Valve breaks Away from Vivendi/Sierra

[doolittle]

Looks like Gabe has made a power grab and is picking on internet cafe's agian. I hope this doesent effect the quality of further Valve patches and products. Now they have no one to blame bogus release dates on.

Press ReleaseSource: Valve Software; Vivendi Universal Games Valve and Vivendi Universal Games Settle Lawsuit
Friday April 29, 11:30 am ET

BELLEVUE, Wash. and LOS ANGELES, April 29 /PRNewswire/ -- Valve and Vivendi Universal Games (VU Games) today announced the settlement of a pending federal court lawsuit filed by Valve in August 2002. The parties have resolved their differences and the settlement provides for the dismissal of all claims and counterclaims. Under the settlement agreement, VU Games will cease distribution of retail packaged versions of Valve's games, including "Half-Life"®, "Half-Life 2", "Counter-Strike"(TM), "Counter-Strike: Condition Zero" and "Counter-Strike: Source", effective August 31, 2005.
Additionally, VU Games has notified distributors and cyber cafes that were licensed by VU Games that only Valve is authorized to distribute Valve games to cyber cafes and grant cyber cafe licenses. Cyber cafe operators that were licensed by VU Games have also been notified that any license agreement from Sierra Entertainment, Vivendi Universal Games or any of their affiliates or distributors that may have granted rights to use Valve games in cyber cafes, whether written or oral, is terminated.About Valve

Based in Bellevue, Washington, Valve is an entertainment software and technology company founded in 1996. Valve's debut title, "Half-Life," has won over 50 Game of the Year Awards and named "Best PC Game Ever" in the November 1999, October 2001, and April 2005 issues of PC Gamer, the world's best-selling PC games magazine. Valve's portfolio of entertainment titles also includes "Counter-Strike," "Day of Defeat"(TM), and "Team Fortress"® and accounts for over 15 million retail units sold worldwide, and over 88% of the PC online action market. Information about Valve's Cyber Cafe Program can be found at www.steampowered.com.

Vivendi Universal Games (VU Games)

Vivendi Universal Games (www.vugames.com) is a global developer, publisher and distributor of multi-platform interactive entertainment. The company is a leader in the subscription-based massively multi-player online (MMO) games category, and also holds leading positions in the PC, console and handheld games markets. Its development studios and publishing labels include Blizzard Entertainment®, Radical Entertainment(TM), Sierra® Entertainment and Massive Entertainment(TM). VU Games' library of over 700 titles features owned intellectual properties including "Warcraft"®, "StarCraft"®, "Diablo"® and "World of Warcraft"® from Blizzard; "Crash Bandicoot"®, "Spyro The Dragon"(TM), "Empire Earth"®, "Leisure Suit Larry"(TM), "Ground Control"® and "Tribes"®. VU Games also maintains strategic relationships with industry leading content partners, including NBC Universal and Twentieth Century Fox.

http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/050429/laf022.html?.v=8
Source: Valve Software; Vivendi Universal Games

[speedracer120]

That's some major bad news for operators of cyber cafes. Imagine the licensing costs for all those PCs.

[tupacboy]

how do they know its a cyber cafe or a bunch of individual users?

[Cantacuzene]

Maybe its a European thing, but I've never seen a cyber cafe, let alone patronized one. I always figured they were a thing people in 1997 thought would be widespread but never took off. I can't believe they exist.

[Nija]

Maybe its a European thing, but I've never seen a cyber cafe, let alone patronized one. I always figured they were a thing people in 1997 thought would be widespread but never took off. I can't believe they exist.

A few of my drinking buddies go to a local cyber cafe in west los angeles. They go because they can play games that their computers can't handle (although if they would just save the money, they could afford the hardware)

[BrewMaster]

there are a lot of them in LA, the Valley, and the Inland Empire. UCLA used to have one in the student union. Perhaps it is a regional thing. I've never played at any of them but I've driven by and seen the signs.

[DaFunkyUnit]

cyber cafes saved my life.

when i was over in Paris, France, i had no place to stay. instead of sleeping on the street like a french bum, i went to a cyber cafe and found a hostel to crash at.

the moral of the story is: if you're travelling, a cyber cafe can be a god-send.

[doolittle]

Maybe its a European thing, but I've never seen a cyber cafe, let alone patronized one. I always figured they were a thing people in 1997 thought would be widespread but never took off. I can't believe they exist.

The San Diego area has a few of them. i have no idea how they make money, one of the owners approached me about teaching a class on basic computing, durring the day when no one is there. its mostly a young teen hangout, they mostly do homework and watch tv. I guess its a pretty safe place for kids to get out of the house and socialize.

[speedracer120]

Not many cops from the LA are will agree with you on that.

I'm not sure about the origins of such places, but there are a lot in Korea, I'm talking nearly on every street block in the major cities. I also know that a majority of the earlier cyber cafes were owned by Korean immigrants and were called PC Bangs, i.e. PC rooms.