Half Life 2 Episode 3 could be on hold until 2010

[robsters]

http://www.geek.com/articles/games/half-life-2-episode-3-could-be-on-hold-until-2010-20081015/

"It will be a long wait for the third installment of Half Life 2
On the flipside of the news of Spore’s sudden expansion pack straight out of the womb comes news of a long wait for the next episode of Half Life 2. Valve’s Doug Lombardi was recently interviewed by Kikizo and revealed that the wait for the next chapter could be until 2010"

to be honest this is old news so i was a little surprised ppl expected news at e3 2009 to be honest.

 

[dcxs]

Edit: Nvm old article

 

[robsters]

yeah i know its old but i think people have forgotten, not that old in scheme of things because round about same time valve were probably starting on l4d2 so they knew back then ep3 would be a 2010 release

 

[Sloth]

To be honest - I don't care. It will be done when it's done.

 

[kupocake]

This should be pretty obvious by now. Left 4 Dead 2 already occupies Valve's release space in the traditionally crowded fourth quarter 2009 release phase, so it has to be released later i.e. 2010.

But then, the only sensible assumption to make is that you're not going to see this game until 2011. Your disappointment is inevitable otherwise.

 

[robsters]

rate valve are going i will be dead by the time half life is done! one of my friends already didnt make it i kid u not. seriously life to short just get the frigging game done LMAO

i dont even care if its a wire frame of a game!!! even a pixel wud do me now! we are that desperate for episode 3!!

 

[gFrohman]

So you would prefer a shitty yet early release of EP3 as opposed to a later but mind-blowingly awesome release?

 

[Bar.Calhoun]

It will be released in 2010, is that a problem, Doug said; 14+16 months=30 months, from October 2007, early 2010 is most likely!

 

[gFrohman]

Here's something to also keep in mind: Valve could be having scheduling issues with getting voice actors into the studio to record dialogue. For example, Merle Dandridge is off touring for Spamalot right now; they can't really release EP3 without dialogue for Alyx. Who knows about the availability of the other voice actors.

 

[CaptinDirt]

Here's something to also keep in mind: Valve could be having scheduling issues with getting voice actors into the studio to record dialogue. For example, Merle Dandridge is off touring for Spamalot right now; they can't really release EP3 without dialogue for Alyx. Who knows about the availability of the other voice actors.

Doesn't the same actor do the voice for the G-Man and Barney? If yes than how come no Barney in Episode 2 if the G-man recorded something? Meh that's a different matter...

When does Merle's tour end?

 

[PimpinPenguin]

Here's something to also keep in mind: Valve could be having scheduling issues with getting voice actors into the studio to record dialogue. For example, Merle Dandridge is off touring for Spamalot right now; they can't really release EP3 without dialogue for Alyx. Who knows about the availability of the other voice actors.

The dialogue is recorded way before the game is finished. In some cases before they even start to build the level they already recorded the dialogue. I remember that for the finale of Episode 2 they only had the storyboard and concept art and still recorded all the dialogue needed for the scene.

 

[McGooTheWise]

[sarcasm]Oh no![/sarcasm]

There are plenty of other things for me to play. I hope it takes a long time, cause I want a good game.

Nay, a great game.

 

[Bar.Calhoun]

As long as Michelle Forbes return I am happy!

 

[L3N!N]

Although I feel disappointment lurking inside of me, I know that a long development time will yield a superb ending to the great series that is Half-Life.

 

[gFrohman]

Doesn't the same actor do the voice for the G-Man and Barney? If yes than how come no Barney in Episode 2 if the G-man recorded something? Meh that's a different matter...

When does Merle's tour end?

The current tour in San Francisco doesn't end until July; there are tours booked in California & Arizona until October; all the dates you can find here (has some good actor bio info on the site too).

If Penguin is right and they record dialogue first thing though, this isn't that big of a deal (unless they write new dialogue, which is a possibility).

Too bad I didn't get to play Spamalot now, with Merle being Lady of the Lake; that would have been awesome.

 

[Barnz]

Nice detective work, gFrohman.

 

[Crazy_killer]

All this buildup of tension and no release of any info whatsoever is going to blow our minds when Valve decides to release some info or even media.

I think that some time after Left 4 Dead 2 they will start with Ep.3 info because I don't see any other possible titles I personally think Portal 2 is nothing more then an idea on paper atm.

 

[gFrohman]

Nice detective work, gFrohman.

Oh, why thank you.

I figured since she's a Broadway actress, she's probably touring with someone right now; again, I wish she was touring with Spamalot when they came to Peoria, IL in January. I would've shit myself to play in the same show as Alyx Vance.

 

[PimpinPenguin]

I personally think Portal 2 is nothing more then an idea on paper atm.

Well the guy's who did Portal went straight onto Portal 2 right after Portal, so i would like to think they made more progress than an idea on paper. Perhaps that's what's delaying Episode 3, they are still waiting on Portal 2 since the story does intersect with each other.

Oh, why thank you.

I figured since she's a Broadway actress, she's probably touring with someone right now; again, I wish she was touring with Spamalot when they came to Peoria, IL in January. I would've shit myself to play in the same show as Alyx Vance.

Do you know if she does any shows in the UK? I would definitely go see one.

 

[gFrohman]

I don't know; I want to say that she does stuff primarily in the States, but you can check out her website for info:

http://www.merledandridge.com/

Also, good point about Portal 2; that could very well be a big hold-up with EP3.

 

[Bar.Calhoun]

Don't waste time on Portal 2 Valve, I got headache of if, just confusing, the Half-Life games are the only games I care about, and don't involve Portal in Half-Life, that would just be ******* weird.
Portal is a good game but in the time it gets boring, not like Half-Life, play it over again all the time.

 

[Absinthe]

But everybody else loved it.

 

[jeepis]

The problem with portal is that, while it's a great game, IT IS sort of a gimmick game. It's hard to make a good sequel for such a game and make it feel like something new. I think that for Portal 2, they should change the name to something else, something Half-Life-ish and focus a lot more on the story, add in some traditional fps action, but still keep the teleportation, just not make the whole game just about teleportation.

 

[Absinthe]

While I agree that a second game needs to add something, Portal is still first and foremost a puzzle game. Trying to blend in shooter gameplay ala Half-Life doesn't really sit well with me. It also seems like an easy way out of further innovation.

Portal-based combat of some sort would be exciting, but I can't visualize how exactly it would be done.

 

[dscuber9000]

This should be pretty obvious by now. Left 4 Dead 2 already occupies Valve's release space in the traditionally crowded fourth quarter 2009 release phase, so it has to be released later i.e. 2010.

That makes a lot of sense...

... now where can I join the Left 4 Dead 2 boycott?

 

[mortiz-Redux]

Episode 3 better be the length of a full-size game and contain lots of bran new things that go "whiizzzz" and "wooooo".

 

[Fiberawptic]

Here's something to also keep in mind: Valve could be having scheduling issues with getting voice actors into the studio to record dialogue. For example, Merle Dandridge is off touring for Spamalot right now; they can't really release EP3 without dialogue for Alyx. Who knows about the availability of the other voice actors.

I'm not much of a theater person, but having a father who is a theater nut, and from what i know, whether shes in a play or not shouldn't interfere. All she has to do is spend a few hours in a booth and say lines how the valve guys want em. Shes probably not in seattle, but she can just take a plane out there and then back in the same day (a day when she doesnt have a performance ofc)... lots of people do that for work. Dont you think she was in a play during the time hl2-hl2 ep2 was in development?

Also, i thought i read somewhere that valve does the voice acting pretty early in development, and just go back and change it later if they need to. So if anything, most of the VO could be done already. They might be focusing on the billion other things in the game...

 

[gFrohman]

Well, yeah if Valve did the VO already, it doesn't matter (again, unless they are planning to record new dialogue that they just wrote).

A Broadway tour is a lot of work - you're talking weeks of tours, each week you perform for five days (when Spamalot came to the midwest, they played Tuesday-Sunday & used Monday as a travel day), and each week can potentially be in a different city (depends, it looks like for this tour they'll be in San Francisco till July, then move to LA for a couple months). The off-time is probably more spent on practice time, and there's lots of travel involved (the trumpet player I played with when I got to play for Spamalot in January hadn't seen his family in about six months).

I'm not saying that this is the reason EP3 is getting delayed, it's just a slight possibility. I'm actually thinking that the mention of Portal 2 might be a more real delay.

 

[PimpinPenguin]

I would think Merle would let Valve know in advance if her Broadway tours would get in the way so that they could work around it. VO isn't really all that important, Valve can simply add it in at the last minute. In the mean time Gabe can voice her.

 

[bbson john]

rate valve are going i will be dead by the time half life is done! one of my friends already didnt make it i kid u not. seriously life to short just get the frigging game done LMAO!

Seriously, life being short has nothing to do with Ep3's release.
If I should die tomorrow, I would not regret being unable to play Ep3. There are a lot of things more important than games. I love and anticipate lots of stuff other than just a game. Get a life, dude.

 

[CaptinDirt]

Seriously, life being short has nothing to do with Ep3's release.
If I should die tomorrow, I would not regret being unable to play Ep3. There are a lot of things more important than games. I love and anticipate lots of stuff other than just a game. Get a life, dude.

I see you don't understand! Half Life 2 EP3 is serious business...:hmph:

 

[Tollbooth Willie]

The above post along with the rest of this thread and section of the forums makes me cry.