Half-Life 2 held hostage?

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Court filings show VU Games has the right to sit on finished Half-Life 2 code for up to six months. Could it be deja vu all over again?

As part of GameSpot's ongoing look into the two-year-old copyright infringement case that pits business partners Valve Inc. and Vivendi Universal Games against each other in US District Court, additional documents uncovered this week reveal an interesting ace up VUG's sleeve. In court filings dated August 27, 2004, VU Games' senior vice president and deputy general counsel Eric Roeder entered the following statement into the record.

"Valve has announced that it will deliver a release candidate version of Half-Life 2 (HL2) (a game required under the 2001 SPA) to Sierra/VUG within the next few weeks. If Valve delivers a release candidate version that complies with the contract and is a Final Milestone, then VUG will have six months to release the product under the 2001 SPA. Valve is pressing VUG to release the product early within that six month window, and its representatives have made a number of public statements without our consent or concurrence that the product will be published and released to the general public in September of this year."

News source: GameSpot

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#1 panacea on 26 Sep 2004 - 06:15

hope not. otherwise i bet ya expect another theft.

(1 reply) #2 nX07 on 26 Sep 2004 - 06:16

This is bull****, if VU is holding back and the gold release is existing, it better get here before 2005.

#2.1 Rudy on 26 Sep 2004 - 13:35

if they manage to hold it untill right after xmas, that could do alot of damage

#3 cq107 on 26 Sep 2004 - 06:20

no body in their right mind would do this... the holiday season is starting very soon, and if they miss that window, thats just more money they loose...

(1 reply) #4 Flash on 26 Sep 2004 - 06:22

atleast give us the steam release

#4.1 divertom15 on 26 Sep 2004 - 21:36

as part of some agreement its impossible for valve to launch the steam release before the retail release.

#5 glitch409 on 26 Sep 2004 - 06:27

theres a story about the phantom directly below this. coinsedence...

#6 metro on 26 Sep 2004 - 06:46

VU is doing what they can to sound big and tough to counter Valve standing up to them and their antics. It would be an incredibly stupid move on VU's behalf because not only would they lose a lot of revenue because of the holiday season, but they would also show other developers how big of assholes they are. I know I wouldn't deal with a company like VU, but it is hard not to because of the market share they have in pretty much anything media related such as music, movies, games, etc...

All they are gonna do is piss off the people that pay their bills and I thought that you "don't bite the hand that feeds you".

(2 replies) #7 ArtOf_War on 26 Sep 2004 - 06:59

I smell a BS cover up for yet another delay

#7.1 exc on 26 Sep 2004 - 07:28

i was thinking the same thing... wtf are they upto

#7.2 Ehrihk on 26 Sep 2004 - 18:54

Get your head out of your ass.

#8 SyntheticDarkness on 26 Sep 2004 - 07:23

Naw they will hopefully not be stupid enough to hold back the christmas time release.. i mean they would be sitting on a pile of gold thats slowly losing its value if they do that.. Not to mention its the most anticipated release they have ever delt with.. So i see a november release just in time for christmas unless their CEO is a total dumbass.. They can make more money by releasing this than winning their lawsuit.

#9 mattking on 26 Sep 2004 - 08:03

There is a common business formula that I learned when doing A Level Business Studies:

Legal vs Profit = -1

Basically meaning putting costly and fruitless legal action ahead of a profit orientated company creates a negative result.

#10 GenesisNZ on 26 Sep 2004 - 08:51

I'm hoping for a Sept. 2005 release, at the earliest.

(2 replies) #11 McFly on 26 Sep 2004 - 09:00

I'm now convinced that 3D Realms will miraculously surprise us with DNF, BEFORE HL2 is released.

#11.1 exc on 26 Sep 2004 - 09:14

nah DNF & HL2 are going for a joint release

#11.2 nX07 on 26 Sep 2004 - 15:22

Lmao

(4 replies) #12 wizzer on 26 Sep 2004 - 09:41

Maybe we should all boycot HL2, then they'd loose sales bad, and learn?

#12.1 Kerm on 26 Sep 2004 - 12:20

amen

#12.2 Varsity on 26 Sep 2004 - 12:32

Buy it through Steam - VU don't get a penny that way.

Assuming of course Valve will be allowed to do that...

#12.3 jcvortex on 26 Sep 2004 - 14:25

When Valve was in search of financing and publishing of HL they made a sucker deal with VUG. VUG Financed HL, only giving them about a $30,000 advancement. When HL was a success VUG gave them the star treatment and signed a better deal which allowed them (valve) to distribute there games under steam.

VUG is saying Valve misrepresented the deal by lying about there steam distribution strategy. I for one think VUG has a point. Maybe Gabe should act like a big boy and fess up to it!

#12.4 rheostat on 26 Sep 2004 - 17:22

VUG only gave the "star treatment" after being pressured by Valve to give them a better deal.

#13 tylerk on 26 Sep 2004 - 10:01

Two words "Hell Gay"

#14 XanDaMan on 26 Sep 2004 - 10:20

Oh noes.

#15 ziper on 26 Sep 2004 - 10:29

We should all show VU how much we hate them in some way.

(6 replies) #16 Sage_Override on 26 Sep 2004 - 10:46

This is truly a pathetic pile of dogsh*t. Valve's security is as effective as a Cuban Guerilla's rusty AK-47.

Sierra? After Lord of the Realms II, Sierra sucked c*ck. Their installers are horrid and what they produce now is pure garbage. One has only to see Lord of the Realms III to make that judgement call. What in the good f*ck is wrong with Valve? If this sh*t is one big long line of pathetic publicity stunts and conspiracies after another, then I'm very dissapointed in Valve. Not that I held them in high esteem anyway, but it's pretty sad. This is something EA would do Valve, not you b*stards.

#16.1 Varsity on 26 Sep 2004 - 12:31

Here's your tin foil hat!

#16.2 MegaManXcalibur on 26 Sep 2004 - 19:41

Actually a majority of the time you can kick a rusted AK-47 bolt open and the gun will still fire. It may not fire well but it will throw lead so your analogy isn't really that great

#16.3 i like chips on 26 Sep 2004 - 22:18

haha megaman = funny man of the day

#16.4 Sage_Override on 27 Sep 2004 - 11:03

Only someone with your nerd supply would ever try to put down an analogy in such detailed terms. Jesus, just read the post and comment on the situation MegaDipsh*t, not attempt to make some quirky little bull**** reply about rusty AK-47's being able to fire when you kick it. Friggin' moron.

#16.5 diamonds on 27 Sep 2004 - 20:33

Sage_Override must be an anti-gun biggot, what, with his l33ty hacker nick

#16.6 Bummer on 28 Sep 2004 - 08:19

stfu noob

#17 SeMz... on 26 Sep 2004 - 11:16

true. whats with them installers

(3 replies) #18 Dipso on 26 Sep 2004 - 11:58

So whos up for a break in? or maby a mail bomb

Seriously though, yet another proof that publishers have to much power.

Things the publishers force down the necks of developers:

1. Release dates, dealines. Forcing the devs to release unfinnished products. (AKA the we'll patch it when it comes out syndrome)

2. Anoying and useless copyprotection. Thats right, its not the devs but the publishers that force the products to use ever more obstructive and anoying copyprotection. (Like the one in Sims2 that alegedly is refusing to start with legal programs like Nero installed (!)) This is the reason epic removed the CP in UT2004 some time after release with a patch, and the reason iD has doene the same with their games. Especially for online games, a copyprotection serves no purpose as the CD-Key is all the protection they need.

3. Missinformation, sensorship, malcommunicaion etc etc, and some of the stuff we have seen between various publishers and devs lately.

It migt be that the Developer-Publisher model as we know it might be in for som changes in the future. Much like some musicians are starting to realize that a lable, in many cases is an expensive middleman and they might be better of with just a manager, and a promotation company.

Last edited by 44005 on 26 Sep 2004 - 12:08

#18.1 nX07 on 26 Sep 2004 - 15:22

So True. Soooo true.

(And im with you on the break in, if its done and does not get published, I say we pull a BnE' for sure

)

#18.2 shao on 27 Sep 2004 - 08:29

1) i think in this case the release dates were overly enthusiastically hinted at by valve, not the publisher. infact the publisher has been okay on the release dates for quite a while, considering

2) you're having a rant for wanting to protect their game? Valve were the first company to introduce online verification of serial numbers for their games afaik, and steam is just a futher reinforcement of that ideal. why is this okay but prevention of cd media copying not okay? double standards

3) again, valve are the biggest culprits of misinformation and lies, yes, lies regarding hl2.

#18.3 SkieTala on 28 Sep 2004 - 05:43

2) I dont think he was saying that they cant protect their media from copy, what I see is he thinks that its BS that the games wont install just because you have legal copy of cd burning tools installed.

(1 reply) #19 tele-fragd on 26 Sep 2004 - 13:33

What do Vivendi Universal really gain from this besides bad publicity?

#19.1 Toxicfume on 26 Sep 2004 - 20:37

Unless they go by the old "any publicity is good publicity" philosophy.

#20 tacheon on 26 Sep 2004 - 13:46

this is why this game will be heavily pirated

#21 chroniq on 26 Sep 2004 - 13:46

VU CEO is under is in court now, he bailed out the company during 9/11, secretly with 20 mil or so .. now the company CEO is a temp chick, i believe that VU are in deep **** .. and this isnt making any sense .. of course VU didnt make that much senes to begin with keeping in mind that they canceled A material products (Leisure suite larry, gabriel knight, kings quest .. to name a few) i think they should get back to make more Cookary software .. and How to make your own garden cleaner with dick schmuck .. or more hoyle card board games for the shelves to eat

#22 jcvortex on 26 Sep 2004 - 14:29

#23 Cryptic_Night on 26 Sep 2004 - 14:32

I don't think this is an excuse, I honestly think this is legit. VU games has done stuff like this before. They always cancel the good stuff and continue with the 'not so good'. And to think, I was actually going to pay for this game because I still had hope that I was going to be able to play it before my second year of college where I will be too busy working and porgramming to play games.

(1 reply) #24 genocider on 26 Sep 2004 - 14:54

next thing you know,HL2 will be bundled together with duke nukem forever.

#24.1 exc on 26 Sep 2004 - 16:01

thats what i said too

its become more of a reality by the day lol

(3 replies) #25 pdog on 26 Sep 2004 - 15:52

UPDATE:
A mob off pissed of gamers has just stormed the VUG main office, and are trying to take the golden copy of HL2. Stay tuned for more updates!

#25.1 robpears on 26 Sep 2004 - 15:59

lol

#25.2 MegaManXcalibur on 26 Sep 2004 - 19:50

Yes I believe they went in with crowbars swiging.

#25.3 NyaR on 27 Sep 2004 - 04:49

cant wait for the torrent or some nice guy to dcc-host it

#26 TooPackShaker on 26 Sep 2004 - 16:13

it
is
just
a
game

life will go on

if and when it is released you can play it

(2 replies) #27 Palmeiro on 26 Sep 2004 - 16:15

People are going to start to not care about Hl2 anymore and they're going to lose a lot of customers

#27.1 Spaceman_Spiff on 26 Sep 2004 - 18:10

No way, never happen. Everyone being pissed off just proves how much people are going to play it when it comes out. Yes, it will probably be heavily pirated, but even if it is, the hype alone that will follow this game is going to carry VU and Valve for a very long time.

Think about how movies work. "From the creaters of Matrix comes {insert crap-ass sequal here}". How many of us paid at least $7 for that mess?

I for one will play the game when it comes out. I will read every single comment and review that comes out about it. I will watch every single trailer, video and slideshow that comes out. And let's be serious, everyone that posts under this news article will too.

Whether or not Valve broke the contract (which it sure sounds like they did) and whether or not VU should hold the game (which they probably shouldn't), doesn't change the fact that when the game actually comes out, they will both be smelling like roses. And isn't that all that really matters?

Spiff out ---

P.S. I liked King's Quest!

#27.2 pdog on 26 Sep 2004 - 18:11

its sort of affecting me like that. scary

#28 speedy_kevin on 26 Sep 2004 - 16:22

Will be released before the holidays I think

#29 neo_joel on 26 Sep 2004 - 16:25

this is a big piss off for everyone who's been waiting FOREVER for this game to be released, including me.

#30 ozzycat on 26 Sep 2004 - 16:31

If VU don't release HL for Christmas they will hurt themselves more than Valve. Valve has a reputation and any other publisher would JUMP at Half Life 3 (or whatever) even if VU ****ed the HL2 release

(2 replies) #31 dzym on 26 Sep 2004 - 16:39

AIUI if Valve doesn't use VU they can't use anyone, as far as HL2 is concerned. Not without a lot more costly and time-consuming legal action.

Serves Valve right for trying to screw their publisher.

#31.1 nX07 on 26 Sep 2004 - 17:02

Gah, this is just annoying now.

Last edited by 60949 on 26 Sep 2004 - 17:53

#31.2 ANova on 26 Sep 2004 - 18:48

You're a dumbass dzym.

(1 reply) #32 GodsHand on 26 Sep 2004 - 17:27

Thank god business decisions aren't left up to your average pea-brained Neowinian user.

#32.1 Ryan92 on 27 Sep 2004 - 03:04

lolz...Hey at least if it was us, we would come up with better reasons as to why it was delayed

(1 reply) #33 Dr.Jones on 26 Sep 2004 - 17:34

I can't wait to find HL-2 RC gold on all the p2p programs.. VU blocking it or not, it must get out !

#33.1 stezo2k on 26 Sep 2004 - 22:21

why?

(1 reply) #34 qrich19 on 26 Sep 2004 - 17:40

if they keep pushing the update back and back it will be another daikatana, it will be hyped so much time will move on, and all the things that make half life 2 a special game wont be. Because every other game will be doing what half life 2 game engine can do and it will spell the end for the game

#34.1 MegaManXcalibur on 26 Sep 2004 - 19:51

Sadly I was also thinking the exact same thing.

#35 fAthom on 26 Sep 2004 - 17:51

This article is becoming more and more likely every day now

:

Microsoft and Vivendi Universal to sign multi-million dollar agreement to bundle Microsoft's upcoming operating system Longhorn with Valve's long-awaited first-person-shooter Half-Life 2. According to Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer, "We're shooting for 2008, but who knows? Maybe 2010? Doesn't much matter to me." The next day, outside both of their headquarters, disgruntled fanboys demonstrated their utter hatred of the two giants by throwing copies of old software attached to bricks through windows, causing thousands in damage. Vivendi now speculates that another delay is in order.

#36 xpfreak on 26 Sep 2004 - 17:56

Yay! I cant wait for the HL2/DNF Combo pack in 2006!!!!

OR get it free with the Windows 2008 Bundle lol

#37 soloredd on 26 Sep 2004 - 18:33

It's just a damn video game. Either set a firm release date, whenever it may be, and go with that, or just stop with these little statements every damn day. This isn't the only game out there.

Up to this point it just seems like a bunch of egotistical, self-absorbed morons enjoying the moment.

#38 Saadu on 26 Sep 2004 - 18:58

Halflife2 is depleating in its "life" at the rate of half per time they push it back.

#39 DirtyLarry on 26 Sep 2004 - 19:29

Christmas (more like Holiday Season) 2004. That will be the release date. I am almost 100% positive of this.
Its all about the money, and since we are only 2 months away now from the Holiday Season, I truly believe that Vivendi will think this is the best move financially and from a marketing aspect. Just my .02 cents, and I do hope I am wrong.

(2 replies) #40 thornz0 on 26 Sep 2004 - 20:30

VU better hope Valve doesnt get the steam version out the door, because the second that happens with no foeseen box release, they lose oodles of cash, and probably have retailers suing them left and right for losses on a promised product.

#40.1 Toxicfume on 26 Sep 2004 - 20:40

Wrong. If Valve goes ahead and releases the game via steam, VU won't lose. They'll win, in the court atleast.

#40.2 thornz0 on 26 Sep 2004 - 21:32

Wrong.

your assuming theyre (VU) in the right. if valve is in the right, releasing steam version now is totally within their right, and many people that would not thave gone the steam route will.

#41 devinlamothe on 26 Sep 2004 - 21:23

Another possible delay. What's new? lol

#42 donachello on 26 Sep 2004 - 22:00

It's becoming like a holiday nightmare trying to get back home and all the boards say the same thing...

DELAYED DELAYED DELAYED DELAYED DELAYED DELAYED DELAYED DELAYED DELAYED DELAYED DELAYED DELAYED DELAYED DELAYED DELAYED DELAYED DELAYED DELAYED DELAYED DELAYED DELAYED DELAYED DELAYED DELAYED DELAYED DELAYED DELAYED DELAYED... Pi***d o** is not the word... Sick and tied of being messed about...

#43 Unwonted on 27 Sep 2004 - 01:02

Thank goodness! I thought this horrible crapball was going to actually going to be released sometime.

(1 reply) #44 cscheatsforyou on 27 Sep 2004 - 02:21

they should just cancel the game

#44.1 nX07 on 27 Sep 2004 - 02:54

If I worked on it I would be extremely pissed'
It was a game 4/5 years in the making, its been such a long road it would make aboslutely no sense at all to let it go.

#45 Mav Phoenix on 27 Sep 2004 - 03:03

This is bs.

#46 SyntheticDarkness on 27 Sep 2004 - 03:25

This is cool, i get excited when people say the are no longer going to care about a game because theres problems... haha this is good, this means the people who arent total dip****s will not play and those who do will be dedicated people and hopefully bring great mods over to half life 2 itll be cool.

Last edited by 51290 on 27 Sep 2004 - 03:39

#47 ThaOddie on 27 Sep 2004 - 07:54

Halflife 2 vs S.T.A.L.K.E.R. = S.T.A.L.K.E.R.

Who the f*ck needs HL2???

(1 reply) #48 Beast_4thHM on 27 Sep 2004 - 09:23

For God's Sake - is there anyone in right mind doesn't see that obviously Valve F***ed so bad on this one that even VU wont release the game?

#48.1 Yakkob on 27 Sep 2004 - 11:26

I am in right mind, and you are obviously, so very obviously ...

wrong.

Goodnight and Thanks

(2 replies) #49 bfoot045 on 27 Sep 2004 - 11:24

If VU holds off the game, even one day after Christmas, they will never get another publishing contract for a game ever again. I bet anyone here if that happens, VU will go out of business in the next 10 years.

#49.1 devinlamothe on 27 Sep 2004 - 15:50

I agree. If they do hold this game for 6 months you can bet that their stock holders will be angry, and also any other prospective game developer that was considering VU as their publisher. Good riddance anyways.

#49.2 rah2 on 27 Sep 2004 - 17:59

They have their chubby little hands on all sorts of different media/entertainment, so I can't imagine VU going out of business because of this. I do agree that if VU decide to hold this game to long, their already hurting gaming department will be hurting even more.

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