if we have it?!

[kacation_man]

I dont understand... if you can pre-load and pre-purchase Sin then how come you cant just play it? i mean... if you have the game on you PC "in lock mode ( or whatever) " why dont they just take that "lock mode" off if you paid for it? is it cuz they're still work'n out bugs or what?

 

[loadqm]

It's probably because of the retail package.

 

[Ghil]

first, it gives the opportunity to developers to iron out everything while receiving a little money

but the real reason is that the Retail package ain't ready yet, so to make everything perfect, it will all be released the same day ^^

 

[ríomhaire]

Because Steam says that it isn't ready to play yet so to make it work before you would have to get it off Steam, something that probably isn't easy, especially because it probably shares files with all your other Source games.

 

[Ghil]

oh and it gives the opportunity to be ready to play when it's out (imagine if everyone paid and downloaded the first day the game is released...youch.)

 

[Sui]

oh and it gives the opportunity to be ready to play when it's out (imagine if everyone paid and downloaded the first day the game is released...youch.)

Yes, this is the main reason. They want the release date to be a day when everyone can just start playing as soon as possible - so they give us a chance to download the game beforehand.

Oh, and release dates are specific for a reason. Developers are very careful to release games so that they don't conflict with another big release (for instance, releasing a medicore shooter on the same week as Half-Life 2 is suicide, because everyone will just buy Half-Life 2 and will have no money left for other games). I imagine this is also the reason Half-Life 2: Episode One is bieng released on the 1st of June instead of right now. I'm pretty sure Valve have 100% finished Episode One, but seeing as Valve get a cut of whatever money Sin Episodes makes, they want to give SiN Episodes a head start. If they released SiN and Episode One on similiar dates - everyone would just buy Episode One and have no time for SinE!

I'm sure the retail release has very little to do with pre-purchasing.