You know there's stuff we don't know about, not every information is on the internet but there's a reason for that and still believe Gabe is a good person, he's not pissed at us like other game makers who says a few words and change what they said, he isn't like that , if he's still patient so do I.
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So why hasn't there been a Half Life 3 yet?
- Thread starter SCB3
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Fbh
Member
They have no need to release it as their business is very profitable on its own and Steam continues to be the undisputed market leader in the PC store/launcher segment.
Also I think the expectations at this point must be astronomical and even Valve themselves would probably want HL3 to be another groundbreaking game that feels a step ahead of most other games. And not just a straightforward sequel that's more of the same with bigger maps and nicer graphics (like what most of the industry has been doing for the past 15 years). My guess would be if VR ever truly takes of HL3 will be in VR (IF they ever make it)
Also I think the expectations at this point must be astronomical and even Valve themselves would probably want HL3 to be another groundbreaking game that feels a step ahead of most other games. And not just a straightforward sequel that's more of the same with bigger maps and nicer graphics (like what most of the industry has been doing for the past 15 years). My guess would be if VR ever truly takes of HL3 will be in VR (IF they ever make it)
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Mozzarella
Member
Probably when there is something to push gaming forward.
You see when Valve made these games they have an idea, ideas actually, to innovate and push gaming forward, then they expand with 2 expansions for the story.
It seems like Valve as a developer doesnt like to make games for the heck of it, just to advance story or whatever, they make games to push technology, that is their schtick.
So when the right time comes they may release it, with the new technology, but i dont know if they will call it 3, going by what they called the VR game.
But as you can see Half Life franchise is not made to appease storyfans or gameplay fans or whatever, its made to push new technology into gaming, like Half Life 1 did in 1998 and Half Life 2 did in 2004 and Alyx did in 2020.
You see when Valve made these games they have an idea, ideas actually, to innovate and push gaming forward, then they expand with 2 expansions for the story.
It seems like Valve as a developer doesnt like to make games for the heck of it, just to advance story or whatever, they make games to push technology, that is their schtick.
So when the right time comes they may release it, with the new technology, but i dont know if they will call it 3, going by what they called the VR game.
But as you can see Half Life franchise is not made to appease storyfans or gameplay fans or whatever, its made to push new technology into gaming, like Half Life 1 did in 1998 and Half Life 2 did in 2004 and Alyx did in 2020.
JimmyRustler
Gold Member
Valve is probably waiting for some tech/idea that pushes gaming forward as otherwise they do not need to release HL3.
I actually assumed they were waiting for VR to get widespread to make it but they only made Alyx. Guess they didn't make a full blown part 3 because VR actually isn't widespread enough.
I actually assumed they were waiting for VR to get widespread to make it but they only made Alyx. Guess they didn't make a full blown part 3 because VR actually isn't widespread enough.
FunkMiller
Gold Member
Could be the big ticket item for Deckard, when they eventually announce it. You never know.
ZehDon
Gold Member
Well, I remember Newell saying something along the lines of "Half-Life games solve problems". I'd wager that they simply haven't created anything that's enough of a step up from what Half-Life 2 did to warrant a Half-Life 3. They clearly want the jumps between the numbered entries to be enormous.
Buggy Loop
Member
Managed to finish it?
Emedan
Member
People who say HL was a mediocre series are fucking mental. Either you too young or too stupid to realize how groundbreaking those games were. I agree that it's probably hard to make something as profound today, the games market is at a very different point today and it's more competent. But my God when Half Life 1 came out, everyone played it, same with Half Life 2 - perhaps they weren't wholly innovative but Valve was the first to put it all together into a cohesive package.
Kenpachii
Member
Gaben uses half like to push there engine forwards specially with half life 2, after that steam took off, counterstrike took off but the engine never did. so they used counterstrike to push steam forwards, half life VR was basically to push there VR solution forwards.
Half life was always means to a greater end. As a new engine is probably useless right now because of UE5, i doubt we will be seeing anything like half life 3 unless gaben wants to push something else new again.
Half life was always means to a greater end. As a new engine is probably useless right now because of UE5, i doubt we will be seeing anything like half life 3 unless gaben wants to push something else new again.
OverHeat
« generous god »
No not yet, my kids where terrible last night so I did not have time to play at all
SCB3
Member
Well you say that, but Half Life 1 wasnt a groundbreaking game engine wise but had to start somewhere, it was Counter Strike that made that popular, then we have Left 4 Dead 2 where it was a straight up sequel that offered nothing new, so its not always true
Kuranghi
Member
Terible in the sense that they claimed Daikatana was better than Half-Life?
Maiden Voyage
Gold™ Member
Deck 2 gonna be lit af and then peace out without a word
Rickyiez
Member
Gabe has two sons . Go figure .
peronmls
Member
They can't top their HL2. They stopped while they were ahead as well. Video games have changed. People are still picky like they were back in the early 2000s. I think they know what they are doing. It makes no sense having all of these fans asking for years and a meme to come out of it and them still not doing it. They know something we dont and I think they are not ready. Simple as that.
Team Andromeda
Member
Spot on
ResurrectedContrarian
Suffers with mild autism
Two threads today asking about the same already-existing game 
Nonsense, I re-played Half Life 2 (...VR mod) a year after playing Alyx, and Alyx absolutely stands even with its predecessor in its scope. It's as new and complete of a gaming experience as any numbered Half Life.
Darkmakaimura
Member
Didn't Valve say there are multiple Half-Life games in the works?
recma12
Member
Think it is similar to the legendary Dr Dre Detox Album that was rumoured to come out since the early 2000s.
Hype and expectations grow so big that you can't "win", no matter how good the product is.
So you hold off on releasing it as long as you have other streams of income.
Dre sold his headphone company for billions, Gabe swimming in Steam cash.
No matter how good Half Life 3 would end up releasing, it would never live up to the expectations.
I've made peace with the fact that I will never play it.
Hype and expectations grow so big that you can't "win", no matter how good the product is.
So you hold off on releasing it as long as you have other streams of income.
Dre sold his headphone company for billions, Gabe swimming in Steam cash.
No matter how good Half Life 3 would end up releasing, it would never live up to the expectations.
I've made peace with the fact that I will never play it.
ResurrectedContrarian
Suffers with mild autism
Now that we have the Half Life successor in Alyx, I’m much more interested in seeing Portal 3 next.
Years ago one YT channel did a video (unrelated to one from January) over the topic and they talked to some former Valve employees, the company was shutting down attempts to revive the series because they feared a negative reception would be far bigger impact than a positive one, so most people were doing content for their MP games and that's it, some left the company because there was no challenge and ambition to be done there.
rofif
Can’t Git Gud
There is nothing I want more than to just play a normal, single player game going from point A to B. Exactly like HL2...
Sure, maybe it's only 10 hours but I finished that game 10 times.
Sony is making games like this. Uncharted is kinda exactly that and I love it
I don't really think they're worried about not selling enough copies. HL1 and HL2 were groundbreaking, universally acclaimed games. Going to be hard to replicate that and still keep the HL identity after 20+ years.
You have to look at it from their perspective. Is it worth it to make a one-off game that has sky high expectations when they already have Steam and the cash cow MP games?
Ivan
Member
I just can't believe how cool people are with the situation... Of course Valve doesn't owe us anythhing, but this thread sounds like it is completely logical and totally cool that we're not seeing HL3 for 20 years. Of course there are reasons, but one would hope that a company with unlimited budget and no pressure from the outside could at least WANT to do something. Valve has power to make a new Crysis, PC exclusive for top of the line machines if they wanted. They are maybe the only company with the ability to take risks in AAA space.
Personally, I'm very disappointed. Valve is a different company to me since they shifted focus to different style of games. I actually hate everything they did lately.
Personally, I'm very disappointed. Valve is a different company to me since they shifted focus to different style of games. I actually hate everything they did lately.
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New article on this.....
https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/th...e-corridors-marc-laidlaw-on-writing-half-life
https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/th...e-corridors-marc-laidlaw-on-writing-half-life
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Upper_Management
Member
Valve doesn't need to make games any longer and there is absolutely no way that Half Life 3 would live up to the hype.
what new "technology" hl and hl2 did push? as far as i remember, i played these games with the same pc interface than the 80's (monitor, keyboard, mouse).
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The AI, skeletal animation and scripted sequences were groundbreaking for the time.
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HL 2 pushed physics driven interactions, accurate facial animation, inverse kinematics and a material system.
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SCB3
Member
I'll give you HL2 for that, it was amazing at the time in 2004, 1 however was a a great game for sure, but other games around that time were more Arena shooters and stuff with quick action like Quake, I suppose if we compare it to something out at a similar time, Goldeneye, then yea both games were doing great things with the available tech
That's the point though. Valve were pushing for realistic environments filled with NPCs, which wasn't the focus of other games.
lifa-cobex
Member
What a load of crap. How about finishing what you start? It’s like making the first 2 lord of the rings movies and not maki g “the return of the king”.
xrnzaaas
Member
High budget singleplayer only games are still being made. I will admit they're mostly tpp titles, but an fpp game could work as well. It just needs talented people with a clear understanding what made the first two games so incredible. And not even that much marketing since Alyx reminded people that HL exists (and that it's great).
mxbison
Member
You think they would've made "Return of the King" if it didn't make sense financially?