Half Life 2 has been released in Savannah Georgia

msduncan · Post by **msduncan** » Thu Nov 11, 2004 3:23 pm

Just got a call from my local EB where I had it preordered.

It's ready for me to pick up!

WOO HOO!!!

Fellow · Post by **Fellow** » Thu Nov 11, 2004 3:28 pm

Are you serious?

msduncan · Post by **msduncan** » Thu Nov 11, 2004 3:33 pm

I'm totally serious. Electronics Boutique here in Savannah called to let me know my preorder was ready.

The problem is that I've decided to cancel the preorder because I have a free copy from one of those video card offers that I downloaded from STEAM. Obviously that means I may have to wait until Monday if Valve doesn't change it.

The only thing I can think of is that maybe someone locally here broke release date -- EB always goes ahead selling if someone else breaks release date.

The ONLY thing preventing me from running down and buying that copy is EQ2 -- which will distract me until HL2 is unlocked for me.

Eel Snave · Post by **Eel Snave** » Thu Nov 11, 2004 4:03 pm

Why would you break street date on a game? I mean, people are going to buy it anyway. I would think the possible publisher penalty wouldn't be worth it.

msduncan · Post by **msduncan** » Thu Nov 11, 2004 4:06 pm

Eel Snave wrote:Why would you break street date on a game? I mean, people are going to buy it anyway. I would think the possible publisher penalty wouldn't be worth it.

Dunno... but Lord Ebonstone brought this point up over on Console Gold forums:

Don't you have to unlock it via Steam even if you have the CD's? If so, people that got it today would be waiting until next week anyway (until valve unlocked it).

So if that is true -- I'm totally glad I've managed to resist temptation of buying a copy even though I've got my free steam version waiting to be unlocked.

Fellow · Post by **Fellow** » Thu Nov 11, 2004 4:13 pm

As they said, if someone breaks the street date, Valve will unlock the Steam versions of Half-Life 2. So, if this turns out to be true, as soon as Valve gets a whiff of it, expect those games to be fully operational.

bluefugue · Post by **bluefugue** » Thu Nov 11, 2004 4:13 pm

I read somewhere that Valve would have to start releasing the Steam versions early if stores broke the release date.

Probably bogus, though.

I guess yeah, it wouldn't be playable anyway since it requires the internet registration dealy.

Eh, RTW will keep me more than busy until Tuesday anyway.

edit: Fellow: that's what I heard but is it based on anything authoritative?

Fellow · Post by **Fellow** » Thu Nov 11, 2004 4:24 pm

I think I read a quote from Dougie on VE3D some time ago.

AttAdude · Post by **AttAdude** » Thu Nov 11, 2004 4:32 pm

now damn it MSD you know you have an obligation to us. you cant just sit back and let this chance go. you sir could be the first person to give us some impressions of the worlds most anticipated game. Dude you gotta put the pipe down and go get that sucker. We will be here waiting, hating you for getting it early, and waiting with baited breath for your first impressions.

msduncan · Post by **msduncan** » Thu Nov 11, 2004 4:35 pm

The plot thickens!!!

I just called the OTHER EB games in town, and they DON'T have them and said the 16th!!!

I wonder what would happen if I called the EB that called me and asked them? In other words -- I wonder if it was a goof up?

I tried Best Buy -- but those jackasses left me on hold for 10 minutes, then HUNG UP ON ME. Then I called them back... and got put on hold AGAIN by a different guy. Then about 5 minutes later, a girl picks up and has NO IDEA what I'm talking about -- then puts me on hold AGAIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So I hung up. I *********HATE**************** Best Buy. It's amazing to me how they've stayed in business as long as they have.

msduncan · Post by **msduncan** » Thu Nov 11, 2004 4:37 pm

AttAdude wrote:now damn it MSD you know you have an obligation to us. you cant just sit back and let this chance go. you sir could be the first person to give us some impressions of the worlds most anticipated game. Dude you gotta put the pipe down and go get that sucker. We will be here waiting, hating you for getting it early, and waiting with baited breath for your first impressions.

Dangit.... I KNOW!! The problem is that I just bought Eq2, and my wife wouldn't take kindly to me buying Half Life 2 because she knows I have that free copy waiting on me and she'd go ballistic!!!!

Fellow · Post by **Fellow** » Thu Nov 11, 2004 4:37 pm

I've scavenged through some sites, and apparently a guy who does have it, and installed it, is unable to play it because Steam hasn't unlocked it. So, I suppose (as LE said), until Valve does do it, even those who have the hardcopies won't be able to do squat with them.

Fellow · Post by **Fellow** » Thu Nov 11, 2004 4:38 pm

Of course, no doubt there's going to be a whole bunch of drama about this. Too bad I'll be at work and not be able to follow it.

msduncan · Post by **msduncan** » Thu Nov 11, 2004 4:49 pm

I just called back the original EB (that started all this) and pretended to be someone else:

They said release date is next week.

So it must have been a screw up by someone that worked there. In other words: they must have gotten their copies in and have to sit on them for 5 days.

This is the sort of thing that always royally ticks me off. If game stores get the game 5 days before the release...publishers should just let them start selling the damn thing. They coudl still have an official 'GRAND LAUNCH' or something on some day they pick out. It's rediculous!

Quaro · Post by **Quaro** » Thu Nov 11, 2004 4:50 pm

You could have picked it up and ebayed it with a 24 hour auction. Halo copies that broke street went for a pretty penny.

knob · Post by **knob** » Thu Nov 11, 2004 4:59 pm

msduncan wrote:I just called back the original EB (that started all this) and pretended to be someone else:

They said release date is next week.

So it must have been a screw up by someone that worked there. In other words: they must have gotten their copies in and have to sit on them for 5 days.

This is the sort of thing that always royally ticks me off. If game stores get the game 5 days before the release...publishers should just let them start selling the damn thing. They coudl still have an official 'GRAND LAUNCH' or something on some day they pick out. It's rediculous!

I disagree. I'd be pissed if you Box-Buying-Bastards got to play HL2 before I could play the Steam version that has been sitting (unplayable) on my Hard Drive for over a month.

msduncan · Post by **msduncan** » Thu Nov 11, 2004 5:05 pm

Valael wrote:
msduncan wrote:I just called back the original EB (that started all this) and pretended to be someone else:

They said release date is next week.

So it must have been a screw up by someone that worked there. In other words: they must have gotten their copies in and have to sit on them for 5 days.

This is the sort of thing that always royally ticks me off. If game stores get the game 5 days before the release...publishers should just let them start selling the damn thing. They coudl still have an official 'GRAND LAUNCH' or something on some day they pick out. It's rediculous!
I'm not one of those box buying bastards. It's been sitting on my drive too! I'm saying they should have released the damn thing to us that have had it on our HD for a month!

I'm totally with you!

I disagree. I'd be pissed if you Box-Buying-Bastards got to play HL2 before I could play the Steam version that has been sitting (unplayable) on my Hard Drive for over a month.

Hetz · Post by **Hetz** » Fri Nov 12, 2004 9:54 am

My local EB had the guides out yesterday, before their district manager called and forced them to take them into the backroom with their HL2 copies (yes, they have them already) since they are street dated as well.

I should have bought one and ebayed it...

Hetz · Post by **Hetz** » Fri Nov 12, 2004 10:20 am

Just saw this over on Gamespot...it's out in some places...

Asharak · Post by **Asharak** » Fri Nov 12, 2004 10:27 am

5 CDs... it's about time all games started shipping on DVD.

- Ash

Al · Post by Al » Fri Nov 12, 2004 10:28 am

According to the poster in that thread the result after installation was that he had a locked version of HL2 on his machine.

msduncan · Post by **msduncan** » Fri Nov 12, 2004 10:30 am

If people are getting these home already... they need to release the lock.

Smoove_B · Post by **Smoove_B** » Fri Nov 12, 2004 10:52 am

Al wrote:According to the poster in that thread the result after installation was that he had a locked version of HL2 on his machine.

Which is pretty interesting on Valve's part, no?

bluefugue · Post by **bluefugue** » Fri Nov 12, 2004 11:07 am

Asharak wrote:5 CDs... it's about time all games started shipping on DVD.

- Ash

Agree, although multi CD installs aren't really new (BG1 shipped on 4 CDs back in '98, if memory serves).

hepcat · Post by **hepcat** » Fri Nov 12, 2004 11:30 am

how are they locking it? i'm not really up on how Valve is handling security with this thing and i'm just curious.

and what's the pros and cons of buying retail vs. through valve online?

Windows95 · Post by **Windows95** » Fri Nov 12, 2004 11:31 am

Iirc, the collectors version does ship on DVD. And I think it's brilliant that the game is locked until release day. I for one support street dates and it pisses me off when a store tries to steal sales be releasing a game earlier then everyone else. While on one hand if I had Half-Life 2 in front of me now I'd want to be playing it, I support Vavle enforcing the street date.

Now all I've got to say is that on release day, their unlock/verification routine better be working flawlessly and have enough bandwidth/hardware to support however many HL2 owners there will be unlocking the game. If on the official release day I can't get the game unlocked, well, lets just say Msduncan, Lord of Outrage, will be dethroned.

Windows95 · Post by **Windows95** » Fri Nov 12, 2004 11:35 am

hepcat wrote:how are they locking it? i'm not really up on how Valve is handling security with this thing and i'm just curious.

and what's the pros and cons of buying retail vs. through valve online?

The game is locked through Steam, their online service. Right now most people who are buying the game online already have the whole thing downloaded, they just need to wait until release day before Steam will verify their purchase and allow the game to be played. Same deal with the retail copies as you need to at least make a one time verification through Steam before it will work.

As for pros/cons, probably not much difference. There are different retail/online packages so just see which ones fits your wants/budget best and go from there.

I'm on a 28.8 connection and like having physical copies of my games, so the online version won't be in my future.

hepcat · Post by **hepcat** » Fri Nov 12, 2004 11:42 am

thanks for the info, i'll go check out steam then.

Smoove_B · Post by **Smoove_B** » Fri Nov 12, 2004 1:24 pm

hepcat wrote:thanks for the info, i'll go check out steam then.

And depending on where you live, that's when your downloaded copy of HL2 will be activated. There's a whole thread on it in the Steam forums.

I was against Steam at first, but I think I might actually try to use it to see how it all unfolds.

What's the worst that can happen?

hepcat · Post by **hepcat** » Fri Nov 12, 2004 1:29 pm

Smoove_B wrote:
hepcat wrote:thanks for the info, i'll go check out steam then.
And depending on where you live, that's when your downloaded copy of HL2 will be activated. There's a whole thread on it in the Steam forums.

I was against Steam at first, but I think I might actually try to use it to see how it all unfolds.

What's the worst that can happen?

msduncan · Post by **msduncan** » Fri Nov 12, 2004 2:16 pm

Out of curiosity I just dropped by the EB that called me.

The manager (who knows me) asked if I had picked up my copy of HL2 yesterday or if he'd called me in time to let me know that it wasn't being released.

He then had a continuing conversation with another employee who was obviously new and had obviously been the guy responsible. He said something about some guy being really mad and a 'write up' might unfortunately be in his future. (I'm guessing it's the District Manager)

So... That's the story. Apparently a good number of folks picked up their copies from that store yesterday.... so .... I'm sure also it happened sporadically nation wide because when people get a game in this far in advance it's bound to happen.

Biyobi · Post by **Biyobi** » Fri Nov 12, 2004 2:31 pm

I'm curious to know if anybody that got it early was able to play CounterStrike like those of us that ordered it via Steam.

hepcat · Post by **hepcat** » Fri Nov 12, 2004 2:39 pm

ya know, i'm such a gaming whore that i'm tempted to purchase it now over steam just so i can play the new source version of Half Life 1. has anyone played that yet? is it any good?

Al · Post by Al » Fri Nov 12, 2004 2:48 pm

Biyobi wrote:I'm curious to know if anybody that got it early was able to play CounterStrike like those of us that ordered it via Steam.

According to someone who claims to have gotten the game yes you can.

bluefugue · Post by **bluefugue** » Fri Nov 12, 2004 2:53 pm

hepcat wrote:ya know, i'm such a gaming whore that i'm tempted to purchase it now over steam just so i can play the new source version of Half Life 1. has anyone played that yet? is it any good?

I bought HL2 Silver over steam; HL1-source isn't unlocked yet.

The only part of the package which is unlocked (apart from the complete HL back-catalog) is CS: Source. Which includes the extremely drool-worthy "video stress test." I've run it a few times to convince myself that my Geforce 6800 was worth that arm and leg I gave for it.

hepcat · Post by **hepcat** » Fri Nov 12, 2004 3:49 pm

thanks blue, i think i'll wait after all.

there's just something about the feel of a new retail package for a game that i'll never quite lose the love for.

are there different retail packages that give you the same as the silver steam edition?

jonsauce · Post by **jonsauce** » Fri Nov 12, 2004 4:19 pm

there's just something about the feel of a new retail package for a game that i'll never quite lose the love for.

I'm the same way. I want my games in a box!

bluefugue · Post by **bluefugue** » Fri Nov 12, 2004 4:22 pm

I tend to agree, but a couple things made me go Steam. 1) I didn't want to risk not being able to find a copy of HL2 at stores on day 1, 2) wanted to muck around with CS: Source to try out my new box, 3) learned there was no manual so it's basically just a box with CDs anyway.

Also I have poor impulse control.

I am generally leery of buying software online though. I bought Fruityloops that way and haven't bothered to reinstall it lately because of all the mucky-muck with registration and passwords and such. Much simpler just to have a CD to put in.

qp · Post by qp » Fri Nov 12, 2004 4:27 pm

I've heard there's some major fines and such involved for releasing titles early - so if you bought early, wouldn't you have some major leverage against the game store? And they don't really have a choice do they? The transaction is complete, they can't force you to return the game can they?

So are some smart people in the position to get a free XBox, or 6800 graphics card or something??

Al · Post by Al » Fri Nov 12, 2004 4:41 pm

qp wrote:So are some smart people in the position to get a free XBox, or 6800 graphics card or something??

There's rumors going around that are similar to the anecdote the msduncan related. People could get in trouble so stores are trying to get them back but what I've heard is that they're willing to give a token half-off credit or something similar.

Octopus Overlords

Half Life 2 has been released in Savannah Georgia

Half Life 2 has been released in Savannah Georgia

Does anyone read, or even notice this part?