Black Mesa Cascades Into Steam Early Access

[Bindal]

So, yeah, after this, they can go eff themselves, I am not paying a single cent for this bull.

I'm sure the loss of the money you were never going to spend in the first place will bring them to their knees and show them the error of their ways. I'm behind you 100%!

Except I probably would've bought the paid version sometimes down the line (most likely around the time the whole thing was finished) and kept myself busy with the free version until then.
After this stunt? Nope. And I know enough people who think exactly the same as well as a few, who waited for my opinion before they purchase (which is now a giant 'don't')

wow, this is the very first time i've thrown my hat into the "gamers are entitled babies" ring. not all of us, obviously. but yeah, people in this thread complaining about the paid version, complaining about the lack of support for the free version. wow.

if you want a free version, go code it yourself. what's that? you don't know how to make games? go learn. i know, it costs money to learn a skill, but luckily you'll be compensated after the fact when you release a passion project people actually want and you charge them... oh right, free. nevermind.

And here is the prime-example of a grade A a-hole.
The devs stated until HOURS ago (shortly after the release of the paid version, specifically) that they would keep the free version updated - or rather, release a new one on similar terms of the paid one. They said that about two years ago and were ensuring the whole time that this plan didn't change. Until three hours ago, where the plan apparently DID change to "completely go back on what we promised the past two years and just get greedy".
This is not about wanting a free version, but wanting to get the support we were supposed to get for an already released, incomplete and free version - but never got.

 

[GTMippey]

The entitlement is strong in this thread...

Guys, the developers of this game owe you NOTHING. Your investment was whatever time you spent playing the game, some hard drive space and the download. You didn't shell out $50 for an unfinished game, you got it for free, from a team of modders doing a project for the fans with the costs coming out of their pockets, not yours. Now, if you buy the early access version and the promised Xen maps get scrapped or cancelled for whatever reason, then you have a case. But if you're going to complain because a game you downloaded for absolutely zero dollars isn't getting supported anymore, then you need to check your sense of entitlement.

 

[senordesol]

Echoing @GTMippey

Can you get a more inflated sense of entitlement? They worked their asses off between jobs to pull this off. They originally thought they would make nothing, but now Valve has been gracious enough to allow them a meager profit for their very hard work.

If you're butthurt about the buggy version; you know what? It was fucking free!

And if you're mad that they're going back on what they initially said; you know what? It wasn't a legally binding contract. It was a statement of intent and they changed their minds.

So they are not legally nor morally obliged to maintain their original intent, and it costs you NOTHING personally. If you want someone to continue to pander to you, personally, free of charge forever well...that's not how the world works, bucko!

 

[killerbee256]

I played the free version once, was happy never thought about it again.

 

[-Datura-]

Well, then, how about straight from the devs themselves when they originally announced the paid version?
http://www.moddb.com/mods/black-mesa/news/happy-birthday-half-life
Or, if you don't want to read the entire newspost yourself, here is the straight quote:

Soon you'll see Black Mesa available on Steam for a relatively low price. But we aren't dropping all support for the free version. In fact shortly after the Steam release there will be a completely new free version of the game. We also plan to open source our maps and some game assets to the modding community!

And today they came out, basically saying "Sorry, folks, we decided to be greedy and don't support the free version."
So, yeah, after this, they can go eff themselves, I am not paying a single cent for this bull.

Yeah, feel free to stomp around whining like a ***** that you're not getting ANOTHER triple-A grade product for free. Also, feel free to eat a mile of dick while you're at it.

 

[ShakerSilver]

The fact that people still spout "entitlement" these days as if it meant anything is astounding. Has no one heard of the difference between entitlement and self-entitlement, or did they buy the whole "gamer entitlement" thing pushed by the media so much that they also bought into their backwards grammar?

Had the devs been upfront about stopping support for the free version of the game once it was approved for sale on Steam then there wouldn't be much of a backlash against the move. The fact that they would spit in the face of the fans that supported them through their forums for so long by essentially lying to them for years is the real point of outrage here, not the simple fact that they're making money off of their work. I don't see the "entitlement" from gamers who want the people making games for them to upfront and honest with them.

 

[War_Dyn27]

Why should you get it for free?

Because they announced it up to a few hours ago that the free version would get the same support as the paid version?
I don't mind if there is a paid version that looks prettier and may even have the exclusive Multiplayer (because both I don't care about) but what I do care about is being lied to about 'ongoing support' which apparently never was going to happen.

Source? I've been looking all over their forums and can find nothing about them giving up the mod version.

 

[-Datura-]

The fact that people still spout "entitlement" these days as if it meant anything is astounding. Has no one heard of the difference between entitlement and self-entitlement, or did they buy the whole "gamer entitlement" thing pushed by the media so much that they also bought into their backwards grammar?

Had the devs been upfront about stopping support for the free version of the game once it was approved for sale on Steam then there wouldn't be much of a backlash against the move. The fact that they would spit in the face of the fans that supported them through their forums for so long by essentially lying to them for years is the real point of outrage here, not the simple fact that they're making money off of their work. I don't see the "entitlement" from gamers who want the people making games for them to upfront and honest with them.

Oh shut the fuck up, dickhead, why dont YOU fucking try rebuilding a AAA game in the latest engine FOR FREE? It didnt take them 10 years because they were on RedTube jerkin' in, it took 10 years because it was A LOT OF FUCKING WORK. And now you and that fuckwit are gonna clutch your wallets and pearls, bitching and whining because they didn't give you ENOUGH free shit, man, go FUCK YOURSELF. Straight up, fold yourself in half and FUCK YOUR OWN FACE. People like you and Bindal give us all a bad name.

 

[major_chaos]

The selectiveness of gamer outrage rears it's ugly head once again, with the normal "when people I like do X it's OK, when people I don't like do it they are LITERALLY HITLERSATAN" formula.

AAA game has a single difference between the trailer/promised features and release? "BULLSHOTS! TORCHES AND PITCHFORKS! BOYCOTT! SUE! RUN THESE SCUM OUT OF THE INDUSTRY!"

Indies backpedal on a longstanding promise purely in the interest of profit? "OMG it's their game, they can do whatever they want stop being such whiny losers!"
Imma try this train of logic next time people start yowling about how EA murdered their cat or whatever and see how fast my inbox reaches hatemail capacity.

OT: I really hope they fix the SMG being shit and manage to make Xen less like pulling teeth, because with those two things and some bugfixing this would be the definitive HL1 experience. That said I have wayyy too many other games in the que for me to be excited about this announcement. Call me in 2020 when it leaves early access.

 

[Areloch]

An inquiry, to people that are getting worked up about this:

How much time do you think each guy on the team has to spend on this a day? A week? A month?

Given that they've been doing this, for free, for years now, that would mean that either they're some weird offshoot of humans that don't need to eat, are robots, or are having to do this in the meager free time they have between actual jobs, family, friends, and other stuff that constitutes a normal life.

Fact is, if they get paid, they can afford to have some people spend more of their time and effort to complete it faster.

The imminently easier option - for YEARS, now - would be for them to say 'screw it. screw you. screw everyone' and just stop working on it. So the fact that everyone is getting so royally pissed that they DIDN'T bail out, but also had the gall to require payment for their ongoing work is sad.

Either way, whatever. Internet gunna mad.

 

[Bindal]

Why should you get it for free?

Because they announced it up to a few hours ago that the free version would get the same support as the paid version?
I don't mind if there is a paid version that looks prettier and may even have the exclusive Multiplayer (because both I don't care about) but what I do care about is being lied to about 'ongoing support' which apparently never was going to happen.

Source? I've been looking all over their forums and can find nothing about them giving up the mod version.

http://forums.blackmesasource.com/index.php/Thread/19095-Free-vs-Steam-version/?postID=591591#post591591
There, a clear statement that the free version is not supported anymore.

 

[War_Dyn27]

Why should you get it for free?

Because they announced it up to a few hours ago that the free version would get the same support as the paid version?
I don't mind if there is a paid version that looks prettier and may even have the exclusive Multiplayer (because both I don't care about) but what I do care about is being lied to about 'ongoing support' which apparently never was going to happen.

Source? I've been looking all over their forums and can find nothing about them giving up the mod version.

http://forums.blackmesasource.com/index.php/Thread/19095-Free-vs-Steam-version/?postID=591591#post591591
There, a clear statement that the free version is not supported anymore.

No wonder I couldn't find it!

You said 'they were saying that the free version would be updated until a few hours ago' this post you linked is SIX MONTHS OLD!

 

[Areloch]

It's not so much that people are entitled and feel the Black Mesa devs owe them a free game, as it is a worrying trend that modders who used to claim to be modding for modding's sake and for the enjoyable hobby that it is, instantly going back on their word the moment Valve offers them a way to sell their work instead.

I don't care that they are asking for money, I've donated to them before anyway. I care that they've changed their tune so quickly, and that something that they enjoyed doing and that they did for the sake of creating something and not for the money is suddenly something they 'need' compensation for. It's a worrying trend considering the recent Skyrim fiasco.

Uh, Black Mesa's been getting a Steam release for half a year now, at least. This isn't a "Paid mods? Time to jump ship!" sort of thing. This was "Valve's been OK with our remake for a long time, and we got permission to release it onto steam in the future", and that was half a year or more ago.

I wouldn't call that changing their tune quickly.

People are free to take issue with their apparent drop of support for the mod version for the paid version, but as @War_Dyn27 pointed out, they stated that the mod version wouldn't get continue work in favor of working on the product that will get them some compensation 6 months ago.

I'm personally not going to fault guys who have been working on a project, for free, for the better part of a decade, to be inclined towards some compensation for their time.

 

[Bat Vader]

That's cool it's on Steam. I don't plan on buying it until it is finished and out of Early Access.

 

[senordesol]

The selectiveness of gamer outrage rears it's ugly head once again, with the normal "when people I like do X it's OK, when people I don't like do it they are LITERALLY HITLERSATAN" formula.

AAA game has a single difference between the trailer/promised features and release? "BULLSHOTS! TORCHES AND PITCHFORKS! BOYCOTT! SUE! RUN THESE SCUM OUT OF THE INDUSTRY!"

Indies backpedal on a longstanding promise purely in the interest of profit? "OMG it's their game, they can do whatever they want stop being such whiny losers!"
Imma try this train of logic next time people start yowling about how EA murdered their cat or whatever and see how fast my inbox reaches hatemail capacity.

OT: I really hope they fix the SMG being shit and manage to make Xen less like pulling teeth, because with those two things and some bugfixing this would be the definitive HL1 experience. That said I have wayyy too many other games in the que for me to be excited about this announcement. Call me in 2020 when it leaves early access.

That's quite a bit of hyperbole.

Professional devs are (as the name suggests) professionals! It's their job to make games and make them well. They've got access to top talent, resources, and equipment. They've got teams of people constantly meeting to assess the state of the project.

Given how much material they're working with; a major downgrade or about-face on a promise is really inexcusable.

With Indie Devs, it's an entirely different story. They're (by-and-large) paying for their work from their own pockets, devoting only the time and talent that can be spared between their *real* job, and -frankly- don't have access to a business development team that can tell them which promises are wise to make.

In short: Of course professionals are given less slack than amateurs. Such is the nature of being professionals or amateurs.

 

[Glaice]

I'll pass, namely because I can't pay for every damn thing on the Steam store, let alone other than DLC that's worth it for my budget. When I saw the $20 tag, I went "WHY??" and just went "Meh". Forget about this.