Gabe Newell: Yes, We're Still Working on Half-Life 2: Episode 3

[BaldursBananaSoap]

Show us where ps3 touched you Gabe? It's all right.

 

[shMerker]

Look, if you're really seriously complaining about how long episode 3 is taking then you need to get over yourself. They haven't delayed or missed a release date, episodic does not mean "every couple months", they're release schedule for the Half Life episodes has been much faster than that of Half Life beforehand, you haven't payed anything for episode 3 yet, and you can find some other way to amuse yourself in the mean time that is more constructive and less obnoxious than "wait impatiently and complain every time somebody brings it up".

Basically, dramatic tension of the episode 2 cliffhanger aside, you haven't been put out one bit by the "long" development time of this game, and you're being a baby.

 

[SomeBritishDude]

[quote/]Newell admitted that it was partly out of frustration, since Valve felt that it had done the worst job supporting its customers on Sony's console, and didn't have the capability to deliver them content like they could on the [b/]360[/b] or PC.[/quote]

...I'm sorry what?

 

[The Shade]

[quote/]Newell admitted that it was partly out of frustration, since Valve felt that it had done the worst job supporting its customers on Sony's console, and didn't have the capability to deliver them content like they could on the [b/]360[/b] or PC.

...I'm sorry what?[/quote]

Haha! So true...

TF2 updates, please!

 

[cleverlymadeup]

What did Sony do to everybody? Sleep with their sisters?

no Gabe worked for m$ and drank too much of their kool-aid. everyone says how great he is but frankly he's not and shows how badly he actually is at coding

they were asked to do a linux port and was told "it's too difficult to code for" yet quake 2, which is what the original half-life is a conversion of, has been out for linux since the game got released AND it's fully supported by id. the Carmack has said that linux isn't hard to code for and usually writes his code in full ansi c to make porting easy

so the fact that Gabe can't code for yet another platform isn't much of a surprise at all. he can only code for m$ cause that's all he knows from drinking their kool-aid for too long

the fact that he says the PS3 is hard to code for is him just toeing the m$ line still and being their parrot and sock puppet

 

[Asehujiko]

The whole PS3 thing does really make me sad, but at least he didn't sugar coat it. So i guess Orange Box 2, and all the class updates for TF2 aren't coming are way.
What did Sony do to everybody? Sleep with their sisters?

Create a horribly cofusing devkit and even worse server architecture, then give detailed instructions on how to decipher their coding language to only first party developers and leave the rest to figure it out for themselves?

 

[j0z]

I would like a screenshot.
-or-
A leak of a new enemy type.
-or-
A new gun revealed.
-or-
Maybe a tentative release date. "COMING SPRING 2010" would be nice.

I also like the idea of logging into steam one day, looking at the story, and HL2Ep3 is on the front page. That would be awesome.

 

[Pendragon9]

agruement

Look. I like Valve and I might agree with what he says (about game development for PS3) however they didn't make a game for the PS3. As you said. EA ported it and built it from the ground up. I think they didn't even make an effort with the PS3.

Ever since Gabe said "I think the PS3 is a waste of time" VALVe's PR department has been trying to scrape up the absolute mess that Gabe spewed since then. They say they're not interested in the PS3, fine. Then they say they're looking into the PS3, okay. Then they say that the PS3 complexity hinders development, well they hardly did anything for it. Then they say "We're not interested in it" but they said they were before. Then they say that they love us so much that they don't want to give PS3 owners the short-end of the bone, when they hardly support the 360 despite what they claim.

It's just a big jumbled mess, and it's not making me like VALVe any more... They've been doing weirdly for a while, ever since the L4D2 announcement things have been bumpy for them. Personally, I want VALVe taken down a notch or two. Not be smashed to bits, of course not, they're one of the best developers out there, but I just want them punched in the arm or something and taken down a peg. They, and their fans, seem to be full of themselves.

I see what you're saying. You're absolutely right. If they didn't contradict themselves and flat out lie, then extort the fans, I might show a bit more respect for them.

Also, if Half Life is not out by next year, it is crap. No matter what anyone says. GAMES SHOULD NOT TAKE THAT LONG TO MAKE. EPISODES SHOULDN'T EVEN BE THAT LONG TO TAKE.

At this point, Valve fanboys are just trying to insult everyone to cover up the fact that Valve is stupider than Sony's advertising department.

The whole PS3 thing does really make me sad, but at least he didn't sugar coat it. So i guess Orange Box 2, and all the class updates for TF2 aren't coming are way.
What did Sony do to everybody? Sleep with their sisters?

Create a horribly cofusing devkit and even worse server architecture, then give detailed instructions on how to decipher their coding language to only first party developers and leave the rest to figure it out for themselves?

Ah, so not one single game on the Ps3 is made by other developers? And not one other person besides their first party devs have decyphered it? I see.

Then all these games I see for the PS3 must be lies.

 

[The_root_of_all_evil]

Rargh! Valve are taking too long to make a game!

Rargh! Valve are taking too little to make a game! (L4D2)

Rargh! Valve are upset about working on consoles that constrain their creativity, force them to charge for updates and don't use normal architecture.

Personally, I think Valve are doing a wonderful job just putting up with their fans.

 

[Bassman_2]

"The PS3 ate my last sandvich...."

 

[AceDiamond]

Rargh! Valve are taking too long to make a game!

Rargh! Valve are taking too little to make a game! (L4D2)

Rargh! Valve are upset about working on consoles that constrain their creativity, force them to charge for updates and don't use normal architecture.

Personally, I think Valve are doing a wonderful job just putting up with their fans.

Yeah. If it was me I would've put something in L4D2 that crosschecks their steam ID against if they were in the boycott group and prevent them from playing it.

Also I think technically the people demanding ValvE develop for the PS3 are not its fans.

By the way Jumplion, if it's so easy why aren't you developing for the PS3? See your argument doesn't work when a company has decided it does not want to use its resources on a console they have barely supported at all, or in my case to you, no resources to use period.

And yes, I am calling you out in exceedingly bizarre ways but then again I'm not the one who's telling a company to essentially throw money at a venture that might turn out very badly for them just because you're a little butthurt that Newell insulted your precious Blu-Ray Magic Machine.

 

[Jumplion]

By the way Jumplion, if it's so easy why aren't you developing for the PS3? See your argument doesn't work when a company has decided it does not want to use its resources on a console they have barely supported at all, or in my case to you, no resources to use period.

And yes, I am calling you out in exceedingly bizarre ways but then again I'm not the one who's telling a company to essentially throw money at a venture that might turn out very badly for them just because you're a little butthurt that Newell insulted your precious Blu-Ray Magic Machine.

Erm, you're looking too deeply into this, I'm afraid you're the one jumping the gun here.

I have no doubt that I'd have a lot of trouble developing for the PS3, the only code I know is BB Code if [sup]I even[/sup] [small]spelled that[/small] [HEADING=2]right[/HEADING].

If VALVe doesn't want to develop for the PS3, fine, I don't care, just clean up the mess of a PR that you've done.

My point is that VALVe has not made a single game for the PS3, The Orange Box was ported by EA which means minimal interaction with the original company. They can't expect to be gods at PS3 programing, and it's silly for any one of us to expect that either. They're a PC company. Not a console company. The PS3 is a console, a vastly different one compared to a PC especially. It's understandable that they would have trouble coding and programing for the thing when they've had next to no experience with it.

That being said, however, it's either put up or shut up. The PS3 is not "difficult" to program for so much as it is "different" to program for. It's vastly different than a PC for sure, but that doesn't necessarily make it "harder" to work with. Different things tend to be harder to work with at first, but once you get over the curve it's all good.

Many developers, both 1st party and 3rd party, have said that the PS3 gives them much more "freedom" with their games, whatever that could mean, and that once you get the hang of it it's much easier to work with. Just like, you know, how the PS1/PS2 were at first.

I'm not attacking VALVe, I'm not saying they should make PS3 games, and I'm most certainly not saying that the PS3 is easy to develop for. I'm just saying, if you're not going to support it, fine, just don't (don't forget to clean the PR on the way). If you are, don't complain about complexity, just work at it like you always do VALVe. It can't take you that much longer to put out Episode 3 right?

................right?

[small]besides, I'm too happy right now for the MAG Release date! [http://blog.us.playstation.com/2009/08/14/mag-arrives-on-january-26-2010-jump-into-the-shadow-war-at-pax-seattle-blog-meet-up/] oooooo, it's going to be so much fun! Raven FTW![/small]

 

[murphy7801]

What did Sony do to everybody? Sleep with their sisters?

no Gabe worked for m$ and drank too much of their kool-aid. everyone says how great he is but frankly he's not and shows how badly he actually is at coding

they were asked to do a linux port and was told "it's too difficult to code for" yet quake 2, which is what the original half-life is a conversion of, has been out for linux since the game got released AND it's fully supported by id. the Carmack has said that linux isn't hard to code for and usually writes his code in full ansi c to make porting easy

so the fact that Gabe can't code for yet another platform isn't much of a surprise at all. he can only code for m$ cause that's all he knows from drinking their kool-aid for too long

the fact that he says the PS3 is hard to code for is him just toeing the m$ line still and being their parrot and sock puppet

I'm sorry my friends are programmers the ps3 is not easy to program for due its strange architecture also very hard to port too.

 

[ShadowKirby]

Oh God, I sense a fanboys flame war coming... run for the hills guys!!!!

But seriously, all everyone can do is *****, *****, ***** and do nothing. "Ooh I'm gonna boycott Valve if they don't release the game in a year maximum". Cause we all know boycotts are sooooo effective.

Damn, have gamers because some spoiled little brats with no ounce of gratitude for the devs that give them great content and a great service. Damn guys, damn.

 

[Jumplion]

I'm sorry my friends are programmers the ps3 is not easy to program for due its strange architecture also very hard to port too.

Well, how long have they been programing? How long have they programed for PS3 and how frequently? Are they professionals or do they do it as a hobby? Are they in a major company or a small one or any at all? I'm sure with some time, pateince, and work it would be just as easy as any other console. Practice makes perfect after all, code isn't something you learn in a day.

 

[sirdanrhodes]

Well, that's very good news. Personally, I think the game would turn out a lot better if Valve gets all the time it needs to continue polishing and refining it. Nobody wants a repeat of the Alone in the Dark incident.

I stand by that was a great, if not buggy game!

 

[Assassin Xaero]

Ok... have to say... Rage looks fuckin' awesome...

 

[AceDiamond]

What? PS3? I stopped caring about what Valve had to say about the PS3 long ago, they have talking privlidges when they actually dev something for it and tell me it's too hard now if you will excuse me, I have to finish my conspiracy theory about how bamco won't release any of the GOOD Gundam games in english (sons of bitches) They don't have the licensing problems SRW has since they OWN the franchise they are making the games for, SRPG is a popular format as Disgaea and FFT have shown, and for gods sake there just 2D games with some spiffy 3D stuff and text, you already have the mission names in english so whats the problem!

Well as far as SRW goes they (Bandai-Namco) don't have the licenses for everything stateside. They do in Japan, but not in the US. Crazy and complicated, I know

As far as the "put up or shut up" argument is concerned, let me put it in a non-crazy way now that I've actually though about it.

I wanna tell you a story. The year is 1996, and I am confused as to why Square and Nintendo have parted ways, and why Final Fantasy VII is a PSX title.

Fast forward a bit more to 1998, and I find out the reason was that, if they had stuck with Nintendo, there would have been no feasible way from a technological standpoint to put the amount of content in Final Fantasy VII on a cartridge. In effect, to them (Square), the N64 was too hard to develop for what they wanted to do and the direction they wanted to move in as a company.

Now then, Valve is not and has never really been a console developer. Their platform base of choice is the PC. That is what they know. The 360 is easier for them to develop games for because it's very similar to a PC in architecture. The PS3 on the other hand...not so much. Add in to the fact that their experiences in the PS3 port of TF2 (which I know was worked on by EA) not succeeding, plus their relatively small company size (190 compared to Bioware's roughly 500 or EA's 7800, for example), means that from a logistical and financial standpoint, it does not make any level of sense for them to develop for a console that, mysteriously, only first-party developers and third-party devs with exclusive deals know how to use easily. My friend who's capable of building his own Linux framework even says that, due to the way Sony built the PS3, it is much harder than it should be to develop for. I don't think he's an incapable programmer in the least, and rather I trust his opinion because he knows more about programming than I ever will. Also it might have been because he explained the problem in a rational manner, but hey, whatever.

Meanwhile we have people telling them to put up or shut up because Gabe ran his mouth. Which is really, just silly. Since I don't think anybody here is a PS3 dev nor has had the chance to attempt such a thing. Of course Insomniac Games (workforce: 180 people, by the way), isn't having trouble with PS3 development. They're practically the right hand of Sony. And the PS3 is what they know. Thus again, it makes sense for them to continue the relationship they have. Of course Konami is going to know how to develop for the PS3 "properly", they have a flagship exclusive that needs to be good so Sony doesn't completely screw themselves over on the PS3 venture.

My point is this. I did not ever tell Square to "put up or shut up" when I learned the truth behind the breakup of Square and Nintendo. Rather I understood the technical (and possibly personnel-related) limitations on doing such a thing. Meanwhile in the present we have people wanting Valve to either actively fail or throw money at a venture that won't pan out well for them, just because their creative director said something negative (oh noes!) about the PS3. Grow up a little, you guys. Seriously. If my 12-year-old self was more mature than you guys right now, I think it explains a lot about why gaming in the media still isn't getting enough respect.

 

[T'Generalissimo]

I really just don't understand why people keep asking anyone from Valve about the PS3. Are there actually people unsure of their opinion? They never say anything new or at all interesting; it just serves to distress people on the internet. I'm sure if people stopped asking, they'd stopped saying things. Or at least it'd stopped being reported.