Counter-Strike: Source/Half-Life 2 Preloads

Gabe Newell made a couple of posts to the Half-Life 2 Fallout Forums about plans for Counter-Strike: Source and Half-Life 2 data preloads on Steam in preparation for the release of each. Regarding Counter-Strike: Source, he says this in one post: "Just got out of a review meeting. 8/11 the Cafe's turn on (tomorrow). 8/16 CZ/ATI users pre-load. 8/18 CZ/ATI turns on," and in a subsequent post: "The engine test (CS:Source plus de_dust) for cyber-cafe's started pre-loading at 6." There are also posts on the Steam Users Forums indicating that Valve has started to pre-load Counter-Strike for some end-users (thanks Stoo). The first post also has word from Gabe on plans to start preloading art and sound assets for Half-Life 2: "8/17, HL-2 pre-load starts (textures, audio and other stuff that doesn't change)."
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138 Replies. 7 pages. Viewing page 5.
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58.
 
Re: steam
Aug 11, 2004, 16:11
58.
Re: steam Aug 11, 2004, 16:11
Aug 11, 2004, 16:11
 
"Yes, Steam has its problems, but every new technology does. Within 5 years time you'll see almost every developer out there with a broadband delivery system which is great for gamers! Bypass the greedy publishers and retail outlets means cost savings for the consumer and/or money that would otherwise be diverted will be used in the game's development."

Is this why it costs 39.99 to buy Half-Life through Steam, but any store will sell it to you for 19.99 or less?

57.
 
Re: steam
Aug 11, 2004, 16:07
57.
Re: steam Aug 11, 2004, 16:07
Aug 11, 2004, 16:07
 
I've used Steam almost daily since its release. Its had its share of problems, but now - for the most part - it works fine. If i do encounter a problem with it - I visit the forums, do a quick search of the symptoms, sift through the "I've been falsely banned by VAC" posts, and find the solution. It's really no big deal.

When I first installed CS:CZ off of the CD, it ran seperately from Steam and it ran fine. I imagine HL2 will work the same way, but if you want updates - you'll have to "import" the game over to Steam. (A rather painless procedure.)

These are just my experiences with it. I'm sure others have worse stories.

Btw, I'd be interested to see if the Steam format hinders the piracy of the game in any way. I am not exactly sure how it would, but if it does - be perpared for more companies to use this method of game distribution.

56.
 
Re: steam
Aug 11, 2004, 16:05
56.
Re: steam Aug 11, 2004, 16:05
Aug 11, 2004, 16:05
 
Not only are they trying to change the ownership model for YOUR software YOU bought

Um, newsflash, sport. You don't own software, you're just licensing it. In exchange for the fee you've paid the company agrees that you can use their software whenever you wish (for yourself only), but you most certainly don't own it.

Yes, Steam has its problems, but every new technology does. Within 5 years time you'll see almost every developer out there with a broadband delivery system which is great for gamers! Bypass the greedy publishers and retail outlets means cost savings for the consumer and/or money that would otherwise be diverted will be used in the game's development.

Steam is still a pain in the ass, but it's getting better all the time. I look foward to the day when broadband delivery is the norm, not the exception.


"So you gonna' talk to me or we just gonna' keep bullshiting each other? Breakin' my balls, Chuck."
- Cartman
"And then, suddenly and without warning, it turned into a real-life case of hungry, hungry hippos."
- Stephen Colbert
55.
 
Re: House of Patches
Aug 11, 2004, 16:05
55.
Re: House of Patches Aug 11, 2004, 16:05
Aug 11, 2004, 16:05
 
House of Patches = GameShadow
http://www.gameshadowus.com/
game patches, drivers, system updates, demos.
Probably too expensive to be successful, but it exists.

54.
 
No subject
Aug 11, 2004, 16:01
54.
No subject Aug 11, 2004, 16:01
Aug 11, 2004, 16:01
 
yeh they smart, damn smart... so fucking smart they got their source code stolen

_____________________________________________
Give me slack. Or kill me.
______________________________________________
"When the bomb drops it'll be a bank holiday
Everybody happy in their tents and caravans
Everybody happy in their ignorance and apathy
No one realizes until the television breaks down..."

- SUBHUMANS
53.
 
Re: steam
Aug 11, 2004, 16:00
53.
Re: steam Aug 11, 2004, 16:00
Aug 11, 2004, 16:00
 
Oh and whoever was reminiscing of the good days when patches came on game magazine cds:
a) not everybody buys them - (I'd guess) more people have DSL connections than subscibe to PC Gamer et al.
b) game patches have got much larger. Not all magazines do a DVD issue yet, for the same reasons as not all (read: no) games companies don't print games on dvds.
That was never my point. It's all about leaving the consumer with option.

I'm all for using steam, but the lack of option regarding patches and the licensing scheme does bother me. Valve will never give up on steam, they know they'll make a shitload of money regardless. And future benefit for themselves are just to high for them to ignore.

52.
 
Re: steam
Aug 11, 2004, 15:59
52.
Re: steam Aug 11, 2004, 15:59
Aug 11, 2004, 15:59
 
edit: hooray
http://www.steampowered.com/index.php?area=faq&id=1050915505,27362300,1050915714,91503900
of course you still need to HAVE Steam and RUN Steam just to say "no i don't want to USE Steam" *sigh* I guess these days a half-assed solution is better than none.

to tell me i have to have a valid Internet connection JUST TO PLAY A SINGLE PLAYER GAME is over the line.
Yeah this is what kills me. I just want to:
1. order the CD/DVD online at EBgames,
2. have it hand delivered to my door,
3. install the game,
4. play the game.

But nooo. That's too much to ask.

Just to PLAY I'll have to run some online Gestapo-ware which'll poll the process every .025 seconds asking "is this game pirated?... is this game pirated Now?... is this game pirated NOW?..."

The good news is, 2 weeks after release there'll be a NO-NET hack which eliminates all the bullsht and just lets you play the damn game.
This comment was edited on Aug 11, 16:18.
51.
 
Re: steam
Aug 11, 2004, 15:46
51.
Re: steam Aug 11, 2004, 15:46
Aug 11, 2004, 15:46
 
If Steam turns out to be as bad as some here believe it may be, from a revenue and retail point of view, Valve will discontinue to use it. Valve are quite smart, business-wise as well as just writing fun games. If Steam is causing a serious issue, they'll stop it being compulsory.

Oh and whoever was reminiscing of the good days when patches came on game magazine cds:
a) not everybody buys them - (I'd guess) more people have DSL connections than subscibe to PC Gamer et al.
b) game patches have got much larger. Not all magazines do a DVD issue yet, for the same reasons as not all (read: no) games companies don't print games on dvds.

Avatar 18712
50.
 
Re: eh....
Aug 11, 2004, 15:41
50.
Re: eh.... Aug 11, 2004, 15:41
Aug 11, 2004, 15:41
 
" So why sould this not suprise you that your friend casnt play your licensed copy?? If your friend doesnt know if he should buy it or not then he either can play the demo when it comes out or play it at your house. "

I had a co-worker that doesn't like the MP in games, so someone else uses their CD key for Half Life since he
a: does not play anymore
b: would not ever play MP

This isn't piracy, but is the same situation.
The game has lost is value to one person, so the other person now uses it.

As far as DEMO crap? I bring my games almost to all friend's houses, if they like it enough, they will keep playing and next time they go to the store, they buy it.
For these reasons:
1. Does it run on my system?
2. I am willing ot pay the money NOW not in 1-2 months when a demo comes out.
3. Is it 1 hour of fun? 10 minutes of fun? Cause if that is it, screw that.
4. It is fun to play a game the first time with someone who has already played through it or who has played some of it. Playing the game is not always a nerd in the basement who is pastie white and doesn't have any human interaction. We use a sweet projection screen, etc.
5. If I have Madden 2157, I bring it to my friend's house so we can play 2 player. Why should he have to buy another copy for us to use the same machine with 2 controllers? How is that any different that physically bringing my PS2 game to John Doe's house and playing it? Is that against the law too?

Is this wrong? Not in my eyes. It is not my responsibility John Doe deletes the game, etc. Now, if there is a key for MP, then I make sure it is kept secret, but as far as him going to www.somestupidhackpage.com and getting a no-cd crack, hey, that is not my issue. If it is, I would be sentenced to life in prison, along with all of the parents of all the 12 year olds that download MP3s.

Relax and realize that Steam blows. There is an update that takes approx 30 seconds everytime I start that piece of crap up. I then have to wait to do anything with it, and all I want to do is play DoD. It is a mining tool to watch game play, how much time you spend, etc etc etc.

It is nothing like MMORPG or anything else, it is a tool for them to collect data on you. It has nothing to do with updating the crappy game you are playing. I would rather download the patches and have them on my machine to enter manually. Why? Because (case in point) that patch sometimes sux. And when you go to LAN parties with friends, there isn't always an internet connection to use, and everyone needs to be on the same patch level.

/more to say, but it is all obvious and pointless to talk about with trolls....
This comment was edited on Aug 11, 15:51.
49.
 
Those without broadband
Aug 11, 2004, 15:38
49.
Those without broadband Aug 11, 2004, 15:38
Aug 11, 2004, 15:38
 
For the record, I have not used Steam.

I like the fact you no longer have to connect online for SP.

My concern is for those without broadband, for various reasons (cost, availability, etc.). I personally rarely play anything online and only pay for dialup (I share a wirelessly networked broadband connection with my neighbor, though - his idea). I have friends who live outside city limits - the ONLY high-speed internet currently available is an expensive satellite connection. To DL massive amounts of patches/updates is near impossible at times with slower connections or potentially incredibly expensive - SO LEAVE THE OPTION FOR MANUAL UPDATING. Quit assuming everyone lives in downtown areas with cheap broadband available. Lots of people would rather DL a patch elsewhere and install it manually at their convenience or, *shocker*, leave the game the way it is if the patches primarily affect online play.

This obviously only applies for SP games or the SP portion of games.


Have I lied to you? I mean, in this room? Trust me, leave that thing alone. - GLaDOS

Did IQs just drop sharply while I was away? - Ripley
48.
 
Re: eh....
Aug 11, 2004, 15:36
48.
Re: eh.... Aug 11, 2004, 15:36
Aug 11, 2004, 15:36
 
As for your friends house, you shouldnt be able to bring a physical copy of a game to a friends house, its PIRACY.
Not it's not. You shouldn't believe everything the private compagny tells you. You bought it, then you can do what you want with it. Including reselling it. Well, that's how it goes in country that haven't completely sold out yet.

47.
 
Re: eh....
Aug 11, 2004, 15:31
47.
Re: eh.... Aug 11, 2004, 15:31
Aug 11, 2004, 15:31
 
"Uh, sadly no. They are trying to make a system that will make it difficult to use their game without their express permission. And from what I've read it looks like EVERY time you run the software it will check to see if it's ok to let you use it. So say you finish the game, and let a friend borrow it. Nope can't play, different computer, license is only good on one computer. Or say you want to sell your copy to someone else, nope can't do it, new person needs to buy a whole new copy. Or say you want to test out game on the internet but for some reason can't connect to steam, nope can't play. For that matter if you can't get to steam you can't play online or offline."

No it will not check everytime you want to play it. There will be an option to play completely offline without a check it has been mentioned by Gabe several times and in the thread that someone posted a few below this one. As for your friends house, you shouldnt be able to bring a physical copy of a game to a friends house, its PIRACY. So why sould this not suprise you that your friend casnt play your licensed copy?? If your friend doesnt know if he should buy it or not then he either can play the demo when it comes out or play it at your house.


46.
 
Re: steam
Aug 11, 2004, 15:27
46.
Re: steam Aug 11, 2004, 15:27
Aug 11, 2004, 15:27
 
i'm really starting to get sick of the whining whiners whining about the other whining whiners. lets all whine about it some more.

EDIT: while drinking wine of course

one question: will STEAM run in the background of my SP/MP game? how much of a hit to performance will it have if it does have to run in the background?

This comment was edited on Aug 11, 15:29.
Avatar 13889
45.
 
Re: steam
Aug 11, 2004, 15:20
45.
Re: steam Aug 11, 2004, 15:20
Aug 11, 2004, 15:20
 
Stop reading the comment sections. Stop whining about us whining.

Avatar 17249
44.
 
Re: steam
Aug 11, 2004, 15:07
44.
Re: steam Aug 11, 2004, 15:07
Aug 11, 2004, 15:07
 
Hey, whiners. Just DON'T BUY ANY FURTHER VALVE PRODUCTS and you won't need to use Steam any more.

Then everyone wins, becuase you won't have to use something you obviously hate, and the rest of us can BE FREE OF YOUR GOD FORSAKEN, CONSTANT WHINING.

43.
 
Re: steam
Aug 11, 2004, 14:46
43.
Re: steam Aug 11, 2004, 14:46
Aug 11, 2004, 14:46
 
http://www.steampowered.com/index.php?area=faq&id=1050915505,27362300,1050915714,91503900

It's not as bad as it used to be then. But it should still be an optional install none-the-less.


42.
 
Re: steam
Aug 11, 2004, 14:42
SMT
42.
Re: steam Aug 11, 2004, 14:42
Aug 11, 2004, 14:42
SMT
 
Is there an official stance from Valve regarding:

a) The need to have an active Internet Connection to play HL2 Single Player.

b) The need to have an active Internet Connection to play HL2 via LAN.

http://www.steampowered.com/index.php?area=faq&id=1050915505,27362300,1050915714,91503900

41.
 
Re: steam
Aug 11, 2004, 14:31
41.
Re: steam Aug 11, 2004, 14:31
Aug 11, 2004, 14:31
 
Is there an official stance from Valve regarding:

a) The need to have an active Internet Connection to play HL2 Single Player.

b) The need to have an active Internet Connection to play HL2 via LAN.

If a and b do not need active Internet connections everytime you start a SP or LAN game then I don't have a huge problem with STEAM, but, if I have to have a valid internet connection to play option a or b then thats just one up's Microsoft in the "we will control you" dept.

This comment was edited on Aug 11, 14:41.
40.
 
Re: steam
Aug 11, 2004, 14:28
nin
40.
Re: steam Aug 11, 2004, 14:28
Aug 11, 2004, 14:28
nin
 
Which is on the internet. Juuust checking.

Reality check: The internet has nothing to do with it. I can go to a number of places on the web and get patches. Not so with Steam. I'll have to use their bullshit service if I want patches.



I will think peaceful, happy thoughts about getting my new video card RMA'd.
39.
 
eh....
Aug 11, 2004, 14:28
39.
eh.... Aug 11, 2004, 14:28
Aug 11, 2004, 14:28
 
You cannot compare apples to apples here

That doesn't make any sense. I thknk what you mean is you can't compare apples to oranges.

Valve is trying to play both roles of development and distribute themselves so they can keep some cash instead of feeding a big percentage to the publisher

Uh, sadly no. They are trying to make a system that will make it difficult to use their game without their express permission. And from what I've read it looks like EVERY time you run the software it will check to see if it's ok to let you use it. So say you finish the game, and let a friend borrow it. Nope can't play, different computer, license is only good on one computer. Or say you want to sell your copy to someone else, nope can't do it, new person needs to buy a whole new copy. Or say you want to test out game on the internet but for some reason can't connect to steam, nope can't play. For that matter if you can't get to steam you can't play online or offline.

I for one hope that the steam systems are bombarded with ping attacks for the first month after the game is released so that everyone understands how stupid it is to need permission to use the program EVERY time you start it.
Not to mention being forced to download the patches from STEAM at the same time as everyone else... bandwidth problem on a regular basis mabye? No more downloading big patches from different places. People may not like the fileplanet subscription thing but they don't have to use it. If steam gets fully supported everyone will connect to the same bloody servers for patches and you'll be lucky to get 30k per sec. Joy.

This comment was edited on Aug 11, 14:33.
138 Replies. 7 pages. Viewing page 5.
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