Valve shuts down 20,000 Half Life 2 accounts

[DGhost]

Meh, Like I said... I never liked the first... The second does not strike me as anything particularly unique or impressive at this point.

there are games I will buy and play - Doom 3 was one of them partly because I like id and partly because of the fact they did some really cool things with the engine. they were able to use it to very successfully recreate an atmosphere and mood that PC games have, for the most part, been very unsuccessful recreating. Far Cry was another example of that with it's really wide open jungles. Even Halo's gameplay felt a bit more unique than other FPS's because of the inventory management and other console-oriented features that made it feel a bit simpler than most PC FPS's.

But everything that I have seen from Half-Life 2 really don't show anything that impressive in terms of gameplay. it might have been uber-scripted and had some really nice things in dealing with that, but the gameplay itself really didn't look to be anything too unique. :/

[agallag]

I'm actually a big fan of Valve, and even Steam. I like the fact that I didn't have to go to the store to buy HL2. I just downloaded it. Awesome.

On top of that, it got me a whole pile of free stuff. I've purchased exactly two games from Valve. HL1 and HL2. In my game list on Steam, I have 14 complete games to choose from:

Half-Life
Half-Life: Source (HL1 using the HL2 engine)
Counter-Strike
Condition Zero
Condition Zero Deleted Scenes
Codename Gordon (cheap little side scroller, but it's fun)
Team Fortress Classic
Day of Defeat
Deathmatch Classic
Opposing Force
Ricochet
Half Life 2
Counter-Strike: Source

and coming soon, Day of Defeat: Source

12 of those were freebies, thrown in by Valve just for being a good customer. I think that's a damn good deal.

I also don't have to worry about swapping CDs, or breaking/losing them. If I reformat my computer, I can either back up the data using the Steam backup utility, or I can just hose it all, reinstall steam, and let it all download again.

Having it authenticate before I play is a small price to pay for all of those benefits.

[Helevitia]

Well, you are just assuming then. The game makes Doom3 look silly and it is far better than FarCry in many ways. It's not a perfect game. For instance, the story is shallow compared to the first. It reminds me of how Empire Strikes Back was to Star Wars and Return of the Jedi.

The first levels are fun but not ground breaking. It's only until you get to the later levels to you realize how spectacular this game is. There are things are truly amazing and fun. Anyway, I'll quit trying to sell the game to you. You obviosuly don't want to play it.

[DGhost]

Originally posted by Helevitia
Well, you are just assuming then. The game makes Doom3 look silly and it is far better than FarCry in many ways. It's not a perfect game. For instance, the story is shallow compared to the first. It reminds me of how Empire Strikes Back was to Star Wars and Return of the Jedi.

The first levels are fun but not ground breaking. It's only until you get to the later levels to you realize how spectacular this game is. There are things are truly amazing and fun. Anyway, I'll quit trying to sell the game to you. You obviosuly don't want to play it.

pretty much :P

I never said that I thought Far Cry was a spectacular game - just that it brought something new to the table in terms of gameplay. Same with Doom3. Same with Halo, even.

So what does HL2 bring to the table besides the Gravity Gun?

agallag - the online distribution of it was a nice bonus. however, they didn't have to resort to Steam to do that.... and as much as it is Vivendi's fault for not allowing them to alter the price for online distro, it *should* be cheaper when purchased online.

[Admiral]

Originally posted by agallag

On top of that, it got me a whole pile of free stuff. I've purchased exactly two games from Valve. HL1 and HL2. In my game list on Steam, I have 14 complete games to choose from:

.....
Half-Life: Source (HL1 using the HL2 engine)

How'd you get Half Life Source, did you buy the HL2 silver package through Steam ?
I only have the retail bronze package, don't think I'm entitled to a free HL Source d/l.

As for Steam itself, in the end the only people at a loss or shoould I say being "bothered" by it are the ones who payed for the original. Unless you crack your original copy, you'll need an internet connection to unlock the files, process that could take several hours depending on how hampered the Steam server is. Luckily you no longer need to tick the remember password option to be able to run steam offline and play your games.

[Marshmallowman]

Games are all are matter of taste, but I did find HL2 to be very immersive and it flowed better than any game I have played.

When you start off and get out of the train at the begining you are total lost, no training no nothing. You wander around having fun getting told off by guards and playing in the playground.

The thing that is the training, and you have gnenuine feeling of being lost in strange city, the gamplay is so slickly immersive it is disconcerting.

I must say steam is something that I do not like on general principles but....

However it is been one of the most stream lined ways I have seen of getting games(allows you to find free mods easily) and purchaseing games.

The delivery of updates and maps has been problematic for most games, but with steam it is ALL automated which is a big time and hassle saver for me.

Also the online authentication is kind of not new, virtually all games have CD key authentication in multiplayer. It is nice how steam ties the games to your account, so if any ****ole with a key gen can't take over your CD-key. But it certainly starting to get a 1984/big brother fell to it.
The CDkey/account system for FarCry feels plain dodgy to me....compared to steam.

I really can't think of anything genuinly new in HL2 its just the way it hangs together so well that does it. Even the gravity gun is just a rehash of the force powers in jedi knight....PS I have heard some people wnat to make a jedi mod for HL2

[Mcollector]

Originally posted by agallag
On top of that, it got me a whole pile of free stuff. I've purchased exactly two games from Valve. HL1 and HL2. In my game list on Steam, I have 14 complete games to choose from:

...

12 of those were freebies, thrown in by Valve just for being a good customer. I think that's a damn good deal.

And how many bits of Spyware came with that?

I also don't have to worry about swapping CDs, or breaking/losing them. If I reformat my computer, I can either back up the data using the Steam backup utility, or I can just hose it all, reinstall steam, and let it all download again.

Having it authenticate before I play is a small price to pay for all of those benefits.

The marketeers love this kind of free market survey/customer classification.

Always try to fold, spindle and mutilate!

[Rakido]

Can anyone of you Steam-Users tell me, how many megabyte were needed to download *after* you installed the game?


Rakido

[DukeP]

Rakido, I have downloaded a total of 0.01 MB after installing the game (that was yesterdays patch).

Well I DID install the game USING steam, so it would be around 8GB all in all.

I really like Steam. Its neat, its easy and all it takes is a big fat broadband connection (Or a friend that has got one).

The backup function is nice (It can even span a backup over DvD's).

The fact that wherever I go, all I need is my login and password, then I can play the games - neat.

No stupid CD-romcheck- no having to download a nocd patch from questionable sources....


Oh, and the games absolutely rocks.

I have completed HL2 once allready, and Im completinig it again alongside a friend - where trying to complete it on Hard, only using the gravgun.

Its just a treat - dont miss it (And its freakin cheap to booth! 40% less than store prices).

~~DukeP~~

[Technoid]

Originally posted by DukeP

I have completed HL2 once allready, and Im completinig it again alongside a friend - where trying to complete it on Hard, only using the gravgun.
~~DukeP~~

Pick up one bad guy and use him to bash the shit out of the other bad guys, repeat ad infinitum?

[DukeP]

Well, thats only in the really _late_ part of the game, but substitute "bad guy" with "everything including the kitchen sink" and you just about have it...

The REAL challenge is to shoot down the flying assaultships - without using the bazooka!

~~DukeP~~

[Fluff]

There is a Bazooka? Cool, havent got to that bit. Still zooming round on a hover boat.

I like Stream. I hope more manufacturers of games use it. But if future games are awful how do you get a refund. As a shop will not refund HL2. AFAIK.

[GT98]

Originally posted by Fluff
[B}
I like Stream. I hope more manufacturers of games use it. But if future games are awful how do you get a refund. As a shop will not refund HL2. AFAIK. [/B]

Most stores in the US don't allow you to return opened Software packages, only to exchange it with the same item if its damaged.

[dbdg]

The thing that annoys me about this is the way they cancelled the accounts and the time period they did it in.

Most of these people had long enough to play and finish the game, (especially any kids) who cares if their account is then cancelled, secondly all 20,000 of these poeple were supposed to be using the same 'special' CD key. If they had not created a special key and created a system that authorised properly then 19,999 of these poeple would never have been able to play.

Apparently you only needed to disconnect while authorising with this key and hey presto you could play.

Are there still people playing CS:S with cracked copies? if so that takes the p*ss!

[The PIT]

8 gig download you've got to be kidding.