Geoff Keighley’s new documentary, The Final Hours of Half-Life: Alyx, explores the development of Valve’s recent Half-Life VR game and reveals fresh details about several games that Valve canceled over the years.
Let’s start with Half-Life. The documentary includes information which suggests that Valve essentially canceled five Half-Life projects that they had been working on in one form or another between the releases of Half-Life 2: Episode 2 and Half-Life: Alyx. One of those games was referred to internally as Half-Life 3.
The documentary confirms something we’ve heard before, which is that Half-Life 3‘s cancellation can largely be attributed to problems with the development of the Source 2 engine. Those technical issues essentially prevented Valve from making serious progress on that sequel. Interestingly, it also seems that Valve intended for Half-Life 3 to feature a combination of procedural-generated levels and hand-crafted narrative moments. Basically, there would be certain sections of...
Let’s start with Half-Life. The documentary includes information which suggests that Valve essentially canceled five Half-Life projects that they had been working on in one form or another between the releases of Half-Life 2: Episode 2 and Half-Life: Alyx. One of those games was referred to internally as Half-Life 3.
The documentary confirms something we’ve heard before, which is that Half-Life 3‘s cancellation can largely be attributed to problems with the development of the Source 2 engine. Those technical issues essentially prevented Valve from making serious progress on that sequel. Interestingly, it also seems that Valve intended for Half-Life 3 to feature a combination of procedural-generated levels and hand-crafted narrative moments. Basically, there would be certain sections of...
- 7/9/2020
- by Matthew Byrd
- Den of Geek
Matthew Byrd Oct 9, 2019
15 years after its release, Half-Life 2's Ravenholm remains one of gaming's greatest horror experiences.
Horror has long been somewhat free from the contempt that familiarity brings. At worst, the genre’s oldest trappings usually put a smile on your face as you recall your earliest memories of not only being scared, but being treated as if you were old and brave enough to be scared. We’re reminded of that feeling every Halloween.
However, if you're an adult and someone does something like wave a paper bat in front of your face with the intention of scaring you, not only will you not be scared but you might feel insulted. The cliches of horror are typically only appealing so long as they are treated like something that is fun. The moment that someone actually tries to use them in a genuine way is usually the moment when...
15 years after its release, Half-Life 2's Ravenholm remains one of gaming's greatest horror experiences.
Horror has long been somewhat free from the contempt that familiarity brings. At worst, the genre’s oldest trappings usually put a smile on your face as you recall your earliest memories of not only being scared, but being treated as if you were old and brave enough to be scared. We’re reminded of that feeling every Halloween.
However, if you're an adult and someone does something like wave a paper bat in front of your face with the intention of scaring you, not only will you not be scared but you might feel insulted. The cliches of horror are typically only appealing so long as they are treated like something that is fun. The moment that someone actually tries to use them in a genuine way is usually the moment when...
- 10/8/2019
- Den of Geek
Former Valve writer Jay Pinkerton has returned to the company in an undisclosed role a year after he left, according to PC Gamer.
Reddit user OWLverlord spotted Pinkerton’s name listed on Valve’s staff page in the “Other Experts” category on Sunday. Pinkerton is perhaps best known for co-writing “Portal 2” with former Valve scribe Erik Wolpaw. He also reportedly worked on the “Team Fortress 2” comics and the “Left 4 Dead” series.
Pinkerton was one of several high-profile departures from Valve in recent years. Wolpaw left the developer in February 2017 and is now reportedly working on “Psychonauts 2” with Double Fine Productions. Another writer, Chet Faliszek, left in May 2017. His credits include two “Half-Life” episodes, the “Portal” series, and the “Left 4 Dead” series. He’s now working on a new project with Bossa Studios. “Half-Life” writer Marc Laidlaw left Valve in 2016 after 18 years because he wanted to go back to writing original stories.
Reddit user OWLverlord spotted Pinkerton’s name listed on Valve’s staff page in the “Other Experts” category on Sunday. Pinkerton is perhaps best known for co-writing “Portal 2” with former Valve scribe Erik Wolpaw. He also reportedly worked on the “Team Fortress 2” comics and the “Left 4 Dead” series.
Pinkerton was one of several high-profile departures from Valve in recent years. Wolpaw left the developer in February 2017 and is now reportedly working on “Psychonauts 2” with Double Fine Productions. Another writer, Chet Faliszek, left in May 2017. His credits include two “Half-Life” episodes, the “Portal” series, and the “Left 4 Dead” series. He’s now working on a new project with Bossa Studios. “Half-Life” writer Marc Laidlaw left Valve in 2016 after 18 years because he wanted to go back to writing original stories.
- 7/30/2018
- by Stefanie Fogel
- Variety Film + TV
Presumably, this is the end of an era. In the wee hours of the morning former Valve employee and Half-Life writer Marc Laidlaw published a story on GitHub which appears to be a full summary of the story planned for Half Life 3 if it were to ever be made. The story (which can be read by clicking the hyperlink prior to this) is penned by main man Gordon Freeman and chronicles the events of the game following Episode 2 of the series.
As with all things related to Half-Life, the internet is going berzerk, with the main reason why being that many believe this is an indicator that Half Life 3 will never happen. If it is, chances are there are a ton of Valve employees currently pissed off at Marc Laidlaw as he might very well have spoiled the story they've been developing for years now.
There's also a possibility that...
As with all things related to Half-Life, the internet is going berzerk, with the main reason why being that many believe this is an indicator that Half Life 3 will never happen. If it is, chances are there are a ton of Valve employees currently pissed off at Marc Laidlaw as he might very well have spoiled the story they've been developing for years now.
There's also a possibility that...
- 8/25/2017
- by Mick Joest
- GeekTyrant
Matthew Byrd Nov 15, 2019
Former Valve writer Marc Laidlaw reveals what the Half-Life 3 story might have been about if it'd ever seen the light of day.
In 2017, former Valve writer Marc Laidlaw broke the internet when he updated his blog with a mysterious letter that appeared to contain the plot summary for his version of Half-Life 3. The post immediately caught the attention of a legion of Half-Life fans who deciphered the false names and hidden messages used in the original post and determined that it revealed plot details about the Half-Life sequel that never arrived. A translation of the text that inserts all the proper character, location, and occurrence names into the summary can be found here.
Fans have matched certain plot elements detailed in the summary to previously "leaked" concept art for an unreleased Half-Life game. Mentions of an arctic fortress and a downed helicopter in the summary have...
Former Valve writer Marc Laidlaw reveals what the Half-Life 3 story might have been about if it'd ever seen the light of day.
In 2017, former Valve writer Marc Laidlaw broke the internet when he updated his blog with a mysterious letter that appeared to contain the plot summary for his version of Half-Life 3. The post immediately caught the attention of a legion of Half-Life fans who deciphered the false names and hidden messages used in the original post and determined that it revealed plot details about the Half-Life sequel that never arrived. A translation of the text that inserts all the proper character, location, and occurrence names into the summary can be found here.
Fans have matched certain plot elements detailed in the summary to previously "leaked" concept art for an unreleased Half-Life game. Mentions of an arctic fortress and a downed helicopter in the summary have...
- 8/25/2017
- Den of Geek
Matthew Byrd Jul 19, 2017
Former Half-Life writer Marc Laidlaw wanted Episode 3 to open up the door for someone else's sequels...
Former Half-Life writer Marc Laidlaw wants you to know that at one point he did intend to write another Half-Life game that would have allowed him to gracefully step away from the series.
See related Doom review
"I had ideas for Episode 3," said Laidlaw in an interview with Arcade Attack. "They were all supposed to take the series to a point where I could step away from it and leave it to the next generation. I had hoped for a reset between HL2 and HL3 that was as dramatic as the shift between HL1 and HL2. I honestly don’t know if anyone else shared this goal, but it seemed important to me to give ultimate freedom to whoever inherited the series, with my own personal set of loose ends tied up to my satisfaction.
Former Half-Life writer Marc Laidlaw wanted Episode 3 to open up the door for someone else's sequels...
Former Half-Life writer Marc Laidlaw wants you to know that at one point he did intend to write another Half-Life game that would have allowed him to gracefully step away from the series.
See related Doom review
"I had ideas for Episode 3," said Laidlaw in an interview with Arcade Attack. "They were all supposed to take the series to a point where I could step away from it and leave it to the next generation. I had hoped for a reset between HL2 and HL3 that was as dramatic as the shift between HL1 and HL2. I honestly don’t know if anyone else shared this goal, but it seemed important to me to give ultimate freedom to whoever inherited the series, with my own personal set of loose ends tied up to my satisfaction.
- 7/18/2017
- Den of Geek
By Joseph Leray
Did you know that, before being gobbled up by ZeniMax, Arkane Studios (of "Dishonored" fame) were working on a standalone Half-Life 2 episode called “Return to Ravenholm”? Me neither.
This is apparently old hat within the "Half-Life" community, but fan site ValveTime dug up some concept art and a few screenshots of the canceled, giving fans their first real look at the project.
The action in these screens mostly takes place indoors, which is strange: I remember a large, outdoor level, with gasoline traps in the town square and a final standoff on the rooftops of Ravenholm. In any case, ValveTime points out that the heads-up display includes an “Absorption” stat, without any real indication of what it might do or how it might change the core Half-Life 2 gameplay.
Almost a year ago, Half-Life writer Marc Laidlaw explained how the game came to be and why it was...
Did you know that, before being gobbled up by ZeniMax, Arkane Studios (of "Dishonored" fame) were working on a standalone Half-Life 2 episode called “Return to Ravenholm”? Me neither.
This is apparently old hat within the "Half-Life" community, but fan site ValveTime dug up some concept art and a few screenshots of the canceled, giving fans their first real look at the project.
The action in these screens mostly takes place indoors, which is strange: I remember a large, outdoor level, with gasoline traps in the town square and a final standoff on the rooftops of Ravenholm. In any case, ValveTime points out that the heads-up display includes an “Absorption” stat, without any real indication of what it might do or how it might change the core Half-Life 2 gameplay.
Almost a year ago, Half-Life writer Marc Laidlaw explained how the game came to be and why it was...
- 1/14/2013
- by MTV Video Games
- MTV Multiplayer
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