Gabe Newell Discusses Episode 3 Delay

sneak_copter

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Nov 3, 2008
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Valve can do whatever they want. Basically, they are an independent studio and due to Steam are also in a position to make a profit without publishers at all. Therefore, there are no time constraints to Valve's development. So it'll be done when it's done.
 

stompythebeast

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May 6, 2008
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you guys demand...like your paying them to develop the game. No, your paying to play the game, your not their publisher, and thats the thing, valve publishes their own digital copies, so they can (and have taken their sweet ass time). I too get disappointed that it has taken so long, but hey, the episodes get better and better as they go along, so Episode 3 better be better than 2 and 1 combined.
 

Bat Vader

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sneakypenguin said:
So maybe my theory that Ep.3 will be a full length game holds water. If it's taking this long....
That or they really want to make sure their game is good.
 

timm123

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Mar 2, 2008
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Everybody thinking this is gonna be Half Life 3 really needs to take a step back and consider some facts. Half Life 2 took them nearly 5 years of 12+ hour days to perfect it. Using the same engine and even the same graphics, Valve wouldn't be able to release a full-length game that lasts 14-16 chapters (more than double the length of any episode) in a paltry two years.

Besides, in both Half Life : Raising the Bar and, I believe, in some audio commentary for Episode 1, Gabe Newell specifically says he and most everyone at Valve never wants a repeat of the amazingly stressful development for Half Life 2. The first Half Life took 2-1/2 years to make, the second took about 4-1/2 years, and he stated that all the developers were worried that any longer of a development time wouldn't turn a profit, because the game would need to sell millions of copies. Which doesn't seem too hard for Valve, but I doubt they would want to put their whole company on the line for a single game.

More than likely, Episode 3 will come out next year either during the summer or the holidays. There's a slim chance it could be released this holiday season, but I think Valve would have shown something at E3 were this true.

Honestly, I can't decide if I'm more excited for a Portal 2 or Episode 3. Finishing this arc of Half life would be exciting, and the possibility of finding out more about the Gman is alluring, but the possibility of combat utilizing the portal gun just sounds too awesome. At least with Aperture Science in both games, I get to find out more setting for both stories either way! :D
 

not a zaar

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The fact that there's not even a teaser or some screenshots is worrying. There's literally nothing out there in terms of media except for 2 concept art pieces that were released a few months after The Orange Box went to retail. They must not even be close to done if they lack that much confidence in what they've got right now.
 

Gildedtongue

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Half-Life 2: Episode 3: Half-Life Forever.

Well, no, no... they've got around a decade more before that happens.
 

MarsProbe

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Dec 13, 2008
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Ice Storm said:
I've lost faith in Ep. 3, no longer want to get it now. Not worth it anymore.
While I wouldn't say that I've lost faith in Episode 3, I still think that the time it's taking for the release of the new episode is a problem for me. It's being a long time since I wrapped up Episode 2 and in that time - as dramatic as it was - that ending has lost some of it's impact. Episode 3 is going to have to be a hell of a lot of fun to play as well as being a damn good story for it be worthwhile.
 

gmer412

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SomeBritishDude said:
I've got it! I've worked out why ValvE take so long. Gabe keeps on eating the games!
I hope it tasted good....

Seriously, though, to those who compare this to DNF: It's been 1.5 years since the Orange box. DNF was in development for 12. Not even close.
 

SomeBritishDude

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gmer412 said:
SomeBritishDude said:
I've got it! I've worked out why ValvE take so long. Gabe keeps on eating the games!
I hope it tasted good....

Seriously, though, to those who compare this to DNF: It's been 1.5 years since the Orange box. DNF was in development for 12. Not even close.
ValvE have something to show for there time. 3D realms had nothing.
 

gmer412

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SomeBritishDude said:
gmer412 said:
SomeBritishDude said:
I've got it! I've worked out why ValvE take so long. Gabe keeps on eating the games!
I hope it tasted good....

Seriously, though, to those who compare this to DNF: It's been 1.5 years since the Orange box. DNF was in development for 12. Not even close.
ValvE have something to show for there time. 3D realms had nothing.
True, Valve gets their pieces of vaporware made (TF2, anyone?). I hope they have a good reason...for their sake. *polishes very sharp blunt object*
 

Talonhand

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Jun 13, 2009
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Valve releases fantastic games, they just got their priorities mixed up. I mean, it could be worse. They could be developing Duke Nukem Forever...
 

moose49408

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Oct 18, 2008
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I love how mentioning DNF has become a threat in the gaming community. Seriously, though, I bet that the reason it's taking so long is that they're making serious upgrades to the source engine. It is starting to look a little dated, after all.
 

dochmbi

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Well, I hope they take their time, cause I would prefer if Half-Life 3 was a eight generation game rather than a seventh gen game.I would like HL3 sometime between 2012 and 2014.
 

Jacques 2

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The source engine got it's big update in Episode 2, it's on par with just about any FPS engine out there (bar cry-engine, the engine that makes your computer cry tears of shame and you cry tears of amazement, until the lag causes you to miss a shot and alert a whole NK base, and that's not too uncommon either), and hey, the skin doesn't look like plastic (yes, I'm glaring at you Bioshock, even though you were released years earlier and I loved you so much).

The problem in terms of appearance comes from the re-use of older game models, which worked, but show their faded early just post bump map (and thus introducing normal map) state. Their physics engine could also be better applied, I mean, sure, we can apply weight to one end of a physics enabled object and make the other end tip, but we've been able to do that for at least 5 years now, can't we do something more interesting with physics now? And no, pre-scripted physics for house explosions does not count, even if they are awesome, if... lacking in appropriate disintegration. The weapon set also feels very samey, I mean, how long will it be until they can make a grav gun that doesn't look like half the UVs are missing (the UV warped poorly textured bars and front plates). Thus far, we've gotten 1 new thing to throw at our enemies, which might never appear again, and we have an alien invasion of Earth going on. Albeit, the aliens in question typically re-purpose life forms for use as weapons, but give us something, give us a weapon that when dropped tries to attack us, because it's alive, or even just an improvement on the current weapon set, IE: an automatic shotgun, or semi-auto, or a new grenade type (hopwires did have problems, but damn they looked awesome.

To bring up their appearance, they need to do new rebel models, new combine models, new head crab and zombie models, and in general remodel most of the basic things, but the assets may be good enough that they can re-use them with a simple texture upgrade and look up to par for an episode.

I am a big fan of the HL series, but Valve could use a better PR team for that license. The adds for the team fortress 2 improvements are brilliant, but we've yet to see so much as a glimpse of the next game in the series that attracts their core audience. Over the years, Valve has been semi-recuslive until recently. Pushing back HL2 again and again while dropping content again and again, effectively grinding off most of the more epic back drops and more interesting character types in favor of making what they had better. Now they're pushing back HL2:Episode 3, and not even releasing a single detail; it builds anticipation, but anticipation is like water pressure, and when it gets high enough, it starts leaking, and then it starts pouring, and then we have another HL2 beta leak, though that was one of the worst case scenarios and it'll probably just result in the leak of some in-house demo videos and artwork.
 

Yokai

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Newell seems remarkably determined to confuse the fuck out of everyone with his statement. His response to point-blank questions about Ep. 3 seems to revolve around throwing out a complete non sequitur and then jumping out the window into a waiting helicopter while interviewers are still trying to make sense of what he said.

I don't know, Episode 3 is taking on almost Duke Nukem Forever quality about it it. Which worries me greatly.
 

L33tMarvin

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Feb 18, 2009
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Not to be rude i been knew they were working on episode 3 but that still doesnt tell me why its taking so long to make it.My guest is probably updates on team fortress 2,left4dead 1 and 2,counter strike 1.6,and is it me or did Valve lock counter strike source under the basement of gabe newell and left it there to die or something.Update that game counter strike source
 

RebelRising

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Unless they're dramatically reworking the story to include the adventures of John Freeman, I don't see what the big delay is.

I can see it now: Half-Life 2 - Episode 3: Full-Life Consequences

Or maybe that's just me...
 

Jumplion

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Mar 10, 2008
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RebelRising said:
Unless they're dramatically reworking the story to include the adventures of John Freeman, I don't see what the big delay is.

I can see it now: Half-Life 2 - Episode 3: Full-Life Consequences

Or maybe that's just me...
For a second I forgot what Gordon Freeman's real name was and thought it was "Morgan Goldberg"....