Steam Machines, Windows PCs, Macs, and Linux PCs will be able to take advantage of a new product announced at GDC called Steam Link. Designed to extend your Steam experience to any room in the house, Steam Link allows you to stream all your Steam content from any PC or Steam Machine on the same home network. Supporting 1080p at 60Hz with low latency, Steam Link will be available this November for $49.99, and available with a Steam Controller for an additional $49.99 in the US (worldwide pricing to be released closer to launch).
Isn't this In-House streaming what we already get from the client for free? I do pretty much what it's describing already, I hope they're not now putting a price on it
No, they're selling a $50 box that you can Stream to rather than having a second computer hooked into your tv.
Oooooh, gotcha. Steam Link = Steam Machine = Steam Box. Well I'm pretty satisfied with the little Intel NUC I built last year so this isn't for me, but it's nice for a cheaper option to be available (a NUC itself is already pretty dang cheap for what it does)
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Handsome CostanzaAsk me about 8bitdoRIP Iwata-sanRegistered Userregular
edited March 2015
However I think it's less insanity inducing to remember valve for how great they used to be, instead of endlessly bitching about how they aren't doing the things I want them to do.
I just wish Valve would have communicated more about the fact that they are now some kind of wierd publisher hybrid thingy and no longer make video games. Didn't they always use to talk about how they hated publishers after what happened with Sierra or Vivendi or whoever they were? Obviously I knew that the chances of anything HL related being announced were sparse at best, but I hoped they would say something, anything, video game related (engines and platforms don't count) because they are kind of running out of chances to be a great video game developer again like they used to be. I'm not sure they even care anymore, I know I don't. It's like that saying goes, you either die a hero or live long enough to become a villian.
Just because they haven't announced anything doesn't mean they've stopped working on games. We've gotten multiple leaks indicating L4D3 and several nudges about HL3. Additionally, they've been putting out steady content for TF2, DotA2 and CS:GO, even though they could have let those games coast on community content.
Also, I really doubt Valve is making Source 2 just to port existing games over and license it out.
Undead Scottsman on
+3
Handsome CostanzaAsk me about 8bitdoRIP Iwata-sanRegistered Userregular
I just wish Valve would have communicated more about the fact that they are now some kind of wierd publisher hybrid thingy and no longer make video games. Didn't they always use to talk about how they hated publishers after what happened with Sierra or Vivendi or whoever they were? Obviously I knew that the chances of anything HL related being announced were sparse at best, but I hoped they would say something, anything, video game related (engines and platforms don't count) because they are kind of running out of chances to be a great video game developer again like they used to be. I'm not sure they even care anymore, I know I don't. It's like that saying goes, you either die a hero or live long enough to become a villian.
Just because they haven't announced anything doesn't mean they've stopped working on games. We've gotten multiple leaks indicating L4D3 and several nudges about HL3. Additionally, they've been putting out steady content for TF2, DotA2 and CS:GO, even though they could have let those games coast on community content.
Also, I really doubt Valve is making Source 2 just to port existing games over and license it out.
It doesn't really matter at this point. Valve has lost sight of what made them great. I don't think they are capable of making something as ground shaking as half life was. This is evident in the fact that hl3 is a no show. If they had something as special as their old stuff they would have announced it by now. They haven't because they know it's not up to their old standards. Which is something that I think they are no longer capable of accomplishing, sadly. It's time for us die hard fans to move on. If valve can't be as innovative as they used to be then they shouldn't even try to make a new HL. They should just stick to their new gig.
I just wish Valve would have communicated more about the fact that they are now some kind of wierd publisher hybrid thingy and no longer make video games. Didn't they always use to talk about how they hated publishers after what happened with Sierra or Vivendi or whoever they were? Obviously I knew that the chances of anything HL related being announced were sparse at best, but I hoped they would say something, anything, video game related (engines and platforms don't count) because they are kind of running out of chances to be a great video game developer again like they used to be. I'm not sure they even care anymore, I know I don't. It's like that saying goes, you either die a hero or live long enough to become a villian.
Just because they haven't announced anything doesn't mean they've stopped working on games. We've gotten multiple leaks indicating L4D3 and several nudges about HL3. Additionally, they've been putting out steady content for TF2, DotA2 and CS:GO, even though they could have let those games coast on community content.
Also, I really doubt Valve is making Source 2 just to port existing games over and license it out.
It doesn't really matter at this point. Valve has lost sight of what made them great. I don't think they are capable of making something as ground shaking as half life was. This is evident in the fact that hl3 is a no show. If they had something as special as their old stuff they would have announced it by now. They haven't because they know it's not up to their old standards. Which is something that they are no longer capable of doing.
The problem is you're being myopic about things becuase they aren't the things that you want, rather than looking at what they're doing.
DotA2 may be based on a 10+ year old mod, but it isn't he first project that Valve based on existing thing. Team Fortress, Counter-Strike and Day of Defeat all came from projects external to Valve. L4D and Portal were heavily influenced by outside projects as well. Even the paint stuff in Portal 2 came from a digipen project. DotA2 has an incredible UI and it and TF2 basicaly set the gold standard for community marketplaces. The stuff Valve hs been doing with game events and esports is very much setting the bar.
Valve has been delving into VR for years, long before the Oculus was mainstream. (Michael Abrash was a longtime supporter of Oculus). Everything we've heard about the new headset sounds like its more advanced than the Rift. Much like Half-Life was more advanced than shooters like Quake, even though it was definitely following in Quakes footsteps. The headtracking stuff is a key componant that Oculus has been trying to figure out for awhile now, so it's not like Valve is simply aping existing things: they're innovating.
Valve is trying to remake entire PC landscape with the Steam Universe initiative; giving developers and players more options and attempting to bring pc gaming to a whole new audience of console goers. Valve already had a profound affect on the PC landscape via Steam, basically setting the standard for digital distribution and building a venue that has had massive affect on both the indy community, as well as larger developers. Steam Universe is Valve continuing to push Steam as a platform.
Honestly, Valve hasn't really changed; they just have the money to pursue bigger and crazier projects. Just because they're not making the particular games you'd like isn't a reason to say they don't have a soul or are no longer great. When you do that, you sound like a hipster who hate his favorite band now that they've "gone mainstream" and nobody wants that.
Also, Valve takes forever to make shit. It took Valve over four years of dev time before they even showed off HL2, and then it took nearly two more years before it was finished. Gabe has specifically talked about not wanting to show off stuff too early anymore. Don't mistake silence for being embarressed to show what they've got.
Undead Scottsman on
+4
Handsome CostanzaAsk me about 8bitdoRIP Iwata-sanRegistered Userregular
Okay, so you want them to make something revolutionary, but you don't want them to take the time to do that?
Yeah, we've waited forever for HL3, but Valve is very aware of the fact that they can't release something mediocre.
I want them to finish the story really. They are the ones who set the crazy high standard for themselves. So naturally I want for them to be happy with their product before they ship it. If they can't meet their own standards they shouldn't release a game. The point I'm making is that they are no longer capable of achieving that, so they should stick to being a publisher-thingy if they can't meet their own standards. What I want is irrelevant.Thats just the (speculative) reality of the situation. It's sad and we all need to move on, including Valve.
@undeadscotsman but this situation isn't the same as when they made hl1 or 2. There have been signs pointing to their decline as a game developer for years. Which is why all your examples are either derivative (cs:go, TF2, L4D2, Portal 2) or not their idea at all in the first place (dota2, portal, TF2 and CS if you want to get technical, and I guess if you count those then L4D too). I consider steam a good thing but if it hadn't been successful I think that they would have already made a high quality half-life 3. They have lost touch with what made them in the first place. I call it the Eddie Murphy effect. TF2 is a perfect example of this. Instead of taking the game and perfecting it, they took a near perfect game and seriously diminished it's quality through updates. which is why I consider the xbox 360 orange box to be to best version of the game at this point, despite the fact that no one plays it.
AkimboEGMr. FancypantsWears very fine pants indeedRegistered Userregular
Yeah, no. Valve's work over the past decade has been significantly more influential and beneficial to the world of gaming than any of their game outings.
I'm not saying this to diminish their work as developers - Half-Life 1 and Half-Life 2 were both tremendous achievements and bar-setting games.
But Steam has done more for PC gaming than HL2 or Portal ever did.
Valve haven't "lost focus of what made them". They've evolved into something bigger and better.
The point I'm making is that they are no longer capable of achieving that, so they should stick to being a publisher-thingy if they can't meet their own standards.
You called this speculation. I'd personally call it entirely baseless. Valve have released plenty of good games since HL2.
Give me a kiss to build a dream on; And my imagination will thrive upon that kiss; Sweetheart, I ask no more than this; A kiss to build a dream on
Okay, so you want them to make something revolutionary, but you don't want them to take the time to do that?
Yeah, we've waited forever for HL3, but Valve is very aware of the fact that they can't release something mediocre.
I want them to finish the story really. They are the ones who set the crazy high standard for themselves. So naturally I want for them to be happy with their product before they ship it. If they can't meet their own standards they shouldn't release a game. The point I'm making is that they are no longer capable of achieving that, so they should stick to being a publisher-thingy if they can't meet their own standards. What I want is irrelevant.Thats just the (speculative) reality of the situation. It's sad and we all need to move on, including Valve.
@undeadscotsman but this situation isn't the same as when they made hl1 or 2. There have been signs pointing to their decline as a game developer for years. Which is why all your examples are either derivative (cs:go, TF2, L4D2, Portal 2) or not their idea at all in the first place (dota2, portal, TF2 and CS if you want to get technical, and I guess if you count those then L4D too). I consider steam a good thing but if it hadn't been successful I think that they would have already made a high quality half-life 3. They have lost touch with what made them in the first place. I call it the Eddie Murphy effect. TF2 is a perfect example of this. Instead of taking the game and perfecting it, they took a near perfect game and seriously diminished it's quality through updates. which is why I consider the xbox 360 orange box to be to best version of the game at this point, despite the fact that no one plays it.
The thing people need to realize is we've already been through this scenerio before.
Flash back to late 2002; Half-Life is years old and Valve hasn't said word ONE about a sequel. People are deriding them for putting out nothing but Half-Life mods of other peoples games (TFC, CS, DoD, DMC). Their big new game project, TF2, is nowhere in sight, and people are thinking Valve is wasting thier time working on Steam rather than making games. People were convinced they would never do a new Half-Life game because there was no way it could live up to the hype of the original. Valve hadn't made a real game in four years, they are a one-trick pony that will have lost their touch by now.
Half-Life 2, of course, was announced the next year, having been in development the entire time. Just because you aren't seeing the work you'd like them doesn't mean it isn't happening, or that Valve is incapable of doing it.
Also, I find it really weird that you're slighting Valve for producing sequels, when one of your earlier posts in this thread was you being excited that they may announce a new Half-Life.
BTW, it's kind of poor form to just say "They're all derivative" and ignore the all the skill and effort it takes to make these games, and the enhancements these new versions have. DotA2 is going to be the first Source 2 game. It's also kind of a weird thing to go "It wasn't their idea" when they quite often, you know, recognize the talent and hire them to not only work on the project, but to use that talent on other Valve projects. That indicates that Valve is in better shape to make games, not worse.
I do *work* at the building that Valve is located in once a year. They have a security guy walk around with me and the building manager guys because I *do work*. So while I can't say I have photo evidence or proof beyond hearsay of Half Life 3, I do know they have a lot of folks working on it, based on all the concept art and computers and ''Half Life 3" project billboards they have in a corner of one of their floors.
The security guy does not like *all the equipment that I bring* for my job, when everyone has a smart phone now...
Okay, so you want them to make something revolutionary, but you don't want them to take the time to do that?
Yeah, we've waited forever for HL3, but Valve is very aware of the fact that they can't release something mediocre.
I want them to finish the story really. They are the ones who set the crazy high standard for themselves. So naturally I want for them to be happy with their product before they ship it. If they can't meet their own standards they shouldn't release a game. The point I'm making is that they are no longer capable of achieving that, so they should stick to being a publisher-thingy if they can't meet their own standards. What I want is irrelevant.Thats just the (speculative) reality of the situation. It's sad and we all need to move on, including Valve.
@undeadscotsman but this situation isn't the same as when they made hl1 or 2. There have been signs pointing to their decline as a game developer for years. Which is why all your examples are either derivative (cs:go, TF2, L4D2, Portal 2) or not their idea at all in the first place (dota2, portal, TF2 and CS if you want to get technical, and I guess if you count those then L4D too). I consider steam a good thing but if it hadn't been successful I think that they would have already made a high quality half-life 3. They have lost touch with what made them in the first place. I call it the Eddie Murphy effect. TF2 is a perfect example of this. Instead of taking the game and perfecting it, they took a near perfect game and seriously diminished it's quality through updates. which is why I consider the xbox 360 orange box to be to best version of the game at this point, despite the fact that no one plays it.
The thing people need to realize is we've already been through this scenerio before.
Flash back to late 2002; Half-Life is years old and Valve hasn't said word ONE about a sequel. People are deriding them for putting out nothing but Half-Life mods of other peoples games (TFC, CS, DoD, DMC). Their big new game project, TF2, is nowhere in sight, and people are thinking Valve is wasting thier time working on Steam rather than making games. People were convinced they would never do a new Half-Life game because there was no way it could live up to the hype of the original. Valve hadn't made a real game in four years, they are a one-trick pony that will have lost their touch by now.
Half-Life 2, of course, was announced the next year, having been in development the entire time. Just because you aren't seeing the work you'd like them doesn't mean it isn't happening, or that Valve is incapable of doing it.
Also, I find it really weird that you're slighting Valve for producing sequels, when one of your earlier posts in this thread was you being excited that they may announce a new Half-Life.
BTW, it's kind of poor form to just say "They're all derivative" and ignore the all the skill and effort it takes to make these games, and the enhancements these new versions have. DotA2 is going to be the first Source 2 game. It's also kind of a weird thing to go "It wasn't their idea" when they quite often, you know, recognize the talent and hire them to not only work on the project, but to use that talent on other Valve projects. That indicates that Valve is in better shape to make games, not worse.
At least Half Life is their original work. I was excited for a new one because of their reputation of doing something extroardinary each time they release a HL game. Tell me, in all those games mentioned did any of them do anything groundbreaking on the level of the HL games? I guess you could make a case for Portal but that's about it. Valve has made passable, hell even super enjoyable games in recent years sure, but none of them came anywhere near capturing the magic of the first two Half Life games. The fact that it's been 10 years since they've accomplished something on that level, combined with the absolute absence of even acknowledging the existence of the game can lead one to reasonably believe that they lost the magic. Why else would they have given up on Episode 3? They canned episode 3 because they knew they weren't capable of making something special anymore. It is unknown if they have regained their "magic" since they are so secretive. I can only call it how I see it, and it doesn't seem likely.
They canned episode 3 because they realized episodic content wasn't working out for them the way they wanted it to. Like, they've said multiple times that they've moved away from that model. I wouldn't worry too much; this wouldn't be the first time Valve scrapped a version of a Half-Life game to start over. Both Half-Life and Half-Life 2 had major restarts during development.
As for groundbreaking, what are you looking for? Left 4 Dead featured had AI director system, with which it created a game unlike just about anything else on the market at the time. The Orange Box had their new cinematic physics engine. Team Fortress 2 used phong shaders to produce an amazing and unique art style. The community tools built into DOTA2 is a step beyond probably any other game in the market right now. The workshop tools they build into their games are pretty much the gold standard in the industry. Portal was portal, and dispite the core mechanic not being developed while at Valve, people who did so still work at Valve.
You can make the argument that they haven't put out a tour-de-force on the level of HL2 since, well, HL2, but that doesn't mean they haven't been doing impressive stuff in the meantime, which would imply they are capable of impressive stuff in the future. The idea that because they haven't put out a game on that level means they are incapable of it is spacious logic at best, especially for a company like Valve who works at a glacial pace.
Ultimately, if you're really worried about it, Valve JUST announced Source 2; you don't do that if you don't have some neat tricks up your sleeve to show off.
+2
Handsome CostanzaAsk me about 8bitdoRIP Iwata-sanRegistered Userregular
They canned episode 3 because they realized episodic content wasn't working out for them the way they wanted it to. Like, they've said multiple times that they've moved away from that model. I wouldn't worry too much; this wouldn't be the first time Valve scrapped a version of a Half-Life game to start over. Both Half-Life and Half-Life 2 had major restarts during development.
As for groundbreaking, what are you looking for? Left 4 Dead featured had AI director system, with which it created a game unlike just about anything else on the market at the time. The Orange Box had their new cinematic physics engine. Team Fortress 2 used phong shaders to produce an amazing and unique art style. The community tools built into DOTA2 is a step beyond probably any other game in the market right now. The workshop tools they build into their games are pretty much the gold standard in the industry. Portal was portal, and dispite the core mechanic not being developed while at Valve, people who did so still work at Valve.
You can make the argument that they haven't put out a tour-de-force on the level of HL2 since, well, HL2, but that doesn't mean they haven't been doing impressive stuff in the meantime, which would imply they are capable of impressive stuff in the future. The idea that because they haven't put out a game on that level means they are incapable of it is spacious logic at best, especially for a company like Valve who works at a glacial pace.
Ultimately, if you're really worried about it, Valve JUST announced Source 2; you don't do that if you don't have some neat tricks up your sleeve to show off.
Or they are releasing it because they know they've got nothing and they need the community to bail them out.Time will tell.
Wrote some stuff which would be bad if someone read it and figured out who he was
I certainly appreciate the word, but if they really are being so secretive and read this here, they would probably boil you alive.
Seriously, I would remove that.
+3
Zxerolfor the smaller pieces, my shovel wouldn't doso i took off my boot and used my shoeRegistered Userregular
edited March 2015
They're making bank in their Steam and hat business, are prepping to launch Steam Machines, SteamOS, Steam Controller, VR, and Source 2 (along with related work for Vulkan and the like) in a bid to try to redefine the PC and living rooms, and they need help from modders and hobbyists to bail them out? From fucking what? From some deficiency in probably their greatest and biggest push in their entire history since Steam?
Yeah, I'd probably remove that too. There's been enough references to HL3 in gamecode and those project tracker leaks from 2013 that HL3 isn't really a complete surprise, but I can't imagine Valve would be super happy to have someone blabbing about it (even if, really, there's no proof here so it'd be super easy to just ignore).
yea, if I had evidence of it, one. I wouldn't post it on a handle I've used for years. two, that's rather... scummy to do. I've seen it. Its being worked on.
Sorry, I wasn't trying to slight you by sayin there's no proof; just saying that puts you a lower level of noticability.
Though if they have a bunch of billboards and stuff, and didn't bother to cover that shit up or take it down (or make you sign an NDA about it) when you did your walkthrough, then that's on them.
Undead Scottsman on
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Handsome CostanzaAsk me about 8bitdoRIP Iwata-sanRegistered Userregular
edited March 2015
It's better to be safe than sorry. Not that I don't appreciate the info.
They're making bank in their Steam and hat business, are prepping to launch Steam Machines, SteamOS, Steam Controller, VR, and Source 2 (along with related work for Vulkan and the like) in a bid to try to redefine the PC and living rooms, and they need help from modders and hobbyists to bail them out? From fucking what? From some deficiency in probably their greatest and biggest push in their entire history since Steam?
Your cynicism is freaking absurd.
That's all well and good, and kind of my point. Valve has turned from a great game developer to a giant corporation. That's how the story always goes, super talented people hit it big and become jaded and too big for their own britches. Valve is great and they are doing amazing things with hardware and content distribution there is no denying that. But as a game dev they just aren't what they used to be. They lost it. The mojo.
But as a game dev they just aren't what they used to be. They lost it. The mojo.
Based on what?
AkimboEG on
Give me a kiss to build a dream on; And my imagination will thrive upon that kiss; Sweetheart, I ask no more than this; A kiss to build a dream on
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Handsome CostanzaAsk me about 8bitdoRIP Iwata-sanRegistered Userregular
edited March 2015
No, jesus christ guys. I've already gone into detail about why I think that. I'm not getting into it again, sorry. It's as if I attacked all of your mothers. It's just an opinion guys. Just because you don't agree with it doesn't mean that it's not just as legitimate as yours is. I think I've done my homework in terms of fleshing out why I feel this way if you scroll up(and/or go back a page). I've been a fan of valve since the uplink demo days, since Gordon Freeman was a biker with a friggin' beard. I very much want for them to do well.
AkimboEGMr. FancypantsWears very fine pants indeedRegistered Userregular
No offence meant. I'm not trying to attack you and I apologize if it came off that way.
What I am saying is that you're basing your conclusions on some pretty big leaps.
And you're also treating what you're saying as if it's solid facts, rather than your own opinions.
They canned episode 3 because they knew they weren't capable of making something special anymore. It is unknown if they have regained their "magic" since they are so secretive. I can only call it how I see it, and it doesn't seem likely.
I mean, you're welcome to think this, but it is in no way a solid fact.
But let's agree to disagree, seeing how you just acknowledged these as opinions in your last post.
Give me a kiss to build a dream on; And my imagination will thrive upon that kiss; Sweetheart, I ask no more than this; A kiss to build a dream on
If valve just released the Half-Life sequel that's floating around in my feeble imagination, I think it would still be better than 99% of the FPS games out there right now
just ramp up the environmental interactivity of the gravity gun, and add in the portal gun to combat (being able to shoot and travel through portals to attack enemies behind cover, etc)
but then, it shouldn't take over a decade to make an FPS with just those gameplay elements so clearly (in my mind at least) something else is going on with the game's development
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chiasaur11Never doubt a raccoon.Do you think it's trademarked?Registered Userregular
I do *work* at the building that Valve is located in once a year. They have a security guy walk around with me and the building manager guys because I *do work*. So while I can't say I have photo evidence or proof beyond hearsay of Half Life 3, I do know they have a lot of folks working on it, based on all the concept art and computers and ''Half Life 3" project billboards they have in a corner of one of their floors.
The security guy does not like *all the equipment that I bring* for my job, when everyone has a smart phone now...
edit** fine... details changed.
The modified version makes me think of *Orz*.
I suppose the original would not make Valve *Happy Campers*
If valve just released the Half-Life sequel that's floating around in my feeble imagination, I think it would still be better than 99% of the FPS games out there right now
just ramp up the environmental interactivity of the gravity gun, and add in the portal gun to combat (being able to shoot and travel through portals to attack enemies behind cover, etc)
but then, it shouldn't take over a decade to make an FPS with just those gameplay elements so clearly (in my mind at least) something else is going on with the game's development
Well, in terms of development time, Valve mentioned a LONG time ago that Episodes 1 and 2 started development at the same time, and when Episode 1 was finished, they started work on Episode 3. Given Ep2 took 3 years, Ep3 could have been in development for awhile before they decided to not pursue episodic content anymore, and there's no telling if they would have immediately jumped to HL3, or pursued other projects first.
Looking into it, Gabe was still talking about Episode 3 as late as August 2009, and Ep3 references were found in the DOTA2 code as late as 2011. May 2011 is when it was mentioned that Valve was moving away from the Episodic model and December 2011 was also the first time HL3 entered the dialog in any official capacity when a Valve employee was spotted wearing a HL3 t-shirt, which Doug Lombardi later confirmed was real (the shirt, not HL3) and said he didn't have anything further to say on the matter.
April 2012 is the first time "Ricochet 2" is used as a euphamism for HL3, and August 2012 Gabe apparently insinuates that if there was going to be a new Half-Life game, it'd just be HL3. Novembr of 2012 is where Gabe says "Ricochet 2 has entered production" during a Something Awful visit on his birthday (he also confirmed they were working on the next generation of the source engine. There's footage, but the audio can be hard to make out.) 2013 saw the JIRA project tracker leaks that mentioned Source 2, L4D3 and HL3. (In July and September) and comparisons between the two indicate a ramping up of personnel on HL3 in those couple months.
So HL3 may not have started production until 2009 and possibly even later. It's still been a long time, of course, but I don't think this is a situation where Valve has been beating their heads againt the wall for 10+ years like some other dev teams.
I get it, they are making stacks of fat cash being a publisher. Problem is their core fans who got them to this point in the first place don't give a shit about that. It just sucks going back and watching those documentaries where they were all so excited to build a great video game. How devastated they were when hl2 was leaked. I just feel like that passion is gone from them and it's sad. A fucking VR headset is not raising the bar Valve, I remember when you used to do things not based on beating the next big trendy device to the market, but to revolutionize gaming. would have been real cool to have seen the next Half Life in collaboration with JJ Abram's or whatever crazy awesome idea they would have came up with if they still had a soul.
But I'm not mad or anything.
this is such a crazy post! I'm one of the biggest half-life fans on these forums but what the fuck lol, they don't owe their fans anything! They made 4 amazing half-life games, I hope another one comes out, but until then Valve can do whatever the fuck they want because Steam is a god send to PC games.
It doesn't really matter at this point. Valve has lost sight of what made them great. I don't think they are capable of making something as ground shaking as half life was. This is evident in the fact that hl3 is a no show. If they had something as special as their old stuff they would have announced it by now. They haven't because they know it's not up to their old standards. Which is something that I think they are no longer capable of accomplishing, sadly. It's time for us die hard fans to move on. If valve can't be as innovative as they used to be then they shouldn't even try to make a new HL. They should just stick to their new gig.
ooooook then. Glad to know you have an inside source on what's going on at valve since you certainly are making a lot of statements there!
Hardtarget on
0
Handsome CostanzaAsk me about 8bitdoRIP Iwata-sanRegistered Userregular
I get it, they are making stacks of fat cash being a publisher. Problem is their core fans who got them to this point in the first place don't give a shit about that. It just sucks going back and watching those documentaries where they were all so excited to build a great video game. How devastated they were when hl2 was leaked. I just feel like that passion is gone from them and it's sad. A fucking VR headset is not raising the bar Valve, I remember when you used to do things not based on beating the next big trendy device to the market, but to revolutionize gaming. would have been real cool to have seen the next Half Life in collaboration with JJ Abram's or whatever crazy awesome idea they would have came up with if they still had a soul.
But I'm not mad or anything.
this is such a crazy post! I'm one of the biggest half-life fans on these forums but what the fuck lol, they don't owe their fans anything! They made 4 amazing half-life games, I hope another one comes out, but until then Valve can do whatever the fuck they want because Steam is a god send to PC games.
It doesn't really matter at this point. Valve has lost sight of what made them great. I don't think they are capable of making something as ground shaking as half life was. This is evident in the fact that hl3 is a no show. If they had something as special as their old stuff they would have announced it by now. They haven't because they know it's not up to their old standards. Which is something that I think they are no longer capable of accomplishing, sadly. It's time for us die hard fans to move on. If valve can't be as innovative as they used to be then they shouldn't even try to make a new HL. They should just stick to their new gig.
ooooook then. Glad to know you have an inside source on what's going on at valve since you certainly are making a lot of statements there!
Obviously I'm speculating.
Edit: why is geth automatically agreeing with everything I post in here the second I post it?Did i get put on some kind of crazy half life fan watchlist?
Edit2: speculation + my opinion of every valve game since ep 2
HardtargetThere Are Four LightsVancouverRegistered Userregular
edited March 2015
So you don't like CS:GO which is actually a pretty decent upgrade to CS but.. ok, maybe you just never liked CS.
And you don't like Portal 2 which I think, personally, is a great game and shows how creative Valve can still be, but ok, maybe puzzlers aren't for you?
And you don't like either Left For Dead 1 or 2 which I've had immense fun with in coop playing with buddies, but ok, maybe you don't like Co-Op games.
and you don't like DOTA 2, which I can't really comment on since I'm not a big MOBA fan, but it sounds like you don't like MOBA games either.
What you are basically saying is although valve is a relatively active developer pushing out big hits you don't happen to like the last few games they have made, due to I assume them being in genres you don't like, and because of that you have no hope for Half-Life 3 because if you didn't like the games/genres of their last few releases why would you like a new valve game when it's in the genre you do want.
I don't even know how to respond to that since that is crazy pants.
Hardtarget on
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Handsome CostanzaAsk me about 8bitdoRIP Iwata-sanRegistered Userregular
So you don't like CS:GO which is actually a pretty decent upgrade to CS but.. ok, maybe you just never liked CS.
And you don't like Portal 2 which I think, personally, is a great game and shows how creative Valve can still be, but ok, maybe puzzlers aren't for you?
And you don't like either Left For Dead 1 or 2 which I've had immense fun with in coop playing with buddies, but ok, maybe you don't like Co-Op games.
and you don't like DOTA 2, which I can't really comment on since I'm not a big MOBA fan, but it sounds like you don't like MOBA games either.
What you are basically saying is although valve is a relatively active developer pushing out big hits you don't happen to like the last few games they have made, due to I assume them being in genres you don't like, and because of that you have no hope for Half-Life 3 because if you didn't like the games/genres of their last few releases why would you like a new valve game when it's in the genre you do want.
I don't even know how to respond to that since that is crazy pants.
Not what I said at all. I like CS:GO and Portal 1 and 2. Never really played dota2 aside from a few matches, although I played plenty of the WC3 mod. I never said those games were bad. I Said that none of them were groundbreaking and greatness on the level of the HL games. The insanely high levels of quality that Valve games were known for do not exist post Hl2 and episodes. With the exception of maybe portal. Even if you categorize Portal as great or revolutionary it certainly doesn't occupy the same rarified air as the games valve made pre-steam as we know it today.
Honestly, Portal is arguably more revered than the Half-Life series at this point. Seriously, that thing was a phenomena.
And again, Valve released nothing that you would qualify as "groundbreaking" between Half-Life and Half-Life 2, so I'm not sure why this time is different? Because its longer?
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FairchildRabbit used short words that were easy to understand, like "Hello Pooh, how about Lunch ?"Registered Userregular
Also, Gabe Newell's net worth is estimated to be $1.3 Billion. That's Billion, with a B.
Honestly, Portal is arguably more revered than the Half-Life series at this point. Seriously, that thing was a phenomena.
And again, Valve released nothing that you would qualify as "groundbreaking" between Half-Life and Half-Life 2, so I'm not sure why this time is different? Because its longer?
Because it's longer and because there weren't any valve games between 1 and 2 like there are now. So one could assume that they were just being consistently awesome at that stage.
Handsome CostanzaAsk me about 8bitdoRIP Iwata-sanRegistered Userregular
edited March 2015
Now that I think about it Portal and Portal 2 were around the time that Valve was still making HL, so I could make the case that Portal occured before the "downfall" as well.
Honestly, Portal is arguably more revered than the Half-Life series at this point. Seriously, that thing was a phenomena.
And again, Valve released nothing that you would qualify as "groundbreaking" between Half-Life and Half-Life 2, so I'm not sure why this time is different? Because its longer?
Because it's longer and because there weren't any valve games between 1 and 2 like there are now. So one could assume that they were just being consistently awesome at that stage.
Counter-Strike, Team Fortress Classic and Day of Defeat all came out during that time period. All three had retail releases.
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NocrenLt Futz, Back in ActionNorth CarolinaRegistered Userregular
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Oooooh, gotcha. Steam Link = Steam Machine = Steam Box. Well I'm pretty satisfied with the little Intel NUC I built last year so this isn't for me, but it's nice for a cheaper option to be available (a NUC itself is already pretty dang cheap for what it does)
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Just because they haven't announced anything doesn't mean they've stopped working on games. We've gotten multiple leaks indicating L4D3 and several nudges about HL3. Additionally, they've been putting out steady content for TF2, DotA2 and CS:GO, even though they could have let those games coast on community content.
Also, I really doubt Valve is making Source 2 just to port existing games over and license it out.
It doesn't really matter at this point. Valve has lost sight of what made them great. I don't think they are capable of making something as ground shaking as half life was. This is evident in the fact that hl3 is a no show. If they had something as special as their old stuff they would have announced it by now. They haven't because they know it's not up to their old standards. Which is something that I think they are no longer capable of accomplishing, sadly. It's time for us die hard fans to move on. If valve can't be as innovative as they used to be then they shouldn't even try to make a new HL. They should just stick to their new gig.
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Yeah, we've waited forever for HL3, but Valve is very aware of the fact that they can't release something mediocre.
The problem is you're being myopic about things becuase they aren't the things that you want, rather than looking at what they're doing.
DotA2 may be based on a 10+ year old mod, but it isn't he first project that Valve based on existing thing. Team Fortress, Counter-Strike and Day of Defeat all came from projects external to Valve. L4D and Portal were heavily influenced by outside projects as well. Even the paint stuff in Portal 2 came from a digipen project. DotA2 has an incredible UI and it and TF2 basicaly set the gold standard for community marketplaces. The stuff Valve hs been doing with game events and esports is very much setting the bar.
Valve has been delving into VR for years, long before the Oculus was mainstream. (Michael Abrash was a longtime supporter of Oculus). Everything we've heard about the new headset sounds like its more advanced than the Rift. Much like Half-Life was more advanced than shooters like Quake, even though it was definitely following in Quakes footsteps. The headtracking stuff is a key componant that Oculus has been trying to figure out for awhile now, so it's not like Valve is simply aping existing things: they're innovating.
Valve is trying to remake entire PC landscape with the Steam Universe initiative; giving developers and players more options and attempting to bring pc gaming to a whole new audience of console goers. Valve already had a profound affect on the PC landscape via Steam, basically setting the standard for digital distribution and building a venue that has had massive affect on both the indy community, as well as larger developers. Steam Universe is Valve continuing to push Steam as a platform.
Honestly, Valve hasn't really changed; they just have the money to pursue bigger and crazier projects. Just because they're not making the particular games you'd like isn't a reason to say they don't have a soul or are no longer great. When you do that, you sound like a hipster who hate his favorite band now that they've "gone mainstream" and nobody wants that.
Also, Valve takes forever to make shit. It took Valve over four years of dev time before they even showed off HL2, and then it took nearly two more years before it was finished. Gabe has specifically talked about not wanting to show off stuff too early anymore. Don't mistake silence for being embarressed to show what they've got.
I want them to finish the story really. They are the ones who set the crazy high standard for themselves. So naturally I want for them to be happy with their product before they ship it. If they can't meet their own standards they shouldn't release a game. The point I'm making is that they are no longer capable of achieving that, so they should stick to being a publisher-thingy if they can't meet their own standards. What I want is irrelevant.Thats just the (speculative) reality of the situation. It's sad and we all need to move on, including Valve.
@undeadscotsman but this situation isn't the same as when they made hl1 or 2. There have been signs pointing to their decline as a game developer for years. Which is why all your examples are either derivative (cs:go, TF2, L4D2, Portal 2) or not their idea at all in the first place (dota2, portal, TF2 and CS if you want to get technical, and I guess if you count those then L4D too). I consider steam a good thing but if it hadn't been successful I think that they would have already made a high quality half-life 3. They have lost touch with what made them in the first place. I call it the Eddie Murphy effect. TF2 is a perfect example of this. Instead of taking the game and perfecting it, they took a near perfect game and seriously diminished it's quality through updates. which is why I consider the xbox 360 orange box to be to best version of the game at this point, despite the fact that no one plays it.
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I'm not saying this to diminish their work as developers - Half-Life 1 and Half-Life 2 were both tremendous achievements and bar-setting games.
But Steam has done more for PC gaming than HL2 or Portal ever did.
Valve haven't "lost focus of what made them". They've evolved into something bigger and better.
You called this speculation. I'd personally call it entirely baseless. Valve have released plenty of good games since HL2.
The thing people need to realize is we've already been through this scenerio before.
Flash back to late 2002; Half-Life is years old and Valve hasn't said word ONE about a sequel. People are deriding them for putting out nothing but Half-Life mods of other peoples games (TFC, CS, DoD, DMC). Their big new game project, TF2, is nowhere in sight, and people are thinking Valve is wasting thier time working on Steam rather than making games. People were convinced they would never do a new Half-Life game because there was no way it could live up to the hype of the original. Valve hadn't made a real game in four years, they are a one-trick pony that will have lost their touch by now.
Half-Life 2, of course, was announced the next year, having been in development the entire time. Just because you aren't seeing the work you'd like them doesn't mean it isn't happening, or that Valve is incapable of doing it.
Also, I find it really weird that you're slighting Valve for producing sequels, when one of your earlier posts in this thread was you being excited that they may announce a new Half-Life.
BTW, it's kind of poor form to just say "They're all derivative" and ignore the all the skill and effort it takes to make these games, and the enhancements these new versions have. DotA2 is going to be the first Source 2 game. It's also kind of a weird thing to go "It wasn't their idea" when they quite often, you know, recognize the talent and hire them to not only work on the project, but to use that talent on other Valve projects. That indicates that Valve is in better shape to make games, not worse.
The security guy does not like *all the equipment that I bring* for my job, when everyone has a smart phone now...
edit** fine... details changed.
Steam - NotoriusBEN | Uplay - notoriusben | Xbox,Windows Live - ThatBEN
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At least Half Life is their original work. I was excited for a new one because of their reputation of doing something extroardinary each time they release a HL game. Tell me, in all those games mentioned did any of them do anything groundbreaking on the level of the HL games? I guess you could make a case for Portal but that's about it. Valve has made passable, hell even super enjoyable games in recent years sure, but none of them came anywhere near capturing the magic of the first two Half Life games. The fact that it's been 10 years since they've accomplished something on that level, combined with the absolute absence of even acknowledging the existence of the game can lead one to reasonably believe that they lost the magic. Why else would they have given up on Episode 3? They canned episode 3 because they knew they weren't capable of making something special anymore. It is unknown if they have regained their "magic" since they are so secretive. I can only call it how I see it, and it doesn't seem likely.
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I certainly appreciate the word, but if they really are being so secretive and read this here, they would probably boil you alive.
As for groundbreaking, what are you looking for? Left 4 Dead featured had AI director system, with which it created a game unlike just about anything else on the market at the time. The Orange Box had their new cinematic physics engine. Team Fortress 2 used phong shaders to produce an amazing and unique art style. The community tools built into DOTA2 is a step beyond probably any other game in the market right now. The workshop tools they build into their games are pretty much the gold standard in the industry. Portal was portal, and dispite the core mechanic not being developed while at Valve, people who did so still work at Valve.
You can make the argument that they haven't put out a tour-de-force on the level of HL2 since, well, HL2, but that doesn't mean they haven't been doing impressive stuff in the meantime, which would imply they are capable of impressive stuff in the future. The idea that because they haven't put out a game on that level means they are incapable of it is spacious logic at best, especially for a company like Valve who works at a glacial pace.
Ultimately, if you're really worried about it, Valve JUST announced Source 2; you don't do that if you don't have some neat tricks up your sleeve to show off.
Or they are releasing it because they know they've got nothing and they need the community to bail them out.Time will tell.
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Seriously, I would remove that.
Your cynicism is freaking absurd.
I'd probably delete it, @NotoriusBEN
Diddo for your reply to him, @Handsome Costanza
yea, if I had evidence of it, one. I wouldn't post it on a handle I've used for years. two, that's rather... scummy to do. I've seen it. Its being worked on.
Steam - NotoriusBEN | Uplay - notoriusben | Xbox,Windows Live - ThatBEN
Though if they have a bunch of billboards and stuff, and didn't bother to cover that shit up or take it down (or make you sign an NDA about it) when you did your walkthrough, then that's on them.
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That's all well and good, and kind of my point. Valve has turned from a great game developer to a giant corporation. That's how the story always goes, super talented people hit it big and become jaded and too big for their own britches. Valve is great and they are doing amazing things with hardware and content distribution there is no denying that. But as a game dev they just aren't what they used to be. They lost it. The mojo.
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What I am saying is that you're basing your conclusions on some pretty big leaps.
And you're also treating what you're saying as if it's solid facts, rather than your own opinions.
I mean, you're welcome to think this, but it is in no way a solid fact.
But let's agree to disagree, seeing how you just acknowledged these as opinions in your last post.
If valve just released the Half-Life sequel that's floating around in my feeble imagination, I think it would still be better than 99% of the FPS games out there right now
just ramp up the environmental interactivity of the gravity gun, and add in the portal gun to combat (being able to shoot and travel through portals to attack enemies behind cover, etc)
but then, it shouldn't take over a decade to make an FPS with just those gameplay elements so clearly (in my mind at least) something else is going on with the game's development
The modified version makes me think of *Orz*.
I suppose the original would not make Valve *Happy Campers*
Half Life 3 is *Many Bubbles*.
Why I fear the ocean.
Well, in terms of development time, Valve mentioned a LONG time ago that Episodes 1 and 2 started development at the same time, and when Episode 1 was finished, they started work on Episode 3. Given Ep2 took 3 years, Ep3 could have been in development for awhile before they decided to not pursue episodic content anymore, and there's no telling if they would have immediately jumped to HL3, or pursued other projects first.
Looking into it, Gabe was still talking about Episode 3 as late as August 2009, and Ep3 references were found in the DOTA2 code as late as 2011. May 2011 is when it was mentioned that Valve was moving away from the Episodic model and December 2011 was also the first time HL3 entered the dialog in any official capacity when a Valve employee was spotted wearing a HL3 t-shirt, which Doug Lombardi later confirmed was real (the shirt, not HL3) and said he didn't have anything further to say on the matter.
April 2012 is the first time "Ricochet 2" is used as a euphamism for HL3, and August 2012 Gabe apparently insinuates that if there was going to be a new Half-Life game, it'd just be HL3. Novembr of 2012 is where Gabe says "Ricochet 2 has entered production" during a Something Awful visit on his birthday (he also confirmed they were working on the next generation of the source engine. There's footage, but the audio can be hard to make out.) 2013 saw the JIRA project tracker leaks that mentioned Source 2, L4D3 and HL3. (In July and September) and comparisons between the two indicate a ramping up of personnel on HL3 in those couple months.
So HL3 may not have started production until 2009 and possibly even later. It's still been a long time, of course, but I don't think this is a situation where Valve has been beating their heads againt the wall for 10+ years like some other dev teams.
ooooook then. Glad to know you have an inside source on what's going on at valve since you certainly are making a lot of statements there!
Obviously I'm speculating.
Edit: why is geth automatically agreeing with everything I post in here the second I post it?Did i get put on some kind of crazy half life fan watchlist?
Edit2: speculation + my opinion of every valve game since ep 2
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And you don't like Portal 2 which I think, personally, is a great game and shows how creative Valve can still be, but ok, maybe puzzlers aren't for you?
And you don't like either Left For Dead 1 or 2 which I've had immense fun with in coop playing with buddies, but ok, maybe you don't like Co-Op games.
and you don't like DOTA 2, which I can't really comment on since I'm not a big MOBA fan, but it sounds like you don't like MOBA games either.
What you are basically saying is although valve is a relatively active developer pushing out big hits you don't happen to like the last few games they have made, due to I assume them being in genres you don't like, and because of that you have no hope for Half-Life 3 because if you didn't like the games/genres of their last few releases why would you like a new valve game when it's in the genre you do want.
I don't even know how to respond to that since that is crazy pants.
Not what I said at all. I like CS:GO and Portal 1 and 2. Never really played dota2 aside from a few matches, although I played plenty of the WC3 mod. I never said those games were bad. I Said that none of them were groundbreaking and greatness on the level of the HL games. The insanely high levels of quality that Valve games were known for do not exist post Hl2 and episodes. With the exception of maybe portal. Even if you categorize Portal as great or revolutionary it certainly doesn't occupy the same rarified air as the games valve made pre-steam as we know it today.
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And again, Valve released nothing that you would qualify as "groundbreaking" between Half-Life and Half-Life 2, so I'm not sure why this time is different? Because its longer?
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Counter-Strike, Team Fortress Classic and Day of Defeat all came out during that time period. All three had retail releases.
Dammit... I thought this said "Portal Gun" and was going to say "where can you get the mini-German hand grenades?"