well, at least ATI are giving something for free, and a spare CDKey never did anyone any harm.

If you already have an existing retail version of something from Valve, you essentially have everything already if you activate Steam with your existing key. So, in that sense, the key with the bundle is "extra".

But I don't think the new offer is giving a second key. Only allowing you to activate it before HL2's release.

activate their Half-Life 2 Product Key via STEAM before Half-Life 2 is available at retail, Valve and ATI are offering the Valve Premier Pack free

The only addition is that by activating it early, you get the usual free stuff you currently get with any Valve retail product... assuming you're taking the plung to install Steam...

It seems to me ATI should add a cash rebate to their new offer. Rebate only if purchased before HL2's release, that is.

With their troubles with the Catalyst 3.8 drivers, they better be careful here. They will soon regain their former poor reputation with drivers. BTW, I love my ATI card using Catalyst 3.7 drivers.

"Yeah, but the head I can get for free."
-A man who has never been to amsterdam

$50 seems expensive. more like $15, unless you wanted something 'exotic'.

blimey hope my wife doesnt come on here.

as for HL2. well, at least ATI are giving something for free, and a spare CDKey never did anyone any harm.

This comment was edited on Oct 27, 08:42.

I agree with VoodooV.
You know, it only costs $50.00 for head in Amsterdam

Yeah, but the head I can get for free. Now.. if I could only get my girlfriend to give me a 9800XT for that price, I'd be one seriously happy camper

What are you guys talking about waiting for delivery, if you want it right away use steam instead of the shipping CD. I think you could also pay for faster shipping, at a cost. Unless I'm wrong about dling it right away. I'm also sure if I bought an ATI card recently and was getting HL2 for free, I wouldn't care if I had to dl it instead of the CD, as it's still free.

Also, if the post said ATI and Valve were going to offer the pack free, but decided not too, then I bet there'd be a lot of people complaining for it. I bet some people would complain both ways.

And sure the XT is a good card to who bought his first ATI card, have you seen the reviews of the 5950, it's clear which card to get right now. The only thing Nvidia's card did better in the review was at Flight Sim 04, but it was lower quality at the same settings as the ATI card (probably why it performed better). I don't get the review by saying if you want fps in FS2004, get the nvidia card, and the ATI card for better quality at I fps hit. He could have said to get the ATI card and lower the settings below the Nvidia card to match it and then the FPS would go up to match the Nvidia card. But MP2 clearly performed better on the XT and everything else too, so I say you did make a good purchase with your first ATI card.

I love my 9700pro, and I had a GF3 before that, and the next card I get in a year or more from now will be what gets the best reviews, I'm no fanboy, I go with what's the best at the time, I don't waste my money by sticking one side always like a darn fanboy. The only time I get upset and defend who I'm with is when a fanboy puts down the other just because he's a fanboy of the other side.

I'm done ranting.

Daaayyyyyy Ussssssss Ekkkkkkks

Careful where you say that, people might just think your describing a computer game called "Day of Sex".

Bottom line is ATI is sleeping with Valve, so only Valve could give the bonus, and there's not much Valve has made...so you get Valve's skanky daughter, who has been evidently a good lay for many years, but the problem is you've had her already a billion times, and she's starting to get wrinkly and old! ;-)

This comment was edited on Oct 26, 21:13.

Come on, let's be honest, legally they don't have to give people anything more than HL2 whenever it gets released. This is a bonus. Sure anyone who would buy a gaming card almost certainly has this already, but what are they supposed to give them? Gunman Chronicles?

www.popularculturegaming.tk

All this hype and you just know that HL2 is going to be complete disappointmentware.

anything that generates this much hype is eventually victim to it...we all fall for the hype in some way or another...generate this image in our mind of how the game is going to be. And real live rarely lives up to the hype created by our own imaginations.

On the upside Nvidia must be getting a chuckle out of the whole thing...

EDIT: #23, keep the liberal weenie sites to yourself....commie


----------------------------------------------------------------------
PAH!
This comment was edited on Oct 26, 18:58.

More info at gregpalast.com

This comment was edited on Oct 26, 18:41.

#12: Or just not send Outlook viruses to Gabe with the subject of FREE BUFFET, RUN ME!

This offer of bundling HL1 is silliness of course, but it reminds me that I went to play HL Deathmatch classic the other day because it had been awhile and I felt like playing a game that I KNEW I would enjoy.

Well, that's what I get for thinking.

Every player on HL1 now seems to do this goofy jumping thing all the time. It's not bunny-hopping, it looks like they are jumping forward, only very fast. The net effect is everyone is bouncing back and forth all over every map like a fucking ping-pong ball.I don't know whether it's a hack or a script or a cheat but it definitely ruins the game.


I'm almost afraid to fire up Quake1 now.

The "best" part is, we have only the same to look forward to with HL2, assuming it's ever released. Since the code is out there, we won't even have that 3-week grace period where no one has cheats and everyone is just playing to have fun. They'll have the hacks all polished up on day one.

This comment was edited on Oct 26, 18:08.

for 500, the card better be able to give me head too.

I've heard rumors that's coming in revision 3 of the 9800 boards.

Revision 4 should add the ability for it to swallow.

I agree with VoodooV.
You know, it only costs $50.00 for head in Amsterdam

Yeah, I feel a little sorry for ATI. Welcome to the world of games releases.

Doesn't just about everyone already have a retail copy of anything from Valve? If so, this offer is no change to what ATI was already offering.

Maybe ATI needs to offer some cash rebate to make the deal.

Spending 500 dollars for a video card is stupid PERIOD.

for 500, the card better be able to give me head too.

Does any one else find this Premier pack a joke?

I mean isn't it a given that if you are subscribed under steam with a CD key (from your HL2 purchase in the ATI bundle) that you have access to all the other games right now?

Well I bought the $500 dealie and I'm very disappointed that HL2 will not be in my hands the day it comes out! There is no way I will wait a month to play it. The game being bundeled with the card wan't my reason for getting the XT but I sure thought it was a nice offer. So far my initial impressions of the card are veery blah but I do realize that no game out right now can really test this baby. This is my first ATI card after buying Nvidia for years, I hope I made a good choice.

Valve sold-out.

Not to mention all the people anticipating the release of HL2 and D3. Who spent money on new rigs to play them at full blast. Only to have the games turn into vapor ware. What a dissapointment. I could understand a delay of a few weeks. But this is rediculious.