Halo 2, Half-Life 2, DVDs, and Special Editions

[Ladic]

I'm having fun with CS: SOurce, what sucks is that all the cheater from CS have moved too, but I love the rag doll phisics when you die.

I like to stab dead people.

[Southpaw Samurai]

Im not getting Half Life 2.  Why should I have to have a net connection and be forced to register the game just to play the solo game?  If Valve dies out the game then becomes useless, or has a chance to become useless.

It's only a one-time authentication. If you can post on Macross World, you can authenticate your Half Life 2. As for Valve going out of business, thats the same "risk" that players of games like Diablo, City of Heros, and nearly every other online game live with. Personally, I wouldn't worry about it.

Have to agree with Bloodcat on this one. There's a difference between an online-designed games where you know you will only be able to play as long as there's a server running and standalone games.

I have a number of old games that I pull out from time to time to play. While I may need to tweak things to get them to run on the newest OSs or play them on my old PCs, I can still play them. The same for old console games as long as the hardware still works. I would say that in many of these cases the companies responsible for developing or publishing these games no longer exist (or no longer directly support the software). If they all required online registration everytime I installed them, they'd be worthless and unplayable.

I understand the need to protect intellectual property and ensure people have legitimate copies, but this trend may actually drive legal purchasers of the games to seek out the very individuals who crack games in order to play games that are out of date (in essense, becoming a 'gateway' to more illegal activities).

It would be same as you putting in an old favorite movie that's only currently available on VHS and your VCR telling you it can't play it because that tape is out of print and the distributor is out of business. The thing is, the game industry doesn't see a need to keep any kind of history, which is why it may never really mature into anything more than a shallow entertainment medium.

[Mr March]

I'd advise anyone who doesn't like download purchase without hard copies to get used to the idea sooner rather than later. All indications are that music, video games, and soon movies will be sold via download and will reduce the numbers of sold hard copies as time goes on. Albums sold by offering individual mp3s are extremely popular and growing strongly. Many big selling artists and bands are now embracing online distribution rather than fighting it. Rock band U2 just recently joined with Apple for the new iPod promotion.

Naturally, I'm also concerned about the lack of a proper backup as well. Even Valve's servers are not invulnerable and system crashes and/or loss of data happens to other industries all the time. I'd simply be more interested in burning everything I purchase online from now on. A simple solution and more cost effective too.

Speaking of Half Life 2, I just finished it this evening at it was fantastic. Anyone else play the game all the way through as yet?

[Gunbuster]

I don't think they are talking about online distribution. I think it's about "big brother". How would you like it if you can't play a single player game if you're not connected to the net (just some worse case scenerio: your cable modem is busted, or there is service maintances, the server crashes, etc..). You bought a single player game and now you have to wait till you get connected to the net to play?

How would you like it, if someone is monitor what you do/watch/listen on the net? Sure you have nothing to hide, but it if feels wierd that strangers are watching every movement you make call me paranoid isn't that invading your privacy...you know..your personal space...then again I may be wrong about what Bloodcat and Southpaw Samurai is talking about

[Graham]

I'd advise anyone who doesn't like download purchase without hard copies to get used to the idea sooner rather than later. All indications are that music, video games, and soon movies will be sold via download and will reduce the numbers of sold hard copies as time goes on.

I think that will be a long time (if ever) in happening. Call me old fashioned, a dinosaur or whatever, but I still prefer the experience of browsing and buying in an actual physical shop rather than buying something online.

A great many people I know feel the same as wall. Shopping and searching for stuff in real shops is fun ya know .

Although I of course buy stuff online, I only do when it's things that I can't easily buy here in HK, like some English language books, US or UK version console games etc.

And getting back on topic, Half Life.....nah, never played it. Took one look at the nerdy looking main character and decided I didn't want to play as some dorky looking, glasses wearing, bearded scientist geek (apologies to all MWers who have beards and wear glasses or are scientist geeks ).

Graham

[Mr March]

Well, you can play Half Life 2 offline. In fact, Steam tells you how and it’s easy. Regardless, I agree that not owning the hard copy of a piece of software is silly. Most of us who have been using computers for years know that we have been encouraged to make backup copies of even the software we already own on some permanent format. This new system seems like a step in the opposite direction. While it’s useful for cost cutting and efficient distribution, you’re left to secure the permanency of the purchase yourself.

As for the ideological/social ramifications associated with the requirement of online access, there are far more serious concerns to worry about than paranoia towards a gaming company like Valve. Just using Microsoft’s Windows XP represents a far greater confiscation of your privacy. Or worse, those who live in the US will suffer from a recently passed “act” that has taken away your right to privacy all in the name of patriotism. Of course, living in Canada, I enjoy the protection of the newly passed privacy laws and eventually Microsoft will have to adapt to our laws to sell to Canadian customers when legislation applies to software and the internet. But I digress, I’ll avoid going into further explanation as per the board rules. I do understand your concerns.

[Gunbuster]

We are on the same page Anyway back onto topic

Yes, I buy special edition when I can. I justified it by telling myself I got more than just the game I like

[Mr March]

I'd advise anyone who doesn't like download purchase without hard copies to get used to the idea sooner rather than later.  All indications are that music, video games, and soon movies will be sold via download and will reduce the numbers of sold hard copies as time goes on.

I think that will be a long time (if ever) in happening. Call me old fashioned, a dinosaur or whatever, but I still prefer the experience of browsing and buying in an actual physical shop rather than buying something online.

A great many people I know feel the same as wall. Shopping and searching for stuff in real shops is fun ya know .

Although I of course buy stuff online, I only do when it's things that I can't easily buy here in HK, like some English language books, US or UK version console games etc.

And getting back on topic, Half Life.....nah, never played it. Took one look at the nerdy looking main character and decided I didn't want to play as some dorky looking, glasses wearing, bearded scientist geek (apologies to all MWers who have beards and wear glasses or are scientist geeks ).

Graham

Ah, but I never said traditional purchasing or shopping would be eliminated altogether. However, traditional distribution will see a marked drop over the next few decades as online shopping and download purchasing become more and more popular. Many of the major software sellers are already offering the service and its only going to become more popular. The cost savings for most companies are just too significant to ignore.

It’s quite ironic that you should mention the dorky appearance of the Gordon Freeman character in Half Life. Up until Half Life, the PC First Person Shooter market was flooded with the same old tired characters. The badass marine with an attitude, the sexy, big breasted bimbo, or the wronged cop back with a vengeance had plagued most FPS games on the PC for years. Id Software itself produced four titles using the space marine template no doubt taken from Carmack’s love of James Cameron’s film Aliens. Anyone who was a PC gamer can attest to it.

When Half Life came along it finally introduced a different type of character and was (and still is) a very welcome change to the FPS genre. Not only is the character more credible than the clichés, but your own skill (or lack thereof) as the player controlling Freeman decides whether he lives or dies (rather than trying to reconcile why you're always getting beat, but you're supposed to be badass of the universe). This method of gameplay suspends disbelief more than other shooters and also pulls you into the game via a more believable character.

Edited December 8, 2004 by Mr March

[Mr March]

We are on the same page Anyway back onto topic

Yes, I buy special edition when I can. I justified it by telling myself I got more than just the game I like

Personally, I'm really looking forward to the special edition so I can get the soundtrack to Half-Life, which is fantastic. So spooky

[Ladic]

[JsARCLIGHT]

I also don't see how Gordon Freeman puts people off... I mean, other than the box art and a few times in the manual you never see his face again. Just because you are "looking through his eyes" does not make the player a "dork" in any way shape or form... (donning the shirt in the collector's edition box on the other hand... ding ding ding ding! DORK) In the course of the game you do everything that you do in a FPS but not anything "dorky". It's not like the game is a FPSS (First Person Science Sim) where you are mixing chemicals in a lab and contemplating theory... you are blowing the crap out of things.

One thing I can say has "put off" a few people I know from playing HL2 is the implied "headiness" the game has generated. Somehow there is this buzz that the game has tons of puzzles that are far too hard... I have no clue who started that one. Sure it requires some nonlinear thinking but what kind of computer game player out there can't think outside the freaking box for ten seconds?

As for valve's requiring an internet connection I have my own feelings on the subject. I see it as an intrusion. I know Windows intrudes on me as does all the spyware and other crap I have to keep cleaning off my system... my thoughts are that if I buy a hard copy of a game at a brick and mortar store it is nobody's business but my own who knows I play it. To me, I am paying for the right to privacy... but alas big business and big government see it other ways. It's not paranoia after all if they really are out to get you.

[bsu legato]

One thing I can say has "put off" a few people I know from playing HL2 is the implied "headiness" the game has generated. Somehow there is this buzz that the game has tons of puzzles that are far too hard... I have no clue who started that one. Sure it requires some nonlinear thinking but what kind of computer game player out there can't think outside the freaking box for ten seconds?

:

If anything, I think the puzzles in HL2 are some of the easiest I've played. Why? Because they're all based on real-world physics, and not on hunting for stupid keycards or making a sequence of increasingly difficult jumps. Instead, you're allowed to think your way through them as you would in real life, ie pushing something out of the way, dropping something off of a balcony, etc.

And I still like my dorky HL2 shirt.

[JsARCLIGHT]

I guess some folks don't "get it" then because I keep hearing guys in the office complain about the "puzzles" in HL2.

[Godzilla]

My take on the special editions: It depends alot on the special editions. I bought Robotech Battlecry special edition so I can get the t-shirt and soundtrack both I have to open out of the package despite the fact I beat the game and unlocked craploads of stuff. But that is the only SE game I bought that was that expensive. Sure I bought Halo 2 SE Tin box but it was for $5 more. Oh yeah I spent a ton of money on the Halo 2 figure, weapons pack, t-shirt, etc. These days I dunno if SE are worth it. Yes I bought the Directors Cut of MOHPA but it cost the same as regular release at EA.

To me if the SE or directors cut is the same price as the regular sure I will buy it if it has some extras I think it is worth it to me.