Why is Valve obsessed with Harvard and MIT?

[Goethe]

Eli wears a Harvard sweater, and we are told Gordon went to MIT at least twice throughout the game.

Considering how talented Valve programmers are, I am sure many of them went to those schools, but isn't it a bit snobbish of them to remind people this?

 

[Tynan]

Because Gordon and Eli (and Kleiner) are all high-level theoretical scientists. It makes sense to associate them with insitutions involved in the study of their fields, no?

 

[Bedwetting Type]

They're scientists. They have to get their education from somewhere. And it's not snobbish. Valve never claims to have anything to do with MIT.

 

[Feath]

And having character background isn't snobbish. Where did you expect top physicists to go?

 

[Hectic Glenn]

hehe Goethe any idea what im gonna say about this thread?

 

[Dill0n]

2 things ...

the fact that gordon is an MIT grad and can kick some major a$$ is, or at least should be, surprising to people. no offense to any MIT grads out there, but the thought of a nerd/geek being the bad-mofo hero is straying from the norm.

saying that gordon (or kleiner, eli, etc) went to his local community college (nothing wrong with that, mind you) isn't as impressive if he's supposed to be this scientific genius.

 

[Dr. Freeman]

wow..Goethe, ur going to make pples' eyes bleed if u keep making pointless threads like these :|
if it weren't Harvard or MIT, it would be another place...big deal, get over it.. sheesh

 

[He@t!]

Yeahh they should of said they went to a community college instead of MIT or Harvard. LoL

 

[BloodyMario]

Yeahh they should of said they went to a community college instead of MIT or Harvard. LoL

No, they should have an online degree from Bangladesh Institute of Physics-Shmisics.

 

[mitya]

For me, when I saw Eli's sweatshirt and was reminded of Gordon's MIT experience, it helped to maintain and even deepen the immersion that the half-life story provided. When Eli mentioned that MIT graduates were far and few between, I realized that such an institution most certainly no longer existed, and the vast majority of those who attended it were dead.

Those little connection between the post-combine world and the pre-combine world help to tie the two together, and deepen the enormity of what happened in those 15 years.

 

[Mr.Wotsit]

It's an easy way of adding character to a ball of polygons.

 

[DreadLord]

Because Massachusetts roxorz j00 boxorz.

Stop making pointless threads.

 

[MigaS_tX]

Gordon Freeman of MIT... it exists!

But that's another story.

I think Valve isn't snob... they just put a background story.

 

[Shodan]

This is like that stupid Eli Vance is a G, thread or the one about "there is only one black resistance fighter in the game"
No one cares about any of this crap.

I can only guess what you were going to say, Hectic.

BTW hectic glenn, is your avatar the part in the Office where brent does that 'melting pot' thing?

 

[corkscru74]

Hehe Gordon has a GNVQ in Fiziks and the Vortigaunts went to Caterin' College!

 

[Goethe]

Barney went to a Community College -- not a very smart fellow.


It is mentioned in Blue Shift.

 

[DreadLord]

Nothing is wrong with community colleges.. not everyone gets into hardvard and MIT ya know. And judging by your inadequately explored reason to post absolute nonsense, that's where you will be going / went.

Also, some of the smartest people in the world didnt go to *ANY* college.

 

[Goethe]

Also, some of the smartest people in the world didnt go to *ANY* college.

That's true. really smart people don't need to go to college.

 

[MigaS_tX]

Here in Portugal just rich ppl goes to a private college, not smart, in fact! :E

 

[DreadLord]

That's true. really smart people don't need to go to college.

You my ignorant friend, are impossible to get through to. Why don't you just get back to posting your hundred threads for today, so we can all talk about the color of alyx's panties, whether the combine have fashionable clothing, and why is VALVe obsessed with <insert meaningless crap here>.

 

[Sid Burn]

Well, they have a high educational background. no wonder they all studied on MIT. You're right... maybe most of the Valve people studied on that particular university.

 

[kirovman]

That's true. really smart people don't need to go to college.

There's some truth in that. Like Bill Gates or successful businessmen. But someone like Einstein, he couldn't have done what he did without university.
I suppose real sciences, you need to study the subject, but social sciences, you can be good at them without a university education.

 

[Shodan]

You my ignorant friend, are impossible to get through to. Why don't you just get back to posting your hundred threads for today, so we can all talk about the color of alyx's panties, whether the combine have fashionable clothing, and why is VALVe obsessed with <insert meaningless crap here>.

Exactly, I dont know how many threads Goate has made but all the ones I have seen are generally shite.

 

[Cole]

That's true. really smart people don't need to go to college.

If my memory is somehow correct it says Einstine dropped out of school at the fourth grade.(Because he failed the fourth grade).

 

[moggy]

Eli wears a Harvard sweater, and we are told Gordon went to MIT at least twice throughout the game.

Considering how talented Valve programmers are, I am sure many of them went to those schools, but isn't it a bit snobbish of them to remind people this?

if u had played the first game, the original hl, set in black mesa, this place is filled with some of the worlds top minds working in secret.

as u begin the game titles come telling gordons background and status. it tell u there that he i is MIT qualified. i dont think valve have become obbsesed with such things or being snobby at all. it is part of the story, and a stroy of such greatnest it wouldnt accept any less.

in hl2 these things just happen to be reminded to u as part of the original story and to be familiar with the older / experienced gamer who actually played the first game.

and now a question for u goethe:

have u even played the original hl?

when it was released i mean?

if so u should know why its used.

if not, stop making such ridiculous snap judgements.

 

[kirovman]

If my memory is somehow correct it says Einstine dropped out of school at the fourth grade.(Because he failed the fourth grade).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Talk:Albert_Einstein

The claim that he did poorly in school is completely bogus. This is a recurring urban rumor that started due to one biography (I can't remember which) and won't die. The whole thing resulted when the German school system decided to go from a 1-6 grading system with 1 as "A" to a decimal system with 100 as "A". For one particular year they reversed the 1-6, with 6 being "A", thereby confusing everyone, including the biographer who said he failed math. What's particularily annoying is that the very report card on which the 6 appears states in the comments that "Albert is very good at maths and sciences", but apparently the biographer couldn't/didn't read it.

 

[Rhalle]

Anyone know where Gabe went to college?

I bet noone does, but I'm still curious.


Higher education is neccessary no matter how much I.Q. you have, unless you grew up in a house with two parents that both have MD's and PHd's, and with roomful of real books you spent your childhood reading.

 

[jonesey2k]

And having character background isn't snobbish. Where did you expect top physicists to go?

A proper place, Oxford for example

 

[moggy]

americans dont need oxford, they have thier own and better unis than britain.

oxford is just full of rich japanese kids whos parents send them here for a more "ours is better than yours" education.

 

[DreadLord]

A proper place, Oxford for example

Why go to Oxford when Harvard, MIT, and WPI are all in the same state?

 

[Hectic Glenn]

I can only guess what you were going to say, Hectic.

BTW hectic glenn, is your avatar the part in the Office where brent does that 'melting pot' thing?

Its actually the part where hes offered that training course instructor job, and he asks how much 'bunse' he'll be getting...bunsen burner...nice little earner i love the Office!

 

[Goethe]

Why go to Oxford when Harvard, MIT, and WPI are all in the same state?

Worcester Polytechnical Institute (WPI) is not up there with Harvard and MIT.. you are comparing apples to oranges

 

[Kakashi]

hehe Goethe any idea what im gonna say about this thread?

I think I would know...... :dozey:
another lame post...

 

[Tantalus]

That's true. really smart people don't need to go to college.

You won't be going to college, but not because you're too smart...

 

[ShinRa]

Is this a serious thread? If so..here's a worthless post. Because thats all this thread diserves

 

[Quelaar]

Having "geeky" MIT and Harvard degrees associated with Eli and Gordon contrasts, and consequently highlights, their very brave and fearless characters. Simple as that.

Not to mention it adds to the immersion and believability of the game.

Funny how a thread deemed "pointless" has made it to 3 pages, lol

Quelaar

 

[Quelaar]

You won't be going to college, but not because you're too smart...

omg, lol. Nice one, *high fivE* :E :E :E :E

In response to the "smart people don't need to go to college", that is sometimes true. However, very intelligent people often go there regardless, especially to nourish one's social skills in a new large scale peer environment and get access to teaching/brilliant professors and college resources (internships, labs, libraries, archives), something absolutely priceless compared to self-learning.

Yes, people often become very succesful without college, but very few experiences compare to college's seemingly limitless opportunities to expand and nourish one's mind.

Quelaar

 

[itsmygame]

Oh so realism is snobbish now is it? What is the world comming to these days...? :|

 

[Goethe]

However, very intelligent people often go there regardless, especially to nourish one's social skills in a new large scale peer environment.....

I believe it was John Carmack who oncesaid something like that

I remember this interview he gave where he started out saying something like "I always knew I was more intelligent than everyone else.....and for that reason he did not go to college"

 

[Kadayi]

That's true. really smart people don't need to go to college.

The guy said some people, not all. The real measure of being smart isn't in someones qualifications however (there are plenty of idiots who achieve post graduates these days) it is whether they can transmute that smartness into something tangible. Whether that be a breakthrough in medical science, inventing a faster computer or even making a constructive forum post. :dozey:

I believe it was John Carmack who oncesaid something like that

I remember this interview he gave where he started out saying something like "I always knew I was more intelligent than everyone else.....and for that reason he did not go to college"

John Carmack was also the guy who said that plot in games was like plot in porn films. Which explains why D3 was so bad.