Half-Life 2 to be DVD only
Looks like the six-CD version of the game won't be available in the UK. But does it matter?
Following the recent news regarding the various different editions of Half-Life 2 that are planned for release in the US, it appears as if the game will be DVD only in the UK.
Fan site Half-Life2.net is reporting that there will be no CD version of the shooter when it finally sees the light of day in the UK, although Vivendi have yet to confirm that this will indeed be the case.
Still, even if you don't have DVD capabilities, you can always download the game via Valve's Steam service. Which would be preferable to having to grapple with half-a-dozen CDs anyway. Meanwhile, the variety of different editions of Half-Life 2 planned for the US are as follows:
Vanilla retail package This will feature Half-Life 2 and Counter-Strike: Source spread across six CDs. Three different box designs will be available - Gordon, Alyx, and G-Man.
Collector's edition This DVD-only version will feature Half-Life 2, Counter-Strike: Source, Half-Life 1: Source (the original game but utilising the new engine), a Half-Life 2 T-shirt and a Prima strategy guide sampler.
Steam - Bronze As per the Vanilla retail package, this will feature Half-Life 2 and Counter-Strike: Source.
Steam - Silver This additionally includes Half-Life 1: Source, Day of Defeat: Source (another Valve title updated with the Source engine) and the back catalogue of games that are currently available via Steam.
Steam - Gold As well as everything from the Silver package, the Gold bundle will also include a Prima strategy guide, three Half-Life 2 posters, a hat, a postcard, stickers, a soundtrack CD as well as the opportunity to win a visit to Valve's Seattle HQ. Although quite how you download a hat remains to be seen.