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Half Life 2 Goes Gold
Posted by
michael
on Sat Oct 16, 2004 08:06 AM
from the bang-bang dept.
from the bang-bang dept.
AhabTheArab writes "IGN is reporting that Half Life 2 has gone gold. After months of speculation and delays, it is finally true this time."
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Cool! (Score:4, Funny)
I can't wait until next year when they update this with a booster pack that includes different weapons and enemies!
Jokes aside... (Score:3, Informative)
Weapons can drastically change how you play. In Quake I, ammo was so limited
In other news... (Score:5, Funny)
Re:In other news... (Score:4, Funny)
-- james
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That's not what IGN is reporting (Score:5, Informative)
Re:That's not what IGN is reporting (Score:4, Funny)
Kalinga
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Re:That's not what IGN is reporting (Score:3, Insightful)
Also IGN did mention a shipping date - probably November. If Valve is *anywhere near* done with this game, late November / early December is the latest it will ship. They do NOT want to miss Christmas.
While games aren't the center of my universe, Half Life was fun and the early technology preview demos of HL2 were very cool. With all the negativity over Steam and Valve's excuses for pushing back the schedule, I'd almost for
No (Score:5, Funny)
...errr, or years.
Re:No (Score:5, Funny)
Parent
Re:No (Score:3, Funny)
"Hey baby - I can last for seconds!"
No It Hasn't (Score:5, Informative)
Re:No It Hasn't (Score:3, Insightful)
Dom.
And soon, Vampire: Bloodlines (Score:5, Interesting)
Re:And soon, Vampire: Bloodlines (Score:3, Interesting)
Look at the screenshots : the player models are rather low-poly. Not realistic at all (look at elbow junctions for instance... ) Not much more accurate than Quake3. The environment is very very very rectangular. Quake2 would approach this level ! The lightning is very ordinary, with polygon edges showing everywhere.
If you compare this to Doom3, w
I'd recommend looking at the movies (Score:3, Informative)
week (Score:2, Funny)
Well... (Score:5, Interesting)
Furthermore, I just want to take this moment and talk directly to developers and publishers who have worked so hard to get their games out just before this holiday season: Sucks to be you. This year is filled with some immense competition from a lot of sequels, especially in the console arena... Doom 3, Half Life 2, San Andreas, GT4, Halo 2, and I believe the newest Biohazard is coming out, as well as Metal Gear Solid, right?
That being said, I just bought HL2 "Bronze" (I couldn't see myself spending $90.00 just to get a hat and a soundtrack).
Re:Well... (Score:3, Informative)
My guess is they'll have to release it on Steam when it hits retail stores also to make Vivendi happy instead of litigious.
I need to see to believe (Score:3, Insightful)
what are you talking about (Score:5, Funny)
Except. (Score:2, Insightful)
When I see a Press Release, I'll finally believe.
This is still speculation (Score:2, Informative)
The same old story ... (Score:5, Funny)
Deep Breath (Score:5, Insightful)
Sadly, it's not true, and until Valve AND Vivendi issue a press release saying "Gold, and you'll be able to play it on this date" none of these "nearly gold", "almost gold", "so almost gold I can taste it" announcements really mean anything.
Mod headline -1.
And in 2008... (Score:4, Funny)
Sometime in mid 2008, a computer actually capable of running the game will be announced...
This story... (Score:5, Interesting)
Between playing CS:Source and reading the steampowered.com forums, I'd be amazed that it will be available for a November release.
There are tons of bugs, exploits, and cheats going around any CS:Source (HL2 powered) servers. IMHO, it looks like they really rushed CS out the door, and it's pissed off a lot of steam subscribers. I should only hope with the official gold announcement comes a big patch to address the many issues they've already got.
Dupe? (Score:5, Funny)
About time (Score:4, Insightful)
Is anyone else torn between... (Score:4, Interesting)
Re:Is anyone else torn between... (Score:4, Informative)
Amen to the "I want tangible stuff" comment. Check out this [steampowered.com] post for a solution. Basically, you'll have to archive all of the \steamapps folder with winrar, and back it up on DVD/CD. About 2 1/2 DVD's or a fsckload of CD's are your options.
Parent
Re:Is anyone else torn between... (Score:5, Informative)
So, backup your Valve directory to a DVD-R, and if you ever lose that you can download it again any time.
Parent
Certified != Gold (Score:3, Informative)
You really have to love this (Score:3, Informative)
Purhaps they should do what real journalists do and actually search out for the truth by contacting Valve or Vivendi Universal, rather than trying to connect the dots or use sources like "An Industry Insider". That way they don't sound like trashy womens magazines that get their sources from "Close Friends" and the like.
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Gold? Ok... but tell me about a Linux client (Score:4, Insightful)
What would really make my day is if they declared HL2 went gold [B]and[/B] they have a Linux client. Because until they get that second part down, the first is rather meaningless (for me at least).
And don't tell me to get Windows if I want to game. I have my reasons
Re:Get an xbox (Score:5, Informative)
Parent
Full review of the game is on the newsstands (Score:5, Informative)
Re:Full review of the game is on the newsstands (Score:4, Insightful)
magazine reviews are total bullshit. if you want to know what a game is like, the ONLY way to know is to play the demo. If there isnt a demo, set suspicion=suspicion_max
Parent
Well, there goes the GPA! (Score:5, Funny)
Me: I'm having.. trouble sleeping, Professor. It
Professor: *leans closer* I know; scary little bastards.
In related news... (Score:4, Funny)
The only weapon in the French version allows you to shout obscenities at each other until you pass out.
So does it have... (Score:4, Insightful)
Uh...gold? (Score:3, Informative)
Don't celebrate yet... (Score:4, Insightful)
The deal is that Valve has no real control over when the game ships. So a gold announcement from Valve is largely meaningless in terms of when it's going to ship. Wait for an *official* announcement from Vivendi (not Valve) because they are the ones who have the final say as to when it going to ship.
Ideally, if everything goes well, HL2 might be on the shelves in late November because it takes about 6 weeks from going gold to reach the stores. Also, buying thru steam won't let you get it any faster. Valve cannot release HL2 thru Steam until it appears on retail store shelves.
What the hell is wrong with you morons? (Score:5, Insightful)
I fail to see any indication anywhere, even in the text of the linked story itself, that this is any different from any of the other hundred rumors. It is entirely conjecture and extrapolation of information coming entirely from third-party sources, nobody official will confirm anything, yet suddenly "it's finally true"? This has only slightly more credibility than the dates on pre-order diplays in Game Stop from 6 months ago. But by all means, phrase the headline and synopsis in the most sensational way possible with no regard for the facts whatsoever.
Bye bye karma.
Possible leaked press release? (Score:5, Informative)
quote:
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HALF-LIFE 2(TM) HAS GONE GOLD
LOS ANGELES, Calif. (October 16, 2004) - Vivendi Universal Games announced today that Half-Life 2, the highly anticipated next installment in the best-selling and beloved franchise, has gone gold and will be released December 6th in North America, and December 20th in Europe.
"Half-Life 2 offers an unprecedented gameplay experience," said Michael Rouling, EVP, Vivendi Universal Games. "It features the most advanced AI ever seen in a game, combined with state of the art graphics and sound.".
Developed by Valve, Half-Life 2 is the highly anticipated sequel to the best selling Half-Life title, named "Best PC Game Ever" by PC Gamer. By taking the suspense, challenge and visceral charge of the original, and adding startling new realism and responsiveness, Half-Life 2 opens the door to a world where the player's presence affects everything around him, from the physical environment to the behaviors even the emotions of both friends and enemies.
The player again picks up the crowbar of research scientist Gordon Freeman, who finds himself on an alien-infested Earth being picked to the bone, its resources depleted, its populace dwindling. Freeman is thrust into the unenviable role of rescuing the world from the wrong he unleashed back at Black Mesa. And a lot of people he cares about are counting on him.
Half-Life 2 carries a suggested retail prices of $54.95 and has been rated "M" for Mature by the ESRB with descriptors for blood and intense violence. For additional information please go to www.half-life2.com.
About Valve
Founded in 1996, Valve creates entertainment software titles, including Half-Life®, Counter-StrikeTM, and Team Fortress®. Valve's portfolio accounts for over 12 million retail units sold worldwide, and over 88% of the online action market. More information about Valve is available through the company's Web site at www.valvesoftware.com.
About Vivendi Universal Games
Headquartered in Los Angeles, VU Games is a leading global developer, publisher and distributor of multi-platform interactive entertainment. Its development studios and publishing labels include Blizzard Entertainment, Sierra Entertainment, Fox Interactive and Massive Entertainment. VU Games' library of over 700 titles features multi-million unit selling properties such as Warcraft, StarCraft and Diablo from Blizzard Entertainment; Crash Bandicoot, Spyro The Dragon, Empire Earth, Ground Control, Tribes and Leisure Suit Larry.
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Re:Possible leaked press release? (Score:3, Insightful)
If memory serves me correct, last time I bought Doom III for $55, it sat on my shelf collecting dust because my overpriced ATI Radeon 9800 pro somehow wasn't good enough. After the Catalyst drivers finally worked out, the game was already down to $39 in some places.
Re:What's it saying... (Score:2, Insightful)
Re:What's it saying... (Score:5, Insightful)
In my view, yes, to a very small extend it does... but it is an extent many times smaller then the extent of experimental psycological research like the millgram experiments [wikipedia.org]. which far predate DooM and half-life.
Try comparing what these experiments showed about human nature compared to what the often observed but never scientificly proven desire among a group of people for shiny fast cars.... If you are excited about the things that sport car buying behaviour can tell us about ourself then you might just be a psycologist, the same goes for games I guess.
You can speculate on what part of human nature these games expose. Personnaly I like to think they show that there is still a strong will to survive in even the most boring office dwellers. Little else would explain why a dark spacestation filled with creatures that can kill you, just not for real, can be excisting.
Its funny (and perhaps a little telling) how people always talk about how first person shooters are about shooting other humans or creatures totaly ignoring that the player spends hours in an environment filled with entities that fight back, fiercly, and in a way optimized for player fear. Look at which first person shooters are a succes, its not the ones where you can shoot the most creatures (anyone excited for serious sam 3?), its the ones where even very few creatures can hurt you very bad, very fast, when you least expect it. The tactical shooters where getting spotted and hit once pretty much means game over are perhaps the most populair subgenre ever. This to me says something, just not as much as the stanford prison experiments. (Which btw, show some simalairity to the sims, shit, way to smash my own argument)
Parent
Re:What's it saying... (Score:3, Funny)
Except in Japan.
Re:What the hell does "gone/going gold" mean? (Score:5, Informative)
Taken from Gamedev.Net [gamedev.net]
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Re:My Steam just started re-downloading HL2 (Score:3, Informative)
the first big preloads for HL2 were the artwork and sounds, which Valve stated were set and wouldn't change. the most recent preload phase downloaded the maps of HL2, as those were likely worked on most recently. now, the executables are being worked on.
as the files are mostly huge