What Will Happen After Gold?

[ZeroCoolX]

I know everyone is waiting for Half-Life 2 to go gold, but what happens during the process in which it goes from gold to being on my computer.

Just wondering and hopefully other people have the same questions as I do.

 

[KagePrototype]

It will be manufacuted and sent to retail outlets, where you can buy it. This can take a couple of weeks.

 

[ZeroCoolX]

yeah but during the manufacturing, do they just put a paper that says "HALF LIFE 2 IS GOLD" and put it in a machine and out come millions of copies of the game?

If so...where can i buy one? :E

 

[KagePrototype]

yeah but during the manufacturing, do they just put a paper that says "HALF LIFE 2 IS GOLD" and put it in a machine and out come millions of copies of the game?

If so...where can i buy one? :E

They use big mass production machines to create millions of CDs (from the original "gold" copy), packages etc. and then bung them all together, inside big factories. The same way they mass manufacture anything really: use a big arsed machine to create copies of it over and over and over. It's all an automated process. Once that happens, it's all shipped off around the world, and you buy it in a store.

 

[Vegeta897]

Does this mean when HL2 is gold, steam users get it faster because CD's don't have to be manufactured?

 

[Gunner]

Does this mean when HL2 is gold, steam users get it faster because CD's don't have to be manufactured?

No it's supposed to be a simultaneous worldwide release.

 

[KagePrototype]

Does this mean when HL2 is gold, steam users get it faster because CD's don't have to be manufactured?

Nope, you'll have to wait until the release date to get it through Steam as well.

 

[Harryz]

Does this mean when HL2 is gold, steam users get it faster because CD's don't have to be manufactured?

No, when Half-Life 2 is on the shelves, it will be released on Steam.

 

[Wraithen]

"going gold" will be just another meaningless phrase that fills up forums and time as another stage is passed between the announcement and release of Half Life 2.

That said, upon hearing that it's officially gone gold, I will dance a merry jig, smile at strangers and forget my cynical nature... until the next delay.

 

[razorblade kiss]

Gold means, we start waiting for something else. WHich seems to be the core of Valve fan-life. Waiting.

We wait for gold. Then gold comes, we wait for the game.

 

[clarky003]

dont forget the quality control processes's and all those engineer's needed to make all this happen.

never forget the engineer's!

 

[Runteh]

Imagine if you worked in a CD manafacturing copany (pockets a cd )

 

[Vegeta897]

Imagine if you worked in a CD manafacturing copany (pockets a cd )

Haha, nice.

Well thanks for the answer.

I hope we don't have to wait much longer for gold. And... That it doesnt take long for the CD's to be made.

 

[Epsi]

And once the game is gold, and they start making stock, there's no sensible reason, other than corporate stupidity, why it won't hit whatever release date they set.

 

[Wraithen]

And once the game is gold, and they start making stock, there's no sensible reason, other than corporate stupidity, why it won't hit whatever release date they set.

Stupidity? This is Vivendi "bite your own nose off to spite Valve's Face" Universial. Once they can't threaten to delay it any more they'll probably put it into production for a global release by giving the work experience kid a slow-ass PC and a CD burner!

 

[Darth Valium]

even if you get your hands on a copy of hl2, you wouldnt be able to play it as long it isnt be activated. perhaps one of the first games which wont be released by a "third party retailer" a couple of days before the official release. wait, wasn't it released more then a year before the official release .

where are the cd-production facilities? ireland i bet. damnit, they should produce such urgent stuff in an orbital facility, and drop the manufactured pieces all around the planet. would shorten delievery time and as bonus you got a santa claus feeling when your ceramic-packed copy of hl2 will crash through your roof..

 

[mutt]

gabe buys loads of blank cds of ebay, and a few cdrw drives, then uses nero to burn of a few million copies while dough prints out templates on the ink jet printer and makes up the cardboard box for each set of 6 cds. or sumit along thos lines.

 

[Incomitatum]

That is essenncially what HL1 was about... they were trying to burn the Host CD for HL2 so they could begin to mass copy them, when all of a sudden...!!!

That is why you have to climb up the ladder and start the rotors. The Crystal thingy is... um... what CDs are made from, that is why they have all those rainbow colors when you stare at them...

Vivendi is outsourcing the production of it's CDs to an Arizona Company called "Black Mesa".

 

[Wraithen]

That is essenncially what HL1 was about... they were trying to burn the Host CD for HL2 so they could begin to mass copy them, when all of a sudden...!!!

That is why you have to climb up the ladder and start the rotors. The Crystal thingy is... um... what CDs are made from, that is why they have all those rainbow colors when you stare at them...

Vivendi is outsourcing the production of it's CDs to an Arizona Company called "Black Mesa".

You missed the main point of it all. Half Life 1 was about Steam being better than published hard copies.

Let me explain, at the begining the hero is delivered through an internet metaphore (train going through a series of tunnels) and everything goes OK until they try printing the CD's (as you described) and everything goes fruit shaped. A positive resolution can only be found through an electronic transfer device; they uploaded Gordon to Xen through Steam.

 

[duke2]

Or even better - a lite-on burner, that craps out after 500 or so cd's.

 

[skater4evr5]

didnt you guys hear the NEWS. !!

Hell will freeze over before hl2 goes GOLD...... DUH

So when you start feeling like -1,200 degrees on your feet,
\hl2 going GOLD is soon after that

 

[UKchaos2]

What happens when HL2 goes gold?

PARTY!!!

 

[Peks]

Steam ppl can at least play cs:s at least a month before retail ppl.

 

[skater4evr5]

ALL steam people get CSS full retail???

..WOOT WOOT.. :bounce:

 

[Wraithen]

didnt you guys hear the NEWS. !!

Hell will freeze over before hl2 goes GOLD...... DUH

So when you start feeling like -1,200 degrees on your feet,
\hl2 going GOLD is soon after that

some geek's gonna mention absolute zero soon enough... might as well be me

 

[Darth Valium]

yeah, thought about. -273C / -460F, something around.

 

[killahsin-[CE]]

the process is this.
HL2 goes gold basically valve sends a RTM copy or final gold build, master disc that can have lossless replication. VUg than call valve and says 'your done'. VUg makes sure all their replication issues are in order, and the marketting team gets positioned. VUg decides the release date. They(valve and vug) collaborate and make a gone gold post usually with the final official release date(most games have a release date even before they go gold). During the gold PR release, the game is already on its way to the replication facilities. Depending on the mass amount of pre orders and shelve space allocated, the size of the amount of facilities dedicated to copying the game. Thats how you get your timeframe.