The Real Reason Why Half-Life 2:Episode 3 is taking so long is.....

[Thedutchjelle]

Nice feature , I guess. I don't really care what's taking them so long though, Valve is awesome, and every wait is worth it . Just look at Team Fortress 2.

(Edited due to article misinterpretation)

 

[AlphaOmega]

Im still going with the Valve plan of secrets.

We get a trailer:

Half Life 2: Episode 3

It fades to

Half Life: Episode 3

It fades to

Half Life 3: "coming 2015"

 

[Flying-Emu]

There must be more to it than that? Really, I mean how long can it take to program a character to 'speak' in sign language.

Standard programming time for lip synching plus the chore of translating it from English/Combine/Half Life 2 pseudo-science into sign language?

I mean, I don't quite think that there's a sign for Zero-Point Energy Gun.

 

[Harlemura]

And I thought it was delayed because they moved more people to Left 4 Dead 2...
Im pretty sure Valve are running out of things they haven't done in their games.

 

[not a zaar]

From the article: "[Alyx] had a crush on someone who was hearing impaired, so she taught Dog how to sign so she could practice. Something happened, maybe, the person is off fighting the Combine someplace else, but that's why she and Dog would start signing with each other when they wanted to communicate without making noise, or communicate without other people knowing ... It gave us the excuse to build the technology for signing."

DOG is a fucking robot! Why not just text it to him, or have Alyx use her magic sparkly wand that overrides all the Combine technology and is just a super convenient plot device all around?

 

[Irridium]

I still like my theory better.


Half life 2 ep 3 was kidnapped by zombified dinosaurs, now Valve has to enlist the aid of a talking spoon to teleport to the dino's lair on the moon and have an epic battle.

 

[Amarok]

*wonders if subtitles would't be more usefull, as well as easier.

Bingo. Wanna run over to Valve and suggest this?

The Article says it's because for story reasons Alyx and Dog are going to sign to each other, it's not for any deaf gamer's benefit.

 

[DAMG]

I think this is just another way to make Alyx even more expressive without speech. I personally wish they'd hurry the fuck up, wrap up the Borealis jazz, and move to Half Life 3 proper.

Oh, the picture on the article is from a vid on youtube.com (Firefox is awesome): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j2LnP3JgbM0&feature=channel

 

[BolognaBaloney]

*wonders if subtitles would't be more usefull, as well as easier.

Bingo. Wanna run over to Valve and suggest this?

The Article says it's because for story reasons Alyx and Dog are going to sign to each other, it's not for any deaf gamer's benefit.

Robots don't use sign language.

 

[Amarok]

*wonders if subtitles would't be more usefull, as well as easier.

Bingo. Wanna run over to Valve and suggest this?

The Article says it's because for story reasons Alyx and Dog are going to sign to each other, it's not for any deaf gamer's benefit.

Robots don't use sign language.

Dog does.

 

[MiracleOfSound]

..or MAYBE...

they want it to be really good

 

[BoxCutter]

Valve never ceases to amaze me with their dedication to their games.

 

[BolognaBaloney]

*wonders if subtitles would't be more usefull, as well as easier.

Bingo. Wanna run over to Valve and suggest this?

The Article says it's because for story reasons Alyx and Dog are going to sign to each other, it's not for any deaf gamer's benefit.

Robots don't use sign language.

Dog does.

Then there must be a plot twist regarding his transformation into a real dog, kinda like Pinocchio, except without the lies....or the whale.

 

[soul_rune1984]

I like the idea. Sign language was my first language. I had learned to sign before I learned to speak thanks to my first sitter, who was hearing impaired. Unfortunately I don't remember how to sign anymore. It makes me very sad.

 

[Zand88]

Nice, about eight posters didn't bother to read the article.
Am I the only one thinking that should merit probation or suspension?

 

[The Inconsistant Cookie]

*Sigh*
Valve, Valve, Valve. Why must you waste time on such arbitrary systems when you can take a very basic plot point of, I don't know... NOT DOING IT. Oh well, this is what makes Valve so good, yet so frustrating.

 

[crooked_ferret]

Honestly I believe that to just be an excuse.
I know they're done enhancing the source engine for the release though supposedly it has a much updated particle and effects system along with some other goodies.

I mean seriously though expansions (which let's face it is what the episodes actually are) are supposed to come more quickly and at a lower cost than the original game.

Valve has only gotten the second half of that right.
Sometimes I wonder if it's going to be half my life before I can play halflife again...

Good to see they are putting forth the effort, but being as this will supposedly be the final installment to the halflife 2 game and probably the final game period under this incarnation of the source engine. Seems a little late to be taking ...what 2 years now, on developing the ability to use sign language in the game?

oh well best I can hope for is it'll lead to some interesting commentary on the commentary track. Assuming they include one with this episode like they did with the previous ones.

 

[Dr.Sean]

When I first saw in the OP that HL2EP2 is being delayed because of Sign Language, I hoped that meant Gordon Freeman was learning sign language to communicate with the NPCs, then I actually read the article and raged a fucking hole in the wall because Alyx shouldn't need to use Sign Language, Gordon should.

 

[The Rockerfly]

...Yeah good one valve
Text is cool too, we were fine with that till the ps2 era