When will steam unlock hl2?

[ivormlf]

Same day as retail launch or ?

 

[Homer]

same day as retail

 

[manny_c44]

You know people who pre-ordered on EB will get there game's 3 days early when it ships while us Steam people (the ones helping out valve) will be stuck waiting for it.

 

[Tyrsenus]

Nov 16th.
10 char.

 

[Ownzed]

Nov 16th.
10 char.

What he said.

 

[Homer]

You know people who pre-ordered on EB will get there game's 3 days early when it ships while us Steam people (the ones helping out valve) will be stuck waiting for it.

No, I dont know that. Should I?

 

[Mujuro]

Three days? Possibly the night before but not three days earlier...

 

[City17Citizen01]

You know people who pre-ordered on EB will get there game's 3 days early when it ships while us Steam people (the ones helping out valve) will be stuck waiting for it.

Thats been the precedent EB has set, in my experience this has been with games that have no 'street date' which HL2 does.

 

[Zento]

How can EB get it before Steam users? It's unlocked all at the same date right?

 

[Homer]

How can EB get it before Steam users? It's unlocked all at the same date right?

Oh yea, I wonder if steam will unlock the game early if you do get a copy.

*edit* By which I mean will you be able to register and then play if you buy a box a day or two early, or will steam stop you.

 

[City17Citizen01]

Retailers will have the game in stock before Nov 16th, the 'street date' or date on which they can sell by contract/law will be Nov 16th, if sold before that date they can face a fine.

 

[Homer]

Retailers will have the game in stock before Nov 16th, the 'street date' or date on which they can sell by contract/law will be Nov 16th, if sold before that date they can face a fine.

But games do get out before the street date all the time. I got diablo 2 all of three days early. And the battlenet servers were already up.

I'm just thinking that since valve has to authenticate the game before you can play there is a good chance they simply wont let you play till the 16th.

 

[alexkraemer]

I've never heard of EBgames releasing games early. Do you have a link?

 

[City17Citizen01]

But games do get out before the street date all the time. I got diablo 2 all of three days early. And the battlenet servers were already up.

I'm just thinking that since valve has to authenticate the game before you can play there is a good chance they simply wont let you play till the 16th.

I agree, I had UT2k3 four days before most retailers (bought from ebagames, as the shipment came in the door, the guy opened up the box and rang me up, no sheit), but EPIC put out a NO Street Date Policy, he who had it could sell it. I hardly doubt that any more the most a street date really does is tells consumers that the game should be in stock at their fav retailer on that date. But who knows, I have had best buy refuse to sell me games with no street date, claiming they had one. :/

That would be funny as heck if the game couldn't be played untill that day, I suspect thats really all that is left with Steam anyhow, just some sort of activation set on a script for some certain time on Nov 16th.

 

[manny_c44]

I'm mostly positive that atleast some people will get it early--I remember people getting PS2's weeks earlier from bungling clerks (and that was a hugely publized launch).

...plus the game will be pirated about a week before, if not earlier. So we'lll be agonzing while bittorrenters play.

 

[scatr99]

Just go to Best Buy a couple days before. I remember when Doom 3 came out Best Buy screwed up and started selling them before they were suppose to and I'm pretty sure they caught hell for it. But hey, maybe they'll screw up again! :thumbs:

 

[Asus]

Since you should be able to install from CD and play without an internet connection, you don't depend on Steam unlocking it for you. Although if you already had Steam and HL2 preloaded then you probably would. That's my take on it.

 

[Retro_X]

Pre-Order: Ships on 11/15/2004

What the quote says. So you'll get it on the 16th.

 

[Arachnyd]

Tons of people got Doom 3 early from places like Best Buy. D3 had a "street date" too, so Activision obviously had to ship everything early so it would be in stock at launch. Stores near the manufacturing facility got it early and many gamers managed to con clerks into selling them to them.

What you do is this:

You: "Wtf, HL2 is supposed to be out now, but its not on the shelves."

Ignorant clerk: "Eh, I think we just got that in but havent put it out yet."

You: "Omg, can you pleeeeaaase go grab me a copy out of the back?"

Clerk: "No problem" OR "sorry, cant do it."

In which case you say

You: "No problem, lemme shake your hand for being such a honest man. Oops, I forgot I had a $20 in that hand! Well, you can hang on to that "

 

[Alientank]

Tomorrow

 

[Griever]

Since you should be able to install from CD and play without an internet connection, you don't depend on Steam unlocking it for you. Although if you already had Steam and HL2 preloaded then you probably would. That's my take on it.

From the Valve info thread:

HL2 [RETAIL] can only be played through Steam and will require an Internet connection, but you will be able to play in Offline mode once you have registered your cd key.

 

[Sunlight]

Yeah, people often tend to think that, on the shipping date, that item is avaliable to buy. It (usually) takes a day, AFTER the shipping date, for the store to actually get the item in. As, it would be rather difficult (costly) for them to ship, and recieve, AND get the items up for sale, all in the same day.

 

[McP485]

So, 12:01 AM PST on November 16th or what?