Half-Life 2 Update

November 13, 2004 4:58 PM

626

Here is your brief statement from Valve Software on the current situation. As suspected it appears to be in VU's hands to let the game be unlocked:

Half-Life 2 For Sale?
November 13, 2004, 4:57 pm
If you have purchased a copy of Half-Life 2, we are sorry you are still waiting to play. This is not Valve's choice. Vivendi is insisting that the game has not yet been released, and has threatened that Valve would be in violation of its contract if we activate the Half-Life 2 Steam authentication servers at this time.

Thanks for your patience and we will update you when we have more news to share.

Steve Gibson

Steve Gibson is the cofounder of Shacknews.com. Originally known as sCary's Quakeholio back in 1996, Steve is now President of Gearbox Publishing after selling Shacknews to GameFly in 2009.

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cupojava

 reply
November 13, 2004 4:59 PM

I HATE VIVENDI
- jerenity
  
   reply
  November 13, 2004 5:03 PM
  
  for something that wasnt their fault?
  - jhof
    
     reply
    November 13, 2004 5:04 PM
    
    OH DO EXPLAIN!
    - [deleted] 498475715
      
       reply
      November 13, 2004 5:05 PM
      
      [deleted]
      - jhof
        
         reply
        November 13, 2004 5:06 PM
        
        Fair enough... =\
      - xilulus
        
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        November 13, 2004 5:09 PM
        
        But it's been released. Vivendi is insisting it hasn't been released.
        
        jerenity
        
         reply
        November 13, 2004 5:10 PM
        
        it has NOT been released.
        
        Malum
        
         reply
        November 13, 2004 5:11 PM
        
        Go down to best buy and say that in front of the empty display...
        
        jhof
        
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        November 13, 2004 5:12 PM
        
        Naw, offcially no, and it sucks. Though I HIGHLY doubt Best Buy has been Mis-informed, I'm thinking this is a game of get CEOs doing something on a weekend issues.
        
        NastyJack
        
         reply
        November 13, 2004 5:13 PM
        
        Dude. Think.
        
        The only way for Vivendi to stop this from happening (early releases) would be to not let games show up at the stores until the day they are supposed to be sold. Then we'd all be getting fucked much worse by delays and things.
        
        Cpt. Baseballbat
        
         reply
        November 13, 2004 5:15 PM
        
        And Iraq has not been invaded....
        
        osiris_brad
        
         reply
        November 13, 2004 5:45 PM
        
        http://gonnas.nerdtundra.com/files/notreleased.jpg
        
        [deleted] 498475715
        
         reply
        November 13, 2004 5:48 PM
        
        [deleted]
  - ferraro
    
     reply
    November 13, 2004 5:04 PM
    
    OH FUCK THAT!
  - [deleted] 1575822246
    
     reply
    November 13, 2004 5:12 PM
    
    [deleted]
    - jhof
      
       reply
      November 13, 2004 5:13 PM
      
      So true, it's not even funnay.
      - ann0yanc3
        
         reply
        November 13, 2004 5:14 PM
        
        I'm not laughing.
    - NastyJack
      
       reply
      November 13, 2004 5:16 PM
      
      Oh the drama! Oh the humanity! You poor guy. Make me want to weep for you because some people selling the game put it out on the shelves before it's RELEASE DATE that we ALL KNEW ABOUT LONG AGO.
      
      You can wait. I can wait. Vivendi made a release date for the game that as publisher they have every single right to do. Stores broke that release date and now you're mad at Vivendi for that. Christ.
      - KungFuKenobi
        
         reply
        November 13, 2004 5:22 PM
        
        No. He's pretty much just mad about the principle that some corporate bullshit is holding him up from playing something he and many others have already purchased, especially unknowing everyday consumers.
        
        In fact, this whole ordeal has made me choose to purchase digitally, so that hopefully in the far-flung future none of us have to deal with this "street date' bullshit ever again.
      - Gonnas
        
         reply
        November 13, 2004 5:22 PM
        
        Vivendi have a responsibility to make sure that they hold up their end of the bargain. Their end of the bargain involves the game being released upon the release date they give after the game has gone gold. Not before, not after. On the date. In failing to do this, they should lose all legal recourse when it comes to Valve allowing the people BUYING the game to become people PLAYING the game.
        
        Yes, the stores are partially to blame, but so are Vivendi.
    - xilulus
      
       reply
      November 13, 2004 5:17 PM
      
      good post.
    - stelth
      
       reply
      November 13, 2004 5:17 PM
      
      Well said.
    - delataur
      
       reply
      November 13, 2004 5:25 PM
      
      RIAA'd
      - [deleted] 1575822246
        
         reply
        November 13, 2004 5:30 PM
        
        [deleted]
- xilulus
  
   reply
  November 13, 2004 5:04 PM
  
  Signed.
- Concrete
  
   reply
  November 13, 2004 5:05 PM
  
  wow, what an evil partner........I hope vendi's HQ burns ala Office Space.
  - TabsAZ
    
     reply
    November 13, 2004 5:08 PM
    
    I hope everyone able to buys the game from Steam - this is utter crap - one of the largest electronics chains in the country (BB) is selling it, on shelves with displays etc, and these assclowns are saying that it's not their fault?
    
    Release dates are such crap - if a store has the game they should be able to sell and the people buying should be able to play - simple as that.
- nyx5000
  
   reply
  November 13, 2004 5:07 PM
  
  i would like to add the the anti-vivendi sentiment
- Entity
  
   reply
  November 13, 2004 5:49 PM
  
  I hope steam takes off like wildfire, so that developers can tell these bloodsucking useless publishers to go and fuck themselves. Albeit, this will be quite a ways down the road, but hopefully Steam is what gets the ball rolling.
  - jazz_uc
    
     reply
    November 13, 2004 11:13 PM
    
    I really wish the gaming community was a little more mature in general. Everyone is forgetting the basic rules of commerce: u need money to make anything or start and run a business. Traditionally banks offer loans that help fund companies, when they expand they go public to get money(investment) from people like u and me in the stock market. In the entertainment industry (game included) publishers take up this role but they also play other important roles that only someone with lots of money can do (read publishers) they market (advertise) the game so ppl know about it in the first place (would u buy a game that u don't know anything about?)
    
    The point is, we are seeing the problem from our perspective as customers, u have to think of everyone involved:
    Developer
    Publisher
    Retail stores
    
    If the game is unlocked in Steam, the retailers are afraid that a LOT of their customers would turn to steam JUST so they can play immediately. The retailer looses their revenue. The publisher VU in this case has nothing to gain or loose since they get a cut of steam sales I'm sure. VU jeapordises its relations with them if they let steam unlock before the official release date (that or let them all release it now, but there may be stores that cannot do it right away and stand to loose (read unfair))
    
    The genesis of this whole problem IMO is Valve signing that they would publish their next title under VU in their initial contract for HL1 (from an article) so even though they funded HL2 themselves they still need to publish under VU so its a sticky situation with Steam (hence the law suit)
    
    sorry for the long post.