No Release Date Confirmed

[rec]

German Half-Life 2 website, Planet-HL2 Community recently published a news post promoting that Half-Life 2 would be released on the 12th of Nobember.

This date seems to have swept fan-sites and forums alike with rash debates flaring about its authenticity. Unfortunately, it has now been made clear that their source was a community member who saw 11/12/03 on GameStop, online games retailing giant. This is far from concrete confirmation.

We must remind all community members that the chances of this date being inacurate are rather high. At this stage, games retailers know as little about the release date as you and I. The last date delivered by Valve themselves was "holiday season", while an official statement from Vivendi tells us that an April 2004 release is to be expected.

 

[Murray]

I tought so.
My bet is still for April 2004.
(If one expects the worse, things can only get better.)
[EDIT:] Typo

 

[Kadayi]

Heh this release date stuff is one big game of chinese whispers. I'll hold out till Valve actually release a statement.

 

[RoyaleWithCheese]

Gabe mailed me that this whole thing is bogus:


From: Gabe Newell [SMTP:[email protected]]
To: DeusEx2
Cc:

Subject: RE: Please read this: http://www.halflife2.net/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=13001
Sent: 17-10-2003 20:44
Importance: Normal
bogus

-----Original Message-----
From: DeusEx2
Sent: Friday, October 17, 2003 7:54 AM
To: Gabe Newell
Subject: Please read this:
http://www.halflife2.net/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=13001
Importance: High

Hi Gabe,

http://www.halflife2.net/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=13001


can you confirm this by posting in www.halflife2.net?


Thanks,

DeusEx2

 

[oD1Nz]

Originally posted by DeusEx2
Gabe mailed me that this whole thing is bogus:

From: Gabe Newell [SMTP:[email protected]]
To: DeusEx2
Subject: RE: Please read this: http://www.halflife2.net/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=13001
Sent: 17-10-2003 20:44
Importance: Normal

bogus

Geez, Gabe actually replies to you?

Anyway, I think this entire release date ordeal showing some big holes in the way VALVe makes games - what ever happened to project management?

I mean, if they had actually employed someone reasonable, they would have picked up on security holes, possible delays, everything.

I doubt any of this leakage would have happened if the project was properly planned and managed.

[Edit: Speeling ]

 

[X-Bond 007]

Actually the release date is true, Call Gamestop and ask them. They have it listed for 11-12-03 release.

 

[bastard_loud]

Gamestop doesn't know shit, X-Bond.
That's what this whole thread is about.

 

[DreamThrall]

why is everyone making such a big deal about this? game retailers have been posting ludicrous release dates for the last 3 or 4 months, at LEAST. why is this suddenly news?

 

[Dhoco X]

Ihh, i can see it now.

"HL2 delay confirmed to april 1"

 

[crabcakes66]

Originally posted by X-Bond 007
Actually the release date is true, Call Gamestop and ask them. They have it listed for 11-12-03 release.

......vendors know nothing......

 

[Vigil]

Just to provide factual discredit to X-Bond, the following companies provide these release dates for us currently:

Gamestop: 11/12
EBgames: 11/27
Amazon: 4/18

Now, if that isn't a range I dont know what is.

 

[Shift]

Can't they just officially provide a release date? Accurate or not accurate, delayable or non-delayable, so the fans can keep their mind from going crazy?

 

[Dr. Shim]

I don't care if it's bogus! Somebody on the street can tell me, "Oh, tomorrow it's released," and I'd believe them. I'm a desparate human being! I know I'm a loser, BUT A DESPARATE ONE.

 

[pblse]

The strangest thing is that valve refuses to make an official comment on the subject, they have had a couple of weeks now to analyze potential issues with the source leak so there should be no problem coming out with more detailed answers than "bogus".

The arrogance valve is showing right now is amazing.

 

[toast]

So if all these dates are wrong, why keep posting them?
"By the way, the release dates all the vendors are posting are still false"

Okay!

 

[Vigil]

I'm not entirely sure how silence can be construed as arrogance...

True Valve may have had a few weeks to make a general assessment of the damage done, but is a few weeks enough time to pour over tens of thousands of lines of code? In truth, I don't think any of us can say how long it would take with any amount of accuracy. There are two other reasons I can imagine Valve might not talk at this point:

1> They don't want to committ to another release date, because every time they've missed a release thus far they've been flamed unbelievably by the community. Why provide a date you can't be sure you'll hit?

2> As far as I'm aware (and I'm not horribly aware, since I don't work for the company), this is an ongoing criminal investigation, one which may call for a non-disclosure agreement. I know this sounds a bit rediculous in terms of a release date, but it may provide why they haven't said much else about the theft.

That's just my $0.02 though. It frustrates me a little to see people call silence arrogance (I'm not attacking you, you aren't the first I've seen call it that). I think it's perfectly alright that they bottle up and get a real feeling for what exactly has happened. If that helps them keep the flaming down, and allows them to focus on their work so be it. I can wait a little while to hear what's going on.

Now, if it came to be three months down the line and we still havent' heard anything...well, maybe then you can call it arrogance. =)

 

[[NPR]Noah Adams]

The whole thing is pretty tragic, because by the time HL2 actually ships, the rest of the "next wave" FPS games will be hitting store shelves (D3, maybe Stalker). The first to market with a decent new shooter is going to own.

 

[The Brick]

Originally posted by [NPR]Noah Adams
The whole thing is pretty tragic, because by the time HL2 actually ships, the rest of the "next wave" FPS games will be hitting store shelves (D3, maybe Stalker). The first to market with a decent new shooter is going to own.

you're right, but it may be that those games may be delayed as well. wich i think it will happen to unleast one of them.

 

[himself]

its not a german community. its an austrian community ;O

anyways, i dont care.

 

[killahsin-[CE]]

pblse valve cant comment.

eople need to realize this is a legal matter now.

 

[rec]

Oh, obviously some of you didn't understand the point of this news item...

No retailers know the exact release date. They know as much as us, at the moment, which is

The last date delivered by Valve themselves was "holiday season", while an official statement from Vivendi tells us that an April 2004 release is to be expected.

 

[cpt.oneeye]

i have heard that people who have preordered hl2 at gamestop.com have been especially informed by gamestop that the date will be the 12th of November.

is this true? does anyone preordered the game there and get this information?

 

[Dr. Shim]

Why should Gabe, or anyone else from Valve, give another faulty release-date because we want it now. Release dates are tough, hell, even Microsoft misses their dates too.

It's a hard thing. So, I'd suggest we keep it cool until someone answers, which I'm sure won't be for a while.
Sob... sob... sniff... Waaaaaaa!

 

[TwwIX]

Update!They still claim that this really might be true http://www.planet-hl2.at/hl2/ Well we'll find out in a couple of days i guess.:|

 

[rec]

Originally posted by cpt.oneeye
i have heard that people who have preordered hl2 at gamestop.com have been especially informed by gamestop that the date will be the 12th of November.

is this true? does anyone preordered the game there and get this information?

Arr... Did you even read the post?

I've pre-ordered at my local retailer and they assure me they'll have my copy by November 1st.

Unfortunately, they're talking out of their arses, just like every other retailer.

 

[SIN55]

Originally posted by Dhoco X
Ihh, i can see it now.

"HL2 delay confirmed to april 1"

And then on that day Gabe sends an email to gaming site saying: "April fools!!! There is no Half-life 2! It was all a publicity stunt for our new huggable headcrab dolls coming out!

 

[zed]

I can see 3 game retailers having similar dates now.

EBGames 11/27
Amazon 12/01
GamePlay 11/28

However, I wouldn't put too much belief in that.

Since VU is the publisher, I am quite sure they know what they are talking about. Right now they are not in a strong financial position and I am sure they would like to see it out as soon as possible. Bringing it to stores this holiday season would have given them more sales potential than at any other time of the year.

But just imagine the number of important meetings they must have had with Valve after the source code got leaked.... I am sure they were trying everything to save the release date. But as financially hurting as it might be for them, they had to conclude - together with Valve - that it's imopssible for the developer to deliver this year.

I also think ATI will be hurt majorly by this delay as well. Now the $6 mill they invested in Valve in order to bundle their line of XTs this holiday season will not bring them as much profits as they would have hoped. HL2 would have been a vid card seller. If nVidia comes out with something better before April - which I am sure they will since they have to stay competitive -, than ATI will lose out even more. I wonder if they would put any pressure on Valve.... or at least ask for a chunk of their $6 mill back...

 

[alco]

Yeah, but then why doesn't Valve just come out and confirm Vivendi's statement?

Vivendi and Valve don't seem to have the best communication. Unless it's all just a big, very weird publicity stunt.

 

[zed]

I think they have a good communication but Valve's PR is lacking in many aspects.

Vivendi seems to be the realistic one of the two. They are also more upfront. They have been in the software publishing industry for some time and are experienced with different software development companies and how things work in general. I also think that - comparatively speaking - they have a very strong PR department. They are in publishing, it's a must for them.

Valve was trying to be optimistic of the two. The messages they were conveying in the past were clealy reflecting this. They thought they had nothing to lose. Now, more than ever, they are trying to keep it mysterious. They aren't confirming on denying anything because they don't want to burn themselves again.

However, anything that happened in the past and what is happening right now is very unprofessional of a developer that would like to keep the public's respect. They should get better PR people that can make the right decisions on how they should communicate with the outside world.

So far, through these misleading strategies they created more publicity, but made a large percentage of people disrespect them; even severly disrepect them (ie. the Anonymous leaker and majority of ppl who are downloading the 'beta'). If this was a palnned publicity stunt, it backfired majorly. Hope they relize they need to invest more money into their PR department and revamp their strategy.

Getting back to my previous post, another reason why I feel that Vivendi keeps it real is that they have a lot at stake. They don't want to destroy their reputation. Why? Because they are trying to sell the company. Just a few months back, Vu was on the market with the 'potential' of HL2. At that time, buyers weren't offering as much as VU would have liked. VU directors decided to step back until spring wanting to have HL2 out in the holidays and wanting to show buyers some nice financial figures for the quarter. Nothing sells a company better than a shiny book and public respect! If the game won't be released by April, I have a feeling they will have to wait a little longer to put the company on the market once again. They have to keep it real to keep the respect of the public at least until it changes hands...for max $$.

 

[Camon_Draconis]

Originally posted by alco
Yeah, but then why doesn't Valve just come out and confirm Vivendi's statement?

Vivendi and Valve don't seem to have the best communication. Unless it's all just a big, very weird publicity stunt.

Really, I bet that not even Valve know when they're gonna be able to give a well estimated date as to when HL2 will be released. Personally, i don't think that HL2 will be released in November or even before Christmas.


As far as Vivendi goes, I think that them coming out and saying that HL2 will be released in November or even December was just an attempt to keep gamers like us interested and willing to wait just a little longer. What makes me believe this is what zed said about Vivendi and their tight finiancial position. Vivendi is willing to try anything, even if it means posting false release dates. However, I feel that that was a bad move because i know that many of us are losing trust in Vivendi and sometimes even Gabe himself. Really the only thing we can keep doing is to keep hoping that HL2 comes out sometime before North Korea nukes us.

 

[DiSTuRbEd]

Originally posted by Camon_Draconis
As far as Vivendi goes, I think that them coming out and saying that HL2 will be released in November or even December was just an attempt to keep gamers like us interested and willing to wait just a little longer.

How about no. We were probably gonna get HL2 for holiday season, then some schmuck hacked VALVe.

 

[Camon_Draconis]

Originally posted by DiSTuRbEd
How about no. We were probably gonna get HL2 for holiday season, then some schmuck hacked VALVe.

Umm, I thought that the reason that HL2 was postponed for the holiday season was because of the hacker. I know that I read in this forum something about Valve discovering that they had been hacked several weeks before the proposed September 30th release.

 

[DaveLister]

The strangest thing is that valve refuses to make an official comment on the subject, they have had a couple of weeks now to analyze potential issues with the source leak so there should be no problem coming out with more detailed answers than "bogus".

The arrogance valve is showing right now is amazing.

...nor is it to leak news about an on-going criminal investigation (you can probably imagine the trouble that would lead to).

-Valve's Community & Developer Liaison, Chris Bokitch


Valve HAS commented - Valve is in the midst of an ON-GOING CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION...

jumping to conclusions and placing blame with NO evidence, only rumours and speculation - now that IS arraogant!

 

[DiSTuRbEd]

Originally posted by Camon_Draconis
Umm, I thought that the reason that HL2 was postponed for the holiday season was because of the hacker. I know that I read in this forum something about Valve discovering that they had been hacked several weeks before the proposed September 30th release.

No Gabe said he was hoping that is wouldn't leak out, but the hacking didn't cause the delay, they were still working on Steam and finishing up little things in SP.

 

[Raptor_995]

Originally posted by DreamThrall


Ihh, i can see it now.

"HL2 delay confirmed to april 1"

that would be so cool......

7am April 1st 2004: *grumf grumble oooooh* dad i feel like shit im not coming in to work today :bonce: - ok mate get some rest we'll be fine...

7pm April 1st 2004 : *kablamo....woohoo, wow this is incredible. creak of door* FEELING SHITTY AYE!?!?!?!?!:flame:

erm ooh er APRILS FOOLS DAD!:cheese:


THWWWWWWWWAAAACK! :x


would come in so handy cos most people at work trying to make sure i am NOT off work the day HL2 is out!

 

[Dhoco X]

Raptor, you can call me DhocoX, not DreamThrall.

 

[Raptor_995]

soz dude!

went to change it but 15 minutes were well over!!

copied from the wrong guy, simple mistake bud!

erm so yeah, Half Life 2.....*raptor jiggles for a bit and then spontaneously combusts in excitement*