New interview with Gabe

Status
Not open for further replies.

Rasmoh

Newbie
Joined
Aug 5, 2003
Messages
381
Reaction score
0
Oh Gabe
Posted by: Dusty on Sept 1st 2003

The main man at Valve Software, Gabe Newell, has a chat with me about a little game you might have heard of... HALF-LIFE 2! While short, there are some interesting tidbits of info. Enjoy.

Q: First things first. Release date. What the hell is up with that?

A: You see the thing is we realized there was a typo in one of the subtitles about 3/4 of the way through the game. "The" was horribly misspelled "teh". The writer responsible has been fired, and the game is now slated for a December release.

Q: Seriously. Or I'll kill you with my thumb.

A: Oh, I meant it's coming out September 30th. The same as it's always been. Things will be looking golden in about two weeks. We're in the final stages of playtesting.

Q: What aspect of the game are you most proud of, now that it is virtually complete?

A: That's a tough one. There are so many new concepts presented in the game that I really can't pick just one. The whole package is something that hasn't been seen in a game before, and I really can't wait until we get a response from our audience. But, if I had to state a definite answer, I would say our Source engine.

Q: I hear you're releasing the game on DVD and CD?

A: Yeah. Although our marketing will mostly lean towards Steam as the method of aquiring the game. There will be an incentive to purchase it this way of course. Mainly a price difference, but we're also looking at a few other ideas.

Q: Nice. So how will that work? I mean, if I buy it over Steam, how am I assured that I can install it whenever I want? Also, can you install it on as many computers as you want with Steam?

A: Good question. Steam requires a username/password, so it won't be hard for us to know if you've purchased it over Steam or not. You will definately have unlimited access to downloading it.

We've implemented a system very similar to Windows Product Activation, which prevents you from installing the same copy of Windows on more than one PC. In our case, it allows one copy of HL2 per machine. This will hold true for those who purchase it over Steam, and those who buy it in a box at the store. You can activate your copy over the Internet, or by mailing in the activation card that will come with the game. Steam users will obviously have their game activated over the Internet.

Q: How many people will be able to play at once in a single multiplayer game?

A: No comment.

Q: You have been tight lipped about multiplayer from the start... is there anything you can tell us? C'mon!

A: Prepare to taste the future.

Q: I have no idea what that means.

A: You will.

Q: I hated Xen. Are you making me go back to that bad place?

A: In one word: Yes.

That's it, this interview is over.

Thanks to Gabe for taking the time to chat with me. Be sure to keep an eye out for Half-Life 2, hitting stores at the end of this month.


http://nerdsahoy.com/interviews/090103_gaben_hl2.htm

That comment about the multiplayer got me thinking; what the hell are they up to?
 
Prepare to taste the future....

hmmm... im pumped for it.
 
Wow he said some really bizzare things there. We ARE going back to Xen??

And whats up with all the product activation stuff?

Good interview, BTW :) Thanks.
 
Originally posted by Rasmoh
Q: I hated Xen. Are you making me go back to that bad place?

A: In one word: Yes. [/B]

I thought that Gabe said there would be no Xen in Half-Life 2? I remember hearing that it would all take place on Earth.
 
Good interview, it seems we're going back to xen but as an ally or foe of the aliens...

And his comment on the mp looks like a guarantee against just getting standard DM. Perhaps massively multiplayer without monthly payments (due to a kickass netcode??)

All in all, this is probably the first new info on the actual game in months, and hopefully will be the first of many tidbits of info in the coming days.
 
Re: Re: New interview with Gabe

Originally posted by Dark Auro
I thought that Gabe said there would be no Xen in Half-Life 2? I remember hearing that it would all take place on Earth.
Yeah, that struck me as odd, too.
 
Re: Re: New interview with Gabe

Originally posted by Dark Auro
I thought that Gabe said there would be no Xen in Half-Life 2? I remember hearing that it would all take place on Earth.

Auro is right. And another thing about this interview which I found interesting: Out of all previous interviews I've read with Gabe, his answers have been pretty short and vague, unlike this one. With the exception of the multiplayer reference, which we've all come to accept as 'under wraps' until the game ships, his responses are quite detailed and precise. I'm not saying that this is a fake, but it does make one wonder when comparing to past interviews of the same nature.
 
Maybe we'll go back to Xen just for the ending or something. No actual gameplay there.
 
Yeah this interview is fishy, I think its a fake. Why would Gabe constantly say no comment about the release date then all of a sudden open up.
 
I wouldnt mind a LITTLE gameplay there, also keep in mind they've probably changed it alot to be more fun
 
if it's a real interview it should be posted on halflifeplanet
 
Originally posted by MrWhite
I wouldnt mind a LITTLE gameplay there, also keep in mind they've probably changed it alot to be more fun

Changed it a lot from what? Since the build shown at E3? I don't think so. I know they've tweaked graphical and AI components a helluva lot, but I doubt they did in terms of areas/design. All that was probably set in stone before they started coding Source.
 
": Prepare to taste the future."

That is the single sweetest line i have ever heard.. i ****ing cant WAIT!!!!!

Very nice tidbit, thanks for the read!
 
Originally posted by spitcodfry
Changed it a lot from what? Since the build shown at E3? I don't think so. I know they've tweaked graphical and AI components a helluva lot, but I doubt they did in terms of areas/design. All that was probably set in stone before they started coding Source.

Where the hell did you see Xen at e3 2003?

i meant changed xen from the original half-life
 
He gave a long answer for the Steam question, but pretty typical Gabe answers for the others. I think he're really trying to push Steam, because it hasn't been recieved all too well and he's trying to change some opinions about it. It think that for me and many other people Steam is the only major part of HL2 we're not too confident about. At least that's the way I see it. I could be wrong. The Xen thing caught me off guard though.
 
xen's the alien planet from HL1

I hated it cause it was boring to me
 
Originally posted by MrWhite
Where the hell did you see Xen at e3 2003?

i meant changed xen from the original half-life
My bad. Thought you were referring to changing Half-Life 2 as a whole.
 
Originally posted by Bass
exactly, doesnt sound like Gabe at all
I'm starting to think that it's fake. I just did a Google search and found an article that quoted Gabe saying that Xen is not included in the game.
 
Originally posted by MrWhite
xen's the alien planet from HL1

I hated it cause it was boring to me

Yup, Xen was the low point of the game for me too
 
amen.

It was just so weird and sucha radical change from the reds of surface tension and the steels/blues from the compound
 
Yeah exactly, the open-ness, the "the future is here", the xen bit, all sounds fake
 
If it is a fake, good fake.

Its still interesting to read, we need a confirmation of this article's authenticity!
 
Originally posted by nw909
If it is a fake, good fake.

Its still interesting to read, we need a confirmation of this article's authenticity!
Well, who will volunteer to email Gabe or the webmaster at nerdsahoy.com? :)
 
The product activation gives it away, IMO

- Mentioning "Windows Product Activation" is really bad PR.
- How can you activate the product by mailing in a card? You would still need a net connection which defeats the whole purpose.
 
Also Gabe mentioned that you will be able to play HL2 on multiple computers just by logging into Steam.
 
yea, prepare to taste the future ;o

its so revolutionary that we refuse to give away the smallest detail or the vagest hint of what it will be like. We are so proud of it and think that you will love it so much that we arent gonna tell you a single thing about it in fear that you will instantly die of anticipation.

Nice try. I dont buy it.
 
Originally posted by LoneDeranger
Wow he said some really bizzare things there. We ARE going back to Xen??

And whats up with all the product activation stuff?

Good interview, BTW :) Thanks.

remember the one thing he could change about the game? "spend more time on xen" that never meant we were never going back. just means we stay there for a little while, obviously less time than gabe wouldve liked. the way he said "in a word: yes" is interesting. maybe xen was destroyed and we go back the in the past. its not really xen, but it is. understand? any other speculation on wat he meant by "in a word" ?
 
I emailed Gabe (for the 1st time I may add) to ask if it was really him in this interview. Hopefully he'll respond...

I also asked him when we might expect the benchmark...
 
Damn you, I already e-mailed him, well he'll choose one of them maybe :D
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top