Valve To Add Sign Language To Episode 3?

[quellan_thyde]

That's still the lamest excuse I ever heard. Why just deaf folks, Valve? Why not tailor your games to quadraplegics and to those in vegetative comas? What about the recently deceased? (Oh, right, LFD. Never mind.) Point is, the only viable reason to delay Episode 3 at this point is to make damn sure it's a lot better than Episode 2, and any other reason is beside the point.

Flame on, people. Flame on.

 

[nick4118]

Thats really cool, although it seems like a bit too much work and delay time to be worth it. But whatever, I don't run Valve, and I trust their judgement.

 

[General Alexei]

Does everyone know that this was thought up so that Dog and Alyx could communicate silently? Cause some people seem to think that Gordan is going to be using it. As for Dog doing the facial expressions, maybe he replaces them with something else, like he would move his head or something in a special way, and that would be his version of a facial expression. I think that the idea is cool and I now respect Valve (and Gabe Newell) even more.

 

[samsonguy920]

Well that's a nice addition. Though I have a feeling that most fans will be quite annoyed that this is what pushed back development.

They can get over it, and will probably forget they even whined after the game comes out. This is a big barrier that Valve is busting through here, setting a new standard. Doing it for Episode 3 makes it all the better, since it shows there is effort going into the game, and they are not just making a rail shooter just to finish out the series.
Probably a long time before can apply actual physical sign language as a way to interface with the game, maybe you can do a small vocabulary with the Wii, but I doubt it.
Remember Sign Language is an actual language, its not just a way for deaf to communicate. Anyone can learn it, to use for many ways. Work in an atrociously overloud workplace, like a powerplant? There's one place. Now it's being applied to games. I say it is about time.

 

[SaintWaldo]

Not that paying attention to the deaf is a bad thing, but I imagine Newell's investors and publishers might be more interested in watching video of him engaging PS3 gamers and taking time to learn THAT language.

And, seriously, Four Weddings and a Funeral? Talk about not knowing what to steal...

 

[swytchblayd]

Interesting addition to the game, but may want to put links to videos... They've been disabled ~.~

Wonder what this'll do to those with the first three bits of the game (HL2, E1 & E2), if they'll be adding in these bits as well... doubtful, but would add even more replay value just to see that o.o

 

[Professor M]

Well, they already have a mute, might as well add in a deaf character too.

On a more serious note, I can't wait. I'm kinda skeptical of how this will actually play out, but I trust valve to release a good game. They've done so over and over and over before. Always worth the wait.

It's not a game. It's a short segment of a game. An episode, if you will.

I'm pretty sure they said they were going to make it a lot longer to make up for the wait.

I may be making this part up, but I'm sure there was something about it being around Half Life 2 length?

Please stop me making a fool of myself if I'm wrong

 

[A Pious Cultist]

The problem I see with this is I can imagine it being very easily jarring to the experience if Alyx suddenly starts signing everything as she speaks.

 

[Guitarmasterx7]

seems like an idea in which the ends don't justify the means. anyone besides me think the whole thing seems kind of like a stupid idea anyways?

 

[phlegethonic]

ATTENTION, DEAF PEOPLE: YOU ARE NOT A REAL MINORITY. YOU ARE A SUBCATEGORY OF "THE DISABLED". STOP TRYING TO MAKE THE WORLD DEAF-FRIENDLY. NATURE DOES NOT ENCOURAGE DEAFNESS, AND NEITHER SHOULD HUMAN SOCIETY ENABLE IT.

You are an asshole.
Most deaf people can't exactly help their situation of being deaf; the Deaf objection to cochlear implants is debatable, but just dismissing them is quite douchebaggy of you.

I will show you the fallacy in your words by quoting, but changing one portion of your words.

"ATTENTION, AUTISTIC PEOPLE: YOU ARE NOT A REAL MINORITY. YOU ARE A SUBCATEGORY OF "THE DISABLED". STOP TRYING TO MAKE THE WORLD AUTISM-FRIENDLY. NATURE DOES NOT ENCOURAGE AUTISM, AND NEITHER SHOULD HUMAN SOCIETY ENABLE IT."

"ATTENTION, BLIND PEOPLE: YOU ARE NOT A REAL MINORITY. YOU ARE A SUBCATEGORY OF "THE DISABLED". STOP TRYING TO MAKE THE WORLD BLIND-FRIENDLY. NATURE DOES NOT ENCOURAGE BLINDNESS, AND NEITHER SHOULD HUMAN SOCIETY ENABLE IT."

"ATTENTION, PEOPLE WITH ERECTILE DYSFUNCTION: YOU ARE NOT A REAL MINORITY. YOU ARE A SUBCATEGORY OF "THE DISABLED". STOP TRYING TO MAKE THE WORLD IMPOTENCE-FRIENDLY. NATURE DOES NOT ENCOURAGE IMPOTENCE, AND NEITHER SHOULD HUMAN SOCIETY ENABLE IT."



And here is Charles Darwin, calling you a douchebag 150 years ago.

The aid which we feel impelled to give to the helpless is mainly an incidental result of the instinct of sympathy, which was originally acquired as part of the social instincts, but subsequently rendered, in the manner previously indicated, more tender and more widely diffused. Nor could we check our sympathy, even at the urging of hard reason, without deterioration in the noblest part of our nature. The surgeon may harden himself whilst performing an operation, for he knows that he is acting for the good of his patient; but if we were intentionally to neglect the weak and helpless, it could only be for a contingent benefit, with an overwhelming present evil.

Also, it looks like Gabe and Valve did this of their OWN FREE WILL, so nobody "harassed" Valve to do shit.

I have definitively won now and forever.

 

[Svenparty]

God...Next they will be putting Braille in the game and spend a couple of years learning that.

It's only a matter of time before Gabe Newell starts wearing dresses to prepare him for working on the Transvestite Character.

 

[GamerPhate]

This article is Def, Yo!

 

[Sh0ckFyre]

Seemed like a dumb plot device, but this actually seems incredibly interesting.

 

[Dioxide20]

OMG THE FIRST INFORMATION I HAVE HEARD ABOUT HALF LIFE 2 EPISODE 3 IN FOREVER!!!!

I thought Valve forgot about Gordan Freeman to go on this little Left 4 Dead escapade. I really am dieing to play a single player focused Valve game. Left 4 Dead was cool, but I felt it got old fast.

 

[Plazmatic]

left 4 dead is actually a episode of episode 3, there splitting it into 3 parts, left 4 dead, left 4 dead 2, and "Episode 3 was left for dead"