Official: 'Half-Life 2' game delayed, developer says

Dom · Sep 27, 2003, 04:20 AM

LOS ANGELES, Sept 26 (Reuters) - Bad news for video gamers with itchy trigger fingers: alien-hunting season has been delayed.

Vivendi Universal Games said on Friday the developers of "Half-Life 2," the most heavily anticipated video game of 2003, will not release the game on Tuesday as originally planned.

A spokeswoman for VUG, a unit of Vivendi Universal said developer Valve Software announced earlier in the week that the game would not make Sept. 30 but was still targeted for an unspecified holiday release.

As of Friday afternoon, online retailer Amazon.com showed the game being released Dec. 1, while EBGames.com showed it shipping Nov. 14, and GameStop.com showed it being released Feb. 2 of next year.

Audiences were wowed at last May's games industry trade show, E3, by a preview of the game that critics said brought a new level of realism to characters and the virtual world in which they move.

The original "Half-Life," released in 1998, is still popular among PC gamers, and a modified version of the game, called "Counter-Strike," is widely used in gaming competitions.

"Half-Life 2" stars Gordon Freeman, a scientist battling aliens from the planet Xen in a mysterious European locale known only as City 17.

"HL2" and "Doom 3" were expected to compete for the hearts and wallets of PC gamers this holiday season, but when "Doom" publisher Activision Inc. said the game would not be out until at least early next year, the path was left clear for "HL2" to dominate sales charts.

The game's release is also expected to benefit makers of high-end computers customized for gaming -- machines that use the latest components and can often cost thousands of dollars.

Computer graphics chip designers Nvidia Corp. and ATI Technologies Inc. in particular have waged a public dispute over whose chips are better suited to run the game. ATI sponsored the "HL2" demonstration at E3.

____________________
Source: Y!News

DriveEuro · Sep 27, 2003, 09:27 AM

Isn't this just essentially the same news as a few days ago.....?
Well, now we have to wait till 2004...... YAY!

Kgentatszu] · Sep 27, 2003, 10:14 AM

Logla · Sep 27, 2003, 10:36 AM

DocterDee · Sep 27, 2003, 11:13 AM

1 week before they release it they delay it to next year lol...

BWX · Sep 27, 2003, 04:39 PM

[size=100px][color=black]BS![/color][/size]

tazdevl · Sep 27, 2003, 07:31 PM

How much you want to bet it's nVIDIA that's the cause for the hold up?

BWX · Sep 27, 2003, 07:34 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by tazdevl
How much you want to bet it's nVIDIA that's the cause for the hold up?

Not betting against that- your probably right. Plus we know the reason it isn't out already is because they spent 5x more time on the "special" coding for the FX cards. Grrrrrrrr!

sethes · Sep 27, 2003, 08:02 PM

vapor ware

RIV@NVX · Sep 27, 2003, 09:33 PM

It wouldn't work good on my 8500 anyway... perhaps I have a chance to get myself 9600 Pro or something like that before it comes out

tazdevl · Sep 28, 2003, 03:00 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by RIV@NVX
It wouldn't work good on my 8500 anyway... perhaps I have a chance to get myself 9600 Pro or something like that before it comes out

Actually if you have a recent card... the game is more CPU limited than GPU limited. Similar to the UT engine. 8500 should be OK if you have a decent CPU with no eye candy.

Some folks seem to be hypothesizing that this will also delay the 9800XT. I doubt that will happen. Given the fact that the NV38 will be out in a few weeks, ATI has to maintain their competitive posture in the market and get the card out the door. Probably just see a coupon for the game.

Sep 27, 2003, 04:20 AM	#1
Dom DriverHeaven Extreme Member Join Date: Jun 2002 Posts: 12,940 Rep Power: 0	Official: 'Half-Life 2' game delayed, developer says LOS ANGELES, Sept 26 (Reuters) - Bad news for video gamers with itchy trigger fingers: alien-hunting season has been delayed. Vivendi Universal Games said on Friday the developers of "Half-Life 2," the most heavily anticipated video game of 2003, will not release the game on Tuesday as originally planned. A spokeswoman for VUG, a unit of Vivendi Universal said developer Valve Software announced earlier in the week that the game would not make Sept. 30 but was still targeted for an unspecified holiday release. As of Friday afternoon, online retailer Amazon.com showed the game being released Dec. 1, while EBGames.com showed it shipping Nov. 14, and GameStop.com showed it being released Feb. 2 of next year. Audiences were wowed at last May's games industry trade show, E3, by a preview of the game that critics said brought a new level of realism to characters and the virtual world in which they move. The original "Half-Life," released in 1998, is still popular among PC gamers, and a modified version of the game, called "Counter-Strike," is widely used in gaming competitions. "Half-Life 2" stars Gordon Freeman, a scientist battling aliens from the planet Xen in a mysterious European locale known only as City 17. "HL2" and "Doom 3" were expected to compete for the hearts and wallets of PC gamers this holiday season, but when "Doom" publisher Activision Inc. said the game would not be out until at least early next year, the path was left clear for "HL2" to dominate sales charts. The game's release is also expected to benefit makers of high-end computers customized for gaming -- machines that use the latest components and can often cost thousands of dollars. Computer graphics chip designers Nvidia Corp. and ATI Technologies Inc. in particular have waged a public dispute over whose chips are better suited to run the game. ATI sponsored the "HL2" demonstration at E3. ____________________ Source: Y!News

Sep 27, 2003, 09:27 AM	#2
DriveEuro HardwareHeaven Extreme Member Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Gurnee Illinois Posts: 4,677 Rep Power: 0	Isn't this just essentially the same news as a few days ago.....? Well, now we have to wait till 2004...... YAY! __________________ [color=orange]ASUS P4P800 Deluxe [color=black]-[/color] 2.4C --> 3300mhz [color=black]-[/color] Mushkin PC3200 at 220 5-2-2-2 (cpu limited) [color=black]-[/color] BBAti 9800Pro at 430/375 [/color] [color=black]3[/color][color=gray]D[/color]M[color=black]a[/color][color=gray]r[/color]k[color=yellow]01[/color] [color=black]3[/color][color=gray]D[/color]M[color=black]a[/color][color=gray]r[/color]k[color=yellow]03[/color] 16001200 12801024

Sep 27, 2003, 04:39 PM	#6
BWX unplugged Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: USNY Posts: 19,669 Rep Power: 110 System Specs	[size=100px][color=black]BS![/color][/size] __________________

Sep 27, 2003, 07:31 PM	#7
tazdevl DriverHeaven Addict Join Date: May 2002 Location: Bay Area, CA Posts: 310 Rep Power: 0	How much you want to bet it's nVIDIA that's the cause for the hold up? __________________ RIG: P4 2.6C, Thermalright SP94/Panaflo 92MM M1A, IC7 Max3, Swifty MCX159, 1GB Geil PC4000 Ultra Plat, Modded Radeon 8500, Audigy 2, 2X WD Raptor RAID 0, WD 250GB SE, Plex 708A, 166SDVD, LianLi PC75, WinXP Pro SP1, Z680's.

Sep 27, 2003, 09:33 PM	#10
RIV@NVX Freedom is a feature. Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Croatia, Rijeka Posts: 4,476 Rep Power: 0 System Specs	It wouldn't work good on my 8500 anyway... perhaps I have a chance to get myself 9600 Pro or something like that before it comes out __________________ -- Vedran

Sep 27, 2003, 10:14 AM	#3
Kgentatszu] DriverHeaven Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Australia Posts: 1,802 Rep Power: 0

Sep 27, 2003, 10:36 AM	#4
Logla HardwareHeaven Extreme Member Join Date: May 2003 Posts: 3,311 Rep Power: 0

Sep 27, 2003, 11:13 AM	#5
DocterDee DriverHeaven Junior Member Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Germany Posts: 99 Rep Power: 0	1 week before they release it they delay it to next year lol...

Sep 27, 2003, 08:02 PM	#9
sethes DriverHeaven Newbie Join Date: Feb 2003 Posts: 3 Rep Power: 0	vapor ware