valve's fighting ! have you noticed ?

[outsaythere]

guess what valve's doing by giving HL2 to reviews before it's even gold ? yes, they're trying to pressure vivendi to give us the game now. what i mean is vivendi will see that all reviewers are amazed by HL2, all the community's screaming to get the game, and so they will have no other choice - they'll have to give gold status, and send HL2 to the shelves before whole thing will calm down.

sorry abut my english. i'm not native and :]

 

[f|uke]

I bet this gets locked quick.

The reviews aint nothing, man. They're not gonna make VU do squat.

VALVe releasing CS:S to Steam HL2 preorders,. THAT is how VALVe is fighting.

 

[blahblahblah]

id Software did the same thing with Doom 3 and they were not at odds with Activision. Valve is/are assuming that HL2 will be released as soon as it goes gold. It is important to notice that HL2 has not gone gold yet. So we have no idea if Vivendi is planning on holding HL2 as "hostage".

 

[f|uke]

Not going gold may be their way of holding it hostage,. but yes, we have no idea if VU is doing that, or if it even really ever was their intention.

 

[Asuka]

I bet this gets locked quick.

The reviews aint nothing, man. They're not gonna make VU do squat.

VALVe releasing CS:S to Steam HL2 preorders,. THAT is how VALVe is fighting.

Agreed.

 

[blahblahblah]

Not going gold may be their way of holding it hostage,. but yes, we have no idea if VU is doing that, or if it even really ever was their intention.

Vivendi did this hostage thing with CS:CZ. They announced it gold but refused to release CZ for several months. I imagine the same would happen HL2 if it was delayed. Vivendi would have to have Valve fix something with HL2 in order for Vivendi to deny HL2 "gold status". Otherwise they are obligated by contractual agreement ot make it go gold. Once it goes gold, Vivendi has 6 months to begin distribution of HL2. Whether, Vivendi distributes HL2 as soon as possible or later still remains to be seen.

 

[Mr-Fusion]

And as has been said QA testers could find an inifinite amount of little problems to get Valve to fix, just to piss them off and push back the release date...or to get the November release they've had planned for so long.

I think the latter has been the plan for a long time. Vivendi won't hold up for six months but just enough to hit November 1st.

 

[f|uke]

I imagine the same would happen HL2 if it was delayed.

Based on what I was told by a Gamestop employee who had spoken to a VUg rep, I honestly believe VUg intended to sit on it 'till Feb. Still, this is speculation.

Vivendi would have to have Valve fix something with HL2 in order for Vivendi to deny HL2 "gold status". Otherwise they are obligated by contractual agreement ot make it go gold.

Any idea how much time VU gets to test it before telling VALVe if its rejected or not?

(and couldn't they nit-pick, rejecting the game repeatedly/indefinitly?)

 

[Jakeic]

Psh, VU is dragging their feet already with no gold. The game was tested, and delivered by VALVe when they felt that the game was done. I am pretty sure that they hold their work to a higher level than VU does.

 

[Motley]

A cynic would say this entire thing's a ruse between VALVe and VUG to get Steam clients to both pay for the download, then pay again for the hard cover when it's finally released. I don't know anyone who'd be totally happy with a downloaded game. People want the CDs for a myriad of reasons. Be honest, will you buy HL2 from the store anyway? I know I will at some point.

A delay, for whatever purpose, can only help to benefit both parties in my eyes.

 

[f|uke]

Actually, I hate dealing with CDs, or needing them to play games. I didn't even think of it, but this is one more huge advantage to Steam.

Give me a hat and a poster, and I'm satisfied.

 

[Mitch2891]

Based on what I was told by a Gamestop employee who had spoken to a VUg rep, I honestly believe VUg intended to sit on it 'till Feb. Still, this is speculation.Any idea how much time VU gets to test it before telling VALVe if its rejected or not?

(and couldn't they nit-pick, rejecting the game repeatedly/indefinitly?)

There will be a clause in the contract that says VUG must return a decision within a certain time frame and there will also be a clause that says the bugs must be of a certain quantity and severity to cause a no go on the gold. If you ever see one of these contracts you will be amased, you could beat a whale to death with it.

 

[f|uke]

There will be a clause in the contract that says VUG must return a decision within a certain time frame

Anyone know how long this time frame usually is?

 

[Sharrd]

Maybe all this was foreseen by VALVe and is the real "We've got hostages!" episode

 

[arcy]

guess what valve's doing by giving HL2 to reviews before it's even gold ? yes, they're trying to pressure vivendi to give us the game now. what i mean is vivendi will see that all reviewers are amazed by HL2, all the community's screaming to get the game, and so they will have no other choice - they'll have to give gold status, and send HL2 to the shelves before whole thing will calm down.

sorry abut my english. i'm not native and :]

I agree with you on this. I was thinking the same thing.

Valve is trying to pressure VUG, it seems like. They're giving (gave) magazines access to the game so the reviews would come out... thus opening a window that Vivendi cannot ignore without losing potential profits.

Furthermore, it seems that by releasing all these Steam incentives, Valve is basically saying to VUG, "thought you were going try and takeover/cease steam sales of HL2 over some small profits huh? Well f*** you then, we'll market it so that Steam gets MORE sales" etc. Still pressuring, but in a much more defiant way, considering it sounds like most of the legal stuff is over Steam HL2 sales.

Sounds like a bunch of dirty business stuff. But really... the game should be out by now.

It's finished, after all.

 

[Mitch2891]

Anyone know how long this time frame usually is?

Somewhere around 30 days maybe a bit more but normally not much if they have not got a reason to send it back within 30 days then in all consideration it is finished. That means that if there is no gold by 15th october I personnaly would presume it was returned to valve. But you never know I have never seen one of VUG's contracts so it could be longer or shorter.

 

[Sharrd]

It's finished, after all.

Who told you that? Your brother-in-law's sister? It hasn't reached gold yet, so there might still be severe bugs.

 

[f|uke]

Who told you that? Your brother-in-law's sister? It hasn't reached gold yet, so there might still be severe bugs.

Clearly nothing severe enough to prevent reviewers from completing the game and giving it a 96%

 

[Mitch2891]

Clearly nothing severe enough to prevent reviewers from completing the game and giving it a 96%

Remember reviewers know they have a pre-gold copy and take that into account when reviewing so it is quite possible there were several blue screens or crashed to desk top.

This is why I don't like world first reviews, as they are not playing the actual retail code.

 

[Jakeic]

who do you think cares more about the quality of the game, VALVe or VU.

VALVe sends it to VU saying it is done, i am inclined to believe them.

 

[Sharrd]

Clearly nothing severe enough to prevent reviewers from completing the game and giving it a 96%

Those people surely have the same kind of computers that VALVe use and graphical bugs wouldn't be noticed. Also, there might be very annoying bugs that don't happen all that often.
(they could've been told to ignore bugs when rating it because obviously those would be fixed when the game is released)
Jakeic: Like it has been said at other threads, VUG tests games very thoroughly and often tell the devs about a lot of stuff that needs to be fixed.

 

[Mr-Fusion]

Well CS:S has evidently been approved because we'll be playing it next week. HL2 could not ship until CS:S was finished.

So now VUG have to make sure HL2 and HL:S are ready.

So if CS:S took 2 weeks to be approved, maybe 2 weeks for HL2 and 2 weeks for HL:S? (Alternatively CS:S may not be approved and Valve are just releasing it anyway...!)

Gold at around the 22nd of October and it's perfectly timed for the November 1st release date!

 

[FISKER_Q]

Remember reviewers know they have a pre-gold copy and take that into account when reviewing so it is quite possible there were several blue screens or crashed to desk top.

This is why I don't like world first reviews, as they are not playing the actual retail code.

Remember previews/reviews have earlier talked about the state of the game.

IGN did say that HL2 had no severe problems at all, during the G4 event in August.

Edit: I did think it was quite obvious they were fighting.

First the reviews, then the added PHYSICAL perks to the gold edition.

 

[Sharrd]

Mr. Fusion: Shouldn't take as long time, though, since HL2 should be free of Source bugs already. At least you can't base it on CS: Source's period since it's singleplayer and has got a lot more "maps", a much more important AI and so on.

 

[Jakeic]

Like it has been said at other threads, VUG tests games very thoroughly and often tell the devs about a lot of stuff that needs to be fixed.

Like i've said a number of times, VALVe knows best if the game is done or not. They were not rushed into delivering the RC, and would not of delivered it had they been sure that it was all in working order. VALVe, not VUG, cares about how this game turns out. VUG just wants it to sell.

 

[Tiddalick]

Well they should fight in court...
Not using the consumers in the line of fire.

The packages are obviously one sided. The consumer should have the choice of media that they want to buy.
Valve SHOULD NOT try and force one upon them.
Supporting valve bs aside, we support them by buying there product in whatever format. If they get less money through the VU deal, well that is a shame but not one that should cause them to act like they are.

 

[FISKER_Q]

Well they should fight in court...
Not using the consumers in the line of fire.

The packages are obviously one sided. The consumer should have the choice of media that they want to buy.
Valve SHOULD NOT try and force one upon them.
Supporting valve bs aside, we support them by buying there product in whatever format. If they get less money through the VU deal, well that is a shame but not one that should cause them to act like they are.

That's just not how it works.

 

[Tiddalick]

Well how does it work then

 

[Dagobert]

guess what valve's doing by giving HL2 to reviews before it's even gold ?

WHAT EVERY SINGLE OTHER DEVELOPER AND PUBLISHER DOES?

 

[Black-Falcon]

They are playing hard ball with Vivendi because they are threatening to hold their game for 6 months. If I were Gabe I would do the exact same thing. Go Balbe!

 

[FISKER_Q]

Well how does it work then

It works in the way you just described you wouldn't want it to be.

 

[f|uke]

Tiddalick, you dont seem to understand why valve is doing what they're doing. And they're certainly not forcing anyone to do anything. They're just offering added incentive to purchase the game through their own system.

Companies often offer "rewards" for buying stuff from them. Whats wrong with that?

 

[fantasiser]

hmmm ive certainly noticed this whole pressure from vavle gig

in fact i even made a thread, almost identical to this, a few days ago, aptly named "Valve Pressure"

 

[Tiddalick]

Tiddalick, you dont seem to understand why valve is doing what they're doing. And they're certainly not forcing anyone to do anything. They're just offering added incentive to purchase the game through their own system.

Companies often offer "rewards" for buying stuff from them. Whats wrong with that?

I can see that, incentives are a good thing.
However this is overkill, the CE dosn't hold a candle to the GOLD edition. The SILVER edition even gives the CE a run for its money. As we currently don't know the prices of these packages then it isn't fair for me to critisise fully just yet however..
Though I would of imagined that the soundtrack or a poster or something would of been included in the collectors. A book that will be realativly useless and a T-Shirt just don't compare to what is being offered on steam.
They might as well call it the normal and advanced editions, not the collectors.
Im annoyed that the package that I will get (the one with a physical copy of the game) is just paling in comparission with what is on offer.

 

[f|uke]

Im annoyed that the package that I will get (the one with a physical copy of the game) is just paling in comparission with what is on offer.

Understandable. I cancelled my CE preorder today, and got my money back. I take it you cannot do the same..?

Just remember tho, this trick by Valve should ensure that HL2 hits shelves ASAP.

 

[Tiddalick]

Yeah, well getting HL2 out the door is a good thing,
I just wish they we were not in the middle of it all

And yes, im locking into getting the CE.
Costing me a far bit to $160 AUS, but thats another story

 

[Raziaar]

Has there been anything in regards to Vivendi responding to Valve's attempt to force their hand? I'd be interested in reading their bitching!