FBI joins hunt for Half-Life code

magick · 22-01-2004 2:33pm #1

FBI joins hunt for Half-Life code

The much-anticipated game took five years to make
The FBI has joined efforts to track down those who took part of the computer code of one of the year's most highly anticipated games, Half-Life 2.
Federal agents mounted a dawn raid on a San Franciscan computer programmer last week, seizing hardware and software.

The programmer, Chris Toshok, detailed the events on his web log, denying any illegal activity himself.

The FBI declined to confirm or deny the raid, but US law enforcement sources indicated the search did take place.

The FBI action is the first sign of a serious criminal investigation following the appearance of part of the Half-Life 2 source code on the internet last year.

Developers Valve said the blueprints to the game had been taken from its computers after a hacking effort in September.

As a result of the leaked top-secret code, which accounted for about a third of the game, the release of Half-Life 2 has been delayed twice. It is now due out in April.

Hungry for 'evidence'

The FBI operation appears to have been handled by the Seattle field office.

The agents were accompanied by US Secret Service representatives, according to Mr Toshok. They questioned him about a group known as the Hungry Programmers, with whom Mr Toshok previously shared a house, he said.

Half-Life 2 pits you against alien invaders
Mr Toshok alleged the agents who carried out the raid were armed with a search warrant, which he scanned and posted on his blog.

It stated they had permission to confiscate any computer equipment, software or documentation that "contain evidence or fruits or that are or were instrumentalities of criminal activity".

The search warrant was issued by the Northern Californian District Court, and included the name of a Seattle FBI agent. The San Franciscan District Attorney's Office also verified to the BBC the identity of the judge who signed the warrant.

If any warrant is issued by the District Court, it means the operation is an "exclusive FBI operation", the San Francisco Police Department indicated.

The warrant also specified the seizure of "any and all items and documentation, in whatever form, referring to, or relating to Valve Software, Half-Life, Half-Life 2, Team Fortress, Team Fortress 2, Counter Strike, and Condition Zero".

The numerous items listed on the seizure receipt which Mr Toshok said the agents gave him, included an Xbox with controller, several computers, plastic containers, CDs, cables and several hard drives.

Lauded title

Half-Life 2's developers were devastated when they realised key parts of code had been leaked on the net in September last year.

They appealed to millions of the game's devotees to help track down the culprits.

The leaked code included the physics engine which drives how the game's action is shown, as well as the sound system and other bits of code from various developers.

Half-Life 2 is the follow-up to one of the most lauded games ever and has taken over five years and teams of 30 developers to create.

The first release won several awards for its intelligent characters, plot and challenging puzzles.

User45701 · 22-01-2004 2:41pm

A simmilar post was up before but not as detailed. Thankyou for posting this infirmation

We can now only hope that whoeaver did it will be severley punished

[CrimsonGhost] · 22-01-2004 3:22pm

Pah. I reckon the whole thing was made up by Valve. They fabricated the intrusion and then posted the bits of code themselves. That way it would mean that they would have a valid excuse for extending the release date. The whole thing smells of $hit. Valve had lied before about the release date, why not lie again.

User45701 · 22-01-2004 4:09pm

There are a decent few people who agree with you and if u are right why cant valve just say "Ok look we putting the game back, got a problem? then dont buy it. we nead to add new features"

Any people will still buy it when it comes out

Matt Simis · 22-01-2004 4:19pm

Originally posted by [CrimsonGhost]
Pah. I reckon the whole thing was made up by Valve. They fabricated the intrusion and then posted the bits of code themselves. That way it would mean that they would have a valid excuse for extending the release date. The whole thing smells of $hit. Valve had lied before about the release date, why not lie again.

I seriously doubt the FBI would be willing pawns in Valves little game. Unless you are suggesting Valve is lying to them as well?

The code was stolen, but the game wasnt ready anyhow.. the theft provided a convenient and natural scapegoat. Its all shades of gray...

Matt

User45701 · 22-01-2004 5:35pm

Matt is probbley right, its whatm makes the most sence, but even if the theft isent the main reasen for the game being delayed the peson who did it should still be hunted,captured and then punished

weemcd · 22-01-2004 7:11pm

it is totaly insane to involve the fbi, at the end of the day it is a game, anyone else agree that this is a serious waste of resources and the fbi could concentrate on other more important issues

BKtje · 22-01-2004 9:05pm

This could have cost Valve millions (and probably has), their jobs looked like they might have been on the line.

It is theft and possibly millions worth of 'damages'. Thats why the FBI are involved.

monument · 22-01-2004 9:19pm

Originally posted by weemcd
it is totaly insane to involve the fbi, at the end of the day it is a game, anyone else agree that this is a serious waste of resources and the fbi could concentrate on other more important issues

From http://sanfrancisco.fbi.gov/sfcomputer.htm - "Computer Intrusion--The primary responsibility of the San Francisco Division's Computer Intrusion Squad is the investigation of cyber-based attacks, primarily unauthorized access (intrusion) and denial of service, directed at the major components of this country's critical information, military and economic infrastructures."

Why should computer games - which are now big business – be any less important then any other software or non-software business?

Matt Simis · 23-01-2004 2:04pm

Originally posted by weemcd
it is totaly insane to involve the fbi, at the end of the day it is a game, anyone else agree that this is a serious waste of resources and the fbi could concentrate on other more important issues

You obviously have no idea that this is a business and an industry, a very valuable industry to the US economy. :rolleyes:

Matt

User45701 · 23-01-2004 2:54pm

Originally posted by weemcd
it is totaly insane to involve the fbi, at the end of the day it is a game, anyone else agree that this is a serious waste of resources and the fbi could concentrate on other more important issues

Its a good thing to involve them it weill probbley mean that they will actually find out who did this. And in all reality this is a fairley important issue.

FBI joins hunt for Half-Life code

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