Whilst perusing through my old stuff, I found this magazine that was given to me over a decade ago by a cousin of mine.
It had been quite a while that I hadn't taken a look at it, so let's see what apparently was trending back then here in Brazil.
The cover says that it comes with a free game on CD, I have no clue what game that was as I've never even had the CD but it couldn't be Mafia, because that had JUST released back then.
Joint Operations: Typhoon Rising! from the makers of Black Hawk Down... Huh, can't be that bad, BHD was actually a pretty alright game on the PS2.
The editorial on the side is just a synopsis of what you're about to see, of all the games included and how this is "another time that Tech Dealer is bringing you the new games!" which I find odd... Considering this is the first volume ever.
Number 01 - Year 01 | December 2004
I'll be honest, 99% of this magazine is filler. It's odd small budget titles that I wouldn't really associate with the "newest and greatest", but there is one exception I'll get to... Anyway, here's a collage of all the games it shows off.
So, why am I skipping over most games? There's one simple reason: Half Life 2.
Yeaaahhh baby, this is right before HL2 was released so of course they'd include some spicy stuff about it. This magazine came with an interview with Gerson de Souza, the general manager of VUG - Videndi Universal Games for Latin America.
And your boy gtPacheko17 is here to translate it. This is some obscure, never seen before shit. These questions were never translated as far as I know, so this is a first!
The wait is finally over, this month one of the most anticipated games for this year hits store shelves! After 5 years, of expectations and speculations, HALF LIFE 2 is now a reality. The game brings incredible graphical realism that'll make you doubt if this is only a game.
They make it seem like HL2 is the second coming of Christ, and with hindsight, they weren't completely off the mark!
Following is an interview with Gerson de Souza, general manager of VUG - Vivendi Universal Games for Latin America.
This is where it gets spicy and cool to read.
Smart Games - What are the sales expectations for this product in Brazil?
Gerson - We hope to sell 30,000 units in Brazil and by the acceptance this game has received from the public this objective will be hit with no problems.
Smart Games - In what way does this product differ from the previous ones?
Gerson - (The) Half-Life 2 is an entirely new product, being in an engine called Source, made by Valve. The entirety of the physics engine was reconstructed, just like the graphical part of the game. The experience is innovative and incomparable to any other game produced previously.
I fully agree with this, Half-Life 2 was a huge revolution in how things looked and played, just like the first Half-Life.
Smart Games: Regarding configuration (your PC setup), can there be any problems?
Gerson: Just like its predecessor, Half Life 2 was built on the concept of scalability, which means, the game can run in a simpler machine without totally losing its advanced resources. This way even if the player has a less potent machine they'll still be able to enjoy the innovations.
I can attest to this, I played this on integrated motherboard graphics (remember that?) back in the day, and it ran well enough for me to have fun.
Smart Games - Does the game come with some anti-piracy device?
Gerson - Yes, besides the copy protections, the player must register themselves online with Valve so their game is unlocked. We hope this system reduces drastically the market of illegal products.
HERE IT IS FOLKS! STEAM!
I remember the entire controversy around the game needing Steam to work, but it's safe to say this was the best move Valve could've ever made, and that is what has gotten them to top. This simple decision, to make a new DRM for Half-Life 2 has changed PC gaming, or gaming as a whole FOREVER!
I mean, just look at what happens if I search for "Half" on my Steam account.
You were spot on on how this would reduce piracy, Gerson, you just had no idea how big it would actually be.
Smart Games - How do you rate the game in relation to the competition?
Gerson - Half-Life 2 is a unique experience, without any comparison to anything that may already exist. Play it and make sure for yourselves.
Bad. Ass. This guy certainly knew what he was talking about and they had on their hands here. It was something huge and he was sure of it, and nowadays, we know that he was right.
On the back of the inverview there are two screenshots of the game, possibly in a beta stage with some text next to them.
Breathtaking graphics, shadows and textures that reproduce the ambiance of the real word...
Artificial inteligence that's extremely capable, results in enemies that plan, adapt and respond to your actions... Go get ready!
My body was ready. This game changed everything when it came out. Half-Life 2 is still talked about to this day as one of the greats, and it's weird to see some really important info on it tucked away on a small Brazilian games magazine from nearly 20 years ago, so I felt it was important to bring all of this somewhere were people from outside would read it as well.
Valve has a huge following and I'm sure any piece of media regarding it is sure to catch the attention of some.
Even if this post doesn't reach a good amount of likes, I'll still be happy that I was the first one to bring this interview forward to an international audience.
If you're curious about the rest of the magazine, I've made a Imgur gallery with all of the pictures, it's a little bit out of order, but if you speak a lick of Portuguese, it's easy to understand (Yo se que mis hermanos pueden compreender un poco de Portugués jajaja).
That's it folks! Thanks for reading!
