What could possibly top Valve's announcement of the Steam Box?
October 1, 2013 4:14 PM Subscribe
"..." – Gordon Freeman
posted by zippy at 4:18 PM on October 1, 2013 [11 favorites]
posted by zippy at 4:18 PM on October 1, 2013 [11 favorites]
Tobacco companies trademarked common slang terms for marijuana back in the 70s so they'd be ready if weed were ever legalized. So at that rate we're on track for a release in 2060 or so.
posted by infinitewindow at 4:21 PM on October 1, 2013 [10 favorites]
posted by infinitewindow at 4:21 PM on October 1, 2013 [10 favorites]
My favorite take (from NeoGAF I think): US government receives Half-Life 3 trademark application, loses its shit, shuts down EVERYTHING
posted by Rhaomi at 4:22 PM on October 1, 2013 [27 favorites]
posted by Rhaomi at 4:22 PM on October 1, 2013 [27 favorites]
Please? Please, please.
Forget about Episode 3. I forgive you. I mean, sure, 2007 was sort of a long time ago. It's a little while to wait. But that's OK! Don't even sweat it.
Just drop this on me and all will be forgiven forever and ever amen. Do it. DO IT. FUCKING DO IT I'M SO TIRED OF WAITING DO IT DO IT NOW.
posted by kbanas at 4:22 PM on October 1, 2013 [3 favorites]
Forget about Episode 3. I forgive you. I mean, sure, 2007 was sort of a long time ago. It's a little while to wait. But that's OK! Don't even sweat it.
Just drop this on me and all will be forgiven forever and ever amen. Do it. DO IT. FUCKING DO IT I'M SO TIRED OF WAITING DO IT DO IT NOW.
posted by kbanas at 4:22 PM on October 1, 2013 [3 favorites]
infinitewindow: "Tobacco companies trademarked common slang terms for marijuana back in the 70s so they'd be ready if weed were ever legalized. So at that rate we're on track for a release in 2060 or so."
Yeah, after a hard day's work there's nothing like relaxing with a little head crab.
posted by boo_radley at 4:22 PM on October 1, 2013 [11 favorites]
Yeah, after a hard day's work there's nothing like relaxing with a little head crab.
posted by boo_radley at 4:22 PM on October 1, 2013 [11 favorites]
There's an old saying in Tennessee - I know it's in Texas, probably in Tennessee - that says, fool me once, shame on - shame on you. Fool me - you can't get fooled again.
posted by Justinian at 4:23 PM on October 1, 2013 [28 favorites]
posted by Justinian at 4:23 PM on October 1, 2013 [28 favorites]
you make your stupid living room systems and magic controllers and tf2 hats and portal guns and i don't care stop stop stop STOP IT just make the stupid game please
why wont you
why
posted by kbanas at 4:23 PM on October 1, 2013 [5 favorites]
why wont you
why
posted by kbanas at 4:23 PM on October 1, 2013 [5 favorites]
If it's a bunch of doom .wad files, that would be fine. I'd pay $60 for those.
I need to believe that they don't just have some of the best artists and level designers around and they're all just making hats for DOTA2 and TF2.
posted by hellojed at 4:25 PM on October 1, 2013 [7 favorites]
I need to believe that they don't just have some of the best artists and level designers around and they're all just making hats for DOTA2 and TF2.
posted by hellojed at 4:25 PM on October 1, 2013 [7 favorites]
*hysterical sobbing*
posted by kbanas at 4:26 PM on October 1, 2013 [7 favorites]
posted by kbanas at 4:26 PM on October 1, 2013 [7 favorites]
The thing I find baffling is why they didn't register it years ago.
posted by roll truck roll at 4:28 PM on October 1, 2013
posted by roll truck roll at 4:28 PM on October 1, 2013
Half-Life: 3 Nerds
posted by Sticherbeast at 4:31 PM on October 1, 2013 [10 favorites]
posted by Sticherbeast at 4:31 PM on October 1, 2013 [10 favorites]
The FPS genre has changed a lot since Episode 2. At this point I think Valve has basically scrapped everything and redone the game. It's happened before with Team Fortress, and I'm guessing they decided to keep everything under the radar for this game to avoid raising expectations (which happened anyway).
posted by hellojed at 4:34 PM on October 1, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by hellojed at 4:34 PM on October 1, 2013 [1 favorite]
RISE AND SHINE MR FREEMAN! RISE AND...SHINE!
posted by Celsius1414 at 4:34 PM on October 1, 2013 [4 favorites]
posted by Celsius1414 at 4:34 PM on October 1, 2013 [4 favorites]
Would it have a portal gun? Tell me it would have a portal gun?
I mean, if it were to happen, which it won't.
posted by Justinian at 4:37 PM on October 1, 2013 [1 favorite]
I mean, if it were to happen, which it won't.
posted by Justinian at 4:37 PM on October 1, 2013 [1 favorite]
Well this doesn't tell us anything that the project tracker leak in June didn't tell us. Somebody at Valve has this vague notion that maybe a Half-Life 3 game would be a good idea. One day.
TODO:
TODO:
- Buy milk
- Get car serviced
- Feed neighbor's cats
- Finish laundry
- Make Half-Life 3
This game will not be released in the next decade.
posted by Gin and Comics at 4:38 PM on October 1, 2013
posted by Gin and Comics at 4:38 PM on October 1, 2013
Hope we will get hats. I love hats.
Trading my Genuine Crowbar to a Mythical Gravity Gun
posted by bdz at 4:40 PM on October 1, 2013
Trading my Genuine Crowbar to a Mythical Gravity Gun
posted by bdz at 4:40 PM on October 1, 2013
>Gabe comes onto stage >Talks about new Steam features, Dota 2 >Conference is coming to a close >Audience sighs in unison >"Oh and one more thing" >Attendees perk up >A huge fucking 3 slowly fades onto screen >Crowd turns into bananas and bursts into treats >An "E" quickly pops up next to it >"Have a nice E3" >Gabe gets shotposted by Rhaomi at 4:42 PM on October 1, 2013 [35 favorites]
This game will not be released in the next decade.
Right because it will be released in this decade.
posted by jeremy b at 4:43 PM on October 1, 2013 [1 favorite]
Right because it will be released in this decade.
posted by jeremy b at 4:43 PM on October 1, 2013 [1 favorite]
Why do people get so excited about this game? I honestly don't understand it.
posted by demiurge at 4:48 PM on October 1, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by demiurge at 4:48 PM on October 1, 2013 [1 favorite]
I can't wait for this to be $9.95 during a Steam sale.
posted by turbid dahlia at 4:49 PM on October 1, 2013 [5 favorites]
posted by turbid dahlia at 4:49 PM on October 1, 2013 [5 favorites]
Why do people get so excited about this game? I honestly don't understand
Because they like it
posted by Hoopo at 4:50 PM on October 1, 2013 [17 favorites]
Because they like it
posted by Hoopo at 4:50 PM on October 1, 2013 [17 favorites]
Why do people get so excited about this game? I honestly don't understand it.
It's more than just liking it, though. You have two things going on here. One is that Half-Life is one of the best series of all time. Then you have the fact that we were left dangling with the expectation that we would get Episode 3, then it was moved to be a full game, and we've been waiting for like 8 years now. Some of it's just hype, but Valve has basically never made anything other than great products. We just wish they'd make them a bit faster.
posted by tau_ceti at 4:54 PM on October 1, 2013 [4 favorites]
It's more than just liking it, though. You have two things going on here. One is that Half-Life is one of the best series of all time. Then you have the fact that we were left dangling with the expectation that we would get Episode 3, then it was moved to be a full game, and we've been waiting for like 8 years now. Some of it's just hype, but Valve has basically never made anything other than great products. We just wish they'd make them a bit faster.
posted by tau_ceti at 4:54 PM on October 1, 2013 [4 favorites]
I'm totally excited about the rumored Freeman vs. Nukem game.
posted by BrotherCaine at 5:03 PM on October 1, 2013 [5 favorites]
posted by BrotherCaine at 5:03 PM on October 1, 2013 [5 favorites]
The Valve mind control ray takes exactly ten years to charge, which means Half-Life 3 in 2019.
posted by Holy Zarquon's Singing Fish at 5:04 PM on October 1, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by Holy Zarquon's Singing Fish at 5:04 PM on October 1, 2013 [1 favorite]
Serious question: why would anyone bother trademarking a pre-existing trademark with a number suffix? Surely no judge would allow anyone to infringe on a trademark merely by adding a number to the end?
/wanders off to trademark iPhone 69
posted by East Manitoba Regional Junior Kabaddi Champion '94 at 5:15 PM on October 1, 2013 [2 favorites]
/wanders off to trademark iPhone 69
posted by East Manitoba Regional Junior Kabaddi Champion '94 at 5:15 PM on October 1, 2013 [2 favorites]
The FPS genre has changed a lot since Episode 2. At this point I think Valve has basically scrapped everything and redone the game.
Several times no doubt! The worst part about the behind the scenes features from valve is all the talk about stuff they scrapped at an advanced stage because it wasn't awesome enough but still sounds like something that I would give them money for.
posted by a robot made out of meat at 5:22 PM on October 1, 2013
Several times no doubt! The worst part about the behind the scenes features from valve is all the talk about stuff they scrapped at an advanced stage because it wasn't awesome enough but still sounds like something that I would give them money for.
posted by a robot made out of meat at 5:22 PM on October 1, 2013
Breaking news! Half-Life 3 will be a board game!
posted by Nomyte at 5:26 PM on October 1, 2013 [4 favorites]
posted by Nomyte at 5:26 PM on October 1, 2013 [4 favorites]
They're going to have pull a Fantastic Four and release a shitty placeholder game to retain the rights. Maybe Maria Bamford will be in it.
posted by sourwookie at 5:29 PM on October 1, 2013 [2 favorites]
posted by sourwookie at 5:29 PM on October 1, 2013 [2 favorites]
Excellent! I finally finished HL2 the weekend before last, taking a mere nine years to do so. At this rate I should be just winding up Episode 2 by the time this is released in Fall, 2019 and will be able to catch it on the successive holiday sale.
posted by curious.jp at 5:44 PM on October 1, 2013
posted by curious.jp at 5:44 PM on October 1, 2013
I heard they're going to have Rene Auberjonois play the part of Breen, but all he'll say on those huge TVs in City 17 is "Benson, Benson, Benson," over and over again.
posted by mittens at 5:47 PM on October 1, 2013 [5 favorites]
posted by mittens at 5:47 PM on October 1, 2013 [5 favorites]
The FPS genre has changed a lot since Episode 2. At this point I think Valve has basically scrapped everything and redone the game. It's happened before with Team Fortress, and I'm guessing they decided to keep everything under the radar for this game to avoid raising expectations (which happened anyway).
posted by hellojed at 4:34 PM on October 1 [+] [!]
Yep. Here's a thing to do: go play a bit of HL2 again. It's aged fairly well, but not exactly gracefully. It's easy to almost forget that the reason it feels clunky going about certain basic modern FPS conventions is because it's the one that started some of them.
Now go play Bioshock Infinite. Not too much, though. Just a bit. Pretty, isn't it? Pretty sprawling, too. Right, well, if Valve were going to make HL3 today, they'd have to make something that's even prettier, just as big, and actually interesting. BI came pretty close to jumping the shark and hauling the whole damn genre over the fin with it, and if I were Valve I'd be asking myself if I really think it's worth trying to out-earnest-spectacle Binfinite without tipping over into absolute self-parody.
Now consider that someone who's 18 today was 9 when Half Life 2 first came out, and that Valve might not actually feel like they owe you something just because you're old enough to remember being Freeman. Either way, Episode 2 had pushed the Source engine to its limits and F.E.A.R. had already outdone it in terms of AI and gunplay a few years prior. So we're looking at a situation where they'd probably have to build not just a new engine, but an engine that will set a new industry standard for years, and make sure they don't use it to build a game that incorporates any short-lived trends. Should it have cover-based shooting? Inventories? Gradually restoring health? It feels wrong to play any shooter without cover these days. But Valve must know that if they make HL into one of those games, a million fanboys will cry out in unquenchable nerdy rage.
I kind of feel like every time someone says "Where's HL3," HL3 gets pushed back just that little bit more, because the extent to which people are still pining for Half Life is the extent to which people will still fling flaming shit all over Valve for providing it imperfectly. It'll either be too outdated or too different from the originals. If I were Valve I'd wait til enough time had passed to call the next HL game a reboot. By that point, there might not be anyone who cares. And that's assuming there's anyone at Valve who still really cares right now.
posted by GunnerMcCaffrey at 5:51 PM on October 1, 2013 [5 favorites]
posted by hellojed at 4:34 PM on October 1 [+] [!]
Yep. Here's a thing to do: go play a bit of HL2 again. It's aged fairly well, but not exactly gracefully. It's easy to almost forget that the reason it feels clunky going about certain basic modern FPS conventions is because it's the one that started some of them.
Now go play Bioshock Infinite. Not too much, though. Just a bit. Pretty, isn't it? Pretty sprawling, too. Right, well, if Valve were going to make HL3 today, they'd have to make something that's even prettier, just as big, and actually interesting. BI came pretty close to jumping the shark and hauling the whole damn genre over the fin with it, and if I were Valve I'd be asking myself if I really think it's worth trying to out-earnest-spectacle Binfinite without tipping over into absolute self-parody.
Now consider that someone who's 18 today was 9 when Half Life 2 first came out, and that Valve might not actually feel like they owe you something just because you're old enough to remember being Freeman. Either way, Episode 2 had pushed the Source engine to its limits and F.E.A.R. had already outdone it in terms of AI and gunplay a few years prior. So we're looking at a situation where they'd probably have to build not just a new engine, but an engine that will set a new industry standard for years, and make sure they don't use it to build a game that incorporates any short-lived trends. Should it have cover-based shooting? Inventories? Gradually restoring health? It feels wrong to play any shooter without cover these days. But Valve must know that if they make HL into one of those games, a million fanboys will cry out in unquenchable nerdy rage.
I kind of feel like every time someone says "Where's HL3," HL3 gets pushed back just that little bit more, because the extent to which people are still pining for Half Life is the extent to which people will still fling flaming shit all over Valve for providing it imperfectly. It'll either be too outdated or too different from the originals. If I were Valve I'd wait til enough time had passed to call the next HL game a reboot. By that point, there might not be anyone who cares. And that's assuming there's anyone at Valve who still really cares right now.
posted by GunnerMcCaffrey at 5:51 PM on October 1, 2013 [5 favorites]
I feel about this like I feel about Star Wars: it's time to move on. The original games aged poorly in my opinion (let me just preemptively say I don't care about whatever rant you're typing to change my mind) and are a direct ancestor to a lot of what I find so boring about modern shooters.
posted by codacorolla at 5:52 PM on October 1, 2013 [2 favorites]
posted by codacorolla at 5:52 PM on October 1, 2013 [2 favorites]
I'm not much of a shooter player, but I loaded up HL2 on my old desktop and enjoyed the crap out of it a couple of years ago. So much fun and the graphics were better than anything else I could run on it- though, to be fair, I hadn't tried that hard. Looking forward to when/if HL3 comes out though as of right now I won't have the hardware to play it...
posted by BungaDunga at 5:56 PM on October 1, 2013
posted by BungaDunga at 5:56 PM on October 1, 2013
>Crowd turns into bananas and bursts into treats
Taste their delicious tears.
posted by thecjm at 5:59 PM on October 1, 2013
Taste their delicious tears.
posted by thecjm at 5:59 PM on October 1, 2013
ps. pleaseletmebewrongohpleaseletmebewrong
posted by GunnerMcCaffrey at 6:01 PM on October 1, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by GunnerMcCaffrey at 6:01 PM on October 1, 2013 [1 favorite]
SteamOS exclusive. Mark my words.
posted by naju at 6:02 PM on October 1, 2013 [3 favorites]
posted by naju at 6:02 PM on October 1, 2013 [3 favorites]
So we're looking at a situation where they'd probably have to build not just a new engine, but an engine that will set a new industry standard for years, and make sure they don't use it to build a game that incorporates any short-lived trends. Should it have cover-based shooting? Inventories? Gradually restoring health? It feels wrong to play any shooter without cover these days. But Valve must know that if they make HL into one of those games, a million fanboys will cry out in unquenchable nerdy rage.
Two things:
1) Valve brought this upon themselves, to some extent. They put together two HL2 episodes after Half-Life 2, which wasn't necessarily something anyone expected of them at the time. And they even put the episodes out relatively quickly (for a Half-Life game, anyways). Then they end the second episode on a giant cliffhanger. THEN they decide to drop the franchise for years and possibly rethink the whole game from scratch.
I get that the game rethink (and dropping the episodic model altogether) is probably for the best; that's why I'm still interested in playing a Half-Life 3. So I'm not saying Valve made the wrong call. I'm saying that if Valve didn't want that weight of expectation and the pressure of having to incorporate or match half a decade's worth of advancements, they had plenty of opportunity.
2) I actually think Valve can get away with ignoring a bunch of the more recent shooter innovations. Plenty of games continue to have non-regenerating health—Bioshock Infinite is one of them, if I remember correctly. And cover in first-person shooters is actually pretty rare. The only two examples I can think of are the Killzone series and Deus Ex: Human Revolution (and then it's only sort of cover, I'm not actually sure you can fire out of it). Usually when you see cover, it's in a THIRD-person shooter.
Really, I think the feature that'll trip the most players up is the lack of gunsights. The lack of that feature is what really marks Half-Life 2 as part of the old guard to me. But even that isn't strictly necessary.
posted by chrominance at 6:11 PM on October 1, 2013 [1 favorite]
Two things:
1) Valve brought this upon themselves, to some extent. They put together two HL2 episodes after Half-Life 2, which wasn't necessarily something anyone expected of them at the time. And they even put the episodes out relatively quickly (for a Half-Life game, anyways). Then they end the second episode on a giant cliffhanger. THEN they decide to drop the franchise for years and possibly rethink the whole game from scratch.
I get that the game rethink (and dropping the episodic model altogether) is probably for the best; that's why I'm still interested in playing a Half-Life 3. So I'm not saying Valve made the wrong call. I'm saying that if Valve didn't want that weight of expectation and the pressure of having to incorporate or match half a decade's worth of advancements, they had plenty of opportunity.
2) I actually think Valve can get away with ignoring a bunch of the more recent shooter innovations. Plenty of games continue to have non-regenerating health—Bioshock Infinite is one of them, if I remember correctly. And cover in first-person shooters is actually pretty rare. The only two examples I can think of are the Killzone series and Deus Ex: Human Revolution (and then it's only sort of cover, I'm not actually sure you can fire out of it). Usually when you see cover, it's in a THIRD-person shooter.
Really, I think the feature that'll trip the most players up is the lack of gunsights. The lack of that feature is what really marks Half-Life 2 as part of the old guard to me. But even that isn't strictly necessary.
posted by chrominance at 6:11 PM on October 1, 2013 [1 favorite]
I believe there are prominent MeFites who have seen Valve's Promised Land. Sadly, they've also seen the Promised Penalties In Case Of Breach.
posted by infinitewindow at 6:12 PM on October 1, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by infinitewindow at 6:12 PM on October 1, 2013 [1 favorite]
SteamOS exclusive. Mark my words.
That's totally okay by me. Great way to get people to buy in to their OS. Total cost to run Steam OS = bandwidth to download it and time to make a boot partition on your hard drive.
posted by thecjm at 6:13 PM on October 1, 2013
That's totally okay by me. Great way to get people to buy in to their OS. Total cost to run Steam OS = bandwidth to download it and time to make a boot partition on your hard drive.
posted by thecjm at 6:13 PM on October 1, 2013
codacorolla: whatever rant you're typing to change my mind
Allow me to turn off my caps-lock a moment. Ah, that's better.
Okay, so I think HL is pretty much the opposite of Star Wars. Half-Life 2 was a great game made by a company that has continued to go from strength to strength, in large part due to not wearing a franchise to death. So my anticipation abounds, while my reaction to yet another Star Wars film is somewhere between boredom and horror.
gunnermccaffrey: But Valve must know that if they make HL into one of those games, a million fanboys will cry out in unquenchable nerdy rage.
This is the bit that turns my anticipation into fear. Because there is so much about shooters I don't like right now. It amazes me that for the most part available storylines and strategies haven't advanced in decades. Fight the military, fight the aliens, fight the dead, a repetition with such a dulling effect (oh, but in this one you can hide behind one of thousands of boxes that are all the same height!). But that repetition has birthed a whole new gaming culture, millions of people unashamedly playing in a way they simply weren't back then. You can't ignore their desires, too. But the last time I really really enjoyed a FPS was DXHR, and half of that was the challenge of getting through without ever firing a shot or causing an injury, which I have to imagine won't be an option here.
posted by mittens at 6:14 PM on October 1, 2013 [2 favorites]
Allow me to turn off my caps-lock a moment. Ah, that's better.
Okay, so I think HL is pretty much the opposite of Star Wars. Half-Life 2 was a great game made by a company that has continued to go from strength to strength, in large part due to not wearing a franchise to death. So my anticipation abounds, while my reaction to yet another Star Wars film is somewhere between boredom and horror.
gunnermccaffrey: But Valve must know that if they make HL into one of those games, a million fanboys will cry out in unquenchable nerdy rage.
This is the bit that turns my anticipation into fear. Because there is so much about shooters I don't like right now. It amazes me that for the most part available storylines and strategies haven't advanced in decades. Fight the military, fight the aliens, fight the dead, a repetition with such a dulling effect (oh, but in this one you can hide behind one of thousands of boxes that are all the same height!). But that repetition has birthed a whole new gaming culture, millions of people unashamedly playing in a way they simply weren't back then. You can't ignore their desires, too. But the last time I really really enjoyed a FPS was DXHR, and half of that was the challenge of getting through without ever firing a shot or causing an injury, which I have to imagine won't be an option here.
posted by mittens at 6:14 PM on October 1, 2013 [2 favorites]
SteamOS exclusive.
Yes, but I can swap my trading cards for more ammo!
posted by mittens at 6:15 PM on October 1, 2013 [2 favorites]
Yes, but I can swap my trading cards for more ammo!
posted by mittens at 6:15 PM on October 1, 2013 [2 favorites]
Okay, so I think HL is pretty much the opposite of Star Wars. Half-Life 2 was a great game made by a company that has continued to go from strength to strength, in large part due to not wearing a franchise to death. So my anticipation abounds, while my reaction to yet another Star Wars film is somewhere between boredom and horror.
That's fair. I liked the episodes increasingly less, so I feel the opposite way. There's nothing mechanically interesting about Half-Life to me. That is to say, I'm sure Valve could make a mechanically interesting shooter, but it doesn't HAVE to be Half-Life for that to happen, and in many ways the Half-Life franchise is probably more of an albatross to mechanical innovation than a boon. I just plain don't give a fig about the story.
If I could make a deal where I'd get Portal 3 (a game which would at least have the promise of being mechanically interesting because mechanical novelty is the crux of the series) and never get a conclusion to Half-Life's story I'd take it in a second.
posted by codacorolla at 6:21 PM on October 1, 2013 [2 favorites]
That's fair. I liked the episodes increasingly less, so I feel the opposite way. There's nothing mechanically interesting about Half-Life to me. That is to say, I'm sure Valve could make a mechanically interesting shooter, but it doesn't HAVE to be Half-Life for that to happen, and in many ways the Half-Life franchise is probably more of an albatross to mechanical innovation than a boon. I just plain don't give a fig about the story.
If I could make a deal where I'd get Portal 3 (a game which would at least have the promise of being mechanically interesting because mechanical novelty is the crux of the series) and never get a conclusion to Half-Life's story I'd take it in a second.
posted by codacorolla at 6:21 PM on October 1, 2013 [2 favorites]
I increasingly get the feeling that the conclusions to Half-Life and Portal are one and the same.
posted by jason_steakums at 6:24 PM on October 1, 2013 [4 favorites]
posted by jason_steakums at 6:24 PM on October 1, 2013 [4 favorites]
"The new announcement from Valve is not a game. It's not a hat-based virtual market. It's not a social network."
"It's ALL THREE."
Hat-Life 3
posted by oulipian at 6:25 PM on October 1, 2013 [7 favorites]
"It's ALL THREE."
Hat-Life 3
posted by oulipian at 6:25 PM on October 1, 2013 [7 favorites]
2) I actually think Valve can get away with ignoring a bunch of the more recent shooter innovations. Plenty of games continue to have non-regenerating health—Bioshock Infinite is one of them, if I remember correctly. And cover in first-person shooters is actually pretty rare. The only two examples I can think of are the Killzone series and Deus Ex: Human Revolution (and then it's only sort of cover, I'm not actually sure you can fire out of it). Usually when you see cover, it's in a THIRD-person shooter.
Oh I hope they would ignore most of the innovations. But DXHR and FEAR 3 (which we will not speak of again after this sentence) proved that cover in first person works. And once I played it in a way that worked, I started feeling like a bellend in every game where it wasn't an option. If someone is shooting at you of course you take cover. That's what you do. And you don't jump between being entirely behind cover, face right up against a wall, and being entirely in the open shouting "Here I am let's fight with bullets." You shoot from cover.
Maybe it's not the best example but it was an off the cuff one.
posted by GunnerMcCaffrey at 6:26 PM on October 1, 2013
Oh I hope they would ignore most of the innovations. But DXHR and FEAR 3 (which we will not speak of again after this sentence) proved that cover in first person works. And once I played it in a way that worked, I started feeling like a bellend in every game where it wasn't an option. If someone is shooting at you of course you take cover. That's what you do. And you don't jump between being entirely behind cover, face right up against a wall, and being entirely in the open shouting "Here I am let's fight with bullets." You shoot from cover.
Maybe it's not the best example but it was an off the cuff one.
posted by GunnerMcCaffrey at 6:26 PM on October 1, 2013
Honestly what's better than this is the promise of more Gordon Frohman.
posted by Nanukthedog at 6:28 PM on October 1, 2013 [2 favorites]
posted by Nanukthedog at 6:28 PM on October 1, 2013 [2 favorites]
Trust me, I can live without "innovations" like cover-systems and regenerative health.
posted by Artw at 6:40 PM on October 1, 2013
posted by Artw at 6:40 PM on October 1, 2013
Honestly what's better than this is the promise of more Gordon Frohman.
Not to mention Freeman's Mind (fingers crossed).
posted by Celsius1414 at 7:37 PM on October 1, 2013
Not to mention Freeman's Mind (fingers crossed).
posted by Celsius1414 at 7:37 PM on October 1, 2013
It will probably be derivative and have pretty graphics, but it will sell. Half-Life is one of those franchises that joins Mario, Zelda, Halo, GTA, and Metal Gear as something that has a large enough fan base that it's impossible to fail. Regardless if it has cover based shooting, regenerative health, intelligent NPCs, iron sights, or none of those it's going to supremely polished and succeed.
posted by FJT at 7:37 PM on October 1, 2013
posted by FJT at 7:37 PM on October 1, 2013
infinitewindow: "Tobacco companies trademarked common slang terms for marijuana back in the 70s so they'd be ready if weed were ever legalized. So at that rate we're on track for a release in 2060 or so."
Man, talking about some Polyanna action.....
posted by Samizdata at 7:38 PM on October 1, 2013
Man, talking about some Polyanna action.....
posted by Samizdata at 7:38 PM on October 1, 2013
boo_radley: "infinitewindow: "Tobacco companies trademarked common slang terms for marijuana back in the 70s so they'd be ready if weed were ever legalized. So at that rate we're on track for a release in 2060 or so."
Yeah, after a hard day's work there's nothing like relaxing with a little head crab."
It's DEFANGED, DAMN IT!
bloody headcrabists
posted by Samizdata at 7:49 PM on October 1, 2013 [3 favorites]
Yeah, after a hard day's work there's nothing like relaxing with a little head crab."
It's DEFANGED, DAMN IT!
bloody headcrabists
posted by Samizdata at 7:49 PM on October 1, 2013 [3 favorites]
RE: Cover system
I don't want a cover system. I want a good physical system.
The S.T.A.L.K.E.R.s had no "cover system". What it had was ways to make yourself smaller and ways to lean out from behind things. It wasn't a hard-coded L-button to "take cover" and R to "pop out" or what have you. It was just you controlling a guy's body while other dudes shot at you. It was best to be behind stuff when they shot at you, or at least have minimal exposure.
It was immersion. You weren't wondering if that pile of debris that's sort of the right color and height that a designer probably tagged it as a "coverable" location so that you could approach it and hit the button to trigger an animation of your character "ducking in" and "sticking to the wall". You were wondering whether you could run up to it and get down behind it before the bad guys' manage a good shot. Perhaps the difference is not apparent to everyone, but to me it's the difference between having a truly sublime experience or just sitting there mindlessly playing a video game. The level of engagement is important to me.
posted by laconic skeuomorph at 8:13 PM on October 1, 2013 [8 favorites]
I don't want a cover system. I want a good physical system.
The S.T.A.L.K.E.R.s had no "cover system". What it had was ways to make yourself smaller and ways to lean out from behind things. It wasn't a hard-coded L-button to "take cover" and R to "pop out" or what have you. It was just you controlling a guy's body while other dudes shot at you. It was best to be behind stuff when they shot at you, or at least have minimal exposure.
It was immersion. You weren't wondering if that pile of debris that's sort of the right color and height that a designer probably tagged it as a "coverable" location so that you could approach it and hit the button to trigger an animation of your character "ducking in" and "sticking to the wall". You were wondering whether you could run up to it and get down behind it before the bad guys' manage a good shot. Perhaps the difference is not apparent to everyone, but to me it's the difference between having a truly sublime experience or just sitting there mindlessly playing a video game. The level of engagement is important to me.
posted by laconic skeuomorph at 8:13 PM on October 1, 2013 [8 favorites]
polygon and rps forced to participate in park slope cage match. winner receives a copy of HL3 and exclusive socially-acceptable-to-posh-people gaming site rights. loser receives death.
posted by This, of course, alludes to you at 8:18 PM on October 1, 2013
posted by This, of course, alludes to you at 8:18 PM on October 1, 2013
At this point I think Valve has basically scrapped everything and redone the game.
Several times no doubt!
Please no. That's what happened to Duke Nukem Forever.
posted by Halloween Jack at 8:30 PM on October 1, 2013
Several times no doubt!
Please no. That's what happened to Duke Nukem Forever.
posted by Halloween Jack at 8:30 PM on October 1, 2013
I really, really wish I could play Half-life. but I get HORRIBLY nauseous playing Valve games. I managed (somehow) to play and beat Portal 2, but that's after I threw up once due to extreme motion sickness. I tried playing Portal 1, but I just can't enjoy it due to the feeling ill all the damn time.
So you people with your normal inner-ears have your fun with the Portals and the Half-lifes and the Valves, while I sit here trying not to get sick just thinking about it.
posted by littlesq at 8:52 PM on October 1, 2013 [1 favorite]
So you people with your normal inner-ears have your fun with the Portals and the Half-lifes and the Valves, while I sit here trying not to get sick just thinking about it.
posted by littlesq at 8:52 PM on October 1, 2013 [1 favorite]
So you people with your normal inner-ears have your fun with the Portals and the Half-lifes and the Valves, while I sit here trying not to get sick just thinking about it.--littlesq
If it makes you feel any better, I've heard that this is a common reaction by some fighter pilots when flying flight simulators. Maybe your inner ears are super-normal!
posted by eye of newt at 8:56 PM on October 1, 2013
If it makes you feel any better, I've heard that this is a common reaction by some fighter pilots when flying flight simulators. Maybe your inner ears are super-normal!
posted by eye of newt at 8:56 PM on October 1, 2013
I'm a bit more surprised by the fact that a movie is being made, and J.J. Abrams is in talks about it?!
How did I not know this before?!
posted by gucci mane at 9:05 PM on October 1, 2013
How did I not know this before?!
posted by gucci mane at 9:05 PM on October 1, 2013
Littlesq - have you tried changing the field of view? That helps some people.
posted by Artw at 9:17 PM on October 1, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by Artw at 9:17 PM on October 1, 2013 [1 favorite]
But DXHR and FEAR 3 (which we will not speak of again after this sentence) proved that cover in first person works.
Did we play the same game? DXHR switches to third-person when you take cover.
posted by Pope Guilty at 1:13 AM on October 2, 2013 [1 favorite]
Did we play the same game? DXHR switches to third-person when you take cover.
posted by Pope Guilty at 1:13 AM on October 2, 2013 [1 favorite]
Here's a thing to do: go play a bit of HL2 again. It's aged fairly well, but not exactly gracefully.
I got an xBox 360 last year and the first game I bought was HL2. So, free from any nostalgia, I can safely say it is pretty much flawless.
posted by ninebelow at 4:04 AM on October 2, 2013
I got an xBox 360 last year and the first game I bought was HL2. So, free from any nostalgia, I can safely say it is pretty much flawless.
posted by ninebelow at 4:04 AM on October 2, 2013
Half-Life Forever!
posted by Uther Bentrazor at 5:03 AM on October 2, 2013
posted by Uther Bentrazor at 5:03 AM on October 2, 2013
Series reboots as F2P mobile game with heavy emphasis on in-app purchases.
posted by Artw at 5:13 AM on October 2, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by Artw at 5:13 AM on October 2, 2013 [1 favorite]
SteamOS exclusive. Mark my words.
Fortunately Valve is not Nintendo so that wouldn't happen.
Plus that would require an enormous backing from Nvidia + AMD too.
Video card support on Linux is still meh... and OpenGL is just not as good as DirectX.
posted by bdz at 6:25 AM on October 2, 2013
Fortunately Valve is not Nintendo so that wouldn't happen.
Plus that would require an enormous backing from Nvidia + AMD too.
Video card support on Linux is still meh... and OpenGL is just not as good as DirectX.
posted by bdz at 6:25 AM on October 2, 2013
From RPS: "There is a thing called Jira that Valve uses for project management...."
Of course, my company also uses JIRA, and I can confirm none of us are developing HL3. Unless everybody's been lying to me all this time.
posted by mittens at 6:27 AM on October 2, 2013 [1 favorite]
Of course, my company also uses JIRA, and I can confirm none of us are developing HL3. Unless everybody's been lying to me all this time.
posted by mittens at 6:27 AM on October 2, 2013 [1 favorite]
I fucking hate JIRA.
posted by Artw at 6:27 AM on October 2, 2013 [2 favorites]
posted by Artw at 6:27 AM on October 2, 2013 [2 favorites]
SteamOS has enormous backing from Nvidia.
Still doesn't make sense to go SteamOS exclusive. Yes they need some exclusive titles but they are not going to release a new console, it's gonna be a new OS. (Almost like the Android in 2008 but the mobile app market was smaller, and the videogames market is totally different now)
I think they will do something similar as Rockstar with GTA5, selling it three or four times, maximazing the profit.
1. SteamOS. 2. PC (Win and Mac) 3. New gen consoles 4. Old gen consoles
posted by bdz at 6:31 AM on October 2, 2013
Still doesn't make sense to go SteamOS exclusive. Yes they need some exclusive titles but they are not going to release a new console, it's gonna be a new OS. (Almost like the Android in 2008 but the mobile app market was smaller, and the videogames market is totally different now)
I think they will do something similar as Rockstar with GTA5, selling it three or four times, maximazing the profit.
1. SteamOS. 2. PC (Win and Mac) 3. New gen consoles 4. Old gen consoles
posted by bdz at 6:31 AM on October 2, 2013
GunnerMcCaffrey: "Yep. Here's a thing to do: go play a bit of HL2 again. It's aged fairly well, but not exactly gracefully. It's easy to almost forget that the reason it feels clunky going about certain basic modern FPS conventions is because it's the one that started some of them. "
I actually played through Episode 1 recently, since I'd somehow skipped over it the first time around, and I totally agree with this. In a lot of ways, especially aesthetic, it still holds up: it looks good, it sounds good, interactions with the NPCs are mostly believable, but...it was boring. Scripted moments were visible from a mile away, and they didn't mesh smoothly with the general narrative trajectory at all (I'm thinking things like the zombie rush before the elevator, the sniper on the street, the last bit of rebel herding...all of them felt pretty artificial to me). Part of this is that I know the mechanical language of this series pretty well, and part of it is that (as far as I can remember) Episode 1 was generally a little more clunky in that regard than either HL2 or Episode 2, and part of it is just that games have moved on partly on the strength of Valve's influence, but it made it pretty clear to me that another Half-Life game in the vein of HL2 and its sequels would just be terribly disappointing.
posted by invitapriore at 8:17 AM on October 2, 2013
I actually played through Episode 1 recently, since I'd somehow skipped over it the first time around, and I totally agree with this. In a lot of ways, especially aesthetic, it still holds up: it looks good, it sounds good, interactions with the NPCs are mostly believable, but...it was boring. Scripted moments were visible from a mile away, and they didn't mesh smoothly with the general narrative trajectory at all (I'm thinking things like the zombie rush before the elevator, the sniper on the street, the last bit of rebel herding...all of them felt pretty artificial to me). Part of this is that I know the mechanical language of this series pretty well, and part of it is that (as far as I can remember) Episode 1 was generally a little more clunky in that regard than either HL2 or Episode 2, and part of it is just that games have moved on partly on the strength of Valve's influence, but it made it pretty clear to me that another Half-Life game in the vein of HL2 and its sequels would just be terribly disappointing.
posted by invitapriore at 8:17 AM on October 2, 2013
Everybody RELAX, they can't release HL3 until they have all the killstreaks designed for HL3: Deathmatch.
posted by mean cheez at 8:19 AM on October 2, 2013
posted by mean cheez at 8:19 AM on October 2, 2013
I thought episide 1 was pretty forgettable, but episide 2 Was pretty great. Then again, original Half Life is actually my favorite.
posted by Artw at 8:22 AM on October 2, 2013
posted by Artw at 8:22 AM on October 2, 2013
I get the feeling that HL3 has always been "in development" as a matter of course, but that there weren't a lot of people at valve who really wanted to work on it. Maybe they've had enough of a break to get enthused again recently though.
posted by lucidium at 8:26 AM on October 2, 2013
posted by lucidium at 8:26 AM on October 2, 2013
That one time Yahtzee "reviewed" Duke Nukem Forever when the one developer finally declared bankruptcy and said that it wouldn't be coming out, but before the last minute save that never should have happened, and the game he described in that mock review was nothing less than absolutely transcendental?
I think Valve's actually shooting for the Half Life equivalent of that, but they're actually going to succeed.
posted by radwolf76 at 8:41 AM on October 2, 2013
I think Valve's actually shooting for the Half Life equivalent of that, but they're actually going to succeed.
posted by radwolf76 at 8:41 AM on October 2, 2013
naju: "SteamOS exclusive. Mark my words."
Not likely. What is likely is Valve incentivizing SteamOS through badges, items and achievements both in-game and in Steam. They've previously done this with TF2 where people got digital goods for signing in on Mac OS and Linux.
posted by boo_radley at 9:27 AM on October 2, 2013 [1 favorite]
Not likely. What is likely is Valve incentivizing SteamOS through badges, items and achievements both in-game and in Steam. They've previously done this with TF2 where people got digital goods for signing in on Mac OS and Linux.
posted by boo_radley at 9:27 AM on October 2, 2013 [1 favorite]
mommy mommy mommy mommy *furiously plays with feet*
posted by Lipstick Thespian at 9:53 AM on October 2, 2013
posted by Lipstick Thespian at 9:53 AM on October 2, 2013
"You've waited a long time for this announcement... Ricochet 2 is coming"
posted by East Manitoba Regional Junior Kabaddi Champion '94 at 11:13 AM on October 2, 2013
posted by East Manitoba Regional Junior Kabaddi Champion '94 at 11:13 AM on October 2, 2013
"You've waited a long time for this announcement... Ricochet 2 is coming"
HL3... aka Ricochet 2 is confirmed by GabeN for almost a year
“We end up changing our minds as we’re going through and developing stuff, so as we’re thinking through the giant story arc which is Ricochet 2, you might get to a point where you’re saying something is surprising us in a positive way and something is surprising us in a negative way, and, you know, we’d like to be super-transparent about the future of Ricochet 2. The problem is, we think that the twists and turns that we're going through would probably drive people more crazy than just being silent about it, until we can be very crisp about what's happening next.″
Ricochet 2 for sure.
posted by bdz at 11:47 AM on October 2, 2013
HL3... aka Ricochet 2 is confirmed by GabeN for almost a year
“We end up changing our minds as we’re going through and developing stuff, so as we’re thinking through the giant story arc which is Ricochet 2, you might get to a point where you’re saying something is surprising us in a positive way and something is surprising us in a negative way, and, you know, we’d like to be super-transparent about the future of Ricochet 2. The problem is, we think that the twists and turns that we're going through would probably drive people more crazy than just being silent about it, until we can be very crisp about what's happening next.″
Ricochet 2 for sure.
posted by bdz at 11:47 AM on October 2, 2013
I would imagine it will be a sandbox game rather like the fallout series - can't say i was too impressed with bioshock infinite, it seemed to have been developed by some goths with a permanently raised eyebrow - look at how arch and knowing we are etc
Ahhh still remember my first encounter with the soldiers in half life like it was yesterday.
posted by sgt.serenity at 1:45 PM on October 2, 2013 [1 favorite]
Ahhh still remember my first encounter with the soldiers in half life like it was yesterday.
posted by sgt.serenity at 1:45 PM on October 2, 2013 [1 favorite]
HL has always been linear as fuck, with a few big open arenas here and there. I can't see that changing.
posted by Artw at 1:52 PM on October 2, 2013
posted by Artw at 1:52 PM on October 2, 2013
BrotherCaine: "I'm totally excited about the rumored Freeman vs. Nukem game."
In a freak accident during teleportation to another world, two heroes merge into one. DUKE FREEMAN. THE ULTIMATE HERO.
Brains? Check.
Brawn? Check.
Crowbar? Check.
Misogynist Comments? Check.
HAHA WRONG! BECAUSE FREEMAN IS THE BRAIN AND HIS BRAIN IS SUPERIOR AND WOULDN'T PRODUCE SUCH DRIVEL...
posted by symbioid at 2:09 PM on October 2, 2013
In a freak accident during teleportation to another world, two heroes merge into one. DUKE FREEMAN. THE ULTIMATE HERO.
Brains? Check.
Brawn? Check.
Crowbar? Check.
Misogynist Comments? Check.
HAHA WRONG! BECAUSE FREEMAN IS THE BRAIN AND HIS BRAIN IS SUPERIOR AND WOULDN'T PRODUCE SUCH DRIVEL...
posted by symbioid at 2:09 PM on October 2, 2013
Artw: "HL has always been linear as fuck, with a few big open arenas here and there. I can't see that changing."
* ring ring *
"Hey! Gordon! It's Eli! You wanna go head-crab bowling?"
posted by boo_radley at 2:09 PM on October 2, 2013 [4 favorites]
* ring ring *
"Hey! Gordon! It's Eli! You wanna go head-crab bowling?"
posted by boo_radley at 2:09 PM on October 2, 2013 [4 favorites]
"HL has always been linear as fuck, with a few big open arenas here and there. I can't see that changing."
I've always assumed the delay was due to fallout3, new vegas etc - a back to the drawing board moment.
posted by sgt.serenity at 2:25 PM on October 2, 2013
I've always assumed the delay was due to fallout3, new vegas etc - a back to the drawing board moment.
posted by sgt.serenity at 2:25 PM on October 2, 2013
Total cost to run Steam OS = bandwidth to download it and time to make a boot partition on your hard drive
+ computer capable of running Steam OS. Not everyone has a laptop or desktop anymore. But I mean the same would be true of a console release (requiring hardware).
I actually doubt it will be an exclusive (maybe thats just wishful thinking, since I love Valve's games but hate Steam)
posted by wildcrdj at 4:59 PM on October 2, 2013
+ computer capable of running Steam OS. Not everyone has a laptop or desktop anymore. But I mean the same would be true of a console release (requiring hardware).
I actually doubt it will be an exclusive (maybe thats just wishful thinking, since I love Valve's games but hate Steam)
posted by wildcrdj at 4:59 PM on October 2, 2013
Did we play the same game? DXHR switches to third-person when you take cover.
posted by Pope Guilty at 1:13 AM on October 2
Yep. Seamlessly. And it switches to another view altogether when you look at your inventory. But that doesn't make it a business sim, it makes it an FPS with an inventory system, just like the cover system makes it an FPS with a cover system.
"HL has always been linear as fuck, with a few big open arenas here and there. I can't see that changing."
I've always assumed the delay was due to fallout3, new vegas etc - a back to the drawing board moment.
Not sure about those, but I hope someone at Valve noticed that Dishonored - to which Valve lost HL2's level artist - pushed the genre forward in a way that Episode 3 should have but probably wouldn't have.
posted by GunnerMcCaffrey at 6:26 PM on October 2, 2013
posted by Pope Guilty at 1:13 AM on October 2
Yep. Seamlessly. And it switches to another view altogether when you look at your inventory. But that doesn't make it a business sim, it makes it an FPS with an inventory system, just like the cover system makes it an FPS with a cover system.
"HL has always been linear as fuck, with a few big open arenas here and there. I can't see that changing."
I've always assumed the delay was due to fallout3, new vegas etc - a back to the drawing board moment.
Not sure about those, but I hope someone at Valve noticed that Dishonored - to which Valve lost HL2's level artist - pushed the genre forward in a way that Episode 3 should have but probably wouldn't have.
posted by GunnerMcCaffrey at 6:26 PM on October 2, 2013
I would love, loooovvvveee, Valve to follow either the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. (best fps of ALL TIME), fallout 3, and or dishonoured model. Hell combine all three and you'd have more or less the Platonic Ideal of a first person shooter/stabber/stealth. And add a substantial heaping of of Deux Ex with a pinch of DXHR why not?
If it sets the standard for FPSs like HL2 did (ie gets copied mercilessly by every other FPS developer) it might just make the genre as a whole worth caring about again.
posted by Hello, I'm David McGahan at 1:48 AM on October 3, 2013 [2 favorites]
If it sets the standard for FPSs like HL2 did (ie gets copied mercilessly by every other FPS developer) it might just make the genre as a whole worth caring about again.
posted by Hello, I'm David McGahan at 1:48 AM on October 3, 2013 [2 favorites]
Big and wide-open straight up isn't Valve's bag. They like delivering tight, laser focused, endlessly polished experiences.
posted by Pope Guilty at 4:28 AM on October 3, 2013
posted by Pope Guilty at 4:28 AM on October 3, 2013
I hope that endless polish involves sanding off some narrative, too. As I said on some thread recently (maybe even this one), I liked the story of HL2, but I have gotten really impatient with games trying to tell me things. With limited time to actually play games, I don't want that all taken up with exposition, and have dropped several games lately that had too much in the way of introduction or tutorial. As much fun as Portal 2's game mechanics were, one of the really amazing things in that game was how a narrative was built without ever really stopping the game for a cut-scene. Obviously they had some room there, as you'd generally hear the announcements before and after the puzzle, which I guess is cheating a little bit, but still, you have the sense that things are still moving, without the intrusion of game-cinema.
posted by mittens at 4:53 AM on October 3, 2013
posted by mittens at 4:53 AM on October 3, 2013
Meanwhile, this depressing quote about the future of Deus Ex: “The concept behind Deus Ex: Universe is to create an ongoing, expanding and connected game world built across a generation of core games. It’s a commitment on our part to deliver meaningful content that expands the franchise on a regular basis and to deliver a deep conspiracy that will span several connected Deus Ex games, creating a more immersive and richer experience than ever before. Deus Ex: Universe will include PC and console games, but also additional Deus Ex games and experiences available in other media such as tablets, smartphones, books, graphic novels, etc.”
When I hear the phrase "deliver meaningful content" I reach for my PEPS.
posted by mittens at 6:19 AM on October 3, 2013 [1 favorite]
When I hear the phrase "deliver meaningful content" I reach for my PEPS.
posted by mittens at 6:19 AM on October 3, 2013 [1 favorite]
I really didn't think HR was all that hot either as a successor to Deus Ex or as a generic cyberpunk shooter, TBH. The original is great but nobody makes games like that anymore.
posted by Artw at 6:23 AM on October 3, 2013
posted by Artw at 6:23 AM on October 3, 2013
mittens: "Meanwhile, this depressing quote about the future of Deus Ex: “The concept behind Deus Ex: Universe is to create an ongoing, expanding and connected game world built across a generation of core games. It’s a commitment on our part to deliver meaningful content that expands the franchise on a regular basis and to deliver a deep conspiracy that will span several connected Deus Ex games, creating a more immersive and richer experience than ever before. ”"
i never asked for this
(freyja, you guys still do great work though, you're magic)
posted by boo_radley at 9:29 AM on October 3, 2013
i never asked for this
(freyja, you guys still do great work though, you're magic)
posted by boo_radley at 9:29 AM on October 3, 2013
The original is great but nobody makes games like that anymore.
I remember playing Deus Ex on my brand new shiny GeForce 2 and thinking holy shit, this is the future of games. This is a glimpse into the future of how fucking awesome video games are going to be going forward.
Holy shit, was I ever wrong.
Whenever you read postmortems or similar articles/essays by people who worked on immersive sims or similar games, games like Deus Ex, System Shock, Vampire: the Masquerade - Bloodlines (my personal favorite, but I'm an OWOD dork), or STALKER, there's always somebody saying how much they hate making games like that because you have to build a bunch of different systems and make sure they all work together as best you can. It takes a ton of time and effort. And for a long time, these games were cult classics that never really sold all that well- though the increasing popularity of the Elder Scrolls games, along with the Bethesdaization of the Fallout series, has started to produce some real commercial hits from the form in recent years- so it was easy to understand why the genre died out for so long. But man, when people spend the time and put in the effort, the effect can be so much more compelling than any other sort of media experience.
posted by Pope Guilty at 2:34 AM on October 4, 2013 [2 favorites]
I remember playing Deus Ex on my brand new shiny GeForce 2 and thinking holy shit, this is the future of games. This is a glimpse into the future of how fucking awesome video games are going to be going forward.
Holy shit, was I ever wrong.
Whenever you read postmortems or similar articles/essays by people who worked on immersive sims or similar games, games like Deus Ex, System Shock, Vampire: the Masquerade - Bloodlines (my personal favorite, but I'm an OWOD dork), or STALKER, there's always somebody saying how much they hate making games like that because you have to build a bunch of different systems and make sure they all work together as best you can. It takes a ton of time and effort. And for a long time, these games were cult classics that never really sold all that well- though the increasing popularity of the Elder Scrolls games, along with the Bethesdaization of the Fallout series, has started to produce some real commercial hits from the form in recent years- so it was easy to understand why the genre died out for so long. But man, when people spend the time and put in the effort, the effect can be so much more compelling than any other sort of media experience.
posted by Pope Guilty at 2:34 AM on October 4, 2013 [2 favorites]
It's a fake trademark filing
We can now confirm that the "Half-Life 3" trademark has been removed from the Trademarks and Design Registration Office of the European Union (OHIM) website. The entrant appears to have disappeared entirely after only being listed on the website database for little over a week, allowing us to identify that the trademark's listing was more than likely a hoax intended to generate fake buzz for a game which is unlikely to appear for several years.
sadtrombone.mid
posted by hellojed at 2:32 PM on October 4, 2013 [2 favorites]
We can now confirm that the "Half-Life 3" trademark has been removed from the Trademarks and Design Registration Office of the European Union (OHIM) website. The entrant appears to have disappeared entirely after only being listed on the website database for little over a week, allowing us to identify that the trademark's listing was more than likely a hoax intended to generate fake buzz for a game which is unlikely to appear for several years.
sadtrombone.mid
posted by hellojed at 2:32 PM on October 4, 2013 [2 favorites]
Here's those Steam Machine prototype specs.
They're aiming for a pretty high spec - the weakest graphics hardware mentioned costs $200 at retail, and the beefiest, the nVidia Titan, runs four figures. And they all seem to pack 16GB of RAM and a hybrid SSD/HDD.
posted by Holy Zarquon's Singing Fish at 2:40 PM on October 4, 2013
They're aiming for a pretty high spec - the weakest graphics hardware mentioned costs $200 at retail, and the beefiest, the nVidia Titan, runs four figures. And they all seem to pack 16GB of RAM and a hybrid SSD/HDD.
posted by Holy Zarquon's Singing Fish at 2:40 PM on October 4, 2013
It's a fake trademark filing
Quick, somebody steal the trademark!
posted by mittens at 7:35 PM on October 4, 2013 [1 favorite]
Quick, somebody steal the trademark!
posted by mittens at 7:35 PM on October 4, 2013 [1 favorite]
God, I wish I could edit this post to read IT'S NOT HALF LIFE 3 NERDS.
posted by boo_radley at 8:03 AM on October 8, 2013
posted by boo_radley at 8:03 AM on October 8, 2013
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posted by Artw at 4:17 PM on October 1, 2013