Worst case scenario

[killahsin-[CE]]

"Including Sierra/VUG's promissory fraud claim based on Valve's false promises that it would continuously develop games to completion; Sierra/VUG's fraud claim and claim for breach of the covenant of good faith and fair dealing based on Valve's concealment of Steam and its strategically delayed development of the Valve games to coincide with the commercial release of Steam; Sierra/VUG's unilateral mistake claim based on its mistaken belief regarding the status of development of the Valve games upon signing the 2001 SPA; Sierra/VUG's breach of contract claim based on Valve's failure to use diligent efforts to continuously develop the Valve games to completion; and Sierra/VUG's claim for declaratory relief regarding its right to reversion of the Half-Life intellectual property based on Valve's failure to continuously develop the Valve games."

That si what that means. Ask any lawyer

 

[Feath]

"Including Sierra/VUG's promissory fraud claim based on Valve's false promises that it would continuously develop games to completion; Sierra/VUG's fraud claim and claim for breach of the covenant of good faith and fair dealing based on Valve's concealment of Steam and its strategically delayed development of the Valve games to coincide with the commercial release of Steam; Sierra/VUG's unilateral mistake claim based on its mistaken belief regarding the status of development of the Valve games upon signing the 2001 SPA; Sierra/VUG's breach of contract claim based on Valve's failure to use diligent efforts to continuously develop the Valve games to completion; and Sierra/VUG's claim for declaratory relief regarding its right to reversion of the Half-Life intellectual property based on Valve's failure to continuously develop the Valve games."

That si what that means. Ask any lawyer

Okay, I'm tired but I've read that a few times and I can't find any mention of the 2001 agreement and a fourth engine.

I'm not arguing that Vivendi have the right to any Half-Life games, I'm arguing that Valve agreed to make a fourth engine to be licensed to Vivendi in the 2001 agreement. Which is what the quote I've pasted a number of times says.

EDIT: We won't settle this unless we actually see the 2001 agreement, and I don't think that's going to happen soon. Can we agree to disagree? It's a matter of interpretation.

 

[killahsin-[CE]]

No valve agreed to 2 engines. The reason they need the jjudge to make them work on 4 is because they are trying to say the prexisting 2 were developed in breach of their contract.

But sure we can agree to disagree, but I think you are just not understanding the lawyer(liar)speak, lol.

 

[uziholda]

im just starting to lose faith to be honest,i never thought i would say this,but it seems like hl2 is never gonna come out,and if it does i will be buying it over steam,the way i think about it is,if it is not out by december,anything after that i will be buying through steam as far as valve go,until they change publishers of course....

 

[Feath]

No valve agreed to 2 engines. The reason they need the jjudge to make them work on 4 is because they are trying to say the prexisting 2 were developed in breech of their contract.

But sure we can agree to disagree, but I think you are just not understanding the lawyer(liar)speak, lol.

Well, I think I've finally got what you are on about. Valve agreed to do two engines, but Vivendi say that they didn't do it on time so they should make another two?

 

[killahsin-[CE]]

exactly!, at the same time by them not doing it on time they believe that vug should be allowed the source code, AND! the rights to the hl/ip.

 

[Feath]

exactly!, at the same time by them not doing it on time they believe that vug should be allowed the source code, AND! the rights to the hl/ip.

Well, that makes more sense. I understood the rest about the Half-Life IP and stuff.

 

[killahsin-[CE]]

Yep basically VUg is making a last ditch attempt to get some IP that will make them relevent in the game industry again. As you know they have been digging themselves into the hole in their games department, with the last valid developer they have being blizzard. So they think or thought they can/could pull a fast catch22 ip theft 'legally'. Get a breach of contract force valve to work with them again. Obtain the rights to half life, and aquire source. So that developers would have to go through them in the future. In terms of source,hl, and so forth. It's an all or nothing ploy. And the reprocussions if VUg actually won this case, would be quite ugly on dev/pub relations. In fact it may increase VUg's profit margin in the short term, but in the long term it will destroy them as a games publisher.

 

[Feath]

Yep basically VUg is making a last ditch attempt to get some IP that will make them relevent in the game industry again. As you know they have been digging themselves into the hole in their games department, with the last valid developer they have being blizzard. So they think or thought they can/could pull a fast catch22 ip theft 'legally'. Get a breach of contract force valve to work with them again. Obtain the rights to half life, and aquire source. So that developers would have to go through them in the future. In terms of source,hl, and so forth. It's an all or nothing ploy. And the reprocussions if VUg actually won this case, would be quite ugly on dev/pub relations. In fact it may increase VUg's profit margin in the short term, but in the long term it will destroy them as a games publisher.

Well then, let's hope that Valve wins. And goes with Activision (who don't seem to mind when id delays games).

 

[Foegel]

We desparetely need to invade another country, to get our minds off HL2.

 

[Yellonet]

I have plenty of other good games to get instead of HL2 if they muck around for too long. Doesn't really matter to me.

Who do you think you're fooling? You've got 2200+ posts in here :cheese:

 

[L337_Assasain]

IF this does happen, and they do delay it for six months, i won't be buying it, this is only because other great games will be coming out, and HL2 will be old news...This is making me very sad...

 

[Feath]

IF this does happen, and they do delay it for six months, i won't be buying it, this is only because other great games will be coming out, and HL2 will be old news...This is making me very sad...

What do you mean "old news"? The game could be better than games to come for years. Not many games were as good as the original Half-Life for quite a while.

 

[fluX]

The game could be better than games to come for years. Not many games were as good as the original Half-Life for quite a while.

I can think of .... two.... more or less.

The whole thing kind of reminds me of the Disney / Pixar story.
This is going to be fun. Pixar won btw.

 

[killahsin-[CE]]

I can think of .... two.... more or less.

The whole thing kind of reminds me of the Disney / Pixar story.
This is going to be fun. Pixar won btw.

Yep Disney, and VUg is pretty much doing the exact same thing. And they are about to shoot themselves in the foot over it. I truly hope Valve has the money to hold them off for 6 months if VUg tries it. That will be the death of VUg, but either way, win or lose, VUg is severely handicapping their future as a publishing house by their actions. Quite the same way disney has killed their once great media section.

 

[Lethal8472]

Is Valve legally obligated to wait until the game hits shelves before they can release it on steam, or can they allow steam distrubution right now? If not, and VU decides to withhold HL2 for 6 months, couldnt they release it on Steam early and basically screw them?

 

[fluX]

Is Valve legally obligated to wait until the game hits shelves before they can release it on steam, or can they allow steam distrubution right now? If not, and VU decides to withhold HL2 for 6 months, couldnt they release it on Steam early and basically screw them?

No, at least as long as they want to keep to the contract.

See also
http://www.gamespot.com/news/2004/09/20/news_6107712.html

Usually, there is exit conditions to contracts. Valve were meybe too small / not clever enough to negotiote acceptable ones back in 1997 / 2001.

I think this whole thing will be settled with... money. VU will probably be offered some (more?) of the STEAM revenue.