Valve cancels The Black Box - bit-tech.net Forums

Tim S · 21st May 2007, 07:53

http://www.bit-tech.net/news/2007/05...he_black_box/1

Valve's Doug Lombardi told IGN that Half-Life 2: The Black Box has been cancelled.

Henk · 21st May 2007, 08:21

Since I haven't completed HL2 yet (the "borrowed" version stops functioning mysteriously in the middle of ravenholm

), I only see this as good news. I get it all (for the time being) in one relatively cheap package

I guess this sucks though for those who already have hl2 and ep1 and aren't able to buy stuff through steam...

plagio · 21st May 2007, 08:51

these borrowed versions always get stuck there.
I'll buy episode two via steam. If it was HL3 I would want to have the CD/DVD but since it's just an episode/expansion I don't care that much.

MrBadidea · 21st May 2007, 08:52

Err, get the hell out?

We go walking into a store and buy a copy of either, all we're really getting are codes to get the gear off of Steam. They might as well do what EA did with BF2142 Northern Strike; DVD Game Box, open it up, no disc, no manual, just a piece of paper with a code to throw into EA Link to download your copy of Northern Strike. Afterall, its not like HL2 will work without Steam running as well, so I fail to understand how this works.

Oh wait, yes I do. Greedy. ****ing. *******s.

HugoB · 21st May 2007, 09:07

Well knowing Valve, they'll at least have an install DVD in the box, I guess it saves a bit of bandwidth if your limited....

kenco_uk · 21st May 2007, 09:10

Is this the best publicity they could think of for the launch of ep2?

MrBadidea · 21st May 2007, 09:20

Quote:

Originally Posted by kenco_uk

Is this the best publicity they could think of for the launch of ep2?

Wait, you mean its actually getting released? I thought this was yet another "srsly we iz behind on ze release. gief more time plx"

smoguzbenjamin · 21st May 2007, 10:25

Download it off steam. It's the best thing you can do. I personally prefer Steam to DVDs, if I could I'd get all my games over Steam. Your games are in a centralised location and you can download and install them on any PC, so no more losing disks or whatever. Also, it's not terribly hard to go over to a friends, log on on your Steam account and show them the new game you bought.

On topic though, I'm waiting for episode 1, 2 and 3 to be done so I can buy a package deal. $20 per game is ridiculous, $60 is overpriced for a full game and as far as I can tell, Ep 1 wasn't long enough to be one third of a full game.

So I want to pay $40 for the three of them, or maybe even $50, but no more then that.

Dr. Strangelove · 21st May 2007, 11:03

I might remember wrong but was the Black box not going to be bundled with the new Radeons? how will that go down, will people get the orange box instead?

Krikkit · 21st May 2007, 11:06

This feels like a poor move, but it's sensible imho.

I'll probably still buy the orange box - I like to have a physical copy of things, and with an install disk you don't have to sit around eating up your own bandwidth downloading something, especially because the pre-load speed on Steam is fairly lame once half the world wants it.

capnPedro · 21st May 2007, 11:47

I completed a "borrowed" copy of HL2, which I thoroughly enjoyed. I was actually meaning to get the Orange box so that I would have Ep 1 as well (and HL2 too). So this doesn't affect me, but it still seems like some people will be getting a rough deal.

I don't know about everyone else, but I prefer to have a disc to install (and reinstall) from. I don't want to have to wait 4 hours before I can start playing after I've had to reinstall the game. Oh, and I like to have a manual in my hands to read. If I've paid for the game, I don't want to have to be using a PDF.

It actually makes me feel like waiting for Ep 3, then just buying that with HL2, Ep 1 and Ep 2 on physical media. Maybe not, I really want to play!

completemadness · 21st May 2007, 13:09

Quote:

Originally Posted by smoguzbenjamin

Download it off steam. It's the best thing you can do. I personally prefer Steam to DVDs, if I could I'd get all my games over Steam. Your games are in a centralised location and you can download and install them on any PC, so no more losing disks or whatever. Also, it's not terribly hard to go over to a friends, log on on your Steam account and show them the new game you bought.

however if you buy them in the shops, you pay about as much

You get an install disc which means no waiting around for hours downloading HL2 Base textures, and in the future, you can still download the full lot off steam if you lose your disc, or you can install off the disc and update over steam, saving some hours

DarkLord7854 · 21st May 2007, 13:17

Sounds like it's more sensible to wait for Ep3 and by all 3 episodes for one low price

completemadness · 21st May 2007, 14:47

yeah but then ep4 will be coming out, you will never buy it if you take that attitude

Also, i forgot to actually rant earlier, this is totally lame, people who actually have HL2 are being forced to buy it all over again

Hamish · 21st May 2007, 15:25

only if you want the disc

makes no difference to me as i was going to buy on steam anyway

quack · 21st May 2007, 15:25

Meh, I'll be getting Ep 2 through Steam so this news doesn't affect me in the slightest.

Satyric_saint · 21st May 2007, 16:14

Greed! Greed! Greed! Greed! Greed! Greed! Greed! Greed! Greed! Thats all I hear from this whole thing.

I have HL2 and HL2 EP1 I don't want to buy them again and I damn sure not going to download them From steam. (it takes to long, and I have sprint high speed) I tried that once with HL2 but after it gave me a 2day Download status I just got out my CD's and installed it and updated it in 25 minutes.

Seems that Valve is starting to go the way of the almighty buck.

Ghys · 21st May 2007, 16:35

Quote:

Originally Posted by smoguzbenjamin

Download it off steam. It's the best thing you can do. I personally prefer Steam to DVDs, if I could I'd get all my games over Steam. Your games are in a centralised location and you can download and install them on any PC, so no more losing disks or whatever. Also, it's not terribly hard to go over to a friends, log on on your Steam account and show them the new game you bought.

On topic though, I'm waiting for episode 1, 2 and 3 to be done so I can buy a package deal. $20 per game is ridiculous, $60 is overpriced for a full game and as far as I can tell, Ep 1 wasn't long enough to be one third of a full game.

So I want to pay $40 for the three of them, or maybe even $50, but no more then that.

with a montly 20gb download limit, downloading my games on steam makes me bust the limit without a doubt :-/

Emon · 21st May 2007, 21:13

So wait, I'll essentially be paying for HL2 and EP1 twice, despite the discount? Lame.

DXR_13KE · 21st May 2007, 22:01

i think i will get the valve complete pack...... it is rather expensive... but it has everything...... and i played HL2 via a borrowed version.....

21st May 2007, 07:53	#1
Tim S Pewlius Caesar bit-tech Staff Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: Ascot, Berks Posts: 18,021	Valve cancels The Black Box http://www.bit-tech.net/news/2007/05...he_black_box/1 Valve's Doug Lombardi told IGN that Half-Life 2: The Black Box has been cancelled. __________________ Tim on Twitter \| Tim's Blog \| Tim's Flickr The bit-tech Blog \| bit-tech on Twitter \| Join the bit-tech & Custom PC folding team (#35947)

21st May 2007, 08:21	#2
Henk Uninformed Opinionist Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Sweden Posts: 76	Since I haven't completed HL2 yet (the "borrowed" version stops functioning mysteriously in the middle of ravenholm ), I only see this as good news. I get it all (for the time being) in one relatively cheap package I guess this sucks though for those who already have hl2 and ep1 and aren't able to buy stuff through steam... Last edited by Henk; 21st May 2007 at 08:26.

21st May 2007, 09:07	#5
HugoB H to the U to the G to the O to the B Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: ThrustingReviews HQ Posts: 1,194	Well knowing Valve, they'll at least have an install DVD in the box, I guess it saves a bit of bandwidth if your limited.... __________________ TrustedReviews.com - things I write about for a job

21st May 2007, 09:10	#6
kenco_uk glourious bacon? Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Bourne, Lincolnshire, UK Posts: 6,292	Is this the best publicity they could think of for the launch of ep2? __________________ MSI X58M - i7 920 4Ghz - 6GB Corsair - GTX260 648/2520 ::: Vote for bit-tech T - theevilelephant - "it sounded like bouncing around on a pogo stick, screaming in chinese while occasionally throwing a cat at a door."

21st May 2007, 10:25	#8
smoguzbenjamin "That guy" Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Electroworld Posts: 1,097	Download it off steam. It's the best thing you can do. I personally prefer Steam to DVDs, if I could I'd get all my games over Steam. Your games are in a centralised location and you can download and install them on any PC, so no more losing disks or whatever. Also, it's not terribly hard to go over to a friends, log on on your Steam account and show them the new game you bought. On topic though, I'm waiting for episode 1, 2 and 3 to be done so I can buy a package deal. $20 per game is ridiculous, $60 is overpriced for a full game and as far as I can tell, Ep 1 wasn't long enough to be one third of a full game. So I want to pay $40 for the three of them, or maybe even $50, but no more then that. __________________ Read my blog! Party at your house!

21st May 2007, 08:51	#3
plagio Multimodder Join Date: May 2004 Location: Rome, Italy Posts: 140	these borrowed versions always get stuck there. I'll buy episode two via steam. If it was HL3 I would want to have the CD/DVD but since it's just an episode/expansion I don't care that much.

21st May 2007, 08:52	#4
MrBadidea Supermodder Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: Chorley Posts: 418	Err, get the hell out? We go walking into a store and buy a copy of either, all we're really getting are codes to get the gear off of Steam. They might as well do what EA did with BF2142 Northern Strike; DVD Game Box, open it up, no disc, no manual, just a piece of paper with a code to throw into EA Link to download your copy of Northern Strike. Afterall, its not like HL2 will work without Steam running as well, so I fail to understand how this works. Oh wait, yes I do. Greedy. **ing. *****s.

21st May 2007, 11:03	#9
Dr. Strangelove Supermodder Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Dundee Posts: 306	I might remember wrong but was the Black box not going to be bundled with the new Radeons? how will that go down, will people get the orange box instead? __________________ If it isn’t broken, fix it. If it is broken, mod it till it looks like it's meant to be broken.

21st May 2007, 11:06	#10
Krikkit Don't panic! Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Lancs, UK Posts: 15,141	This feels like a poor move, but it's sensible imho. I'll probably still buy the orange box - I like to have a physical copy of things, and with an install disk you don't have to sit around eating up your own bandwidth downloading something, especially because the pre-load speed on Steam is fairly lame once half the world wants it. __________________ \|E8400 @ 4.4GHz\|WC: 2*120.1 GT's, MCP350, Storm G5\|4GB Dominators\|DFI LT X48-T2R\|8800GT\|74GB Raptor\|Chieftec BA01\|OCZ ModXStream 600W\|Dell 2208WFP\| The Good, The Bad, The Ugly, The LOL!!1!!1!, The Zlad!, The Kempness, The Braaaaaains...

21st May 2007, 11:47	#11
capnPedro Deaf forever to the battle's din Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: North-East England Posts: 2,973	I completed a "borrowed" copy of HL2, which I thoroughly enjoyed. I was actually meaning to get the Orange box so that I would have Ep 1 as well (and HL2 too). So this doesn't affect me, but it still seems like some people will be getting a rough deal. I don't know about everyone else, but I prefer to have a disc to install (and reinstall) from. I don't want to have to wait 4 hours before I can start playing after I've had to reinstall the game. Oh, and I like to have a manual in my hands to read. If I've paid for the game, I don't want to have to be using a PDF. It actually makes me feel like waiting for Ep 3, then just buying that with HL2, Ep 1 and Ep 2 on physical media. Maybe not, I really want to play! __________________ ASUS M4A785TD-M Evo \| AMD Phenom II x4 955 BE \| D-Tek FuZion 4GB Corsair XMMS3-10666 \| Corsair TX650 Point Of View 8800GTX \| EK FC-8800

21st May 2007, 13:17	#13
DarkLord7854 Web Developer Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: West Palm Beach, Florida Posts: 3,822	Sounds like it's more sensible to wait for Ep3 and by all 3 episodes for one low price __________________ Current Computer: eVGA 780i Motherboard \| Q6600 Core2Quad \| eVGA GTX260 896Mbs 216-core \| 2x Seagate 500Gbs \| 8Gbs OCZ Platinum DDR2 800 \| Creative XtremeGamer X-Fi \| Thermaltake Armor Case Custom WordPress, ZenCart, Joomla, vBulletin, etc installs and skinning, PM/E-Mail for a quote

21st May 2007, 14:47	#14
completemadness Hypermodder Join Date: May 2007 Posts: 887	yeah but then ep4 will be coming out, you will never buy it if you take that attitude Also, i forgot to actually rant earlier, this is totally lame, people who actually have HL2 are being forced to buy it all over again

21st May 2007, 15:25	#15
Hamish I Mod, Therefore I Own Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: London Posts: 3,587	only if you want the disc makes no difference to me as i was going to buy on steam anyway

21st May 2007, 15:25	#16
quack \o/ Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: England Posts: 5,220	Meh, I'll be getting Ep 2 through Steam so this news doesn't affect me in the slightest. __________________ Denying Rights to Music lovers. Denying Rights to Movie lovers.

21st May 2007, 16:14	#17
Satyric_saint Supermodder Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: USA Posts: 261	Greed! Greed! Greed! Greed! Greed! Greed! Greed! Greed! Greed! Thats all I hear from this whole thing. I have HL2 and HL2 EP1 I don't want to buy them again and I damn sure not going to download them From steam. (it takes to long, and I have sprint high speed) I tried that once with HL2 but after it gave me a 2day Download status I just got out my CD's and installed it and updated it in 25 minutes. Seems that Valve is starting to go the way of the almighty buck. __________________ -In one physical model of the universe, the shortest distance between two points is a straight line . . . in the opposite direction. -We're talking mucho dinero here . . . and probably some American money, too. -When someone asks you if you're a god you say, YES!

21st May 2007, 21:13	#19
Emon Hypermodder Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Cleveland, OH Posts: 672	So wait, I'll essentially be paying for HL2 and EP1 twice, despite the discount? Lame.

21st May 2007, 22:01	#20
DXR_13KE Madeira's banana is the best!!! Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Madeira ; Portugal Posts: 6,464	i think i will get the valve complete pack...... it is rather expensive... but it has everything...... and i played HL2 via a borrowed version..... __________________ *Renegade X - 0.40 Release!* <---- CLICK!