A call to communication: Valve Software and the Half-Life series

UPSLynx

A call to communication: Valve Software and the Half-Life series

Ivan

Thrax

One could argue that they're showing respect by making Steam the best bargain gaming has ever known, followed thereafter by two new and excellent franchises (L4D/Portal), along with the revival of an old favorite: DOTA.

I bemoan the lack of HL2EP3 as you do, but this article smacks of ragebait. Sorry.

Winfrey

Yeah I only fall for master bait.

trooster89

I agree with Thrax. It's not like Valve's been idle the last 5 years. Besides, what good is it if they rush out a crappy sequel just to appease the fans. Look at how much time there was between HL1 and HL2.

Cliff_Forster

I think the last official statement from Valve on Half Life 3 was that it was not in production as of last year because nobody at Valve was that interested in working on it, and the company culture dictates that the workers pick the projects. We all want to know what happens to Gordon Freeman.

RWB

For me at least it's been so long that while, yes, I want to know what the hell happens next... I haven't a clue about what happened before! I simply cannot even remember the story much. But if they did announce the next game I would play through HL all over again for sure. How long was the wait between Star Craft and SCII, or even Diablo III from Blizzard? I think those were longer waits IIRC.

MAGIC

QQ

Gargoyle

One could argue that they're showing respect by making Steam the best bargain gaming has ever known, followed thereafter by two new and excellent franchises (L4D/Portal), along with the revival of an old favorite: DOTA.

Here a Dodge, we know that our fans are eagerly awaiting the next Viper. Our halo vehicle made a statement that American sportscars could compete among the very best in the world. Going forward, we thought we would respect its fans by keeping our company as profitable as possible and making the best damn trucks money can buy. We think you'll understand if the Viper stays on the back burner for now.*

Point being there are different ways of "showing respect" to Valve fans and Half-Life fans.

(* the new Viper is actually expected to be shown in April)

Tushon

I think the last official statement from Valve on Half Life 3 was that it was not in production as of last year because nobody at Valve was that interested in working on it, and the company culture dictates that the workers pick the projects.

This is what I understand and don't have the demanding feeling of entitlement to the conclusion. You don't want a game that devs are forced to make, especially the way that Valve makes games.

PirateNinja

This is the only thing I don't get: There must be hundreds of extremely talented DEVs who want to work at Valve and who want to work on Half-life 3, and Valve must be aware of that. They know, no matter what basically, the project would be profitable.

So the question is what are they waiting for? Saying nobody wants to work on the project and that they are just adhering to company culture screams of bs to me.

Whatever is going on, I can wait. The man in the blue suit didn't get where he was by being impatient.

ardichoke

Sure, I'd like to know what the status of this is... but not enough to be mad about it. There's plenty of other games out there to play. I'm comfortable with the fact that when it does come out, it will be awesome and give me a week long gameboner.

UPSLynx

What everyone in this thread is forgetting - especially with the Dodge analogy - is that Valve is not being up front about this. Dodge had the common courtesy to communicate to their customers. Valve dodges questions left and right.

If Valve said "hey, we're making these five games irrelevant to Half-Life to build you a better Half-Life", I'd be happy. Fine, great. Do that. But they haven't. They've ignored the fans, they've ignored the press. How can you all think that OK?

I don't want Episode 3 to be rushed. I'll wait another eight years for it if I need to. But Valve needs to say something about it. The secrecy is unwarranted and it's a crappy way to treat their fans who have sat at their table since 1998.

MAGIC

What do you really want? A quarterly status update on the games developement? So they give you a date. That date comes and goes. Then everyone bitches. So long as they keep it hushed until they have a pretty solid release date the only people they have to deal with are the 13k that seem to be all up in arms about this. Not the millions that would be pissed if they gave a release date, and didnt hit it.

PirateNinja

I guess it is just a personal preference. I am as big a fan of the HL franchise as anyone else, but I don't feel the need to be updated. Some fans do. It's all good, I still appreciate the article homie :D If you can get their attention and even if on a small scale get them to update people to get the game out that much faster then you will have done mountains more than I have as a fan to try and get more content from them.

Ilriyas

What do you really want?

I think what he wants is a straight answer from the company rather than getting responses along the lines of 'hey look at this other game we're making'

Personally I've never been that invested in HL, nor have I beaten any of the games (Should do that though) but I can understand where he's coming from. (Personally I'm still waiting on an update on Thief 4, it's been a development idea since 04 but at least Eidos has bothered to say 'yes we're working on it')

MiracleManS

I think what he wants is a straight answer from the company rather than getting responses along the lines of 'hey look at this other game we're making'

I'm pretty sure we got that when they said they weren't working on it.

Their response is "We're not working on it."

Tushon

I think what he wants is a straight answer from the company rather than getting responses along the lines of 'hey look at this other game we're making'

I'm pretty sure we got that when they said they weren't working on it.

Their response is "We're not working on it."

THAT'S UNACCEPTABLE! We want it!

MiracleManS

THAT'S UNACCEPTABLE! We want it!

And that's exactly how it sounds. How have they been dodging things, as @UPSLynx says they have? Just last year they said it's not in development. That, to me, is pretty cut and dry. They're not working on it. They're working on something else.

Do I wish some of my favorite games would finally get the sequels I've been waiting for? Sure, I'm all about that. I waited for StarCraft II for a long time. I'm still waiting for Diablo III. I waited a relatively long time for Skyrim after what I thought was a disappointing Oblivion. I'm waiting for an ACTUAL successor to System Shock 2 (which will never happen).

That doesn't mean I feel entitled enough, despite my absolute love for those games, to demand that I be "in the loop" on the decision making process at the studio that's working on these games. They don't owe me anything. Would I appreciate a new game? Sure, but I certainly don't remember a contract signed in blood giving me their soul because I happened to like the last one.

UPSLynx

What do you really want?

I think what he wants is a straight answer from the company rather than getting responses along the lines of 'hey look at this other game we're making'

This. This is what we should all want. I want real talk from Valve, a company you has been proven historically to be very close to their fanbase, and very open about their going-ons. Anything Episode 3 related and the company has been nothing short of callous with their fans and the media. Blown off, ignored, no answers. It's a crappy way to treat everyone who cares about them.

I haven't seen anything regarding an official statement from Valve saying that dev of Ep3 was halted (please link me if anyone can, I can't find it). If that's true, I think that's BS. Another slap in the face, if anything.

Boy, I sure can't wait to play DOTA 2 :rolleyes:

Gargoyle

What do you really want? So they give you a date. That date comes and goes. Then everyone bitches.

This is totally true, but on a shorter time scale. After four-plus years of misdirection, fans who were told there would be a third game are miffed. You can only hide-and-deliver without damaging customer trust if you deliver on a reasonable time scale.

What everyone in this thread is forgetting - especially with the Dodge analogy - is that Valve is not being up front about this. Dodge had the common courtesy to communicate to their customers. Valve dodges questions left and right.

Just to be clear, I made up the Dodge analogy. One point, which you covered, is that regardless of what fictional Dodge said, fictional Dodge communicated with customers, and is an improvement on real Valve. The other point is why I drew the analogy in the first place, which is to say that "serving fans" doesn't necessarily mean making just any game. I'm not a SquareEnix fan, for instance. I'm a Final Fantasy fan. I could care less if they make another Kingdom Hearts, and I think it's unlikely that making another would be critical to their business survival.

Fans do not have to be a) rational actors or b) know about a company's bottom line. Companies know that about their fans, and ignore it at their peril.

UPSLynx

And that's exactly how it sounds. How have they been dodging things, as @UPSLynx says they have?

Fans send emails, they get ignored. Press asks questions, they get no comment. Dude, I've been there. I've asked Doug Lombardi to his face. Just give us anything, I told him. He blew me off. They've all done this for years. Perspective changes when you're in the press.

It's not just Icrontic. You don't have to look far. Valve holds pressers for the million unrelated titles they work on, or on updates on their software platform, and they don't touch on the subject of Half-Life at all. People want to know, what's going on over there? No answers. There are never answers.

Don't insinuate that I expect them to give us a news feed of production updates. That's not necessary at all. Regular updates aren't even necessary. But you have to understand, we're at nearly five years without a single update whatsoever. The line crumbles at that amount of neglect. No, it's not about updates, it's about addressing it at all.

Tushon

I think the last official statement from Valve on Half Life 3 was that it was not in production as of last year because nobody at Valve was that interested in working on it, and the company culture dictates that the workers pick the projects. We all want to know what happens to Gordon Freeman.

What am I missing?

GHoosdum

Are you kidding? Dude, Valve got too close to the truth with the HL series, and our Alien Overlords made them shut the project down. Careful when you poke that wound!

Ilriyas

I think what he wants is a straight answer from the company rather than getting responses along the lines of 'hey look at this other game we're making'

I'm pretty sure we got that when they said they weren't working on it.

Their response is "We're not working on it."

I think if you bothered to read my comment you would have taken note that I said nothing about a release date, or if it was even in production.

Allow me to clarify:

Even if Valve said that they aren't working on it that doesn't make up for all the stonewalling that they've put everyone through, now I'm not a HL fan I couldn't care less if Episode 3 is released or not.

From what I've seen and read Valve has only answered that way once. Every other time the question has been posed to them or their PR staff they have responded with exactly what I said

That's not a straight answer that is by definition stonewalling.

Now if you'll excuse me the air in here is becoming quite unpleasant I'll be taking my leave now.

Snarkasm

Hell, CB reported on it.

This means that we finally have a hint as to why there has been no new content in the Half-life franchise: No one at Valve is excited enough by the project to work on it.

Cliff_Forster

@UPSLynx - I hear Lauren Faust plans to cease all development on future episodes of My Little Pony Friendship is Magic. Faust stating that she has become more interested in a new GI Joe series, GI Joe, Knowing is Half the Battle. When asked about the future of the Pony franchise she merely says, "I love all the Bronies, but I have nothing further to say about it."