Half-Life 2: Episode 3 is rumored not to be coming in 2010

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This according to GameInformer.

Yes, rumor and speculation, but given the fact that this is Valve and what their project timelines are, I kinda believe it. Which sucks.

YES to episodic games.

At this point, I don't even care. The whole idea behind episodic gaming is that you get bite-sized chunks at shorter intervals with the excitement of one piece carrying you into the next. Valve has managed the "bite-sized chunks" part well enough but has completely screwed up the shorter intervals and lasting excitement part. I'm sure that Episode 3 will be a nice, polished product, but I'm just not clamoring for it the way I was when I finished Episode 2 shortly after its release.

At some point it become vaporware just like Duke Nukem.

I still haven't finished Episode 1 or 2... so... gives me more time?

NO!! I wont accept it. There will be hell to pay if I don't get my hl2ep3 this year.

Hell. To. Pay.

I still haven't played Episode 1 or 2 because by the time I got the Orange Box gamers were already upset that they didn't have Episode 3 and it wasn't even on the horizon. Months later it's still in exactly the same boat.

It would not surprise me in the least.

Excellent, as I predict that my new gaming rig won't arrive this year either

Episodes haven't worked out so far. Just give us a decent sized game for our money and we'll be happy.

The thing is with non-news like this, I don't expect Valve to say explicitly "It's not going to come out this year", and they won't announce it until it's ready to be announced. We don't know any more than we did previously, just rumours.

In a way I think it's good. Valve haven't said exactly what they are working on, besides ongoing support of existing titles. There have been rumours of the script for VA work for portal2, speculation of CS2, a completely new engine, along with mergers and acquisitions guesses, all with minimal evidence. I think it's good that there's a company (and because they're private they can do whatever the hell they want) that doesn't feel the need to publicise every last detail, years or months in advance of when the gamer needs to know about it. It seems like 'gamers' feel a need to know what every studio and every developer at each studio is up to every minute. The moment after one game ships they must inform the world what they're doing next, this valve approach is a nice change (especially given their record in the past of delays).

The only company I've seen actually pull off episodic games is Telltale, and they've done so brilliantly. I expect this will prove true, but I also don't really care anymore. I would've cared 6 months ago, when I finished Episode 2, but now there are newer things to play.

Ditto what Adam said.

If it takes 3-4 years for the complete experience then so be it. There is plenty of other stuff to play in the meantime.

Out of curiousity, how well is this episodic content selling as compared to Half Life 2?

Wait? People are actually expecting this to come out this year?

Although honestly I don't know what people are Female Doggoing about. It isn't like they haven't produced two other perfectly fine games in the mean time. And updated a multiplayer only game every month or so. And continued to refine the largest game download service.

ahrezmendi wrote:

The only company I've seen actually pull off episodic games is Telltale, and they've done so brilliantly. I expect this will prove true, but I also don't really care anymore. I would've cared 6 months ago, when I finished Episode 2, but now there are newer things to play.

That's true, they've done it very well. Them and only them, though.

Norfair wrote:

Wait? People are actually expecting this to come out this year?

Although honestly I don't know what people are Female Doggoing about. It isn't like they haven't produced two other perfectly fine games in the mean time. And updated a multiplayer only game every month or so. And continued to refine the largest game download service.

I think some people probably like Half-Life 2 more than the other games Valve has released. Or perhaps they just want to finish their HL2 experience?

farley3k wrote:

At some point it become vaporware just like Duke Nukem.

While I don't think anyone seriously expected this to come out in 2010, I don't think anyone is calling this vaporware either. I seriously doubt Valve is either in financial trouble or planning on ditching Half Life. I think they're planning on something along the lines of the Orange Box, doing some kind of bundle with their next big franchise.

My only real problem with this situation is that if it takes several years to get a bite-sized chunk of gameplay I just don't really care anymore. Too many great, full experiences to worry about Valve's little (let's face it) side-projects.

Now news of a new "surprise" game in the next Orange Box, that'll be pretty awesome and welcome.

Yep, one of the few truly interesting game story lines has yet to be resolved, and it left off with a stack of cliffhangers.

Citizen86 wrote:
ahrezmendi wrote:

The only company I've seen actually pull off episodic games is Telltale, and they've done so brilliantly. I expect this will prove true, but I also don't really care anymore. I would've cared 6 months ago, when I finished Episode 2, but now there are newer things to play.

That's true, they've done it very well. Them and only them, though.

Keep in mind, though, that of all the companies who have tried episodic gaming, the genre Telltale is working in is the only one that for the most part can get away with re-using a lot of the same locations and other assets.

Also, I'm bummed. After the cliffhanger of Episode 2, I really want to see how the whole saga ends. I mean, christ, is 3 years really not long enough for them?

RichyRambo wrote:

Out of curiousity, how well is this episodic content selling as compared to Half Life 2?

It's been surmised that the whole reason for the Orange Box approach, aside from getting a bunch of smaller games on consoles, had to do with dissapointing overall sales of Ep. 1, to the degree that it might not even have been immediately profitable for them, so that might be part of the reason for this lacklustre attitude.

This is not even close to Duke Nukem territory. Call me in 2020 if they haven't released it yet, otherwise DNF's record is undisputed.

To all those that say they "don't care" what does that mean exactly? That you won't buy it when it is finally released? Since realistically thats the only thing that matters.... if your saying you don't care that its delayed then I agree since when its released is hardly the point anymore...unless of course it ends up being dated and completely lackluster because of the time frame. (technology advances, gameplay advances etc...)

Come on, Valve, man up and stop calling them episodes. They're not any more. Just call it Half-Life 3. You're great at making games, not so great at making "episodes".

I'm betting on them giving Gordon a proper send off by turning episode 3 into a full length sequel.

Gordon Freeman Forever...?

TheGameguru wrote:

To all those that say they "don't care" what does that mean exactly?

For me, it means that it's gone from being a game that I'm planning on buying on the first day that it's available, and telling all of my friends about the series, to being one that I'll pick up eventually if it's on sale. What's been lost are interest and enthusiasm, which can certainly cost dollars.

adam.greenbrier wrote:
TheGameguru wrote:

To all those that say they "don't care" what does that mean exactly?

For me, it means that it's gone from being a game that I'm planning on buying on the first day that it's available, and telling all of my friends about the series, to being one that I'll pick up eventually if it's on sale. What's been lost are interest and enthusiasm, which can certainly cost dollars.

lol we'll see

I'm definitely buying the next bit of Half-Life day one, even if I have to get my nursing home attendant to wheel me over to the computer and enter my Steam login for me.

TheGameguru wrote:

lol we'll see

To be honest, I expect that most people will lap up Episode 3 the moment its released whenever Valve chooses to release it. Gamers aren't exactly known for their firm stances about these things; their goodwill is easily purchased with shiny, new things. I'm not so naïve as to believe that any great mass of gamers will drag their heels in getting this.

But personally, I didn't already worship at the altar of Half-Life 2 before playing its episodes and haven't been able to sustain the kind of interest Valve has asked me to sustain. I won't be tardy in buying this game because of any sort of principled stance; this isn't a boycott. I'm simply not enough of a fan to still care, three years (or more) on, about their unfinished video game.

I don't think that they are asking you to sustain your interest. And from the lack of news about it I don't think they want you to sustain it (unlike what the DNF people seemed to want) I think that Valve wants gamers to relax about it, makes the wait easier for both of us.

Now a month before they release they will want your interest to spike back up, but I think that those are two very separate issues. Valve's lack of spoilers and info about their products tells me that they don't care if you want their product a year ahead of time, and I respect them for that.

This is not a surprise. I just wonder when they'll announce that Half-Life: Episode 3 is now 15 hours long and using the Source 2 engine.

I think Fall 2012 probably.

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