No new Half-Life in 2010? News source link included.

[SmugFrog]

Damn you valve i want to know what is going to happen with the borealis and eli vance!

Nice avatar. Yeah, I hate how they left it such a cliffhanger.

Everyone is always mad at valve, then when the game they want comes out they looove them again.. And then get mad that the other games they have planned are taking too long.

Honestly this has only happened once before with a game you might remember as Episode 2. No one really expected episodes when Valve announced Episode 1 (released 2006), and when it released and Valve announced their plans for the "Episodic Content", everyone was pretty excited. The wait for Episode 2 (released 2007) felt so long and they kept releasing the same videos/pictures over and over with updated graphics and lighting effects.

I wholeheartedly agree with you about their games being great and they really polish them. Episode 2 was 100 times better than Episode 1, and I have no doubt the same will be true of Episode 3 - HOWEVER, they could at least release a screenshot, concept art (aside from the ONE we've seen), or just some general information (and no, not that they're trying to incorporate sign language... I'd rather listen to one of Molyneux's gaming prediction rants).

What I'm mad about now is that Valve has left us with such an emotional cliffhanger and not even a trailer or info. It's like they've forgotten the game existed and went on to play massive amounts of Left 4 Dead - so much so they thought it needed a sequel.

Curse you Valve and your inability to understand the point of episodic gaming!

At least in an interview a while back they have admitted that they suck at it.

*cough* Duke Nukem Forever *cough*

Hey Evil, haven't seen you in a while; and you bring up the point that bothers me the most. Not that I'm afraid Valve is going to go bankrupt and never finish the Half-Life series (not a chance in hell that will happen) - but I think in the long run, that this long delay between the episodes is going to hurt the sales of the Half-Life series. If you look at their little charts and graphs they've posted for the sales of HL2, Episode 1, and Episode 2, you can see that the sales have been declining since the original. Obviously, everyone isn't going to run out and buy the expansion packs - but I think when you wait a VERY long time to release the expansions as they have, a lot of your audience starts to lose interest.

http://forums.steampowered.com/forums/showthread.php?t=761950

Which states:
* Half-Life (Valve) / 1998 - 9.3 Million
* Half-Life: Opposing Force (PC, Gearbox) / 1999 - 1.1 Million
* Half-Life: Blue Shift (PC, Gearbox) / 2001 - 800,000
* Half-Life 2 (Valve) / 2004 - 6.5 Million
* Half-Life 2: Episode One (PC, Valve) / 2006 - 1.4 Million
* The Orange Box (Valve) / 2007 - 3 Million

I don't really count the Orange Box sales as an increase over Episode 1 due to it being packaged with Team Fortress 2 and Portal. I have friends that love both of those games, but have never played the Half-Life series.

Why do I care so much about the sales of the series? If Episode 3 leaves off on another cliffhanger, but the sales are in the toilet, do you really think Valve is going to release anything Half-Life in the near future? Not a chance. They're in this to make money, not to create something so we can all see a beautiful story. If it's not going to have a good return, they're not going to do it. I get into an argument with some people about this as they feel Valve would finish the story "no matter what" - but how many games have you seen "to be continued" and never finished?

It seems like the biggest complaint among some gamers is that "Half-Life has no story", or they don't understand the story. I suppose because it's not forced down their throats via cutscenes, they don't understand it. Just imagine the crazy long Metal Gear Solid 4 style cutscenes Half-Life could have if Valve wanted to openly explain everything.

I could go on for days about how much this all irks me at Valve for not acknowledging their original fan-base. If you've been a Half-Life fan as long as I have and then see them seem to ignore you and show favoritism towards people that shun their "shiny new game" (meaning the L4D2 boycotters they flew to Valve HQ) - it just really pisses me off.

 

[slowpoke999]

I think Team fortress 2 is feeling happy it's big brother gaming franchise is getting all the 'vaporware' claims now. I can imagine a conversation between the two games.

*2005*
Half-Life 2:Ha, I have been a huge success, you haven't even produced a new game since 2001.
Team Fortress:Bu-But I'm working on it, I'm just taking my time so I'll be better eventually
Half-Life 2:YOU ARE VAPORWARE YOU HEAR ME?VAPORWARE!
Team Fortress:NO I'M NOT.

*Episode 1 released*
Half-Life 2:Ep 1: Oh will you look at that, I'm so awesome, I don't even need a full game to sell, how many episodes have you made?Oh that's right.
Team Fortress:Shut up , I'll be getting a sequal soon, you see, I've already been announced.

*Orange Box released*
Half-Life 2 Ep 2:So you finally got released, enjoy your success because you won't survive another long development cycle, while me, I just produced another episode.
Team Fortress 2:You'll see, I'll get so many updates you'll see.

*Numerous TF2 updates later*
Team Fortress:Sup big brother I just got another update, how's episode 3 going along?
Half_life 2 Ep 2:Grrr Shut up, It'll be done when it's done.

 

[Joa_Belgium]

Wasnt really looking forward to it anyway..

Same here. Don't keep an audience waiting too long or their attention will weaken.

Besides: have you seen the content that is releasing this year? It's astounding. So Valve: up yours. I'll have fun shooting aliens and predators in a Big Daddy suit that I created on the Citadel where Lightning took the fight to the Olympian Gods whose father got brutally murdered by the Origami Killer.

Yeah. Didn't see that coming, did ya.

 

[L3m0n_L1m3]

meh
good things come to those who wait...

Or everyones' expectations will be so high that the game will be a collosal letdown.

Whichever.

 

[Balaxe]

Mabey they want to do some shit like release the game on steam without any trailers or screenshots. Just put it up there and not tell anyone.

 

[Killerbunny001]

In my opinion two bad things are happening with Valve right now :

1. The love of money epidemic hit them last year when they decided cashing in on an what is actually nothing more than an add on to L4D.
2. They are to much of a group of perfectionists and they take to long to make games. Everybody loves their games including me but we will all forget where Ep 2 left off if they decide to release Ep 3 in 2011.

 

[Jezzy54]

God forbid a Half-Life game having, you know, an actual ending.

 

[thenumberthirteen]

VALVE! Curse your sudden but inevitable betrayal!

I know they're quite a small studio man-power wise, but things are really starting to get silly now. They have episode 3 to finish, and then HL3 maybe they've taken a leaf out of 3D Realms' book, and are taking it slow so as not to get fired.

All I hope is that HL3 is as much a masterpiece as Duke Nukem: Forever was.

 

[MGlBlaze]

meh
good things come to those who wait...

Or everyones' expectations will be so high that the game will be a collosal letdown.

Whichever.

Or it will be so incredibly good that it will cause some kind of quantum collapse and erase itself from existance and the minds of the entire human race.

But anyway;
Eh, I think we all know that valve is really walking flame-bait with whipped cream, sprinkles and a cherry with 'fuck you' written on it. They are a great company, and they make truly great games, but... let's face it, they get us gamers mad a lot.

I guess I'm over getting mad at them; as long as Episode 3 is actually made and as long as it's good, I won't complain.

 

[The_root_of_all_evil]

*cough* Duke Nukem Forever *cough*

Hey Evil, haven't seen you in a while; and you bring up the point that bothers me the most. Not that I'm afraid Valve is going to go bankrupt and never finish the Half-Life series (not a chance in hell that will happen) - but I think in the long run, that this long delay between the episodes is going to hurt the sales of the Half-Life series.

Heh, I've been around.
This is the thing though, if HL3 doesn't cure at least three sorts of cancer; it will be torn apart by the critics.

Now Valve "could" pull it off, but...they sometimes miss the special tweaks that make it amazing. L4D2 was good, but L4D is still better.

And with the "shocker" at the end of episode 2 - they really HAVE to make it, or it's equally a dick move.

 

[Jandau]

Isn't Valve too busy raking in money with STEAM to actually bother developing games?

 

[Kaboose the Moose]

A whole year without a Half life game?. Oh no, looks like I'll have to wait for Diablo III to calm my raging soul.

:/

You forgot the sarcamark. Or did you?

I'm disappointed. I almost hold Gabe accountable, but he's too awesome.

Nah, I am genuinely gutted about the news. There are only very few games that I really want to play and HL was one of that. However it isn't the end of the world because there is Bioshock 2 coming to tide me over for this year as well as God of War III and possible Alan Wake (if it is coming out in 2010). Diablo III is my super late fall back game.

 

[jowo96]

At this rate the mod community will beat valve to the punch.

 

[Mr. GameBrain]

Maybe I have the space madness.

Oh, boy, you've done it now! I'm gonna have to post this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H0Tux6s7y_g[/youtube]

OT: Its a shame Half-Life is being so frequently overlooked by Valve,
but at least they're not wasting money on something they don't intend to make.

Its no Starcraft Ghost, (a game thats been on "indefinite hold" for years! (despite some promising screens)).

 

[The Infinite]

I'll be happy if I get to play Black Mesa Source this year. Though I don't really mind if Valve doesn't release a new one this year, I'm happy with all the support they give to TF2 (for pc mind you).

 

[oliveira8]

http://forums.steampowered.com/forums/showthread.php?t=761950

Which states:
* Half-Life (Valve) / 1998 - 9.3 Million
* Half-Life: Opposing Force (PC, Gearbox) / 1999 - 1.1 Million
* Half-Life: Blue Shift (PC, Gearbox) / 2001 - 800,000
* Half-Life 2 (Valve) / 2004 - 6.5 Million
* Half-Life 2: Episode One (PC, Valve) / 2006 - 1.4 Million
* The Orange Box (Valve) / 2007 - 3 Million

You aren't taking in count STEAM sales, which probably double some of those numbers.

A whole year without a Half life game?. Oh no, looks like I'll have to wait for Diablo III to calm my raging soul.

:/

You forgot the sarcamark. Or did you?

I'm disappointed. I almost hold Gabe accountable, but he's too awesome.

Nah, I am genuinely gutted about the news. There are only very few games that I really want to play and HL was one of that. However it isn't the end of the world because there is Bioshock 2 coming to tide me over for this year as well as God of War III and possible Alan Wake (if it is coming out in 2010). Diablo III is my super late fall back game.

Diablo 3 may only come in 2014...>.<

 

[SmugFrog]

Oh, boy, you've done it now! I'm gonna have to post this:

Oh thank you for that - that is one of my favorite scenes from a cartoon ever. On that note, have you ever tried eating a bar of soap like an ice cream bar? I really don't recommend it... I tried to renact that scene once - without being able to float around in my bathwater, unfortunately...

I'll be happy if I get to play Black Mesa Source this year.

Is that still on? I know they had to drop the "Source" part at Valve's request (or at least, in the last news I heard about it). I haven't played TF2 in forever. Not that I don't like it - I just haven't had time and I'm afraid how "into" it I'll get again with all of the changes and additions.