Half-life 2 Still Not Gold
DOOManiac
Worst. Critic. Ever. Join Date: 2002-04-17 Member: 462Members, NS1 Playtester
Worst. Critic. Ever. Join Date: 2002-04-17 Member: 462Members, NS1 Playtester
in Off-Topic
<div class="IPBDescription">Don't shoot the messenger</div>Just a public service announcement:
Since we hadn't heard anything about HL2's release candidates or anything, some people figured that maybe it went gold but Vivindi was holding onto it due to either the lawsuits or just to sit on it till closer to Christmas. Well it turns out that it's just not done yet, as Valve is still submitting Release Candidates...
<!--QuoteBegin--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> </td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin-->Well the rumors are swirling that Half-Life 2 is just about done. As you guys know we carried a story a little while ago mentioning that Valve was submitting release candidates to Vivendi doing their final bughunting. Word has it that Valve has submitted RC5 recently addressing just a couple of bugs. Assuming those are fixed and nothing more is found in further testing we could be looking at a gold announcement in the very near future. The guys at CSNation, HL2Fallout, and even the former GoneGold guy are all saying this.
This is of course assuming VU doesnt hold the game up in court. But given the last couple of glimpses we've had of VU's financial situation they probably arent very eager to do that.
Update: the Steam website notes that the sixth phase of Half-Life 2 preloading is now underway. This phase will result in the Half-Life 2 maps being loaded on your computer, so Valve doesn't expect them to change much if at all.<!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
<a href='http://www.shacknews.com/onearticle.x/34039' target='_blank'>Source</a>
And another interesting idea up for debate: I'm not saying this is the case, but it could in theory be possible that they are intentionally rejecting the HL2 release candidates as a way of hardballing Valve about the lawsuits. Cause I mean, they can only hang onto it for 6 months once its done, but what if they never declare it as done?
Since we hadn't heard anything about HL2's release candidates or anything, some people figured that maybe it went gold but Vivindi was holding onto it due to either the lawsuits or just to sit on it till closer to Christmas. Well it turns out that it's just not done yet, as Valve is still submitting Release Candidates...
<!--QuoteBegin--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> </td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin-->Well the rumors are swirling that Half-Life 2 is just about done. As you guys know we carried a story a little while ago mentioning that Valve was submitting release candidates to Vivendi doing their final bughunting. Word has it that Valve has submitted RC5 recently addressing just a couple of bugs. Assuming those are fixed and nothing more is found in further testing we could be looking at a gold announcement in the very near future. The guys at CSNation, HL2Fallout, and even the former GoneGold guy are all saying this.
This is of course assuming VU doesnt hold the game up in court. But given the last couple of glimpses we've had of VU's financial situation they probably arent very eager to do that.
Update: the Steam website notes that the sixth phase of Half-Life 2 preloading is now underway. This phase will result in the Half-Life 2 maps being loaded on your computer, so Valve doesn't expect them to change much if at all.<!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
<a href='http://www.shacknews.com/onearticle.x/34039' target='_blank'>Source</a>
And another interesting idea up for debate: I'm not saying this is the case, but it could in theory be possible that they are intentionally rejecting the HL2 release candidates as a way of hardballing Valve about the lawsuits. Cause I mean, they can only hang onto it for 6 months once its done, but what if they never declare it as done?
Comments
then we shall go to the valve building dig our own PIT infront of the building and play there (its the closest we will ever get to the source engine <!--emo&:p--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/tounge.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='tounge.gif' /><!--endemo--> )
<!--emo&:0--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/wow.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='wow.gif' /><!--endemo-->
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!
<!--emo&:(--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/sad-fix.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='sad-fix.gif' /><!--endemo--> <!--emo&:(--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/sad-fix.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='sad-fix.gif' /><!--endemo-->
Hmm.
Damnit.
Its a myth big companies tell aspiring programmers to scare them at night.
I mean, I would have thought that if VALVe could get out of it they would have already...
Keeeeel him!
Time is money. Vivendi need the money. If they hold it back for 6 months, they are possibly the most illogical publisher the world has seen.
am i missing something?
Every day Vivendi doesn't release will see a few more people eager for CS:S buying the game from Steam, meaning higher turnouts for Newell & co. and no money at all for VU. Valve can really only win at this point, which marks a first: A developer has a major publisher by the, excuse the French, balls. I'd never thought I'd see the day.
Is valve scoring some points for the good guys, or just in your normal faceless business wars, and somehow managed to make a game that a lot of people enjoy? Help, I've heard so much from both sides that I don't know what to think <!--emo&:(--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/sad-fix.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='sad-fix.gif' /><!--endemo-->
<!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Well according to <a href='http://www.eurogamer.net/article.php?article_id=56770' target='_blank'>Eurogamer</a>, VU told them:
<!--QuoteBegin--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> </td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin-->"There is a good chance Half-Life 2 will make it before this Christmas. We're targeting the holiday season"<!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Then they have an estimated release date of November 23rd.
A little from column a), a little from column b), if you ask me. I'm still very sympathetic to Valve's aim (to create a publisher-independent distribution platform for games), but all said and done, they try to make money as much as everyone else, so I doubt they'll shy away from some 'less than clean' tricks.
That, and breaching a contract makes you liable for extreme lawsuits. And I doubt Valve can afford to butt heads with an entity as big as VU.
So we can assume that Valve is between a proverbial rock and a hard place.
So, if this is the case, can't Valve simply release HL2 on Steam when it's done, regardless of what Vivendi wants?
Btw, the latest PA comic sums up my thoughts on this exactly. Direct downloading is the way of the future.
EDIT: the comic in question
<img src='http://www.penny-arcade.com/images/2004/20041015l.jpg' border='0' alt='user posted image' />
So, if this is the case, can't Valve simply release HL2 on Steam when it's done, regardless of what Vivendi wants?
Btw, the latest PA comic sums up my thoughts on this exactly. Direct downloading is the way of the future. <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd-->
part of the agreement is that they are released at the same time on steam as they are in store, so they can't
:O
Also, it'll be on the newsy sites ;0
Oh I so love my birthday this year, its on November 28th, and so much cool stuff is coming out. Hopefully hl2, nintendo DS, metroid prime2.
Every day Vivendi doesn't release will see a few more people eager for CS:S buying the game from Steam, meaning higher turnouts for Newell & co. and no money at all for VU. Valve can really only win at this point, which marks a first: A developer has a major publisher by the, excuse the French, balls. I'd never thought I'd see the day. <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd-->
^^ pretty much, valve has VU by the short and curlies >:D
I still say we keel haul doom for being the messanger, hey it's not shooting right