Half-Life 2 has gone gold!

[Nomad25055]

Half-Life 2 has finally gone gold and is slated for release on November 16! Don't believe me you say? Well look for yourself VUGAMES.COM

[Swiss Mercenary]

Half-Life 2 has finally gone gold and is slated for release on November 16!  Don't believe me you say? Well look for yourself VUGAMES.COM
[right][snapback]57699[/snapback][/right]

I'm still not cashing in my wagers on this game never coming out! From my COLD, DEAD HANDS, I say!

[[wcip]Angel]

Half-Life 2 has finally gone gold and is slated for release on November 16!  Don't believe me you say? Well look for yourself VUGAMES.COM
[right][snapback]57699[/snapback][/right]

Do they mention a year?

I clicked on the link to vugames.com, but couldn't find the information.

[pakman]

This release date is set in Jell-O. They said two years ago it was coming out last September, then the code got "stolen." Then they said by May this year, when that past they said middle-late summer, now that has past and they are saying Nov. 16th. I will only believe is when I have the box containing HL2 in my hands, all 5 cd's of it. I don't trust anything over Steam seeing as it's a crappy system, and will never buy anything from it. Best Buy and Fry's will be my best friends on Nov. 16th (supposedly). :)

[Zippyy]

They said two years ago it was coming out last September, then the code got "stolen."  ... I don't trust anything over Steam seeing as it's a crappy system, and will never buy anything from it.

Name one thing about Steam, in its present state, that is crappy. The "Friends Network" is off limits. You also get to play Counter Strike: Source. Right now. Yes, you could be playing CS:S right now. Steam has matured into a great system. Digital delivery is the future of gaming.

Oh, and the code didn't get "stolen", it got leaked. Not tight enough security on their network. Hackers, last I heard.

Besides, the game has gone gold. It's out of Valve's hands. Any delays will be because CD production could take longer than they plan, or if Vivendi decides to delay it for any reason.

Edit: Dropkick Murphys B)

[Artega]

I still fail to see how the source code from your program getting leaked requires a two-year delay. And if the code HAD been leaked, don't you think we would have seen SOMETHING using it by now?

I agree with pakman's skepticism (making an assumption here) that the code wasn't actually leaked, but Valve needed more time but didn't want to upset people whose lives revolved around HL2's release date.

[Nomad25055]

The source code "leak" was just part of it all. They really needed more time to finish the game. And as for the link to vugames there was a banner on there saying HL 2 is set to be released on Nov. 16 2004. As the banner is no longer there I will give a link to VERC. Collective

EDIT: I forgot to mention that there will be two diferent versions of the game. One on CD's (I believe there are four total), and one on DVD. I am certain you only get the DVD version if you buy the Collectors Edition which comes with a few extras.

[Zippyy]

No no no, I didn't mean to imply that the game was finished and the leak was the only reason for the delay, although that was how it sounded. I meant that the leak was actually a leak. I think Valve has earned enough respect that we shouldn't accuse them of "Hacker-ate-myhomework" excuses when they are going to miss a deadline. Sure, they screwed up by sticking to the Sept 30 '03 release date. Sure, they should have been prompt in saying, "Sorry fellas, the game isn't done," but they weren't. Still, I think it's preposterous to accuse them of staging a leak and involving the FBI in a farce just because they didn't finish their game in time.

Oh, and it was a one year delay, not two.

As for the Collector's Edition, it is also available on Steam, under the name Half Life 2 Gold (alongside Bronze and Silver). I do believe the Steam offer comes with more than the in-stores collector's edition. Gold has a hat, a shirt, strategy guide, soundtrack, three posters, City 17 postcard, and a chance to win a trip to valve. Plus, they ship it all to you in the Collector's Edition box, for all you boxers out there. Also, you get a sticker.

[Guest]

I still fail to see how the source code from your program getting leaked requires a two-year delay.  And if the code HAD been leaked, don't you think we would have seen SOMETHING using it by now?
[right][snapback]57754[/snapback][/right]

Somebody I know tried to download Half Life 2 off of a file sharing program but it turned out to be a virus.

[NuurAbSaal]

Somebody I know tried to download Half Life 2 off of a file sharing program but it turned out to be a virus.
[right][snapback]57835[/snapback][/right]

...

"a friend of mine made this really stupid mistake..."

"I have this friend who has a problem..."

riiiiiiiight


:ph34r:


Nuur

[Swiss Mercenary]

Name one thing about Steam, in its present state, that is crappy.  The "Friends Network" is off limits.  You also get to play Counter Strike: Source.  Right now.  Yes, you could be playing CS:S right now.  Steam has matured into a great system.  Digital delivery is the future of gaming.

Oh, and the code didn't get "stolen", it got leaked.  Not tight enough security on their network.  Hackers, last I heard.

Besides, the game has gone gold.  It's out of Valve's hands.  Any delays will be because CD production could take longer than they plan, or if Vivendi decides to delay it for any reason.

Edit:  Dropkick Murphys  B)
[right][snapback]57750[/snapback][/right]

Not so much a Steam issue, but from what it appears, you need to go through Steam to even play single-player in Half-life 2.

No thanks. Just out of the principle of it all, no thanks.

[Zippyy]

Not so much a Steam issue, but from what it appears, you need to go through Steam to even play single-player in Half-life 2.

No thanks. Just out of the principle of it all, no thanks.
[right][snapback]57905[/snapback][/right]

If you buy it through, Steam, of course. You can't expect to buy it through Steam and then not use Steam. If you go retail, no. I mean, it may launch the game from Steam, but all it is is a launcher in that respect. You will never be required to be connected to the network to play single player.

[Swiss Mercenary]

If you buy it through, Steam, of course.  You can't expect to buy it through Steam and then not use Steam.  If you go retail, no.  I mean, it may launch the game from Steam, but all it is is a launcher in that respect.  You will never be required to be connected to the network to play single player.
[right][snapback]57951[/snapback][/right]

Funny, but information about it seems notoriously difficult to find...

But I sure won't be dishing out any money before I see it.

[Zippyy]

Funny, but information about it seems notoriously difficult to find...

Information about what?

Oh, and it turns out I was wrong, you are required to authenticate your copy of HL2 via steam even if you buy retail. You only have to do this during installation, and after installation you will never have to be connected to the Steam network to play.

source: Gamespy interview with Doug Lombardi http://pc.gamespy.com/pc/half-life-2/558931p1.html

[pakman]

Oh, and it turns out I was wrong, you are required to authenticate your copy of HL2 via steam even if you buy retail.  You only have to do this during installation, and after installation you will never have to be connected to the Steam network to play.

What about those people that don't have access to the internet? It's a stretch, but there are still some out there that have kick-ass computers but still no cable or DSL connection. Personally, if this game was coming out over the summer, it would have caused me problems since when I'm not at Purdue, I have a dial-up at home on one computer at 28.8. Making people validate over steam is a bad idea even though it is still going to happen. There are going to be cracked version available on Suprnova the day it come out, and they will come with cd-key generators.

[Swiss Mercenary]

Information about what?

Oh, and it turns out I was wrong, you are required to authenticate your copy of HL2 via steam even if you buy retail.  You only have to do this during installation, and after installation you will never have to be connected to the Steam network to play.

source: Gamespy interview with Doug Lombardi http://pc.gamespy.com/pc/half-life-2/558931p1.html
[right][snapback]57978[/snapback][/right]

That's the entire problem. Hence, my personal boycott of anything Steam.

If CD-Keys can be generated, what's so different about "Authentication keys", I wonder, hrm?

That, and as the following poster outlined, such a system won't have any real effect.

Thanks, but no thanks about the game. If I could make a list of any game that I *know* I will never get, it will be Half-Life 2.

[Zippyy]

If CD-Keys can be generated, what's so different about "Authentication keys", I wonder, hrm?

Well, CD keys are based on parameters that the key must follow, whereas authentication keys are in a database of pregenerated random keys. This means no algorithms. When you enter your authentication key into Steam, it checks it against the database to see if it's a valid key. This means no keygens.

Above paragraph is totally speculation. I have no evidence except the assumption that Valve is not retarded. :)

Of course, there will be cracked versions of HL2, but with no multiplayer component. Then, cracked servers will appear. Still, the game does go a long way towards preventing piracy.

I don't really understand your aversion to online distribution, or why you would refuse to play a fantastic game just because it requires a net connection during installation. To each his own :)

[pakman]

I sincerely hope that I do not have to pay for DoD or any mod that they made with the Source engine. I will be disappointed to find out that I can't play probably the best Half Life mod if I don't pay for it. They were free to start with, why start charging now? Counter Strike comes with the game, but it's probably included within the retail price. I can see paying for the original Half Life remade with the source engine/graphics, but not DoD, TFC, NS, etc.

I think that most people that download cracked versions of games have no intent of playing them multiplayer. For exmaple, I got Halo to play through the game to see what the story actually was, and so that I was up to snuff on the story in Halo 2. Now that Halo 2 has been leaked, it is a really cool game, my buddy down the hall has it. Halo 2 makes Halo look like a NES game, it also has a hell of a lot better story. Also, I think they took out the multiplayer Half Life that was in the first one, but don't quote me on that. So why do you need a connection to validate it then? Valve knows that there will be cracked versions. The validation is like gun laws, it's for the people that aren't going to break the DMCA in the first place.

[Zippyy]

I sincerely hope that I do not have to pay for DoD or any mod that they made with the Source engine.  I will be disappointed to find out that I can't play probably the best Half Life mod if I don't pay for it. They were free to start with, why start charging now?  Counter Strike comes with the game, but it's probably included within the retail price.  I can see paying for the original Half Life remade with the source engine/graphics, but not DoD, TFC, NS, etc.

As far as I know, there hasn't been a TFC: Source or NS: Source announced yet. Doug Lombardi did say that they plan on porting over all the popular old mods.

The Steam purchase options are on the main page of the Steam website, www.steampowered.com. Retail is equivalent to Silver, Collector's Edition is equivalent to Gold.

You are correct, there is no "Half-Life 2 Multiplayer." The multiplayer component of HL2 is Counter-Strike: Source. This means no multiplayer with HL2 weapons until a mod team makes it. Also, this means no coop. Doom 3 and HL2, both with no coop. Why can't developers get it through their thick skulls that coop is really f***ing fun, and we want it. :(