HalfLife 3 (full game) vs. Episodic Content

[Polish3d]

Given the choice now, would you have preferred that Valve released a full-blown Half Life 3 game 2-4 years after Half Life 2 came out, or have you enjoyed the episodic content approach that they have taken?

 

[brblx]

full games.

but i also supported the continued development of a good engine, like valve has done with goldsrc and source. it's time for a new one, though.

 

[coldmeat]

I thought they decided to release episodes instead of a full game because it would take them much longer than 2-4 years. Didn't they say something like 7+?

 

[KeithP]

Valve's "episodic" content as they originally envision never really materialized. They ended up with shorter episodes but the development time was more like a full blown game. Had they actually delivered short episodes with short development time I would have preferred that. But since we didn't get that I would prefer a full game.

-KeithP

 

[bunnyfubbles]

Originally posted by: KeithP
Valve's "episodic" content as they originally envision never really materialized. They ended up with shorter episodes but the development time was more like a full blown game. Had they actually delivered short episodes with short development time I would have preferred that. But since we didn't get that I would prefer a full game.

-KeithP

this

Also, 2-4 years for HL3 is a ridiculous window when it takes just about that long for a damn episode of HL2.

 

[Balt]

Originally posted by: KeithP
Valve's "episodic" content as they originally envision never really materialized. They ended up with shorter episodes but the development time was more like a full blown game. Had they actually delivered short episodes with short development time I would have preferred that. But since we didn't get that I would prefer a full game.

-KeithP

Agreed. Blew through Episode I far too fast for the amount of time it took them to release it. Episode II was a bit better, at least, iirc.

Edit: I'm glad Valve is developing them, though, rather than contracting out crappy expansion packs to sub-par developers.

 

[TheVrolok]

I just want more HL now.

 

[Zenoth]

I still think that the episodic releases was their best idea in a long time, but it miserably failed. If they would have managed to release one episode each year for three or four years depending on how many episodes would have been needed then yes I would have preferred the episodic content they praised so much when they announced it. But by now we all realize how it failed and that if they hadn't released Episode One and Two we might be playing Half-Life 3 already at this time.

 

[RESmonkey]

Episodic content + laziness = me not finishing EP2

 

[shortylickens]

I love the Source engine but after this many years I would have preferred a whole new game with highly updated engine.
OR.... lease the engine out to somebody to make another KOTOR game. I wish LucasArts would sell the franchise for one game at a time and at a reasonable price. Let some schmucks working in their basements see if they cant make an awesome Star Wars game.

 

[LumbergTech]

half life 3 hasnt come out yet...there will still be a half life 3

 

[Piuc2020]

Definitely Half-Life 3, we would already have it by now instead of the two measly episodes we got, they were good but damn short.

Episodes would have been awesome if they had been developed as fast as it was promised.

 

[NoSoup4You]

I really believe Valve had no intentions of creating a new engine so soon after HL2 released, so HL3 would have almost certainly been based off of Source in which case I'm happier with episodic content over a full sequel.

Valve basically hit the mother-load with Source. The engine is pretty much perfectly suited to being adapted to consoles, so until a new gen of consoles arrives I don't see Valve ditching it. And the 360 and PS3 are expected to last awhile longer, no? 2011/2012 I believe...

 

[BassBomb]

I would have preferred something by now....

They have been too busy with steam in the past few years after OrangeBox it seems development for anything Half Life has dwindled.

We might be surprised, but I am not holding my breath anymore... I am actually sad to say that

 

[WaitingForNehalem]

Valve needs to start working on different single player franchises on an updated engine.

 

[bunnyfubbles]

Originally posted by: Balt

Originally posted by: KeithP
Valve's "episodic" content as they originally envision never really materialized. They ended up with shorter episodes but the development time was more like a full blown game. Had they actually delivered short episodes with short development time I would have preferred that. But since we didn't get that I would prefer a full game.

-KeithP

Agreed. Blew through Episode I far too fast for the amount of time it took them to release it. Episode II was a bit better, at least, iirc.

Edit: I'm glad Valve is developing them, though, rather than contracting out crappy expansion packs to sub-par developers.

Gearbox did a pretty good job with Blue Shift and Opposing Force for HL1...

 

[Zenoth]

Originally posted by: bunnyfubbles

Originally posted by: Balt

Originally posted by: KeithP
Valve's "episodic" content as they originally envision never really materialized. They ended up with shorter episodes but the development time was more like a full blown game. Had they actually delivered short episodes with short development time I would have preferred that. But since we didn't get that I would prefer a full game.

-KeithP

Agreed. Blew through Episode I far too fast for the amount of time it took them to release it. Episode II was a bit better, at least, iirc.

Edit: I'm glad Valve is developing them, though, rather than contracting out crappy expansion packs to sub-par developers.

Gearbox did a pretty good job with Blue Shift and Opposing Force for HL1...

I for one would change "pretty good" for excellent.

 

[Finalnight]

I never really understood why their dev time for the episodes keeps increasing. Its not like they are building a new engine from scratch or creating a new MP game or a very long SP game.

Rockstar gets new GTA's out, which are far larger, in the time it takes for a new episode.

 

[wrangler]

The episodic content approach as implemented by Valve with the Halflife 2 franchise is a total failure IMHO.

 

[zerocool84]

We don't get Episode 3 but get a crappy add-on pack sold as a full game called Left 4 Dead 2. They could have made a whole new game in this time-frame.

 

[kylebisme]

Originally posted by: NoSoup4You
Valve basically hit the mother-load with Source. The engine is pretty much perfectly suited to being adapted to consoles, so until a new gen of consoles arrives I don't see Valve ditching it. And the 360 and PS3 are expected to last awhile longer, no? 2011/2012 I believe...

Have you played any Source games on the consoles? I bought Orange Box for the 360 and sold it off because it has some nasty framerate issues and doesn't even have AA, and from what I've heard the PS3 version is even worse. Also, with TF2 on the 360, hosting a 16 player game makes the host chug regardless of bandwidth, simply demanding too much from the console. I tried the L4D beta on the 360 and that was notably better, but still far from what I could rightly call perfect.

 

[zerocool84]

Originally posted by: kylebisme

Originally posted by: NoSoup4You
Valve basically hit the mother-load with Source. The engine is pretty much perfectly suited to being adapted to consoles, so until a new gen of consoles arrives I don't see Valve ditching it. And the 360 and PS3 are expected to last awhile longer, no? 2011/2012 I believe...

Have you played any Source games on the consoles? I bought Orange Box for the 360 and sold it off because it has some nasty framerate issues and doesn't even have AA, and from what I've heard the PS3 version is even worse. Also, with TF2 on the 360, hosting a 16 player game makes the host chug regardless of bandwidth, simply demanding too much from the console. I tried the L4D beta on the 360 and that was notably better, but still far from what I could rightly call perfect.

Dont blame that on the engine, blame that on lazy porting. We deal with lazy porting all the time with PC games.

 

[Sylvanas]

'Episodes' are the shittiest attempt of a sequel around, almost as bad as paid DLC. Pretty sure everyone's going to want a full blown game sequel.

 

[Krakn3Dfx]

Originally posted by: zerocool84
We don't get Episode 3 but get a crappy add-on pack sold as a full game called Left 4 Dead 2. They could have made a whole new game in this time-frame.

Except the L4D team is a completely different group of developers formerly known as Turtle Rock Studios and for all intent and purpose have nothing to do with Half Life development.

There's nothing new about Valve taking forever to get games on the market, the reason they're able to turn out a new L4D game so quickly IMO is that it's not a complicated, story driven title, it's a popcorn action title, fun as hell IMO, but not something you have to spend endless amounts of time on trying to tell a story. I'm sure if they slopped something together, they could get Half Life 3 out a lot quicker. Personally, I'm a big fan of Valve because they take their time when time is needed to make a quality, triple A product.

When Valve starts churning out a Half Life game once a year, that's when I'll start to worry.

 

[Beev]

I think the episodic content is fine, because it's for the same engine and allows them to get it out faster. We'd still be waiting for HL3 considering episode 3 still isn't out yet

Plus I think HL3 will, and should, be on a new engine.