Why not unlock HL2?

P

pbj75

Limp Gawd
Joined
Sep 30, 2003
Messages
208
Just a discussion question.

From the Valve Steam News section:
If you have purchased a copy of Half-Life 2, we are sorry you are still waiting to play. This is not Valve's choice. Vivendi is insisting that the game has not yet been released, and has threatened that Valve would be in violation of its contract if we activate the Half-Life 2 Steam authentication servers at this time.
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My question is why? Assuming it really is Vivendi keeping it locked there seems to be no logical reason for such a position. By keeping it locked they have irritated retail customers, irritated retail dealers, and are generating excessive merchandise returns. None of these things hurt Valve, but the last two can certainly hurt Vivendi. So, why would Vivendi stick to a position that hurts Vivendi and does no harm to Valve?

I have already read of a bunch of customers who returned HL2 since it would not work. So, the retailer refunds their money and sends the box back to Vivendi for credit. If anything, it probably generates more Steam sales because people figure they might as well use Steam since buying the retail package is of marginal benefit. And if you compare against Steam Silver or Gold, it isn't even close in terms of value for dollar.

Also, any retailer planning to sell the game has already put in their order. They may not have gotten the units until Monday or Tuesday, but the order is already in and the merchandise on the way. So, keeping it locked doesn't preserve those orders or generate any new ones.

So, once again, why keep it locked? Makes me think there is more going on than just Vivendi saying "No".

My questions are really:
What is forcing Vivendi to keep the game locked?
Is there an affecting clause in the Vivendi/Valve contract?
 
Bear in mind that in Steam Vivendi are seeing the seeds of their own doom. Online distribution of media is the future, and Steam is the beginning of that.

I dare say that Vivendi wouldn't mind a few spanners in the system at this point...

/conspiracy mode off
 
dylman said:
Bear in mind that in Steam Vivendi are seeing the seeds of their own doom. Online distribution of media is the future, and Steam is the beginning of that.

I dare say that Vivendi wouldn't mind a few spanners in the system at this point...

/conspiracy mode off
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for those who aren't brits, a spanner is a wrench.
 
dylman said:
Online distribution of media is the future, and Steam is the beginning of that.
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And yet, people still purchase CDs, DVDs and games at stores. Here's the deal, boxes and stores that carry them will be around for years to come. It's because people like to have things. Tangible things. Sure, people will go to online distribution for various things, but there will always be that segment that likes to have that manual in hand and that comfort in knowing if that EMP pulse hits tomorrow, they'll have their physical backup.

Yeah, online distribution is here just like the paperless office and my hardbook book on my desk by Tom Clancy.
 
dylman said:
Bear in mind that in Steam Vivendi are seeing the seeds of their own doom. Online distribution of media is the future, and Steam is the beginning of that.

I dare say that Vivendi wouldn't mind a few spanners in the system at this point...
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Don't disagree. There is no way that Vivendi thinks Steam is a good thing. However, my questions remain. The spanner in the works of keeping the game locked does next to nothing to hurt Steam or Valve. It does cost Vivendi and the retailers. So, once again, why would Vivendi do this to themselves unless they absolutely had to? Maybe some contract between Vivendi and the distributors? Hmm... that would make sense, but then Vivendi was stupid for keeping standard brick&mortar clauses in their contracts. They had to realize that Steam would provide an alternative delivery medium AND content control. So, if some vendor breaks street, Vivendi would be caught between their existing distributor contracts and the Steam content lock.

If so, I think I feel a little sorry for Vivendi. Just a little. ;)
 
The simple way of putting it is if its unlocked on steam, and its not widley avaliable for you to buy in stores, a few people will buy it on steam instead, and Vivendi is not willing to take this small small loss so they hold legal action over the heads of valve.
 
obyj34 said:
The simple way of putting it is if its unlocked on steam, and its not widley avaliable for you to buy in stores, a few people will buy it on steam instead, and Vivendi is not willing to take this small small loss so they hold legal action over the heads of valve.
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Exactly. What if Valve unlocked the game and there were still people who couldn't pick up a retail copy for some reason? There are enough rabid HL2 fans out there that would forego a retail copy so that they could play it immediately. After all, most (if not all) of those rabid HL2 fans would have preloaded it anyway, so it wouldn't take long (presumably) to finish downloading. If those would be retail purchases suddenly went Steam then Vivendi loses money. They get more from retail sales, so they're not going to let Valve unlock early.
 
Its called a release date, all games have them. All games try to stick with them (for the most part). If valve was to start allowing people to play the game then it would be the same as say wal mart selling a game before the release date. These stores that are selling the game now are the ones that are hurting Vivendi not steam. These stores shouldnt have been selling the game until tomorow. As much as you want your game it will not be able to be played until tomorow so can we please stop these threads of "But I want it now :rolleyes: "

JEEVES
 
Steel Chicken said:
You guys do know Vivendi is a french company right?

:p
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Shit, there it goes...now I have to send tihs crap back and won't be able to play HL2, I won't support a smarmy french company
:p

J/K....of course I will....
 
JEEVES said:
Its called a release date, all games have them. All games try to stick with them (for the most part). If valve was to start allowing people to play the game then it would be the same as say wal mart selling a game before the release date. These stores that are selling the game now are the ones that are hurting Vivendi not steam. These stores shouldnt have been selling the game until tomorow. As much as you want your game it will not be able to be played until tomorow so can we please stop these threads of "But I want it now "
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The question was what good business reason could there be for Vivendi to not authorize release at this time. Your point was already mentioned in earlier posts. As far as the stores hurting Vivendi, thank you, that is part of the question already asked. All Vivendi has to do is authorize release and, voila, no more returns, no more ticked customers, no more ticked retailers, and no more lost $$$ on returns.

Please feel free to read previous posts before contributing. Thanks.

obyj34 said:
The simple way of putting it is if its unlocked on steam, and its not widley avaliable for you to buy in stores, a few people will buy it on steam instead, and Vivendi is not willing to take this small small loss so they hold legal action over the heads of valve.
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I think your scenario is possible, but does that small percentage really offset the retail returns and ill will Vivendi is busy racking up with their distributors and retailers? I certainly don't know, but IMO it doesn't seem like it makes good business sense. Which is why I asked the original question whether there might be some other reason for Vivendi to delay it.

I was hoping someone in the business who knows the standard contractual arrangements could enlighten us.
 
I think the real reason is that by allowing Valve to unlock the game early they would prove to each and every person that purchased the game via Steam that they had made the best choice.

If it were activated now, the select few(maybe not so few) people who got the game from a store who broke the date would benefit but EVERY person who purchased via Steam would win.

This would make Steam the better choice because if the release date is broken you don't have to be lucky enough to live near a store that screwed up. So, keep it locked and retail customers be damned because the real point is to keep internet customers from coming out ahead.
 
Steam unlocking the game before retail buyers can play equals more steam buyers in the future, something I am sure Vivendi has little sense of humor about.
 
TheRapture said:
Shit, there it goes...now I have to send tihs crap back and won't be able to play HL2, I won't support a smarmy french company
:p

J/K....of course I will....
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IMO, it coulda been worse...it coulda been EA distributing that game :eek:
 
I think it would be great for Vivendi to allow for them to "Activate" the retail but make Valve keep steam locked up untill launch, but I am sure Valve just would not do it and make everyone wait.

I for one refuse to buy a game that they feel needs this much control, I always wonder what they hope to accomplish with it, as those that will play a hacked copy will not have to suffer the crap that is steam, and those that buy it will.

And for anyone who thinks retail will go away, you keep thinking that.
 
pbj75 said:
The question was what good business reason could there be for Vivendi to not authorize release at this time. Your point was already mentioned in earlier posts. As far as the stores hurting Vivendi, thank you, that is part of the question already asked. All Vivendi has to do is authorize release and, voila, no more returns, no more ticked customers, no more ticked retailers, and no more lost $$$ on returns.

Please feel free to read previous posts before contributing. Thanks.
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hmm well I did read the thread, and just wanted to throw in my two cents. This is an internet board where people can converse thier ideas. I am sorry that my thoughts were the same as others.

All vivendi has to do is authorze release and, voila, now you have pissed of retailers that were actualy trying to stick with the release date, More ticked customers for hearing on the net that such and such store in butt fuck nowhere is selling the games and thier local store isnt. and you must be crazy to think that either are loosing money on returned games that go right back on the shelf.

The only people I see having a problem with this is imaptiant little kids that think the world should revolve around thier needs.

You ask What is forcing Vivendi to keep the game locked? It is called buisness edicit, trying to keep things as fair for everyone everywhere as posible.

Is there an affecting clause in the Vivendi/Valve contract? I would imagine so, but seeing as how we do not work for either I dont think anyone here knows for sure.

Now I know these have been said before, but when you ask a question are you just expecting one person to answer and that is the end of it? I for one apreciate multiple answers from diffrent people, as that is the best way to get the truth.

JEEVES
 
Jeeves
No problem on the input. It just came across as the typical STFU and live with it response. Perhaps I took it the wrong way.

SkdMrkLcy
Now that is one hell of an idea. That would piss me off since I downloaded via Steam, but it would nicely solve Vivendi's retail issue and it would also undercut Steam. Of course, I am sure Valve would just love to help out Vivendi :p
 
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