So what's the word on the HL2 SDK?

[Fallout]

I remember sometime back at the end of December or early January hearing about some statement from Valve saying "The SDK is probably coming out in the next month or two", and now I can't find a reliable statement on the release of the SDK.

Also, to save me having to read through paranoid rumors of release dates coming five years down the line... when is Half-Life 2 supposed to come out? I think it's safe to assume the mid-April date I remember hearing a few months back is not going to hold up.

 

[Majestic XII]

We dont know when the SDK will come out. I hope they release it before the game like they said.

We dont have a release date on the game. They only said "Summer" or something like that. They will show hl2 on E3 which is 12-16 May i think.... i hope we can get some new info then.

 

[Moto]

I think you can count on a Mid June-Very early July release. I am being optimistic, but I am thinking there will be the hands on previews in next month's PC Gamer and PC Zone. After that, they will be showing HL2 at E3 and maybe they will give the "gold" announcement there. Within the few weeks after E3, the SDK might be released and all that will be left to do is wait...again...more.

Of course, this is purely optimistic speculation.

 

[Apos]

Well, SoftImage for HL2 is already out, so that's a pretty good start. If the game really will make this summer, then I'd expect it in the next couple of months.

 

[Spiffae]

my wildcard prediction is that they will release the SDK at E3.

why not?

 

[PvtRyan]

Phase 1 -the XSI thingy- has been released, my guess is that phase 2 is not far behind. The last email dates from march or the end of february saying that 'it certainly won't take another two months' (in reply to that 'in two months time' thing in the start of the year).
I personally think somewhere before E3, to get the HL2 buzz going again.

 

[Cutey_Kaite]

Well, SoftImage for HL2 is already out, so that's a pretty good start. If the game really will make this summer, then I'd expect it in the next couple of months.

about softimage, what can u do with it?

and on topic, im guessing that we shall learn many things new about the game in the next edition of pc zone

 

[Epsi]

Softimage|XSI is for modelling and animation, so the modellers can get a head start on that while the mappers mock things up in the HL1 version of Hammer, and the coders sit round having ideas...

 

[CreedoG]

QUESTION: March 10, 2004 ------------

...I emailed Rick E in the beginning in January about the HL2 SDK and he said 'soon' and 'there was a legal hangup' But there are 2 whole months passed by. Can you please say something about the release date of the HL2 SDK ? ...

REPLY: -----------------------------

We're still working on the toolkit, and I expect it to be out soon (yeah I know that's what I told you before but I don't have any better date right now). It definitely won't be another 2 months.

Rick

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------


QUESTION: March 13, 2004 ---------

..Or would it be better for mod teams to wait until the SDK (2 months you said?) to do modeling/texturing/animating work?..

REPLY: -------------------------

I didn't say 2 months.

Yes it's good that you are working on models now, you'll be that much further along when the tools are released.

Rick
Valve

Either he's denying ever saying "It definitely won't be another 2 months." or he's saying that it won't be two months, but less. Funny thing is that E3 is May 11th - May 14th. The original email was almost exactly 2 months before E3. So he was saying that the SDK would definitely be out before E3. I personally doubt it. Most likely we'll get the same treatment as last year. HL2 will be shown at E3, they'll do a ton of mags. And then the SDK/Game will be released in September (or later).

 

[Majestic XII]

I hope they can get the SDK out really soon! The development sister site for halflife2.net is done (.Dev) and we need the SDK to really get it going

 

[Reven]

Sorry, but what does 'gold' mean? as in , gone gold?

 

[GorgeousOrifice]

Software that has gone gold has been deemed ready for release by the developer and has been shipped to the publisher for production (making CDs) and distribution (shipping to stores). Basically it means that the game's done. After the game goes gold, it takes two to four weeks for it to get to stores.

 

[Reven]

Software that has gone gold has been deemed ready for release by the developer and has been shipped to the publisher for production (making CDs) and distribution (shipping to stores). Basically it means that the game's done. After the game goes gold, it takes two to four weeks for it to get to stores.

oh, thanks that explains a lot

 

[sharp]

I emailed rick for the second time on 3/10/2004 and he replied

We're still working on the toolkit, and I expect it to be out soon (yeah I know that's what I told you before but I don't have any better date right now). It definitely won't be another 2 months.

Rick


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Gabe Newell
Sent: Wed 3/10/2004 9:45 AM
To: Rick Ellis
Subject: FW: While HL2 being delayed, still improvements on the Source engine?

it won't be another 2 months he said, 1 month has just passed

 

[DEATH eVADER]

I dont know when the SDK will be coming out.
But while your waiting you can download the XSI/EXP for HalfLife from
www.softimage.com

That will allow you to create the models and special effects for HL2. But I can't use it on this computer because I'm not the Admin, and the bloody CD Burner is not working

 

[marksmanHL2 :)]

I hope they can get the SDK out really soon! The development sister site for halflife2.net is done (.Dev) and we need the SDK to really get it going

Errr, am I missing something here. A sister site for this site specifically for mod developers?


What will this site comprise of?


You are getting me all interested.....

 

[brokenjago]

I'd also like to elaborate a bit on that explanation on the use of the 'Gone Gold' phrase.

What GorgeousOrfice said was completely correct, but the reason they call it 'Going Gold' is that traditionally (I don't know if this is still the case) they would burn the game onto master CDs that had a gold tinge on the data side. They then used this copy of the game to print the rest of the copies of the game.

Hence the 'Gold' part.

 

[Majestic XII]

Errr, am I missing something here. A sister site for this site specifically for mod developers?


What will this site comprise of?


You are getting me all interested.....

Okay, ill try to explain the site me, Force and Loque been working on for some months now.

The site is called .Dev and will like a wiki for HL2 development. Members can submit articles, tutorials, mods, links, well... just about everything to the site. We got very good stuff coming up, like articles/tutorials written by very famous people (dont wanna say more... you'll see).

The mod aspect of the site will work kinda like moddb.com. You submit your mod (and team in this case) to the site. You'll get a page where you can post pics, news, help wanted, manage your team and stuff like that.

We're trying to make a site for skilled HL2 modders where you can talk about different modding aspects of the source engine, not a site where 12 kids with mods dreams (cs/ww2 mods) runs around screaming for help.

The site looks and works wicked, we're only waiting for hl2.net´s hosting to get up and running 100%.

Mod teams and writers will be invited to submit stuff before it goes public... so it doesnt look empty. I will email the mod people about it... but you can PM me if you see this... makes it a lill bit easier for me.

The site should be up in a few days... keep an eye out on the front page!

 

[marksmanHL2 :)]

Wow, sounds a really really cool concept.



I might PM you at a later date once I have talked with my team because something like this is a good way for us to get our mod in the open, since we havn't said anything about it at all yet....



Anyway, thanks for the heads up.

 

[Majestic XII]

Oh one more thing. We're using php-nuke.

 

[marksmanHL2 :)]

Heheh, I am affraid I am only a petty 3D moddeller and annimator, I have no knowlege of programming or PHP scripting so I have no idea of the significance of PHP-Nuke....



All I know is that PHP is server side scripting for something....



Me know nothing!! :rolling:

 

[Spiffae]

I dont know when the SDK will be coming out.

I just e-mailed Rick E.

maybe we'll get an update on ye olde SDK.

those GDC vids were so cool!

 

[Reven]

I'd also like to elaborate a bit on that explanation on the use of the 'Gone Gold' phrase.

What GorgeousOrfice said was completely correct, but the reason they call it 'Going Gold' is that traditionally (I don't know if this is still the case) they would burn the game onto master CDs that had a gold tinge on the data side. They then used this copy of the game to print the rest of the copies of the game.

Hence the 'Gold' part.

oh, i was a little confused as to why it was called that lol.

 

[Majestic XII]

Okay, just to clear up what i said earlier about php-nuke: It was a joke We use our own coded system for the site and not a pre made one like php-nuke.

 

[marksmanHL2 :)]

Right, ok.... I feel silly now.



Thanks for that....