Half-Life 2 (PC)

[Tom Salter]

Concept: What you're forgetting is that once it's been activated, a user has a fully functional working copy of Half Life 2 on their hard drive.

Why not zip up the working directory, extract all the registry keys needed and install it that way? Warezed verstion then completely bypasses the Steam authentication.

I'm not suggesting anyone do this by the way, I'm just saying

Also, because the game is single player only (so far) it will be a much greater incentive for people to grab a copy off the nearest news servers. Many people warez games first, buy them later for the multiplayer aspect.

[mid]

I can understand it though. To try and stop piracy by tying Half-Life 2 to Steam.

I can understand it, I just have this thing against Steam. Hopefully, it'll take long enough to crack that it slows the pirates down a bit (and give Valve a chance to make some profit from their work), yet get cracked eventually, so that should Steam stop (as they stopped the previous network authentication service for the original Half-Life) we won't be left with coasters.

[Concept]

Concept: What you're forgetting is that once it's been activated, a user has a fully functional working copy of Half Life 2 on their hard drive.

Yes, but you still have to run it through Steam, and in the long run, with the path Valve are going down, then you'll need to be online to play their games eventually. What this does is effectively fight the pirates with their own weapons in the long run.

In the past, crackers have had the benefit of being in a constantly evolving space against software which is (mostly) released with deadlocked/static security measures. Eventually, what could happen with Steam is this... One week, you may have one element you need to go online to use a game such as Half-Life 2 with. The next week it could be another aspect of the game which changes and you have to go online for... And as the pirates come up with new measures to combat such effects, Valve can just as easily come up with their own countermeasures. Why?

Because they'll be in a constantly evolving space with their software, just as the pirates are to crack it. Eventually, I think even in the console sector, we'll eventually have to play most of our games online through some form of verification system. A verification system which may change and deviate measures to make sure you're playing the right game.

This could be through changing different parts of the game you need to go online to validate, upgrading security and detection methods, or introducing password/account protected games.

But the prospect is this... What Steam could propose is a system whereby Valve (or other companies) could react to each cracking change with a countermeasure of their own to prevent such piracy. This is all theoretical now, but it could certainly happen a few years down the line when broadband is common place and online gaming has taken off.

At the moment, consider Half-Life 2 a more linear trial run for this sort of technology. A flagship important game to try out such innovations. As I said, no doubt it'll get cracked, but Steam (in the short term) will make it harder than the usual game.

As for the long term, just consider a scenaro where all the crackers have their own weapons and advantages turned against them. This is what a unified system such as Steam could do.

1) Offer developers greater profits and more incentives to experiment
2) Efficiently combat piracy through a non-static system
3) Lower the cost of Software

[Concept]

I can understand it, I just have this thing against Steam. Hopefully, it'll take long enough to crack that it slows the pirates down a bit (and give Valve a chance to make some profit from their work), yet get cracked eventually, so that should Steam stop (as they stopped the previous network authentication service for the original Half-Life) we won't be left with coasters.

I see your point, and at the moment having to install an application for a single company's software does seem intrusive to a degree. I know we couldn't logically install separate applications for the likes of EA, Ubisoft, Capcom et al, because that would be madness. There pratically wouldn't be enough room and space for a multitude of similar jump-on-the-bandwagon projects.

As I said, we need a solid we're-not-going-anywhere unified content delivery system which all sorts of developers sign up to and you can buy and play their games through. Ideally this technology would upgrade with each generation, and be cross-portable from platform to platform online. Of course you wouldn't be able to play a Gamecube game on a PC or PS2, but my point is if a single system harboured the ability to purchase games directly from developers of a system of their own making, then such a system could unite the industry.

To use an example, you could have PS2, PC, GC sections within Steam, where developers have their games listed to buy, and when you went online with a console it automatically took you to the right part.

Such a content delivery system would have to evolve, like a purchase system equivalent of MSN or AOL, where it upgrades slowly but surely over the years for each generation. Hopefully, that way we'd avoid the coaster analogy you point to.

I do have issues with Steam though. I'm not in full support.

Morally there's a fine line. For example, anti-piracy detection methods also have the potential to invade our privacy. I know I wouldn't like my online gaming habits being monitored by companies extensively through such content delivery technology, as such information could easily be passed onto other companies who could generate a profile about you.

This is the problem... Achieving a balance between protection, yet maintaining the users rights and privacy at the same time.

[Tom Salter]

However, for a player who just wants to play the single player Half Life 2, which is exactly what it will be in the boxed sets you can buy at retail, they can just do what I said above. Why?

Doug Lombardi: During installation the user will be prompted to authenticate the copy and create a Steam account. After that is complete, the single-player and LAN games do not require an Internet connection.

You only need to authenticate once.

If you have a copy on your hard drive that's already been authenticated, you're sound. Just don't plug yourself into the Internet whilst playing :P

In the future, I'm sure Steam will work fine, and Valve have hundreds of opportunities for staying ahead of the pirates. But I don't think Half Life 2 will see that yet.

[Concept]

In the future, I'm sure Steam will work fine, and Valve have hundreds of opportunities for staying ahead of the pirates. But I don't think Half Life 2 will see that yet.

I fully agree. These are just small baby steps towards something else and Half-Life 2 will be cracked sooner or later.

But Valve are showing the way - The future possibilities if you will. The conceptual aspects.

This is what interests me.

[Chadruharazzeb]

How's it going to work if you don't have the game installed on your internet PC, as is (or rather will be) my setup? This will not do.

(I wish this bloody game would just hurry up and come out)

[Concept]

That's arguably a flaw. And a risk Valve are obviously prepared to live with in limiting their audience. All I can figure is they must believe people who buy Half-Life 2 and have the technology to run the game, probably have an accessible internet connection on the PC they'll play it with.

24 days and 21 hours to go by the way.

Do I sound like I have a counter installed on my PC?

[nips]

All it says is that you'll be prompted to authenticate. I always get prompted and nevern allow it on 90% of things I install. Why is this an issue? Have you been told that it's impossible to not authenticate, or is it that you have to use steam and not ie?

[Concept]

I'm not sure I follow. Could you run that by me again?

I'm probably being dense.

[ascender]

I bet that the money they lose by people who refuse to buy it because of the "internet connection required" will be far outweighed by the money saved by people who can't casually make a copy for their mates or install it on their mate's machine(s) and give them a no-cd crack.

I've been very impressed by Steam so far, its worked far better than I could ever have expected and am quite excited by the possibilities it opens up for future releases.

[JammyD]

Just to make you feel better nips, I will also be missing out on Hl2/Halo 2 multiplayer due to the incompetance of Eircom over the last 4 years since BB started here.







But, I should be getting BB in a week or two

Esat BT?
Don't get me started on Eircom

[DjSatansfury]

1) Offer developers greater profits and more incentives to experiment
2) Efficiently combat piracy through a non-static system
3) Lower the cost of Software

Lower the cost?

I doubt that

If anything the prices will rise. I can see where you're coming from, using the publisher model, but people tend to be greedy. It'll soon be ?30 for a game, with no physical disks, just a download! (long argument, but i cba to go into it ;p)

[Kotatsu Neko]

I bought HL2 silver last night, and pre-loaded. Also got Counter Strike:Source and the original Half Life. All through Steam.

So far so good. Haven't tried CS yet but Half Life ran great. Looking more than a little dated now, but still golden. Roll on HL2.

Will be interesting to see what they do with Half Life 1:Source.

[smokedog]

Just ordered Broadband for HL2.