Steam release

[erikk]

I just got an answer from gabe:

Valve has no control of the physical shipping of the game. It may take 2-5 days before we get it out to the stores after the release, depending on where you live. This delay will not happen to the steam version.

-----Original Message-----
From: Eric
To: [email protected]
Sent: 9/19/2003 11:51 PM
Subject: Steam release

Hi Gabe, please answer this!

Will the Steam version of HL2 be downloadable before we can buy it in the stores?

And is the releasedate still Sept. 30.?


I'm going for steam now!

 

[Kyle2]

yep...

 

[spitcodfry]

Originally posted by erikk
I just got an answer from gabe:

Valve has no control of the physical shipping of the game. It may take 2-5 days before we get it out to the stores after the release, depending on where you live. This delay will not happen to the steam version.

-----Original Message-----
From: Eric
To: [email protected]
Sent: 9/19/2003 11:51 PM
Subject: Steam release

Hi Gabe, please answer this!

Will the Steam version of HL2 be downloadable before we can buy it in the stores?

And is the releasedate still Sept. 30.?


I'm going for steam now!

Whelp I'm goin to EB soon to get my pre-order money back if that's the case. But we'll soon find out what the retail release schedule is like for different parts of the world.

 

[DigitalAssassin]

:bounce:w00t!! :bounce:

 

[Smith]

steam all the way, shame i will not have a cool dvd case withthe instructions aned maybe a poster

 

[Wilson502]

i think we should just see what happens next week. Although i didnt preorder the game ill just walk into circuit city (gift card) and buy it when the store opens

 

[erikk]

I think this means the game is not going to be buyable in the STORES sept. 30th.

 

[TAZ]

This truly is going to put alot of strain on the Steam servers because if the game isn't in retail stores the day it is released on Steam, alot of people will be downloading it to try and be the first to play it

I think it's good though and hopefully they sell alot of copies over Steam. I for one will be buying it over Steam and also retail as I have 2 computers that are more then capable of playing it... Just hope someone makes a Coop mod soon after it's release (if it's not included, as already mentioned).

 

[Wilson502]

if it comes out earlier on steam then ill get it on steam, and use the gift card for something else

 

[poseyjmac]

steam is my friend now

 

[Ender01]

They said the 2-5 delay will not affect the steam release. That makes sense, but it could still be delayed till november or whatever, and then released on steam. We all knew along that the steam version would be out first, but this doesnt mean its comin out on the 30th

It seems to me he kinda doged the question about the 30th.

 

[spitcodfry]

Originally posted by TAZ
This truly is going to put alot of strain on the Steam servers because if the game isn't in retail stores the day it is released on Steam, alot of people will be downloading it to try and be the first to play it

That's why Valve has tried to work around this issue by sending the game files a week before users can actually play it. The final exe file to activate it will most likely be sent out on the 30th. But I know what you mean, there'll be a lot of frustrated fans trying to download it on the 30th if they can't get it retail that day. Hopefully more people will subscribe the week in advance instead of rushing to download it all on the 30th.

 

[RhapSidious]

Originally posted by erikk
I just got an answer from gabe:

Valve has no control of the physical shipping of the game. It may take 2-5 days before we get it out to the stores after the release, depending on where you live. This delay will not happen to the steam version.

-----Original Message-----
From: Eric
To: [email protected]
Sent: 9/19/2003 11:51 PM
Subject: Steam release

Hi Gabe, please answer this!

Will the Steam version of HL2 be downloadable before we can buy it in the stores?

And is the releasedate still Sept. 30.?


I'm going for steam now!

Post this in "Valve Info" thread. If it's legit, then going gold late isn't as big of an issue.

 

[Blair]

By the time all you people get done dl'ing the game along with 50,000 other people, it will be in the stores already and I'll be opening my shiny new collectors box.

 

[Wilson502]

spit, you getting it off steam early, cause if thats the case hopefully then i will, and i can use my giftcard for something else.

 

[erikk]

Re: Re: Steam release

Originally posted by RhapSidious
Post this in "Valve Info" thread. If it's legit, then going gold late isn't as big of an issue.

Done it.

 

[spitcodfry]

Re: Re: Steam release

Originally posted by RhapSidious
Post this in "Valve Info" thread. If it's legit, then going gold late isn't as big of an issue.

I agree. Erikk go post it in the Valve info thread now, unless it's fake of course.

EDIT: Nevermind

 

[DigitalAssassin]

Originally posted by G·Man
By the time all you people get done dl'ing the game along with 50,000 other people, it will be in the stores already and I'll be opening my shiny new collectors box.

Yup, I agree. On my rather slow ADSL connection I'm better off buying the hard copy.

 

[RhapSidious]

Originally posted by G·Man
By the time all you people get done dl'ing the game along with 50,000 other people, it will be in the stores already and I'll be opening my shiny new collectors box.

This does sort of contradict what Gabe's been saying: (not exact quote) "It will be on Steam and in Retail stores the same day".

Well taking in to account what Valve told Spitcodfry, preloading should start sometime next week. If this is the case, then I will be go the Steam route initially (maybe the $10 subscription) until it comes out in stores.

 

[Wilson502]

i have a 1.8mbps down and 256k up comcast connection, they are supposed to upgrade our download speed to 3 megs by the end of this year

 

[forn1x]

The thing is, if everyone pulls off steam, it's gonna download so slow, and may not work at all, so it may be a day or 2 before you get it anyways.

 

[Athlon7]

Forn, remember the pre-loading thread!

 

[trantjd]

Originally posted by Ender01
They said the 2-5 delay will not affect the steam release. That makes sense, but it could still be delayed till november or whatever, and then released on steam. We all knew along that the steam version would be out first, but this doesnt mean its comin out on the 30th

It seems to me he kinda doged the question about the 30th.

Ender, did you see official word that the steam version would be out first??? I don't recall reading any confirmation of this and I thought it was all just speculation.

Personally, I find it hard to believe that Vivendi would agree to allow Valve to put the Steam version out before the boxed version, but Valve would have had a lot more clout when the contracts were hammered out, so who knows...

 

[droper]

I'm thinking get it off steam and then rip off a hard copy. All i really need is the key right.

 

[droper]

Originally posted by Ender01
They said the 2-5 delay will not affect the steam release. That makes sense, but it could still be delayed till november or whatever, and then released on steam. We all knew along that the steam version would be out first, but this doesnt mean its comin out on the 30th

It seems to me he kinda doged the question about the 30th.

I think they are just planing to say gold at a certain time rather then tell us early. Next week all our sept 30 questions will be answered.

 

[Kamakiri]

Advantages of Steam:

1) If the release date is still 30th of September, Steam will pre-cached the full HL2 as early as Monday/Tuesday of this week. So when the game comes out on the 30th you can play the full HL2 straight away just as if you brought it retail. Imagine the anticipation...

2) Gabe has mentioned you can save the full hl2 cache file. So if you want to reformat, as most often people do, you can simply burn the cache file or copy it to a HDD partition on your PC. Once the format is done and a clean install of Steam is on just copy over the cache and Steam will extract all the HL2 files again. Just like installing from a CD.

3) Steam price for HL2 will be a bit lower since there is no manufactoring costs.

Steam new patch that was released yesturday has fixed alot of problems with Steam. The patch downloaded straight away for me at a very fast speed.

Alot of people have mindsets about buying retail. They think when they install from a CD there is a physcial copy of it on the HDD and it feels better. Installing HL2 from a CD will still put the files in the Steam directory and would be in the exact same format as if you just downloaded it from Steam.

So disadvantages of Steam? Few bugs need to be ironed out yes. But the thought of having a pre-cached full HL2 waiting to be decrypted spot on the 30th is too hard for me to resist. Especially with retail outlets in Australia always getting stuff late alot of the time.

 

[Joneleth]

2) Gabe has mentioned you can save the full hl2 cache file. So if you want to reformat, as most often people do, you can simply burn the cache file or copy it to a HDD partition on your PC. Once the format is done and a clean install of Steam is on just copy over the cache and Steam will extract all the HL2 files again. Just like installing from a CD.

But, what if the cache is like 2 gigs? How are you going to break it up to put it on multiple CDs?

 

[Kamakiri]

Originally posted by Joneleth
But, what if the cache is like 2 gigs? How are you going to break it up to put it on multiple CDs?

I'll be burning mine on a DVD personally.

But if you only got a CD burner sure. Break up the cache into segments and throw it on 2-3 cd's. That would be like buying it from the shop anyway. Most likely the retail version CD will be broken up segment of a big cache file anyway. With a few readme files with it etc etc...

EDIT: I would also like to make another point. Valve Dev have been working on Steam/HL2 code so the two work perfectly together.

Maybe the reason why people are getting problems with Steam now is because of older games not fully optimised for Steam.