Doug Lombardi Interview

[Munro]

Firing Squad have managed to shoot a few questions at Valve Software's Doug Lombardi in this new interview. Doug hints at future plans that are to be unveiled soon such as a next-gen console version of Source and support for one of the new consoles.

 

[Munro]

Thanks to DigiQ8 for bringing this to our attention.

 

[Pi Mu Rho]

We're always interested in speaking to new folks about distributing more games via Steam - be that Source MOD or a complete 3rd party creation. Red Orchestra is a pretty good example of this.

In that case, they may want to try answering their "Source engine licensing" email address once in a while, instead of completely ignoring potential licensees.

 

[bigburpco]

Yep, I'm sure there'll be no HL3.

 

[Crispy]

Yeah I found that "What is Half-Life 3?" comment a bit strange. Maybe he's implying that the next Half-Life won't necessarily continue the story in chronological order, perhaps it'll be a prequel (they already have some content that was underused or that they had to leave out in HL2). But if their development process is more productive for episodic releases, then they'll probably keep it like that.

P.S. If anyone was wondering, this interview really isn't that forthcoming IMO (just in case you're pressed for time).

 

[Pi Mu Rho]

I said a while ago to various people that there wouldn't be a HL3. Why do they need to make one now that they're on the episodic content kick? They've just rearranged their production pipeline for creating episodic games - going back to the "3 years of work on a single game" method just wouldn't work.

 

[Insano]

True, Pi. I even think that the content they already had created for HL3, when they decided to go episodic all the way, was converted into HL2: Episode 2.

Who knows about that next-gen console game: Team Fortress 2?

It's very likely to be on the E3 this year.

 

[RakuraiTenjin]

I agree with Pi.

There will be HL3 in the sense that the story will continue on in episodes and we'll get the actual gaming of it. I just dont think there will be a boxed/retail product NAMED Half Life 3.

We'll still get our "Half Life 3" though.

 

[nutcrackr]

You'd be surprised at the number of people that are against the episodic deal, for various reasons. I kinda assumed that they would have episodic content leading up to hl3, but I guess that would mean a lot of dev work.

 

[Varsity]

I'd say the chances that the next-gen Source components will be backported to the version of Source on Steam is pretty damn high. Awesome.

Also, I don't know why they are hiding which console they are supporting, especially when we already know SinEps is coming out for the 360, HL2 is on Xbox, and Valve take a very MS-centric approach to development.

 

[kupocake]

They've just rearranged their production pipeline for creating episodic games - going back to the "3 years of work on a single game" method just wouldn't work.

I'm not entirely convinced. Half-Life 2 may be going episodic, but is that truely the only thing they're working on over there? I can't see that every product they put out from now on is going to be episodic, and I don't see how "rearranging their production pipeline" for smaller projects means that they can't go back to larger ones. Is the difference truely that huge?

It seems to me to be elementary marketing sense that "Half-Life 3" is a name that would shift more copies of a game than "Half-Life: Episode 1 through 4" will ever do. There's something infinitely more exctiting about a 20,000 piece puzzle than there is about four 5,000 piece ones. Half-Life 3 or no, I remain unconvinced that we can actually say that Valve will resort to permanently putting everything out episodically.

 

[Beerdude26]

I think that, after a few episoder, they're going to start making Half-Life 3 and, by surprise, omgwtfblow us away.

 

[DiSTuRbEd]

I'm not entirely convinced. Half-Life 2 may be going episodic, but is that truely the only thing they're working on over there?

I guess you forgot to notice CS:S/DOD:S all other VALVe games.

 

[kupocake]

I guess you forgot to notice CS:S/DOD:S all other VALVe games.

Or perhaps you have no imagination beyond what is already announced?

 

[xirow]

I still think there is going to be a Half-Life 3 eventually. But right now they are focusing on the episodic content. I think that’s why he gives such an answer. There is nothing to tell about Half-Life 3.
(This isn’t the first time Doug answered a question about HL3 like this btw.)

 

[Asuka]

Good interview. I just wish they would hint on a Half-Life 3. I like episodic content but i would love a Half-Life 3 in the future.

 

[kupocake]

Good interview. I just wish they would hint on a Half-Life 3. I like episodic content but i would love a Half-Life 3 in the future.

It's simply too early to say either way. I'd personally love to see one last groundbreaking stab at the series in the far future, but in the meantime if they want to drip feed me Combine-era HL for several years, I'm not going to complain.

 

[Epsi]

I bet that in interviews before HL2 was announced, I bet Doug gave similar responses to questions about HL2, and they had the thing in development all along. The way I see it, yes, the episodes are on going HL2 content, and that's all great, but at the end of the day, that's what they are: HL2 content.

HL3 is going to be another step up, I'd imagine.

 

[Au-heppa]

HL2 was a great sequel in the sense that it wasn't only HL with a new better engine. It had a complitely new world and monsters, but still it had the same feel on it. What I want is that the sequel(s) of HL2 does the same, I don't care if it's episodic, I don't care if it's called HL3 or HL2: Episodes or what ever. Although I find things like improved AI of Alyx interesting, and clearly there's still a lot to learn about City 17 and the Combine I hope they will eventually go to new places in future episodes.

 

[DigiQ8]

ohh i post a thread about that and no body reply me
but TEH MUNRO post about it and everybody rush to his thread !!1

D: D: D:


P.S Fight the Power !






EDIT : Dont Ban Me

 

[diluted]

Of course there will be a Half-Life 3, eventually. The "What is Half-Life 3?" was likely intended to wind up the fanboys.

 

[Kadayi]

I think that valve are hoping that the episodic model proves out financially, as a steady income will allow them to invest more time in other things (source engine upgrades) rather than concentrate all their efforts on a singular gaming experience.

One thing I thought was quite interesting was Doug saying that Valve would be supporting one of the next gen consoles, because that's a bit of a turnaround from what Gabe was saying to 1up.com when they ran their HL2 week featurette a while back. He was pretty frank about how hard it was (read: pain in the ass) to code for consoles (360 and PS3). Perhaps Valve have been seduced by the Nintendo revolution and it's funky TV remote control style joypad (ideal for simulating the use of a crowbar).

 

[Varsity]

Difficult != something we can't and won't do...

 

[Dr. Freeman]

hmm...i suppose it was an okay interview.
i was disappointed that there were no questions about TF2. :|

 

[kaf11]

It's simply too early to say either way. I'd personally love to see one last groundbreaking stab at the series in the far future, but in the meantime if they want to drip feed me Combine-era HL for several years, I'm not going to complain.

I agree.

 

[ríomhaire]

I figure that there will be a HL3 after the HL2 episodes are complete.

 

[fri][ish]

There is absolutely no way they will move entirely to episodic content.

It would be like having Lord of the Rings 1 & 2 come out in theatres, and be two of the biggest movies of all time (which they were), and then have having Peter Jackson decide that it's costing them too much, and taking them too long, and now they are just going to do Return of the King as a TV Mini-Series, and call it "The Two Towers : Episode 1, 2, 3..." or something.

It just won't happen. You'll see several episodes to bring in a more constant stream of income, and then they'll suprise everyone with a Source 2, and Half Life 3.

 

[Crispy]

There is absolutely no way they will move entirely to episodic content.

It would be like having Lord of the Rings 1 & 2 come out in theatres, and be two of the biggest movies of all time (which they were), and then have having Peter Jackson decide that it's costing them too much, and taking them too long, and now they are just going to do Return of the King as a TV Mini-Series, and call it "The Two Towers : Episode 1, 2, 3..." or something.

It just won't happen. You'll see several episodes to bring in a more constant stream of income, and then they'll suprise everyone with a Source 2, and Half Life 3.

The analogy is completely flawed, but the point you're making is correct. I'll tell you why I think this is:

- HL episodic content is all very well while they're on the same engine, but sooner or later Valve will need to take a giant leap onwards to the next generation of graphics and physics. Havok have already revealed that they've developed "behavioural animation", but will further advances be supported by the Source engine? Just how long can Valve really hope to survive on episodic releases before the donkey just can't be flogged any more?
- This means much bigger downloads for people who want to buy it through Steam, which not everyone will want to do.
- They may even find that the Episodes get a much lower response from (A) gamers who want full experiences without the wait and (B) gamers who have bandwidth limits or simply don't have the capacity to download large files.
- When the next engine is released, they'll still have to sell a packaged version in shops for people who can't download entire games.

 

[Teddy]

In that case, they may want to try answering their "Source engine licensing" email address once in a while, instead of completely ignoring potential licensees.

haha zing!