Whatever happened to Half Life 2 Episode 3?

Valve tried the episodic model but decided against continuing it. Lately they have been going for an add-on and DLC model with content for games like Portal 2, TF2, L4D2. 

They flat out said in an interview they have discontinued the episodic model, when they make a new Half Life, it will have to be a full title. They have put themselves in quite a position with the series in terms of releases and plot wise. With them connecting it to Portal, they need to know where they are going with it. 

Valve tried the episodic model but decided against continuing it. Lately they have been going for an add-on and DLC model with content for games like Portal 2, TF2, L4D2.

They flat out said in an interview they have discontinued the episodic model, when they make a new Half Life, it will have to be a full title. They have put themselves in quite a position with the series in terms of releases and plot wise. With them connecting it to Portal, they need to know where they are going with it.

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I think the consensus opinion is they've rolled it into HL3, and that they're probably going to use it to launch whatever their next engine is (although that's somewhat less likely after seeing what they were able to do with Source in Portal 2). I assume it's going to be their main focus now that Portal 2 is out and TF2 has gone FTP, but Valve obviously works on a very different wavelength than the rest of the industry, so who knows? 

It's the new Duke Nukem Forever.Wasdie

Valve tried the episodic model but decided against continuing it. Lately they have been going for an add-on and DLC model with content for games like Portal 2, TF2, L4D2. 

They flat out said in an interview they have discontinued the episodic model, when they make a new Half Life, it will have to be a full title. They have put themselves in quite a position with the series in terms of releases and plot wise. With them connecting it to Portal, they need to know where they are going with it.110million

Pretty much this. Episode 3 was announced right before the release of Episode 1, they apparently had a small group working on it until they dedicated all of their Half Life team to finishing Episode 2. Since the release of Episode 2, they released three concept art pictures. In a 2008 interview, Lombardi said that the game was "ambitious." And also hinted at unveiling the game possibly by the end of that year. That, of course, didn't happen.

In recent years, Lombardi had been saying vague phrases when asked about Episode 3, like "Gordon's not finished," "Hang in there," or even referencing the game as "Gordon's next adventure."

My guess is that the project got too big, and that they decided to go for a completely new game. 

Half Life is done.  No more Half Life games will ever come out.  They're too busy paying their employees to populate the swimming pools full of money Steam is bringing in.  If fact, I'm surprised they had the time to work on Portal 2.

 

Valve tried the episodic model but decided against continuing it. Lately they have been going for an add-on and DLC model with content for games like Portal 2, TF2, L4D2. 

They flat out said in an interview they have discontinued the episodic model, when they make a new Half Life, it will have to be a full title. They have put themselves in quite a position with the series in terms of releases and plot wise. With them connecting it to Portal, they need to know where they are going with it. 

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they don't even deserve to be called episodic :P

I'm also thinking that maybe Episode 3/Half Life 3 will depend on other releases. Maybe they plan to do a Blue or Black Box with the whole trilogy, Black Mesa Mod, DOTA 2 and who knows what else. 

A man can dream though, a man can dream.  

Bets on what they're making after DOTA2?PatchMaster

I would hope they are at least making both at the same time 

half life 3 would be a big project. in a way it is like Duke Nukem Forever in that they need to live up to the legacy of Half life 2.

also they are making a lot of bank with hats. the free to play market is hot now and they'll be doing that with dota 2 as well.

The source engine has lived up surprisingly well but I really could see them trying to make a new one and use HL3 as the showcase. I remember Gabe was saying that they don't have as many other developers using Source as they would have hoped, I could see them trying to build a new one that would become more popular among other developers as well. 

Bets on what they're making after DOTA2?PatchMaster

Counter-Strike 2 :o 

[QUOTE="PatchMaster"]Bets on what they're making after DOTA2?SilverChimera

Counter-Strike 2 :o 

Then they are done forever, as no valve franchise goes past 2.  

The source engine has lived up surprisingly well but I really could see them trying to make a new one and use HL3 as the showcase. I remember Gabe was saying that they don't have as many other developers using Source as they would have hoped, I could see them trying to build a new one that would become more popular among other developers as well. 

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2012/2013-ish release of HL3 with a new, next-gen friendly engine would definitely make all kinds of sense.

2012/2013-ish release of HL3 with a new, next-gen friendly engine would definitely make all kinds of sense.

PBSnipes

And that's why Valve won't do it.  They're not in the business of making sense.

The real question is when does Black Mesa come out?jetpower3

It's pretty much vaporware status at this point.

[QUOTE="jetpower3"]The real question is when does Black Mesa come out?PatchMaster

It's pretty much vaporware status at this point.

No, its a major project that takes a lot of work, it is basically remade from the ground up, by people who do it in their spare time. 

They give occassional updates, but this is done on top of life, so it takes time.  

No, its a major project that takes a lot of work, it is basically remade from the ground up, by people who do it in their spare time. 

They give occassional updates, but this is done on top of life, so it takes time.  

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What updates? Even the official site/forum appears to have had very little activity over the last year.

[QUOTE="PatchMaster"]

[QUOTE="jetpower3"]The real question is when does Black Mesa come out?110million

It's pretty much vaporware status at this point.

No, its a major project that takes a lot of work, it is basically remade from the ground up, by people who do it in their spare time. 

They give occassional updates, but this is done on top of life, so it takes time.  

And I guess we're getting it for free, so that's always a plus. That is if it does come out any time soon. 

[QUOTE="110million"]

No, its a major project that takes a lot of work, it is basically remade from the ground up, by people who do it in their spare time. 

They give occassional updates, but this is done on top of life, so it takes time.  

PatchMaster

What updates? Even the official site/forum appears to have had very little activity over the last year.

http://forums.blackmesasource.com/showthread.php?t=10160

Posted a podcast they had discussing the mod and other things just yestarday. 

[QUOTE="PatchMaster"][QUOTE="110million"]

No, its a major project that takes a lot of work, it is basically remade from the ground up, by people who do it in their spare time. 

They give occassional updates, but this is done on top of life, so it takes time.  

110million

What updates? Even the official site/forum appears to have had very little activity over the last year.

http://forums.blackmesasource.com/showthread.php?t=10160

Posted a podcast they had discussing the mod and other things just yestarday. 

They are just teasing us.

They should just focus on HL3, or something. Whatever it is they do up there.musicalmac

well if they follow the numbering as they have Half Life 3 would be a completely different story, and this one isn't finished yet.

[QUOTE="musicalmac"]They should just focus on HL3, or something. Whatever it is they do up there.-The-G-Man-

well if they follow the numbering as they have Half Life 3 would be a completely different story, and this one isn't finished yet.

I agree with this. Ufortunately, I don't see new engine + new setting approach working with Valve's current strategy of updating the source engine and updating experinces around feedback.

[QUOTE="-The-G-Man-"]

[QUOTE="musicalmac"]They should just focus on HL3, or something. Whatever it is they do up there.organic_machine

well if they follow the numbering as they have Half Life 3 would be a completely different story, and this one isn't finished yet.

I agree with this. Ufortunately, I don't see new engine + new setting approach working with Valve's current strategy of updating the source engine and updating experinces around feedback.