HL2 to have 3 or more versions!?!?!?!?!?!?

[ufo_warviper]

I know that this is not the "Games" forum, but there has been so much Half-Life2 buzz going around here in the Graphics Card Forums, I didn't think it would be too entirely innappropriate to post this info here. More that are worried about games visit here more frequently anyways.

A fan by the name of Kamakiri mailed Valve's Gabe Newell about those "pay to play" rumors, and received the following response (which has been confirmed as being legit):

As I'm sure you are aware the HL2 community is going crazy with the rumour that HL2 is going to be like a MMORPG and you will have to pay a fee each month via Steam to play HL2 multiplayer.

I don't believe this to be true but can you please put it to rest once and for all. PLEEEEEEASE.

<b>Gabe Newell:</b> Here's my current thinking: Some people want to buy Half-Life 2 in a store. Right now we have three SKUs planned at three price points. One will have single-player only and not play MODs and we think of that as the mass market SKU (sold mainly at the Costcos and Walmarts of the world). The second is our traditional single-player plus multiplayer SKU that runs MODs and is sold at places like EBX. The third is the collector's edition SKU with lots of cool bonus stuff for people who like cool bonus stuff.

In the Steam world, some people will want to buy it once, like the middle SKU above. Other people will want to buy the game on subscription (e.g. $9.95/month). The good news for the "buy it once" crowd is, well, they only have to pay once. The bad news is that when we come out with new content (expansion products, TF 2, and presumably other games) then they have to pay separately for those. We're pretty sure that the $9.95 guys are going to get the better value, as we've been pretty good over the years at generating a lot of content.

Now nobody has done this before, so we're scratching our heads and massaging the plans to make sure we've got the best set of options. We've had some feedback that we should sell the top SKU (single-player only no MODs) on Steam, and my reaction has been "yeah, right, for the three people in the world who have a broadband connection, are sophisticated enough to purchase software over the Internet, but DON'T want to play MODs and multiplayer". Some people have said "I want a subscription, but I think the box and the manual are cool, so what about sending me those" and I think that's pretty interesting and we're trying to figure out what to do for them (needless to say Sierra isn't exactly jumping for joy at the idea of selling us boxes so people don't buy Half-Life 2 in stores).

But nowhere has there been a suggestion that people pay in the store and then pay a monthly fee on top of that a la the MMORPG.

And Gabe makes this follow-up response in this forum thread:

The various SKUs will be available at the other stores. It's just how we think of them (we think of the lowest price one as the "Walmart" SKU even though Walmart will probably be the biggest single seller of all three SKUs given their volume).

TF2 isn't a MOD, correct. However the subscription will be for anything we make. So when TF2 ships, the subscribers get it as part of their subscription.

We've been talking with retailers about the retail SKUs for a long time. Steam pricing was what I was trying to explain. Steam options seemed to require an explanation of the retail SKUs.

This clears up a lot! Oh, if you don't know what an SKU is, "SKU stands for Stock Keeping Unit and is a number associated with a product for inventory purposes. Each product must have a SKU, and each SKU must be unique."

You can read the discussion about this issue here:
<A HREF="http://www.forumplanet.com/planethalflife/topic.asp?fid=2348&tid=1151599" target="_new">http://www.forumplanet.com/planethalflife/topic.asp?fid=2348&tid=1151599</A>

My OS features preemptive multitasking, a fully interactive command line, & support for 640K of RAM!<P ID="edit"><FONT SIZE=-1><EM>Edited by UFO_WARVIPER on 09/05/03 10:22 PM.</EM></FONT></P>

 

[flamethrower205]

Nuts. of course tho I'll get the collector's edition.

The one and only "Monstrous BULLgarian!"

 

[redstar]

so we can pay 10$ get hl2 then cancel.

then pay 10$ when CS 2 comes along and then cancel.. that would be a nice savings

 

[coolsquirtle]

i rather pay $10 a month for FFXI
HL2 can wait~~~~

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I'd get a nVidia GeForce FX 5900Ultra... if THEY WOULD CHANGE THAT #()#@ HSF

 

[ufo_warviper]

Maybe you <b> MIGHT</b> be able to get away with that for single player HL, but I highly doubt it. As for as anything multiplayer like CS2, Valve probably won't let you log onto WON unless your subscription to Steam is kept updated with monthly fees.

Personally, I don't like the idea of a propriatory software like EverQuest or what their about to do with Steam. It seems like you'll get access to every software title that Valve has ever created or purchased the liscense for. But even at that, its a terrible value. You never know, you might load this title up in 50 years to show your grandchildren a classic example of the good ol' days of PC Gaming. I sure as heck don't want to pay $10 a month for 50 years. I know it could be possible to cancel your subscription and just reapply in 49 years, but still, most of us regard HL & soon to be HL2 so much that we will load it up at least a few times inbetween those decades. I'm too big of an HL nut aren't I. I'm sure as HECK going to get the best carbon copy edition that they have to offer. I don't care if its $200(actually I would), but I would pay that grossly expensive price to own a <b>REAL</b> carbon copy with a box, CD(s), & manual! I love HL THAT much. Even at that ludicrous price, it would still come out cheaper than a crappy full-year subscriptiono to steam. THat's just sad.

My OS features preemptive multitasking, a fully interactive command line, & support for 640K of RAM!

 

[redstar]

well..i refuse to pay monthly fees for online gaming. so i guess i'll pass.

i think they will not be able to charge for going onto some1 else's server ...authentication or no.

 

[ufo_warviper]

The Collectors Edition will have Multiplayer + Singleplayer and that's a pay once deal. But I really frown :frown: upon such tactics like these. Newell might be held hostage someday if it becomes standard marketting techniques to offer a monthly subscription for multiplayer services. That would really REALLY SUCK!

My OS features preemptive multitasking, a fully interactive command line, & support for 640K of RAM!

 

[phial]

if this is true , then i wont be purchasing a copy of Half Life 2


what is wrong with the industry lately? its all gone to hell, all about squeezing every single last penny out of a piece of software/hardware. its sick. and very sad

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[jihiggs]

i guess counter strike 2 wont be nearly as popular as the first cs if they make you pay per month. thats just gay.

wpdclan.com cs game server - 69.12.5.119:27015

 

[Willamette_sucks]

Personally I think they've got an excellent business plan, and I'll probly do the middle one (pay once, and get multiplayer stuff, but have to pay for additional titles [tf2] later).
This dosn't turn me off at all.

Your mom however, does turn me off

"Mice eat cheese." - Modest Mouse

"Every Day is the Right Day." -Pink Floyd

 

[ufo_warviper]

According the thread at Planet Half-Life, the monthly fee of $9.99 just gave you access to ALL of Valve's content that they ever produced. You can purchase title's seperately. One version will be a single play only. Another will be Multiplayer + single with capability to run MODS (aka the Collector's tin). The last isn't really an HL2. Its a "bargain deal" (according to Gabe NEwell) that is basically an "unlimited acccess to all games were ever produced or purchased licenses for". Hence for one month, you get unlimited access to Half-Life, Gunman Chronicles, Half-Life 2, Opposing Force, Blue Shift, Counterstrike, DoD, Team Fortress Classic, TFC2, and other stuff, for that one month. But the thing is, after one month comes, <i> ALL SOFTWARE WILL BE DEACTIVATED</i> unless you have faithfully paid your monthly fees to Valve. Even with access to all this content, you can pick up Half-Life Platinum Edition for about $30 or $40, and get everything that they have as of now, and just Download Day of Defeat. If yall haven't tried Day of Defeat, its not as beautiful as BF1942, but it would be worth your time giving it a try. I still play it, and haven't even bothered with BF1942 because I have so much fun with DOD! Actually, I haven't played in a week becasue I now spend all my spare time here :frown: .

To get back on topic, I will get the Collector's Edition so I can be sure to get all the Multiplayer, singleplayer features from HL2 & all the mods that run under it.

My OS features preemptive multitasking, a fully interactive command line, & support for 640K of RAM!

 

[eden]

I still play it, and haven't even bothered with BF1942 because I have so much fun with DOD!

d00d! The best thing about BF 1942 is going online with Friendly Fire at 100% with no backfire, and you blowup your teammates! :lol:

I dare ya not to laugh when you plant a mine on the airfield and you go hide, look at the poor plane about to take off................BAM!

Damn this game is hilarious.

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[ufo_warviper]

I guess I outta give it a try. Will one copy get all 4 of my systems connected to play online? That's kind of one of the reasons why I stuck with DOD, I have HL Platinum Edition, Counterstrike, & even Retail DOD. So basically I can run up to 4 player on the internet at my house at he same time. I don't want to have to pay $150 for 4 copies of BF1942 :frown: .

My OS features preemptive multitasking, a fully interactive command line, & support for 640K of RAM!

 

[jankphil]

well this is the way I understand it,

4 types of HL, 5 ways of getting it

Store Versions

Cheap - Only contains Single player part of HL2, you CAN upgrade it through steam later, but otherwise it's just the single player half for ppl who don't want to play online (guessing $40 bucks)

Most Popular - This will contain the Online and Single Player part of HL2, You can play online for free, you can download free mods and updates through steam. For Expansions or new types of multiplayer games (aka TF2) you will have to buy expansions also available on Steam and in store (guessing $50~60)

Special Edition - Will be the same as above BUT you get a cool mouse pad or t-shirt in a Tin box (guessing 60~75)

Online

Through steam you can purchase the full version of the game + multiplayer (just like the most popular in store version I marked above) for the same price. This will basically be the same thing except no box or cd needed

Pay Online - This one is what everyone's confused about, you can pay (I believe they said 9.95) a month to basically rent the game. The game is steamed down to you (if you have used steam to play the original hl you will know what that means) But for those who don't, it will send you the area you are at, which means the game is never put onto your hard drive except to swap data, nothing is kept there so you never keep the game. You also get to use all the online games (TF2 or expansions) with the 9.95 prescription

I think that's the way they described it. Also I remember them asking about just the single player online, and the response is that anyone with a broadband connection willing to dl the game will play it online.

As far as the 4 player internet, you will need 4 copies of HL unless your friends have their own copy of HL2, then they just log in and play (which makes going to lans and tourny's very easy) hope this helps ^_^

"What kind of idiot are you?"
"I don't know, what kinds are there?"

 

[siranthony]

To me this sounds like an experiment to see if they can find a new way to make more money. It doesn't sound that bad on the surface. I was not happy with EA sports when I found out it was going to cost me 19.95 a month to play Tiger Woods PGA tour 2003 online. I really enjoyed this game but had to stop playing it. I was not going to pay this fee just out of principal. It looks like thats where tings are heading. Also I like having my own copy so I can put it on another computer or install it again a year later. I hope the gaming comunity will rally to boycot any games that force you to pay to play.

These specs are here so I don't have to repeat them. P4 2.4c @ 3.0 ASUS P4P800 dx Geil pc4000 2.5,3,3,6 250FSB 1:1 Radeon 9500 non-pro 2 Maxtor 60gig 7200rpm 8mb cach in raid 0 SB Audigy 2

 

[ufo_warviper]

BOYCOTT - vote #1 - signed <font color=red><b>UFO_WARVIPER</font color=red></b> in his own <font color=red><b><i>BLOOD</font color=red></b></i>!

Maybe we outta start a poll about this.

My OS features preemptive multitasking, a fully interactive command line, & support for 640K of RAM!

 

[ufo_warviper]

Thanks for attempting to clear things up. What does everyone else think?

As far as the 4 copies, I was talking about BF1942, but I guess I'll eventually want several for HL2 as well.

My OS features preemptive multitasking, a fully interactive command line, & support for 640K of RAM!

 

[Flinx]

The answer is really simple. Let them do what they think is right for their business and you do what is right for your pocket book and ask/tell your friends to do the same.

Personally, I'd walk away from this software. IMO the idea of paying a monthly fee is repugnant and stupid for anything but something we/u can't live without or is extremely valuable to you. (Don't you hate the phone and power people for keeping you on a leash?). Well I suppose if my ego was wrapped up in a game I'd feel it was really important to me.



The loving are the daring!

 

[ufo_warviper]

Hey, I haven't been trying to say I support the $9.99/month deal. Infact, I oppose monthly offering greatly. That's one reason why EQ was never attractive to me. Probably some of the people who spend so doggarn much time wrapped up into the EQ game feel like they are getting a better value for their money if they invest their lives into a game. My cousin did this for about 2 years, and finally is now deciding to quit.



My OS features preemptive multitasking, a fully interactive command line, & support for 640K of RAM!

 

[LancerEvolution7]

So if you buy the $50 version, you get to play online for free forever? Thats what I infer from what is speculated on this boards. So basically it works on a CD Key type of thing right? So how is this different from the half-life 1? When half-life came out it was basically the same thing. You need a cd key to play online.

The $9.95 thing isn't so bad for people who wants to test the game out for a month.

Can someone explain to me the difference between an expansion and a mod? From what I gather, an expansion lengthen the original story, whether adding more chapters or taking it from a different point of view. A mod is a whole different game except it runs on the original game's engine right? So if you get the $50 version, do you have to pay extra for a mod like counterstrike or dod?

 

[eden]

Mods are usually free, stand-alone mod versions usually cost. That's how CS works.

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[eden]

The companies are blind to the consumer belief. Soon enough they will drown, wondering why.

It really is true, the management guys actually are NOT conscious of the results, they just do now, but don't think of later! It's no wonder if we do get an asteroid coming at us and we put our hopes in their managing, they'll screw it up. "They never planned it".

Ah if we consumers one day managed the publishers.

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[phial]

i have but one thing to say, to put an end to this mindless debate and twittering































































<b>GH3YY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!111111111111111111</b>

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<A HREF="http://www.teenirc.net/chat/tomshardware.html" target="_new"> come to THGC chat~ NOW. dont make me get up ffs @#@$</A>

 

[eden]

YOU SUCK!......................me!

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<A HREF="http://www.lochel.com/THGC/album.html" target="_new"><font color=blue><b>Are you ugly and looking into showing your mug? Then the THGC Album is the right place for you!</b></font color=blue></A>