Valve claims you can play Half-Life 3 right now instead of waiting for a future release date

12 May 2007

Posted by:Ferry

Last year when Valve was asked why they went with the Half-Life 2 episodic system, Valve’s co-founder Gabe Newell answered that Half-Life 2: Episode One released on June 1st 2006, Half-Life 2: Episode Two that’s now coming in late 2007, and Half-Life 2: Episode Three that’s hopefully coming in ~~2008~~ ~~2009~~ ~~2010~~ ~~2011~~ 2012, all put together serve as the third game in the series. Rather than make gamers wait another six-plus years for Half-Life 3, the developer thought people might appreciate playing the game in smaller chunks if they didn’t have to wait as long. So you’ve been playing Half-Life 3: Episode One right now!

To quote Gabe: “The original Half-Life took us two years to develop. With a considerably larger team Half-Life 2 took us six years to develop, so we thought if we were going to continue our trend with Half-Life 3 we would basically ship after we had all retired.

We’re trying to come up with a better way of getting more timely updates to our customers and also come up with something that didn’t have the complexities. Projects increased logarithmically with how much we tried to do, so if you tried to put twice as much content or technology into a box it ends up taking you four times the amount of work, right, and so we’re trying to figure out a better solution.

We left Half-Life 2 on a cliffhanger …[spoiler break]… with the Citadel blowing up, Alyx is a couple of feet away from the explosion, so what’s going to happen? People were pretty clear that they didn’t want to have to wait as long as they had previously to find out what happened.

Probably a better name for [the three Half-Life 2 Episodes arc] would have been Half Life 3: Episode One, but these three are what we’re doing as our way of taking the next step forward, but Half-Life 2 was the name we used…

A big focus [in Episode One] is Alyx, both from a storytelling perspective and from a gameplay perspective. We really liked her as a character, and the fans did too, so we wanted you to be spending a long time with her, and seeing how far we could push this notion of single player co-op. Being in this world with someone who’s operating pretty intelligently and acting more as an ally, rather than this dumb collection of polygons that sort of troops around and gets in your way.

The arc of the trio of episodes is also about the G-Man. He appears briefly in Episode One, and we’ll get more info on him later. If you think of Half-Life 1 as the G-Man trying to turn you into something that was useful to him – the transformation of the player into hero. And then Half-Life 2 was about how he was using you.

Half-Life 3 [a.k.a. Episodes One to Three] is about the relationship with the G-Man and what happens when he loses control of you, when you’re not available to him as a tool and how he responds to that, and what are the consequences of that. Alyx and the relationship with her is a big focus in Episode One and the larger story about your evolving relationship with the G-Man. That’s the text of the trio of episodes.” — Quotes via Eurogamer

Despite these revealing comments, fans are still dying to see the Half-Life series continue after the 3 new episodes, that much is evident from fake Half-Life 3 photos like these:

Update June 2010: An anonymous source says Valve’s “surprise” at E3 2010 will be the unveiling of Source Engine 2. Supposedly Valve will be showing Half-Life 3 running on the new engine. That is how they’ve done it with past versions of their Source engine: Half-Life 1 was shown running on GoldSource, and Half-Life 2 and Counter Strike were shown running on Source back in June 2004. This may have been behind closed doors.

Categories: Features, Interviews, News, PC News, PS3 News, Xbox 360 News

Sharkboy611

They already have
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000639808167 Jamel Frazier

U must be INSANE, if you think Half Life 2 was a mediocre game. Shame on you for letting that awful word out of your mouth.
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000639808167 Jamel Frazier

U must be INSANE, if you think Half Life 2 was a mediocre game. Shame on you for letting that awful word out of your mouth.
Landau

Hey dudes, here speaks the GREATEST HALF LIFE FAN!!! I played it when all you were toddlers and did stinky things in your “Huggies”! So shut up! THIS GAME IS THE BEST IN ALL UNIVERSE!
Michael Wheeldon

Half life 2 was great in my opinion but the two follow-ups got a bit tedious. It was the same thing again and again. Not that I didnt enjoy them but id have prefered if they got on with a complete half life 3. I remain a fan of Valve.
Michael Wheeldon

Have they? Wow, I had no idea. Maybe they arent idle then. When will it come out?
Jamesperson132

you have alot to learn
Jamesperson132

After the release of Episode Two within The Orange Box in October 2007, Episode Three was initially to follow soon after, the philosophy for the Episodes being one released every six to eight months.[1] However it has been delayed several times since, while Valve has been concentrating on releasing games outside the Half-Life and Portal universe, until Portal 2 was released in April 2011, after being delayed as well, Valve having become infamous for their delays.[2]
The current development status of Episode Three as well as a release date are currently unknown, to the displeasure of the Half-Life community, which frowns at the lack of communication between Valve and their original fanbase. Indeed, over the years, words from Valve about the game has only been decreasing, with them eventually being merely silent about it.
Timeline of released informationEdit
What follows are the facts that have been revealed by Valve about Episode Three over the years.
2006Edit
In May, Episode Three is announced for a Christmas 2007 release.[3]
The same month, it is revealed that a new Episode will be released every six to eight months, and will take four to six hours to complete. An Episode Four, developed outside of Valve and with a stand-alone plot, is also mentioned.[1][4]
2007Edit
Combine Advisors around the Borealis in the first Episode Three concept art.Added by KlowIn June, Gordon Freeman is confirmed as the main protagonist of Episode Three.[5]
In a May interview given by David Speyrer and Doug Lombardi about the development of Episode Three, it is stated that a lot of work has gone into creating a natural progress of topography and climate between Two and Three, and that the player will not head back to City 17, at least not in this game. Furthermore, Speyrer does not want to comment about speculation started by PC Gamer UK on the game’s climax being a battle set at an Arctic research station.[6]
In October, Episode Two is released. At the end of the game, Gordon Freeman and Alyx Vance are about to leave to Arctic locations, in search of Judith Mossman and the newly recovered Borealis, the Aperture Science icebreaker, suggesting this is what the sequel to Episode Two will be about.
In a November interview, David Speyrer explains that an Episode Three teaser at the end of Episode Two was deliberately omitted to avoid ruining the mood the player would have been in after the final scene by having it followed by an high action trailer. Another reason was to give them more creative freedom, and avoid being committed to anything seen in the potential trailer, stating they are trying to do “something pretty ambitious”. He also states they did not want to make the same mistake as with the Episode Two trailer featured at the end of Episode One, as it is radically different from the finished game.[7]
In same month, the first concept art for Episode Three is released by GamesRadar.[8]
In December, Episode Three is said to be only the end of the current Half-Life 2 story arc, not the end of the overall Half-Life franchise, nor the episodic releases, with even more episodic games unconnected to the current story arc to be made.[9] This hints at the Episode Four mentioned in 2006.
2008Edit
Gordon Freeman face to face with an Advisor in the second Episode Three concept art.Added by KlowCombine Advisors around the Borealis in the third and last Episode Three concept art.Added by KlowIn April, source code for three entities is released in the Source SDK in a folder named “Episode3″, before being removed shortly after. They include “npc_combine_armored” (an heavily armored Combine soldier with separate shields for each part of its body), “npc_wpnscanner” (a scanner shooting bolts), and “weapon_proto1″ (appearing in the Source Particle Benchmark and Episode Two as a test weapon). However, it is later stated by Valve’s Tony Sergi that the code is a leftover of old material.[10]
In July, the second Episode Three concept art is released through the winner list of the Into the Pixel contest of that year, involving Gordon Freeman and his crowbar face to face with a Combine Advisor, and made by Valve artists Ted Backman, Jeremy Bennett, and Tristan Reidford.[11][8] The same month, the third and last concept art so far is revealed again by GamesRadar.[8]
In an October interview, Valve marketing director Doug Lombardi states that news or an announcement of Episode Three might be revealed near the end of the year.[12] In that interview, Lombardi also states that the distance between Episode Two and its sequel will be longer than the distance between the three current Half-Life 2 games.[12]
In December, video footage of what is presented as an Alpha version of Episode Three is released. It is later revealed to be a fan-made set of maps.[13][14]
2009Edit
In an August video involving Gabe Newell and two interpreters discussing deafness and video games with a small audience of hearing-impaired people, the inclusion of an unidentified deaf character in a future game set in the Half-Life universe is said to be tested by Valve, as a new gameplay and Source engine feature aimed at providing better support for hearing-impaired players. Newell suggests that before Alyx met Gordon, she had a crush on a hearing impaired Resistance member, so she programmed Dog with knowledge of sign language so she could practice and easily communicate with him. Then this person went away from Alyx to fight the Combine someplace else, and Alyx and Dog started signing with each other when they wanted to communicate without making noise or without other people knowing.[15]
The same month, Newell explains in an interview that Valve is experimenting many techniques on their games, including Episode Three. He adds he has currently nothing to say about the game, and that the community will be notified as soon as they have material they are ready to share.[16]
2010Edit
List of the hint nodes found in the Alien Swarm SDK.Added by KlowIn a March interview, Newell hints that Valve intend to return the Half-Life franchise to its psychological horror roots by exploiting the fans’ deepest fears, which he summed up as “the death of their children” and “the fading of their own abilities”.[17]
The same month, the Portal ARG is launched. At the beginning, the community starts to speculate it is related to Episode Three,[18] until it is revealed the ARG is promoting the upcoming Portal 2.
In an April interview, Newell states that Gordon Freeman will go unchanged in the next Half-Life game – he wants him to “largely remain an arm and a crowbar.” There also are no plans to make him a talking character, as Newell considers making the player’s companions more interesting and compelling seems a more fruitful avenue to explore.[19]
Shortly after Alien Swarm is released in July, unused hint nodes are found in its SDK, under the names “Ep3 Blob Shake Position”, “Ep3 Fire Cover Position”, “Ep3 Brain Cover Position”, “Ep3 Brain Regenerate Position”, “Ep3 Spit Position”, “Ep3 Spawn Generator Position”, and “Aperture: Nest”. Given the prefix “Ep3″ and the use of the name “Aperture”, these may be leftovers of the sequel to Episode Two.[20]
In an August interview, Doug Lombardi states they hate to make the community wait, but that they have no announcements regarding Gordon Freeman or his ongoing adventures at this time.[21]
2011Edit
The two Half-Life fans picketing outside of Valve met with Gabe Newell in August 2011.Added by KlowWhen asked about the future of the Half-Life series in a March interview, Doug Lombardi states that they are not done with Gordon Freeman’s adventures, and advises the community to “hang in there” with them, without further detail.[22]
In April, Portal 2 is released. The same day, The Final Hours of Portal 2 is released. In it, author Geoff Keighley states that Portal 2 is probably Valve’s last game with an isolated single-player experience. This is misunderstood by many members of the community as the simple end of single-player games made by Valve, which is negated by Gabe Newell in a May interview, in which he states that Valve is not done with single-player games, but rather done with single-player games as we know them today, and that they will transform into “single-player plus” games, thus single-player games with social components added to them. He reckons that entertainment is inherently increased in value by having it be social, letting people play with their friends, and recognizing that they are connected with other people, and that they have to work on adding this to their single-player games.[23]
In another May interview, Newell states that Valve is done with the episodic model as we know it, now rather updating the same game as much as they want through Steam, which was introduced with Team Fortress 2.[24] This suggests that the next Half-Life game will not be in the vein of its two predecessors, leading the community to speculate that Valve has moved to a larger project.
The same month, the Portal 2 SDK is released. In the files, code for an NPC named “Combine Advisor – Roaming” is found by users, and is shortly removed in a subsequent update.[25]
In June, at the Games for Change festival in New York, Gabe Newell delivered a keynote focusing largely on the educational benefits of games. When Newell asked the audience for any questions, someone asked when Episode Three is going to be released. Newell’s response was: “If you know enough to ask the question, you know enough what the answer is.”[26]
On August 11th and 12th, three fans picketed outside of the Valve headquarters in Bellevue, Washington, requesting information about Episode Three / Half-Life 3. Gabe Newell in person went out to speak with them, they went for lunch together, and were also given a tour of the offices by Erik Johnson, as well as pizza, playtesting of Dota 2, and some goodies. The first day counted two fans only, and they were joined with a third one on the second. The texts on their signs included “CANADA 4 THE RELEASE OF HALF LIFE 3″, “HALF LIFE 3… IS IT LEFT 4 DEAD?”, “HOW DID JUDITH GET TO THE ARCTIC SO QUICKLY? (rest unseen)” “I COULDN’T THINK OF A NEW SIGN… BUT YOU KNOW WHAT WE WANT (HL 3)”, among others. A Microsoft building being located nearby, presumably a Valve employee gave the picketers four humorous small signs to show, such as one asking Microsoft to bring back the former MS Office mascot “Clippy”. The protesters claimed that their picketing was not meant to be a serious protest but rather a joke; they just had free time on their hands, and felt like “chillin’, maxin’ relaxin’ all cool” outside of Valve.[27][28][29][30]
ReferencesEdit
? 1.0 1.1 1.2 PC Gamer, May 2006? Valve Time at The Valve Developer Community? Half-Life 2: Episode One gold, Two dated, Three announced on GameSpot? Concept Art Leaked For Cancelled HL2: Episode Four? on LambdaGeneration? Opening the Valve – Interview at EuroGamer.net? Valve comments on Episode Three progress at EuroGamer.net? RPS Interview: Episode Two’s David Speyrer on Rock, Paper, Shotgun? 8.0 8.1 8.2 The first concept art from Half-Life 2: Episode Three on GamesRadar? Half-Life 3 on StuffWeLike.com? Tony Sergi answer on the Steam Users’ Forums? 2008 contest winners at Into the Pixel? 12.0 12.1 Interview: Valve’s Doug Lombardi on Video Games Daily? My HL2EP3 Trailer by MIXMEDiA on YouTube? FAKE Episode 3 Maps for Half-Life2: Ep2 on Mod DB? Gabe Newell w/ Deaf Character – Part Two on YouTube? Steamcast Episode #9: “Exclusive interview with Gabe Newell”? Gabe Newell: Next Half-Life needs to scare on ComputerAndVideoGames.com? Portal Patch Adds Morse Code, Achievement – Portal 2 Speculation Begins on Shacknews? Gabe Newell: Next Half-Life won’t change Gordon Freeman on ComputerAndVideoGames.com? Half Life 2: Episode 3 found in the Alien Swarm SDK! on the Steam Users’ Forums? How Valve will change PS3 on ComputerAndVideoGames.com? Valve Software 2011 Video Interview at AusGamers.com? Newell: Valve to Replace Single-Player With “Single-Player Plus” at The Escapist? The Valve manifesto at Develop? Half-Life Code Found Inside Portal 2 SDK at LambdaGeneration? When is Half-Life Episode 3 Coming? You Know the Answer at 1UP? Fans Picket for HL3 Outside of Valve HQ, Are Greeted By Gabe Himself at LambdaGeneration? Fans picketing outside of Valve’s office for HL3 at Halflife2.net? Day 2 of the Valve protest – Still holding strong. on Reddit? What Became Of The HL3 Protest? at LambdaGeneration

[show]Real world subjectsHalf-Life game series Half-Life: Day One · Half-Life · Half-Life: Opposing Force · Half-Life: Blue Shift · Half-Life: Decay · Half-Life: SourceHalf-Life 2 · Half-Life 2: Episode One · Half-Life 2: Episode Two · Half-Life 2: Episode ThreePortal game series Portal: First Slice · Portal · Portal: Still Alive · Portal 2Technology demos Directed Design Experiments · Get Your Free TVs! · Half-Life 2: Lost Coast · Source Particle Benchmark · Zentraedi Tactical Battle PodCut content Prospero · Half-Life: Uplink · Half-Life 2 Beta · Half-Life 2: Episode FourOther official games Deathmatch Classic · Half-Life Deathmatch: Source · Half-Life 2: Deathmatch · Half-Life 2: SurvivorCompilations (to be completed) Half-Life: Further Data · Half-Life: Generation · Half-Life: Initial Encounter · The Orange BoxARGs Portal ARG · PotatoFoolsDay ARGRelated third-party games Codename: Gordon · Mods · Narbacular Drop · Tag: The Power of PaintGame soundtracks Half-Life soundtrack · Half-Life: Opposing Force soundtrack · Half-Life: Blue Shift soundtrack · Half-Life 2 soundtrack · Half-Life 2: Episode One soundtrack · Half-Life 2: Episode Two soundtrack · Portal soundtrack · Portal 2 soundtrackSongs “Exile Vilify” · “Cara Mia (Turret Opera)” · “Still Alive” · “Want You Gone”Game engines GoldSrc · SourceOther softwares Half-Life SDK · Source SDK · Valve Hammer EditorGame developer companies Gearbox Software · Valve CorporationProduction staff (writers) Matthew Armstrong · Stephen Bahl · Chet Faliszek · Rob Heironimus · Brian Hess · Kristy Junio · Ted Kosmatka · Marc Laidlaw · David Mertz · Jay Pinkerton · Randy Pitchford · Erik WolpawProduction staff (composers) Stephen Bahl · Kelly Bailey · Jonathan Coulton · Ben Houge · Chris Jensen · Mike Morasky · The NationalProduction staff (artists) Viktor Antonov · Ted Backman · Stephen Bahl · Kelly Bailey · Jeremy Bennett · Laura Dubuk · Dhabih Eng · Moby Francke · Chuck Jones · Eric Kirchmer · Scott Klintworth · Karen Laur · Realm Lovejoy · Randy Lundeen · Yatsze Mark · Tri Nguyen · Michael Avon Oeming · Tristan Reidford · Andrea WicklundProduction staff (other) Aaron Barber · Jeep Barnett · Ken Birdwell · John Guthrie · Mike Harrington · Damarcus Holbrook · Brett Johnson · Doug Lombardi · Gabe Newell · Randy Pitchford · Dave Riller · David Speyrer · Jay Stelly · Kim Swift · Douglas R. Wood · Bill Van BurenVoice actors John Aylward · Dee Bradley Baker · Adam Baldwin · Robert Culp · Merle Dandridge · Michelle Forbes · Jim French · Louis Gossett Jr. · Robert Guillaume · Mary Kae Irvin · Kathy Levin · John Patrick Lowrie · Ellen McLain · Stephen Merchant · Joe Romersa · Lani Minella · Nolan North · Mike Patton · Harry S. Robins · Michael Shapiro · J.K. Simmons · Jon St. John · Tony ToddCharacter models Ted Backman · Kelly Bailey · Alésia Glidewell · Eric Kirchmer · Jamil MullenThe Final Hours series
(to be completed) The Final Hours of Portal 2Other ApertureScience.com · Canon · Developer commentary · Development of Half-Life 2 · Half-Life High Definition Pack · Half-Life Preliminary Findings · Half-Life 2: Raising the Bar · Half-Life: Uplink (film) · Mr. Valve · The Orange Box Achievements · Portal 2 Achievements and Trophies · Portal 2: Lab Rat · Retcons · Super 8 Interactive Teaser Read more
Half-Life 2: Episode OneHalf-Life 2: Episode Four is a presumably cancelled Half-Life 2 Episode, developed outside of Valve
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Retrieved from “http://half-life.wikia.com/wiki/Half-Life_2:_Episode_Three”
Jamesperson132

i love copy-paste lol
Andy

Bloomin Eck! Please give us a new one! Need the music and a new challenge PLEEZ