Half life 3?

[IBlackKiteI]

The way I see it look for HL3 in 2011, but most likely delayed to 2012. If you look at the time line it makes sense. HL1 (heavily modded quake engine)-> 6yrs -> HL2 (all new steam engine) -> 1.5yrs -> Ep1 (point upgrade to steam adding HDR and stuff) -> 1.5 yrs -> Ep2 (another point upgrade doing a lot stuff in the engine also now known as the Orange Box edition) --> 3 yrs -> Now. So yeah too long for just an episode, and valve knows they can't release another episode under the orange box edition of the game because no matter how good the game is people (who say they don't care) will ***** about the graphics being old, despite the fact that no one can approach the source engines audio,physics, or characters. The orange box got away with increased texture rez but the will need to up the polys and include normal/parralax and all the other whiz bang effects so they are probably working on a major update to the engine (they it is like the Unreal engine and as such is made of parts so compatability should still be good, hell Bioshock was UE2.x)
So the time I give it, and the fact it'll probably be a full sequal, is based off of a few things.
1) its been too long for just an episode.
2) The half-life lore has expanded with the addition of portal, so the whole borealis was most likely expanded from a few hours exploration to a whole game around it and portals.
3) hl2 took 6 years because the engine was from scratch almost twice, source code was stolen, since valve only needs to update i took a year off the 6yrs.
4) if 3 episodes make a game, then 3 episodes at 1.5 yrs a piece equals 5.5 years (remember the stolen code) so again we are seeing around 6 years for the game.
5) Valve still has a few announcements so they will probably another HL3 at E3 for holiday 2011 release, but it will, in Valve fashion, be delayed until 2012.

This is all conjecture but, come on, it's Valve. Valve is like grandma's apple pie, sure it takes so much longer versus the norm but at the end of the day it is that much better for it.
And really the first time Valve did a timnely release, L4D2, everyone complained it was too quick, Valve cannot please its community with regards to time, so they just make their games awesome and all is forgiven. So trust in Valve to make an excellent game and not release it until it is of the highest quality.

It totally sucks.

To many players the Half Life 2 Source Engine has been obsolete for ages, like you said they need to make an entirely new Half Life game with a new engine and everything, which simply and unfortunately isn't going to happen anytime soon, if at all.

It just sucks that Half Life is just so damn great, and all the fans are completely left in the dark. I really hope that a new Half Life doesn't takes so long to come out that all interest in a once great series with even more potential completely dies.

 

[teqrevisited]

If they do decide to make Half Life 3 it probably wouldn't see the light of day until 2020.

They'd end up creating a whole new engine (Not something I'm against but it'll take a long time) and get distracted along the way.

One of the problems with such a long development period is that after the long wait it might not live up to the expectations of its fans, which will be a shame with Episode 3 especially as it's been billed as the end of this story arc. I'm not the impatient type, but we've not heard anything new in months, and we still have nothing solid; no in-game models, not even halfway-finished environments etc.

 

[spectrenihlus]

Valve really needs a better team director. Other companies can get a game out on a timely bases why can't Valve.

Either that or they have too many perfectionists working on the game.

 

[spectrenihlus]

Someone should make a list of games that started development after episode 2 released and were completed before episode 3 was.

 

[Frozen Donkey Wheel2]

I know we have all disscussed discussed this to death but here's somthing something I'VE been thinking about[.]

When Vavle Valve finally released releases Half Life Episode 3 (provided it dosn't doesn't become the nest next Duke Nukem Forever) do you thik think there's a chance that it will be longer or "full length"[.]

They seemed to have teken taken long enough, plus to be honest I would be a bit dissapointed disappointed to have waited this long just for an "episode" length thing[.]

What do you think?

Fixed it for you. Also, Duke Nukem Forever has a release date in early 2011.

All Grammar Nazi-ing aside, I actually agree with you quite heartily. It actually bugs me that most people would still be HAPPY with an episode as the final chapter in the Half Life series, especially all this time. In fact, I just refer to the hypothetical game as "Half Life 3" these days. It tends to confuse people.

 

[spectrenihlus]

I know we have all disscussed discussed this to death but here's somthing something I'VE been thinking about[.]

When Vavle Valve finally released releases Half Life Episode 3 (provided it dosn't doesn't become the nest next Duke Nukem Forever) do you thik think there's a chance that it will be longer or "full length"[.]

They seemed to have teken taken long enough, plus to be honest I would be a bit dissapointed disappointed to have waited this long just for an "episode" length thing[.]

What do you think?

Fixed it for you. Also, Duke Nukem Forever has a release date in early 2011.

All Grammar Nazi-ing aside, I actually agree with you quite heartily. It actually bugs me that most people would still be HAPPY with an episode as the final chapter in the Half Life series, especially all this time. In fact, I just refer to the hypothetical game as "Half Life 3" these days. It tends to confuse people.

It's definitely easier to type than half life 2 episode 3.

 

[rudebwoy]

this is getting absolutely ridiculous
to the point i doubt there is even gonna
be a HL3 -__- the wait alone from HL1 - HL2 was
almost over 5yrs. So as much as we want HL3 to come out
its not gonna happen for now.
i know this sounds bad but its true.

Valve hasn't even announced anything like any news updates and release decisions.
which means a story line HASN'T even been created yet so look out for this game
in probably 2020 on a new console and by then we would probably already lost interest.

 

[DeeWiz]

OK, seriously Valve has yet to make a bad game, Episode 1 was the "worst" one yet and yet it still had a longer and better campaign than COD (infinite respawning enemies is a game breaker for me, if I can only only advance the game by reaching a certain point on the map then its no longer interactive and is just a really bad Michael Bay movie).
Valve doesnt make announcements or press releases because the press and gamers hold them too what they release, but Valve doesn't keep whole chapters sometimes. Valve is one of the few developers not afraid to throw out months of work when the product is not up to a certain standard. If they had released media based on thrown out bits/sequences/game mechanics, everyone would be bitching too. Best to just keep quiet until late beta where they are just fixing up code and stuff.

Really everyone, all complaining will do is get Valve to maybe release a game earlier when it is not ready and suffers for it. When Valve releases a game, go to steam and exchange your couple days worth of currency for their years of hard work and enjoy the product. You are not entitled to anything else, even though Valve does tend to add hours of more gametime for free (l4d1 and 2 campaigns, TF2's everything, HL Lost Coast, CS:Source)

 

[Gindil]

Not to be pragmatic, but it's a 30-40 man studio that alternates between about 4 different games. Left 4 Dead, TF2, Half-Life, and Portal. Portal was the big one this year, and I'm sure they have HL on the backburner while they update everything else.

 

[spectrenihlus]

OK, seriously Valve has yet to make a bad game, Episode 1 was the "worst" one yet and yet it still had a longer and better campaign than COD (infinite respawning enemies is a game breaker for me, if I can only only advance the game by reaching a certain point on the map then its no longer interactive and is just a really bad Michael Bay movie).
Valve doesnt make announcements or press releases because the press and gamers hold them too what they release, but Valve doesn't keep whole chapters sometimes. Valve is one of the few developers not afraid to throw out months of work when the product is not up to a certain standard. If they had released media based on thrown out bits/sequences/game mechanics, everyone would be bitching too. Best to just keep quiet until late beta where they are just fixing up code and stuff.

Really everyone, all complaining will do is get Valve to maybe release a game earlier when it is not ready and suffers for it. When Valve releases a game, go to steam and exchange your couple days worth of currency for their years of hard work and enjoy the product. You are not entitled to anything else, even though Valve does tend to add hours of more gametime for free (l4d1 and 2 campaigns, TF2's everything, HL Lost Coast, CS:Source)

Personally I am just upset that they give absolutely no updates on the progress of episode 3. Hell they rarely if ever mention the damn game. It was supposed to be out in 2007 from there episodic plan. Fine we all know Valve time but at least give us a crumb of information. I would take an estimated date of arrival even though all of us would know it would not appear on that date at least we would get some information when that date comes. Seriously you don't do this with a fan base that has been waiting for three years for some kind crumb of information on a sequel to a game that ended on a damn cliff hanger. I'm sure people would love for Valve to take a break from free friggen hats on TF2 if it meant anything on episode 3.

 

[Aphex Demon]

To be honest im glad they are delaying it atm. I need to build a new PC for this, along with Portal 2, Crysis 2, etc.

 

[spectrenihlus]

To be honest im glad they are delaying it atm. I need to build a new PC for this, along with Portal 2, Crysis 2, etc.

If they didn't delay it you wouldn't need to build a new pc for it. Hell you don't even know the specs you need because they haven't said anything except that it will come before the sun becomes a red giant.

 

[Aphex Demon]

To be honest im glad they are delaying it atm. I need to build a new PC for this, along with Portal 2, Crysis 2, etc.

If they didn't delay it you wouldn't need to build a new pc for it. Hell you don't even know the specs you need because they haven't said anything except that it will come before the sun becomes a red giant.

But surely if they spend this long on it, and it uses the Episode 2 engine, that would be a bit irritating and dissapointing right? Even Valve probably know that, Which is why im under the assumption that it will be using an entirely new engine, along with Portal 2!

 

[SL33TBL1ND]

A "full" Half Life game always coincides with a new engine.

No it doesn't. It's still the same Quake 1 engine

What on earth are talking about?

 

[MrGalactus]

A "full" Half Life game always coincides with a new engine. So my guess is, they'll do EP3 then in 2040 we'll get Half Life 3.

there have been 2 full hl games, can we really say that EVERY HL game will have a new engine if it's only happened twice

You say that, but can you imagine if th next Half Life came out on the same dated engine as HL2? After this long of a wait, I don't think a lot of people would be too thrilled about that.

...Gabe? Is that you making a cheeky clandestine post?

 

[Vault101]

Ive never seen this image before...it does look kinda legit

anyone else find this kind of creepy? some radom ghosts posts an image like this? could they be from valve? or is that just wishful thinking? what would somone from valve be doing on a month old thread anyway?

 

[maddawg IAJI]

Didn't Newell say he was tired of the series?

Is that the creator? seriously you can't just make somthing like that end on a cliff hanger then stuff around for a few years and decide "You know I'm sick of this I want to do somthing different"

I think if this does come out it will be the last half life

Actually like you said, he is the creator. So he can do whatever he wants. If he doesnt want to release it then too bad. I liked the games but I didnt go crazy over them like many are.

oh yeah if he's the creator then he is well within his rights do what he wants....but not even finishing the series (and lets remember a critically acclamied beloved series that hasn't finished yet) well thats just not a very nice thing to do (refraining from using harsher language)

and if he dose decid he isnt interested anymore whats stoping somone else from picking up the reins and releasing a sub-par seaquel leaving us all lamenting about "what could have been"

now the last thing I want to sound like is some fan who belives they are somhow entitled to all this and that the creators "owe" me...I understand the creators don't owe anyone anything and are aloud to do what they want

but if I was a creator in this position I think the decent thing to do would not leave this great series unfinished...

A lot of things are stopping someone from creating a 'sub-par sequel.' Namely the fact that Valve owns all the rights to Gordon Freeman and his adventures. The problem with the series is that it will probably never be finished and Valve could live without finishing it. Steam alone gives them enough money to stay alive, tack on TF2, Counter-Strike, Portal and Left 4 Dead and they've got a monopoly on the PC FPS scene.

Just don't doubt the possibility.