Valve confirms you will need an internet connection for HL2
Tuesday, October 26th, 2004 - 9:56am
Well this could crimp some standalone folks... Read this at Gamespy or Gamespot - this AM...
Edit: http://www.1up.com/do/newsStory?cId=3135869
Link added to the best of my limited ability 
XBL Gamertag
SI VIS PACEM, PARA BELLUM "IF YOU SEEK PEACE... PREPARE FOR WAR"
PUBLIUS RENATUS, 390 AD
This was confirmed weeks ago, just FYI.
Xbox Live: Kooter06
Why is it essential?
Well it just showed up in my email today <sticks toungue out>
XBL Gamertag
SI VIS PACEM, PARA BELLUM "IF YOU SEEK PEACE... PREPARE FOR WAR"
PUBLIUS RENATUS, 390 AD
To make Valve feel more important?
Nah, I wish I really knew.
Xbox Live: Kooter06
So they can verify that you are *not* a pirate.. because in the entertainment and software industry you are guilty until proven innocent.
Playing WoW as: Vilius (70 NE Druid)
“The only function of economic forecasting is to make astrology look respectable.” John K Galbraith
Marketing and anti-piracy reasons, probably. I''d err towards marketing; seeing who people play against, what mods they play, blah blah.
HatchetJob.com - a netcast about more than videogames.
I give it a week before a crack for that is out though
WOW: Bounce
Valve is using a product authentication method similar to Microsoft and Windows XP
Aint nothing new about the world order..it's been playing since the day they put George Washington on a quarter
85's face the truth you're too dumb.
http://www.myspace.com/armyofthepharaohs
Well I hope they include a phone version - tough to register on the internet from the middle of the ocean
XBL Gamertag
SI VIS PACEM, PARA BELLUM "IF YOU SEEK PEACE... PREPARE FOR WAR"
PUBLIUS RENATUS, 390 AD
SPECIAL NOTE!
This is a one-time need for Internet during installation. NOT as you play.
This would keep some entrepreneuring soul from setting up a lab of stand alone machines and installing the HL2 single player on every machine. It''s the same as Microsoft requiring you to ''activate'' your product, except that Valve apparently doesn''t give you a phone-in option.
Worst case scenario... take your internet-less standalone computer to a friends house. You have friends... right? Establish some sort of internet sharing or plug into their network. Install HL2. Register. Unplug. Go home. Play until eyes bleed.
Personally I consider this not at all unreasonable. But then again, I for one welcome my Valve Overlords.
Politely rude. Briskly vague. Firmly uninformative.
No phone-in option makes this a very bad idea. I can''t count the Microsoft products I''ve had to activate over the phone because the internet option screwed up.
"Poor Eli Nooo... *child starts crying*"
"Come on now, there's no need to make that kind of noise. It sounds awful and you'll upset other people." - Ionae from Spirit Engine 2
Awww.... that''s what I get for typing out a paragraph instead of a one line note! GameGuru and SpyNavy, I apologize for my verbosity!
Politely rude. Briskly vague. Firmly uninformative.
So should I have Bill Gates AND Gabe Newell''s number on speed dial whenever I upgrade my own PC?
I am actually joking.. I tweak my PC all the time and never had a problem with Microsoft. But I am still upset about where they are allowed to go with ""product authentication"". When they start walking door to door auditing someone''s neighborhood I am suing.
Playing WoW as: Vilius (70 NE Druid)
“The only function of economic forecasting is to make astrology look respectable.” John K Galbraith
Yeah i have had to register XP and Office about 12 times from the middle of the ocean - once in the Persian Gulf - really need to have that option
XBL Gamertag
SI VIS PACEM, PARA BELLUM "IF YOU SEEK PEACE... PREPARE FOR WAR"
PUBLIUS RENATUS, 390 AD
*cough*
farley3k bought up a very good point in that thread: Since it requires activation, will you be able to sell it when you''re done? Microsoft sure as heck doesn''t let you do that with their products, and I strongly suspect that Valve will be the same way. Bought a boxed copy for $50 and it won''t run decently on your machine, or you think it sucks? Too bad, Chad!
Everything can be debated, but that doesn't necessarily mean it's debatable.
--Chuck Klosterman, Fargo Rock City
You will be able to sell it. I am almost positive it won''t be ""linked"" to a certain machine. I use my Steam login at friends houses now so I am betting it will stay that way.
Xbox Live: Kooter06
Actually, isn''t it written in some EULA''s for PC games that the product is non-transferrable?? So I am breaking the law by trading them in at EA?
Playing WoW as: Vilius (70 NE Druid)
“The only function of economic forecasting is to make astrology look respectable.” John K Galbraith
The problem is that the person you''ve sold it to will probably need your Steam login to register/install it, since I''ll bet good money that, once you register it, that CD''s Serial #/Key will be tied to that Steam login. I''m sure the knowledge that they''re eliminating the resale market is really breaking Valve''s hearts.
Everything can be debated, but that doesn't necessarily mean it's debatable.
--Chuck Klosterman, Fargo Rock City
I know and that is what I meant. If you don''t want to play HL2 and you want to sell your silver package and all that comes with it, sell your login ID and password.
Xbox Live: Kooter06
I don''t understand how Steam/mandatory online registration is going to prevent pirating anything - and I find it difficult to believe Valve really believes it will. I think they''re more just interested in reaching critical mass, and fast, with Steam - the more people forced into using it, the more likely its going to catch on as an IM client, game browser, distribution system, etc (which is part of what Steam does).
You can already download warez''d CS:S and play it on legit servers using a crack and a steam account registered to a gmail, yahoo, or whatever address. My understanding is that the biggest hurdle for pirates regarding steam right now is handling the myriad of updates they can push out.
PS - I plead the 5th, so don''t ask.
It is the habit of every aggressor nation to claim that it is acting on the defensive. - Jawaharlal Nehru
All this does is punish honest people who are not technologically savvy. This will have ZERO effect on the game''s piracy (other than perhaps enticing angry people like myself to spread it out of spite).
There will be a crack for this almost instantly. (Don''t think so? How many copies of Windows XP are legal?) I for one would use (and spread!) a crack out of principle if I didn''t intend to play HL2 multiplayer. This will be a HUUUUGE pain in the ass for those unfortunate souls without easy internet access and is a sad miscalculation on Valve''s part.
Plain and simple, if it wasn''t Half-Life 2 I''d boycott the game out of principle, but I''m weak and desperately want to play the game. I could warez the game easily I''m sure but as tempting as it is to send them that message, I''m not going to go there.
I'm still right here
Giving blood, keeping faith
It may not stop a dedicated Warez junky. But it will certainly give the casual thief enough of a hurdle to just say screw this whole petty theft thing and get a legit copy... or not. I haven''t browsed the warez rings in a long long time, but if my guestimation is correct, not much has changed. You''re just as likely to download a porn dialer and trojan cocktail as the crack you are looking for... plus you''ll be treated to the finest selection of Russian buy-your-wife popups.
You aren''t depriving valve of anything by not purchasing their product. You aren''t thumbing your nose at the system. You are simply endorsing the hobby of criminals. Cracking has its place, as do warez, but all these cred-seeking mini-crims are accomplishing is pissing off the only people that seem to have a desire to put something worthwhile out on the market. Thumbing your nose at the software makers is only a rebellious gesture if it means something. Valve isn''t opressing you. Id didn''t piss in your cheerios. Adobe isn''t holding your puppy ransom. There is no message. It''s stealing from people that have something that you want but don''t want to pay for. At least admit that much of it.
[/OT Rant]
Politely rude. Briskly vague. Firmly uninformative.
See, the thing is Id did piss in my cheerios, after I bought Doom III and everything! Maybe Carmack was still sore over losing the X-Prize, but... my cheerios man!
I'm still right here
Giving blood, keeping faith
LOL... well as long as you''re willing to submit a sample of the urine for DNA testing... or did you e-bay it already?
You sick sick man!
Politely rude. Briskly vague. Firmly uninformative.
Now I''m not going to defend the warez bit, because there''s nothing noble or righteous about warezing something unless you turn yourself in for it ala. civil disobedience. But not buying the game and warezing it aren''t the same thing. Yes, it does accomplish something not buying Valve''s product, and yes you are taking something from them. $50. Yes, there is a point to it, and a message to send, mainly that I disagree with the way they treat their customers. I''m not saying warez is the way to deliver this message, I''m saying not buying their product is. I''m not sure if you necissarily meant to say that there''s no point in not buying the game, but it came out that way and I just wanted to clarify.
"Poor Eli Nooo... *child starts crying*"
"Come on now, there's no need to make that kind of noise. It sounds awful and you'll upset other people." - Ionae from Spirit Engine 2
The first sentence IS a little out of place, but the point is: unless you are actively working against people buying stuff from valve YOUR choice not to buy it isn''t hurting Valve any more or any less than your grandparents decision not to buy from them. Unless you can convince a large percentage of your demographic to choose the same you will have achieved nothing tangible. Certainly less is achieved by opting to steal the product you are are supposedly boycotting.
Sorry if I''ve caused any confusion or ambiguity! Children, do not rush to the warez sites! Senior citizens, please review your computer''s hardware specs before purchasing software! Everyone inbetween, thanks for reading with your eyes open and your minds working!
This is why I could/would never run for public office!
*Addendum... I also don''t mean to imply that if you don''t buy from Valve you intend to steal from them. We were using the ''you'' pronoun quite liberally and they are very hard to interpret once I or you are reading them from a personal point of view.I don''t mean YOUR boycott, rather the boycott of the hypothetical person stealing the product and then parading some mythical message around as a shield from guilt. Pronouns suck! Or rather... I suck at using them. My only defense is that English isn''t my first language... but it''s not a very good defense.*
Politely rude. Briskly vague. Firmly uninformative.
I dont think this hurts the warez crowd...the haxors will still do thier thing im sure. It seems to me that the only people it will effect are those that want to legitimately purchase the game but have no internet for whatever reason.
-pol
Warrior Asherr
Hunter Ghorin
[attempt at humor to show his human side to potential voters]
How would people like that even KNOW about HL2?
[/proving just how alienating a career in IT has been]
Politely rude. Briskly vague. Firmly uninformative.
That''s where I disagree, you have achieved something tangible by not buying the game. Now you''re no longer being treated unsatisfactorily and paying for the privilege. Saying there''s no point isn''t true, it''s just that Valve has nothing to do with it. What good does it do to bitch about the game and buy it anyway? Less than it would if you bitched about the game and didn''t buy it as a result. So obviously there''s something to it. It''s not really some big campaign or anything, it''s just as simple as only paying for something satisfactory. If Valve doesn''t treat you like you think they should treat their customers, then just don''t be one. One person may not mean much to Valve, but that doesn''t make it pointless.
"Poor Eli Nooo... *child starts crying*"
"Come on now, there's no need to make that kind of noise. It sounds awful and you'll upset other people." - Ionae from Spirit Engine 2
This just in: Valve confirms you will need eyes for HL2.
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