Valve to continue with retail channel.

[schrodinger]

Archived from groups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.action (More info?)

From UK mag PCZone;

" Valve Software has confirmed that its forthcoming Aftermath expansion for
Half-Life 2 will be available to
purchase via traditional retail methods - as well as being made available
for download over Steam, surely. "

http://tinyurl.com/apy2z

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.action (More info?)

Schrodinger wrote:
> From UK mag PCZone;
>
> " Valve Software has confirmed that its forthcoming Aftermath expansion for
> Half-Life 2 will be available to
> purchase via traditional retail methods - as well as being made available
> for download over Steam, surely. "
>
> http://tinyurl.com/apy2z

Very nice to see that Valve have acknowledged the fact that not everyone
has broadband.

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.action (More info?)

On Wed, 25 May 2005 07:10:18 GMT, "Schrodinger" <no@1way.com> wrote:

>From UK mag PCZone;
>
>" Valve Software has confirmed that its forthcoming Aftermath expansion for
>Half-Life 2 will be available to
>purchase via traditional retail methods - as well as being made available
>for download over Steam, surely. "
>
> http://tinyurl.com/apy2z
>

I wonder which distributor and/or retail-chains will be happy doing
the "bend-over" routine for Gabe, Doug and Co ? Hope they make
Valve sign a cast-iron return-for-credit agreement on the retail
copies. With Steam as the alternate distribution channel, estimating
the number of retail sales will be akin to a blindfolded darts game.

John Lewis

>
>

 

[shawk]

Archived from groups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.action (More info?)

John Lewis wrote:
> On Wed, 25 May 2005 07:10:18 GMT, "Schrodinger" <no@1way.com> wrote:
>
>>From UK mag PCZone;
>
>>" Valve Software has confirmed that its forthcoming Aftermath expansion for
>>Half-Life 2 will be available to
>>purchase via traditional retail methods - as well as being made available
>>for download over Steam, surely. "
>>
>>http://tinyurl.com/apy2z
>>
>
>
> I wonder which distributor and/or retail-chains will be happy doing
> the "bend-over" routine for Gabe, Doug and Co ? Hope they make
> Valve sign a cast-iron return-for-credit agreement on the retail
> copies. With Steam as the alternate distribution channel, estimating
> the number of retail sales will be akin to a blindfolded darts game.
>
> John Lewis
>
>
>>
>
From UK PCGamer mag:

"In an effort to stop the nonsense spreading, here's a little
clarification on some of the choicer distortions - Aftermath will be in
the shops - Uh no, it's 100% Steam"

I'll wait to see what Valve say...

--
It's a bit of a jump isn't it? I mean, er, chartered accountancy to lion
taming in one go.
You don't think it might be better if you worked your way toward lion
taming, say, via banking...

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.action (More info?)

On Fri, 27 May 2005 18:44:41 +0100, Shawk <shawk@clara.co.uk.3guesses>
wrote:

> From UK PCGamer mag:
>
>"In an effort to stop the nonsense spreading, here's a little
>clarification on some of the choicer distortions - Aftermath will be in
>the shops - Uh no, it's 100% Steam"
>
>I'll wait to see what Valve say...
>

If really true, the retail-purchasers of HL2 that only have dial-up
(or have to pay extra for large broadband downloads) should be ready
ready to puke all over Gabe. Would be difficult to miss....

Here is my PREDICTION on a winning 'retail'strategy for Valve
-absolutely necessary for those with dial-up or bandwidth-limited (or
expensive per MByte) broadband. Also, important for 'casual' retail
exposure. Getting in bed with any distributor or trying to use the
current distribution/retail models will definitely not work.

<<PREDICTION ON>>

Valve will directly mail to big retail chains worldwide boxes of
encrypted DVD disks of their new games, possibly including an
unencrypted demo or video on the disk, each disk in a pretty cardboard
envelope (just like a magazine cover-disk) at, say, $1 cost-price or
maybeeven free! Plus a bunch of pretty posters. The retailer would
then be free to sell each DVD for, say, $3 -5 ( like today's demo
disks whose price is discounted when the full game is purchased ).
Very nice retailer profit for no exposure, other than a small box full
of disks behind the counter and a big poster.. If Valve feels
generous (??) that retail 'price' would be discounted from the on-line
price when the DVD version of the game/expansion is
registered/decrypted over Steam. If a discount is offered,
each DVD cover would need to come with a unique key,
exactly like the retail copies of HL2 today.

The change from today's retail model is that the balance in the
game-price would be paid to Valve directly via Steam at
registration-time, not to the retailer/distributor......

If Valve decided to give no discount on the "demo"-DVD
purchase, then the demo/encrypted DVD would not even
need a key.

Alternatively, should the retailers not play ball, Valve can
readily get these DVD copies into the retail-channel by offering
them as cover-disks to PC Gamer and/or the other junk-
magazines, or mail them directly on request (p&p $5 domestic..
would not want to lose money..), and again charge full-price
for the privilege of registration/decryption via Steam. Fortunately
for Valve, none of their games needs an extensive printed
manual, so an on-disk .pdf file will do.

<<PREDICTION OFF >>

Hey, Gabe if my prediction is right, can you please fire Doug
and give me his job ? I have some other $$$-winning ideas for
your company. Not that I like what you are doing at all --- for
single-player games, it really stinks -- but I wouldn't mind Doug's
money and Seattle is a really great place to live...
----------------------------------------------------

Nice (for Valve) to have that neat Steam-ringy thingy through
the customer's nose... The Brave New World of Valve
ensures sole-supplier, no sale-discounts, no close-outs, no
trade-ins, no used-game sales, minimal distribution overhead...

John Lewis

>--
>It's a bit of a jump isn't it? I mean, er, chartered accountancy to lion
>taming in one go.
>You don't think it might be better if you worked your way toward lion
>taming, say, via banking...

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.action (More info?)

x-no-archive: yes

John Lewis wrote:

<snip>

your predictions are frightening real... but it seams you are
helping the enemy cause you want a job at valve?
after so many months fighting against valve you now give the
plans for yet another variation of steam infecting in retail

i will not discuss particular details about your predictions
cause they appear to be very plausible and by doing it i
would be helping valve, steam and damage the tradicional way
that pc games have been sold in retail

i don't know if you did it on purpose or not but by writing
this post you gave the enemy strategic plans to again attack
pc games and the healthy retail channel

mr john lewis use your brain insights imagination experience
to protect promote and support pc games! not to damage!

--
post made in a steam-free computer
i said "NO" to valve and steam

 

[shawk]

Archived from groups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.action (More info?)

John Lewis wrote:
> On Fri, 27 May 2005 18:44:41 +0100, Shawk <shawk@clara.co.uk.3guesses>
> wrote:
>
>
>>From UK PCGamer mag:
>>
>>"In an effort to stop the nonsense spreading, here's a little
>>clarification on some of the choicer distortions - Aftermath will be in
>>the shops - Uh no, it's 100% Steam"
>>
>>I'll wait to see what Valve say...
>>
>
>
> If really true, the retail-purchasers of HL2 that only have dial-up
> (or have to pay extra for large broadband downloads) should be ready
> ready to puke all over Gabe. Would be difficult to miss....
>
> Here is my PREDICTION on a winning 'retail'strategy for Valve
> -absolutely necessary for those with dial-up or bandwidth-limited (or
> expensive per MByte) broadband. Also, important for 'casual' retail
> exposure. Getting in bed with any distributor or trying to use the
> current distribution/retail models will definitely not work.
>
> <<PREDICTION ON>>
>
> Valve will directly mail to big retail chains worldwide boxes of
> encrypted DVD disks of their new games, possibly including an
> unencrypted demo or video on the disk, each disk in a pretty cardboard
> envelope (just like a magazine cover-disk) at, say, $1 cost-price or
> maybeeven free! Plus a bunch of pretty posters. The retailer would
> then be free to sell each DVD for, say, $3 -5 ( like today's demo
> disks whose price is discounted when the full game is purchased ).
> Very nice retailer profit for no exposure, other than a small box full
> of disks behind the counter and a big poster.. If Valve feels
> generous (??) that retail 'price' would be discounted from the on-line
> price when the DVD version of the game/expansion is
> registered/decrypted over Steam. If a discount is offered,
> each DVD cover would need to come with a unique key,
> exactly like the retail copies of HL2 today.
>
> The change from today's retail model is that the balance in the
> game-price would be paid to Valve directly via Steam at
> registration-time, not to the retailer/distributor......
>
> If Valve decided to give no discount on the "demo"-DVD
> purchase, then the demo/encrypted DVD would not even
> need a key.
>
> Alternatively, should the retailers not play ball, Valve can
> readily get these DVD copies into the retail-channel by offering
> them as cover-disks to PC Gamer and/or the other junk-
> magazines, or mail them directly on request (p&p $5 domestic..
> would not want to lose money..), and again charge full-price
> for the privilege of registration/decryption via Steam. Fortunately
> for Valve, none of their games needs an extensive printed
> manual, so an on-disk .pdf file will do.
>
> <<PREDICTION OFF >>
>
> Hey, Gabe if my prediction is right, can you please fire Doug
> and give me his job ? I have some other $$$-winning ideas for
> your company. Not that I like what you are doing at all --- for
> single-player games, it really stinks -- but I wouldn't mind Doug's
> money and Seattle is a really great place to live...
> ----------------------------------------------------
>
> Nice (for Valve) to have that neat Steam-ringy thingy through
> the customer's nose... The Brave New World of Valve
> ensures sole-supplier, no sale-discounts, no close-outs, no
> trade-ins, no used-game sales, minimal distribution overhead...
>
> John Lewis
>


My post was only about 'Aftermath' - an add-on. Valve are allegedly
finalising a deal with a publisher for their normal games.

--
It's a bit of a jump isn't it? I mean, er, chartered accountancy to lion
taming in one go.
You don't think it might be better if you worked your way toward lion
taming, say, via banking...