Is Half-Life 3 really that anticipated?

[SecondPrize]

The conventions in FPS have changed so much that, much as I enjoyed the half-life series at its time, I don't think it'd do very well if they release another installment, ever. There was an article some time back with one of the guys who works on Red Orchestra talking about focus testers complaining that it wasn't like CoD, the ironsights didn't come up as fast as they do in CoD and x didn't y. Imagine how these people would take to Half-Life.

Jim Sterling has made videos on the flaws of focus testing in the game industry.
http://www.escapistmagazine.com/videos/view/jimquisition/7405-Damn-Fine-Coffee

It's not about the focus testing, it's about the reception. I'd get my torch and pitchfork if valve released a dude-bro halflife with perks and weapon attachments amd regening armor because they designed it around focus testing. I just think if they do release an actual half-life game then the masses who consume all shooters will be less than pleased with some of the design that is part of the half-life series.

 

[cypher-raige]

Jim Sterling has made videos on the flaws of focus testing in the game industry.
http://www.escapistmagazine.com/videos/view/jimquisition/7405-Damn-Fine-Coffee

It's not about the focus testing, it's about the reception. I'd get my torch and pitchfork if valve released a dude-bro halflife with perks and weapon attachments amd regening armor because they designed it around focus testing. I just think if they do release an actual half-life game then the masses who consume all shooters will be less than pleased with some of the design that is part of the half-life series.

People have no problem playing other Valve shooters like TF2, CS:GO, Garry's Mod or Left 4 Dead 2.
Why would they have a problem with a new Half-Life?
These games don't even have ironsights. (except for sniper rifles)

 

[Kungfu_Teddybear]

I really couldn't care less about it, but that's probably because I found the first two pretty average.

 

[josemlopes]

To me it honestly doesnt need to be all that amazing, just a good shooter/adventure FPS. I will be happier with the fact that it actually came out.

And I am a lot more hyped with the Source 2 engine, I was hyped with what Half-Life 2 managed to feature with Source and I want to know what the new engine will manage to offer

 

[USIncorp]

The conventions in FPS have changed so much that, much as I enjoyed the half-life series at its time, I don't think it'd do very well if they release another installment, ever. There was an article some time back with one of the guys who works on Red Orchestra talking about focus testers complaining that it wasn't like CoD, the ironsights didn't come up as fast as they do in CoD and x didn't y. Imagine how these people would take to Half-Life.

Jim Sterling has made videos on the flaws of focus testing in the game industry.
http://www.escapistmagazine.com/videos/view/jimquisition/7405-Damn-Fine-Coffee

It's not about the focus testing, it's about the reception. I'd get my torch and pitchfork if valve released a dude-bro halflife with perks and weapon attachments amd regening armor because they designed it around focus testing. I just think if they do release an actual half-life game then the masses who consume all shooters will be less than pleased with some of the design that is part of the half-life series.

So are you trying to suggest that they shouldn't release the game then? If they never release it, no one will know whether they like it or not, and VALVe isn't stupid enough to try and take away everything that made HL awesome just to appeal to the Call of Duty crowd.

 

[Chester Rabbit]

Couldn't give a single F*ck about this game now and I am more than certain that Valve feels the same.

 

[USIncorp]

Half-Life 3 seems to occupy what I think is a bit of an enigma as far as development hell goes. I have serious doubts it will live up to the monumental hype surrounding it, and that it will likely suffer from the same pitfall that befell Duke Nukem. That being said, a majority of the internet believes that Valve could do absolutely no wrong in their books. So I have a funny feeling that, when/if it ever comes out, we may end up seeing a game that ends up being rather sub-par, yet will likely end up being declared Game of the Year solely based on it's cult of personality.

That being said, I'm no clairvoyent. It could be really good for all I know.

Yes it is. Is it taking a long while.. not really I mean the timebetween HL and Hl2 was pretty long. What people don't understand is that with Half Life 3 isn't just reusing the same Source Engine as 2... they're building a new one. They are building a game engine. EPisode 1 and 2 were basically just level packs based on the same engine.

Now think of the suite of games valve has that runs on the current source engine. l4d, Tf2, Portal... could be safe to assume valve is working on the next iteration of all these games.

Or would you rather they do the EA thing and queef out a bland sequel every year or two?

Agreed completely. Say what you will about VALVe and Steam, but something hopefully anyone can agree on is that VALVe makes damn fine games.

 

[Lightknight]

Anticipated? Not really. Desired? Heck yes.

For it to be anticipated would be for us to actually expect it to be around soon. There's rumors and confirmations of 3 being in production. I do look forward to it but I'd have loved it back in the day when it was launching the FPS single player market forward. Still, it'll be nice to return to their world.

The thing about Duke Nukem is that their developers whoever they are, were basically just milking their paychecks. Valve is a trusted studio with an excellent if not perfect track record.

 

[Skeleon]

I kinda doubt it. I guess it was for a while after HL2 and its expansions, but it quickly made way for ridicule, which then switched to jokes about the next HL2 expansion which didn't come out, either. Honestly, do the young gamers of today give a toss about this ancient franchise? Doubt it. And do the older gamers still give a toss after so many years? Doubt it, also.

Personally, I was never that into the HL-craze. I did play the first one and all its expansions as part of a Sierra Bestseller Games budget pack and I played HL2 once, but I haven't looked back on either since, nor have I ever played any of the expansions for HL2.

It was a competent shooter, but it didn't age well at all and it was pretty damn linear. I still revisit ancient games like Sacrifice, Arx Fatalis (in fact, I'm replaying that one right now, just got the quest to create the ultimate weapon), System Shock 1+2, Descent 1-3 and so on, but I didn't do that for HL.

 

[Brennan]

Much as I love both Half-Life games, no, I don't particularly believe in or care about Half-Life 3 anymore. That particular anticipation wave crested and receded years ago.

Valve had their opportunity to do something while people were still high on the series and eager for more, and they let the moment pass them by. Half-Life 3 is just a punchline now.

Eps 1 and 2 were very "meh", as they basically just felt extra levels of HL2. Even back then, HL3 needed to be more. And as others have said, at this point a lot of what HLs 1 & 2 were special for back in the day is old and worn out now. HL3 can't be further tromping around city 17 and the countryside fighting the Combine, even given a new engine and assets. In order to succeed HL3 would need to leave the Combine invasion behind for bigger, fresher things, just as HL2 left the black Mesa incident behind.

In fact, fuck it: just retcon out Eps 1 & 2. Have Freeman wake up another however many years/decades after being "rescued" by the G Man from the Citadel explosion, and dump him into into a completely new and unfamiliar crisis.

 

[Fijiman]

While I would love another Half-Life installment, I'm not holding my breath even just a little until we get some damned confirmation on whether the fucking thing is even in development. I also think that the following video has a place on this thread.

 

[Joos]

If they decide to develop HL3, it will just be another repeat of Duke Nukem Forever. The product, however competently put together will be unable to live up years and years of built up expectations and people will hate it for no other reason than that they have unreasonable expectations.

Time to bury this one I think.

 

[Roofstone]

When I opened this thread there were 33 comments. So.. Half life 3 confirmed, obviously!

Ain't I clever? Hah hah!

But no, it is not that anticipated these days, there are some loud fans that want it yeah. But that is about it I reckon.

 

[cypher-raige]

HL3 can't be further tromping around city 17 and the countryside fighting the Combine, even given a new engine and assets. In order to succeed HL3 would need to leave the Combine invasion behind for bigger, fresher things, just as HL2 left the black Mesa incident behind.

You mean looking for the Borealis in the Arctic like they mentioned near the end of Episode 2?

Remember Eli's dying words?

 

[Chemical Alia]

Well, I don't envy the position they're in. Anytime a game has taken over five years to develop, I automatically REALLY WORRY about what's going on with it. Having been involved briefly in a well-known vaporware game, and knowing many people who spent years of their lives on several vaporware-turned-actual-not-good games, I saw how problems stack up, and the crazy high expectations put on the game can be crippling. But one good thing that Valve has going for them that most other studios don't have is basically unlimited time, and freedom from publishers forcing deadlines and rushing things that might require redesign. I suspect they're probably kinda worried, seeing how other games turned out after such a long time, but I do have faith that it'll turn out okay if they take their time and think it through carefully.

Sometimes I think about how old I was when Half Life came out (I was in high school). It was a big part of what shaped my gaming interests in the future. I was in college when Half Life 2 came out, and I reallllllllly hope I'm not over 40 when HL3 eventually graces the world. Something about that is just super depressing, haha.

 

[thewatergamer]

*sigh* I along with most other gamers, have completely lost interest in Half Life 3, mainly because its been too damn long of a wait time

So yeah now its more of a meme around the internet, not really meant to be taken seriously

If valve were to announce Half Life 3 tommorow...

Honestly I would be kind of excited but not as excited as I probably should be...

Just been too damn long valve and most of the fanbase as sort of lost interest

 

[Nurb]

Half-life 3 is nearly the new "Duke Nukem Forever".

 

[Brennan]

HL3 can't be further tromping around city 17 and the countryside fighting the Combine, even given a new engine and assets. In order to succeed HL3 would need to leave the Combine invasion behind for bigger, fresher things, just as HL2 left the black Mesa incident behind.

You mean looking for the Borealis in the Arctic like they mentioned near the end of Episode 2?

Remember Eli's dying words?

Not really. I mean, I like the idea of the arctic and/or a ship (out in the ocean, not in dock) as a setting. It would definitely be a visual departure, and I have an affinity for such settings.

But the problem is larger. The Combine invasion itself, like the Black mesa incident before it, now suffers from the Seinfeld Is Unfunny [http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/SeinfeldIsUnfunny] problem. Half life 3 would need more than a setting change to feel fresh: it would need a scenario/premise change. The series would need to move outward from the Combine invasion story just as it did from Xen invasion.

With eps 1 & 2 in mind it's still an unfinished arc, which would put things in a pickle in regards to a fresh start as such. This is why I said it'd be better IMO to just retcon out the eps entirely, and start clean off the end of HL2, which while it has loose ends of it's own, could at least be treated as an end to the Combine arc.

 

[Sir Thomas Sean Connery]

However, bearing Duke Nukem in mind

This describes my feelings toward Half-Life 3

It's just the new Duke Nukem Forever since that game actually came out.

Lack of expectation for it to actually come out mixed with apprehensive excitement that one day it probably will, but won't be all that good.

The difference is that Valve is in no danger whatsoever of going under and they do produce quality games.
Also if there's one shining light to the DNF comparison, it's that we can hope against hope that Yahtzee will make another awesome fake review.