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[j-wood]

Being upset on the radio silence of HL and wanting closure to the game isn't entitlement.

Some people, like me, really enjoyed the HL story, and I wanted to see how it ended. The last game ended on a major cliffhanger.

This is basically the exact same scenario of GRRM never releases the rest of the GOT books and says nothing further on it.

People would be upset at that, and no one would be calling them entitled.

 

[HandsomeCharles]

They didn't deliver their end of the deal. That is all there is to it. Congrats to you for being a good little consumer who doesn't believe customers should expect what they're promised.

Are you serious? There was no "deal" for a third episode. The only "deal" being made was between you and the retailer buying a copy of Episode 1, 2 or the orange box. You didn't buy a season pass, or pay for content that at the time had not yet been made, so in terms of a customer getting what they paid for, you got EXACTLY what you paid for.

 

[Marcel]

Because I've had to read their whining for years. They have the end of the story now. Its time to move on.

I hope the resistance frees you from Internet Comment Nova Prospekt. It sounds rough, being forced by your jailers to read things.

 

[tci]

I hope this is the final nail in the coffin and Valve finally has the balls to outright say "sorry, but Half Life is dead".

That is the only way they will have any respect left with me. Not cared about them since Portal 2. Waiting so long for Ep. 3. Glad it is over. Can finally close that chapter and look at Valve as a company that have lost me forever.

 

[nachum00]

Sega now makes a good version of Shenmue that people actually buy.

Lol no. Yakuza is nothing like Shenmue. Shenmue is a deliberately slow paced coming of age story. Yakuza is an over the top action packed gangster tale. It's like comparing a Kurosawa movie with a Miike movie.
And I prefer the slow pace of Shenmue.

 

[Menitta]

Wow. I'm at a loss for words. Glad this series could conclude.....somehow.

 

[DeathoftheEndless]

No they aren't, you're just being an ass.

Yeah, I'm way too upset about this stupid thing. Next time this conversation comes up, I'll just roll my eyes and scroll past.

 

[CHC]

I don't even understand why a company like Valve is so reluctant to make Half-Life 3.

I think it's less "risk averse" and more "challenge averse." The structure of Valve seems to be one that promotes collaboration and lacks strong, central leadership. Making things like narrative games requires some form of forced direction. It's rife with challenges that would make most informally organized groups give up or crumple, and there will be lots of times during a game's development when things are difficult, stressful, time-sensitive, or uncertain. That's when you need someone at the helm to just say, for better or worse, "this is what we're doing, just get it done."

Without that kind of force, development will just peter out when it hits the rocks. So it's easy to see why Valve now produces a bunch of disparate, seemingly random mini projects. They're more fun for individual devs to work on, they don't have the same kind of enormous team-testing challenges as full game development, and they can generally be done quickly and easily in a social and relaxed setting. I'm not trying to minimize the challenges of something like VR or whatever else they do, but that kind of thing has a more obvious goal than building a narratively focused game.

 

[Uhyve]

I understand the sentiment entirely. I want the 3rd episode, but I can make the distinction between what I want and what I am owed. I am not owed anything, as I got exactly what I paid for.

I feel like people need to understand the difference between being owed and being entitled. When you're "owed" something, there is an obligation, when you're "entitled" to something, you deserve it. I don't mean to be annoying about dictionary definitions, but it's an important distinction.

Nobody is owed episode 3, but fans do in fact deserve it. Especially when Valve have been teasing it for the last 10 years.

 

[VDenter]

I hope the resistance frees you from Internet Comment Nova Prospekt. It sounds rough, being forced by your jailers to read things.

If only those entitled crybabies left poor Valve alone.

 

[tci]

Yeah, I'm way too upset about this stupid thing. Next time this conversation comes up, I'll just roll my eyes and scroll past.

Sounds good.

 

[Sibylus]

Do you have it? I would love to see it.

I don't recall if I had a draft saved anywhere, can't find one among my old files. I know Dax and I planned (back in 2011) to co-op post the last Half-Life replay thread (like our co-op Portal 2 OT) shortly before HL3 released. That would've been fun.

 

[Sesuadra]

Being upset on the radio silence of HL and wanting closure to the game isn't entitlement.

Some people, like me, really enjoyed the HL story, and I wanted to see how it ended. The last game ended on a major cliffhanger.

This is basically the exact same scenario of GRRM never releases the rest of the GOT books and says nothing further on it.

People would be upset at that, and no one would be calling them entitled.

I've actually see people do that.

I don't recall if I had a draft saved anywhere, can't find one among my old files. I know Dax and I planned (back in 2011) to co-op post the last Half-Life replay thread (like our co-op Portal 2 OT) shortly before HL3 released. That would've been fun.

would be awesome for this plot. an episode 3 plot OT

 

[Professor Renegade]

 

[Clarkus Darkus]

 

[Rösti]

For reference, the original trademark for Half-Life, US Serial Number 75300910, filed May 30, 1997, has its latest §9 Application for Renewal Due Date set to:

Oct. 21, 2019

That's the latest date §9 can be filed by paying an additional fee. The trademark was most recently renewed in 2009. Then they used this as Specimen:

Source: http://tsdr.uspto.gov/#caseNumber=75300910&caseType=SERIAL_NO&searchType=statusSearch

For as long as this trademark remains active I think one could still harbour some hope. Perhaps not the most interesting piece of information but I figured I could share it.

 

[Hermii]

Im glad to finally have closure on it, even if the form it happened is less than ideal.

 

[Raiden]

It really is a Big FU to their customers that we never even got a official statement or reason from Valve about why. How hard van it be?

 

[andycapps]

For reference, the original trademark for Half-Life, US Serial Number 75300910, filed May 30, 1997, has its latest §9 Application for Renewal Due Date set to:

Oct. 21, 2019

That's the latest date §9 can be filed by paying an additional fee. The trademark was most recently renewed in 2009. Then they used this as Specimen:

Source: http://tsdr.uspto.gov/#caseNumber=75300910&caseType=SERIAL_NO&searchType=statusSearch

For as long as this trademark remains active I think one could still harbour some hope. Perhaps not the most interesting piece of information but I figured I could share it.

Give it up. It's not coming. I mean, thanks for the info but that's false hope.

Valve has moved on from making any of the franchises people care about from their history.

 

[nachum00]

It really is a Big FU to their customers that we never even got a official statement or reason from Valve about why. How hard van it be?

They don't care

 

[OBias]

For reference, the original trademark for Half-Life, US Serial Number 75300910, filed May 30, 1997, has its latest §9 Application for Renewal Due Date set to:

Oct. 21, 2019

That's the latest date §9 can be filed by paying an additional fee. The trademark was most recently renewed in 2009. Then they used this as Specimen:

Source: http://tsdr.uspto.gov/#caseNumber=75300910&caseType=SERIAL_NO&searchType=statusSearch

For as long as this trademark remains active I think one could still harbour some hope. Perhaps not the most interesting piece of information but I figured I could share it.

Valve are still selling Half-Life games on Steam, of course they will keep the trademark active.

 

[Sibylus]

I've actually see people do that.



would be awesome for this plot. an episode 3 plot OT

We had an odd knack for foreshadowing stuff completely by accident (like the whole potatoes thing in the P2 OT lol).

 

[Rushersauce]

Valve will make Half Life 4 just to fuck with us.

 

[paperspace]

⁣

 

[Stabby McSter]

Haha, he thinks the good guys wins in Half Life.

but they do

if you catch my drift

 

[HandsomeCharles]

I feel like people need to understand the difference between being owed and being entitled. When you're "owed" something, there is an obligation, when you're "entitled" to something, you deserve it. I don't mean to be annoying about dictionary definitions, but it's an important distinction.

Nobody is owed episode 3, but fans do in fact deserve it. Especially when Valve have been teasing it for the last 10 years.

Distinctions are good, don't worry! I understand you more clearly now.

See, I'm biased because I work in the industry (not Valve, before you ask) so I'm very much in the train of thought that if a developer doesn't want to do something, then they shouldn't have to do it.

That said, I agree to the extent that fans deserved closure. Not necessarily a game, but some kind of closure that wrapped up the arch. The thing is, after this morning I feel like we have it. We know what was going to happen and how things were going to be wrapped up and that's good enough for me. I long gave up on any hope that this game would come out, so the fact that this even exists is amazing IMO.

 

[OnPoint]

I am feeling an unexpected send of closure from reading that. I'm glad I can finally stop wondering.

 

[nachum00]

Why on earth would they do that?

Because people keep asking?

 

[KojiKnight]

It could be worse.

Imagine being a Megaman fan...

T_T damn... it's like a kicked puppy kicking a smaller sicker puppy.

 

[TheRazielim]

I have to laugh at these "entitlement" arguments. The Half Life Episode 3 situation is basically just like going to a restaurant and ordering food, and then having the waiter disappear and bring neither your food, your bill, or any kind of update on what's going on.

Unless you have already paid for it and are not reimbursed, then yes, it's entitlement.

Seriously, Valve owes jackshit to anyone and they can do as they see fit.

 

[Rösti]

Give it up. It's not coming.

 

[Shadowhelper]

I get they don't care, they are making enough money. But it still seems crazy.

They could even sell the property off. Half Life 3 has basically reached mythic proportions. And the Half Life franchise itself has endured and even grown despite no game in a very long time.

Half Life in the videogame world is as big as anything. Just crazy they benched it.

 

[Marcel]

It really is a Big FU to their customers that we never even got a official statement or reason from Valve about why. How hard van it be?

Valve is working on trying to crowdsource official statements from the company. There might be an update on the project in a few years if the project leads can roll their filthy, cluttered desks together.

 

[nachum00]

It could be worse.

Imagine being a Megaman fan...

I'm both.

 

[Kaako]

What an utter disgrace. Fuck you, Valve and Gabe. Fuck you, seriously.
Thanks Marc Laidlaw for at least bringing some "closure." Can't believe we got our HL3 in a fucking blog post lol smfh.

 

[Gaz Pwnage]

Valve will never come out and say 'Sorry, Half-Life is Dead' because they are not sorry. They don't give a single shit.

 

[giancarlo123x]

Well we have the story out there. Now it's time for modders to make this a playable product.

 

[30yearsofhurt]

For reference, the original trademark for Half-Life, US Serial Number 75300910, filed May 30, 1997, has its latest §9 Application for Renewal Due Date set to:

Oct. 21, 2019

That's the latest date §9 can be filed by paying an additional fee. The trademark was most recently renewed in 2009. Then they used this as Specimen:

Source: http://tsdr.uspto.gov/#caseNumber=75300910&caseType=SERIAL_NO&searchType=statusSearch

For as long as this trademark remains active I think one could still harbour some hope. Perhaps not the most interesting piece of information but I figured I could share it.

Wow. First Half Life, 4 screenshots.

 

[Easy_D]

I wonder if this is even the plot or if it's just Laidlaw's headcanon. Like that Breen Grub twitter account he ran a while back.

Either way, it would've been cool to see all of that, except that Alyx character assassination bs. She wouldn't just go nuts and shoot someone like that

For reference, the original trademark for Half-Life, US Serial Number 75300910, filed May 30, 1997, has its latest §9 Application for Renewal Due Date set to:

Oct. 21, 2019

That's the latest date §9 can be filed by paying an additional fee. The trademark was most recently renewed in 2009. Then they used this as Specimen:

Source: http://tsdr.uspto.gov/#caseNumber=75300910&caseType=SERIAL_NO&searchType=statusSearch

For as long as this trademark remains active I think one could still harbour some hope. Perhaps not the most interesting piece of information but I figured I could share it.

I think we've seen enough to know renewing a trademark doesn't mean much lol. If so, where's Chrono Break and Eternal Darkness? ;P

 

[Bluth54]

Give it up. It's not coming. I mean, thanks for the info but that's false hope.

Valve has moved on from making any of the franchises people care about from their history.

That's kind of a silly thing to say, Valve continues to support TF2 and CSGO. TF/CS are two major franchises from their history.

 

[guybrushfreeman]

Wow. First Half Life, 4 screenshots.

10 points to you

 

[FluxWaveZ]

Either way, it would've been cool to see all of that, except that Alyx character assassination bs. She wouldn't just go nuts and shoot someone like that

I envision a scene where they're struggling with each other and the gun "accidentally" goes off. Could easily be left ambiguous in the moment whether it was intentional or not.

 

[tci]

but they do

if you catch my drift

There is no good guy in Half Life. Only unforeseen consequences.

 

[Tuck]

Unless you have already paid for it and are not reimbursed, then yes, it's entitlement.

Seriously, Valve owes jackshit to anyone and they can do as they see fit.

No, if you have paid then you are owed the meal.

No, valve does not owe anyone anything. That doesn't stop it from being a dick move to the fans.

I really fail to see why this is such a hard concept to grasp. I haven't even played the half life games but I can find it on me to feel bad for the fans who have waited so long.

 

[Bluth54]

I wonder if this is even the plot or if it's just Laidlaw's headcanon. Like that Breen Grub twitter account he ran a while back.

Either way, it would've been cool to see all of that, except that Alyx character assassination bs. She wouldn't just go nuts and shoot someone like that

This lines up with the leaked concept art from a few years ago. It's probably the real plot.

 

[Darkstorne]

Well we have the story out there. Now it's time for modders to make this a playable product.

^ A million times this. That project will be starting right now, somewhere. It's amazing how easy it is for people to come together to create full-game size mods these days (I'm a small part of the Beyond Skyrim team).

 

[fluffydelusions]

 

[Fatbody]

This is basically the exact same scenario of GRRM never releases the rest of the GOT books and says nothing further on it.

And then goes on to write for Lids.com instead.

 

[TheRazielim]

No, if you have paid then you are owed the meal.

So did anyone pay for Episode 3?

Same with GRRM, no one has paid shit for the upcoming books so essentially, he doesn't owe people anything.

 

[hrab]

Valve will never come out and say 'Sorry, Half-Life is Dead' because they are not sorry. They don't give a single shit.

I think they actually do. Admitting that HL3 is dead could mean less money from people still believing, less free marketing etc. They are smart. And shitty.