Half-Life 2 is piracy savvy

Not only that, but to beat those tricksy retail staff that pinch from the stockroom when the game arrives, they have added in an online authorisation system which means that no-one can play the game until Valve has hit an online switch that says the time is right. Whilst reports have been showing up across the net of gamers having boxed copies in their hands, no-one can play them because Valve hasn't bodged the switch-on. Perfect.