Another HL2 question.....Sorry

[Louis Cypher]

Will the HL2 retail come CD only? I want the DVD version, but I dont want to pay 70+ for it.  I hope thats not the case, anyone know about this?

[wankerjr]

Will the HL2 retail come CD only? I want the DVD version, but I dont want to pay 70+ for it.  I hope thats not the case, anyone know about this?

Yes.

If you want the DVD version you are going to have to buy the high priced Collector's Edition. Or you can import the European version since all they are getting is the DVD version (regular).

[farley2k]

Will the HL2 retail come CD only? I want the DVD version, but I dont want to pay 70+ for it.  I hope thats not the case, anyone know about this?

Yes.

If you want the DVD version you are going to have to buy the high priced Collector's Edition. Or you can import the European version since all they are getting is the DVD version (regular).

Really?  Since Gogamer has a great track record of getting imports for the same price when the imports are different I may be checking them out.

[Louis Cypher]

Dammit, time to save  :twisted:  :shock: ...I wish that wasnt the case though.

[PaulBot]

Preload now from Steam and avoid having to pop anything in your PC for an install on the 16th!!!  

[Louis Cypher]

Preload now from Steam and avoid having to pop anything in your PC for an install on the 16th!!!  

NEVER!!!!   :shock:

[msduncan]

So I have a question.

Release day usually is the day the game starts shipping to retailers.   Retailers and folks usually get the game the day after the official release day.

Since my STEAM Half Life 2 says I'll have the game available to play on release day -- does that mean I'll get to start playing it the day it starts shipping -- i.e. one day before the stores all start getting it?

[dangerballs]

This is what appears is going to happen according to some hints dropped at the steam forums.  Valve will release the game on the 16th OR whenever the game hits the shelves.  But if a store breaks the street date (say releases the game on the 14th or 15th), Valve will unlock the game on steam then.  So, what would happen if some mom and pop stores just happen to get the game early and just happen to put it on the shelves?

[Kevin Grey]

The Steam "release date" should prove interesting.

Its unclear to me whether Nov 16th is the shipping date or in-store date.  Assuming its in-store and HL2 starts being stocked in most game stores several days early (vice shipping out of the warehouses on the 15th) due to heavy anticipated sales demand then I expect Valve to unlock Steam at 1201 AM on the 16th.  If Valve and Vivendi authorize stores to start selling the evening of the 15th (just as many stores are authorized to start selling GTA this evening) then I think they will activation sometime on the 15th.  

Interesting possibility wrt to stores breaking street date and the alleged online activation required for single player:  The activation is essentially a built in street date protector- even if stores start selling early Valve doesn't have to allow activations until the 16th if they choose.

[PaulBot]

What a mess!!! Should be interesting to see when Valve allows our downloaded copies to start working....