half-life-2 posts (Subscribe to this feed)
Ico developer digs Half-Life 2, interested in making 'first-person games'
by Ben Gilbert 
{ Oct 5th 2009 at 12:28PM } 
Though the Japanese aren't exactly known for their love affair with first-person shooters, Team Ico director Fumito Ueda can name at least one that he digs: Half-Life 2. Speaking to G4TV (through a translator), Ueda named the Valve-developed sequel when asked which games he has had an emotional reaction to.
"There was variation in terms [of] locations and also [in] the way of storytelling in the game. Usually, you have to incorporate storytelling with constraints, but the way [Valve] implemented constraints was something different that I enjoyed, compared to other games," observed Ueda. He's even considered making his own first-person game at some point, stating, "I have an interest in making first-person games."
If Ueda's previous development cycle lengths are any indication, we tentatively expect to see a Ueda-developed first-person game by 2025 or so ... at the earliest.
[Image credit: jeriaska]
Dude replaces Half-Life 2 sound effects with own voice
by Justin McElroy { Sep 22nd 2009 at 12:30AM } 
So, after the break, you'll find a video of a guy who made a mod that replaces the sound effects of Half-Life 2 with ones he made with his own voice. It's completely unimportant and utterly magical.
[Via Giant Bomb]
Valve researching sign language for use in Half-Life 2: Episode 3
by Andrew Yoon { Aug 7th 2009 at 3:30PM } 
Valve's Gabe Newell appears to have recently conducted a focus group with deaf individuals in order to learn more about sign language and how it can be applied to games, notably the upcoming Half-Life 2: Episode 3. Why? To help develop Alyx's character, and further the animation technology implemented in the Half-Life games. Newell explains: "[Alyx] had a crush on someone who was hearing impaired, so she taught Dog how to sign so she could practice. Something happened, maybe, the person is off fighting the Combine someplace else, but that's why she and Dog would start signing with each other when they wanted to communicate without making noise, or communicate without other people knowing ... It gave us the excuse to build the technology for signing."
The focus group responds by noting the importance of facial expression whilst signing. While the Half-Life franchise has been known for its believable facial animation, it might take even more to fully realize the nuances necessary for authentic signing. It'll be interesting to see if Valve is up to the challenge.
Valve's Gabe Newell still not talking Episode 3
by Ben Gilbert { Jun 12th 2009 at 9:45AM }
When pressed on the possibility of hearing more about the game by the end of 2009, Newell downright dismisses the question and, instead, chooses to speak about the "rhythm" the team working on Episode 3 is developing. Does that mean Valve's working on the long-awaited rhythm/music component to Half-Life 2? We can only dream.
[Via Big Download]
Half-Life 2 mini-series blows minds on a dime
by Griffin McElroy { Feb 13th 2009 at 1:31PM }
The Purchase Brothers recently dropped the first episode onto an unsuspecting internet -- we've got it posted after the jump. If you've played the series (we find it difficult to believe there are people who haven't, at this point), you really need to check it out. A touch of naughty language and a healthy dose of gunshootery might make it a bit NSFW, but we think you'll agree -- it's worth risking your employment to watch this video with all available haste.
[Via DailyGamesNews]
PrimePlus assesses the current state of black characters
by Alexander Sliwinski { Feb 9th 2009 at 2:59PM }
The piece mostly focuses on upcoming titles and games from the last decade, like Mass Effect, Half-Life 2, Gears of War and GTA: San Andreas. Without getting "politically correct" or preachy, the editorial notes that representation isn't an "exclusive concern to the population of black individuals." It points out that "more socially imaginative avenues of inspiration" would be welcome, which is something we can agree about.
[Via Edge]
Mario Kart Source: made by fans, for fans
by David Hinkle { Jan 22nd 2009 at 7:11PM }
Sadly, Nintendo won't likely be as excited to hear about the project, so we're sure they'll step in at some point or another and intervene.
[Via Go Nintendo]
Study: Violence and gore don't make games more enjoyable
by Jason Dobson { Jan 18th 2009 at 9:30PM }
The findings were based on what researchers described as a "good deal of violent content" in games such as Team Fortress 2 (alright), Halo 3 (we're with you so far) and World of Warcraft (okay, you lost us). According to a report by the Canadian Press, one portion of the study involved using a modified version of Half-Life 2 with brutality ratcheted up and another with violence nerfed, after which scholars found that "on average, violent content didn't add to motivation for play."
Only about 5 percent of respondents showed a preference for violent games, individuals who were later quietly taken into the back room and summarily beaten to death with spoons. Or so we're told.
HL Source mod generates $3m; Valve reveals retail sales numbers
by Ross Miller { Dec 3rd 2008 at 1:30PM }
Speaking of Valve, who as a general rule is very secretive with its sales figures (especially regarding Steam), the company has released its worldwide lifetime-to-date retail sales (via Gamasutra). Pre-Steam release Half-Life is on top at 9.3 million, followed by Half-Life 2 at 6.5m and Counter-Strike at 4.2m. These figures don't include Steam sales, which CEO Gabe Newell has said he expects to typically surpass retail sales. Full list after the break.
Fan-made Black Mesa trailer reinvents original Half-Life
by Andrew Yoon { Dec 1st 2008 at 12:45AM }
It's been over ten years since Valve's Half-Life was released on PC, changing FPS gaming forever. In 2009, the fan-made Black Mesa will do more than just revisit the classic Valve game – from the looks of this newly released trailer, Black Mesa will reimagine the game with modern tech and modern production values. (Update: The project was originally called Black Mesa Source, but Valve requested a name change to not as confuse it with an official Valve project.)
The spirit of Black Mesa is true to the original; however, we're stunned by the ambitious goals for this project. The new character models and textures used in this Source Engine-powered mod urge us to give them money. The addition of multiplayer modes, such as co-op, make us think Valve will downright buy the team (if they haven't already!).
Black Mesa won't require Half-Life: Source to play. So long as you have any Source Engine game on your PC, you'll be able to download and play this amazing total conversion when it comes out.
[Thanks, Andrew H.!]
Gallery: Black Mesa Source
Valve may show Half-Life 2: Episode Three this year; release still a ways off
by Randy Nelson { Oct 14th 2008 at 11:59PM }
In an interview with Kikizo, Valve's Doug Lombardi says we won't have to wait long for ... our first glimpse of Half-Life 2: Episode Three. Quizzed on whether the dev would have something to show in 2008, Lombardi plainly said, "We may at the very end of the year." So, yay – a (possible) Half-Life Holiday.
As for when the game will actually ship – er, not so soon. "The next time you play as Gordon will be longer than the distance between HL2 to Ep1, and Ep1 to Ep2," Lombardi confirmed. We're guessing he didn't mean all of thattime distance combined. Still, given that Episode One hit in June of '06 and we didn't see Episode Two until October '07, we're likely looking at an 18+ month wait for Episode Three. That would put its release ... around May or June 2009. Or, in comparative terms, sometime around the debut of the next new Lost episode.
As for when the game will actually ship – er, not so soon. "The next time you play as Gordon will be longer than the distance between HL2 to Ep1, and Ep1 to Ep2," Lombardi confirmed. We're guessing he didn't mean all of that
CERN: Only one crowbar received, Gordon Freeman 'impossible to find'
by Ross Miller { Oct 10th 2008 at 2:59PM }
"That man" she is referring to is the Gordon Freeman, of Half-Life infamy, we saw in the picture above. The Large Hadron Collider is currently halted until Spring 2009 due to a "magnet failure" ... or was it? With a supposed malfunction and a missing Gordon Freeman, we need not worry: at least he's got a crowbar.
Valve hosting Source engine mods beginning next week
by Griffin McElroy { Sep 28th 2008 at 6:30PM }
The first five mods to be highlighted by Steam are Age of Chivalry, a medieval HL2 mod (pictured above); Synergy, another mod for HL2 which adds a co-op mode to the campaign; D.I.P.R.I.P., a multiplayer vehicular combat game; Zombie Panic, a spiritual precursor to Left 4 Dead; and Insurgency, a "total conversion" mod that takes players out of City 17, and places them on a modern battlefield. Sadly, our Source-based Burgertime mod didn't make the cut. Hopefully Valve will get wise and pick it up with the next batch.
[Via Big Download]
The Combine Interview puts Tom Cruise in new light
by Justin McElroy { Sep 3rd 2008 at 1:00PM }
Rather than crank out another Tom Cruise gag (we've got plenty of them, we assure you) we'll opt to mention how well-made and creepy the short film actually is, and how Valve should really already have Tom Hall on the payroll. Take a look after the jump and see if you don't agree.
[Via Digg]
Top 5: Games Wii Are Jealous of
by Kaes Delgrego { Aug 25th 2008 at 12:49PM }
Rejoice, Wii-owners. You posses the only (un-modded) home console capable of hosting the greatest gaming catalogue of all-time. The Virtual Console's ability to provide an extensive back catalog coupled with the retail and WiiWare releases of Nintendo's latest instant-classics makes your system the inarguable flagship of Nintendo gaming. It's quite an amazing accomplishment: stuffing such immense gaming potency inside one little white box (save for disk space, you freakin' otaku).
Yet it'd be foolish and utterly fanboy-ish to act as if Nintendo were the all-powerful supreme chancellor of gaming. They are considered the best by many, but Nintendo is not the only company that creates amazing titles. Many of these come from third parties. Despite claims to the contrary, third party relations appear to be proceeding very well on the Wii. However, through a combination of first party titles on other systems as well as numerous issues which affect third party efforts, we must face the truth: good games sometimes go to non-Nintendo systems. Madness, right?! Here's our Top Five games that we wish Wii had.
The Top 5 is a weekly feature that provides us with a forum to share our opinions on various aspects of the video game culture, and provides you with a forum to tell us how wrong we are. To further voice your opinions, submit a vote in the Wii Fanboy Poll, and take part in the daily discussions of Wii Warm Up. 
