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[TheRedSnifit]

Steam being a monopoly means a lot because what are those 11 million people going to flock to for a better digital games service? They just have to deal with Steam for now.

Steam isn't a monopoly, other clients exist (Amazon DD, for example). If Steam was as terrible as people say, people would "flock" to these other services.

The reality is that Steam works well enough that few people see reason to seek out alternatives.

 

[a very cute dog]

If I was a multi-millionaire I'd love to contract some neuro-biologists to figure out people's compulsion to think Half Life 3 was or is happening.

It transcends simple psychology and I'm baffled.

It's like if Lucas stopped at Empire and never alluded to the existence of ROTJ.

 

[GlamFM]

I just dont think that you should take an announcement as a promise, especially in the games industry.
It cant be healthy to feel that someone broke a promise with you every three weeks.

Please point me to another series that consists of 3 parts where the third one simply never appeared without any explanation.

 

[Fuchs]

The year of dreams is officially over, guys.

 

[TheVoidDragon]

Please point me to another series that consist of 3 parts where the third one simply never appeared without any explanation.

There has been an explanation, though. Valve has said at least twice why they haven't properly announced the next game yet. It hasn't been 8 years of silence like so many people seem to think.

 

[GlamFM]

There has been an explanation, though. Valve has said at least twice why they haven't properly announced the game yet.

Talking about HL2 Episode 3.

 

[TheVoidDragon]

Talking about HL2 Episode 3.

It doesn't really matter what the next game is called, It might be EP3 or HL3, but either way they've said why they haven't shown anything of the next Half-life game yet. It hasn't appeared yet, but there isn't anything to suggest it's been outright cancelled and we'll never see it.

 

[iNvid02]

Whats not to say that HL3's story has not already been finalized and wrapped up?
Maybe it will be his magnum opus.
Can't go out on a bigger bang than that!

this is from that "theknow" rumour last year, he responded to it saying how they write the story and design the game simultaneously

http://i.imgur.com/dTgJ1WZ.png

But it's worth mentioning the rumor actually said that the script, story and game events were complete, so in that case they could have enough to know where a combat section will play out, or where a puzzle will be inserted etc and how it affects the overall pacing, instead of just the script

Regardless though this is a blow for valve, or at least the one some of us want

 

[GlamFM]

It doesn't really matter what the next game is called, It might be EP3 or HL3, but either way they've said why they haven't shown anything of the next Half-life game yet.

Episode 3 was announced for spring 2009...

 

[Liamario]

I just don't understand why valve don't just come out and say that the project is being worked on, but not in full development/not being worked on/cancelled/coming soon.
It's very frustrating that they can't just give a proper response to fans.

 

[TheVoidDragon]

Episode 3 was announced for spring 2009...

I know that, i sort of misunderstood what you were getting at.

I just don't understand why valve don't just come out and say that the project is being worked on, but not in full development/not being worked on/cancelled/coming soon.
It's very frustrating that they can't just give a proper response to fans.

Gabe has said at least twice. One was back in 2012 under the guise of "Ricochet 2" but i'm fairly sure he's said something similar more recently.

http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2012/04/23/gabe-on-ricochet-2-delay-but-he-doesnt-mean-ricochet/

“Everyone who was working on Ricochet 2 continues to work on Ricochet 2.”

 

[GlamFM]

I just don't understand why valve don't just come out and say that the project is being worked on, but not in full development/not being worked on/cancelled/coming soon.
It's very frustrating that they can't just give a proper response to fans.

They need the fans to think that they are still the coolest developer out there, that HL3 might still happen and that we should support them.

If they told us they had nothing significant in development we would realize that they are basically amazon for videogames.

 

[JordanKZ]

I just don't understand why valve don't just come out and say that the project is being worked on, but not in full development/not being worked on/cancelled/coming soon.
It's very frustrating that they can't just give a proper response to fans.

Simple, Valve don't feel as if they owe anyone. They'll take their time, because they can. They don't have shareholders, they aren't publically accountable and they know people will buy their products if they ever do make it to market. It's not like they're financially having issues.

 

[PhaZZe]

wow so much hate for valve, they have great games csgo, dota, tf2.
they have a great service, steam, with nice deals(people who hate the last deals are the same who have 200+ games unfinished in backlog), the support is slow, but the last time i needed they recovered a old account in 2 days, maybe was luck.
Right now for me Half Life 3 will never happend, they will never reach the expectations if they release a game with that legendary status, for Marc best luck and enjoy retirement.

 

[Gipsy Danger]

Please point me to another series that consists of 3 parts where the third one simply never appeared without any explanation.

Afro Samurai 2.

 

[Whompa02]

I wish the videogame industry wasn't such a hot mess. It just seems so disorganized...same with movies...same with most larger scale entertainment.

Bah. Shame to hear he's going, but if it's retirement then I hope he can enjoy the time he has left without working. Just wish the time was spent better at Valve...wish they still did Half-Life...

 

[Tart Toter 9k]

Please point me to another series that consists of 3 parts where the third one simply never appeared without any explanation.

Are you implying that there aren't dozens of games that are announced, not released but also not cancelled? I dont see why it being a trilogy should matter.
All im saying is that the industry is filled with announcements that lead nowhere so i would never take an announcement as a promise.

Spoiler

Also, never is a long time. It might still happen...

 

[gnomed]

Good luck Mark.

One of the best ways to announce a retirement I have read. Would have been sweeter if there was a press conference at Valve office and someone reads the message with accompanying slides.

 

[Archie]

I love this "Valve doesn't make games" meme, especially when their two biggest games got major updates in the past few months.

 

[diffusionx]

Steam isn't a monopoly, other clients exist (Amazon DD, for example). If Steam was as terrible as people say, people would "flock" to these other services.

The reality is that Steam works well enough that few people see reason to seek out alternatives.

Steam is a monopoly. A monopoly doesn't mean 100% of the market, the general legal definition is around 70% and Steam clears that hurdle easily. Even if you use Amazon DD, if a game uses Steamworks, then it really doesn't matter, you're playing the game on Steam. If you think Valve didn't invent Steamworks and other things to lock people into Steam you're just naive.

I don't think Steam is breaking the law or anything, but you can see their market power and influence pretty easily.

 

[Interfectum]

Just a perspective on what the other Valve writers are seemingly working on

Chet Faliszek is doing PR for the Vive
Jay Pinkerton is doing comics
Erik Wolpaw is doing comics and soon Psychonauts 2
Ted Kosmatka left for Bungie
Steve Jaros was doing Dota the last time he talked about work

of course there's unannounced stuff, which might not see the light of day at all... but the point is they haven't exactly knocked it out of the park in these last years

That's a little depressing...

 

[Goro Majima]

It's been so long since the last Half Life release that I wouldn't be surprised if it was just rebooted anyway if it ever did come out.

 

[EatChildren]

It's for the best. I don't know what I'd have left to look forward to if Half Life 3 actually came out.

 

[vocab]

What's wrong with it just now?

Csgo? I mean the developers who work on it have no fucking idea what CS is

 

[jem0208]

Something I find very odd about Valve is that they have 1 original series that was created entirely inside their walls: Half Life.

Every other game they have released was either originally a mod, or started development/was conceived of outside of Valve.

 

[Heavy's Sandvich]

I love this "Valve doesn't make games" meme, especially when their two biggest games got major updates in the past few months.

How about Valve doesn't make single player games?

In a short few months, its 5 years since Portal 2.

 

[Theonik]

Not comparable.

?
I am not comparing the circumstances. It's not the first time peole cling to something like this and it even becomes a meme. As for HL3 happening, who knows. Crazier things have happened.

...crowd-funding happened. Valve more than likely has the budget for HL3.
As far as we could tell, a varying margin of staff worked on the game but it was never beyond experimentation. I imagine if TF2 and Portal weren't as much of a raging success as they became, it may have spurred HL2: Episode 3's production further.

Which for a while seemed impossible. I'm not saying that HL3 needs crowdfunding that's dumb. HL3 is much more likely to happen than Shenmue III was. Valve has to resources to make it so.

 

[ashecitism]

I love this "Valve doesn't make games" meme, especially when their two biggest games got major updates in the past few months.

To be fair the last one for GO got almost fully reverted lol

 

[Whompa02]

Valve definitely has the resources to do it. If they can get JJ Abrams to collaborate with them, they can make a game...

 

[Darkangel]

Imagine if Porsche started producing cheap, economy-oriented cars. Now imagine if they became successful at it, then refused to talk about the 911 for nearly a decade. Sure they'd technically still be a car company, but their original fanbase is going to feel a little betrayed.

That's how a lot of Half-life fans feel about Valve.

 

[ashecitism]

Valve definitely has the resources to do it. If they can get JJ Abrams to collaborate with them, they can make a game...

JJ is doing Spyjinx atm. Also their collaboration led to a TF2 mode.

 

[Shuggananas]

Imagine if Porsche started producing cheap, economy-oriented cars. Now imagine they become successful at it, and refuse to talk about the 911 for nearly a decade. Sure they'd technically still be a car company, but their original fanbase is going to feel a little betrayed.

That's how a lot of Half-life fans feel about Valve.

so CSGO and dota 2 are cheap, economy-oriented games ? huh
The price of a game doesn't make its quality
Or do you not like playing free games ?

Your comparison makes no sense rofl

 

[dex3108]

Can we now get Half Life 3 on Fig/Kickstarter and one for all be done with it?

 

[GlamFM]

Can we now get Half Life 3 on Fig/Kickstarter and one for all be done with it?

How would money help?

VALVe are swimming in money.

You can´t kickstart ambition or desire to make a game.

 

[John Kowalski]

i hope good things come to him

 

[dose]

I have no idea who this is, OP should at least explain who/what they were.

 

[Whompa02]

JJ is doing Spyjinx atm. Also their collaboration led to a TF2 mode.

At least it got the ball rolling on a potential Half-Life and Portal movie, which will also probably never happen.

 

[jem0208]

so CSGO and dota 2 are cheap, economy-oriented games ? huh
The price of a game doesn't make its quality
Or do you not like playing free games ?

Your comparison makes no sense rofl

Alright, imagine MINI suddenly stopped making small hatchbacks and decided to only focus on large SUVs. Same concept.

Although the cheap, economy comparison is fairly apt.

Cheap to make for Valve, cheap to buy for consumers, massive cash flow because there are loads of users.

 

[strafer]

I thought his last name was Ludlow.

 

[Piston Hyundai]

so CSGO and dota 2 are cheap, economy-oriented games ?

those are totally two descriptors for those games that come to mind

 

[ashecitism]

I have no idea who this is, OP should at least explain who/what they were.

Writer of HL.

 

[Sibylus]

 

[Shuggananas]

those are totally two descriptors for those games that come to mind

they're still games with a lot of substance and content, who gives a fuck if they're free or cheaper ?

 

[gafneo]

Good, now he will go one KS and make a spiritual successor called Full Life.

 

[More Fun To Compute]

Good, now he will go one KS and make a spiritual successor called Full Life.

The reason why we don't have hl3 is because the script was leaked.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OHxyZaZlaOs

 

[water_wendi]

so CSGO and dota 2 are cheap, economy-oriented games ? huh
The price of a game doesn't make its quality
Or do you not like playing free games ?

Your comparison makes no sense rofl

The comparison is the company making something completely different than what they made to secure their original fanbase.

Its amazing how in just a few short years the sentiment towards Valve has started to turn.

 

[vocab]

Can we now get Half Life 3 on Fig/Kickstarter and one for all be done with it?

Lets give the company with too much money some more money.

 

[NoblesseOblige]

Hi, so I'm gonna admit I'm kind of frustrated with Valve after 12 years of silence and avoidance towards my (our) favorite game which would be Half-Life, so I went ahead and asked Marc to speak about it once and for all.

I don't understand why one would cause themselves frustration over this. Like, if nothing is being said about a hypothetical game I'd like to see, then I just assume it ain't happening. If information is announced at a later date, then great. If not, then it's whatever.

 

[Theonik]

Steam isn't a monopoly, other clients exist (Amazon DD, for example). If Steam was as terrible as people say, people would "flock" to these other services.

The reality is that Steam works well enough that few people see reason to seek out alternatives.

I think this is only part of the story. While I think this is certainly true, there is also the aspect that, for what Valve is doing, they have the power to essentially lock their customers into their store. It is not possible for someone to fully migrate to another digital platform without also forefeiting their entire Steam library of games. The more invested people are in the Steam platform, the less likely they are to move on.

 

[ashecitism]

He's also wrong about 12 years. Episode 2 will be 9 years old this fall.