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Gabe Newell: Valve is excited about wearable computers, open hardware
Finally, we have a concrete reason for the eternal delay of Half-Life 2 Episode 3: Valve head Gabe Newell is more interested in wearable computing. OK, that's not directly why Valve hasn't announced a new Half-Life title, but wearable computing and hardware development are definitely something Valve is interested in, Newell told Penny Arcade Report.Wearable computers -- think Star Trek communication badges, wrist-bound touchscreens or SixthSense -- are seeing a resurgence, and Valve is doing its own research into how they might function as gaming devices. Wearable computers now are "way higher resolution, way lighter weight, much better battery life," and Valve is doing its own research into this technology through biometrics, and is excited to see where it goes, Newell said."So we're thinking of trying to figure out how to do the equivalent of the [Team Fortress] incremental approach in software design and try to figure out how would you get something similar to that in the hardware space as well," he said. If Valve were to produce hardware, it would be something easy to iterate so customers don't have to buy 10 million devices, Newell said. Of course, that's if."Well, if we have to sell hardware we will," Newell said. "We have no reason to believe we're any good at it; it's more we think that we need to continue to have innovation and if the only way to get these kind of projects started is by us going and developing and selling the hardware directly then that's what we'll do."No company is safe from irrelevance, as far as Newell sees it, and even Microsoft and Sony can suffer the same fate as Atari and Commodore if they continue to create closed systems and don't innovate. "As soon as Valve stops doing interesting, innovative work we're gonna be left behind," Newell stated, unfortunately missing the "left for dead" pun opportunity.
Apparently Valve employees have Half-Life 3 t-shirts
Keep in mind that Valve isn't above trolling its own fans -- Gabe Newell could have a 50-square-foot room at Valve studios stuffed full of Half-Life 3 t-shirts, foam hands and head crabs to keep the excitement alive, and a lot of empty hard drive space for the actual game. Nonetheless, @Ekanaut, the marketing man for Monday Night Combat studio Uber Entertainment, spotted this Half-Life 3 shirt "worn by a Valve employee" at Seattle's Eastside Industry Night. Eka said the Valve employee "knew as much about Half-Life 3 as we do, which is nothing." We can't help it -- the print on that shirt does look nice and fresh, doesn't it? As if it were just removed from a box of new Half-Life 3 merch ordered specifically for the game announcement that's happening any minute now? Doesn't it?
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.
Portal 2 Achievement invites Half-Life 2: Ep 3 conspiracy theory
All fifty of Portal 2's Achievements have been uncovered by Xbox360Achievements.org. In typical Valve fashion, there are some comedic gems in the list, like "The Part Where He Kills You," and some in-jokes, including "Narbacular Drop" and, yes, "Still Alive." But one Achievement is generating some real buzz: "Ship Overboard" has players discovering "the missing experiment." Some have suggested that this Achievement is a possible reference to the Borealis, an Aperture Science vessel first mentioned in Half-Life 2: Episode Two. In the brief scene (embedded after the break), Isaac Kleiner notes that the Borealis contains some kind of technology that can help humanity. Could Portal 2 tie into the final Half-Life 2 episode? Or are overeager fans simply grasping at nothing? April 20 can't come soon enough.
Rumor: Half-Life 2 announcement teased by 'Freeman' art [update]
There's a substantial number of games we've been hoping to see unveiled at E3 later this month, but our desire for the announcement of one game in particular easily overshadows all others: Half-Life 2: Episode 3. We've tempered our expectations for such an announcement after being disappointed at trade shows for like, a decade -- but if the teaser image posted after the jump is legit, our wait might just be coming to an end in a little over a week. The image features the Half-Life Lambda symbol, the word "Freeman," a barely visible watermark of what appears to be G-Man's face, and a mention of June 14 -- the original date for the (rather humorously) canceled Portal 2 event. We're still worried about playing the Charlie Brown to Valve's Lucy -- Rock, Paper, Shotgun claims the image is a fake, but doesn't provide the source for that information. We've contacted Valve about the teaser's authenticity, though we're finding it awfully hard to type out an email when all of our fingers are crossed. Update: Reader Jake Handy pinged Valve's Gabe Newell about this, and Newell's response couldn't have been clearer -- or more terse: "Fake."
Game Informer: No Half-Life 2: Episode 3 for you in 2010
Now this is just demoralizing. According to a report in the rumors section of the Feb. 2010 issue of Game Informer (which doesn't name its source) there won't be "any game from the [Half-Life] franchise in 2010." As if that weren't crushing enough, the magazine says it's not even sure there will be a Half-Life 2: Episode 3, postulating that the next Gordon Freeman adventure might be Half-Life 3 proper. Alright, listen, Half-Life: You take as long as you need, but we know you're holding Portal 2 in there somewhere. Just let GLaDOS go unharmed and you can develop until 2020 for all we care. Please, if not for us, think of the preteens waiting to record painful cover versions of "I'm Still Alive (Again)" on YouTube.
Valve researching sign language for use in Half-Life 2: Episode 3
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
Half-Life 2 developer Valve Software is remaining unsurprisingly cagey in conversations about Half-Life 2: Episode 3. Speaking with G4, the company's managing director Gabe Newell said, "There are very good reasons why we're not talking about Episode 3, which I can't talk about yet." 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]
Gabe Newell presents his vison for the gaming industry at D.I.C.E.
Long story short: Do it like Valve does it. Long story reasonably brief: Valve boss Gabe Newell wants to shake up the way the industry works by keeping pricing in flux, updating content more frequently and getting away from DRM as copy-protection, among other things. Newell also suggested leaning more on the release of concept art to get gamers excited, though we're not still not sure what effect that one Half-Life image is having on us.You can see more of the Freemanifesto that Newell delivered yesterday at D.I.C.E. right here. We'd love to know how closely your own view cleaves to his vision for the gaming landscape. Or, if you're feeling less cerebral: OMG Team Fortress 2 comics!
Valve may show Half-Life 2: Episode Three this year; release still a ways off
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 that time 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.
Half-Life 2: Episode 3 is coming to a 360 near you
Half-Life 2: Episode 3. The mere mention of the game makes our inner Valve-loving, Combine-hating, Crowbar-swinging heart go aflutter. That's why when mention of actual Valve supplied Episode 3 "Advisor" concept artwork appearing at E3's Into the Pixel art exhibition, we began to weep with excitement. Then we realized that the artwork had the descriptor reading "Platforms: PC, PS3 and Xbox 360". Our weeps soon turned into a joyous outburst of all out waterfall tears. Episode 3, it may be revealed at E3, but is guaranteed to eventually be hitting the 360. Yippy![Via IGN]
Half-Life 2: Episodes Two and Three confirmed
As we wait patiently for next week's release of Half-Life 2: Episode One, Valve has confirmed that Episode Two will ship by the end of the year, and will be the subject of a sneak peek included with the first expansion. Meanwhile, Episode Three is already in development and has been confirmed for a late 2007 release. How many of you have purchased SiN Episodes: Emergence, or BioWare's Neverwinter Nights premium modules? What other franchises would you like to see deliver episodic content? See also: HL2: Episode One site is up, with plot details, Half-Life 2 storyline cheat sheet
