Half-Life 2 Purchase Options Revealed, CS:Source Full to come out Next Week

[cam9786]

HL2's Purchase Options have been revealed, and CS:Source Full release is slated for next week. Awesome. My guess is HL2 by end of October.

HL Fallout just got word from VALVe's Gabe Newell detailing both the Half-Life 2 retail and Steam purchase options. In addition, Gabe says that the final (retail) version of Counter-Strike: Source will be available via Steam next week
"The Half-Life 2 offers have been finalized. Details are pasted below. The Steam offers will be available for purchase next week. Those who purchase via Steam, will receive the final version of Counter-Strike: Source immediately. Half-Life 2 and other games in the Steam offerings will be made available to purchasers upon their release."

Retail Boxes

* Standard Edition - includes HL2 and CS:Source. Ships on six CDs, in one of three box-art packages (Gordon, Alyx or the G-Man).
* Collector's Edition — includes Half-Life 2, Counter-Strike: Source, Half-Life 1: Source, a Half-Life 2 T-shirt and a Prima book sampler. Ships on a single DVD.

Steam Packages

* Bronze - HL2* and CS:Source.
* Silver - HL2*, Counter-Strike: Source, Half-Life 1: Source*, Day of Defeat: Source*, Valve's back catalog currently available on Steam.
* Gold - HL2*, Counter-Strike: Source, Half-Life 1: Source*, Day of Defeat: Source*, Valve's back catalog currently available on Steam, Complete Strategy Guide from Prima Games, 3 different Half-Life 2 posters, Half-Life 2 hat, Half-Life 2 postcard, Half-Life 2 stickers, Half-Life 2 Soundtrack CD, Chance to win a trip to Valve! (1 trip offered for every 5000 Gold packages purchased).

*To be made available upon product's release.

Pricing details are expected to follow shortly. In the meantime, it looks as if the appetite of Half-Life nation will soon be sated! Planet Half-Life will keep you up-to-date as soon as more information is released.

http://www.planethalflife.com/

[PaiN]

Steam Bronze for me ...nice & simple

Any word on the ATI coupon holders\codes?

[PaiN]

Originally Posted by PaiN

Any word on the ATI coupon holders\codes?

Ok that was easy.....first news on your link
ATi HL2 Voucher Owners To Receive Bronze Package Comment!
9/29/2004 15:33 PST | Half-Life 2 | by Pratt
Just got word from Dave White (the big cahuna here at IGN/GameSpy) that comes straight from Andy Burnes at ATi:
"The ATI key holders will receive the Bronze package. There will be the opportunity to upgrade packages, but the cost has not yet been announced."
Our sister site Voodoo Extreme has put up a little blurb: http://ve3d.ign.com/articles/552/552...html?fromint=1

[jAkUp]

Do you get a boxed copy if you order the steam gold edition?

[Omega53]

I wish all publishers used software similiar to steam. I love the fact that I can download the game to any computer I own then just log on and play with no cd's needed. I think its a great idea

[aAv7]

I wasnt gonna bother with steam....but seeing as if you purchase one of these next week, CS Source will be fully playable, next week as well....yeah..i'm gonna have to go ahead and order this...

[CaptNKILL]

Will Day of Defeat: Source be downloadable for those who dont buy HL2 via steam? I might go for the collectors edition, but it doesnt mention DoD:S with that package.

[cam9786]

I would hope it would be Downloadable Seperate, but It might be you have to have Half-life 2, for now, at least.

[Edge]

Sounds kinda cool, I think I'll pick up the Collector's Edition since HL:S is included and I like to have a physical copy of the game (no way I'm downloading this on my 56k!). Although the soundtrack CD, hat, and DoD:S extras included with the Gold steam release are pretty tempting...I wonder if they'll send you physical CDs as well since they'd have to send you the posters and such through the mail anyway (though it sucks that it doens't have the shirt). But...what is the "Prima book sampler"?

But, this is also good news because it means the game will likely be released soon (packaging and materials are one of the first things the publisher starts making when a game is near or at Gold status). Also, this probably means there will be at least a few more content downloads through Steam before the game's release, since DoD:S and HL:S will likely be availible for preload.

[saturnotaku]

I'm glad I decided to go with the collector's edition, if for no other reason than the fact that I don't have to spread the install over 6 CDs.

[Nv40]

Originally Posted by Omega53

I wish all publishers used software similiar to steam. I love the fact that I can download the game to any computer I own then just log on and play with no cd's needed. I think its a great idea

mmm.. i really dont like the idea of steam at all.. it can be used to charge you (pay to play) per day/per month/per computer or Cdkey. per update any bizarre way they choose.. similar to everquest when you need to pay every month to play the game. or pay more for accounts with more privileges. pay to play the single player... or pay for any MOD. what about LAN parties ? would everyone need to be looged to steam to play? most likely.. there is an interesting discussion around here about this ..

http://www.shacknews.com/ja.zz?comments=33779&page=1

never thought the legal Fight between Valve and Vivendi was that serious.. and there is a good chance that Vivendi will lose.. since Counterstrike source will be released pretty soon by steam and Vivendi can't do anything about it ,the information everywhere is that they only control the Singleplayer part which is ->HL2. if Vivendi delay the game to pressure Valve ,they will lose more money ,since people will not wait for Hl2 and will buy the MP first. and if Vivendi announce Gold now for Hl2 ,Valve will have 3-4 weeks of advantage selling the full game first by steam accounts. all in all it doesnt look good for the gamers ,because Vivendi is a Big publisher and they have the resources to make the life of the entire project (its evolution and future) very dificult if they lose Big money with their deals.

so wait and see.. probably the multiplayer part CS source might be released as soon as next week ,or the other..and the single player will come a few weeks later online if Vivendi can't manage to stop Steam. but its doesnt look good inmho positive for gamers this legal battle ,because Valve and Vivendi fight to get more money from the gamers migh end screwing people ,migh force some of them to buy the game 2 times to have it completely.. both halfs

a side note, its new to me that Hl2 game doesnt have a multiplayer learned today that CS source is not only the multiplayer part ,(which i knew) ,but that it is the only one. which is dissapointing ..since i enjoyed Hl1 singleplayer and never liked CS mod at all.. figure that.

[Edge]

Originally Posted by Nv40

mmm.. i really dont like the idea of steam at all.. it can be used to charge you (pay to play) per day/per month/per computer or Cdkey. per update any bizarre way they choose.. similar to everquest when you need to pay every month to play the game. or pay more for accounts with more privileges..

Erm, any game is like that. They could've done that on the Half-life 1 WON networks if they wanted to. But they also know if they do that, they're going to lose most of their customers.

Originally Posted by Nv40

pay to play the single player... or pay for any MOD. what about LAN parties ? would everyone need to be looged to steam to play? most likely.. there is an interesting discussion around here about this ..

You can start Steam in offline mode, allows you to play any installed game in Single-player or on a LAN (just try to start Steam when you don't have an internet connection, it comes up with a dialog box asking if you still want to start it up offline). As long as you have all the updates, there's no reason that you'd need to be connected to the internet to play LAN or single-player. Do you really think they're release Half-life 2 in stores and then not give you a way to play the game without an internet connection?