SiN Episodes Goes Beta, Plus Half Life 2 Episode 2 In the Works

[perkam]

HL2: Ep. II in the works. Ep. I is to be released Apr. 24th
http://www.gamesradar.com/news/default.asp?pagetypeid=2&articleid=43388&subsectionid=1589

SiN Episodes Goes Beta
http://www.sinepisodes.com/index.php?blog

Good stuff....both HL2 Ep. 1 and SiN Ep. 1 will be under $20 each, available from Steam. SiN episode 1 buyers will get a free copy of the original SiN game through steam :)

The strategy for short well made games for a cheap price makes sense, since neither of the two above will be long enough or revolutionary enough to challenge Enemy Territory: Quake Wars or FarCry Crysis...imagine what small developers have to face when they have all there hopes and dreams for the past two years put into a single game, only to see it released under the shadow of a blockbuster sequel. The episode route promises a new short episode every 6 months :)

Perkam

[Bar81]

Let's see how much "content" there is for that $20. Considering even the shortest games are 6 hours, then these better be at least two hours content wise to justify the price.

While it may be nice for small developers there's no way I'm willing to wait two years+ for a conclusion to a game. So, you finish something in one sitting and then you'ré supposed to wait six months for the continuation. No thanks. I'll either be waiting to get the complete game or taking a pass. Glad that I didn't plunk down for HL2 as it sucked and the non-ending was crap and now we know why, so valve could rape us again and again.

I'm just fine with the current system where I pay and get a complete game, not get strung out like a crack whore.

[cantankerous]

only 4-6 hours for $20USD? I think ill pass. I was waiting for months for this to come out. It was suppose to come out last November. Such a long delay for only 5 or so hours is pathetic. Everyone will breeze through this game in a sitting or two and wonder where their $20 just went. Then you are forced to wait another 8 months for another 1-2 sittings?

[Hicks]

Sounds :banana::banana::banana::banana:.

Whats wrong with proper expansion packs, or sequels?

:banana::banana::banana::banana:ing Valve and Steam. Are they trying to butcher one of the best shooters there is.

It would also be nice if HL2 would actually install.

[perkam]

People will be buying these like nuts...and steam has proven to be a beneficial launching pad for small developers to market their game without cost of a large scale distribution or fear of retail failure.

See it from both a developers and a gamer's perspective and you'll understand. I can probably name you 100 games along the last 5 years that were really good but that did terribly in retail and thus never got the acclaim they deserved because of the severe competition and loyalty to big name game studios, this shields games from that.

Plus, SiN Episodes will also have a multiplayer component and you ARE getting the full SiN original award winning game...

Ofcourse, with the control in the hands of Fat Newell...there may be an exploitation of this strategy down the road, but right now, its a pretty neat idea. We'll have to wait and see.

Perkam

[Hicks]

No, it's not a good idea. It's just so Valve, can carry on draging the HL2 story out, and not give us any answers.

Proper Expansions are much better. We will have to wait 6 months a time for one stupid episode, which will probly last me 3 hours.

[krille]

No, it's not a good idea. It's just so Valve, can carry on draging the HL2 story out, and not give us any answers.

Proper Expansions are much better. We will have to wait 6 months a time for one stupid episode, which will probly last me 3 hours.Agree. They don't have a clue about the answers themselves and they just want to seem sophisticated by releasing more questions to conceal the inavailability of satisfactory answers. And make easy money of course...

[Plywood99]

Man, such negativity! I expect it from Bar81 as usual though.

Actually if the episodes are of high quality and decent length this could work out quite well.

[perkam]

Man, such negativity! I expect it from Bar81 as usual though.

Actually if the episodes are of high quality and decent length this could work out quite well. Yup. Looking forward to it :)

Perkam

[DilTech]

Eh...*yawn*...So when's ET:QW come out?

Other than maybe UT2k7, there's no other shooter even on my radar this year!

[perkam]

The original SiN demo is 34MB...and for 1998 was almost as innovative as HL1...

Perkam

[Delirious]

HL2 was a great game, so much better than its competition (DOOM3), although the ending was a bit of a let down.

It would be nice just to have a sequel to it that doesnt drag on, and that i dont have pay $20 for each one.

Its a neat idea but paying $20 for each sequel and say there are 3-4 thats $80.00 just to get a full game, as far as the story goes.

Why not just make the whole game and charge the regular $40-$45 for it.

I think steam was a great idea, so much better than EA's version of paying and then downloading the game. And when future stuff comes out its very easily to get.

[perkam]

The final price hasn't been decided yet...might end up being $15.00.

Perkam

[Bar81]

Man, such negativity! I expect it from Bar81 as usual though.

Actually if the episodes are of high quality and decent length this could work out quite well.

Sorry, I'm not helping your ilk pump sunshine up everyone's ass :rolleyes:

This is going to be a large shafting of the consumer. It started with HL2 "packages" and it's only going to get worse with these partial games that end up having 4+ episodes over a 2 year span. The only thing they'll be "fleshing out" is the money out of our pockets. If I had actually paid for HL2 I would be fuming right now given the intentional non-ending only to get us to pay for more "content" (in other words, the game was never finished and they decided to throw it out on shelves anyway for full price to the ignorant masses). To add insult to thievery, their new plan is to make you wait to get jacked. I hope consumers aren't dumb enough to go along with this crap.

Finish the actual game and then sell it, don't piecemeal the game and claim that it's better for the consumer to pay more for less. If they truly wanted to "flesh out" a game they would get off their asses and work harder or *shock* release the game when it's actually done.

So what happens when you shell out for parts 1-3 of a game, for example, and the company isn't making enough money or whatever and shuts it down. You just got jacked for $60+ for part of a game. Gee, that sounds fantastic!

[Starscream]

seems they r learning from EA with Bf2.
cause atm alot of people are actualy paying for the booster pack just for a few new maps and weapons :/

[Hicks]

Actually if the episodes are of high quality and decent length this could work out quite well.

I have no doubt they will be decent quality, iam the biggest HL fan, but they won't be very long, and the waiting 6 months for another episode, over and over, sucks IMO.

Id rather have expansions, like Opposing Force, and Blue Shift.

[Stuperman]

Why does evereyone jump to conclusions, everyone prejudges and then the game doesn't get a fair judgement when it does come out!

Personally I have never had a problem with steam, and HL2 was very good, but it's not unusual for games to get worse as they age (DRIV3R anyone?). I'm going to take a wait and see attitude.