Do you think Valve will release HL2 on Steam first...?

[craig]

I mean, if they did give Steam a few days head start over the store date, it would certainly curve Piracy quite a bit, and would also mean that everyone gets the game at the same time?

What better way to test out this content delivery system they've been praising for the last couple of years, which to be honest I'm not all that impressed with.

If they did release early on Steam, I think it would mean less illegal copies of the game would exist anyway.

 

[Feath]

Nope, they are going to release Half-Life 2 on Steam on the same day it gets released in shops.

 

[Lobster]

As soon as the game is released on steam, the retailers will be allowed to sell it, it may take a day or two to filter through, and probbally a week if your ordering it (from experience)

 

[epmode]

it may take a day or two to filter through

i doubt that very much. vivendi would go apeshit.

half-life 2 will be in stores the same day it goes live over steam.

 

[chriso20]

I hope that the game gets released on steam at like 9am, because i'm one of these ppl who sleeps whilst on th pc, so i'l be hearing "OMFG IT ROCKS" at like 4 in the morning when sum1 downloads it, but i cant buy it until the shop opens

 

[Letters]

I hope that the game gets released on steam at like 9am, because i'm one of these ppl who sleeps whilst on th pc, so i'l be hearing "OMFG IT ROCKS" at like 4 in the morning when sum1 downloads it, but i cant buy it until the shop opens

How... nice... of you...

 

[wonkers]

If you have to ask that question you don't know a whole lot about HL2.

+ There will be just as many illegal copies because people stole the CSs beta. Which mean they could possibly steal HL2 the same way.

On a side note. MP will get harder and harder to have with steam and VAC. They may steal single player but Steam may find a way to completly stop MP piracy. (that's being optimistic)

 

[RoguePsi]

Yes, as mentioned, Steam will release the game (or technically 'unlock' it after it's preload) on the same day as it's released in stores. Whether or not that means at 12am that day or 9am, we don't know. Also, its unknown if time difference comes into play (i.e. europe getting it 5 or so hours before the US), but it probably won't happen that way.

I don't understand how releasing the game over steam first would curb the amount of illegal copies.

 

[Chris D]

The reason why they're not doing it is because the publishers would lose out on a lot of money and Vivendi own the rights to publish Half-Life games so Valve can't change publishers, or indeed solely distribute on Steam.

I have a feeling that any projects Valve make in the future that are unrelated to HL will probably be published by Activision (who published DOD for them).

 

[chimpmunk]

The reason why they're not doing it is because the publishers would lose out on a lot of money and Vivendi own the rights to publish Half-Life games so Valve can't change publishers, or indeed solely distribute on Steam.

I have a feeling that any projects Valve make in the future that are unrelated to HL will probably be published by Activision (who published DOD for them).

good, as long as it's not EA

 

[Head_Crab_04]

The reason why they're not doing it is because the publishers would lose out on a lot of money and Vivendi own the rights to publish Half-Life games so Valve can't change publishers, or indeed solely distribute on Steam.

I have a feeling that any projects Valve make in the future that are unrelated to HL will probably be published by Activision (who published DOD for them).

Defeats the purpose of steam. If it were released we would not have to wait for the gold process. Does Valve really need a publisher to release HL2? And since Valve developed HL, how does the publisher get the right to decide when it gets released on Steam?

 

[EVIL]

Its up to valve to decide when to release it. I think if vivendi had its way they would have wanted HL² out the door yesterday and use valves nifty steam to handel the bug fixes. But I guess Valve wants a spotfree HL² @ release so they are taking their time.

 

[Epsi]

Without knowing the exact nature of the contract between Valve and Vivendi, it's hard to tell what Valve is/isn't allowed to do.

But there are some clear facts.

1. Valve wants as many people as possible to buy the game via Steam. They make more money that way.

2. It's technicaly feasible to have the game release on Steam the very day it goes gold, or a few days after.

3. Valve want a retail release because it's just not feasible for everyone to get the game via Steam, i.e. people with 56k connections, or no connections at all, or those who just prefer a hard copy.

4. Valve had DoD published with Activision, but yet they're publishing HL2 with Vivendi.


I reckon that given these facts, it's logical that Valve are contractually obliged to publish with Vivendi, otherwise they'd be with another publisher like Activision, and are also contractually obliged to not release over Steam earlier than the retail release, or they probably would be, to generate more Steam sales. However, they have got a good enough contract to allow them to be in direct competition with Vivendi for sales.

It's a shame really, that they're contractually obliged to Vivendi. Otherwise, the publishing rights would be out on the free market, and Valve has enough power in this situation to make any publisher agree to a pretty good deal. They're financially independant, and HL2 is likely to sell by the bucketload, even with competition from Steam.