Half-Life 2 (PC)

[Concept]

http://www.steampowered.com/index.php?area=news&id=109357175699147600

http://www.steampowered.com/marketing/hl2_preload/english.html

As soon as I launched Steam or clicked the link in the webpage directly above (working now), a Steam screen option to pre-load Half-Life 2 came up. Great stuff.

Unfortunately, Valve's servers are busy so I can't download anything at the moment, but by gauging reaction elsewhere the pre-load is definately happening. Over 1GB worth of encrypted data is being cached, with more to follow in the coming days.

Perhaps of more concern is the fact that in the US, EB Games have just gone and listed Half-Life 2 down for November, with current rumours going so far as to suggest the title may even hit December. Now ordinarily I wouldn't pay much attention to speculative retail release schedules, yet Half-Life 2's date was previously listed as September 1st. The change of date coinciding with the timing of the pre-load seems... Interesting. I just hope I'm reading it wrong.

A further delay does make perfect financial sense of course, but the gamer in me can't help but groan at another potential wait of another good two or three months.

Half-Life 2 is going to sell in huge numbers no matter what time it's released, so I hope if the game is finished soon and approved by Vivendi, they don't sit on it until later in the Q4 period.

Perhaps the beginnings of this pre-load is a sign things won't stretch that far. Here's hoping.

We're only talking about the most significant PC release since the arrival of Doom after all.

[NeilMcRae]

For The Love Of God More Great Gameness!

[MartyG]

From those links above I came across Half-Life 2 Hardware Survey which goes to show just how few people are running high powered gfx cards, well at least those in the survey anyway.

[Ciaran]

Does anyone know if my friend (on BB) downloads the preload, then gives it to me can I pay for it and activate it?

[Concept]

From those links above I came across Half-Life 2 Hardware Survey which goes to show just how few people are running high powered gfx cards, well at least those in the survey anyway.

Of course, the irony of that hardware test is the x800 and 6800 series, reportedly the choice GPUs to run Half-Life 2, aren't listed amongst the user graphics card survey.

Ciaran -

I am not sure the pre-load works like that, i.e. the data downloaded isn't something which can easily be burnt off to DVD and run using another Steam account. It may be possible, but if the code is security protected (which I'd imagine it is) then it probably associates each encrypted pre-load with a specific computer ID.

[NeilMcRae]

I don't think you can although it would be cool if you could.

Neil.

[Concept]

It would indeed.

I still don't know how this pre-load is properly going to work out. People keep saying the entire game will be downloaded over the next few days, and then when Vivendi/Valve give the all clear for gold status, those who purchased it will be given licence keys.

The trouble with that is if all it takes to break into the entire pre-load and get Half-Life 2 up and running is a key of some sort, then someone is bound to break in with a key generator, and hey presto, spread warez copies before the game has even been released.

I doubt Valve are that stupid though. Then again, they did recently fail to spot the entire game's script had leaked through the CS: Source Beta during Cyber Cafe trial runs...

[NeilMcRae]

I suspect that the game is not in an executable form, its probably all the textures and maps or something and it will be encrypted with a high bit key which will make it very difficult for the warez monkeys to crack it.

[NeilMcRae]

What I don't undertstand is why valve just don't fricking announce a release date. If they are pre-loading then my expectation is that its gone gold already.

Neil.

[Concept]

Yeah... I can't imagine Valve letting another huge leak get in the way again. They must have thought through the risks in delivering Half-Life 2 this way, or it wouldn't be happening.

As for the release date, well they're probably being gagged by Vivendi in announcing anything public so far. But like you, I doubt Valve would begin pre-loading if the game wasn't already finished, or very close to being finished.

I'd also imagine the game's publisher isn't too happy about all the fans downloading it through Valve's own online delivery service, unless they've negotiated a cut they'll take in the sales from that.

[NeilMcRae]

Given the state that vivendi are in any money is good money.

[JibberX]

I thought valve wanted to revolutionise the distrodution idustry, basically sticking two fingers up at traditional publishers?

[Chadruharazzeb]

This procrastination is making my teeth itch. Get on with it for gods sake, I need to play this and fast (but not that fast on my old rig)

[NeilMcRae]

yup and my hats off to them for doing so.

[JibberX]

They have illustrated that as annoying publishers are for creative freedom they do tend to get the product out of the door to a specified time frame.