual date they thought they could hit, IMO. In the words of the Fragmasterized Doug Lombardi: "I wasn't lying! I was using marketing strategies all up in yo' hizzay."

Gabe said it was "bad planning," but c'mon. Saying you'll go gold in 4 months and then missing it by a year is either marketing strategy crap or egregious, bungling incompetence.

Actually when it was announced in April last year, I'm pretty sure that they thought they could finish the game in time.

I don't understand this marketting argument, how many more people are going to buy the game because it's a year late?

Also, there's been a delay for a year because of the Source code leak and Valve generally taking their time to improve the game.

 

[FISKER_Q]

Actually when it was announced in April last year, I'm pretty sure that they thought they could finish the game in time.

I don't understand this marketting argument, how many more people are going to buy the game because it's a year late?

Also, there's been a delay for a year because of the Source code leak and Valve generally taking their time to improve the game.

Yeah, like all game content has been done for ages now. They probably could've like released the game in April.

Just with a lot more bugs and crashes in the engine.

It's pretty much the same story for CS:CZ.

 

[lifebringer]

here's a thought: they LEARNED SOMETHING from the past year and a half (or so) of experiences.

specifically: they learned to shut their mouths and just say "we hope," "soon," and the like..rather than giving specific dates that there's a chance they may fail to hit. and personally i'm glad they did -- i know at this point the game will be maybe 2 weeks - 2 months away...and i'd rather doug L say "soon" than "it'll be released on sept XX" and have vivendi turn down their RC and them have to push it back... yep, seems to me like they learned from their mistakes.

wow, there's a thought.

 

[M1RAG3]

I think that they just don't want to upset "us" again. Although I wasn't upset with any of ther other delays, but the reaction from some of the more... childish... fans has probably humbled them a bit. But once it goes Gold I will bet $1,000,000 in cash they will have a release date.

 

[Democritus]

Actually when it was announced in April last year, I'm pretty sure that they thought they could finish the game in time.

I just can't wrap my brain around that considering 12 months more worth of intense work that had to be done to finish it. It took them well into this year JUST to get Steam sorted out. Of course, we'll have to wait for the book to see what went on behind the scenes -- what unknown catastrophes (besides the leak) may have thrown a wrench into things.

But the marketing strategy is to generate a mountain of initial hype, get websites/news sites on board, then delay the release in gradual, easy to chew increments ("holidays, Q1 2004, April, Summer, Fall). At each delay, you get free press while generally spreading an awareness of the game and building a customer base.

If you come out in May 2003 and say: "We'll be done in September 2004!" everybody just figures (including news/websites) that they'll worry about it when it gets closer. If you don't announce it until just before release, then you don't get the benefit of a year's worth of free word of mouth generated from constant press about "Where is Half-Life now."

If you keep announcing new "release dates," people keep wandering back to forums, news sites keep your name in front of every one, and more customers climb on board. It's free! It's easy. Everybody's doing it (except 3DRealms).

 

[marshmallow]

Does anyone else find it ironic that they can't set a release date even though there is an RC?

Not really, unless you consider rain on your wedding day ironic.

 

[Asus]

It's Valve, not EA Games. :O
They want it to be right. If they get into other things that delay them or if they run into something they consider a glaring issue, they will take longer to get to 'perfection'.

 

[FISKER_Q]

Actually when it was announced in April last year, I'm pretty sure that they thought they could finish the game in time.

I just can't wrap my brain around that considering 12 months more worth of intense work that had to be done to finish it. It took them well into this year JUST to get Steam sorted out. Of course, we'll have to wait for the book to see what went on behind the scenes -- what unknown catastrophes (besides the leak) may have thrown a wrench into things.

But the marketing strategy is to generate a mountain of initial hype, get websites/news sites on board, then delay the release in gradual, easy to chew increments ("holidays, Q1 2004, April, Summer, Fall). At each delay, you get free press while generally spreading an awareness of the game and building a customer base.

If you come out in May 2003 and say: "We'll be done in September 2004!" everybody just figures (including news/websites) that they'll worry about it when it gets closer. If you don't announce it until just before release, then you don't get the benefit of a year's worth of free word of mouth generated from constant press about "Where is Half-Life now."

If you keep announcing new "release dates," people keep wandering back to forums, news sites keep your name in front of every one, and more customers climb on board. It's free! It's easy. Everybody's doing it (except 3DRealms).

*sigh* How many times do we have to go through this?

Valve gave us 2, count them 2 "dates". The first one was September 30th and the second was Fall 2004.

 

[Democritus]

*sigh* How many times do we have to go through this?

Valve gave us 2, count them 2 "dates". The first one was September 30th and the second was Fall 2004.

Who gave us April 2004 and Summer 2004? I remember both quite clearly. April may have been Vivendi. Summer 2004, I believe, was Doug "Time Warp" Lombardi.

 

[Democritus]

Who gave us April 2004 and Summer 2004? I remember both quite clearly. April may have been Vivendi. Summer 2004, I believe, was Doug "Time Warp" Lombardi.

Yes, April was Vivendi:
Das Link

Summer was Doug:
Doug on Summer

Thanks, google!

 

[FISKER_Q]

Who gave us April 2004 and Summer 2004? I remember both quite clearly. April may have been Vivendi. Summer 2004, I believe, was Doug "Time Warp" Lombardi.

Summer can be argued, since he said finished, not released. However Fall was said to be when they released it.

Obviously Vivendi != Valve and i don't even know why they say the bullshit, maybe it's Vivendi you need to get a hold of for marketing conspiracies.

Also the article is wrong cause Valve did not say Holidays 2003, a VU Games employee ran around spreading that unofficially to different newssources.

"is currently targeting this summer for the completion of Half-Life 2".

For that matter they have 4 days left.

 

[Dr. Freeman]

Actually when it was announced in April last year, I'm pretty sure that they thought they could finish the game in time.

I just can't wrap my brain around that considering 12 months more worth of intense work that had to be done to finish it. It took them well into this year JUST to get Steam sorted out. Of course, we'll have to wait for the book to see what went on behind the scenes -- what unknown catastrophes (besides the leak) may have thrown a wrench into things.

But the marketing strategy is to generate a mountain of initial hype, get websites/news sites on board, then delay the release in gradual, easy to chew increments ("holidays, Q1 2004, April, Summer, Fall). At each delay, you get free press while generally spreading an awareness of the game and building a customer base.

If you come out in May 2003 and say: "We'll be done in September 2004!" everybody just figures (including news/websites) that they'll worry about it when it gets closer. If you don't announce it until just before release, then you don't get the benefit of a year's worth of free word of mouth generated from constant press about "Where is Half-Life now."

If you keep announcing new "release dates," people keep wandering back to forums, news sites keep your name in front of every one, and more customers climb on board. It's free! It's easy. Everybody's doing it (except 3DRealms).

i like this post for many reasons.
the obvious one being the explanation of marketing strategy... anyone who doesn't understand what marketing is should read ur post again

 

[Pressure]

It's gonna be a fall release. Since summer end August 21 I believe there are only 4 days left to make their summer completion like he said above. As for the release date we won't be seeing one until VU approves a RC for the game. Hopefully they'll finish testing this one soon and give us an answer. Either way the game is almost upon us so get ready.

 

[ukfluke]

fisker q, when valve were answering "summer" they werent being asked when the game will be RC stage or gold stage or beta or alpha. they were being asked when the game would be available.

why are u making excuses for valve? u dont even work for them u must be a serious fanboy.

 

[FISKER_Q]

fisker q, when valve were answering "summer" they werent being asked when the game will be RC stage or gold stage or beta or alpha. they were being asked when the game would be available.

why are u making excuses for valve? u dont even work for them u must be a serious fanboy.

Yeah they asked asked when it would be out, he answered when it would be completed.

Sure it's sneaky, i actually didn't realize it for a couple of weeks. As i said, it could be arguable.

I'm not making excuses, if i made excuses it would be wrong what i said. And it isn't, but yeah i'm defending them, or more likely i'm defending truth?.
And you shouldn't talk about wether i work for Valve or not when you don't know.

 

[hasan]

If I remember correctly, when Doug made the first delay announcment, he said something like "We are currently targetting holidays 2003"

Does that count as a release date?

 

[Iconoclast]

I'm not sure anything Doug says can be taken at face value.

 

[marksmanHL2 :)]

I hope Doug has a good sence of humour....

 

[Algor]

here's a thought: they LEARNED SOMETHING from the past year and a half (or so) of experiences.

specifically: they learned to shut their mouths and just say "we hope," "soon," and the like..rather than giving specific dates that there's a chance they may fail to hit. and personally i'm glad they did -- i know at this point the game will be maybe 2 weeks - 2 months away...and i'd rather doug L say "soon" than "it'll be released on sept XX" and have vivendi turn down their RC and them have to push it back... yep, seems to me like they learned from their mistakes.

wow, there's a thought.

hahahah. Wow. Exactly.

 

[OmegaBlue]

they wont set a release cause they dont know when HL2 is going to go gold. I think they want to get it out as soon as possible, but if they need a second RC it will be a few more days.

 

[Dead-Inside]

Does anyone else find it ironic that they can't set a release date even though there is an RC? I mean, last year at E3 they announced a date, when they were seemingly far away from finishing the game. And now after it's finished, they don't know the release date.

Well, if they can't set a date even now, why did they bother setting one last year :/

All they know is "soon", which is kinda funny, because now they are just like us. They have no control over the release date now, it's all in the hands of VU. now they can taste what we've been through :cheese: the suspense and excitment and everything (actually, I can't find the right word :/)

/me imagines Gabe praying desperatly for the RC to be accepted ASAP

If the RC isn't accepted, then there won't be a date announced at all. They also haven't talked to Vivendi about which date would be good...

 

[MaDMaXX]

you guys are funny, they've been updating art and animations and all sorts right up until quite recently.

 

[^Ben]

MadMaxx i think you should make a nice informative thread about you're visit

Ofcourse no NDA materials

 

[Baal]

I wish I knew the truth to all the HL2 drama that has happened in the past year and a 1/2.

Like...how could they possibly say that HL2 was going to be released on September 30th 2003 when they obviously weren't even close to being done?

I wish I knew....

 

[PvtRyan]

Yes, April was Vivendi:
Das Link

Summer was Doug:
Doug on Summer

Thanks, google!

And they made that "summer completion" didn't they? The RC was sent in summer. And for getting it in stores, boy did they miss summer, a whole massive one month delay...

 

[MaDMaXX]

Meh, my visit wasn't really a fanboy visit, but if anyone has specifics they want to ask, pls do, ill do my best to answer them. Maybe do it in a fresh thread?

 

[hasan]

yeah, a new thread sounds like a good idea

 

[killahsin-[CE]]

Gabe said it was "bad planning," but c'mon. Saying you'll go gold in 4 months and then missing it by a year is either marketing strategy crap or egregious, bungling incompetence.

The exact same thing happend with HL1, doom 3 far cry(that game was one hell of a dev cycle, what ever happend to the dinosaurs?)morrowind etc. The issue is when you reach a certain poitn where everything comes together, you can usually slap the stuff together and release, what you feel is sub par, like most publishers force develoeprs to do. Or you can revamp it all and tweak it clean it polish it and optimize it, than release it.


The reason there is no release date is because the community has been so 'hurt' by the past release dates. As most of the flamers tell you. So no you can't have a release date yet. You won't get one till they have it 100% from vivendi. But now the flamers who flamed for missing the date will flame for not making one, when they surely could.

 

[Tlaloc]

i sense the excitement in all of you

 

[hasan]

But now the flamers who flamed for missing the date will flame for not making one, when they surely could.

I just thought it's kinda ironic.

But this is a good sign: if they were to set a date now, they would probably set it for two monthes later from now. I mean they would set a Nov or December date.
The fact that they didn't set it a date probably means they will start duplicating and shipping as soon as it goes gold.
but since they don't know when it's gonna go gold, they can't set a date.