Gabe Newell Discusses Episode 3 Delay

[The Bandit]

So maybe my theory that Ep.3 will be a full length game holds water. If it's taking this long....

This completely defies the point of episodes. What they should've done was release a small episode 8 months after Ep 2, then come out with Half-life 3 around now.

I..don't trust Valve anymore. They're seeming more incompetent by the day with the LFD2 business, now this.

I don't really understand this malarkey. I judge Valve, and everything else, by the value of the work they produce. And, I mean, Jesus. Name a bad Valve game.

 

[Credge]

I don't really understand this malarkey. I judge Valve, and everything else, by the value of the work they produce. And, I mean, Jesus. Name a bad Valve game.

Eh, Ricochet was pretty freaking terrible.

 

[the1ultimate]

Come on... Not only do they refuse to specify a release date yet, but they can't even give us a good excuse.
Give us something! On the other hand that could doom the final half-life to a Duke Nukem Forever ending.

 

[obisean]

I trust them with their ability to produce games, so I don't worry. It's the same thing with Pixar; they've earned by Fanboyism.

Doesn't Pixar release a movie, like, at least once a year? ;P

Hasn't Pixar been trying to make Toy Story 3 since...oh...2006? ;P

Really, that long ago? To be quite frank, I'm afraid of Pixar doing the milking like Dreamworks is with Shrek (seriously, there's supposed to be "Shrek Goes Fifth!" movie!)

I didn't read enough to know if this was posted, but I'll know after if it was or not. Toy Story 3 was supposed to be shortly after 2. Pixar was supposed to be done with Disney after like 3 or 4 movies, I forget exactly. When they were like 2 movies away from finishing up, Disney pulled a fast one on them and noted that Toy Story 2 was a sequel and therefore did not count toward the movie deal they made. So Toy Story 3 got canned for a bit. A couple years ago Pixar finished up their deal and were broken off for maybe a day before Disney bought Pixar out. So it's been about 2 years since they did that, and their movies are on a 3 year cycle: 1 starting production, 1 being worked on/finishing up production, and 1 in release within the last year or so. Do the math that Toy Story 3 is next year and it adds up that they started it right after what was supposed to be their break from Disney. So now that you know that you can forgive them for it.

EDIT: That I know of, Pixar was doing a Toy Story 3 from the beginning. Apparently it was always meant to be a trilogy. As far as I know, there will only be 3, I don't think they are doing a 4th. I'm pretty sure this one has to do with Andy going to college or something. I forget.

 

[MiracleOfSound]

Maybe Episode 3 isn't going to happen, maybe they've gotten carried away and made a full length episode and are trying to decide whether to just call it Half Life 3.

 

[Russian_Assassin]

There are 2 reasons I see for this ungodly delay. 1: They haven't even started, which would be like a middle finger to us all or 2: The game will have some features we haven't dreamed of! Or maybe a new engine. I really hope it's the latter, since I like to think that everything happens for a good reason. Also, if there really is a new engine, I hope it is as good as source, in terms of low end pc friendliness.

Maybe Episode 3 isn't going to happen, maybe they've gotten carried away and made a full length episode and are trying to decide whether to just call it Half Life 3.

Or, maybe they shall release both ep3 and HL3! Well, there is no way to know for sure...

Anyways, Thanks for the info

 

[SullyE]

I trust them with their ability to produce games, so I don't worry. It's the same thing with Pixar; they've earned by Fanboyism.

Doesn't Pixar release a movie, like, at least once a year? ;P

Hasn't Pixar been trying to make Toy Story 3 since...oh...2006? ;P

Really, that long ago? To be quite frank, I'm afraid of Pixar doing the milking like Dreamworks is with Shrek (seriously, there's supposed to be "Shrek Goes Fifth!" movie!)

The thing is that yeah, Pixar's been trying to get that one movie out for 3 years, but at the same time they've put out other things in the interim, which is the same with Valve. Though I don't think they released anything in 2008.

And I'm skeptical of Toy Story 3(D) because of how long it's taken to make and the fact that even if 3D is now an acceptable film medium again it's still hokey to me.

Wall-E

No I meant Valve releasing something in 2008. I know Pixar has pretty much been one movie a year for a while now.

Valve released Left 4 Dead in 2008. How could you not know that?

 

[Svenparty]

This isn't making Me feel better, I hope Episode 3 is at least a solid game time to justify this huge delay.


Even though it would probably leave Me with more questions so that when Half Life 3 comes out (In late 2079) I'll be exploding to find out Who G man is(We will NEVER know)

 

[Kevvers]

Perhaps they will do a Dallas style restart with Alyx waking up to be reassured by Gordon that the events of the previous episode were all a dream. Using his incredible lassiesque powers of non-verbal communication.

 

[in_95]

They'd better be working on a new engine all this time. Steam seems to be getting their heads in a spin, with the amount of money it's getting them.

With this comment and the one about PS3, it seems the company is getting way too complacent. Not so good in an industry with so much innovation.

But hey, if episode 3 is good, then all is forgiven.

 

[gmer412]

"Just so you know, the thing to me, that feels right, is the rhythm that Robin [Walker, Software Developer/Designer] and his team are operating with. It's like watching the reaction of that community, watching their ability to respond, looking at the quality of the work they're getting with the length of those development cycles. They're having a great time. And I think it shows on the other side, right? I mean, they were just giggling so hard when they were changing the buttons in the movies to say 'leak video.' Do you remember the big screen with all the buttons? And they were like, we have to put 'leaks video' into that thing before we release it. They were just like cackling away. What should have been like, pretty demoralizing and stressful was for them, 'Oh, this is no big deal.' So, yeah, people get the idea."

Thanks for clearing that up, Gabe.

Wait, WHAT? What the heck is he saying? Does this make sense to anyone else?

 

[sirdanrhodes]

Gabe Newell can answer talk for ages, and STILL not fully answer your question.

 

[Svenparty]

Gabe Newell can answer talk for ages, and STILL not fully answer your question.

Hah I agree we haven't learnt anything all we know is that Valve know that we are pissed about Half Life Episode 3.

 

[Radelaide]

Does anybody else here see "DNF" syndrome here?

 

[Zac_Dai]

We'll see L4D3 before we see episode 3.

 

[oliveira8]

Does anybody else here see "DNF" syndrome here?

Nope.

DNF was being made by a bunch of nobodies that didn't develop anything in the last 12 years.

 

[Hamster at Dawn]

Valve is smart, not hyping their games up so people don't raise their expectations too high. Maybe they can't announce it because they're working on Orange Box 2? We can only dream...

Does anybody else here see "DNF" syndrome here?

I just realised "DNF" also stands for "Did Not Finish" lol.

 

[Mackinator]

it better be fucken good.
the reason, and the game i guess.

Exact thoughts!

As Chris Griffin once famously said "GET OUT OF MY HEAD"

 

[Ultrajoe]

I still say L4D2 is actually Episode 3 and Valve feeds on our tears and surprise.