Halo 2 vs. Half Life 2

[A True Canadian]

Half-Life Multiplayer pwns Halo's because there are so many mods!

Should the mods even be considered though. Essentially one could argue that Halo 2's multiplayer is a mod of Halo because it's on the same engine.

 

[Sparta]

-> Half-Life 2's Single-Player will surpass Halo 2's (we don't know that for sure of course; it could very well be a close fight).
-> Halo 2's Multiplayer will Surpass Half-Life 2's (by default, since Counter-Strike: Source and the others are expansions).

From everything i've heard that sounds about right. But i gotta say this.

After everything i've read from people who have played Halo 2 SP, they all say that anyone who played the original Halo and loved it, will love the second one just as much. But from what i've gathered, almost everyone who has played it thinks that the SP isn't much of an improvement from the first game. They're not saying its bad just not the huge improvement it could've been.

I gathered this much from the Penny-Arcade forums, as they seem to be pretty level-headed about games, and not too bias or loaded with fanboys from other games dissing Halo 2

 

[AmishSlayer]

Halo was severely lacking in decent multiplayer (no bots and only 4 people, unless you were lucky and linked up many Xbox consoles), but now (the sequel's) it is being praised as quite possibly the best thing to hit the console market (and I'm inclined to agree).

Arg! So many people don't know about Xbconnect! You can hook up your xbox through your router. Go to www.xbconnect.com and d/l their program. You can play any online enabled game on it...yes...even Halo 1. I've played on it tons. You gotta make sure you don't have anything running on your comp and a screensaver doesn't turn on. If you do that and you have a good connection...you should be lagless.

EDIT: BTW - You have to detect your xbox first. If you're playing Halo - just goto the system link screen where it shows looking for games. Then it should detect it properly. This is the screen you also use to join games. If hosting you just make a system link game and chill in the launch screen.

 

[Sparta]

Arg! So many people don't know about Xbconnect! You can hook up your xbox through your router. Go to www.xbconnect.com and d/l their program. You can play any online enabled game on it...yes...even Halo 1. I've played on it tons. You gotta make sure you don't have anything running on your comp and a screensaver doesn't turn on. If you do that and you have a good connection...you should be lagless.

EDIT: BTW - You have to detect your xbox first. If you're playing Halo - just goto the system link screen where it shows looking for games. Then it should detect it properly. This is the screen you also use to join games. If hosting you just make a system link game and chill in the launch screen.

Yeah i've played it on Xbox Connect as well, and played it over LAN with friends, still, its not that good. UT 2004 shits all over it, even CS:S does. But Halo 2 will most likely make multiplayer ALOT cooler

 

[Warbie]

Yeah i've played it on Xbox Connect as well, and played it over LAN with friends, still, its not that good. UT 2004 shits all over it, even CS:S does. But Halo 2 will most likely make multiplayer ALOT cooler

in your opinion

I can't stand UT2004.

As for the weapons in both games - I can't believe someone rates the HL weapons over Halo's. (There is seriously no competition in this area. I know this is all subjective, but the weapons in Halo are great. The fireams in HL were fine for the time - but by today's standards are generic pap)

 

[Pi Mu Rho]

in your opinion

I know this is all subjective, but the weapons in Halo are great. The fireams in HL were fine for the time - but by today's standards are generic pap)

So why are you comparing the two then? HL was made in 1998. Given the year-on-year technological advance since then, the fact that you are comparing the two just shows how HL is still the yardstick that FPS games are measured by. Until November 16th, anyway.

 

[Warbie]

So why are you comparing the two then? HL was made in 1998. Given the year-on-year technological advance since then, the fact that you are comparing the two just shows how HL is still the yardstick that FPS games are measured by. Until November 16th, anyway.

I was just disagreeing with someone who had already compared the two (and claimed HL's to be superior)

Technological advances have really nothing to do with the quality of weapons (the most innovative weapons I've seen in a video game are in Golden Eye and Perfect Dark - and they're old console titles)

There's no way HL could ever be considered a 'yardstick' in this area. (in many others, yes. But not here)

 

[Edcrab]

Halo weapons are complete pap by now too then. I'd say both of the original titles have undergone surprisingly similar levels of "decay" as far as their content goes.

It'd be interesting to see how both sequels overhaul the originals' precepts

 

[Warbie]

Good weapons don't 'decay' imo - they aren't something that benefit from uber new technology (the manipulator being an exception )

Take Perfect Dark - the CMP150, Laptop Gun, Cyclone, Dragon, K7 Avenger, FarSight XR-20. All fantastic, satisfying and innovative weapons. If an old game on a old console can have weapons as great as these I see no reason why we can't expect the same quality and creativity on the PC.

 

[ViolenceJack]

Halo 2's Multiplayer will Surpass Half-Life 2's (by default, since Counter-Strike: Source and the others are expansions).

I want to know why people say this now, i mean mods have always been considered part of HL but since valve have bought some of the mobs and sold them retail (mainly CS) people dont seem to consider them part of HL any more. Even more so with CS:S. Maybe its just the fact that if you do associate it with HL2 then you know that Halo 2 is beaten in the MP department hands down. Although i hate CS but alot of "kids" dont.

I really didnt see anything special about Halos weapons apart from the fact you could smack some one with one which resulted in more dmg, in some cases. HL weapons are fun even without enemies. Satchel charges for one, who here used cheats and piled up tons upon tons of charges just to see the explosion that didnt happen due to too many explosions at once. Laser guided rockets. How come hardly anyone has used laser guided rockets, its plain simple fun. Launching your self across a large map with the gauss cannon was also fun. The magnum, every game has to have a revolver type magnum. Vice City did and it was clearly the best gun in that game.

 

[Warbie]

I usually think of the engine as seperate from the game.

CS, DoD etc are not HL (imo anyways)

As for the weapons - you can have fun in the way your suggesting in almost any shooter Jack. Blowing vehicles/ppl over mountains, rocket jumping etc. It says little about the quality of the weapons, though (I agree the laser sighted rocket launcher was cool )

Compared to Perfect Dark, HL's weapons suck the fat one (they also lack the variety and unique functions Halo's offer)

I'm not saying they are bad btw - just not particularly worthy of note.

 

[dkelly]

I played through Halo 2, and didn't even really like it.
The single player really sucked, the writing for that game was one of the worst I've seen in years. Multiplayer is good fun, but not that much different than the first Halo.

Halo 2 doesn't stand a chance against HL2.
I find it strange that people even consider it a competitor.

 

[ViolenceJack]

CS, DoD etc are not HL (imo anyways)

What about NS, Sven coop, The Trenches, TFC, DM Classic, etc. basiclly all the mods that havent been released retail.

I didnt play PD much, dunno, some mate had it. Didnt like it. Although GE was good, for abit. Console FPS are well overrated, even when i wasnt really into PCs and more Consoles i prefered tons and tons of games to FPS on consoles although GE was good, it wasnt amazing but as Console FPS go its decent and definatly the best Console FPS.

 

[Warbie]

What about NS, Sven coop, The Trenches, TFC, DM Classic, etc. basiclly all the mods that havent been released retail.

I didnt play PD much, dunno, some mate had it. Didnt like it. Although GE was good, for abit. Console FPS are well overrated, even when i wasnt really into PCs and more Consoles i prefered tons and tons of games to FPS on consoles although GE was good, it wasnt amazing but as Console FPS go its decent and definatly the best Console FPS.

Each to their own - I still prefer GE & PD to HL (or any pc shooter for that matter)

Not everyone likes PD - but it can't be denied that the ideas behind the weapons were truly innovative (and still unsurpassed imo)

I don't really consider those modes to be HL either - but games in their own right.

 

[operative x]

wtf is PD and GE?

 

[Thadius Dean]

the Gauss Gun is still my favorite weapon ever though

oh, and just to get my two cents in on this, Halo rules Console FPS's, and Half-Life rules the PC

 

[Ames]

Perfect Dark and Golden Eye...

 

[ViolenceJack]

I wonder what weapons HL2 has we dont know about. There gotta be somin more wierd than the manipulator, i mean they wouldnt reveal the best. Maybe the gauss cannon will launch people 100mph across a room. That would look cool, right in a load of debris so it goes flying all over. Headcrab leaps for you, then its just launched out of the stratosphere.

 

[A True Canadian]

As for the weapons in both games - I can't believe someone rates the HL weapons over Halo's. (There is seriously no competition in this area. I know this is all subjective, but the weapons in Halo are great. The fireams in HL were fine for the time - but by today's standards are generic pap)

The reason why I rated the weapons in Half-Life higher than that of Halo was because of the imagination and the variation of them. :bounce:

Halo's Weapons (First Look)

M9 HE-DP Grenade
M6D Pistol
MA5B Assault Rifle
M90 Shotgun
S2 AM Sniper Rifle
M19 SSM Rocket Launcher
M41 LAG (found on the Warthog)
Plasma Rifle
Plasma Pistol
Needler
Shade (stationary tripod gun; purpley-pink in colour)
Plasma Grenade


Half-Life's Weapons (First Look)

Crowbar
Glock 9mm Pistol
.357 Magnum
Assault Shotgun
MP-5
Fragmentation Grenade
Satchel Charges
Trip Mines
RPG (Laser-Guided Rocket Launcher)
Crossbow
Gauss Gun
Gluon Gun
The Hive-hand
Snark


I have grouped the weapons by color. A weapon from the Half-Life list with one colour is the equivalent of a weapon from the Halo list with the same colour. Lets eliminate these weapons and see what we're left with...


Halo's Weapons (Second Look)

S2 AM Sniper Rifle
M41 LAG (found on the Warthog)
Plasma Rifle
Shade (stationary tripod gun; purpley-pink in colour)
Plasma Grenade


Half-Life's Weapons (Second Look)

Crowbar
.357 Magnum
Satchel Charges
Trip Mines
Crossbow
Gluon Gun
Snark


This list is interesting. But I would make the recommendation of removing the M41 LAG from the Halo section since it can be classified as strictly a vehicle weapon like the cannon on the tank or the blasters of the banshee.
The crossbow and the sniper rifle could (in essence) be classified as similar things (both have a scope, are silent, and necessary for long-range take-downs).

Halo's Weapons (Final Look)

Plasma Rifle
Shade (stationary tripod gun; purpley-pink in colour)
Plasma Grenade


Half-Life's Weapons (Final Look)

Crowbar
.357 Magnum
Satchel Charges
Trip Mines
Gluon Gun
Snark

Thus we are left with a series of weapons that are distintly different. With all of the similar weapons removed, we can now see what each game brings to the table.

If you chose Halo, your weapons would consist of a sticky plasma grenade, a stationary gun turret, and a battery powered plasma rifle.

If you chose Half-Life, your weapons would consist of a crowbar, a 6-shooter magnum, laser trip mines, satchel charges, tiny viscious snarks, and (the most unique and powerful on the list) the gluon gun.

I admit that there are discrepencies in this format, but it does give you a perspectve as to why I rank Half-Life's weapons higher than Halo's. When you remove what is similar, you get to see what is unique to each game.

Opinions?

 

[A.I.]

You make me sick with these "weapon comparisons"! Now, I've seen the E3 Halo 2 ingame trailer and it's a bare difference to Halo1. Oh yes, you can shoot two weapons at once and you have a new shiny armour, but the texturing was as lame in the first part, the gameplay is just upgraded with a couple of new tricks, like bashing the driver from his seat what is not funny anymore after doing it 10th time in a row.

I liked Halo, actually it was real fun (but not all the time) and I bet Halo 2 will also be, but it's still light years away from Half-Life 2 in terms of basic philosophy of game making.

 

[Warbie]

hehe - very thorough Mr Canadian

If 'imagination and the variation of them' is the only critiria you're basing your decision on, then I can understand your preference. (by this logic Golden Eye and Perfect Dark easily have the best arsenals in gaming history. Your colour coded system for comparing titles would end up with Half Life having none and both GE/PD each having 20+ weapons)

Personally, i'm into how a weapon feels and sounds when using it - how satisfying the experience is. Halo wins here (imo)

Also, and just as importantly, how they effect gameplay. Again, an area I think Halo is easily superior.

The weapons in Halo always serve a specific function - and never become redundant. Each gun combo chosen for each situation has a marked effect on the experience. There's so many ways to approach each level - so many different ways to tackle each situation.

This isn't the case in Half Life - some firearms become useless as the game continues, many are suitable in a wide variety of situations and others are clearly more powerful in every situation. As a result the combat is generally more simple, asking less questions of the player and demanding less skill/practise/strategy.

The experience, or at least the combat, differs very little every time you play HL (of course, this is far from being a bad thing, as the game is fantastic, but reinforces my opinion that combat isn't what makes HL so good)

 

[slider3005]

I used every gun even on xen at the end... the 9mm is still great for long range at the higher levels.


But i completely agree with you on how the gun "feels" makes a big difference. I liked halo's feel

 

[Warbie]

I used every gun even on xen at the end... the 9mm is still great for long range at the higher levels.

Sure - but we're talking in general terms here (otherwise this would take years )

Specific examples only reinforce what i'm saying.

 

[crabonhead]

yea. halo definetly was fun-er in terms of shooting stuff up, but HL had much more than just that. sometimes you'd run out of ammo, and have to improvise which is always fun

 

[ViolenceJack]

HL was like what most FPS are like where they let you pick your fav weapon and it wouldnt let you down(much) through out the game apart from needing the odd rocket/nade/charge. Although i didnt find this the case in doom 3 cos all i had ammo for was shotgun. Basicly in HL if you like a shotgun you can kill your enemies with a shotgun, if you like sub-machine guns theres the mp5/nadelauncher and so on.

Although weapons do have there place in HL, no matter how much you love your shotgun its not easy killing something at range with it so you can use crossbow or maybe mp5. Plus if there was alot of not too tough enemies about the mp5 was the best crowd control weapon where as shotty was good for tough enemies that like to get up close. Although the ultimate crowd control weapon was probably the gluon gun, if you had ammo. Hornet gun was a special case used mainly if there was an annoying enemy that you couldnt quite get without getting ripped part or dying so you fired that around the corner but it took ages to kill tough stuff and was kind of a bore.

In HL the weapons in slot 2 are sidearms using the glock for ranged or conserving ammo and the colt was just power but ammo wasnt too common. slot3 were like you main weapons used for general killing. slot4 was power but not an awful lot of ammo and slot5 were explosives/crowd control. then slot1, melee, smash crates open, etc.

The only weapon i can see that was redundent in HL was probably the glock. It was accurate for range but so was the colt and crossbow but if you didnt have ammo for them you would more than likely use the glock.

 

[DigitalAssassin]

Notice the thread title: Halo 2 vs. Half Life 2. I have a feeling that these weapon comparisons will be laughable after we get a hands-on with the manipulator.

 

[A True Canadian]

HL was like what most FPS are like where they let you pick your fav weapon and it wouldnt let you down(much) through out the game apart from needing the odd rocket/nade/charge. Although i didnt find this the case in doom 3 cos all i had ammo for was shotgun. Basicly in HL if you like a shotgun you can kill your enemies with a shotgun, if you like sub-machine guns theres the mp5/nadelauncher and so on.

Although weapons do have there place in HL, no matter how much you love your shotgun its not easy killing something at range with it so you can use crossbow or maybe mp5. Plus if there was alot of not too tough enemies about the mp5 was the best crowd control weapon where as shotty was good for tough enemies that like to get up close. Although the ultimate crowd control weapon was probably the gluon gun, if you had ammo. Hornet gun was a special case used mainly if there was an annoying enemy that you couldnt quite get without getting ripped part or dying so you fired that around the corner but it took ages to kill tough stuff and was kind of a bore.

In HL the weapons in slot 2 are sidearms using the glock for ranged or conserving ammo and the colt was just power but ammo wasnt too common. slot3 were like you main weapons used for general killing. slot4 was power but not an awful lot of ammo and slot5 were explosives/crowd control. then slot1, melee, smash crates open, etc.

The only weapon i can see that was redundent in HL was probably the glock. It was accurate for range but so was the colt and crossbow but if you didnt have ammo for them you would more than likely use the glock.

I agree about everything in that post...except the glock. Sure it wasn't used as much as you progressed through the game; but if you wanted to take out headcrabs and even zombies, the glock was your best choice. The crowbar was useful for killing these enemies too (especially the frustrating miniature baby things that came out of the Gonarch ).

 

[Sparta]

Notice the thread title: Halo 2 vs. Half Life 2. I have a feeling that these weapon comparisons will be laughable after we get a hands-on with the manipulator.

The Manipulator could possibly be the coolest gun EVER if Valve pull it off right

 

[B_MAN]

And you know playing the leaked copy of Halo 2 is illegal right?

no it's not
he's playing his friend's copy for all we know :thumbs:

 

[Sparta]

The experience, or at least the combat, differs very little every time you play HL (of course, this is far from being a bad thing, as the game is fantastic, but reinforces my opinion that combat isn't what makes HL so good)

I disagree, i've spent ALOT more time replaying that "Foxtrot" level on Opposing Force and "Surface Tension" on Half-Life then i have playing any Halo level on co-op with my brothers. Personally, i think its because once you master the fast paced action of some of the battles in Half-Life, it becomes so satisfying when you take down a squad of grunts, and a tank, in less then a minute.

Its all subjective in the end though

 

[Smack500]

Say what you want but this is just fact. 3 4 years from now (IF HL3 Hasnt been released) which game will you still be hearing about. WHich will still be on top of most of the mp charts???

Halo 2 will still be played, and enjoyed but you wont hear many people talk about it. HL2 will have dozens of verry popular mods out, 2-4 of them will still be in the top 5 10 multiplayer gaming charts. The replay value for hl2 will so much more then that of halo 2. Therefore to me hl2 is worth much much more. I really dont see how anyone can argue on this subject.

Also Again I say Ill eat a hat if more people (intellegent people not xbox or halo fan boys) find halo 2 better then hl2. You can quote me on this.

 

[Warbie]

intellegent people not xbox or halo fan boys

and by that you mean people who agree with you

 

[A True Canadian]

It makes sense that Half-Life 2 will last longer than Halo 2. If for no other reason it will be the demise of the Xbox.

Microsoft already stated that it is unlikely that they will make all the old Xbox games compatible with the new Xbox 2 due out in less than a year.

When systems die, the games die with them. (that's my thesis as to why PC games continue to last longer than console games). For example, when the N64 died, that was the end of Goldeneye and Perfect Dark for me. I still go back every once in a while, but it's not as thrilling as it once was (old technology I guess).

 

[ViolenceJack]

Say what you want but this is just fact. 3 4 years from now (IF HL3 Hasnt been released) which game will you still be hearing about. WHich will still be on top of most of the mp charts???

Halo 2 will still be played, and enjoyed but you wont hear many people talk about it. HL2 will have dozens of verry popular mods out, 2-4 of them will still be in the top 5 10 multiplayer gaming charts. The replay value for hl2 will so much more then that of halo 2. Therefore to me hl2 is worth much much more. I really dont see how anyone can argue on this subject.

Also Again I say Ill eat a hat if more people (intellegent people not xbox or halo fan boys) find halo 2 better then hl2. You can quote me on this.

Hopefully TF2 will be top of the mp charts.

I dont think old technology is the cause of a game not been as fun any more. There are loads of old games that are fun but may look terrible gfx wise. HL, alot of the maps arnt much more than boxes but i still find battling grunts very fun. You can even reverse it as well. Doom 3, technologically it was good but the game its self was crap.

 

[Foxtrot]

Say what you want but this is just fact. 3 4 years from now (IF HL3 Hasnt been released) which game will you still be hearing about. WHich will still be on top of most of the mp charts???

Halo 2 will still be played, and enjoyed but you wont hear many people talk about it. HL2 will have dozens of verry popular mods out, 2-4 of them will still be in the top 5 10 multiplayer gaming charts. The replay value for hl2 will so much more then that of halo 2. Therefore to me hl2 is worth much much more. I really dont see how anyone can argue on this subject.

Also Again I say Ill eat a hat if more people (intellegent people not xbox or halo fan boys) find halo 2 better then hl2. You can quote me on this.

Assuming there will be quality mods, maybe all of them will flop, or making mods is much harder than anyone expected.

 

[destrukt]

if only we could all see into the future like smack500.

i'm certainly not a halo2 fanboy, but i like it to an extent.

your comment works both ways

"i'll eat a hat if mroe people (intelligent people, not pc or halflife 2 fan boys) find hl2 better than halo"

see, it's flawed. just depends which side you want to be on.

 

[Warbie]

.....it's flawed. just depends which side you want to be on.

and want you want from a video game.

Tastes don't dictate quality - there are many games I personally can't stand, but can still accept that they are 'great' titles (Gran Turismo being an example)

HL2 could turn out to be a fantastic game, but that wouldn't make someone who thinks it's crap wrong.

Most ppl want Halo for different reasons than others want HL2 - if we could all accept that it'd be all good \o/

 

[ViolenceJack]

if only we could all see into the future like smack500.

i'm certainly not a halo2 fanboy, but i like it to an extent.

your comment works both ways

"i'll eat a hat if mroe people (intelligent people, not pc or halflife 2 fan boys) find hl2 better than halo"

see, it's flawed. just depends which side you want to be on.

I dunno about that, the majority of people looking forward to HL2 are probably more CS Kids than anything else

and want you want from a video game.

Tastes don't dictate quality - there are many games I personally can't stand, but can still accept that they are 'great' titles (Gran Turismo being an example)

HL2 could turn out to be a fantastic game, but that wouldn't make someone who thinks it's crap wrong.

Most ppl want Halo for different reasons than others want HL2 - if we could all accept that it'd be all good \o/

Well tastes do dictate quality in your own eyes. If you thought a game was crap how are you ment to determine it was a great game apart from how many people bought it. The sales dont mean a game is great though.

 

[Warbie]

If you thought a game was crap how are you ment to determine it was a great game apart from how many people bought it. The sales dont mean a game is great though.

It had nothing to do with sales.

For 2 years at uni I watched my house mate play GT to death ....... I saw the challenge it offered, how much he had to practise, the depth of gameplay - how 'massive' the game was, offering 100's of hours of playtime. Driving games bore me to tears, but it was obvious this was no 'crappy racer'. Add to that many positive reviews from respectable sources.

Personally, I think Mario Kart owns GT

 

[A True Canadian]

I dont think old technology is the cause of a game not been as fun any more. There are loads of old games that are fun but may look terrible gfx wise. HL, alot of the maps arnt much more than boxes but i still find battling grunts very fun. You can even reverse it as well. Doom 3, technologically it was good but the game its self was crap.

Sure games will remain the same...It is the gamers that change.

Consoles only really provide entertainment (games or even DVD now) for as long as their lifespan. It is because of this that I feel that Half-Life 2 will have a longer longevity. Forget the mods and replayability for a moment and let's just concentrate on the actual game itself.

I use the example of Deus Ex. I purchased the game because of the high reviews around 2000 (for $50) and thought to myself "this is going to be a great game". I got home, installed it, spent a few hours progressing through the first level (getting used to the feel of the game, and dying repeatedly ), and then stopped. I didn't like the control scheme, I hated the way the targeting system worked, and I felt the game was too slow (like I wasn't making progress). At that point I uninstalled Deus Ex, and it sat on my shelf for the next 2 years.

Now I know what you're all thinking: "What the hell were you thinking? Deus Ex is a brilliant game!!" Hang on, you'll see where I'm taking this...

Around the summer of 2003 I got bored. The news of Half-Life 2 was good, but there was a drought of games to play while I waited. I was unsuccessful in getting a regular summer job and I needed something to pass the time. For some reason (I forget exactly how it happened) I decided to download the demo for Deus Ex. I looked at all the games that I had for the PC and Deus Ex, still in the big blue box with the $50 price tag still on it (PC games came in those oversized boxes back then so it wasn't difficult to notice ). It bugged me that I never really finished the level and so, out of boredom, I began to play the demo.

Something happened, and the game felt more fun. I began to read the various pieces of information strung out all over the place; I decided it would be fun to throw all the dead bodies into the water; I took all the optional goals; I opened all the secret areas; I progressed farther than I did before and I got caught up in the conspiracy. Deus Ex would comsume me for the remainder of the summer and even into the months of September, and October. It became one of my greatest gaming experiences.



Now why is this relevent? Because if Deus Ex was a console game, I wouldn't have played it. If it came out for the N64, I wouldn't have enjoyed it. In those 2 years that I spent between my first take on the game and my second attempt, I gained a lot of skills and matured as a gamer. The N64 died the previous year, and I (like most gamers) were focused on the next generation consoles. If Deus Ex was on the N64, I wouldn't have gone back to it because the system was dead, games were no longer being made for it, and it would have been tough to find it if I didn't purchase it earlier. Because Deus Ex was a PC game (and since almost all PC games are backwards compatible) I was able to go back and enjoy the experience I missed out on.

5 years from now, a gamer who is relatively new to gaming, will look at the successful games that were released in previous years (he'll probably only want to play the best). He'll eventually come across Half-Life 2 and Halo 2. He will ignore Halo 2 since it is for a dead system. Unavaliable, unfortunately for him, and even if he was able to get the game, he'd need an Xbox to play it. But Half-Life 2 will work on his PC. He will experience Half-Life 2 and pass word to the rest of his gaming buddies: "this game is great, you must play it". Word will spread and a new generation of gamers will play Half-Life 2. This process will continue, repeat, and because of this Half-Life 2 will have a longer longevity. :thumbs: