Half-Life 2 preload: Phase 4

[SAS]

As the legal battle rages between Sierra and Valve, phase 4 of the preloading has begun...

The fourth phase of the Half-Life 2 preload begins to Steam account holders today.
This will allow users to download the majority of Counter-Strike: Source in encrypted form. No purchase is required to pre-load Half-Life 2, but is required to activate the game. The moment the game is made available, those who have pre-loaded and purchased the game via Steam will be ready to start playing.

Hopefully a promising sign?

 

[Tom]

I very much doubt that HL2 will be delayed by this whole thing. Its like cutting your nose off to spite your face.

If Vivendi feel threatened by software like Steam, then they should consider changing their business model. After all, online distribution is much more efficient than cardboard boxes and plastic CDs.

Whatever happens in future, software companies will still need to employ companies like Vivendi to advertise and market their products, something I feel is overlooked in all of this.

 

[Bullitt]

It appears they've released information on the different ways you can aquire Half-Life 2 at: http://www.hlfallout.net/viewnews.php/7470/

Personally going for the steam purchase seems more logical as it's cheaper and you get to play CS:Source, and even DoD:Source (ultimate 'win') immediately before HL2 is even out.

Next week in fact!

 

[throdgrain]

To be honest, if they sorted out the gay rifles on DoD, it would again be a very exciting prospect on source. Possibly the best looking best playing ww2 game ever ? *baited breath*

Ps I dont mean the one shot one kill side of the rifles , i mean the fact that you dont even have to stop to aim. They did not, repeat DID NOT have rail guns in 1940

 

[Ukle]

Excellent as more than just Dust on CS Source from next week

Can imagine VUG are at this moment preparing for some kind of Emergency Injuction to try and stop them from doing this though as this will force a large portion of the user base to buy via Steam as get CS:Source now instead of the few months when VUG can be asked to distribute it.

/edit: Damn getting my hopes up DoD will be released same time as HL2 is ... so more than likely some time near Chrimbo then

 

[Tom]

My understanding is that Valve funded the development of the source engine and CS:S, and that VUG have no distribution rights to anything other than HL2? Therefore Valve should be able to do pretty much whatever they like with it.

 

[Ukle]

Yup tom thats my understand of it as well ... but this impacts the existing cases so therefore they have a grounds for an injunction even if the grounds are relativly small.

Its also import to think that realising CS:S early and thus causing a large portion of the user base to buy via Steam now could be seen as a hostile act in the main court case. It will end up contridicting the original 'argument' that Valve had when signing the 2001 agreement that allowed them to distribute via Steam - namely that Online distribution will never be a significant means of distribution.