Half Life 2 not to be released this year?

[bob05]

Half-Life 2's source code leaked last October. Only the game code was circulated on the Internet - no content was included, making it impossible for the source to be played.

On the back of the alleged theft, the game's distributor, Vivendi Universal, said the game would not ship before Christmas, as previously scheduled. Instead, it said, the title would appear some time in 2004.

Ironically, the announcements of the arrests comes a week after it emerged that the game might not be finished this year after all. Half-Life 2's does not appear on Vivendi Universal's mid-year release timetable - a list that includes a number of other titles earmarked for the company's Christmas line-up


http://www.theregister.co.uk/2004/06/11/halflife_2_arrests/

I now hate Valve with a passion. :mad: ;) They need to take the id approach and not blow their horn until they can be sure it will be released within a reasonable time frame.

[bassman]

On the past 6 months loads of people have been buying graphics cards thinking about HL2...should I laugh or cry? :rolleyes:

[bob05]

Originally posted by bassman
On the past 6 months loads of people have been buying graphics cards thinking about HL2...should I laugh or cry? :rolleyes:

Laugh. :p

I've always believed 2 things:

#1. Wait until something is released before you start speculating what will run on it and what won't.

#2. Don't buy any piece of hardware over $200 just for one game, it's just foolishness. :t

[bassman]

It was just a flame prevention, me and my G400 are actually laughing our lungs out :D

[He@t!]

http://www.halflife2.net/forums/showthread.php?t=25450

[Bigjakkstaffa]

Given the recent PR push of late, i woudlnt be suprised if it does get delivered to VU in August. However, i wthen wouldnt be suprised to see VU keep hold of it until the Christmas period for maximum slaes exposure.

--Jakk:t

[Magua]

Its out when its out.

If they don't put out a release date people accuse them of not even being close. If they try to put out their best guess they get flamed when they don't get it out in time. Puts them between a rock and a hard place.

They don't purposely put out false dates. They do their best, live with it.

[bob05]

Originally posted by Magua
If they don't put out a release date people accuse them of not even being close.

But that's the whole point, they weren't even close in September of '03. That was the official release date, and they didn't bother setting back that release date until it was down to the wire. It's like you building a house and the contractor telling you it will be done in 2 or 3 weeks when all that is up is a wooden frame. Granted their may have been weather delays or supply problems, but they don't bother to tell you that until you have already started packing up out of your old house, expecting to move in soon. Yes, that was a very extreme and exaggerated rendition of events, but it gets the point across. Granted, they (Valve) owe me nothing, but where it got sickening (and was the final straw for me as far as respect goes) was when they started bundling HL2 with 9600XT and the 9800XT with probably little intention of even releasing it anytime in the near future. On top of that, a whole generation of cards is going to be released before HL2 is going to be delivered to the people with the previous generation cards. It's just not right.

[Vampiel]

Havent you overlooked something?
Instead, it said, the title would appear some time in 2004

[bob05]

Originally posted by Vampiel
Havent you overlooked something?

Yes, but this announcement was well in September when it was made (at least when I found out about it). And that's assuming it even makes 2004.

[Magua]

True not adjusting their forcasted release dates earlier was probably a mistake, atleast from a marketing standpoint. However, the way I look at it Valve dosen't owe me anything. Don't get me wrong, I am definately looking forward to this title, and assuming it looks good when its finished I will definately buy it. All things considered I would prefer a completed, well done game over a rushed out half finished title ANY day of the week.

[bob05]

Originally posted by Magua
All things considered I would prefer a completed, well done game over a rushed out half finished title ANY day of the week.

There is where I must agree, there are too many half done games floating around in the market today.

[bblqj78]

On the past 6 months loads of people have been buying graphics cards thinking about HL2...should I laugh or cry?

Yep....done that last year for Doom 3 and its still not out YET. Never again will I upgrade for any game!

[Magua]

Especially before any system requirments are released, I really dont think either HL2 or Doom3 will have the killer requirements everyone thinks they will. I predict them to be very similar to FarCry, maybe a bit higher.

[CrazyCrusher]

Originally posted by Bigjakkstaffa
Given the recent PR push of late, i woudlnt be suprised if it does get delivered to VU in August. However, i wthen wouldnt be suprised to see VU keep hold of it until the Christmas period for maximum slaes exposure.

--Jakk:t
me *()*,
there of with the miss leading customers again, if its pushed back to Xmas or 2005 or whatever, you can be sure its just not ready and there making up there little storys yet again.

[Someone Stupid]

To give iD some credit, I don't think they ever published a concrete release date (not to mention stood by it to the bloody end). Valve did and Gabe KNOWINGLY stood by saying the release date until he couldn't say it anymore as the time had passed, then it was blamed on someone else when Gabe sheepishly admits now (and it is hardly a forthright, not to mention contrite admission) that it was never going to ship then and there was some "error" in communications. What error. You are the head of bloody company speaking about it's flagship product. You should at least know what year your launching it in. HL2 was made a hard sell by Gabe to me already, and if it is further BS (as lots of people are buying cards on a solid release date).

I honestly am not too sure on how the 5900's and 9800's are going to truly hold up against these new engines after FarCry. Please don't throw the HL2 comparisons up, the demo's IMO are as a good a judge as a blind man trying to pick someone out of a lineup would be.

[Magua]

The 5900 and 9800's will run the games just fine. Maybe not with everything maxed, but certainly at 1280x1024 with moderate settings. Valve would be shooting themselves in the foot to release a game that only 10% of the PC gaming community could run.

[Someone Stupid]

Oh, I know they will run the games, but just how well was the point. Not to what many may have hoped since they have been set to be released so late.