Interview with Gabe Newell (PC Gameplay Belgium)

[DelaZ]

The article is about 10 pages. (images included)
There is also an interview with Gabe Newell.

Here's a little summary of the interview.




PCGP : After the source code got leaked you took some distance. What did valve specially do in this period?

G.N. : The source code leak was a real disaster for us. Just the fact that we had to measure the damage that was done by the leak cost us the necessary time. When we realised how this could affect the whole game in the future (multiplayer) we decided to rewrite a brand-new source code. The time that we had after the delay was mainly used to rewrite a new source code. We were terrified by the idea that someone behind the scenes could mess with the game while others were playing it. With the new rewrited network code we can insure online gamers that no one will be messing around with the game. Rewrite, test, rewrite, test,... We repeated this process for several uncountable times till we were satisfied with the result.


PCGP : When can we expect Half-Life 2 to be released?

G.N. Half-Life 2 is currently in pre-alpha fase. It means that the all game content is basicly finished. We are now in the process of fine tuning and balancing the gameplay : The number of enemys, the impact of weapons, the quantity of available healtpacks... We are targetting for a summer release.


PCGP : The summer starts in June and ends in September, can you be more specific?

G.N. : No, sorry. Somewhere in the summer. We can't and we don't want to be more specific about this.


PCGP : Did you add special moves to the game? Like duck away or the famous bullettime?

G.N. : Many of those special moves and special effects were added to the game, but they were quickly removed. They didn't match with the typicall Half-Life environment and they took to much attention of the player.


PCGP : Is Half-Life 2 better then his predecessor?

G.N. : Undoubtedly. I'm aware that this a rather daring pronouncement, but I fully support it. I like to make the comparison with the J.J.R. Tolkien books, Half-Life is similar with "The Hobbit" while Half-Life 2 is the biggest adventure and continuation of the first one, "The Fellowship of the Ring".


PCGP : Can you tell us what Half-Life 2 has cost so far?

G.N. : The last time I checked it was 40 million dollars.

 

[CrazyHarij]

Awesome!

 

[G-Dub]

Cool, thanks for this! :thumbs:

 

[theGreenBunny]

So the leak was at least partly responsible the length of the delay then, with all the rewriting.

The term pre-alpha is a bit weird, if they're finetuning I'd think they'd be in beta, or at least alpha. The terms are used differently by just about everyone though, so that's no big deal.

 

[Jackal hit]

awesome, very nice info

 

[marksmanHL2 :)]

Thanks for that mate!

 

[WhiteBoy]

Somthing is bogus.. There was another interview lately saying the leak had nothing to do with the delay, and it was all from bad scheduling

 

[Crusader]

Rewrite a brand new source code?... hell...

 

[RoyaleWithCheese]

Somthing is bogus.. There was another interview lately saying the leak had nothing to do with the delay, and it was all from bad scheduling

My thoughts exactly when I read the PCGP article. Either VALVe has spread different explanations or the magazine is straight out lying.

 

[Crusader]

Well I have to say, that it does seem a little unreal. However I assumed that was because it was a re-written summary of the interview..

 

[DelaZ]

Somthing is bogus.. There was another interview lately saying the leak had nothing to do with the delay, and it was all from bad scheduling

They have taken the occasion to rewrite the code after the delay. But they didn't delay the game specially for rewriting the code.

 

[UKchaos]

I cant read the last answer without adopting a Dr Evil voice

 

[Wilco]

They didnt rewrite ALL of source, they just rewrote the networking code, and checked again for any possible bugs in the rest of it, it took them 5 years to write source in the first place

 

[Agent]

I shall not ask people to pm me scans, though I shall accept this warning with open arms and do everything within my power to rectify my evil ways.

 

[DelaZ]

They didnt rewrite ALL of source, they just rewrote the networking code, and checked again for any possible bugs in the rest of it, it took them 5 years to write source in the first place

I translated the interview as accarute as possible, the answer about the source code is almost litterally translated. But like you said, I think they rewrote the whole network code and made sure that the rest of the source code is safe agaisnt possible hackers.

 

[Wolf]

Jeez some people are dense; try using a bit of common sense for a change. Valve has emphatically insisted all along that the game was not ready and would not have been completed on time regardless of the hack. Here, though, they are simply affirming the blatantly obvious - that the hack did dramatically affect their release schedule in terms of evaluating the mess, shutting down PR, dealing with the investigation FBI et al, getting new proper security infrastructure and policies in place, dealing with the legal mess of third party IP issues, cleaning up the code base, re-writing portions of Steam and network code, re-testing etc, AS WELL AS finishing the game.

Nowhere in any of that is there the slightest contradiction.


But NO it has to a x-files soap opera. The situation must be an either or with someone lying. It can't possibly be the case that the game wasn't ready AND the hack compounded the situation. That would be far too mundane and self evident.

 

[el Chi]

Somthing is bogus.. There was another interview lately saying the leak had nothing to do with the delay, and it was all from bad scheduling

I've seen them say that it was a bit of both; mainly that it was bad scheduling, but that the leak obviously didn't help matters, what with morale going down etc. I'm sure the constant streams of abuse and unfounded rumours went a long way to helping Valve out of that rut. Well done, people.

To add fuel to a few fires: Regarding the specific release date, in PCZ Lombardi said there's a chance they might announce a release date at e3. However I'd like to emphasise the following words: "might" and "Lombardi"

 

[RoguePsi]

Yeah, some people are retarded. It's clear that HL2 was to be delayed from bad scheduling but the hack simply compounded this delay. Knowing they were going to be late with the release, they decided to take the opportunity to rewrite the network code so anyone with a leaked version couldn't gain an advantage and essentially cheat. They wouldn't want to spend all that time on a multiplayer mode that no-one plays because it was full of cheats like Counter-Strike.

 

[PvtRyan]

Some stuff I'd like to add:

(in reply to the Hobbit-Fellowship of the Ring comparison)

PCGP: And after the Fellowship of the Ring there was The Two Towers...

GN: (laughs)....(hesitates)...(laughs again).. Okay there will be a HL3. Don't ask any further, but it's almost certain we'll continue the series. The only thing I'd like to say about it, that we're not going to spend another 5 years on it.

PCGP: How many hours of gameplay can we expect?

GN: My dad, who plays and tests all of our games, took some 60 hours to complete it. (and in another question he elaborates that his dad isn't very good, but you should get atleast 40 hours out of it, and more depending on your style of play.)

 

[Mountain Man]

So the leak was at least partly responsible the length of the delay then, with all the rewriting.

Actually, that's not what he said. He said they used the delay time to rewrite the code, not that rewriting the code was the cause of the delay.

 

[KurtCobain]

40 MILLION DOLLARS! hahaha


Anyway , nice info , sum seemed a bit ropey like the hack delay hmm...o well

 

[X-Vector]

I've posted a summary of the preview and interview elsewhere, guess I can put it up here as well:

Well, after reading the PC Zone preview I have decided to skip on a translation of the PC Gameplay article and focus on a couple of points that are either not in PCZ or are IMO of enough interest to repeat or elaborate on.

NB: Literal translation can sometimes produce awkward results, so I have attempted to convey the 'spirit' rather than the 'letter' of the text at times.

I'll split this in two sections, hands-on preview and Gabe Newell interview.

Preview:

- Even though the reporter has watched the high-res E3 videos numerous times, he is still surprised by the graphical splendour of the HL2 engine.
He mentions the beautiful effect of light falling through a window and creating shadows on the walls of the cramped room he starts in and the wealth of detail on offer even in such a simple environment.

- Valve have attempted to bring some familiarity to the player by retaining some particularities of HL; much (if not all) of the standard keyboard configuration stays the same and a number of player feedback sounds such as the "closed door" warning has also been carried over from HL2's predecessor.

- Facial expression of NPCs is so effective that simpler forms of communication, such as a warning to keep your guard up, can take place even without conversation.

- Especially at the start of the game (when you're unarmed), the player is forced to escape certain potentially hostile situations rather than engage in conflict; this greatly ups the already tense atmosphere.

- The outside locations are wide open and lively, with City 17 being full of birds flying all about, citizens walking by and "scanners" patrolling the area; their main function seems to be to scout for potentially hostile creatures.
Freeman still isn't percieved as such at the start of the game, but as it turns out there is still more than enough reason to be careful; apparently combine soldiers are a bit 'socially challenged' and will give you a good dose of the ol' shock prod if they think you're sticking your nose in where it doesn't belong.

- Again, the liveliness of HL2's environments is mentioned; most games offer scripted sequences at set times to enhance the atmosphere, but in HL2 similar non-core gameplay events are everywhere.

- HL2 features a flash-bang type effect; stand too close to a grenade detonation and you'll be disoriented and deaf for a small while.

- The manipulator can be used to cause mass destruction; where the PCZ preview mentions the saw blades as a handy means of decapitation, the PCGP reporter flings a fuel barrel over a group of zombies and watches them burn.

- Valve have attempted to put a higher than usual amount of interactivity into the game, which allows for varied gameplay solutions.
One example is the crane scenario that is also mentioned in PCZ; transporting the buggy to the opposite side of the canal by using the crane arm magnet is a bonus rather than a requirement, simpy knocking the arm against the bridge suffices to bring it down and allow passage.

- The reporter concludes that HL2's strength seems to lie in a combination of factors; apart from the great visuals and exciting action, it also offers a sense of adventure and opportunities for creative problem solving, which add up to what he calls "first-class gameplay".

Interview (comments by Gabe Newell):

- We have rewritten the (multiplayer) source code to prevent cheating and illegal access to customer computers by outside parties.

- HL2 is currently [March 2004 - X-V] pre-alpha, which means that it's core content complete and we're at the tuning stage; tweaking the amount of enemies, weapon impact/strength, number of available health packs and so on.
We're shooting for a release this summer.

- We've decided to stay faithful to the weapon arsenal in HL, for one thing because we want the player to feel familiar with the weapons , but also because we like the variety they offer(ed) and because we prefer quality of quantity in this respect.
We want to keep the alien weapons under wraps as much as possible though, they are too much intertwined with the plot of the game and we don't want to spoil any surprises.

- HL2 will stay faithful to the play tempo of its predecessor, it would be a shame to rush through the game when there's so much to see and especially do.
Of course, there are times when you have to push the pedal to the metal in order to escape certain dangerous situations.

- We've experimented with different player moves, but in the end decided to keep it simple because we felt those moves were more of a distraction than a benefit to the player in HL2.

- What we *do* want to focus the player's attention on is interactivity and AI. We want the player to be stimulated by his/her surroundings; what if I stack those boxes?; would it be possible to enter that APC and drive off?; what is the meaning of that expression on Alyx' face or that of the G-Man?; how will that NPC react when I stop him from entering this room?
That's what it's all about in HL2; let players discover interesting gameplay situations by having them interact with their surroundings like no other game has allowed before.

- We've never seriously contemplated including teamorder functions and complicated menus, because we let the interactivity of the AI and the environment react to the actions of the player.
An "e" [= "use" - X-V] button suffices, because the AI will react more to the intention than the position of the player.
Let's say you're walking towards a closed door; a friendly NPC could be aware of a threat that lies beyond and will therefore take up position to be able to give you cover.
Alternatively, the NPC could offer advice on how to handle, now that he or she knows the intent of the player.
On the other side of the door, the enemy AI can also react to the situation that evolves when the door swings open; is the player alone?; what are my chances against multiple targets?; is there an opportunity to call for backup?
In the ideal situation, even the "e" button would not be necessary.
Consider it an extra means of communication or assistance for the player.
The AI never ceases to keep notice of the player's actions and reacts appropriately without the need for specific orders.

- STEAM will be in the background during play, doing all kinds of complicated things with your PC.
Not with the intent to 'snoop', it won't even affect performance, but strictly to eliminate foul play.
We are fully aware that cheating can ruin gameplay and we want to keep that from happening at all costs.
Whoever gets caught cheating will be prevented from playing the game online for a while; repeat offenders will be banned for six months and the truly incurable cases could even risk a permanent ban.
These are some harsh measures, but we want to keep the game enjoyable for those who play by the rules.
The only way for us to enforce this at the moment is to have STEAM access the PC of the online player; the benefit being that we can monitor online play sessions better and continually implement updates and improvements.

 

[KurtCobain]

Wow! , extremely harsh measures for cheating , but it will make them cheating féckers learn how to play proper games

 

[marksmanHL2 :)]

Thanks for that mate. And very nice info.


And I too despise cheaters... :hmph:

 

[Wsh]

Wow thats a lot of nice info put together. thx!

 

[Caminante]

Can anyone explain me as to how you spend the amount of $40 Millions USD in a game? Does every programmer as well as artist at Valve make over $150, 000 a year or something?

 

[DelaZ]

Can anyone explain me as to how you spend the amount of $40 Millions USD in a game? Does every programmer as well as artist at Valve make over $150, 000 a year or something?

High End Hardware, Publicity, Salaris, Internet connections, Software Licenses, Food, Elecktricity, Donuts for Gabe, Playtesters, Voice Actors, Servers, Special Technologies, Havok engine and other deals and licences etc ...

 

[Feath]

We want to keep the alien weapons under wraps as much as possible though, they are too much intertwined with the plot of the game and we don't want to spoil any surprises.

I guess PC Zone wasn't paying attention when that was mentioned. They say twice in their preview that they were disappointed with the ammount of weapons

- Facial expression of NPCs is so effective that simpler forms of communication, such as a warning to keep your guard up, can take place even without conversation.

That's one of those litte features that sounds amazing. I can't wait to see it in action.

 

[Brian Damage]

Resources and code licensing come to mind... motion capture can cost a lot, if used... then there's how much it costs to license so many copies of whatever software you're using... voice actors... trips for research...

All sorts of things cost money, Caminante...

 

[DiSTuRbEd]

Glad to hear they rewrote some network code, VAC will probably be kickass in HL2, thats for sure

 

[Wolf]

Don't forget R&D.

 

[Caminante]

High End Hardware, Publicity, Salaris, Internet connections, Software Licenses, Food, Elecktricity, Donuts for Gabe, Playtesters, Voice Actors, Servers, Special Technologies, Havok engine and other deals and licences etc ...

Yeah, but even if Gabe eats a couple of boxes of donuts a day, it still does not amount to $40M...

 

[KurtCobain]

Yeah, but even if Gabe eats a couple of boxes of donuts a day, it still does not amount to $40M...

LOL

 

[marksmanHL2 :)]

You lot are so damn mean!


This is the guy that set jointly set up valve to bring us half-life and soon hl2. And all you people ever do is insult him. I just dont get it....

 

[KurtCobain]

You lot are so damn mean!


This is the guy that set jointly set up valve to bring us half-life and soon hl2. And all you people ever do is insult him. I just dont get it....

Aaawww we wuv him realy Halflife2.net ---> :cheers: <-- Gabe

 

[Victor2]

US$ 40 millions!!!!!! Holy SHIT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Vegeta897]

US$ 40 millions!!!!!! Holy SHIT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I know!! A full rollercoaster costs 5 million! Valve could have made a Half-Life theme park! lol jk

 

[Lethal8472]

Im going to HAVE to get broadband before HL2 comes out. I have bad enough ping and choke on HL, I imagine HL2 will stress it exponentially. I know they said the netcode has optimizations for 56k, but I severely doubt I will see a difference. Still, Im glad theyre taking more steps to stop cheating and that theyre keeping us disadvantaged dial-up users in mind. :cheers:

 

[Victor2]

I know!! A full rollercoaster costs 5 million! Valve could have made a Half-Life theme park! lol jk

HahHAhAHahAHhAHhaAhAHahHAHHhAHHAhAHAHAhHAHAHHAHAAHHAH!!!!!!! :thumbs:

 

[Murray_H]

Remember it has been going 5 years, some films cost that and are only in production for 1 or 2 years.