Gabe Newell Acknowledges Frustrations With Half-Life 3

[Xannieros]

Lets see what games have been released since Half Life 2: Episode 2.

Left 4 Dead
Left 4 Dead 2
Alien Swarm
Portal 2

In production:

Dota 2
Counter Strike:Global Offensive

...

Are you even trying to make it? I mean you don't have to make a promise that you're going to release it. Just acknowledge that it's being worked on.

 

[Vigormortis]

Granted, but considering the stories behind Episode 2, Left 4 Dead 1 & 2, and Portal 2 were all masterminded by Wolpaw and Faliszek, I'd say they have a flair for telling a good story.

Ah, fair enough, I wasn't aware they had a track record other than red barrels

(I consider Ep2 to be the best in the HL series)

Tough call.

Ep 2 had a few really good scenes (One awesome one - though I think that depends whether you prefer action or horror); but it didn't feel like a journey for Gordon.

HL1 leapt around all over the place - but had a definite arc. HL2 had an Empire Strikes Back feel - especially the end. Ep 1 sucked imho, just consisting of Alyx fawning over Gordon while doing most of the work. And Ep2 is a set-up, more than a fully realised arc.

This is what frees them for Ep 3 I think, and what could also be killing it. We've got the "nooo" moment set up at the end, the "dragon's lair" already set up - but nothing else. And especially not where the Gordon/Alyx arc is going - and that may be the killer.

Because you know ep 3 has to resolve - or partially resolve Gordon/Alyx - and there's where the problems just keep coming - Player resoloution/Script resoloution/Sacrifice/Alter PoV?

(Without even touching on the big end scene - that's already your main arc.)

Now that you know all of Ep 2's "shocks", can you keep adding without descending into farce, railroad or away from what the series is?

I'd have a huge problem with something as simple as Alyx/Gordon without the other big thing.

And then we have no more Breen.

Hmm. Good point(s). I see what you're getting at. However,

Spoiler

As you said, they've already set a prevailing goal or goals for the next chapter. They have a destination, at least initially. That destination being the Borealis. The goals would be three-fold. Find what ever it is that is on the ship, keep the Combine from exploiting it, and avenge Eli's death. (plus save the world, I guess)

As for the Gordon/Alyx arc I imagine they'll play the grief/anger angle. What with having watched her father brutally murdered, one can imagine she'd want revenge. This could easily lead to having the player face tough choices in dealing with Alxy, as she may try to be reckless in her zeal to avenge her father.

And, let's not forget the vested interest in both Gordon and Alyx on the part of the G-man. Something tells me his reason for saving her wasn't just to get a message to Eli. I can see his involvement playing a much bigger role.

Not mention a bevy of info they need to clear up on the Combine.

I don't know. Seems the story could go in a lot of directions. They've said before the next chapter in the saga would be more survival/horror like, but that's not to say it's still the case. Then again, maybe that's the actual issue. It's not so much as not having an idea of where to go with the story but rather having too many options. Reverse-writers-block if you will.

On a side note, I actually think Episode 2 was both a set-up for the finale and a way to flesh out the characters for the series. Especially Alyx. They used much of the events in the episode to reestablish Alyx's "badassery". Making her seem less a liability (like in Ep1) and more of an empowered individual.

Captcha: ldioade Nottingham;
What?

[edit] Oh, also. It's partly a good thing Breen is gone. Not only would his presence be a liability for the story (considering the events thus far) but the voice actor who played him passed away some years ago. I don't think the character would have the same impact with someone else's voice.

 

[dickywebster]

Wait, half life 3?
What happened to half life 2 episode 3?
Yeah the article seems to meantion them as the same thing, but im kinda lost with that.

 

[Jegsimmons]

just chill people, let them take their time, earn some money for funding, and let them do this right. We trust the guys, this cant be an easy job.

and it will make it sooooo much more sweeter.

 

[aashell13]

The devilry here is that they TRIED to make Half-Life 2 an episodic thing by design, and quit only a couple of episodes in due to the crushing time requirements for their level of quality (as indicated by their commentary tracks; a lot of work goes into the simplest things).

So, in a twist of fate, HL2 was intended to be "sequelized" by design, and it ultimately moved away from that.

ergo, a theory: valve has decided to continue the episodic design, but now they have decided to build ALL HL3 episodes ahead of time.

 

[Atmos Duality]

ergo, a theory: valve has decided to continue the episodic design, but now they have decided to build ALL HL3 episodes ahead of time.

Hmm. Is it still a theory if it was technically put into practice?
Eh. Don't bother answering. I'm just being pedantic.

Besides, I think you have the right of it; HL3 will likely be planned out entirely before committing to development.

 

[The_root_of_all_evil]

I don't know. Seems the story could go in a lot of directions. They've said before the next chapter in the saga would be more survival/horror like, but that's not to say it's still the case. Then again, maybe that's the actual issue. It's not so much as not having an idea of where to go with the story but rather having too many options. Reverse-writers-block if you will.

Bingo. Hundreds of directions to go, and all of them will piss some of the people off.

Personally, L4D's "Last Stand" really got on my nerves. The whole Bill/Zoey thing, especially the comic, seemed to undermine the entirety of L4D just to make it like L4D2 - and I considered L4D to be the far superior story. L4D2 just left me cold about the characters.

Looking at L4D2, the Hunter is essentially useless, and should have been an evoloution of the Jockey - or the other way around. Equally, what should have been crescendo events were just turned into bottlenecking because the Infected were given too much strength.

Now, with HL3, what are they going to give Gordon that's going to beat the weapons he already has? What enemies are going to be bigger than the Dropships or Striders? What makes it a sequel more than just a new set of guns and weapons?

If it was me, it wouldn't be "Can I do HL3?", it'd be "Can I do an HL3 that won't suck?"; because being presented with Dai Katana or Duke Nukem Forever would be far worse than just saying "No".

See The Matrix etc.

[edit] Oh, also. It's partly a good thing Breen is gone. Not only would his presence be a liability for the story (considering the events thus far) but the voice actor who played him passed away some years ago. I don't think the character would have the same impact with someone else's voice.

Robert Culp [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/7.183070-Voice-of-Half-Life-2s-Dr-Breen-Dies-Aged-79?page=1]. Aye, that's what I was getting at.

 

[BehattedWanderer]

I read this article, and I just see one of those ten-to-a-click memes, one of the "advice animal" template ones? Maybe a picture of Gabe Newell on an orange and black background, with captions above and below. The top would be something like "hears forum hyperbole about Half-Life 2 taking 50 years" and the bottom would be "Actually takes 50 years to finish Episode 3". We could call it Misunderstanding Valve, or something. "Hears the fans want more Valve games/Gives them new games instead of finishing the ones they want more of."

How has this not happened already, come to think of it?

 

[ZombieMonkey7]

God damn they will post anything HL3 related won't they? I mean it's obvious that Gabe knows that fans want HL3 he is just the managing director of Valve (a small, but important job at valve). Seriously how about just waiting until we get actual news.

 

[Metalrocks]

makes you wonder why there is such a big gab between the episodes. seriously. epi 1 and 2 came out pretty quickly, and suddenly epi 3 is not available yet. instead we get portal 2, l4d2, which are all fine games, but it does makes you wonder why no HL.

never the less, i still respect him for saying that. lets hope the next time he can tell us more about it.

 

[sgtshock]

Valve really is a shining bastion in the gaming industry, always focusing on staying innovative, keeping customer satisfaction high, and championing the philosophy that the most profitable product is the highest quality product. I totally respect that Gabe doesn't want to give out info on Half-Life 3 before they know exactly where they're going with it, and that he doesn't want the company to disappoint fans or fall into sequelitis.

That said, it doesn't change how goddamn annoying Episode's cliffhanger was. Dammit Valve, you can take all the time in the world to make HL3 or whatever project you're working on next, but please never end another game on a cliffhanger again!

 

[A BigCup of Tea]

I've never played halflife, played a bit of HL2, and i'm a bit confused on the episodes i thought they were just HL2 in two parts

 

[CardinalPiggles]

I could of sworn he said they have not given up on the franchise, quit your whining people, there are plenty of other good games out there for the mean time.

 

[VanityGirl]

To some point Valve's fans should feel some sense of entitlement to a new game. Who drives Valve's sales? Its customers. It's a simple fact.
Now, I'll say that Valve shouldn't be crapping out a new sequel every six months to appease rabid fan boys, but some things gotta give.
If you have enough fans that clearly want the game(which you do), why not just work on it and deliver?
No more half assed answers (if you can call them that). Even if you tell fans "There will be a Half-Life 3 in 2014" your fans will flip out and be super excited.


I feel like the fans have a right to voice their opinion and demand a new game from their beloved developer after years without a new game.

 

[Vigormortis]

I don't know. Seems the story could go in a lot of directions. They've said before the next chapter in the saga would be more survival/horror like, but that's not to say it's still the case. Then again, maybe that's the actual issue. It's not so much as not having an idea of where to go with the story but rather having too many options. Reverse-writers-block if you will.

Bingo. Hundreds of directions to go, and all of them will piss some of the people off.

Personally, L4D's "Last Stand" really got on my nerves. The whole Bill/Zoey thing, especially the comic, seemed to undermine the entirety of L4D just to make it like L4D2 - and I considered L4D to be the far superior story. L4D2 just left me cold about the characters.

Looking at L4D2, the Hunter is essentially useless, and should have been an evoloution of the Jockey - or the other way around. Equally, what should have been crescendo events were just turned into bottlenecking because the Infected were given too much strength.

Now, with HL3, what are they going to give Gordon that's going to beat the weapons he already has? What enemies are going to be bigger than the Dropships or Striders? What makes it a sequel more than just a new set of guns and weapons?

If it was me, it wouldn't be "Can I do HL3?", it'd be "Can I do an HL3 that won't suck?"; because being presented with Dai Katana or Duke Nukem Forever would be far worse than just saying "No".

See The Matrix etc.

[edit] Oh, also. It's partly a good thing Breen is gone. Not only would his presence be a liability for the story (considering the events thus far) but the voice actor who played him passed away some years ago. I don't think the character would have the same impact with someone else's voice.

Robert Culp [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/7.183070-Voice-of-Half-Life-2s-Dr-Breen-Dies-Aged-79?page=1]. Aye, that's what I was getting at.

I'm inclined to believe the next iteration of Half-Life will be an evolution of the last not because they give the player bigger, better weapons or bigger, tougher versions of the enemies we've already seen, but rather because of the story progression and (hopefully) a host of new, exciting, never-seen-before set pieces. It's the set pieces that make Half-Life what it is.

And, of course some people will be "pissed" off because the story didn't pan out exactly as they hoped. There is always someone who gripes about a story not being exactly what they wanted. These same people would also likely whine if the story turned out exactly as they thought. Saying, "Pff. Too predictable."

I don't care if they piss some people off with the direction they take the finale. I just want to see them create the best ending they can as they see fit. I want to see how Laidlaw would end the story. Not how part of the fan-base wants it to end.

On a side note, I feel I have to refute your claims on L4D2. The hunter is anything but useless in L4D2. It's still the best special infected in versus. Hands down.

Also, I felt the greater variety in the crescendo events added a good bit to the game.

As for the infected buff, that was purposeful. They were too easily conquered in the first game, making most versus and even campaign matches a breeze for the survivors.

However, I do agree with you in terms of preferring the story of the first game over the second. The first had a darker, more bleak tone whereas the sequel had a campier, tongue-in-cheek vibe. (though I felt there was just as much characterization)

Basically, L4D1 was 28 Days Later. L4D2 was Shaun of the Dead.

 

[Frostbite3789]

...not bothered in the slightest. I kinda wish people would just let Valve move on at this point.

You don't want to make sequels? Don't end games on cliffhangers. Seems a pretty simple thing.

 

[TheNaut131]

...not bothered in the slightest. I kinda wish people would just let Valve move on at this point. It'd be a lot easier if Gabe just said, "no, we're kinda done with that" to solidify it, push fans along, and let Valve move onto other things. The ending for HL2 was kinda a kick in the groin, but still...

You know, who honestly cares at this point? Now, that I think about it, there are only a few ways for the Half Life series to end. Either Gordon figures out whats up with the whole G-Man thing and saves the universe, or he fails and the universe is screwed. It'd be interesting to see how he gets to that point, but at this rate, I doubt they'd satisfy people. Too many ideas and theories have formed in their heads for Valve to successfully reel them in. Which is why I plan to keep my hype at baseline levels and if the game is ever released, not that it really matters now.

I care. I want to see another chapter in the saga.

Also, I always thought the only option for just about any story was either the protagonists win or the protagonists lose. Just sayin'.

Okay, you have a point there. I was mainly asking, who still worries about when it'll be released? I was also kinda addressing how hype is bound to screw this game over.

And alright, I guess the only option is win or lose. Hmm, I was just feeling lazy and dickish there. Now, what was that about wearable computers and his opinions of F2P?

Why is it the only thing The Escapist takes away from that rather lengthy interview Penny Arcade had with Gaben is his rather short and info-light speech on Half-Life 3?

I mean, for Christ's sake, Newell talked about biometrics, the potentiality of them building their own hardware, Valve experimenting with wearable computers (some with virtual 100-inch displays), his views on free-to-play and future forms of content sharing and match making, and a host of other, FAR more interesting, topics.

I don't understand what's been going on with the Escapist news room lately. Come on people! Just give us good reporting, you don't need to sensationalize it.

...and out of all the stories, they pick the one that just has Gabe briefly addressing the frustration with the lack of of HL3?

Hmm, perhaps I should stop by Penny Arcade for more gaming news. It's also been forever since I last checked their comic, now that I think about it.

 

[Frostbite3789]

All these assholes who feel like they are somehow "owed" a new Half Life need to remove their craniums from their rectums. A game company has no obligation to bend to your will and make any game you wish. Until you have payed for the product you are not entitled to shit. Game design should never be led by public opinion, and those who feel like they somehow know better than the developers need to step back and reevaluate their standing.

Then game designers shouldn't promise an episodic trilogy , then end the second episode on a cliffhanger, never release the third one and not expect fan backlash.

It's pretty indefensible.

 

[Spencer Petersen]

All these assholes who feel like they are somehow "owed" a new Half Life need to remove their craniums from their rectums. A game company has no obligation to bend to your will and make any game you wish. Until you have payed for the product you are not entitled to shit. Game design should never be led by public opinion, and those who feel like they somehow know better than the developers need to step back and reevaluate their standing.

Then game designers shouldn't promise an episodic trilogy , then end the second episode on a cliffhanger, never release the third one and not expect fan backlash.

It's pretty indefensible.

It might be indefensible if you somehow payed for or pre-ordered a complete trilogy pack and are out the money for third, but that's not the case. You have to remember that the only currency in this market is money. Fandom and consumer goodwill are only as useful as the money they generate. Its seems like undeserved entitlement to expect a company to act out of its own interest for the sake of the consumer's goodwill.

Bottom Line: Consumers got exactly what they payed for. The payed for Eps 1 and 2, and they got Eps 1 and 2. No one was promised Ep 3, because no one payed for Ep 3. Announcing that you have plans to make a game is not some sort of blood oath.

 

[MaxwellEdison]

...The fuck?
Is it a project that you want to make, or not?
Seriously, it's not a hard question. Stop with this "well we're not going to talk about that topic, and here's about a paragraph of filler saying why we don't talk about that topic so you can report that we talked about the topic."