Real "Half-Life 2"-box?

[TheHade]

I'm a little old-fashioned in that I prefer a physical medium instead of some virtual download as far as media are concerned.
So I'd like to know the following, please:
Is there any English or American version of "Half-Life 2" that also contains "Half-Life 2: Episode One" and "Lost Coast" on CD-ROM or DVD-ROM?
(I heard that "The Orange Box" contains "Half-Life 2" and "Half-Life 2: Episode One" only as Steam coupons. That's why I guess the "Half-Life 2: Holiday 2006 Collection", e.g. is similar in that respect.)
Thank you very much in advance for any help!

 

[tfotdead]

not at the moment, but yeah the chrismas box includes those 2 plus some others (?).
the orange box will include hl2, episode 1,2 TF2, Portal

and lost cost is free for all hl2 owners

 

[TheHade]

Thank you very much for your reply!

not at the moment, but yeah the chrismas box includes those 2 plus some others (?).
the orange box will include hl2, episode 1,2 TF2, Portal

But the the CD-ROMs / DVDs don't contain these secondary titles , do they?
Isn't there just a voucher for free Steam download of these older games games in these packages?

 

[Rapstah]

The DVD(s) will contain all games. Otherwise the console versions would be kind of useless.

 

[Link]

What do you mean "would be"?

 

[Rapstah]

If you didn't get all games, the PS3 and possibly 360 version of the Orange Box wouldn't be downloadable through Steam either, as it's coded for computers.

 

[magiolle]

Still, you have to be connected to the internet and install Steam too to have your games running. Then luckily you can go to offline mode, so you just need to download and patch your games only once. (For example I bought EP1 the day it came out, and needed to download 100 Mb of data, (15 min.) to let me play. Not much, luckily.)

 

[gplzth]

I'm a little old-fashioned in that I prefer a physical medium instead of some virtual download as far as media are concerned.

Interesting... I tend to like the idea of delivering intellectual content in its "native form" without physical packaging. It makes distribution easier and cuts out not only a layer of complexity/cost, but certain middlemen, giving the devs one less group to conform to, and thus more freedom... Especially as games get more expensive to produce.

Your welcome for completely missing your point, btw.

 

[Jintor]

Interesting... I tend to like the idea of delivering intellectual content in its "native form" without physical packaging. It makes distribution easier and cuts out not only a layer of complexity/cost, but certain middlemen, giving the devs one less group to conform to, and thus more freedom... Especially as games get more expensive to produce.

Your welcome for completely missing your point, btw.

Call me old-fashioned (and I'm 15... for another week) but do miss having my expensive box oddities. The thing is I don't like about my box oddities now is the lack of, say, an awesome manual. Or extra crap (no, not extra cd crap) they put in the box, like a map of the in-game world, or a little figurine, or something. Distributors phased that out a while back, and now game boxes suck.

Online Distribution is the way of the future. But I'm going to miss my box'o'games.

 

[TheHade]

If you didn't get all games, the PS3 and possibly 360 version of the Orange Box wouldn't be downloadable through Steam either, as it's coded for computers.

I was referring to the PC version only. I'm sorry for not being specific enough.

Interesting... I tend to like the idea of delivering intellectual content in its "native form" without physical packaging. It makes distribution easier and cuts out not only a layer of complexity/cost, but certain middlemen, giving the devs one less group to conform to, and thus more freedom... Especially as games get more expensive to produce.

To be honest with you to me it's more important not to have to download a complete game time and again but being able to install it from a physical medium in case I play somewhere else or change my hard drive, e.g.

Your welcome for completely missing your point, btw.

Sorry, but I have no idea what you refer to.

Call me old-fashioned (and I'm 15... for another week) but do miss having my expensive box oddities. The thing is I don't like about my box oddities now is the lack of, say, an awesome manual. Or extra crap (no, not extra cd crap) they put in the box, like a map of the in-game world, or a little figurine, or something. Distributors phased that out a while back, and now game boxes suck.

Online Distribution is the way of the future. But I'm going to miss my box'o'games.

I agree with you! :thumbs:

 

[nokori3byo]

Call me old-fashioned (and I'm 15... for another week) but do miss having my expensive box oddities. The thing is I don't like about my box oddities now is the lack of, say, an awesome manual. Or extra crap (no, not extra cd crap) they put in the box, like a map of the in-game world, or a little figurine, or something. Distributors phased that out a while back, and now game boxes suck.

Online Distribution is the way of the future. But I'm going to miss my box'o'games.

Aw man, I'm old enough to remember the Lucasfilm flight sims from the early 90s. They came with huge, photo-packed manuals, written historical synopses of major battles, fascinating anecdotes, vehicle/weapon profiles that were as detailed as Jane's Defense Weekly. I guess it's all a little unnecessary in the age of readily-accessible info online, but I still miss those expensively-produced extras.

 

[Darkside55]

I think the Holiday Pack actually has HL2 and EpOne on CD...not Lost Coast though. I could be wrong; I'm not going to open the thing to find out. I bought the Holiday Pack just for the box, so it's likely going to stay closed.

Call me old-fashioned (and I'm 15... for another week) but do miss having my expensive box oddities. The thing is I don't like about my box oddities now is the lack of, say, an awesome manual. Or extra crap (no, not extra cd crap) they put in the box, like a map of the in-game world, or a little figurine, or something. Distributors phased that out a while back, and now game boxes suck.

Online Distribution is the way of the future. But I'm going to miss my box'o'games.

They'll never take my boxes away! Never! Damn online distribution to hell!

(Well, not really; I actually think it's a great idea but I'd never buy a game digitally unless I absolutely HAD to)

And thirded on the cool extras boxes used to come with. Also, preorders. Remember when preordering a game meant something? Something other than, "You have your copy reserved." Used to be there were incentives; at the least you'd get a t-shirt. Preordering Metal Gear Solid at certain places got you the soundtrack. They don't do that stuff anymore.

At least HL2 kinda did it, with the Gold package and the collector's edition that came with an HL2 t-shirt.

Game developers need to realize that we gamers go for that stuff. I shelled out $70 for City of Villains just for some figurines and an artbook, and I only played the game for a month. I enjoyed the swag more than the game itself.

 

[Jintor]

HL2 Collectors back was the beginning of the end (for me). After I bought that home with money I had saved (Saved, damnit! I went without lunch for 4 months!), I opened my sweet, sweet box I got from EB and took out... Half-Life 2 (natch), A shitty 'teaser' for a combined Raising the Bar/Prima Guide, and a card telling me basic keyboard controls. Oh, and a t-shirt that didn't fit me.

Damn distributors!

Yeah, I got the figurines and Artbook for CoV too, Darkseid. And San Andreas's guidebook/manual, that was cool. Hardcover, too!

 

[TheHade]

I heard that "The Orange Box" contains "Half-Life 2" and "Half-Life 2: Episode One" only as Steam coupons. That's why I guess the "Half-Life 2: Holiday 2006 Collection", e.g. is similar in that respect.

I just received the following reply on the "Half-Life 2: Holiday 2006 Collection" from a seller:

Half-Life 2 is on the DVD-ROM, Half-Life 1 Source and Half-Life 2 Episode 1 have to be downloaded from steam for free.

 

[Apocalypse89]

To be honest with you to me it's more important not to have to download a complete game time and again but being able to install it from a physical medium in case I play somewhere else or change my hard drive, e.g.

Steam does allow you to make physical back-ups of your downloaded games...

 

[TheHade]

Steam does allow you to make physical back-ups of your downloaded games...

Thank you, I know - but I only own a DVD-ROM drive instead of a DVD burner ...

 

[kupocake]

Not sure I can get around this whole 'box AND disc need' thing. The Orange Box has the associated art and titles of all the games you want (a visual proof of purchase), so it's clearly the disc you're after... but how is the effectively intangible series of digital information contained on the discs (in non playable form) any different from the data on your hard disc? Why not just burn Steam backups of all the additional games? I do understand the significance of having a tangible product: I'd never buy music albums online, I need the case and the booklet... but for Half-Life's part, I'd have to simply complain that the Half-Life 2 era boxart has always been crap, and the slip of paper that passes for a manual is comical.

I'm getting Orange Box on Steam because it's coming out 9 days earlier in the UK... I think i'll get the Orange Box Prima Guide though, that's a far more interesting piece of merch. You could put money from not buying Half-life and Episode One twice towards something a lot more rewarding.

 

[Tuskin]

Also having the box with a CD Key, is good proof if you have your account stolen. You can take a picture of the CD Key and Valve can cross check it with your account.

 

[kupocake]

Also having the box with a CD Key, is good proof if you have your account stolen. You can take a picture of the CD Key and Valve can cross check it with your account.

I wonder if there is a correlation between the amount of people buying retail, and the amount of people foolish enough to get phished...

 

[Operational]

Also having the box with a CD Key, is good proof if you have your account stolen.

And credit card details aren't?
Valve will accept either if your account is hijacked
http://support.steampowered.com/cgi-bin/steampowered.cfg/php/enduser/std_adp.php?p_faqid=197