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Cyberpunk Half-Life 2 mod, NeoTokyo, now available on Steam for free
Five years after it debuted as a fan-crafted Half-Life 2 modification, and following a lengthy Greenlight campaign, NeoTokyo has arrived on Steam as a standalone release. Best described as an amalgamation of Counter-Strike's creeping, deliberate gunplay and sci-fi influences that fall somewhere between Neuromancer and Ghost In The Shell, NeoTokyo has earned a devoted following over the past half-decade. That should only increase, as the standalone Steam release bears a $0 price tag, and does not require players own Half-Life 2 or any other game containing the Source engine. Full technical specs and game details on NeoTokyo can now be found on the game's Steam page. [Image: Studio Radi-8]
Rise and shine, Half-Life 2, on Nvidia Shield
Half-Life 2 crowbarred itself into Portal's launch party on Nvidia Shield, and both games are out now for the Android-based console. Nvidia, who handled the ports, confirmed to Joystiq the Android versions are currently only available on Shield. According to Nvidia, the Shield ports of Valve's revered shooter and puzzler offer "the full PC versions natively on Android." While the company's $200 system can stream PC games, the two Valve adventures are downloaded to the device and played locally. Half-Life 2 and Portal are available via Google Play, each priced $10. [Image: Nvidia]
Valve: Trust in employees is key to good game development
If you treat your workers with kindness and compassion, they'll reward your support with better work - at least, that's the stance Valve Software takes. In an interview with the Washington Post, Valve CEO and co-founder Gabe Newell explains this philosophy by examining how the company handles employee sick days. Specifically, Valve doesn't handle them, and employees are trusted to be responsible with their time. "[W]e don't track vacation time or sick time - we just tell people we trust you to make all of these other decisions, of course we are going to trust you to manage your own time," Newell said. "It's actually a pretty minor issue in terms of how much time people actually spend on vacation or sick leave." "But it's a really important issue for someone who is say, coming out of Hollywood," he added. "When you tell them that - and it's really true - it seems to be useful in getting them to start to realize that there is a rationale behind how the company works. There's sort of the flashy public things like desks on wheels, but it really is intended to create a better environment for a highly technical set of tasks that vary fairly quickly over time." While other companies have different tactics in dealing with the inevitability of employee illness, it's hard to argue against the games Valve has produced. Half-Life and Half-Life 2 regularly feature on "best games of all time" lists, and Team Fortress 2 is heading into its seventh year of operation with no indication that it will lose popularity any time soon.
Steam adds VR support category, Oculus Rift games now easier to find
We're inching slowly toward the virtual reality future the 1980s promised us with the addition of a "VR support" category on Valve's digital distribution service Steam. Currently, nine games can be found by searching for VR support in Steam. Highlights include the Valve Complete Pack, Surgeon Simulator 2013 and Strike Suit Zero. Notably absent from the list is Euro Truck Simulator, though its omission could either be the result of the search query still being fleshed out, or because the game's Oculus Rift support is still in the testing phases. It should go without saying, but if you want to experience these games in their fully immersive glory, you're going to also need to own an Oculus Rift headset. Unfortunately we still have no pricing or release date information for the gadget. (Image credit: Sergey Galyonkin)
Half-Life 2 on the Oculus Rift looks like double the trouble, fun
Oculus Rift owner and YouTuber Vaecon recorded a 15-minute session of Half-Life 2 on Oculus Rift, and the entire experience can be summed up in a few words, spoken less than two minutes into his gameplay demo: "Whoa. This is really cool." Valve launched official support for Half-Life 2 on the Oculus Rift virtual reality headset, in beta form, on Friday. Valve programmer Joe Ludwig cautioned that this beta was "a bit more raw" than Team Fortress 2's Oculus Rift prowess, noting HUD and UI issues. Vaecon sported some anti-motion-sickness bands during his Half-Life 2 session, since previous games on the system left him woozy. Whether because of the bands or the game itself, Half-Life 2 on Oculus Rift didn't appear to affect Vaecon's stomach. "This is the perfect scene to show on the Oculus because there's a lot of action, jumping and – oh, I feel like I'm swimming," he said.
Half-Life 2 gets official Oculus Rift support
Valve has updated Half-Life 2 with Oculus Rift compatibility, Valve programmer Joe Ludwig announced on the device's developer forums. "We just shipped a beta for Half-Life 2 that includes Oculus Rift support," Ludwig writes. "To get it, open the properties for HL2 in Steam, set your command line to '-vr,' and opt-in to the SteamPipe beta. This should ship to everybody in a few weeks." Ludwig also cautions that Half-Life 2's Oculus Rift support is "a bit more raw" than the implementation found in Valve's other provisionally Rift-supporting game, Team Fortress 2. Specifically, he mentions slight UI issues and acknowledges that the game's HUD is difficult to read, and encourages developers to let Valve know of any issues they encounter while charging around City 17. In other Half-Life 2 news, a Linux version of the game has been released as a beta – the client can be downloaded from your Steam Library like other Steam Play-enabled titles. Well, assuming you own Half-Life 2, of course. It's not that beta. [Thanks, Rasmus!]
Oculus Rift still on for March, has lens caps for vision-impaired, adjustable assembly now
With Oculus Rift's initial developer unit launch scheduled for next month, the folks at Oculus have understandably been busy. After CES, they went to Hong Kong to oversee the initial manufacturing run of their "pilot" dev kit prototypes – 40 in total – and are on-track to meet their March ship deadline for the final Oculus Rift. Kickstarter backers will receive their units sometime in April.With the extra time, Oculus added two small features the start-up hopes will make for a better experience: swappable lens caps for the inside viewing area and an adjustable assembly for a more fine-tuned fit. So if you're near-sighted or far-sighted, the three different lens caps will allow you to adjust your depth of focus to meet your vision needs; and with the adjustable assembly, now you can possibly leave your glasses on when using the Oculus Rift and get the best fit possible.If you're late to the Oculus Rift party, know it's a virtual reality headset that has mesmerized some of the industry's most notable talent, including John Carmack and MineCraft creator Markus "Notch" Persson. In fact, they aren't the only ones – a recent Half-Life 2 head-tracking and gun-tracking mod created by Nathan Andrews, designed for the Oculus Rift, has gotten a lot of attention. Andrews put up his own AMA on Reddit to answer questions and provide more information – if you want to see the mod in action, head past the break for a video demonstration. Trust us, it's totally neat!
Half-Life 2 Gravity Gun on sale in April, sign up for updates
NECA's full-size Half-Life 2 Gravity Gun replica can be yours, but getting it won't be easy.The Gravity Gun will go on sale on Think Geek in April for $150, but there will be a limited quantity. Like the Portal guns that sold out in just 30 minutes last year, once they're sold out, they're gone forever. To give yourself the best chance of scoring a Gravity Gun, sign up for an email alert now on its Think Geek page.The NECA Gravity Gun is stocked with sound effects and LEDs, and a kickstand for all those times you're not acting out Gordon Freeman fantasies with it. Check out the full run-down on Think Geek, and if you're interested, don't forget to sign up for that email reminder.
Gordon Freeman action figure has no push-button catch phrases
NECA's latest Valve figurine features a surprisingly smooth-skinned Gordon Freeman in a hazard suit, and comes with two sets of interchangeable hands, even though limb detachment is a feature we don't quite remember from Half-Life 2 (at least, not voluntary limb detachment).Freeman stands 7 inches and has 20 points of articulation, and also comes with four separate accessories: crowbar, bugbomb, gravity gun and headcrab.The Freeman figurine runs $18 and will launch in September, Lambda Generation notes. Just in time to get grandma that headcrab she's always asked for during the holidays.
Rumor: Dota 2 client leaked, contains 'ep3' code
You'll forgive us if we're highly speculative about code supposedly unearthed from the leaked beta client for Valve's upcoming action RTS, Dota 2. It supposedly includes information from a folder named "ep3." Now wait a minute, stop huffing -- we know, we know -- and hear us out. As reported by Valve fan site Lambda Generation, the Dota 2 beta client has apparently leaked via Vietnam, and eager fans datamined the code for info, apparently plundering a string of code regarding something called "ep3." As you might imagine, both the dataminers and gaming websites are saying the folder pertains to the comically nebulous Half-Life 2: Episode 3, with the code pointing to two weapons -- an ice gun and a flamethrower -- as well as three "weaponizers" (concrete, liquid, and metal). But wait, why would Valve leave code for another one of its projects in the beta code for Dota 2, especially a project that it refuses to acknowledge exists? In short, Valve's done some similarly cheeky things in the past to promote its games, albeit not nearly as deep as this would be. We've reached out to Valve for word, but don't expect to hear anything official.
The Stanley Parable is a thoughtful Half-Life 2 mod
"Cakebread," the creator of Half-Life 2 mod "The Stanley Parable," says the less you know about his experimental, story-driven game the better, and we're going to adhere to the spirit of that. Besides, if the trailer above doesn't make you want to play it, nothing we're going to say will help.
Half-Life 2 H.E.V. charging station case mod is without equal
We've showcased some PC mods here on our humble site before, but we're pretty sure we're ready to crown Overclock forum user Frenkie "King of the PC Mods" -- his Half-Life 2-inspired H.E.V. recharge station mod seen above is total pin-up material. As you read this, we're printing out the images he posted over on Overclock, throwing them all over the floor and just rolling around in them, trying to soak up the magnificence. Of course, the downside to all of this is that we're reminded of Half-Life 2: Episode 3 yet again ... and how much we need it.
ModDB removes 'School Shooter' Half-Life 2 mod to quell building controversy
A mod for Half-Life 2 called "School Shooter: North American Tour 2012" has been pulled from its hosting site, ModDB, after picking up some attention for its controversial nature. The mod allowed the player to explore a school-like environment in a first-person shooter context, with the option of attacking various unarmed NPCs. ModDB has posted a short statement about why it pulled the code, saying that although it feels "people should have the right to be creative and share what they want on a community / developer run site," the "confusion and hate" surrounding the project led to the removal. As you can see from a video of the mod posted on YouTube, there's another reason people don't need to share it around, and that's because it's just not very well made. The "Boring" effects are pulled from Bulletstorm's "Duty Calls" parody, but they fit this one just fine, too.
Retrospective follows the 2003 theft of Half-Life 2's code
Half-Life 2 was never destined to release on time. It is a Valve project, after all. However, Gabe Newell and company couldn't have predicted that -- months before its expected release -- the game's source code would be stolen and distributed on the internet. "Is this going to destroy the company?," a designer supposedly asked Newell when it happened in 2003. Eurogamer interviewed Axel Gembe, the young man responsible for breaching Valve's security and stealing the code. Gembe describes himself as a devoted fan of Valve, admitting that the original Half-Life was his favorite game. After his computer became infected with malware, he became inspired: instead of trying to remove the program, he reverse-engineered it to understand how it worked, and then began working on his own code. Hungry for details on the long-delayed Half-Life 2, Gembe knocked on Valve's virtual doors and found it "easy" to get access. After the breach, Valve struggled in finding leads on how the source code got stolen. But on February 14, 2004, Newell received a rather odd e-mail. Gembe was confessing to the crime, noting that he was "sorry for what happened." Naively, he asked Newell for a job at Valve, thinking it would be best for both parties involved. "I hoped for the best," although Valve was already coordinating with the FBI for his arrest. "I was not the brightest kid back then." After serving a two-year probation, Gembe eventually found work in the security sector, wisened from his experience. "I was naïve and did things that I should never have done," he told Eurogamer. "There were so many better uses of my time. I regret having caused Valve Software trouble and financial loss."
Gabe Newell speaks to a high school marketing class
Valve co-founder Gabe Newell recently discovered another thing he could do instead of releasing Half-Life 2: Episode 3 -- speaking to a high school class about the business of interactive entertainment. Check out a lengthy video of the teleconference below -- you might just learn a little something.
Half-Life 2 Headcrab Zombie figure pre-orders open Oct. 4
Some people like coffee when they need a pick-me-up, some people like a snack -- heck, some people do sit-ups. But, for a select few, only mortal fear can motivate. So don't judge anybody who may be interested in pre-ordering Gaming Heads' Crabhead figurine on October 4, okay?
Garry's Mod hits the Mac, 50% off
The versatile Garry's Mod is available now for Mac. To celebrate, the app will be $5 for the next week -- that's 50 percent off the regular price. Though, remember, if you own the PC version, you automagically own the Mac port. The one caveat with Garry's Mod is that you need to own another Source Engine game before use. In the right hands, the mod can be used to make engaging Machinima like "The Jacknife Chronicles." In our hands, it would be used to make the umpteenth version of Gman doing "Banana Phone."
Fan-made Half-Life 2 movie trailer leaves us wanting more
While not the first fan-made trailer for the Half-Life 2 movie which never-will-be, animator Marco Spitoni's stab at cinemafying the beloved shooter might be the best one to date. Watch the all-CG trailer posted after the jump, and join us in furiously wishing for a full feature film in this style.
The best Garry's Mod-chinima we've ever seen: Jacknife Chronicles
Do you feel like taking a break from the toils of your day to watch an action-packed blockbuster, but don't really feel like dedicating ninety minutes to watching a film? There's an easy solution to that: check out YouTube user Kitty0706's "The Jacknife Chronicles," a twelve-minute, remarkably violent revenge story created entirely within Garry's Mod for Half-Life 2. We anticipate that it will it satisfy your action cravings in a fairly efficient manner. The short film, which borrows more than a few locales and soundtrack clips from Mirror's Edge and Portal, can be found in its entirety after the jump. It's a little NSFW -- especially if you happen to work as a security guard in a high-tech compound.
Beyond Black Mesa fan film trailer looks pretty amazing
Half-Life has proven itself to be a pretty popular universe for fans to set their fan films within -- but that doesn't mean we're not hungry for more. We recently got our fix from the trailer for Beyond Black Mesa, a short film chronicling the adventures of a small band of anti-Combine rebels.
