Why the Beta doesn't exist

[Snewo]

Here is my reasoning:

Everyone knows the group that has been thrown around as being responsible. Rehashing that in this note is pointess. What do we know about the main suspected group? They work on making hacks, exploits, and cheats for the Half-life world. So they decide to hack into Valve. What would they want? The Source code would give them all they want:

- Ability to provide a cracked warez version of the game minutes after the game's release. Making them "better" than other groups who do the same.
- Ability to provide game exploits faster and better than other groups who do the same.
- Ability to provide a game serialz generator faster and better than other groups who do the same.
- Ability to find buffer overruns and such to crash servers they want and hurt machines they target. Once again giving them seemingly god-like powers since no one else would understand why they can do this so well.

As we all know, they got in and grabbed the source and maybe more. What happened next? Their egos got in the way. They couldn't keep their mouths shut. They had to tell the world how 1337 they were. First screenshots and then the source. Fast forward in time to right now. Rumors abound about a beta. I don't think the beta exists because:

- I believe their main goal was the above, not the theft of the beta
- They wouldn't be able to keep their mouths shut about it.

We haven't seen a screenshot of the working game (grey box doesn't count), we haven't seen a screenshot of a real texture, we haven't seen a single solitary game model, map, or texture posted anonymously ANYWHERE. We haven't even seen a screenshot of a directory of the game maps and models. They got in, got what they wanted, got out, and this 1337 organization did nothing more than shoot themselves in the foot in the end. It was good planning, good execution, but they just had to pat themselves on the back. Since I'm planning on buying the game and I couldn't be bothered with exploits, hacks, or cheats, I'm glad that this is what they did with their new found "golden egg". Valve can respond and plan now. And while they plan and fix this issue, I'm not playing on servers that have players with godlike powers from day-one.


Snewo

 

[No Limit]

I don't think there is a beta but not by your reasoning. If the above was true they would not have leaked the source code, instead they would keep it to themselves. Releasing it will give all the groups the same advantage they have.
-Paul

 

[Snewo]

All things being equal you're right. But I'm saying they couldn't keep their mouths shut before and they wouldn't be able to do it now.


Snewo

 

[tkday]

Yeah I agree, if there was a beta then we would've heard about it by now, and heaps of screenshots would've been released. Instead of 1 or 2 dodgy looking one's.

 

[KagePrototype]

I think one of the main problems is that people are calling the compiled playable source engine a HL2 beta, confusing people who don't realise that there are no real resources except for a couple of test maps to think there is in fact a Hl2 beta floating around the 'net.

 

[Bossman]

Originally posted by KagePrototype
I think one of the main problems is that people are calling the compiled playable source engine a HL2 beta, confusing people who don't realise that there are no real resources except for a couple of test maps to think there is in fact a Hl2 beta floating around the 'net.

Yeah thats true, too many people have got the code and are looking at manipulating it to play games.

...

 

[obsidian]

its possible there is a beta but they just cant get it working.

 

[Snewo]

I doubt it because they would feel the need to release a single model, texture, or screenie to inflate their egos and give them a feeling of power.


Snewo

 

[silent]

There is a beta. There has to be because Gabe said they have people play-testing the game. So I can guarantee that there is a beta, but the beta will not be connected to the internet. The play-testing machines would be on a LAN not connected to an ISP. So I can guarantee that nobody has it. Valve may be stupid enough to have copies of source trees on everyone's computers, but I doubt their dum enough to leave betas on accesible computers. Maybe.....

(P.S. GO VALVE!)

Peace out.

 

[TripleDES]

Some of you dont get the logic of it, right? It serves release groups nothing! Granted, they have a hint to crack it faster, there might be a beta out before release, but dont you think that Valve will change some essential code? VAC and authentication are probably on top of the list to be changed, then probably SDK changes and finally generic code changes to make the code differ. You have the source code of a pre-RTM version. Once the first patch comes out, people are forced to buy it because you don't have the newer source code to remove multiplayer authentication. And playing years on a beta isn't really viable because mod developers will use the modified SDK.

 

[alehm]

I find it extremly plausible a playable beta was taken. But who knows? Why speculate?

How many wasted posts were typed up here alone trying to prove eveyrone the source code was a fake and Valve admitted it wass legit? And now we are going to speculate whether a beta was taken or not?

 

[PvtRyan]

Originally posted by silent
There is a beta. There has to be because Gabe said they have people play-testing the game. So I can guarantee that there is a beta, but the beta will not be connected to the internet. The play-testing machines would be on a LAN not connected to an ISP. So I can guarantee that nobody has it. Valve may be stupid enough to have copies of source trees on everyone's computers, but I doubt their dum enough to leave betas on accesible computers. Maybe.....

(P.S. GO VALVE!)

Peace out.

Well in terms of "dumb" having the source code on a pc connected to internet is alot "dumber" than a beta. A beta can't hurt a company, a released source code can. Doom 3 had a leaked alpha, and it had hardly any effect on the developement process.

Well I don't know if they have a beta, could be. The source code was rarred 30 megs, the game will be well over a gig. Getting it on the hackers pc won't be easy. Maybe they were scanning the Valve system for days when finally a programmer connected a pc with the sc to the internet, maybe they had just enough time to get it.
I hope we'll get some clarity tonight with the Gabe interview. What timezone do they mean with 8 pm?

 

[silent]

Good point PvtRyan, I never thought about the Doom 3 Alpha... You definitely got a point there, but the source code that was leaked was incomplete, so It shouldn't have as much of a punch as it did. But you're right, a beta would just be fun and show things off, if anything, it would help Valve out. Good point.

 

[PvtRyan]

Originally posted by silent
Good point PvtRyan, I never thought about the Doom 3 Alpha... You definitely got a point there, but the source code that was leaked was incomplete, so It shouldn't have as much of a punch as it did. But you're right, a beta would just be fun and show things off, if anything, it would help Valve out. Good point.

Well, for some reason I would find a leaked beta worse at the moment. Then the crackers leave me for a choice: don't download it and hear everyone talk about, how cool it is (let's hope it will be) and stuff, or download it and spoil the surprise for myself, nothing beats holding the box and a nice shiny cd, it would spoil things badly.
*@%)*@$ crackers....

 

[silent]

Amen!