Tommorow will be one month

[Smack500]

The first rc was sent to vivendi on september 14, 2004, tommorow will be October 14, 2004. People can give me all the excuses in the book, but from what I have seen vivendi is just doing whatever they can do delay so this game will be released near the holidays.

Vivendi does not care one bit for the real gamers, just trying to make a buck. Anyone who doesn't see this is very naive.

People wake up, and buy through steam.

 

[Danimal]

I was gonna buy through Steam but the download is too big ;(

 

[hendrix13]

okay u win

 

[f|uke]

There have been multiple RCs. We KNOW this. So the date of the first RC is irrelivant. VUg cannot sit on an RC, or reject it for minimal issues. Clearly there were bugs, and HL2 is still in the QC phaze.

Get over it.

 

[kiwii]

true true

 

[Smack500]

There have been multiple RCs. We KNOW this. So the date of the first RC is irrelivant. VUg cannot sit on an RC, or reject it for minimal issues. Clearly there were bugs, and HL2 is still in the QC phaze.

Get over it.

IF im not mistaken they CAN sit on a rc. It was posted on the news section awhile back, that vivendi can hold this game for up to 6 months.

 

[ShinRa]

Personally, the more RC's the better. Just means they're making the perfect game the reviews are talking about, even better.

 

[f|uke]

IF im not mistaken they CAN sit on a rc. It was posted on the news section awhile back, that vivendi can hold this game for up to 6 months.

They can sit on it for six months after it goes gold. It has not gone gold yet, so as far as we know, it has not been unduly delayed.

 

[Eon Blue]

Money money money money... MONEY!

Think about it.

 

[Kolizz]

If it's true that the want it to be delayed, hope they wait to long and miss the holiday shopping-rush .

 

[redundant]

IMO, this whole 'waiting until the holidays' thing doesn't make sense. Half-Life 2 will sell just as many copies no matter when it's released, it's just that if it's released in the holiday season any sales that would have happened in the 2 months before the holidays happen all at once, so it appears that the game has done better.

Does anyone here think that if the original Half-Life were released in the middle of July, or at some low point in the year it would have sold 6 million units instead of 8? Of course not.

 

[zul]

There have been multiple RCs. We KNOW this. So the date of the first RC is irrelivant. VUg cannot sit on an RC, or reject it for minimal issues. Clearly there were bugs, and HL2 is still in the QC phaze.

Get over it.

Exactly: If Vivendi holds it back for their legal purposes we will know about it. It'll be after it goes gold for one thing, and release dates will either not show up at all or keep getting officially announced then delayed (as opposed to the speculation that is going on now).

 

[Zodak]

Battlefield 2 will probably arrive before HL2 does :/

http://media.pc.ign.com/media/677/677882/vids_1.html?fromint=1


Desert Combat + Point of Existence + Dynamic Lighting + Havok Physics engine and thats what BF2 is.... oh, and 100 players online at once.


I am looking forward to HL2, but after all this crap, I don't want to be teased, I just want the bloody game. It's all getting very tiresome, and to be honest, I think BF2 will be the future of online gaming anyway.

Have a look at the shakey cam video and the Double Wide trailer at the link above, its amazing.

 

[blahblahblah]

IMO, this whole 'waiting until the holidays' thing doesn't make sense. Half-Life 2 will sell just as many copies no matter when it's released, it's just that if it's released in the holiday season any sales that would have happened in the 2 months before the holidays happen all at once, so it appears that the game has done better.

Does anyone here think that if the original Half-Life were released in the middle of July, or at some low point in the year it would have sold 6 million units instead of 8? Of course not.

Lets say your theory is right (which it maybe considering the game is HL2). What would you rather have?

A) 1 million sold 1st half 2005, 2 million sold 2nd half 2005* , 1 million sold 1st half 2006, 1.5 million sold 2nd half 2006.
B) 3 million sold 2nd half of 2004** , 1 million sold 1st half of 2005, 1 million sold 2nd half of 2005, 500K sold on 1st half of 2006

* - remember it has been on the shelf for 6 months (or more), it is not a new game with fancy graphics
** - remember its released onto the market as a new game

While A and B both sell the same number of copies, you want to choose B because you get your money back faster (which is really important in business). Since the computer gaming industry does the vast majority of its sales during the 4th quarter (nearly 80% IIRC), the smartest thing to do is to make sure you release the game during the 4th quarter.

 

[[Dragoon]]

Ack! I forgot to get Valve a present! She's gonna be pissed!

 

[Dr0ndeh]

IMO, this whole 'waiting until the holidays' thing doesn't make sense. Half-Life 2 will sell just as many copies no matter when it's released, it's just that if it's released in the holiday season any sales that would have happened in the 2 months before the holidays happen all at once, so it appears that the game has done better.

Does anyone here think that if the original Half-Life were released in the middle of July, or at some low point in the year it would have sold 6 million units instead of 8? Of course not.

actually thats completely untrue. popular games will always sell more when released around christmas than they will released in the summer. this IS what theyre waiting for. both valve and vivendi.

 

[Darth Valium]

actually thats completely untrue. popular games will always sell more when released around christmas than they will released in the summer. this IS what theyre waiting for. both valve and vivendi.

any prooves? hm, wait, let me take a look at this years release-list...

sims2 & rise of rome : october/sept
doom3: august
thief 3: june
rise of nations addon: may
painkiller: april
farcry and ut2004: march

yeah, i see, you are right.

 

[we11er]

stop the flaming ffs. Who gives a shit? Just wait for the game already.

(and don't flame me)

 

[Darth Valium]

:flame:

hrhrhr.

wasn't my intention to flame, only tho show this guy that he is wrong. computer games sell well trough the whole year, perhaps they even sell worse around x-mas(in the last two years around x-mas no hq-game was released).

 

[Forau]

Why do people keep thinking that valve is telling us every bloody thing they know?

 

[Danimal]

Well judging from all this specualtion crap about the 6 month delay after the gold I have come with 2 conclusions and then 2 'what I would if I was VUG/VAVLe' and I please ask for you not to flame me but to correct me without violence. I've had a bad day and I dont need that kind of thing... :|

Conclusions

- VUG or VAVLe or both are waiting til the christmas holidays so all the children (under the age of 10 who play FPS) will ask Santa to buy HL2 so there will be more sales

OR

- Maybe (its a long shot in my perspective) are waiting till after the holidays... It can happen

What I would do if I owned VUG or VAVLe

- Realease the game before WoW/Halo 2/BF2 comes out so then they will have a chance against the other modern games

OR

- Wait till the holidays (Obviously)

[Edited for spelling mistakes then edited again for reducment of 'bad-bad words' =P]

 

[Lanthanide]

OR

They are simply still going through the RC process and it's not ready to be released even if they wanted to.


Keep It Simple Stupid.

 

[Zodak]

Wasn't Hl1 released in November? Maybe they are waiting for the 6 year anniversary...

 

[gregs2k2]

http://dubiousquality.blogspot.com/2004/10/half-life-2-update.html

Also, this is front page news on http://www.hlfallout.net/ (scroll down)

Whether it's true or not is another matter....certainly interesting

 

[FoB_Ed]

interesting

 

[Mr-Fusion]

Very interesting.

If it's true, it's much better knowing that they're actually still bug-testing rather than being capitalist whores.

 

[BlackMesaDude]

Yepp and no game is perfect, they can hold this game 2 more years still it will have bugs on the amount of people who will play it. Its simply impossible create a game that will work 100% on everyones computer it just cannot be done.

 

[Gary_Jones]

because you get your money back faster (which is really important in business). .

Sorry but I'm not sure I agree with this, for a small business with cash flow issues maybe - but for huge corporations they prefer the long term trickle of constant revenue as it makes the shareholders happy.

Vivendi is massive company - it could quite easily burn the HL2 RC and shove it up gabes arse and still make money - they own a massive share of the entertainment business.

I personally dont believe any of the hype about them deliberately sitting on it, nor that they have planned "dates" - but bear in mind that if the company has done well this year - they may well want the income on next years profit books. Shareholders are everything in this world.

Either way, I dont understand this massive hype - some of you people are going to be dissapointed whatever you get - NOTHING IS PERFECT - no matter what you think in 2 years time HL2 will look just as poor as HL1 did after 2 years. Its the mods that count - I say get the SDK out NOW!!!!! I can wait for the HL2 product get the mods ready within 1 year of release.

 

[Serial45]

The fact is November is the biggest and best time to release games, it is the end of the years fiscal year, and one of the times where everyone buys things in time for christmas.
This also gives vivendi a good chance of making and holding number 1 spot for sales over christmas. I can happilly say I will bet everything I own that this game WILL be out by the end of November, and nothing in hell would stop it from making this date.

And no way will it make it out before this date guys, it's just not going to happen.

 

[Gary_Jones]

why do i bother? :naughty:

 

[Mr-Fusion]

You're only presenting an opinion Gary, it's not fact. Other people are bound to think differently based off recent events.

Either way, I dont understand this massive hype - some of you people are going to be dissapointed whatever you get - NOTHING IS PERFECT - no matter what you think in 2 years time HL2 will look just as poor as HL1 did after 2 years.

Implying Half-Life 2 is worthless and mods are everything is an opinion i'd have to smash with a sledgehammer. The effect Half-Life had on gamers is still being felt today. So many of us still look back on our first time playing Half-Life 1 as one of the most testicle blowing experiences ever. Who cares what it looks like in 2 years? If I love it when i first play it that experience is going to stick with me forever. I won't care what the graphics look like as i'm not a graphics whore.

But Valve are actually working with mod teams now, they've given some the SDK. Interesting as this is virtually the only avenue for "arthouse" gaming in the entire ****ing industry!! I feel we're going to get some really innovative work, something that's sorely lacking in PC games.

 

[Dr0ndeh]

any prooves? hm, wait, let me take a look at this years release-list...

sims2 & rise of rome : october/sept
doom3: august
thief 3: june
rise of nations addon: may
painkiller: april
farcry and ut2004: march

yeah, i see, you are right.

the only reason all those games havnt come out closer to christmas is because:

a: a publisher cannot sit on a complete game for too long. (for various reasons)

b: some of them have the same publisher, and they dont want their own products to clash with each other.

c: they dont want their game to clash with an even better game.

hl2 can get away with being released at the holidays because no matter what other pc game comes out at around the same time, hl2 will sell more.

given the choice, all devs/publishers would release their big games at christmas, but it just isnt that simple. it is that simple with hl2 tho, probably the most hyped game in recent history. the only game on your list there that im surprised hasnt come out at christmas is the sims2.

so yes, you do see that im right.

 

[Dr0ndeh]

Conclusions

- VUG or VAVLe or both are waiting til the christmas holidays so all the children (under the age of 10 who play FPS) will ask Santa to buy HL2 so there will be more sales

youre forgetting the #1 gift given at christmas: money. especially for people 'over the age of santa believing'

those are the sales theyre after.

 

[Champ]

What I fail to comprehend is why Vivendi turns down any RC's, when the magazines have given HL2 such a high score as 96%.. 96% indicates that there aren't ANY major bugs.

 

[Dr0ndeh]

What I fail to comprehend is why Vivendi turns down any RC's, when the magazines have given HL2 such a high score as 96%.. 96% indicates that there aren't ANY major bugs.

not true. bugs does not just mean 'gameplay bugs' it can mean ANYTHING to do with the game. installation bugs, hardware bugs etc etc...

plus the reviewers all blatently rushed through the game.

 

[Parasite]

IMO, this whole 'waiting until the holidays' thing doesn't make sense. Half-Life 2 will sell just as many copies no matter when it's released, it's just that if it's released in the holiday season any sales that would have happened in the 2 months before the holidays happen all at once, so it appears that the game has done better.

Does anyone here think that if the original Half-Life were released in the middle of July, or at some low point in the year it would have sold 6 million units instead of 8? Of course not.

Marketing is a science my friend, your logic does not apply, even if it made good sense. Wich I cant say it does.

I cant beleive that that everyone is arguing this, when weve lived with it our whole lives. More sales occur during the holiday season than any other time of the year. More people are inclined to buy for multiple people and more people have money. People save up for this time of year. And guess what...Vivendi could care less about those people. All those factors matter TO THE RETAILERS!!! the people that Vivendi makes thier money from...The retailers are the ones stocking up around holidays and pushing to sell the products they have in stock, and they are the ones paying Vivendi.

Not to mention that products released during October/early/mid November sell LESS than other times of year because most shoppers are anticipating making holiday purchases. And retailers are less inclined to re-stock an item if they havent sold well previously. Releasing at the holidays ensures that product will sell well, wich means retailers will re-stock, wich means more money for the publisher. HL2 will sell like hotcakes for sure, but dont pretend that its somehow immune to the factors that influence every other product on the market.

And all these people saying "Vivendi doesnt care about us gamers!" NO SHIT! Why should they, they dont make a single penny off you. Once EB pays for that box of HL2 discs, theyve made thier money. And it just so happens that EB is gonna buy a helluva lot more boxes during the holiday season.

 

[krameriffic]

There are clearly still flaws with the engine. If anybody noticed, the CS:S update from last night update the Source Engine Build from 2159 to 2166 in the upper right hand corner of the menus w/ the console open. They wouldn't have changed the engine build unless there was something wrong with it.

 

[[daniom]]

Tomorow will be a month, we should celebrate it!!!

 

[Smack500]

Forget about it, theres just no point in arguing about it anymore. Some people will just continue to be naive and think vivendi is this good company that isnt just after money,and they really do care about customers. Probally the same people that sill believe iraq has wmds. Oh well we will see when the game comes out.

Buy retail if you want, but Im going to support the people who actually put some effort into the game, and actually care about customers/gamers.

 

[cadaveca]

I'm basing all of this on speculation..but...
Steam traffic has picked up hugely....and we are seeing the same pattern for steam bandwitdh as one month ago when the RC was first submitted(that we know of. the one we know for sure was submitted in september may have not been the first one.)
Seems to me they released the 9 maps for CS:S to get more info for what exactly was going wrong. Ever since we got the game, bandwidth has jumped up, but there are not more srvers listed...

So i havew concluded that the issue that they are currently working in is somehow "online-related". Seems to me that when 2 people shoot the same pyhsics object from slightly different angles, the game has issues. Maybe this is what one of the problems are. Who knows?