Half-Life 3 / Episode 3

So I have started [slowly] coming back to this website and posting in PC forums after a long, post-website change haitus (still hate the new layout).

Anyway, guess my first new post back is this one: is there any news on the third installment of the Half-life series? I mean, I haven't heard anything. Usually there are the occasional threads, the occasional forum posters maintaining vigil, but there is literally nothing now.

So, there you have it: where is Half-Life 3/ Episode 3? I mean, they have to be working on it, right?

Only Valve knows. Unfortunately, they don't comment on it. So, we have been left in the dark for many years.

Slowly but surely...

As far as I know, Valve has still never definitively said that it was even being planned, let alone already under development.

Valve said they are no longer interested in SP-games like this. And that they are all about offering 'services' now.

They said they weren't interested in making games that were exclusively single-player, but there's no reason why they can't just do another Orange-box type did which offers something different for everyone. Or just have coop in Half-Life 3. You'd have to be really stretching to think that directly means they won't make another Half-Life game.

I'm pretty sure they aren't making Source 2 engine just for a Dota port...

Why not ? Why not have an insanely popular game on a newer engine so they can support it longer ?

I really think Valve is done with game development in total*. I'll miss Left 4 Dead, Half Life and Day of Defeat most of all.

Valve makes way more money now off Steam, in-game sales and microtransactions than they ever did with full release games.

* edit: I mean game development like it used to be. No doubt we'll see new F2P games from them ala DOTA or TF.

What makes you think Valve is all about the money? Do you think they're making Steam OS and Steambox for exclusively for profit? Gabe N. is pretty rich and Valve is privately owned, I think they do precisely whatever they want to do - not necessarily what's the most profitable.

And you'd have to be ignorant to think Half-Life 3 wouldn't be insanely profitable...

Hmmm, yes. My reply does make it seem like Valve is doing this out of greed, which is not what I meant.

Because yes, Valve right now is doing what they want to do. They wanted to get more into services, hardware, even make an OS.

Half Life 3 would be insanely profitable. But way more expensive to make than a game like DOTA, which can keep making money for them.

Valve right now are in a position where they can literally not make any more games ever again, and they'll always remain profitable.

Honestly doubt it will ever come. It is impossible for it to live up to the expectations that people have.

To me, that feels like a bit of a farce from every angle.

1) I don't think developers lose sleep at night whether or not their IP's exceed their consumer's expectation. It's certainly never typically been a basis for whether or not something is made or not. It's a large assumption to assume to a competent company doesn't want to undertake a challenge, especially when that company has been busy working some of the most challenging tasks at out there (dominating the MOBA market, dominating competitive online FPS, challenging Windows as a gaming platform). Valve has proven time and time again they aren't afraid of challenges.

2) Takes on a sudden assumption that Valve all of a sudden is incapable of making games that fulfill expectations. Based on what? Nothing. Valve's last effort, Dota 2, was a massive success. Most things Valve do are massively successful.

To me, saying Half-Life 3 isn't going to be made sounds like angst towards Valve because they simply don't share the same idea of when it should be developed and released.

Reminds me the attitude that many people took on this forum when Rockstar was taking their time with their GTA V port. It was fairly obviously to me what was going on, yet a lot of people here were going "if it's not out now it's never coming out". Based on what? Their impatience. We should be thankful Valve doesn't distastefully milk their IP's and they take their time with their projects.

They are too busy creating new devices and operating systems which will go nowhere.

They should just release the license of Half Life to another company like Naughty Dog or something so they can continue the series.

Personally I don't care if they release HL3 or not. I played HL and HL2 many years after they were made. I never found them as great as people claim them to be. It has been over 10 years since HL2 was released and we have yet to hear a single word about HL3. I don't believe it will be released before Valve themselves say they are working on it.

That's probably why you didn't find them as revolutionary as they were when they were released.

They better start development on HL3 for Xbone/PS4/PC soon. Oh, and they better make sure they include Steam on console releases as well.

its either a top secret program, they have no idea where to take the series or the pressure of living up the originals is too much to even bother. they seem to be focused on cs, dota, store and hardware. remakes and updates for the orignals in the series are being done by others.

GORDON FREEMAN IS DEAD !!!

http://www.pcgamer.com/gordon-freeman-is-dead-according-to-mad-max/

I think they'll announce it some time next year along with Source engine 2. Well they bloody better anyway, I've just binged through all the HL's and I need to know what happens!

Both Metro and Mad Max ? Very nice

Gabe loves/loved World Of Warcraft right ? Blizzard should put a easter egg like that in xD