Valve Teases Half-Life 2: Episode Three Debut

2010 !!!! Is Valve using the same code for Ep. 3 that Polyphony is using for GT5 ? :P

J/K but man I was thinking this may show up for 2009 - oh well, I'm sure it will be great when it gets here.

Valve Teases Half-Life 2: Episode Three Debut

by Chris Faylor Oct 14, 2008 8:59am CST tags: Half-Life 2: Episode ThreeBad news, Freeman fans. It looks like Half-Life 2: Episode Three won't arrive for a while--possibly 2010--going by an interview with Valve marketing VP Doug Lombardi.

"The next time you play as Gordon will be longer than the distance between Half-Life 2 to Episode One, and Episode One to Episode Two," Lombardi told Kikizo when asked about Episode Three.

For reference, Half-Life 2 arrived in November 2004, with Episode One arriving nearly two years later in June 2006 and Episode Two following in October 2007.

However, the marketing VP offered one slight consolation, noting that the company "may [announce or show something] at the very end of the year."

Currently, Valve is putting the finishing touches on its cooperative zombie-killing shooter, Left 4 Dead, due November 18, with the studio continuing to work on updates for its ****based multiplayer shooter, Team Fortress 2.

Wow, that's really really really bad news :|

:|

Imo, the episode system has been a complete failure for Half Life. It completely defeats the purpose of episodes if you take 2 or 3 years for each one.

They could have developed a full game of Half Life 3 by now.

Imo, the episode system has been a complete failure for Half Life. It completely defeats the purpose of episodes if you take 2 or 3 years for each one.

They could have developed a full game of Half Life 3 by now.

locopatho

Yeah, and it would've sucked like Halo does.

Vavle is about quality, and they do take their time. But as mentioned, they are working on two other games right now as well. Dont bash them because they realease greatness.

You beat me to it.:P

Imo, the episode system has been a complete failure for Half Life. It completely defeats the purpose of episodes if you take 2 or 3 years for each one.

They could have developed a full game of Half Life 3 by now.

locopatho

However HL3 will be in development after Ep3 apparantly, or so Doug Lombardi has suggested.

The Epsodic nature has failed badly though.

Goes to show, when your production values are so high, as is wanting to fine tuned everything to increadably high standards - quick development does not work at all.

[QUOTE="locopatho"]

Imo, the episode system has been a complete failure for Half Life. It completely defeats the purpose of episodes if you take 2 or 3 years for each one.

They could have developed a full game of Half Life 3 by now.

fatzebra

Yeah, and it would've sucked like Halo does.

Vavle is about quality, and they do take their time. But as mentioned, they are working on two other games right now as well. Dont bash them because they realease greatness.

I wouldn't be surprised if I prefered Halo rather than Half-Life 2, I need to try out Halo.

In my opinion Gabe's grand scheme for Episodic content has failed miserably.

I love HL2, I thought Ep. 1 was good, and I thought Ep. 2 was really good.... but it has been 4 full years since the original release of HL2. If Ep. 3 takes until 2010 it will have been more than five years. That is not how he made Episodic Content sound when he first talked about it years and years ago.

I want a full sequel already, I do not want to wait half a decade for 3 episodes of expansions.

I want HL3, a new version of Source, not just a new Episode every 2 years.

So because of this Episodic nonsense we probably won't see HL3 until 2014. GREAT!

You beat me to it.:P

[QUOTE="locopatho"]

Imo, the episode system has been a complete failure for Half Life. It completely defeats the purpose of episodes if you take 2 or 3 years for each one.

They could have developed a full game of Half Life 3 by now.

skrat_01

However HL3 will be in development after Ep3 apparantly, or so Doug Lombardi has suggested.

The Epsodic nature has failed badly though.

Goes to show, when your production values are so high, as is wanting to fine tuned everything to increadably high standards - quick development does not work at all.

[QUOTE="locopatho"]

Imo, the episode system has been a complete failure for Half Life. It completely defeats the purpose of episodes if you take 2 or 3 years for each one.

They could have developed a full game of Half Life 3 by now.

fatzebra

Yeah, and it would've sucked like Halo does.

Vavle is about quality, and they do take their time. But as mentioned, they are working on two other games right now as well. Dont bash them because they realease greatness.

Yeah slag Halo cos I have an Xbox tag, real mature :roll:

If they take 5 or 6 years to release a full new Half Life game that's fine. But they aren't. They're spending 5 - 6 years releasing small expansions to a 2004 game. Wtf like.

and this is on system wars because...?eyerok

Next question ? :P

In my opinion Gabe's grand scheme for Episodic content has failed miserably.

I love HL2, I thought Ep. 1 was good, and I thought Ep. 2 was really good.... but it has been 4 full years since the original release of HL2. If Ep. 3 takes until 2010 it will have been more than five years. That is not how he made Episodic Content sound when he first talked about it years and years ago.

I want a full sequel already, I do not want to wait half a decade for 3 episodes of expansions.

I want HL3, a new version of Source, not just a new Episode every 2 years.

RuprechtMonkey

i'm all for demanding better results from developers (looking at you, SiliconKnights), but i think Valve has earned a little wiggle room. every game that they make is undeniably awesome, and i dont mind waiting a few years to get a great game.

I Quote miyamoto: "A delayed game is eventually good, but a rushed game is forever bad."

[QUOTE="RuprechtMonkey"]

In my opinion Gabe's grand scheme for Episodic content has failed miserably.

I love HL2, I thought Ep. 1 was good, and I thought Ep. 2 was really good.... but it has been 4 full years since the original release of HL2. If Ep. 3 takes until 2010 it will have been more than five years. That is not how he made Episodic Content sound when he first talked about it years and years ago.

I want a full sequel already, I do not want to wait half a decade for 3 episodes of expansions.

I want HL3, a new version of Source, not just a new Episode every 2 years.

Awinagainov

i'm all for demanding better results from developers (looking at you, SiliconKnights), but i think Valve has earned a little wiggle room. every game that they make is undeniably awesome, and i dont mind waiting a few years to get a great game.

I Quote miyamoto: "A delayed game is eventually good, but a rushed game is forever bad."

[QUOTE="RuprechtMonkey"]

In my opinion Gabe's grand scheme for Episodic content has failed miserably.

I love HL2, I thought Ep. 1 was good, and I thought Ep. 2 was really good.... but it has been 4 full years since the original release of HL2. If Ep. 3 takes until 2010 it will have been more than five years. That is not how he made Episodic Content sound when he first talked about it years and years ago.

I want a full sequel already, I do not want to wait half a decade for 3 episodes of expansions.

I want HL3, a new version of Source, not just a new Episode every 2 years.

Awinagainov

i'm all for demanding better results from developers (looking at you, SiliconKnights), but i think Valve has earned a little wiggle room. every game that they make is undeniably awesome, and i dont mind waiting a few years to get a great game.

I Quote miyamoto: "A delayed game is eventually good, but a rushed game is forever bad."

I would rather them began production on HL3 right after HL2, rather than making small Episodes every two years. Gabe's vision of Episodic content has been a failure. The reason he originally set down that path was so he could get them out faster, he promised fans that because they weren't developing full-fledged sequels (and continuing to use the same basic engine as in HL2) they could get them out much faster- hasn't been the case. Now we're having to wait years just to get a small episode's worth of content.

If they had began HL3 after HL2 we would be seeing a full, awesome sequel with a new version of Source soon. Now because they haven't we'll have to wait more and more years until HL3. It will be almost a decade between HL2 and HL3. That's not acceptable. I don't mind "Waiting a few years" either, waiting a decade is another matter.

Ugh, this is pathetic.

Valve, **** the episode. Just move straight into Half Life 3.

Episodes were for quick runs, not full blown production schedules.

[QUOTE="skrat_01"]

You beat me to it.:P

[QUOTE="locopatho"]

Imo, the episode system has been a complete failure for Half Life. It completely defeats the purpose of episodes if you take 2 or 3 years for each one.

They could have developed a full game of Half Life 3 by now.

whocares4peace

However HL3 will be in development after Ep3 apparantly, or so Doug Lombardi has suggested.

The Epsodic nature has failed badly though.

Goes to show, when your production values are so high, as is wanting to fine tuned everything to increadably high standards - quick development does not work at all.

I would rather them began production on HL3 right after HL2, rather than making small Episodes every two years. Gabe's vision of Episodic content has been a failure. The reason he originally set down that path was so he could get them out faster, he promised fans that because they weren't developing full-fledged sequels (and continuing to use the same basic engine as in HL2) they could get them out much faster- hasn't been the case. Now we're having to wait years just to get a small episode's worth of content.

If they had began HL3 after HL2 we would be seeing a full, awesome sequel with a new version of Source soon. Now because they haven't we'll have to wait more and more years until HL3. It will be almost a decade between HL2 and HL3. That's not acceptable. I don't mind "Waiting a few years" either, waiting a decade is another matter.

RuprechtMonkey

Why is it a failure?

If you think of the episodes collectively as a kind of Half-Life 3 (as has been suggested by Valve), you're getting content about equal to a full game, at very high quality, spread out over the time it would have taken them to release it as a single product. Have you already forgotten that it took Valve six years to make a sequel to Half-Life 1?

While the episodes haven't quite delivered in terms of cutting down development time, they're still coming significantly faster than if Valve had waited to make a full retail product, and they've all been uniformly excellent. I don't see what the problem here is.

You aren't going 10 years without a new game. You're getting one every year and a half, which is downright incredible given Valve's development cycles.

Why is it a failure?

If you think of the episodes collectively as a kind of Half-Life 3 (as has been suggested by Valve), you're getting content about equal to a full game, at very high quality, spread out over the time it would have taken them to release it as a single product. Have you already forgotten that it took Valve six years to make a sequel to Half-Life 1?

While the episodes haven't quite delivered in terms of cutting down development time, they're still coming significantly faster than if Valve had waited to make a full retail product, and they've all been uniformly excellent. I don't see what the problem here is.

You aren't going 10 years without a new game. You're getting one every year and a half, which is downright incredible given Valve's development cycles.

sonicmj1

So Half Life 3 is the relatively small-scale cousin of Half Life 2?

I really don't want that to be true. Half Life 2 was the culmination of all current-gen technology up until that point. Half Life 3 should have that same effect.

Like really, Valve should blow our minds again single-handedly with one game.

[QUOTE="RuprechtMonkey"]

I would rather them began production on HL3 right after HL2, rather than making small Episodes every two years. Gabe's vision of Episodic content has been a failure. The reason he originally set down that path was so he could get them out faster, he promised fans that because they weren't developing full-fledged sequels (and continuing to use the same basic engine as in HL2) they could get them out much faster- hasn't been the case. Now we're having to wait years just to get a small episode's worth of content.

If they had began HL3 after HL2 we would be seeing a full, awesome sequel with a new version of Source soon. Now because they haven't we'll have to wait more and more years until HL3. It will be almost a decade between HL2 and HL3. That's not acceptable. I don't mind "Waiting a few years" either, waiting a decade is another matter.

sonicmj1

Why is it a failure?

If you think of the episodes collectively as a kind of Half-Life 3 (as has been suggested by Valve), you're getting content about equal to a full game, at very high quality, spread out over the time it would have taken them to release it as a single product. Have you already forgotten that it took Valve six years to make a sequel to Half-Life 1?

While the episodes haven't quite delivered in terms of cutting down development time, they're still coming significantly faster than if Valve had waited to make a full retail product, and they've all been uniformly excellent. I don't see what the problem here is.

You aren't going 10 years without a new game. You're getting one every year and a half, which is downright incredible given Valve's development cycles.

Because while the Episodes have been good, a full fleshed out sequel they are not - even combined. And in my opinion Episode One was compartively weak.

If they had done this after the original HL, HL2 would have been released in small sections over 6 years and it would look virtually identical to HL1... and it would've been of a much smaller scale than the HL2 as we know it. That would've been awful. Think about that.

These are not "new games." They are tiny expansions that take two years. It has not been worth it, this brand of Episodic content has been a complete failure.

How are they coming out faster than a full retail product?!?!! Episode 3 will have been more than 5 full years since HL2 when it finally comes out, maybe closer to six. They could've made HL3 in that time.

So Half Life 3 is the relatively small-scale cousin of Half Life 2?

I really don't want that to be true. Half Life 2 was the culmination of all current-gen technology up until that point. Half Life 3 should have that same effect.

Like really, Valve should blow our minds again single-handedly with one game.

FrozenLiquid

Exactly.

[QUOTE="RuprechtMonkey"]

I would rather them began production on HL3 right after HL2, rather than making small Episodes every two years. Gabe's vision of Episodic content has been a failure. The reason he originally set down that path was so he could get them out faster, he promised fans that because they weren't developing full-fledged sequels (and continuing to use the same basic engine as in HL2) they could get them out much faster- hasn't been the case. Now we're having to wait years just to get a small episode's worth of content.

If they had began HL3 after HL2 we would be seeing a full, awesome sequel with a new version of Source soon. Now because they haven't we'll have to wait more and more years until HL3. It will be almost a decade between HL2 and HL3. That's not acceptable. I don't mind "Waiting a few years" either, waiting a decade is another matter.

sonicmj1

Why is it a failure?

If you think of the episodes collectively as a kind of Half-Life 3 (as has been suggested by Valve), you're getting content about equal to a full game, at very high quality, spread out over the time it would have taken them to release it as a single product. Have you already forgotten that it took Valve six years to make a sequel to Half-Life 1?

While the episodes haven't quite delivered in terms of cutting down development time, they're still coming significantly faster than if Valve had waited to make a full retail product, and they've all been uniformly excellent. I don't see what the problem here is.

You aren't going 10 years without a new game. You're getting one every year and a half, which is downright incredible given Valve's development cycles.

Besides, the Source engine is starting to show its age, and it's perhaps time Valve started work on Source's successor, perhaps one that supports GPGPU functions, multiple processors, and other recent innovations. Perhaps even a native Linux version, since that's starting to gain some much-needed maturity.

I like the episodes.

And remember, during this whole time, Valve Has released Portal, Team Fortress 2, and they are working on Left 4 Dead. If they began to work on the successor to Half Life 2 after it was completed, we would not of seen any of these releases. Right now they are split up into many teams, one working on TF2 Content, One Working on Left 4 Dead, and presumably, one working on Episode 3.

If Half Life 3 was being made, it would require their full attention.

I like the episodes.

And remember, during this whole time, Valve Has released Portal, Team Fortress 2, and they are working on Left 4 Dead. If they began to work on the successor to Half Life 2 after it was completed, we would not of seen any of these releases. Right now they are split up into many teams, one working on TF2 Content, One Working on Left 4 Dead, and presumably, one working on Episode 3.

If Half Life 3 was being made, it would require their full attention.

Jodan77

I like the episodes.

And remember, during this whole time, Valve Has released Portal, Team Fortress 2, and they are working on Left 4 Dead. If they began to work on the successor to Half Life 2 after it was completed, we would not of seen any of these releases. Right now they are split up into many teams, one working on TF2 Content, One Working on Left 4 Dead, and presumably, one working on Episode 3.

If Half Life 3 was being made, it would require their full attention.

Jodan77

Not really. The core team that made Half Life 1 made Half Life 2. Almost all the other games they've made, save Team Fortress 2, was not the core team from Valve. Those students at DigiPen made Portal, and Turtle Rock Studios made Left 4 Dead. I doubt, with the huge team Valve has acquired now, that all of them would have worked on each title.

But of course, they've also been maintaining Steam, so that could be where their resources are going.

So Half Life 3 is the relatively small-scale cousin of Half Life 2?

I really don't want that to be true. Half Life 2 was the culmination of all current-gen technology up until that point. Half Life 3 should have that same effect.

Like really, Valve should blow our minds again single-handedly with one game.

FrozenLiquid

I absolutely agree with that. and that is why I am glad they decided to make the episodes expansions instead of calling it HL3. Because they almost did that. Source is getting old, they ought to make a new engine from scratch for HL3, IMO.

[QUOTE="Jodan77"]

I like the episodes.

And remember, during this whole time, Valve Has released Portal, Team Fortress 2, and they are working on Left 4 Dead. If they began to work on the successor to Half Life 2 after it was completed, we would not of seen any of these releases. Right now they are split up into many teams, one working on TF2 Content, One Working on Left 4 Dead, and presumably, one working on Episode 3.

If Half Life 3 was being made, it would require their full attention.

HuusAsking

But what would we do without Half Life :cry:

But on a serious note, that long without Valve releasing games would hurt. Team Fortess 2 is currently my most played game, and I can't imagine what gaming would be like without Portal, maybe not the best game ever, but surely one of the most unique. And you know how I feel about Left 4 Dead.

Valve said the risk in making Half Life 2 was large, it took 6 years of development, and who knows how much money. While it obviously paid off for them, Imagine if they would do it now, with developers everywhere citing how expensive it is to make games today. They would need to sell even more copies.

EDIT: Ok you have a point that Valve did not make Left 4 Dead, but if they were developing Half Life 3 at the time, they probably would not have of had the funds to acquire TRS. This is just an assumption.

Valve said the risk in making Half Life 2 was large, it took 6 years of development, and who knows how much money. While it obviously paid off for them, Imagine if they would do it now, with developers everywhere citing how expensive it is to make games today. They would need to sell even more copies.Jodan77

Doug Lombardi said this exactly:

"There was this trajectory with Half-Life 1 costing a lot less than that, and taking two years or whatever it took. HL2 was six years and a lot more money, so if we were to keep going down that path it was going to get more expensive, and take even longer. And what we wanted was an alternative to that. We wanted to deliver the games more quickly, and we didn't want to be taking the risk of $40 million or $50 million to make the thing, because at that point you're like, 'oh my god we have to sell 2 million copies or else we're ****ed', right?"Doug Lombardi

I always thought the Episodes combined were effectively Half Life 3 and would tie up the story. Is there actually going to be a Half Life 3, a story continuation to Episode 3, and not just a spinoff?whocares4peace

Ugh, this is pathetic.

Valve, **** the episode. Just move straight into Half Life 3. Whatever time frame who knows (like HL2)

Episodes were for quick runs, not full blown production schedules.

FrozenLiquid

Id much rather see a fully fleged sequal but hey, what can you do, they arent beating the epsodic horse afterwards, and of course there are other titles in the works (Counter Strike 2 for instance).

[QUOTE="Jodan77"]Valve said the risk in making Half Life 2 was large, it took 6 years of development, and who knows how much money. While it obviously paid off for them, Imagine if they would do it now, with developers everywhere citing how expensive it is to make games today. They would need to sell even more copies.organic_machine

Doug Lombardi said this exactly:

"There was this trajectory with Half-Life 1 costing a lot less than that, and taking two years or whatever it took. HL2 was six years and a lot more money, so if we were to keep going down that path it was going to get more expensive, and take even longer. And what we wanted was an alternative to that. We wanted to deliver the games more quickly, and we didn't want to be taking the risk of $40 million or $50 million to make the thing, because at that point you're like, 'oh my god we have to sell 2 million copies or else we're ****ed', right?"Doug Lombardi

I see his point, but you cant keep evolving the same technology into yearly episodes for such a game, especially when other titles in the genre will simply stride ahead and evolve even further than just baby steps and refinement of a set formula.

The Episodes and HL2 got lucky this gen.... Its knowhere as outdated as it should be, especially considering the time frame. Says alot about the current state in the genre.

The Episodes and HL2 got lucky this gen.... Its knowhere as outdated as it should be, especially considering the time frame. Says alot about the current state in the genre.

skrat_01

Yeah, I agree. It's kinda ironic that the biggest FPS this gen, CoD 4, is a 2003 game with shiny graphix. Same one-path, one way level design. At least the HL2 series, with it's also linear levels, encourages players to play the game differently.

C'mon Valve. This is unacceptable.

Don't get me wrong I've enjoyed HL2 as well as Ep 1 + 2, but releasing Ep 3 in 2010 just destroys the concept of episodic content.

I can understand why it's taking long (L4D development, maintaining/updating Steam), but if it was going to take this long then Valve would've been better off making Half Life 3 instead.

I hate the whole EP BS, EP1 was terrible.FirstDiscovery

[QUOTE="FirstDiscovery"]I hate the whole EP BS, EP1 was terrible.Nintendo_Ownes7

Yeah, this, folks, is why I have been against Valve's episodic appraoch. I'm waiting nearly the same amount of time for an EPISODE as I do a full-fledged game.Verge_6

Though I must say; I can't wait to actually play a new or sorta new :P HL2.

[QUOTE="Nintendo_Ownes7"][QUOTE="FirstDiscovery"]I hate the whole EP BS, EP1 was terrible.FirstDiscovery

Ep1 was a big let down, and while Ep2 was MUCH more enjoyable, I also found myself a bit disappointed with how linear the game still was, even though it was set in a large mountain region.

[QUOTE="FirstDiscovery"]

[QUOTE="Nintendo_Ownes7"][QUOTE="FirstDiscovery"]I hate the whole EP BS, EP1 was terrible.Verge_6

Ep1 was a big let down, and while Ep2 was MUCH more enjoyable, I also found myself a bit disappointed with how linear the game still was, even though it was set in a large mountain region.

Especially since the gameplay videos showed a wolrd that was very open. But the only part of the game that was actually open was that trider part at the end. I emailed Gabe about it and he agreed. Open-ness seems to be the way of the future.

Especially since the gameplay videos showed a wolrd that was very open. But the only part of the game that was actually open was that trider part at the end. I emailed Gabe about it and he agreed. Open-ness seems to be the way of the future.

organic_machine

You can e-mail Gabe?

Was he not happy with Episode 2?