By Jamaal Ryan
As IGN reported, on the goRGNtv Twitch podcast, Counter
Strike creator Minh Le discussed what he might have seen at Valve that looked
like Half-Life 3:
“I
guess I could say that I did see something that looked kinda like in the
Half-Life universe. And I mean it wouldn't surprise anyone if I said they're
doing it, they're working on it, yeah. So to go on a limb I'd say I did see
some concept art for Half-Life 3."
I
know Half-Life 3 is a sensitive topic for gamers, and any hint, rumor or
speculation on the fabled sequel sets fans ablaze and generating “Could this be
it?” states of mind. But reviewing the quote, there’s a level of ambiguity and
uncertainty that just isn’t satisfying or concrete enough to begin looking
forward to seeing Gordon and Alyx again. “Something that looked kinda like in the Hale-Life universe… So
to go off on a limb…,” I wouldn’t go
as far as to say that I don’t buy it, but coming from a former Valve employee, and
discussing a company in which Steam and DOTA 2 generate massive chunks of their
revenue, I can’t count on Half Life 3 officially appearing in the near future; my
gut tells me that it’s being kicked around Valve as nothing more than a passion
project.
But
what happens if Half-Life 3 is released? Will it live up to expectations? The
shooter genre has matured and diversified itself significantly since Episode 2.
Even in the over-saturated genre, there are interesting experimental titles
such as Far Cry 3, Bioshock: Infinite,
Metro, Deus Ex HR (depending on your playstyle), Hard Reset, Crysis 2, RAGE,
The Darkness 2, and Singularity. It’ll
unlikely stand out as well as it did way back in 2007. Not to mention the 6+
year wait and undulating anticipation sets nigh unreasonable expectations for
Half-Life 3. But to be fair, Episode 2 reviewed better than almost all of the
above listed games, and few have managed to replicate its narrative style,
world building, and that final showdown before the cliff hanger ending.
Nonetheless,
I cannot count on Half-Life 3. Valve has adopted other priorities that have
proven the company wide success. The simple fact that up to 6 ½ years later, we
still haven’t seen a follow up to the events that closed Episode 2 is one of
the best examples that Valve, as well as every other game company, is in the
business of making money as a priority. Everything and everyone else, including
us Half-Life fans, are secondary.
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