The Episodes Start To Slip...

[Chris D]

What a glorious day it is! Both Episodic games currently in development, Half-Life 2: Episode One and SiN Episodes: Emergence have both slipped back about a month. Strangely, I am truly happy about it. The best games I have ever played have all been plagued by delay, so in my opinion a game getting delayed registers positive feelings in me. If Half-Life hadn't been scrapped and released over a year after it was originally supposed to be then it'd be a long lost memory. If Half-Life 2 hadn't been delayed we may very well have ended up with a game much like the version that was stolen and released from Valve back in October 2003. But instead, both games were delayed considerably and they were all the better for it.[br]I'm sure not everyone will take my point of view on it, but I can't help the way I feel! As for the reasons why, we're not quite sure. But it seems as though an EA representative leaked the information to gaming website Pro-G, meaning that the current Episode One release date will be 30th June, 2006.[br]As for SiN Episodes, it has also been delayed to sometime in May. After a conversation with Michael Russell, QA manager for Ritual Entertainment, I can confirm that there seems to be a perfectly valid reason for the delay, but they can't currently reveal the reason. However, I was told by Ritual's Community Relations Manager, Steve "Badman" Hessel, that there may be a press release revealing all in the coming days. Stay tuned for more information as we get it...

 

[Solaris]

Delayed!?!? Again!?!? 30th of June!?!?

 

[Chris D]

Supposedly...

 

[mortiz]

Doh! So much for being able to get Episodic content out of the door quicker.

 

[polyguns]

Using this logic, stalker is to be the greatest game EVER MADE.

i best put it on preorder and hope it comes out before i retire cause my social security won't buy me a new pc

 

[Mutley]

Delayed!?!? Again!?!? 30th of June!?!?

:'(

Doh.

 

[Peabody McFee]

I bet you can't wait for Duke Nukem Forever, Chris_D. It must be the greatest game ever created!!!

Stop being a patsy for Valve's mistakes Half-Life2.net.

 

[Asknoone]

Can only make the game better. Whats a few months? Time will fly over, and my exams will be finished.

Stop being a patsy for Valve's mistakes Half-Life2.net.

Oh noes! A delay!? Mistake!!

 

[Dodo]

i want to play episode 1 now please.
and give me parallex mapping !!

-dodo

 

[bigburpco]

Can only get it in October anyways.

 

[1Luc1]

I think it will be in the stores on the 30th of June, but over Steam it will be as Doug said on the end of April....

Thats it...

gz Luc

 

[Asknoone]

April 24th is now out of the question. The earliest will certainly be May 30th. The most interesting thing about this is, its obviously a Source/Steam related reason.

 

[Sentinelrv]

I'd rather take Gabe and Doug's date that they said only a couple days ago over some EA representative.

 

[Hectic Glenn]

zomg vlave r so ghey, dey lied 2 me n stole my monies

I'm going to hide from disturbed before he comes and kicks my arse

 

[dogboy73]

I'd rather take Gabe and Doug's date that they said only a couple days ago over some EA representative.

After what happened last time (with HL2)?

 

[Chris D]

April 24th is now out of the question. The earliest will certainly be May 30th. The most interesting thing about this is, its obviously a Source/Steam related reason.

Not necessarily... I think that both are delayed is coincidental.

I have a feeling that the reason SiN Episodes is delayed is because it will be published at retail, and the reason they can't reveal anything yet is due to contractual reasons with the publisher.

Then again, maybe the two delays are related to each other if both games have EA as the publisher. Maybe EA has decided, now that they have the rights to publish SiN Episodes, that SiN Episodes should be published first.

I also think a different date for the Steam release and retail release is out of the question. It doesn't make sense for EA to allow it and isn't fair on those people that don't have credit cards to purchase over Steam.

 

[JNightshade]

Well, at least it's good timing- right after mah birfday!!!

 

[nagual7]

I'm so thrilled episode 1 has been delayed again ! I can't wait for it to be delayed again so I can feel the excitement one more time !
This is the best news I've heard in a week, I think I'll have trouble sleeping tonight !
So happy

 

[Asuka]

Im also happy about the delay. And i agree with everything Chris_D had to say. Im awaiting the announcement.

 

[Solaris]

The day I go on holiday, without a PC

 

[$kelet0r]

well for a hl1 and hl2 fan who sees the episodic content as a disgrace to the game and won't be buying it, i find these slips quite amusing

 

[Donut4000]

I bet you can't wait for Duke Nukem Forever, Chris_D. It must be the greatest game ever created!!!

Stop being a patsy for Valve's mistakes Half-Life2.net.

Is that still comming out (D.N..)?

 

[dogboy73]

Maybe the two delays are related to each other if both games have EA as the publisher. Maybe EA has decided, now that they have the rights to publish SiN Episodes, that SiN Episodes should be published first.

I also think a different date for the Steam release and retail release is out of the question. It doesn't make sense for EA to allow it and isn't fair on those people that don't have credit cards to purchase over Steam.

So much for Steam online distribution. I thought that it was supposed to be putting a stop all this noncense with distributors juggling release dates to make the most of the market! release it when it's ready, we'll all buy it! Simple as that. Most people will be buying both games if any I would imagine.

 

[Asuka]

So much for Steam online distribution. I thought that it was supposed to be putting a stop all this noncense with distributors juggling release dates to make the most of the market! release it when it's ready, we'll all buy it! Simple as that. Most people will be buying both games if any I would imagine.

I dont think thats the case. EA doesnt control anything remember that.

 

[Tamer17]

Yes , I don't understand why May 31th as the release date on Steam can't be possible. Since when EA has a say in this?

Instead of speculating about this , someone needs to ask Valve directly.

 

[DiSTuRbEd]

zomg vlave r so ghey, dey lied 2 me n stole my monies

I'm going to hide from disturbed before he comes and kicks my arse

/me slaps Glenn

No more talking for yuo!

I don't rather care how long its delayed if new technology is being added to Steam/Source. Rather I can hold off aswell seeing as I have enough games to still finish via SP.

Instead of speculating about this , someone needs to ask Valve directly.

Uh it will be out when its out, this mindless posting dates isn't going to solve something, and then emailing VALVe when its going to be done won't do anything either. I doubt VALVe themselves will know EXACTLY when its completely done, right now just throwing out dates most likely.

 

[Bobobobobobo]

Im also happy about the delay. And i agree with everything Chris_D had to say. Im awaiting the announcement.

I'd have to agree. Considering this news is actually several days old, and that we haven't heard anything concrete from Valve yet, the delay might not be certain.

HOWEVER, retail releases take time. You have got advertising strategy, production, distribution and transport amongst others to think about. I probably think any delay is down to the apparent source of this news. Vis-à-vis Electronic Arts.

Lastly, it makes no logical sense to have separate Steam and Retail release dates......doing that will most definitely annoy one of the two groups of fans who get there's either steam or retail, thus sales will take a dip.

 

[Chris D]

As annoying it would be for EA to be the cause of any of the delays, at least it would mean that everyone gets to play the game on release-date day.

 

[FELDY]

man im glad to read this i had misread the may 31st date and was thinking it was march 31st all week i was getting stoked to play it this friday. o well i guess ill be going to buy godfather.

 

[dissimulated]

I'm sure not everyone will take my point of view on it, but I can't help that this website is hosted by Valve and I have to say this!

Fixed.

 

[ad21635]

It boggles the mind that the news on the 25th confirmed a May 31st release but 4 days later it slips? What else can be said except WTF?????

 

[nutcrackr]

I'm not happy about the delays, especially from the sin episodes standpoint which had a playable version at gdc and have very few bugs left to fix according to devs. If the reason for the delay is to release it retail then I don't see that as a valid reason.
As mentioned in this thread episodic content is about frequent, regular content or else it simply fails being episodic and becomes mini expansions or mini games. If Valve can't get the episodes out in a timely manner to start with can we really expect to see a new game every 8 months? Maybe they are giving themselves a buffer but really I just don't see it happening,

 

[Javert]

What a glorious day it is! Both Episodic games currently in development, Half-Life 2: Episode One and SiN Episodes: Emergence have both slipped back about a month.

Since when are we supposed to be happy about delays?

 

[605Scorpion]

Early April Fool's joke?

Delays aren't good news. Delays suck. The fact that it will be made better with time is only the silver lining.