Rumour: No Episode 3 this year
Valve has remained typically quiet on what it has planned for Episode 3, but it's rumoured that it won't be a 2010 release.
The rumour, which cites no source at all, seems to originate with the latest issue of Game Informer in the US, which mentions the fact in the self-proclaimed 'Rumours and Scuttlebutt' column.
"Loose Talk has learned that there won't be any game from the franchise in 2010, and what will finally come out is still unknown," says the mag, according to ShackNews.
Valve has been typically truculent and silent on the issue, saying only that the team still has plans for Gordon Freeman and hinting that the third episode in the Half-Life Episodes series is a much more ambitious project than anything fans have yet seen. Whether that means that it'll just be a longer episode, a fully-formed Half-Life 3 or even a Half-Life MMO is anyone's guess.
The last game in the series, Episode 2, was released as part of Valve's Orange Box back in November 2007. Since then the studio has continued to grow Team Fortress 2 and released Left 4 Dead and Left 4 Dead 2, but has announced nothing about the future of Mr. Freeman.
And, yes, part of the whole 'Episodes' idea was that Half-Life fans would be able to get quicker releases that directly addressed fan feedback.
Let us know your thoughts in the forums.
Thanks to forum member ChocolateRaisins for the tip!
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IS LEFT TO ****ING DEVELOP?!
They have the engine, they must have finished the story on paper years ago, they have the distribution method. Put it all together and make the god damn game!!! Seriously, a studio as talented as Valve just doesn't have any excuse for this kind of gap between episodes, they proved they can make a great game on the quick with L4D2.... unless EP3 IS the seconds coming of Christ.
One can only hope they have a dang good reason.... Perhaps a whole new story line after Ep3? Like Half-Life 3: Freeman Says a line :D ;)
Functionally equivalent at least :D
Are they building a new engine for it? In which case maybe it would take a long time - after all the HL2 graphics are pretty ancient now, if we're being honest.
Personally I think with the development time EP3 has had, they may turn around next year and give us a full blown sequel instead. Or atleast a huge expansion.
Yeah it WAS just the only game I looked forward to the whole year.
if its not coming out in 2010 i'd like a new engine and dx11 support please.
i don't want Half-Life series to end :( ...
Nope. I think it looks great still with the newer versions (HL2:EP3+L4D2), plus it runs flawlessly.
I like it, and it looked fantastic when it came out, but I recently replayed HL2 EP2 and just thought it could do with a refresh.
Also, my comment was largely aimed at the amount of time HL2 EP3 is taking, because it takes bloody ages to develop an engine I'd imagine, thus, if they're not redoing the engine or similar, why the hell is it taking so long.
Hopefully that doesn't sound too aggressive.
I have no doubt, however, that Episode 3 will be well worth the wait - I just wish I had more patience ;)
We need to know if they really meant no half life or no episode, because it's quite different. If it's no episode then we will have been 3+ years without a release... Proving episodic content is a pipe dream that only leads to failure when it comes to developing in a short time frame
It's okay though, I can live with it and I won't get mad, nor will I call Gabe Newell a fat f*ck because of that. Seriously, what kind of mentality is that ?
In fairness, I really want this to be the best game of all recorded history. So what's another six months between friends?
Exactly. I'm pretty miffed if it's true, because I'm uncontrollably excited about the possibility that it might come out soon. In fact I'm so excited I might have to install the whole series again just to dissipate some joy.
I got down to 3.5 hours speed running through the original, lets see if i have teh grenade through door storming skills i had then.
+1 for dx11 though. Could be a pipe dream, but they always used to push the envelope with the HL series.
Having seen some of the ideas they were showing for EP3 around the release of EP2, I wouldn't be surprised if they were doing a DX10 re-write for the graphics, and now are re-doing it in DX11 to make it as truly beautiffuly staggering as they were intimating they want to make it. There were a few hints that they wanted to try some new things with Ep3, can't find the original pieces though..
When was the first installment again ?
Its been so long I can't remember when Ep's 1 and 2 came out.....?
Right from the beginning "Episodic gaming" was a bad idea, and much of the gaming cimmunity thought so, but the developers all went for it.
Sin went before they finished, and even though Half Life is one of the MOST POPULAR franchises, the 3rd installment is no-where to be seen.
Half Life MADE Valve.
Steam is nice and all that, but I don't play left4Dead one or 2, or TF or TF2...Not an online player.
Get the next Ep in, or at least give the people with the money (us) some info as to what, where and when please ?
It had better have full DX11 support or people will be wondering what they've been doing all this time....
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WWWWWWWWWWTTTTTTTTeFFFFFFFFFFFF ............ This is sad ..read sad........... They are doing a good job with updates on TF2 and LFD2 but still its been a llloooooooooong time..............
I hope Valve knows that the players where 13 years younger then now. And some are probably granddaddy's or growing large quantities of gray hair by now. So for christ sakes... Valve release something before i can't lift my mouse any more because of Parkinson or Can't remember what HL is because of dementia..
As for how it looks - Well, I for one keep noticing how all Source engine games i know of look dated real quick. yes, it seems to run on my Gran's PC, which is more than I could say about a lot of other engines, but it also looks like it's made of smoke and mirrors when comparing, say, L4D/L4D2 with UT3.
Either way. If HL2 Ep 3 ever ships, i't gonna be bundled with HL2 ep 1, ep 2 and Portal:reloaded and retail for full game pricing again. I for one would buy it only if it cost EXPANSION MONEY, and not Orange Box money. I was EXTREMELY miffed that i had to buy Orange Box to play Ep2 after already owning Ep1 and HL2 originals.
I'm guessing they're going to release Portal 2 and Team Fortress 3 before this. I can see it now, after the Engie pack TF2 is abandoned and they make a new incompatible game. Then they're gonna update that. And then L4D2. Until they release L4D3.
They've got to milk the console kids, people. Can't afford to be making expansions.
We just gotta wait and play whatever else, before you know it it will be time to be Gordon again.
I'll get my coat.
First Alan Wake turns to the dark side, then DICE goes all psycho, now THIS!
At least theres still ME2 to look forward to.
The developers are pushing the envelope, not the other way round, so independent of DirectX 11, 10, 09 or OpenGL 3, 2, it makes no difference.
Pussies.
Take your time i say, in valve i trust :D
But yeah, just rumours, and no sources means it's as good as anyone else's speculation.
Yes, it's called Bullsh!t.
I don't mind waiting for Half life 3 as this will no doubt have a new engine, new story and new episodes of its own but EP3 should be here already.
Ya, its said that Ep3 and HL3 will be running on a "source engine 2"
Left 4 Dead 3. Duh. With 5 new gamemodes, 7 new special infected, 35 new weapons, 5 new campaigns, and 4 new characters! It'll also have an SDK at time of launch, and be followed rapidly by lots of DLC.
:)
wtf are they waiting for dx12 ??????
I like my new versions of stuff as much as the next nerd, but there's barely been any changes since DX9 .
also
I WANT EP3!
Unless it is Source 2 in which case that would definitely be interesting but I suspect for not much more than engine appreciation and even then it will have some way to go to beat out Cry Engine 3 which is supposed to be here this year or early next.
I find it curious that typically Eps1 & 2 came out about 18 months from their previous games but this one is taking a lot longer. Does this mean that there is going to be a major difference between 2 & 3 either in game length or game engine?
Personally I suspect there will be an engine change as the source engine is getting on a bit now, despite constant updates.
Whilst we are on the subject of delayed Half Life material, I see that Black Mesa Source missed its 2009 release date (can'y say I'm surprised), anyone want to run a sweep on which game gets released first?
Im with ya homie
Developing for dx11 makes sense for vavle since all of their ProMods (TF2, L4D, etc) are based of of source. Something that would shake people in their boots is if they made this source2 update so that ALL the games based on source would be upgraded to dx11.
I would love for L4D2 to be dx11, along with all the other source games.
The time has passed for dx9, enjoy the tessellation.
Yours in DX11 Plasma,
Star¤Dagger
For the record, I think the Source engine is still perfectly acceptable.
I'm sure the original idea was:
- HL1 - 1998
- HL2 - 2004
HL2 - meat of the game. Then they expand and finish the story with episodes using the same game engine - quicker and easier to make.Looking at the release dates at least shows that the episodes *have* sped up the release cycle....but only because Valve took so long from HL1-2. It's probably best to look at each HL game as a fully fledged sequel rather than an episode.
It's difficult to get annoyed when the quality of each game is so high. It's definately frustrating hanging on for so long, but I imagine most people would rather wait for something brilliant than get a game sooner that's only "pretty good".
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Threesome tubes
Your pretty vegetation ... lol
how selfish lol
why can't we play it this year and you play it next year ;)