What exactly is the harm of unlocking now?

Z

Zooloo

Guest
Personally, I don't have HL2 yet. I preordered from EBGames and will get it later this week. So I've been reading alot on these forums how people have purchased the game from retailers, and how the Steam people have had theirs for a while now...yet, nobody can play the game because of the iron fist that created/published it.

Are you kidding me?!?!

I would think that it would be a nice gesture to unlock Steam and let the gaming begin. What is the benefit of keeping thousands of unhappy players from playing your game? Is it so that you can say, "We won...we said it's out on the 16th and we are so headstrong and rigid that we won't budge on it...we win the battle!" Puhleeze. The fact is, there is absolutely no reason not to unlock Steam right now as I type this. This series, of now two full games and a series of expansions, is proving to be one of the most user unfriendly in the history of gaming.
 
There's a perfectly good reason for Vivendi to not let Valve to unlock the game yet... think it through and you'll get it.
 
well I guess its because vivendi being a business they have to have some sort of timescale and plan to releasing a game... dont forget there is all the marketing to think of that accompanies a big release like HL2. I would guess the reason that they wont release it early is because all the dates have been set in stone in contracts of one form or another many months ago.

Waiting suxx but when we have waited so long whats another day or 2 :)
 
Yeah now thats its a few hours away, it looks a little stupid, but they had to set a date, a time on which they are going to to release it.
Ask yourself this question: what would be the harm if they unlocked it two weeks ago?
 
if it was up to valve they would release it now.... but vivendi are holding it back so they dont lose retail sales to steam sales. Vivendi make no cash for a steam sale.
 
they made an agreement. any self respectign developer would not break an agreement like that between itself and a publisher.
 
budgie55 said:
well I guess its because vivendi being a business they have to have some sort of timescale and plan to releasing a game... dont forget there is all the marketing to think of that accompanies a big release like HL2. I would guess the reason that they wont release it early is because all the dates have been set in stone in contracts of one form or another many months ago.
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The main reason is Vivendi doesn't want gamers to buy HL2 from Steam because they can get it earlier than from their local store.
 
And yet strangely, I feel no sympathy for them whatsoever.
 
I suspect Vivendi will still get some money from the steam sales albeit a smaller slice of the pie. Sure I read that on here somewhere... then again I could be wrong :)
Either way it will all be down in a contract somewhere.
 
czrsink said:
And yet strangely, I feel no sympathy for them whatsoever.
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I kinda agree with ya there... however I guess if its the publishers who are fronting millions of dollars over a number of years for the development of a game then one would expect them to want near enough complete control over when a game is released etc.... after all if they are providing such a large loan in effect it is them taking all the risk cash wise... Im not sure of the situation with valve as they would have made a shed load of cash from HL1 I guess.. Im sure vivendi will have fronted up a quite substantial amount of cash however at some point during the dev of HL2.
 
Sounds messy...so Vivendi makes most of their money over the retail sales and Valve rakes in the Steam. But in the end, HL2 will sell and make both rich beyond their dreams. QUIT SQIBBLING OVER YOUR STUPID BUSINESS FEUD AND UNLOCK THE GAME!! Legal Scmegal...these two entities have the power to do the right thinig and make some gamers happy by giving us a gift early. ID released Doom 3 early...Far Cry came early...all of the great ones do.
 
budgie55 said:
I kinda agree with ya there... however I guess if its the publishers who are fronting millions of dollars over a number of years for the development of a game then one would expect them to want near enough complete control over when a game is released etc.... after all if they are providing such a large loan in effect it is them taking all the risk cash wise... Im not sure of the situation with valve as they would have made a shed load of cash from HL1 I guess.. Im sure vivendi will have fronted up a quite substantial amount of cash however at some point during the dev of HL2.
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Isn't Half-Life 2 funded in it's entirity by Mr Newell and his personal fortune?
 
"Mr. Newell"...lol
Yes, he has earned the right to be called "Mr." from me too.
 
Half Life 2 has been entirely self-funded by Valve and its management itself. Vivendi Universal Games have not put a single penny into the creation and development of Half Life 2.
 
budgie55 said:
Im sure vivendi will have fronted up a quite substantial amount of cash however at some point during the dev of HL2.
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Valve's profits from HL1 etc and Gabe's MS money funded HL2.
 
budgie55 said:
I kinda agree with ya there... however I guess if its the publishers who are fronting millions of dollars over a number of years for the development of a game then one would expect them to want near enough complete control over when a game is released etc.... after all if they are providing such a large loan in effect it is them taking all the risk cash wise...
Click to expand...

HL2 was completely funded by Valve, and Valve alone.


<edit> Hey, beaten to it. :thumbs:
 
If they did unlock it there would be many people that can't buy it yet=even more disappointing costumers.
 
The funny part for me was where he referred to Doom 3 and Far Cry as "great ones".
 
Isn't Vivendi in on Steam somehow ? When I was planning on purchasing using steam it I got $12 tax added and I live in Sweden.

Am I to belive Valve will pay sales taxe in Sweden ? It must be Vivendi since they are located in Europe as well.
 
pblse said:
Isn't Vivendi in on Steam somehow ? When I was planning on purchasing using steam it I got $12 tax added and I live in Sweden.

Am I to belive Valve will pay sales taxe in Sweden ? It must be Vivendi since they are located in Europe as well.
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That would be your credit card company. (I think)
 
Hey it could be worse. At least it isn't published by *shudder* EA Games
 
The_Monkey said:
That would be your credit card company. (I think)
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Pherhaps, but I don't think they are allowed to do that.

Only companys located in Sweden should pay sales tax here, there is no "global" sales tax.

Oh, well, it wouldn't let me preload anyway so I didn't go through with the purchase, I guess I'll have to buy it in the stores.
 
SFLUFAN said:
Half Life 2 has been entirely self-funded by Valve and its management itself. Vivendi Universal Games have not put a single penny into the creation and development of Half Life 2.
Click to expand...

True. However, Valve (unfortunately) does have a contractual obligation to Vivendi regarding HL2, the release of HL2, and the slice of HL2's profits that they will receive. It was a contract made when Valve was a poor little gaming company, before HL became the greatest FPS of all time.
 
Valve are charging you the tax, not your credit card company

pblse said:
Pherhaps, but I don't think they are allowed to do that.

Only companys located in Sweden should pay sales tax here, there is no "global" sales tax.

Oh, well, it wouldn't let me preload anyway so I didn't go through with the purchase, I guess I'll have to buy it in the stores.
Click to expand...

If you live in an EU country, I'm afraid there is now a global sales tax, they call it VAT. :angry:

A few months ago an EU directive became law that companies selling outside the EU had to charge VAT to European customers at the prevailing rate in their customer's country. They then have to register for VAT in an EU member state and hand this cash over to them. Even though there has been no "value added" within the EU, and the transaction took place outside it's borders.

Whether it's enforceable or not is debatable, but a lot of companies are complying with it as they simpy don't want the hassle.
 
That must be it ! Damn, didn't know about that, I've purchased stuff from outside the EU over the web before and wasn't charged sales tax then so this must have changed fairly recently.
 
pblse said:
That must be it ! Damn, didn't know about that, I've purchased stuff from outside the EU over the web before and wasn't charged sales tax then so this must have changed fairly recently.
Click to expand...

It's always been the case for physical imports, but has applied to electronic products from July '03.

Jeez, now I sound very anal. :E
 
pblse said:
That must be it ! Damn, didn't know about that, I've purchased stuff from outside the EU over the web before and wasn't charged sales tax then so this must have changed fairly recently.
Click to expand...

The tax is only for electronic goods and services from outside the EU. Things like subscriptions to websites and games are taxable and because HL2 over Steam is a digital download it is taxable too.

It sucks but it's not like the money is going into Valve's or VUG's pocket, it's just the EU leeching where they can.
 
The harm is you screw over the people who want to play it at the same time as everyone else, but are buying at retail. Since 99% of the shops decided to stick to the real release date.
 
Best Buy, CompUSA, and Wall mart are all selling the game as we speak in my area...

Seems stupid to me having to stand rigid with the whole unlock thing...just effin let it go and let people who paid for the game play. period.
 
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