**OFFICIAL HALF LIFE 2 THREAD** - KEEP ALL THE HALF LIFE CHATTER IN HERE GUYS!!

The poor bastards can't play it because it requires activation!

 

[RealityTime]

must play half life 2 now...............must play ...now.....give half life 2 to me now.....must play

 

[clicknext]

Originally posted by: warcrow
Apparently some pictures taken? I doubt they're real:

http://rasnowl.com/hl2/

Probably real since they've started producing the games already. But Steam forces them to wait until it's released to play... unless someone has found a way to crack it already.

 

[Crusty]

Originally posted by: clicknext

Originally posted by: warcrow
Apparently some pictures taken? I doubt they're real:

http://rasnowl.com/hl2/

Probably real since they've started producing the games already. But Steam forces them to wait until it's released to play... unless someone has found a way to crack it already.

That first pic looks extremely chopped to me!!

But it's hard to tell on the others.

 

[warcrow]

From what I understand, if you set Steam in "off-line mode", it playable w/o being contected for reg. But who knows...I just heard that.

 

[warcrow]

Also, check out this link. Its old, but very interesting to read:

http://www.gamespot.com/features/halflife_final/

 

[blurredvision]

Originally posted by: warcrow
Also, check out this link. Its old, but very interesting to read:

http://www.gamespot.com/features/halflife_final/

Odd, I was just getting ready to show you guys this: http://www.gamespot.com/featur...ofhl2teaser/index.html

The article for the final hours of HL2 will be live at 3:30PST tomorrow. Should be a great read .

 

[XBoxLPU]

Originally posted by: warcrow
Apparently some pictures taken? I doubt they're real:

http://rasnowl.com/hl2/

http://www.gamespot.com/news/2...1/11/news_6113002.html

Real

 

[XBoxLPU]

Originally posted by: warcrow
From what I understand, if you set Steam in "off-line mode", it playable w/o being contected for reg. But who knows...I just heard that.

From my last link

"For security/antipiracy, each copy must be authenticated via Steam during installation," Valve's Doug Lombardi told GameSpot. "After this one-time (per install) authentication is complete, an Internet connection is not required for single-player and LAN games."

 

[XBoxLPU]

http://img105.exs.cx/img105/97...t-19998-1100231099.jpg

 

[JBT]

Originally posted by: XBoxLPU
http://img105.exs.cx/img105/97...t-19998-1100231099.jpg

NICE, I SOOO hope a store breaks the release date !!!

 

[Algere]

Originally posted by: XBoxLPU

Originally posted by: warcrow
From what I understand, if you set Steam in "off-line mode", it playable w/o being contected for reg. But who knows...I just heard that.

From my last link

"For security/antipiracy, each copy must be authenticated via Steam during installation," Valve's Doug Lombardi told GameSpot. "After this one-time (per install) authentication is complete, an Internet connection is not required for single-player and LAN games."

Pfft...

Pg. 12 (40 post/page) of this thread.

"Q. Will the boxed versions of HL2 require any sort of Steam installations?

Doug Lombardi: During installation the user will be prompted to authenticate the copy and create a Steam account. After that is complete, the single-player and LAN games do not require an Internet connection."

 

[royaldank]

The street date has been broken. Can't say how many have been sold so far, but at least a few. I really wish they would open it up for the weekend.

http://www.hardforum.com/showt...9&page=2&pp=20 - Pic of the receipt, gamebox, and CDs.

 

[Algere]

Originally posted by: JBT

Originally posted by: XBoxLPU
http://img105.exs.cx/img105/97...t-19998-1100231099.jpg

NICE, I SOOO hope a store breaks the release date !!!

Won't do much good except get it in ppl's hands faster. Doubt anybody would be able to play it until the 16th or whenever Steam allows for activation/authentication.

 

[RealityTime]

Originally posted by: Algere

Originally posted by: JBT

Originally posted by: XBoxLPU
http://img105.exs.cx/img105/97...t-19998-1100231099.jpg

NICE, I SOOO hope a store breaks the release date !!!

Won't do much good except get it in ppl's hands faster. Doubt anybody would be able to play it until the 16th or whenever Steam allows for activation/authentication.

the protection will be broken within 30 minutes of the game getting in the hands of someone who has a mild knowledge of code. if someone of a certain persuasion gets their hands on one of these copies it will be on the internet over the weekend some time for certain.

 

[Algere]

Originally posted by: RealityTime

Originally posted by: Algere

Originally posted by: JBT

Originally posted by: XBoxLPU
http://img105.exs.cx/img105/97...t-19998-1100231099.jpg

NICE, I SOOO hope a store breaks the release date !!!

Won't do much good except get it in ppl's hands faster. Doubt anybody would be able to play it until the 16th or whenever Steam allows for activation/authentication.

the protection will be broken within 30 minutes of the game getting in the hands of someone who has a mild knowledge of code. if someone of a certain persuasion gets their hands on one of these copies it will be on the internet over the weekend some time for certain.

Well to date no one has cracked the preloads yet. On a somewhat related note, has the preload completely finished?

 

[RealityTime]

Originally posted by: Algere

Originally posted by: RealityTime

Originally posted by: Algere

Originally posted by: JBT

Originally posted by: XBoxLPU
http://img105.exs.cx/img105/97...t-19998-1100231099.jpg

NICE, I SOOO hope a store breaks the release date !!!

Won't do much good except get it in ppl's hands faster. Doubt anybody would be able to play it until the 16th or whenever Steam allows for activation/authentication.

the protection will be broken within 30 minutes of the game getting in the hands of someone who has a mild knowledge of code. if someone of a certain persuasion gets their hands on one of these copies it will be on the internet over the weekend some time for certain.

Well to date no one has cracked the preloads yet. On a somewhat related note, has the preload completely finished?

preload is not complete.

 

[royaldank]

Well to date no one has cracked the preloads yet.

No, but Counter Strike Source was released within a couple hours of release.

 

[hdeck]

preload is complete. stores have broken the release date. unlock the game valve.

 

[clicknext]

Originally posted by: Algere

Originally posted by: RealityTime

Originally posted by: Algere

Originally posted by: JBT

Originally posted by: XBoxLPU
http://img105.exs.cx/img105/97...t-19998-1100231099.jpg

NICE, I SOOO hope a store breaks the release date !!!

Won't do much good except get it in ppl's hands faster. Doubt anybody would be able to play it until the 16th or whenever Steam allows for activation/authentication.

the protection will be broken within 30 minutes of the game getting in the hands of someone who has a mild knowledge of code. if someone of a certain persuasion gets their hands on one of these copies it will be on the internet over the weekend some time for certain.

Well to date no one has cracked the preloads yet. On a somewhat related note, has the preload completely finished?

They can't crack the pre-load material because it's encrypted. The hackers can't decrypt it (so far), but what they can do easily is crack an already available game (CS:S) to skip the Steam auth.

 

[Don Vito Corleone]

Originally posted by: clicknext

They can't crack the pre-load material because it's encrypted. The hackers can't decrypt it (so far), but what they can do easily is crack an already available game (CS:S) to skip the Steam auth.

The encryption isn't the issue, I don't think. A widely-available utility allows you to unpack every file presently available, including a .exe. I suspect they're holding out a critical, mission-essential file for the last minute. Also, I believe Steam starts HL2.exe with a different command-line control depending on the application (CS:S also uses this file), and HL2 won't presently open.

 

[ViRGE]

Originally posted by: DonVito

Originally posted by: clicknext

They can't crack the pre-load material because it's encrypted. The hackers can't decrypt it (so far), but what they can do easily is crack an already available game (CS:S) to skip the Steam auth.

The encryption isn't the issue, I don't think. A widely-available utility allows you to unpack every file presently available, including a .exe. I suspect they're holding out a critical, mission-essential file for the last minute. Also, I believe Steam starts HL2.exe with a different command-line control depending on the application (CS:S also uses this file), and HL2 won't presently open.

I wouldn't be surprised if the holdup is that they haven't sent out a version of the HL2 executable that can actually run the game, and that it's this way for both the Steam and retail versions.

 

[Modeps]

Originally posted by: clicknext
The hackers can't decrypt it (so far), but what they can do easily is crack an already available game (CS:S) to skip the Steam auth.

Considering each public server makes sure users are authenticated with Steam, it wouldnt matter if they did that at all, except in a lan party setting...

 

[RealityTime]

Originally posted by: Modeps

Originally posted by: clicknext
The hackers can't decrypt it (so far), but what they can do easily is crack an already available game (CS:S) to skip the Steam auth.

Considering each public server makes sure users are authenticated with Steam, it wouldnt matter if they did that at all, except in a lan party setting...

just to let you know. the hacked version of cs:source on the internet allows online play. bizarre, but true. Valve needs to consider going back to using cd-key authorization as steam is obviously vulnerable.

 

[Ferocious]

Have their been any online reviews of the game yet?