GothiX Posted November 18, 2004 Share Posted November 18, 2004 Not because I like their latest release so much, but rather because of this. Sheer brilliance Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alegis Posted November 18, 2004 Share Posted November 18, 2004 That is brilliant. They spent a lot of money in this project and so far are doing well in fighting piracy (you need to unlock the game files after you buy the game etc). They sure know how to laugh at pirates, though I think they announced it too soon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jon_hill987 Posted November 18, 2004 Share Posted November 18, 2004 Much as I hate software pirates, (and I do) I cannot help thinking that it is us, the paying coustemer who has to suffer. Half-life 2 looks like an excelent game, but it needs an internet conection to run. lots of people still don't have an internet conection. I know they are only trying to stop piracy but i feel like half-life 2 is not a propper game somehow, that there is something missing. the disk that you went out to buy isn't the game, you need more, and i think that is wrong. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mex Posted November 18, 2004 Share Posted November 18, 2004 Hahahha, those pirates are gonna get owned. XD Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
legameboy Posted November 18, 2004 Share Posted November 18, 2004 That's awesome! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ET Warrior Posted November 18, 2004 Share Posted November 18, 2004 I'm glad that Valve is taking proactive steps to stop Piracy, but from everything I've heard, they've gone about it in a way that causes almost as much trouble for the people who legitimately want to play the game. Firstly, like Jon_hill said, what if you dont HAVE an internet connection? You are not allowed to play Half-Life 2 I suppose, and what happens if your internet goes down? Typically when MY internet goes down that's when the most Single Player video gaming gets done, what else will I do? Then there's the fact that it apparently takes two hour to install this game (well worth the wait, again from what I hear) but that's just crazy. Then the people who purchased hard copies of the game didn't even get to install it when they got it because of an error, and so on and so forth. In the end, I laugh at the Pirates, but I still think Valve doesn't deserve much praise for this method. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IG-64 Posted November 18, 2004 Share Posted November 18, 2004 I'm lucky, I have dsl, so my internet always runs. I bought the game, took it home, and installed it. Sure it took forever to install , and sure it was a pain in the a**, but it sure was worth it. Half Life 2 rules! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RoxStar Posted November 18, 2004 Share Posted November 18, 2004 HA! Microsoft tried to do this with XP and failed miserably. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TiE23 Posted November 18, 2004 Share Posted November 18, 2004 I was going to buy it today, but my mom gave me the whole "You can wait for Christmas." excuse even though I was planning on buying it my self, not as an early X-Mas present. But even when I told her that, she said I didn't need it because I just got Halo 2....... WTF!!??? TiE Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The_One Posted November 18, 2004 Share Posted November 18, 2004 They may delay the pirates, and screw a few things up for some of them - but they'll find a way around it, they always do. There is not a game or piece of software written that has not been cracked by someone. Don't you worry, illegitimate copies of HL2 will be floating round the scene in no time, and Valve won't have a hope in hell of controlling it. Tis a shame really, because this game really *is* worth the price tag attached. Which is a lot more than can be said for most of the drivel polluting the gaming industry at the moment... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Troopr-Undr-Fir Posted November 18, 2004 Share Posted November 18, 2004 Originally posted by TiE 23 I was going to buy it today, but my mom gave me the whole "You can wait for Christmas." excuse even though I was planning on buying it my self, not as an early X-Mas present. But even when I told her that, she said I didn't need it because I just got Halo 2....... WTF!!??? TiE Bahahaha! OWNED! Sheesh, it's sad people can't be trusted not to be dicks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wassup Posted November 18, 2004 Share Posted November 18, 2004 Originally posted by ET Warrior Firstly, like Jon_hill said, what if you dont HAVE an internet connection? You are not allowed to play Half-Life 2 I suppose, and what happens if your internet goes down? Typically when MY internet goes down that's when the most Single Player video gaming gets done, what else will I do? There is a way where you can play Half-Life 2 in offline mode, but you still have to install the game first (or activate it if you bought a hard copy) from Steam. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TiE23 Posted November 18, 2004 Share Posted November 18, 2004 Originally posted by Troopr-Undr-Fir Bahahaha! OWNED! Sheesh, it's sad people can't be trusted not to be dicks *plots to murder you in your sleep* TiE Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RoxStar Posted November 18, 2004 Share Posted November 18, 2004 TiE, please don't complain, the only way I'm getting this game is if Best Buy is nice to me and doesn't ask me for ID:( Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Datheus Posted November 18, 2004 Share Posted November 18, 2004 The main problem I have with this is I've read many accounts where people cannot register their game because the Valve Authetication servers are so bogged down. So, instead, they go and download a cracked copy so they can play the goddamn game they paid for. Another interesting point: what happens 5 years from now? Will the Half Life 2 authentication servers still be up and running? What happens when you want to take a trip down memory lane and install that ole Half Life 2 again? And if the authentication servers are no longer in service? You paid for this game. At an arguably over-inflated price, even. Should you not be allowed to have not only a backup copy, but a copy that runs the way you want as well? Yes, to a certain extent, these companies need to protect their market. But at what point to do we leave the realm of a fair market and enter corporate totalitarianism? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
acdcfanbill Posted November 18, 2004 Share Posted November 18, 2004 well ppl can do like me, and not buy software that is operated in the manner valve does. I was pretty excited about HL2 until valve unveiled the steam program. I'll prob check the game out at my buddies house since he got it w/ his ati card, but im certianly not paying valve to keep tabs on me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jon_hill987 Posted November 19, 2004 Share Posted November 19, 2004 Yeah, I'm not gonna get It. Not yet anyway, I'm hoping when it comes out on buget (5 years?) they will have dropped the whole steam thing. I'm playing half-life 1 through steam but only because I like DMC, I was shocked when I loaded up half-life to play it online and it told me i needed steam. Oh and as for the steam offline mode, it's a pain in the behind and dosn't always work properly. not for me anyway. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
txa1265 Posted November 19, 2004 Share Posted November 19, 2004 It took over an hour for me to install (had to stretch that lunch hour ) ... and yesterday decided to talk to Steam for a while for 'checking files' ... for about 10-15 minutes. I have broadband at work and home, but given I have the disks and have no care about MP, I find this annoying to say the least. Especially since I'm also playing the 'other' Source engine game, Vampires the Masquerade: Bloodlines, which had a normal, non-Steam install, and starts right up every time. Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
acdcfanbill Posted November 19, 2004 Share Posted November 19, 2004 ahh, vampire the masquarade bloodlines, i've been looking at that, is it good? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
toms Posted November 19, 2004 Share Posted November 19, 2004 Originally posted by jon_hill987 the disk that you went out to buy isn't the game, you need more, and i think that is wrong. I think this was legally cleared up on slashdot a while back. The thing you are buying isn't the game, it is a license to play the game plus a blank disk (that may or may not contain a workig version of the game). This is true with almost all software now, and is what you agree to when you click YES on the EULA. I think it is wrong and shouldn't be legal, but what do i know. At the very least, if they are going to do it that way, i think shops should be forced to have big signs in the software section to point out that (unlike the cds etc..) you are buying a license, not a physical product. And the license should have to be printed on the outside of the box. But what do i know... Is bloodlines any good, i have heard almost nothing about it, but the little i did see made it seem very cool and almost like a sucessor to deus ex? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
txa1265 Posted November 19, 2004 Share Posted November 19, 2004 Originally posted by acdcfanbill ahh, vampire the masquarade bloodlines, i've been looking at that, is it good? If I had to choose between that and HL2 I wouldn't have to even think ... I'd never see Steam again Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StormHammer Posted November 19, 2004 Share Posted November 19, 2004 Okay, as strange as this may seem - Half-Life 2 only took 45 minutes to install on my computer (from putting the disc in to starting a new game), and that included registering a new steam account and logging into it. I mean, my PC is a relic, and I do have broadband - but still, I can't understand why some people are having such long install times (unless it is purely down to the steam authentication taking too long). I guess I was just lucky. As for playing offline - I've yet to convince steam to play ball on that one. If I switch my modem off, steam comes up with a dialog box offering to switch to offline mode - then promptly comes up with an error message that prevents the game from loading. So I have to be online to start the game - and then I can switch the modem off after it's loaded. Which is a bit redundant by that point. Regarding piracy - as far as I know the game has already been hacked, and so pirates are already playing it without having to jump through all these hoops Valve have set up. In short, the anti-piracy measures are completely pointless, and have served yet again to provide the legitimate customers with problems. I don't agree with piracy - but I also don't agree with legitimate customers having to put up with measures that can either get in the way of their enjoyment, or even prevent them from playing the game. As others have said, if Valve were to go out of business in the next couple of years - does this mean no one (except pirates) will be able to play Half-Life 2 in the future? I have to wonder... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
txa1265 Posted November 19, 2004 Share Posted November 19, 2004 Originally posted by toms Is bloodlines any good, i have heard almost nothing about it, but the little i did see made it seem very cool and almost like a sucessor to deus ex? I think it is excellent, and there have been many Deus Ex comparisons ... I think it is more RPG-based and less FPS than DX, but the comparison is fair. I like the ability for hacking computers, picking locks, and so on. The implementation of dialog options for persuade, seduce, intimidate, etc are very well done. Sorry ... have to go spend my lunch hour drinking blood Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alegis Posted November 19, 2004 Share Posted November 19, 2004 Originally posted by Datheus The main problem I have with this is I've read many accounts where people cannot register their game because the Valve Authetication servers are so bogged down. So, instead, they go and download a cracked copy so they can play the goddamn game they paid for. No problem here, not even once, not even with other friends. It may be this problem only striked them, or is an excuse. Another interesting point: what happens 5 years from now? Will the Half Life 2 authentication servers still be up and running? Half Life was 6 years ago, and they still got the master server for mp back then. I think "what will happen in 30 years" is a better Q, cause I don't think they'll be gone at all in even 7years. Keeping the authentication servers up is like keeping a webserver up. Sure now they had a lot of servers cause of the rush, but in a year orso.. They went far with piracy protection, but thats for a very anticipated game which is SP only ATM (and MP if you know how to use the console). Retail buyers suffer from this, but at least a significant number of them was 'converted'. Retail buyers suffer for every game (that extra 5$). I doubt other games would follow the same anti piracy concept Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
acdcfanbill Posted November 19, 2004 Share Posted November 19, 2004 Originally posted by toms I think this was legally cleared up on slashdot a while back. The thing you are buying isn't the game, it is a license to play the game plus a blank disk (that may or may not contain a workig version of the game). This is true with almost all software now, and is what you agree to when you click YES on the EULA. I think it is wrong and shouldn't be legal, but what do i know. At the very least, if they are going to do it that way, i think shops should be forced to have big signs in the software section to point out that (unlike the cds etc..) you are buying a license, not a physical product. And the license should have to be printed on the outside of the box. But what do i know... i dont have any examples, but im 99% sure ive read of cases before that you cannot be held to a contract that you have to agree to after you purchese the software. you would have to agree to the ELUA as you were buying the software. if i made a deal with a company for a million widgets and paid them, but when the stuff arrived in trucks the guys who were gonna unload them handed me a form that said 'these widgets can only be used in said manner'and they listed all the restraints on the widgets. That kind of business practice would be put to an end shortly. but since we are lowly middle class working people, we have to put up with corperate shenanigans. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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