Why is it called Half-Life?

[Esquire]

ive never known the answer to this question and ive never thought to ask. Until now.

Does anybody know why it's called Half-Life. I know what half-life is, but i dont understand how it could apply to the game half-life.

I'll delete this thread when i get an answer.

 

[Silent_night]

good question

 

[Dabs]

Just because it's a clever pun I guess, what with the science-type theme of the game. Half-Life with its meaning in physics, also applied to the fact that the game was so lifelike too. I don't think it's anything more than that. Just a science-themed pun that Valve thought would make a catchy name. In the same way that the level "Surface Tension" is. (Surface tension is a term used to descrive the adhesive property of polar molecules such as water, but also relates to the fact that Gordon is on the "surface" and is in "tense" circumstances.)

 

[Dedatorv]

Gah another one of these topics. Look up the word 'Half-Life' in your science book. Just meant to have a scientific name.

 

[MrWhite]

Physics.

Half-Life: The time required for half the nuclei in a sample of a specific isotopic species to undergo radioactive decay.

Biology.

Half-Life: The time required for half the quantity of a drug or other substance deposited in a living organism to be metabolized or eliminated by normal biological processes. Also called biological half-life.
The time required for the radioactivity of material taken in by a living organism to be reduced to half its initial value by a combination of biological elimination processes and radioactive decay.

 

[KagePrototype]

He said he knew what it meant, but not why it was used....

 

[Lobster]

cause theres lots of radioactive coolant everywhere! and black-mesa was a decomisioned nuclear missile base! and its cool sounding!

and the scientific theme offers alot of expansion sub-titles.

 

[blahblahblah]

Half-Life was used as a game title to represent how much of our lives we have (will) spent waiting for HL and HL2.

 

[Baal]

I think it's one hell of an awesome name for a game, especialy since half-life is based around nuclear phyiscs and such

 

[EvilInside]

From the start of the game till you finish it you forget half of your real life dutties :hmph:

 

[Nozra]

My theory is through the idea that the half-life method is used to measure large periods of time. Half-lives are used to measure carbon14 particles to tell how old they are. I believe the scientific referal as a title would have something to do with aluding to the idea that the game's title involves a concept of time.
a la: How much time do u have? What's the relevance of time? It could be a ironic title that scientists have spent so much time pondering the likes of the world - our modern day "mastery" of the sciences has left us confident that we can explain all the wonders of the universe. the Half-life concept would then mean that the marvels of the world cannot be explained in the lifetime of one man - what if the aliens came in and the world societal system came crashing around its ears, what then?

I believe thats the explanation to the title - an ironic referal to a large amount of time. Scientists encaspulate the time into measurements through half-lives. VALVe's title wanted to define how little we really do understand.


I could be totally wrong. ^____^

 

[DreamWraith]

one word: "anomylous(sp?) materials" err,. ok two

 

[Shuzer]

Good question, I wonder the same about Condition Zero.. what in the world does the name have to do with the game anymore? :|

 

[crabcakes66]

They were going to call it "quiver" or something

 

[CrazyHarij]

They were going to call it "quiver" or something

If they'd go with that everyone would cough "quake-ripoff" all the time.. And the game wouldnt be as original as it is now, with all the scientific lingo

 

[Epsi]

Quiver was just a codename. Just like Whistler was the codename for Windows XP, but that doesn't mean that they were going to call it Windows Whistler originally.

 

[SubKamran]

Quiver was just a codename. Just like Whistler was the codename for Windows XP, but that doesn't mean that they were going to call it Windows Whistler originally.

Yah...Bill was going to call it "Windows all ur base r belong 2 us" but they decided it was less professional and catchy than "Xp". Whatever :hmph:

Half-Life is an awesome game name.

 

[CrazyHarij]

Yah...Bill was going to call it "Windows all ur base r belong 2 us" but they decided it was less professional and catchy than "Xp". Whatever :hmph:

Half-Life is an awesome game name.

Heh.. Yeah it is, truly more professional than the name of that era's games, more adult and advanced, sort of.

 

[Investigator]

The most rational answer to your question would be: We dont know it, because Valve never gave a statement about why they called it Half-Life. Ok, ok thats not very helpfull.

I assume the name was a marketing descision. It sounds cool and it relates to the game's content in some way(!)s

 

[CrazyHarij]

Yeah, when I think of Half-Life I always think of evil aliens and GI's trying to invade a lab and a lone guy saving the world.. it's sort of the new meaning of the phrase

 

[slicktick]

the Lambda symbol also stands for Half-Life or the time its takes for teh decay of the nuclei stuf, so I think they just took the defintion from there symbol, also if you look at every other half-life expansion, they all have scientific names, opposing force, blue shift, all have meanings in the science world.

 

[CrazyHarij]

the Lambda symbol also stands for Half-Life or the time its takes for teh decay of the nuclei stuf, so I think they just took the defintion from there symbol, also if you look at every other half-life expansion, they all have scientific names, opposing force, blue shift, all have meanings in the science world.

Spoiler

there is one more thing the lambda has grown to stand for in these days.. i'll let you remain unaware of it

 

[slicktick]

Yes CrazyHarij, I know what the lambda symbol tends to stand for today, but I try not to let the people who made it that way ruin the actual meaning for me.

 

[CrazyHarij]

Yes CrazyHarij, I know what the lambda symbol tends to stand for today, but I try not to let the people who made it that way ruin the actual meaning for me.

The first time I got to know about it was a long while ago in this forum, some guy posted a link.. I didn't quite feel the same for the following days.

 

[KFDMonkey]

I seam to remember the title Half-life was supposed to have something to do with the material you are analyzing at the beginning of the game but they didn't have time to flesh out some of those details like they wanted to. I also remember reading in some interview that the crystal at the beginning are the same crystals that are in the boss room at the end but they didn't have the time to properly make that connection either.

 

[Wesisapie]

lambda actually means frequency, as in wave or string equations, not really too much to do with nuclear physics.

 

[Moto]

Pardon me for being off-topic, but can anyone point me in the direction of that hl1 map that someone made that is inspired by the 2003 E3 hl2 tech demo map? I have searched for it, but I haven't been able to find it.

Thanks.

 

[Mr. Redundant]

because once you buy it thats what it will become..

 

[RakuraiTenjin]

Blue Shift is a scientific term, dealing with astronomy (It also ties in with Security Guards)
Opposing Force is also a scientific term (And ties in that they're the opposing enemy force in the game)

Valve seems to choose its titles carefully

 

[Cylleruion2012]

Is anomalous [materials] a word?

 

[Moto]

Is anomalous [materials] a word?

Yep. Anomalous, anomalies, etc.

So can anyone tell me where to find that hl1 map that is a replica of the 2003 e3 hl2 tech demo?

 

[Cyanide]

Half-life: The time required for half the CS fanboys to move on to a new game.

 

[Triggerhappy41]

lambda actually means frequency, as in wave or string equations, not really too much to do with nuclear physics.

no. Lambda stands for wavelength, not frequency, and definitely doesnt stand for half-life.

 

[frances_farmer]

lambda actually means frequency, as in wave or string equations, not really too much to do with nuclear physics.

totally incorrect. in quantum physics and waves f always stands for frequency. lambda can either stand for wavelength or the decay constant. The decay constant is the percentage of nuclei that will decay in a given time.

EDIT: and damn you triggerhappy for getting there first

 

[Esquire]

lambda:
The 11th letter of the Greek alphabet
The craniometric point at the junction of the sagittal and lamboid sutures of the skull

 

[Esquire]

OK then, so the name Half-Life for this game is just to sound cool and intriguing. And different. Fair enough. I just thought there was maybe some deep, metaphorical meaning behind it or something.

One last question from me...
Is Gordon the first hero of a videogame to wear spectacles?

 

[PvtRyan]

O! I've got a philosophical explanation: it's the decay of the world/Black Mesa! :bounce:

Errr... yeah whatever.

 

[Wesisapie]

oops, wavelength, of course. my physics is rusty haha.

 

[bodhi]

wasnt lamdba something to do with homosexuals in greek times as well - im pretty sure some people were getting all freaked out by that a few weeks ago when someone mentioned that on these boards

 

[Tarkus]

wasnt lamdba something to do with homosexuals in greek times as well - im pretty sure some people were getting all freaked out by that a few weeks ago when someone mentioned that on these boards

yes (10 char idiot)