Support NeoGAF

[KyoZz]

This tread is a translation of the article published on Nofrag.com

Half-Life N'intéresse Plus Les Joueurs - NoFrag

Annoncé le 19 novembre dernier, Half-Life: Alyx sortira le 23 mars prochain, 13 ans après Half-Life 2: Episode 2. Pourtant, j'ai bien l'impression que les

nofrag.com

Announced on November 19, Half-Life: Alyx will be released on March 23, 13 years after Half-Life 2: Episode 2.
However, I have the impression that players have nothing more to do with Gordon Freeman . You can see below the evolution of Google searches for the term "Half-Life" between October 10, 2007 (release date of HL2: E2) and today. The little pic at the end is the announcement from HL: Alyx..

Even worse, if you add other famous FPS franchises like Halo, Borderlands, Far Cry or Bioshock, Gordon Freeman remains less popular than the Masterchief or who knows which Borderlands character. Even over the last 30 days, a few weeks before the release, Half-Life is far from arousing the same interest as other franchises that will not release a new game in the short term (Far Cry, Bioshock) or that have just take out one (Halo: CE, Borderlands 3).

In January, Valve gave players free access to the entire franchise on Steam until the release of Alyx, to allow as many people as possible to discover it or simply refresh their memory. Because even if Half-Life: Alyx takes place between the events of HL1 and HL2, Valve said: it's better to replay in Half-Life Episode 2. The figures are not famous on this side: HL1 and HL2 peaked at 6,022 and 6,236 players, respectively. Black Mesa, the HL1 remake that just came out, doesn't do much better.

The latest Steam Hardware survey below indicates the % of users who responded to the survey which have a virtual reality headset. In January, that total was 1.31%. Even the share of the Valve Index has declined despite stock-outs. You have to believe that the Christmas gifts are already in the closet.

See you on March 23 on steamDB on the Half-Life: Alyx page to find out the number of players.
​

 

[Kenpachii]

half life is a meme and that's about it.

It also doesn't help their next half life game is VR. Which probably doesn't attract a whole lot of people.

 

[Wonko_C]

I voted the second option because there is no "I wasn't into HL until the VR game announcement."

Edit: Noticed the poll edit. Changed my vote.

 

[Spukc]

Its ok..
Tbh the weird ass community mods is what kept me intrested in HL

 

[AllIsOneIsNone]

"The latest Steam Hardware survey indicates that 0.26% of users who responded to the survey have a virtual reality headset. In January, it was 1.31%. Even the share of the Valve Index has declined despite stock-outs. You have to believe that the Christmas gifts are already in the closet."

This is incorrect. It's still around 1%, and like someone said below, VR's growth isn't correlated to the number of people joining steam. It may very well still have been around the same number if there weren't supply issues as well. the .26% you posted is the Oculus CV1 alone.

 

[Vawn]

Only interest I have in Half-Life is the VR aspect. I only have PSVR though and have no plans on getting another gaming PC or VR.

 

[darkinstinct]

It sure is a weird move. I could understand it if they wanted to sell hardware, but the Index is constantly sold out (and I doubt it's because they are selling hundreds of thousands, it's more likely a supply issue). So why invest in a game that 99 % of your customers won't be able to play? But I agree, the franchise has run its course. Valve shat all over their community with Episode 3, ending the franchise on a cliffhanger out of the blue. Then did it again by trolling everyone with hints here and there that never manifested in a game. Now do it a third time by making an actual Half-Life game - but exclusive to VR. It feels like an elaborate troll. And it absolutely doesn't help that the gameplay feels very dated. Valve talked about how the issue with HL3 was that they wanted to revolutionize again and didn't know how. And then they come up with this?

 

[DarthBuzzer]

Your SteamVR userbase data observation is pretty lacking. Everything declined, not just VR. It's because there was millions of new Chinese Steam accounts connected to Steam. The data will be corrected whenever Valve get around to it.

 

[Alexios]

Your view of the stats is fundamentally flawed, what they would show if you were right in reading them is that the amount of new Steam users outpaced the amount of new VR users, not that people stopped using VR reducing the total units alongside the percentage. This could happen for any number of reasons, like a spur of growth in certain markets like China. However, you also can't even read properly as 0.26% is the most popular VR kit, the original Oculus Rift, not all of them put together. Also, we've had this thread.

Has Half-life lost its Lustre? - (response to HL:Alyx)

So much time has passed since the last Half Life game HL2: Episode II, that in that span of time, we have had 2 whole generations of consoles come and go (early PS3/X360 generation till now, late PS4/XB1 gen). In this time, a whole host of new gamers have been birthed, experiencing modern FPS...

www.neogaf.com

Also, you're using the topic of Half-Life as a red herring to spew ignorant bs about VR, hoping people will focus on your title alone and ignore "honest mistakes" like the above. Meh.

 

[The_Mike]

Its ok..
Tbh the weird as community mods is what kept me intrested in HL

Same. Half Life is probably the most played game in my childhood, and it wasn't because of the base game

 

[KyoZz]

Your view of the stats is flawed, what they show is the amount of new Steam users outpaced the amount of new VR users, not that people stopped using VR reducing the total units alongside the percentage.

Also, we've had this thread.

Has Half-life lost its Lustre? - (response to HL:Alyx)

So much time has passed since the last Half Life game HL2: Episode II, that in that span of time, we have had 2 whole generations of consoles come and go (early PS3/X360 generation till now, late PS4/XB1 gen). In this time, a whole host of new gamers have been birthed, experiencing modern FPS...

www.neogaf.com

Also, you're using the topic of Half-Life as a red herring to spew bs about VR, hoping people will focus on your title alone and ignore logical fallacies like the above.

Don't jump to conclusion, I have an Oculus Rift and I'm very happy with it, and I'm planning to buy HL: Alyx (and Robot Recall & SuperhotVR are some of my best gaming experience ever )
It's not my view of the stat, just a report as mentioned in the first line. Now I agree, thanks to other users I see how the stats are indeed flawed for the VR headset numbers.

My point of view is that this is a really strange decision, it's been 13 years and they do a VR exclusive ? I'm ok with that because I can play it, but what about the general consensus ?
I don't know it's just like this game isn't as much anticipated as it should be.

(also I didn't make a search, sorry about that, and it looks like the tread you linked as a lot of interesting talk)

 

[Alexios]

Some of my best friends are some of the oldest and rather casual/simple VR games! If I'm wrong at least fix the obvious bs, even if you still want to assume the number of VR users fell over the number of Steam users increasing, 0.26% is for Rift, not all of VR. You're supposed to add up the different sets, not take the most popular one alone, for a total of like 0.97%. It's still lower than last month's, but it also remains to be seen if there will be a revision as it happened for December's survey which initially showed a decrease but four weeks later it was corrected to show growth. Seriously, one has to actually try to get the statistics this wrong. It's right there in the image, Oculus Rift 0.26%, HTC Vive 0.24%, Oculus Rift S 0.24%, there other sets with smaller numbers on top and somehow it all adds up to 0.26% again? How did that website and then you miss that?

 

[Caffeine]

I still like the series just dont have a vr headset, they are a bit pricey for the full experience.

 

[Elektro Demon]

I'm interested in the series but I don't want to invest in VR gear.
But I'm confident that there will be mods that allow playing with m/kb.

 

[Yams]

Same. Half Life is probably the most played game in my childhood, and it wasn't because of the base game

Exactly. Both games were revolutionary in their own right, but Half Life's true success was as a platform. I don't see Half Life: Alyx doing for Source 2 what the previous games did for Goldsrc and Source respectively.

 

[Spokker]

Half-Life is a good memory from a bygone era.

Today it can go fuck itself. Not going to role-play Fry's dog waiting for it anymore

 

[lifa-cobex]

The team that created it has long since past.
We got a form of closure from the writer story wise.

Anything else released under the Half Life name would be HL in name only.

 

[V2Tommy]

Never interested me. No cutscenes, no waifus, no care.

 

[Urprobablyright]

If they don't respect us enough to round out the story of freeman i don't give them any more money. I've bought black mesa 1.0 today, though. Vr is a gimmick to me, maybe because I've spent 100% of my gaming life making do with screens.

 

[alabtrosMyster]

I'm a HUGE half-life fan... and when I saw that the new game was in VR I did not even bother watching the trailer.

So I'm not sure what Valve is thinking, they clearly don't care. Given the numbers above it kind of makes sense, but I assume that if they made a great looking and playing game it would bump up the attention, and revive the franchise (the younger players were not there to experience HL 1 and 2 when they were ground breaking).

So yeah, I have moved on, but I'd still love to see something worthwhile done with Half-Life.

 

[Heimdall_Xtreme]

Omg!!

I never play Half life in my life

 

[JimmyJones]

Zero interest in Alyx and I loved Half-Life 2. I don’t have a VR headset and don’t plan on getting one anytime soon. Maybe in 50 years when it’s mandatory.

 

[Darkmakaimura]

I'm still intetested and I'll never be able to afford VR. But I've been a fan for awhile.

 

[wordslaughter]

I don't have a VR headset and 'm VERY interested in HL Alyx. Also Boneworks!

Think I'll wait until the next gen of headsets is released in 1-3 years time. By then there should be tons of amazing VR games to play.

I also think that HL Alyx will be extremely well reviewed with oceans of positive word of mouth.

IMO the ONLY reason why there is less interest in Alyx is that the bar for entry is MUCH higher than it was for HL1 or 2. VR is still probably 3-5 years away from going mainstream and I think it definitely will. This Christmas season it was nearly impossible to get your hands on an Index or a Rift. they were sold out and backordered for months.

 

[desertdroog]

Would love to play another Half-Life game if it is canon. I have no interest in doing so in VR. If it is made in a way that can translate to a traditional FPS, then I will give it a chance, otherwise, ho hum.

 

[MayauMiao]

The franchise is dead to me at this point. Valve waited too long and at this point its Duke Nukem Forever level of insult.

 

[Darkmakaimura]

Would love to play another Half-Life game if it is canon. I have no interest in doing so in VR. If it is made in a way that can translate to a traditional FPS, then I will give it a chance, otherwise, ho hum.

The new VR game is official canon but yeah it's VR so....

 

[wordslaughter]

To those who seem to have such an aversion/dislike towards anything VR, is this just as simple as "I don't have/can't afford it, so I don't like it" or is there something more legitimate?

 

[LaughingStock]

Half Life Alyx is a big fuck you to everyone waiting for HL3. It's like Diablo Immortal. "Don't you have VR headsets?"

 

[Moses85]

OP, are you serious?

 

[Small John McCarthy]

Alyx will be my first Half Life game. No interest in the series until now.

 

[AllIsOneIsNone]

Half Life Alyx is a big fuck you to everyone waiting for HL3. It's like Diablo Immortal. "Don't you have VR headsets?"

Except VR gives the player more control/sensory feedback/immersion, etc. not less. They're trying to push innovative boundaries, not fit games onto a non-gaming device. I don't remember this personally, but this seems similar to what it was like when the first game/s required the purchase of a graphics card. People were pissed (based on what I read), but then they played the game (I think it was Doom/Quake?).

Valve also said in interviews that there was basically too much pressure and that they knew they wouldn't be able to make a standard game that exceeded expectations. VR is the thing that gave them confidence to get back into Half Life. So without VR, who knows when Half Life would have come back, if ever.



Computer monitors and their controls (m/kb) were not even built for games, games were built around them. VR in its current form was actually designed for games first, although of course the designers knew this would not be the only application.

 

[V4skunk]

Alyx will be my first Half Life game. No interest in the series until now.

You are stupid tbh to not spend a few dollar on HL1+2 on Steam.
I would even recommend you to get Black Mesa.

 

[RPS37]

I’m daydreaming about Black Mesa Xen right now

 

[The_Mike]

I'm a HUGE half-life fan... and when I saw that the new game was in VR I did not even bother watching the trailer.

So I'm not sure what Valve is thinking, they clearly don't care. Given the numbers above it kind of makes sense, but I assume that if they made a great looking and playing game it would bump up the attention, and revive the franchise (the younger players were not there to experience HL 1 and 2 when they were ground breaking).

So yeah, I have moved on, but I'd still love to see something worthwhile done with Half-Life.

Half life Alyx isn't made because of the franchise, but because valve wants to sell VR headsets.

 

[Romulus]

Half life Alyx isn't made because of the franchise, but because valve wants to sell VR headsets.

You mean like 6 VR headsets right? It's not exclusive to any particular headset.

 

[xpresstuning]

I’m daydreaming about Black Mesa Xen right now

Didn't they recently complete Xen? I'm pretty sure Black Mesa is complete now.

 

[The Cockatrice]

I’m daydreaming about Black Mesa Xen right now

It was finished in December and it just got out of early access. Stop daydreaming. As to answer OP, I dont care about VR but I would love to play a new Half-Life game but not Alyx. That shit can suck my balls.

 

[The_Mike]

You mean like 6 VR headsets right? It's not exclusive to any particular headset.

I know, but I'm sure its still for selling their headsets. If valve didn't produce their own headset I'm sure we would have seen a traditional Half Life game - if any at all.

 

[nuttyevans]

I love Half Life but newer players don't care. It's boomer shit at this point.

 

[Romulus]

I know, but I'm sure its still for selling their headsets. If valve didn't produce their own headset I'm sure we would have seen a traditional Half Life game - if any at all.

Idk, I think if they were really pushing their headset and that was the main concern, it wouldn't be so widely available, especially considering it's by far one of the most expensive units.

 

[Markness]

There were many games that have been pushed to be popular, and to be the holy grail of games, and apparently this was one of them. I tried the game (HL1 and HL2) and was extremely disappointed. I will never give in to the hype of games that are "so good", as to me most of the times the games I have enjoyed have been repetitive multiplayer games. I tried to really enjoy it, but it was really overrated. I respect that people enjoy it, but I don't get it. So no, I don't think I'll ever be buying that or the VR stuff that comes with it. Sorry, the ship has sailed and HL:3 and valve are memes at this point.

Valve is all about them loot crates these days and releasing Free-to-Poo games with even more loot crates and hats. They no longer create games, they just skim their 40 percent and release products that have gambling features to them and make money that way. They released a solid platform for buying games, but they really suck compared to how good they used to be (I am talking about when they used to release games, and new ideas, like Left 4 Dead), ever since L4D2 came out they seemed to have sucked.

 

[EightBit Man]

Nah. I've enjoyed Half-Life 1 and 2 (with the two episodes), but I have moved on. Very impressive games and influential titles nevertheless.

 

[RPS37]

Didn't they recently complete Xen? I'm pretty sure Black Mesa is complete now.

It was finished in December and it just got out of early access. Stop daydreaming. As to answer OP, I dont care about VR but I would love to play a new Half-Life game but not Alyx. That shit can suck my balls.

I was daydreaming because I have a huge backlog, HL2 was the last PC game I played in a really long time and I’ve never played the original Half Life.

 

[Wonko_C]

You are stupid tbh to not spend a few dollar on HL1+2 on Steam.
I would even recommend you to get Black Mesa.

I started playing Black Mesa yesterday and there's this funny part at the beginning in the toilets where you go grab some toilet paper and throw it over the door to save a fellow scientist from an embarrasing situation. The whole process of grabbing and throwing stuff just feels archaic, janky and not fun at all in comparison to what we've seen in the HL Alyx trailers so far.

All the interactivity with the environment is what has me excited about Alyx, so much that It has kinda ruined Black Mesa for me, to the point of thinking about refunding it.

 

[Decontamination Silo]

Yes, I would happily trade my 3 most anticipated games any year for a proper, non VR Half Life 3.

I'm not a VR hater, I just don't have the room for it.

 

[MiguelItUp]

It certainly still interests me. But on that same note I'm trying to not expect anything from it. Cool that we're getting a new affiliated game, but I don't want to get excited and build expectations that will never be filled.

I was a lot more interest until it basically became the next Duke Nukem Forever. But a small amount of interest will always remain regardless.

 

[Wonko_C]

Yes, I would happily trade my 3 most anticipated games any year for a proper, non VR Half Life 3.

I'm not a VR hater, I just don't have the room for it.

 

[Kacho]

Only neckbeards care about Half-Life and that's always been the case. Your basic Call of Duty Joe doesn't give two fucks and never will.

That massive drop in Borderlands 3 interest though...that's the real story here. lmfao

 

[Decontamination Silo]

But I need a clean, sterile white walled room if I'm going to let Occulus camera run rampant in it.