Valve and Vivendi are obsessed with George Orwell

[Foebane]

I've had the game for a while now and I can't believe it never occurred to me, it was staring me in the face!

Think about it, here you are, playing a game in which you're fighting to defeat a 1984-style government, whilst your use of the game itself is restricted by the same 1984-style restrictions!

These people have serious issues to sort out, such as paranoia and totalitarian fantasies...

 

[sixteenth]

Umm, no I don't think so.

The Half-Life Series was entirely written by an the author Mark Laidlaw. He had simlilar books to the story of the game, but it was not based with George Orwell at all.

 

[Hectic Glenn]

you still cant prove that he wasnt influenced by 1984, he probably was and has some basis in the HL2 story. its been said countless times, and its a great book, adding these elements to such a good game isn't bad, in fact im delighted.

 

[StardogChampion]

The 1984 movie was on Channel 4 last night... coincidence? I THINK NOT!

 

[KagePrototype]

Umm, no I don't think so.

The Half-Life Series was entirely written by an the author Mark Laidlaw. He had simlilar books to the story of the game, but it was not based with George Orwell at all.

No one said it was based on 1984, only heavily inspired. And you certainly can't deny that.

 

[TriggerHappy]

Did you notice that the one resistance member is named "Winston"?

 

[DarkStar]

Did you notice that the one resistance member is named "Winston"?

Hehe. Yep.

 

[BlackDahlia]

Eh, you've seen one totalitarianistic society, you've seen 'em all.

 

[Sainku]

Think about it, here you are, playing a game in which you're fighting to defeat a 1984-style government, whilst your use of the game itself is restricted by the same 1984-style restrictions!

I think the original posters intent was to make this is a steam hate thread. Gotta give him credit for doing it in a creative way though...

 

[Epsi]

Comparing Steam to the regime of the party is fairly rediculous.

 

[Danimal]

I just had a prediction of the future:

*Closed*

 

[Ultimape]

omg, they have guns in hl2, they are teh copy of teh govenment. huzzah!

Is it just me, or does hl2 have alot of similaritys with hl1?

 

[Asuka]

The 1984 movie was on Channel 4 last night... coincidence? I THINK NOT!

Lmfao. Nice one. :cheers:

 

[Eunoch]

ultimape i noticed that as well....
hl2 and hl1 do have quite a few similarities.....
ITS MYSTERIOUS

 

[Danimal]

It's as if HL2 is a sequel :O

 

[kaf11]

you still cant prove that he wasnt influenced by 1984, he probably was and has some basis in the HL2 story. its been said countless times, and its a great book, adding these elements to such a good game isn't bad, in fact im delighted.

agreed.

 

[mortiz]

Of course it's influenced by 1984, if not directly, certainly in spirit.

 

[el Chi]

The 1984 movie was on Channel 4 last night... coincidence? I THINK NOT!

There's a movie!? <shudders>

 

[pr0nking]

1984 rocks, I can see some similarities between HL2 and 1984.

 

[Plug]

The movie was actually done very respectfully. Worth watching if you enjoyed the book. I think Winston's actor did a terrific job... all the actors in fact.

 

[Pai-Mei]

It's hard to deny that HL2 has many 1984-esque elements. The regime may not be quite as rigid as it is in 1984, but it certainly is oppressive. Not to mention that Breen kind of reminds me of Big Brother. Also, lets not forget how close the Striders resemble the tripods in War of the Worlds.

 

[Pressure]

While we're on the topic, it just dawned on me that the story in the game S.T.A.L.K.E.R. is heavily influenced by the movie Stalker! Who would have guessed.

 

[BlackDahlia]

Also, lets not forget how close the Striders resemble the tripods in War of the Worlds.

Speaking of which, there's another movie based on that due this summer. It's a Spielberg flick too, so it oughtta be good.

 

[kmack]

aren't we all a little obsessed with Orwell, deep down?

 

[wse_jack]

as many said, good book, good game, similer, no shit, it has to be because george orwell pretty much started this whole big brother in fantasy thing. I had just recently started reading 1984 when I saw the tenements trailer, and then rushed to finish the book when I realised the connection. Shit I would have bought the game any how but this made me buy it right then and there online. I think it is a great way for games to go, expecialy because of its contrast to half-life the first. I wish that it had stayed more along the course of the 1984 plot but it was good as it was, and I hope that it expands in that direction via Half-Life 3.

 

[Harmless]

It's probably a coincidence as the Combine guards are merely a combination of human and WTF, but in the book "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" the main character suffers from paranoia and delusions of mechanical conspiracy. His most notable idiosyncrasy is that he reffers to all the people who work at the psychiatric hospital and (just about all of those outside of it towards his commitment), as "The Combine." An unstopable force that works with machine-like efficiency and ruthlessness. Just a thought.

 

[rebb]

It's probably a coincidence as the Combine guards are merely a combination of human and WTF, but in the book "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" the main character suffers from paranoia and delusions of mechanical conspiracy. His most notable idiosyncrasy is that he reffers to all the people who work at the psychiatric hospital and (just about all of those outside of it towards his commitment), as "The Combine." An unstopable force that works with machine-like efficiency and ruthlessness. Just a thought.

Who knows... maybe at the end of HL3, we will find out its all a drug-phantasy of Mr. Gordon Freeman, patient 109 of the Ravenholm nut-house. :imu: :imu: :imu: :imu: :imu: :x