Half-Life 2 held hostage?

[ShoobieRat]

This has been going on for a while. Vivendi causes a lot of problems because their business process sucks major yams. About eight months ago they were the cause for the fall of Impressions Entertainment, (the makers of many famous city-builder games, like Ceasar III). The long-awaited development and release of Lords-of-the-Realm-III was totally trashed, with the outcome game being next to worthless and being the final stroke for Impressions. Another Vivendi triumph in their ongoing series of PC-game destruction.

I wouldn't worry about Valve, though. HL2 is going to sell like mad, no matter when it comes out. Vivendi, needs money and clout. Valve knows it, so they'll just sit and watch Vivendi die if they have to. The only way this could go iffy is if Sierra puts a hand in things. Then Sierra will make a shytty agreement (because their bastards) and everything will go to hell.

On another note, if some phkhead releases HL2 in an attempt to undermine what's going on, they will not only severely hurt Valve, but it'll be a victory for Vivendi because Vivendi will be making the profit on anything the create without having to compete with a release like HL2.
If HL2 comes out public on P2P, I wouldn't touch it with a ten foot poll. I have too much respect for the people who made it, and the original Half-Life. I also won't support the kind of crap that got us in this bind in the first place.

 

[uNsaiN]

I haven't liked Vivendi since I played Swat3, and that was like 2-3 years ago. They have crappy forums, crappy service, and they are just another big greedy corporation.

 

[The Merlin]

Half-Life 2 date is 26th November

Three days earlier in Yankee land

EUROGAMER is reporting that Vivendi has informed its retail partners this week of the release dates for the long-awaited Half-Life 2, putting to bed speculation that the court case currently ongoing between Vivendi and Valve would delay the games release until after the Yuletide period.
While Valve appear to be towing the company line with a "We don't have a release date from Vivendi right now", a Vivendi source said this morning that there would be a good chance the game would make it before Christmas.

The game is still fully two months away - that's an awful long wait - but those chaps buying it over Steam can expect the full version of Counter-Strike Source to play with in the mean time. The last two phases of the pre-load have contained the critical Counter-Strike data.

There are a number of different ways to buy the game when it hits. Retail customers can have a standard 6 CD pack, incorporating HL2 and CS:S, or a DVD edition containing both those two games and the original Half-Life in Source, plus other Valve add-ons such as Day of Defeat. Steam buyers have those two options, with the additional option to get lots of t-shirts, stickers and posters with their purchase. µ

There is still hope

 

[ShoobieRat]

Right now the big stink at Valve is the DVD edition, which they're bytching over. So yer stuck with the CDs until at least February.

 

[uNsaiN]

WHAT!?? I hate CD's, epecially when there are 5 of them or however many there are.

 

[The Merlin]

Right now the big stink at Valve is the DVD edition, which they're bytching over. So yer stuck with the CDs until at least February.

Do you know what the big deal is over the DVD edition?

 

[ShoobieRat]

Do you know what the big deal is over the DVD edition?

Whether or not to release a DVD version (which reduces the number of discs in the package, but also sets another user requirement: that they have a dVD-ROM), and second, who're they going to get to make them, and third, if they release a DVD edition, what are they going to do as far as marketing goes?

Right now, since Valve has pretty much cut-the-die on HL2, their devs are spinning their wheels. There's a couple of new projects in the queue, including support and add-ons for HL2.

One thing is for sure. When HL2 finally does hit the general market, it's going to explode! The lineup of knowledge and new features is astounding!

Not to mention the possibilities of the engine for making mods!

 

[Jorsoft]

Vivendi will probably cave to enough of what Valve wants to have the game released with decent timing. They can't say no to that much money if Valve refuses to budge. I'd buy it :>

 

[ShoobieRat]

Valve's people never got along well with them, though. They know they need money desperately. I'd be willing to bet that Valve does find a way to sell HL2 but ALSo finds a way to roast Vivendi at the same time.

 

[Harper]

According to this GameSpot article, court filings show that Vivendi Universal could hold Half-Life 2 hostage for up to six months! What the hell?!?! This sucks!

Valve is not having much luck HL2

(which reduces the number of discs in the package, but also sets another user requirement: that they have a dVD-ROM),

But WHO on this planet have a Serious Gaming Rig with out a DVD Rom? Also DVD Drives are next to nothing now days.

Over all, I would rather I pick up 1 DVD as appose to 6 CDs. I am quite sure we all have out little horror stories where we lost 1 install disk for an entire game.