Secrets of Valve's "Bald Guy" Revealed

[Megacherv]

They've done this kind of thing with characters:-

Valve found him in the street holding a sign saying that he was looking for work

I really hope I don't have to tell you who that is

No...shit, really? Haha, fancy that!

I didn't realise he'd be modelled on a real person, that's pretty awesome! I am going to have to go and live near their offices now just in case I can make it into Half Life 3.

I think all of their HL2 characters were, apart from the Fisherman in Lost Coast, who was the first they designed without a reference point. Or without directly modeling it on someone else's face at least.

He might be the only one actually, since Chell is modeled after someone (obviously the TF2 characters aren't).

Most major characters are modelled off of actual people

Another uncanny resemblance...

 

[Azmael Silverlance]

Lol i wonder if those 2 guys really have no idea that their faces are splashed for millions of gamers to see

 

[mad825]

I've always thought that the second picture was a tribute to Vincent Van Gogh.

 

[Thorvan]

Where did they get the Valve logo SOUND, now?

Well, it comes from this HL1 song, called Hazardous Environments;

Spoiler: Now I can't get the song outta my head.

Which, for whatever reason, I know plays when you step out onto the cliffs of Black Mesa about halfway through the game. I think it also plays when you put on the HEV suit in the second game.

 

[RA92]

Huh. I always wondered who Gordon was modeled on.

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_hIGrFxSTkBU/TMGyceAbP5I/AAAAAAAAB6Y/6-eGvqc5pP0/s1600/Gordon%2BFreeman%2BSpotted%2BAt%2BCERN.jpghttp://rickatnight11.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/09/gman.jpg

We. Are. FUCKED.

OT: Ray Ueno ended his letter with 'Thanks for your interest in Valve and the bald guy image.'

You ask why I love this company?

 

[Woodsey]

Huh. I always wondered who Gordon was modeled on.

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_hIGrFxSTkBU/TMGyceAbP5I/AAAAAAAAB6Y/6-eGvqc5pP0/s1600/Gordon%2BFreeman%2BSpotted%2BAt%2BCERN.jpghttp://rickatnight11.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/09/gman.jpg

We. Are. FUCKED.

OT: Ray Ueno ended his letter with 'Thanks for your interest in Valve and the bald guy image.'

You ask why I love this company?

Oh come on, that G-Man one must have been photoshopped, that is fucking uncanny!

 

[Muta Ro]

They've done this kind of thing with characters:-

Valve found him in the street holding a sign saying that he was looking for work

I really hope I don't have to tell you who that is

Huh. I always wondered who Gordon was modeled on.

Gordon's face is four people morphed together: Kelly Bailey, Eric Kirchmer, David Speyer and Greg Coomer. There are images on his Half Life wiki page showing the stages. http://half-life.wikia.com/wiki/Gordon_Freeman Its near the bottom after the HL1 pictures

 

[William MacKay]

They've done this kind of thing with characters:-

Valve found him in the street holding a sign saying that he was looking for work

I really hope I don't have to tell you who that is

EDIT: Also

An accountant working at Valve

yeah, i heard that the majority of characters are modelled after their employees, so thats what i assumed was the case with the Valve splash-screen guy. didnt know that they also got random people as well.

 

[duchaked]

EDIT: Also

An accountant working at Valve

this second part made me laugh out loud

that's pretty awesome of valve. not exactly the uber male model used for say commander shepard, but fits better this way. average joe

altho we all know who gordon freeman is modeled after-no jk

 

[RowdyRodimus]

The bald guy has the exact same facial structure (that you can see anyway) of George "The Animal" Steele.

 

[RA92]

Later, Ray added that fans have also been questioning why the "E" at the end of Valve is written in superscript, i.e. like this: VALVE. He's writing that story up now, so look forward to it in the near future.

Came across this interesting post on Reddit:

<quote=fngkestrel>The rumor I heard was that when they were creating the logo, they had the word all over the floor and it kept looking like the word 'value', so they superscripted the e to bring attention to the second v.
Total hearsay, so don't quote me on it.

Guess what fngkestrel? I just quoted you.

 

[Catalyst6]

"Sir? Hey, what's up? How would you like to have your picture taken for our company logo"?

"Oh, okay. That sounds pretty cool. Sure"!

"All righty then! Let me just set up the camera... and the company logo..."
*Jams valve in subject's eye*

"OH GOD I CAN SEE ALL MY BLOOD"

(Yes, I know it was probably edited in, or at least fake. I'm not insane)

 

[GrizzlerBorno]

Huh. I always figured they were just Valve Employees. But that's a Lot more hilariously random....

 

[tehweave]

The second guy with the goatee looks like Joel from rooster teeth. (The red vs blue team)

 

[UnravThreads]

Too bad he's dead... Or is he?

Not that I'm aware of. I believe it's the actor who played... Uh... The guy you see on the monitor at the start of HL2, who passed away.

Anyway, Escapist, you were a bit slow on the uptake with this one Kotaku had it up 2 days ago [http://kotaku.com/#!5794237/ever-wonder-who-the-guy-at-the-beginning-of-every-valve-game-is]

 

[Captain Pirate]

As for the idea behind the valves themselves, Ueno says they signify Valve's "Open your mind, Open your eyes" concept for the company.

What total bollocks. the fuck? What exactly are we supposed to be opening our eyes to, Valve? And how exactly do valves signify an open mind?

OT: That's pretty cool, maybe the guy who's face we can see gets random fans going up to him like "OMFG IT'S YOU!".
Poor bald guy, though. We can't recognize him....

 

[Titan Buttons]

well I just never really cared but

right

 

[redisforever]

Too bad he's dead... Or is he?

Not that I'm aware of. I believe it's the actor who played... Uh... The guy you see on the monitor at the start of HL2, who passed away.

Anyway, Escapist, you were a bit slow on the uptake with this one Kotaku had it up 2 days ago [http://kotaku.com/#!5794237/ever-wonder-who-the-guy-at-the-beginning-of-every-valve-game-is]

Dr. Breen, played by Robert Culp, if I'm not mistaken. Died a little while ago, shame. I really like Breen.