Damn clever move by Valve

Mr. Teatime · Post by **Mr. Teatime** » Wed Sep 29, 2004 7:26 pm

From shacknews:

I'm guessing this is Valve's way of telling VU to "Hurry the fuck up and say it's GOLD already!"

Is it right to think Valve can start making money next week with the sales over steam even though HL2 itself isn't gold, while VU can't start making money until the boxes are actually in stores?

That would be one way to get VU to start haulin' ass.
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very clever move on valve's part. Forcing vivendi's hand.

Wolfman Walt · Post by **Wolfman Walt** » Wed Sep 29, 2004 7:30 pm

I'd find it funny if Herve was taking notes for FO.
"Hmm whats this? Pay more money for a better service plan!? Why didn't I think of that?"

Koki · Post by **Koki** » Wed Sep 29, 2004 7:41 pm

Well, I read that Valve and VU sued each other - VU for steam, Valve for the fact that Sierra was distributing H-L in Internet Caffes... draw?

Also, there is suppsed to be a H-L 2 review in the next PC Gamer, or something like that.

Ernesto · Post by **Ernesto** » Wed Sep 29, 2004 9:18 pm

PC Gamer US gave Doom 3 95% and Alpha Centauri 98%. PCGUS has no fucking credibilty in my book anymore. "Half Life 2 > EXISTENCE BITCH!!111"

S4ur0n27 · Post by **S4ur0n27** » Wed Sep 29, 2004 9:21 pm

HL2 will suck.

Sovy Kurosei · Post by **Sovy Kurosei** » Wed Sep 29, 2004 9:33 pm

How did Alpha Centauri get that high of a score? I mean, the game ain't bad, but it sure as hell doesn't deserve a 98%. Doom 3 definatly does not deserve a 95%. More like a low 80's, high 70's, depending where you tilt the game towards the gameplay score. I guess that isn't as bad as Game Informer giving an 80% to FOPOS though.

Another question, to all around, since when have magazines, no, wait, pretty much all reviewers give games a 20+ percentage increase on their scores?

axelgreese · Post by **axelgreese** » Wed Sep 29, 2004 9:53 pm

The "score" on any review means exactly dick.

jetbaby · Post by **jetbaby** » Wed Sep 29, 2004 10:35 pm

The only score I accept is by gamers, preferably ones that I know and trust.

T-900 · Post by **T-900** » Wed Sep 29, 2004 11:45 pm

Never trust a gamer jetbaby, Never trust a gamer...

Burnov · Post by **Burnov** » Thu Sep 30, 2004 4:33 am

I've played the leaked HL 2 copy.

Am I going to get into trouble for mentioning that?

It barely worked however what it did show off was somewhat impressive. However to me I generally got the feeling that it was Half-life: "With a bunch of little gimmicks thrown in so its just different enough that you can play through it once before realising that it's the same old FPS gameplay with a bunch of little gimmicks added". Now you can use the argument "OMFG NO! You have no idea what you're saying, that's not even close to a finished game and it will be different, You'll see!". However people used that argument as well when I told them that after playing the Doom 3 alpha I figured it was like the same old Doom we've played before with better graphics and absolutely no change to the gameplay... period. I was right then, and looking beyond the reduced functionality of the game as I played it. I can see exactly what Valve is going for and it's not original once you get past the flashy graphics and the inverse kinematics for the bodies.

For example. Whacking the tops off of compressed gas canisters and watching them dynamically fly about occsasionally killing those gas masked guys was interesting, using the manipulator was interesting even though it didn't have a model. Whacking people with a fence whilst using the manipulator was interesting. However whacking people with a fence was much akin to taking a fence and whacking a tree stump with it. It didn't really seem that much different except in this case the tree stump was a man with a gas mask and black clothes and he made pain noises and fell over when he was damaged too much.

However. At it's core. It's still the same 10 year old FPS gameplay with newer graphics and a few added things here and there.

I'm really sick of your average FPS game. I'm sick of shooting a guy a million times and watching him go "Ugh" and doing a predefined animation and resuming shooting you without any sort of effect from being shot. It's boring. It's been done. I want to see fundamental changes to the FPS genre before adding a bunch of more or less cosmetic features.

I want to see human beings that actually behave like human beings. Especially adversaries. Ones that value their lives. Feel simulated fear and pain and do their best to avoid it.

Either way. I don't think Doom 3 or Half-life 2 will deserve the accolades they will get. It will fill the needs of a devoted crowd of FPS gamers and causual gamers who are easily impressed by visuals alone. They've done nothing new. In the end, a pig in a dress is still a pig.

On a side note. I think this whole new "Buy games and download them" approach is a bit shady. Unless you're able to burn the game to a cd and keep it permanently. I want something tangible when I pay money.

Blargh · Post by **Blargh** » Thu Sep 30, 2004 5:47 am

Sovy Kurosei wrote:How did Alpha Centauri get that high of a score? I mean, the game ain't bad, but it sure as hell doesn't deserve a 98%.

Simian blasphemer !

S4ur0n27 · Post by **S4ur0n27** » Thu Sep 30, 2004 1:46 pm

Doom 3 doesn't play at all like the old ones.

Koki · Post by **Koki** » Thu Sep 30, 2004 4:24 pm

Ernesto wrote:PC Gamer US gave Doom 3 95%

Point taken.

And yeah, Alpha Centauri is more like, 92%. :p

Blargh · Post by **Blargh** » Thu Sep 30, 2004 7:56 pm

Koki wrote:And yeah, Alpha Centauri is more like, 92%. :p

Gormless twat !

S4ur0n27 · Post by **S4ur0n27** » Thu Sep 30, 2004 8:13 pm

You're pretty high on insulting people these days Blargh

Franz Schubert · Post by **Franz Schubert** » Thu Sep 30, 2004 8:53 pm

He thinks his flames are worth more than other peoples', because he uses the word "gormless" instead of "stupid".

atoga · Post by **atoga** » Thu Sep 30, 2004 10:28 pm

Gluteus maximus !

I called my mom a twat today. Didn't go over too well.

Burnov · Post by **Burnov** » Fri Oct 01, 2004 3:23 am

Doom 3 primarily consisted of: Circlestrafing and dodging about as monsters blundered towards you tossing projectiles, shooting you or attempting to rip your head off. Halflife 2 looks to be much the same.

The only difference I noticed in Doom 3 is the environments were much more confined so therefore instead of circle strafing at 60 miles an hour in a comparitively large wide open area you're doing it in little hallways and rooms with computers, and when you go into hell... usually rooms with stalagmites and pillars to run into every few steps.

Nonetheless. It's still the same game. Any ambience is ultimately killed because you're sitting there trying to deathmatch boneheaded enemies.

Lets not confuse actual AI with scripted events, which were obvious and fairly common. If that's the sole difference between Doom and Doom 3. It's very cosmetic and insignifcant.

Mad Max RW · Post by **Mad Max RW** » Fri Oct 01, 2004 3:36 am

The original Doom is infinitely cooler and more fun overall.

jetbaby · Post by **jetbaby** » Fri Oct 01, 2004 3:41 am

Doom 3 looks like shit and I'll never buy it. Halflife 2 is two years too late and IS shit and I'll never buy it. Well. Maybe. If enough QUALITY mods come out.