What was the point of the benchmark?

[Apos]

Gary McTaggart once told us: "Yes. There is a detailed benchmark released before the game ships where you can run a particular card through any of the DirectX levels where appropriate."

If the game really is supposed to come out on the 30th, that's now when the benchmark is coming as well, er, what exactly is the benchmark for anyway?

I mean, the major appeal of having the benchmark out before the game shipped was to see how our systems were going to stand up to the rendering tasks HL2 was going to throw at us so we would know what to buy for when the game is coming out. But if the benchmark comes out at the same time as the game, what's the point? We already have the game. Presumably it can benchmark itself just fine. So what they are saying currently makes NO sense: that the game and benchmark will come at the same time.

Something is up here. Any ideas as to why they are making this move? Sure, it could be that the game is delayed, but we will get the BM program on the 30th. But why hold back on the benchmarking tools in the first place? They pretty obviously seem done already, and it would do a lot to quell fans to release them as soon as possible.

 

[nomicron]

i think they are waiting for new nvidia drivers

 

[Hudson]

i also have had thoughts about that same thing apos.

 

[not28]

It's a valid point. Maybe there are some patient customers out there who will try the benchmark BEFORE buying the game.

 

[SirMcNugget]

Non everyone buys games on the first damn day. In fact most people dont. Besides they let news sites run it and release their results which shows you how new cards will run it.

 

[Prince of China]

The benchmark tools are so we can mark the benches thank you!
/me bounces

 

[Yapa]

I want the benchmark tools now!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The game will be delayed till Oct 31'st and the benchmark will come out Sept 30th. Nvidia are going to release det 50. at the same time to make nvidia hardware playable with DX9.

Yapa

 

[qckbeam]

They don't want to give anything away with benchmarks since it is an actual exe. Someone may be able to modify it so you could have control during the benchmark, since it's all real-time. That may be why.

 

[krarg]

Why do you assume that the purpose of the benchmark is to let people how well their computers will run HL2? That's a rather foregone conclusion. Valve was tired of the lack of "real" DX9 benchmarks (3DMark03 being a huge failure and all), and had the rather smart idea of using the HL2 engine as a real world DX9 benchmark. This way, all the gamers are using Valve technology to play games, all the modders are using Valve technology to code mods, and all the overclockers are using Valve technology to benchmark their stuff.

 

[SpaceRain]

I think krarg is right in assuming that Valve no longer cares about showing us how well our computers will run Half-Life 2 by means of a free benchmark. They thought about it and came to the conclusion they'd rather charge us $50 to find out.

 

[Seikeden]

yeah. dis is true. OIf the benchmark really cases hl2 performance then theyll need to be using the source engine with all of the effects, so for security and size reasons it'll have to come with the game. standalon would probably be in excess of 200 meg. I'm just guessing