What would have happened if...

[theotherguy]

What would have happened if Valve had decided to keep half-life a secret until this years e3?

Im sure that there would have been no source code theft, and that all of us would be much more hyped about the game. This website would never have existed until now, and all those inside jokes, and worthless posts would be gone. Fragmaster wouldn't have made a fool about himself, and the only words about half-life in the past year would have been rumors, with people saying "They are making half-life 2" and the other half saying "No, they aren't"

Plus, with the extra year, Valve could have released the game easily and with confidence just months after they first announced the game.

But I guess hindsight is always 20/20. I mean, Valve probably didn't expect any of this stuff to happen (messsed up scedules and the hacker) but just imagine what would have happened if they had waited just one more year.l

 

[Pi Mu Rho]

I think that's a very good point.

 

[digsy]

Yes but think of how much publicity the source code theft and the delay has created for them. You can argue both ways really.

 

[mrchimp]

Yes but think of how much publicity the source code theft and the delay has created for them. You can argue both ways really.

Oh god don't start that again.

 

[digsy]

I'm not saying they did it on purpose, but when they look back on it they aren't exactly going to say it was all a bad thing. After all, HL2 was even appearing on the BBC website, that doesn't happen to many games.

 

[Feath]

I'm not saying they did it on purpose, but when they look back on it they aren't exactly going to say it was all a bad thing. After all, HL2 was even appearing on the BBC website, that doesn't happen to many games.

That's a bit like saying.

"Actually, now that I look back on it, it's a good thing my parents were murdered because I didn't have to spend time looking for mother's and father's day gifts".

They were on the BBC Website anyway. Everyone was hyped about the game anyway. They didn't need any more publicity.

 

[digsy]

So you're saying that the source code theft and the delay didn't create publicity and therefore didn't make more people interested in the game?

 

[Feath]

So you're saying that the source code theft and the delay didn't create publicity and therefore didn't make more people interested in the game?

No I'm saying it generated publicity for something that didn't really need it at all. Valve won't be happy about that. It's not really much of a silver lining.

The Forums were still full of people desperate for Half-Life 2 before the leak.

 

[Polykarbon]

Sure did, but that doesn't mean Valve is going to say that it was a great thing.

You cannot even argue that it was great for Valve, other then marketing...if you even wan't to call it that.

 

[A2597]

the only possible way that a person interested in FPS hadn't heard of HL2 by that point, was if they had no TV, newspaper, friends, PC, etc and lived in a cave in antartica.

 

[ScopeD]

If they had announced the game on this years e3 show, you wouldn't have this topic at all. :rolling:

 

[digsy]

they aren't exactly going to say it was all a bad thing.

I never said they are going to think "Oh it's created more interest so it's a good thing". I'm just saying something good came out of the delay and the source theft. I never said Valve would be happy that they happened though.

 

[PatPwnt]

That's a bit like saying.

"Actually, now that I look back on it, it's a good thing my parents were murdered because I didn't have to spend time looking for mother's and father's day gifts".

They were on the BBC Website anyway. Everyone was hyped about the game anyway. They didn't need any more publicity.

lol thats funny

 

[Mr. Redundant]

we would have been caught by surprise and completely blown away... which was the general idea they had last year... but I guess their excitement lead to "bad scheduling" and here we are still waiting, hoping it wont be another year.

pretty cruddy for them I have to admit.. if we are dissapointed imagine how they feel.

 

[sabre89]

What would happen if?

Everyone would explode.

 

[Dead-Inside]

I think at least one guy must have pushed his suicide until post-HL2.

 

[63]

That is interesting...If it had never been announced, then hl2.net would have never been uploaded, then all of the forumites would have never met, then I would have been writing this...or this...or this..or this....etc....etc...etc...

 

[brokenjago]

Well, thnk about the flip side: Gabe was quoted saying that it was much better with the community incolved, to develop the game, than it was to not have them involved. We wouldn't have made nearly any impact on that game! (I know we've made a significant one, remember that guy in the valve info thread that actually had them put code in the game to help with the mouse threshold issues?)