[April 22, 1999] - Half-Life Interviews Galore
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It's been a busy couple of days for Half-Life in the press. There's a brief interview with Valve Software's Gabe Newell at The Hive which covers E3 and TFC. Marc Laidlaw (Half-Life's story author) shares a few words at Loonygames.com about life before and after writing for Half-Life. And Randy Pitchford of Gearbox has been talking up a storm about Half-Life: Opposing Force. Check out the Adrenaline Vault and GA-Source to read what he has to say about the Half-Life expansion pack and the company that's making it.
[April 19, 1999] - All New Team Fortress Classic Maps
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The community support for Team Fortress Classic has been amazing. There are already tons of user made maps available on the Internet. Check out I.AM TFC to download a collection of 18 new TFC maps.
[April 19, 1999] - Half-Life Nominated for Academy Awards
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The Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences (AIAS) has announced the finalists for its second annual Interactive Achievement Awards. The Academy, created to advance and recognize outstanding achievement in the interactive arts, will present the awards at the Variety Arts Theater the evening of May 13, during the Electronic Entertainment Expo in Los Angeles. Gordon Freeman better dust off his tux, because Half-Life is nominated in seven categories: Game of the Year, Action PC Game of the Year, Outstanding Achievement in Art/Graphics, Outstanding Achievement in Interactive Design, Outstanding Achievement in Software Engineering, and Outstanding Achievement in Character or Story Development.
[April 16, 1999] - Half-Life Expansion Pack
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Half-Life fans are rejoicing with the news that Half-Life: Opposing Force will be hitting the stores this fall. Developed by Gearbox, Half-Life: Opposing Force offers an entirely new episode of single player action and will offer an enormous variety of new multiplayer content. Gamers play a soldier this time around, instead of Gordon Freeman. Opposing Force features a host of new military, experimental and alien weapons, a fierce new alien race, and new multiplayer maps designed by industry all-stars.
[April 13, 1999] - Half-Life Featured on TV.COM
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TV.COM, a weekly television show about entertainment on the Net, has made Half-Life: Uplink their feature download for the week. Head on over the the TV.COM site and check it out.
[April 13, 1999] - Gabe Newell On TFC
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Gabe Newell, founder of Valve Software, was recently interviewed about the success of Team Fortress Classic. In the Next Generation Online interview Newell discusses the free Half-Life mod and describes how making TFC helped reinforce many of Valve's decisions regarding the forthcoming Team Fortress 2.
[April 9, 1999] - Half-Life Software Developer's Kit
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Just a reminder that the Half-Life SDK has been released. For information about the SDK you can go here. You can download the SDK from the following locations:
14 Meg SDK includes everything released to date, with code and a few updated components.
Planet Half-Life
HalfLife.Net713K SDK includes only the source code.
Planet Half-Life
HalfLife.Net
[April 8, 1999] - USA Today Gives TFC Perfect Score
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We hope everyone is enjoying Team Fortress Classic. The folks at USA Today sure were. In a recent review, the national newspaper gave TFC a perfect 4 out of 4 score saying, "Coupled with brilliant level design, sound effects and gameplay, Classic rocks." Also, if you need some help setting up and playing TFC check out the TFC Game Guide on Modcentral.
[April 7, 1999] - Team Fortress Classic Is Here
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The wait is over! Many a frenzied Half-Life fan will be downloading the free multiplayer mod Team Fortress Classic today. Don't be left out! Head over to the Team Fortress Classic site to find out where to download.
[April 6, 1999] - Half-Life Named Greatest Game of All Time
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Ultimate Games has released their list of the top 50 best games of all time. Topping their list is none other than Half-Life. Check out the entire list or skip to the end and see what they had to say about Half-Life.
[March 31, 1999] - Team Fortress Classic Countdown
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As part of the Team Fortress Classic for Half-Life launch preparations, Sierra Studios and Valve recently hosted a TFC party in San Francisco. Journalists from all over came to wine, dine, and frag the night away. After they recovered from their night of fun, many of the journalists wrote about their experience. Check out the articles on Gamecenter and Gamespot.
[March 18, 1999] - Half-Life Receives Seven Awards At GDC
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Half-Life blew away the competition at the 1999 GDC Spotlight Awards, receiving top honors in all but one of the categories it was nominated in. In total, Half-Life received seven awards including Best PC Game, Best Action Game, Best Use of Graphics, Best Use of Audio, Best AI, Best of Show, and the People's Choice Award.
[March 18, 1999] - Team Fortress Classic Site Launched
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The release of Team Fortress Classic is just around the corner. To get the latest scoop on this free mod for Half-Life check out the all-new Team Fortress Classic Website. The new site is home to all the latest TFC news, updates, and screenshots.
[March 16, 1999] - TF2 Models You Won't Believe
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Valve has announced that Team Fortress 2 will use Intel's Multiresolution Mesh Technology (MRM). The MRM technology will allow Valve to create a "scaleable" game with highly detailed, realistic looking models that automatically adjust performance to the gamer's PC. Check out the official release to learn more about this exciting technology and what it will bring to Team Fortress 2.
[March 16, 1999] - Talkspot Interview Archive
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Talkspot has posted the archived Valve interview from March 13th. They are also running the archive in their programming between 2pm- 4pm (PST) during this week (on Channel Z). Don't forget that there's another interview this coming Saturday. See the story below for details.
[March 12, 1999] - Chat With Valve on Talkspot
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Here's your chance to probe the minds of Valve. Several members of the team that created the Game of the Year will be featured on Talkspot's Bootdisk show on Saturday, March 13th and 20th from 2 - 4 P.M. (PST) Artists and designers will be online to answer questions and reveal the secrets of Half-Life. The group will also reveal the latest info on the forthcoming release of Team Fortress Classic for Half-Life and Valve's next full product, Team Fortress 2!
[March 11, 1999] - Game Fan Raves About Half-Life
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Game Fan has recently posted an excellent review of Half-Life on their Website. Check out the review and see why they call Half-Life the "best game ever made."
[March 8, 1999] - Team Fortress Classic Previewed
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The much-anticipated release of Team Fortress Classic for Half-Life is just around the corner. Recently the folks from Valve paid some magazines a visit with TFC in hand. Read what the mags had to say about the free mod for Half-Life at IGN PC, CNET Gamecenter, and Gamespot.
[March 4, 1999] - Gabe Newell Interview at Gamespot UK
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A new interview with Gabe Newell of Valve has been posted at Gamespot UK. Gabe answers questions about making Half-Life, the game's success, and the future for Valve (including TF2). Check it out.
[February 26, 1999] - Half-Life Receives Over 30 "Game of the Year" Nods
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At last count, Half-Life had been named "Game of the Year" by more than 30 online and print publications. Among these publications are Computer Gaming World and CNET Gamcenter, two of the most respected publications in the industry. In honor of all the awards, the Half-Life team has launched a new "Game of the Year" website.
[February 12, 1999] - Half-Life: Uplink Demo
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The official demo for the "Game of the Year" has arrived. Half-Life: Uplink is a never before seen single player mini-mission that allows players to get a healthy sampling of this incredible 3D action thriller. Requires DirectX 6, P133MHz, and 24MB RAM.
Download it now! at Avault.com, Sierra.com, Warzone.com, Won.net, Gamespot.com, or Gamecenter.com.
[February 1, 1999] - CNET Gamecenter Honors Half-Life
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CNET Gamecenter, one of the Internet's most respected online publications, recently posted their "Best of 1998" awards. Half-Life beat out all other PC games on the way to receiving the Game of the Year award. Half-Life also racked up top honors in the category of Best Action Game.
[January 27, 1999] - Gabe Newell on Half-Life
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An interesting interview with Gabe Newell, Managing Director of Valve, has been posted on Decay. Also, if you're still looking for help getting through a level of Half-Life, check out the massive players guide on GX gamers.com.
[January 18, 1999] - Half-Life Receives Two More Awards
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Half-Life has been named Game of the Year by both GamePower and Gamezilla. Also, check out the new interview with Gabe Newell, the Managing Director of Valve, over at Gamestream.net. If needed, there is a text-only version of the interview.
[January 15, 1999] - Valve and Sierra Studios Announce Immediate Availability of Half-Life™ Update
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Sierra Studios and Valve have also announced the immediate availability of a new update for Half-Life. The update (1.0.0.8) addresses such issues as optimizations of network bandwidth, a new team play option, as well as new player models and maps. Also announced were the late January release of the Half-Life Software Development Kit (SDK) and the future release of a Linux version of the Half-Life dedicated server. For more info on the update, check out the Q&A on BluesNews
[January 15, 1999] - Team Fortress Classic to be released for Half-Life™ at the end of January 1999
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In a recent press release Sierra Studios and Valve announced the development fo Team Fortress Classic for Half-Life. Team Fortress Classic is a port of the original Team Fortress, an extremely popular multiplayer mod that features unparalled team play. Valve's Robin Walker said, "Team Fortress Classic players can now enjoy Half-Life's superior graphics and audio, ease of use, and advanced animation technology while we focus on making Team Fortress 2 the best multiplayer game possible." Team Fortress Classic will be available as a free download in the coming weeks.
[January 13, 1999] - Chicago Tribune Covers Half-Life
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In a recent review, The Chicago Tribune gave Half-Life a near perfect score and said Half-Life "shocks and surprises unlike any other action game." Half-Life has also been named Game of the Year and Action Game of the Year by GameOver.net. Finally, Half-Life has received a 99% rating from our friends at 99% Complete Software Magazine, an online magazine written by students from the Marcus Whitman Central School District.
[January 11, 1999] - Half-Life: More Game of the Year Honors
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The popular web site, Download.net, has named Half-Life Game of the Year. Also check out the great review of Half-Life on SCIFI.COM.
[January 7, 1999] - Half-Life Receives Top Honors
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Half-Life has received Game of the Year honors from Gamers Depot. And, for the third consecutive week Half-Life has been voted #1 PC game by consumers on Worldcharts, the most popular entertainment charts on the Internet.
[January 6, 1999] - Hamming It Up With Half-Life
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Half-Life has made a cameo appearance in the popular Internet comic strip User Friendly. Also, check out the great Half-Life review at DeathMatch UK.
[January 5, 1999] - Vote for Half-Life as Action Game of the Year
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Intelligamer has named Half-Life a contender for Action Game of the Year. Go to the Intelligamer site to cast your vote for Half-Life. While you're out surfing in cyberspace, read about another victory for Half-Life. Half-Life has faced off with yet another challenger on ALLVIEWS.NET and has emerged victorious.
[December 29, 1998] - Half-Life Stomps the Competition
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CNET Gamecenter has posted a shootout between Half-Life and one of those other action titles out there. Read the article and see why Half-Life blows away the competition.
[December 21, 1998] - Half-Life Tops Holiday Gift List
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Half-Life is the number one action game for the holiday season according to GameSpot. Check out the article to see why Half-Life should be on the top of everyone's holiday shopping list. If you get stuck playing your new copy of Half-Life consult the Half-Life strategy guides on GameSpot and CNET GameCenter.
[December 11, 1998] - Help Playing and Making Half-Life
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Whether you need to know a secret within the game or a secret on how to design your own Half-Life mod (or your own game), help is on the Web. The folks over at Gamespot have posted an extensive Half-Life strategy guide. Meanwhile, Valve's Harry Teasley recently wrote an article for Loonygames.com. Read what Teasley has to say about designing a games interface.
[December 8, 1998] - Half-Life is King of the Hill
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Half-Life has been named "King of the Hill" in both the "Game of the Year" and "3D Action Game of the Year" categories by Antagonist Games Network, the #1 gaming community on America Online! Check out their awards page and their review of Half-Life.
[December 8, 1998] - The Final Days of Half-Life
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The folks over at Gamespot were at Valve for the last few days leading up to the completion of Half-Life. Check out this fascinating story to learn about the people behind Half-Life and the making of the game.
[December 8, 1998] - Half-Life Maps and Too Much Coffee
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The number of quality multi-player maps being created for Half-Life is nothing short of amazing. Check out the Radioactive Map Archive to find a healthy collection of new Half-Life maps. And, what better way to explore all the new Half-Life multi-player maps than as the comic strip character Too Much Coffee Man. Download Valve's hilarious homage at HalfLife.org.
[December 2, 1998] - Just In time for the Holidays, Free Half-Life downloads
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The much anticipated security guard mod is now available. Be the first of your friends to crack skulls as the helmet wearing, crowbar wielding security guard from Half-Life. You can download him, a new map titled Frenzy, the latest update, and the mini SDK (Software Development Kit) at WON.NET.
[December 2, 1998] - You want answers?
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Have technical questions about Half-Life? The amount of community support is amazing. Those looking for info on server related items, check out Docta' Schwa's server FAQ on Contaminated.net . For general questions about installing or running Half-Life, check out the troubleshooting section of Halflife.org, the I.AM Half-Life FAQ and Slugo's Mod Central.
[November 25, 1998] - Half-Life: Even More Incredible Reviews
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In the past few days even more stellar Half-Life reviews have been posted. Check out the reviews on Gamespot, and Computer Games Online.
[November 20, 1998] - Half-Life: The Critics Agree
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Half-Life is in stores now and the first reviews are glowing. See what the folks at Gamecenter, Gamelinks, Gamerush.com, Reviewboard Magazine, and Next-Generation have to say about what many are calling the "Game of the Year."
[ November 16, 1998 ] - Half-Life Primary Server Program Launched
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Valve and Sierra Studios have unveiled an unprecendented server program for those who would like to set up dedicated Half-Life game servers before the product hits stores around the globe.
[ November 10, 1998 ] - Can You Taste It?
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Half-Life has gone gold! It was 5 inches in diameter and a whopping 3 ounces. We couldn't be prouder. But seriously, replication of the CDs has begun and Half-Life will be screaming into stores before you know it.
[ November 10, 1998 ] - Half-Life: "Multiplayer mode is fast and intense" - IGN PC
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Last week we hosted a little multiplayer party for the press in San Francisco. Judging by the stories on Gamecenter, Gamespot, and IGN PC, it seems they had a good time.
[ November 9, 1998 ] - Firingsquad.com Previews Half-Life
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Wow! After previewing Half-Life, Firingsquad.com offers some advice: " ...do yourself a favor - During Thanksgiving, forget about the turkey and the family dinner, go out and buy Half-Life now or you'll find yourself with empty hands come Christmas!" Read all about it!
[ November 3, 1998 ] - Half-Life Preview at Gamecenter.com
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Gamecenter's George Jones admits that Half-Life's "terrifyingly real and atmospheric game world" scared the bejezus out of him. Take a look at this lengthy and detailed preview
[ November 2, 1998 ] - GameSpot TV's Interview with Gabe Newell
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Valve Software's Gabe Newell discusses the details of Half-Life and tells GameSpot TV why it will be the most technologically advanced game on the market once it ships. Read all about it!
[ October 28, 1998 ] - MSNBC's Game Plan Gives Half-Life Five Stars
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Steven Kent of MSNBC's Game Plan gives Half-Life five out of a possible five stars and indicates that the game "brings intelligence to the first-person-perspective shooting genre."
[ October 16, 1998 ] - Gameslice Daily Editorial Praises Half-Life: Day One.
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Gameslice's Editor-in-Chief sums it all up by saying: "Half-Life raises the bar, and our expectations for the future. It crystallizes the definition of a solid 3D game experience: one that challenges your mind, tests your reflexes, and appeals to your emotions." Read all about it!
[ September 25, 1998 ] - CDMAG.COM (Strategy Plus' Web site)
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"If the rest of the game's levels are able to continue the OEM version's compelling mix of exploration, discovery, and action, shooter fans who want something a bit meatier than more rocket arena-style gaming should be in heaven." Read all about it!
[ September 25, 1998 ] - GAMESPOT.COM
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I don't give accolades easily, and I have no qualms saying this game is looking incredible. It blew me away as few games have done in my three years covering games...(This is) a potential masterpiece of drama and immersion. There is so much about this game that's impressive." Read all about it!
[ September 25, 1998 ] - OGR.COM
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Imagine, if you will, the wide variety of first-person shooters on the market standing in a firing line, eyes blindfolded, hands tied behind their back. The firing squad consists of a solitary figure, a one Mr. Half-Life, and he proceeds to mow down his victims with unrelenting accuracy." Read all about it!
[ September 3, 1998 ] - Half-Life Overseas
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GameSpot's Elliott Chin spoke briefly with Gabe Newell, managing director of Valve Software, before he took off to London for E.C.T.S. (European Computer Trade Show). In the story, Newell discusses the importance and differences of the European market. Read all about it.
[ July 27, 1998 ] - Half-Life Featured on 3DGaming.Net
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From the look of this article, the folks at 3dgaming.net are just as excited about Half-Life as we are. This preview features online chat, screen shots, and an interview with Valve's own Yahn Bernier. Read all about it.
[ July 23, 1998 ] - Team Fortress Q&A; Half-Life Artists Contest
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HalfLife.org recently posted an interview with Team Fortress' Robin Walker in which he discusses the details of the much anticipated multiplayer title, Team Fortress 2. Also featured on the site is news of a recently unveiled contest for artists entitled Artists Beware which challenges artists to design provocative original Half-Life artwork. Members of Valve's development team will select the winners. To catch the interview or find out about the contest, head on over to HalfLife.org.
[ July 8, 1998 ] - UGO's Best of E3 Show Awards Announced
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The winners of the UGO's Best of E3 Show Awards given through E3.net, were announced this week, and Sierra Studios grabbed four of the most highly-desired awards. Homeworld, the newest title in our line up, received Most Promising New Game and Best Real-Time Strategy. Meanwhile, Half-Life received Best Action Game and the most sought after PC accolade, Best PC Game.
[ June 4, 1998 ] - Half-Life: Not One, But Two Awards
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Apparently Half-Life left a lasting impression with the 3D shooter crowd at E3 in Atlanta, as it has already won two awards from the Adrenaline Vault--the coveted "Best Game of Show" and "Best Action Game." In bestowing the honor, the A-Vault editors wrote, "Trust us on this one -- when Half-Life hits shelves, store clerks will have to call in cops in riot gear to just keep the gaming hordes at bay. With its stellar 3Dfx graphics, unbelievable AI, and hyper-realistic scripting, Half-Life is by far the best game we saw on display at E3." Read all about it.
[ May 28, 1998 ] - Sierra Studios to Publish Team Fortress 2 as Half-Life Expansion Pack
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E3, Atlanta, GA. - Valve L.L.C., developer of the eagerly anticipated Half-Life, announced today the acquisition of TF Software Pty. Ltd., Australian developer of Team Fortress, one of the most popular multiplayer games on the Internet.
Team Fortress (TF) is a first person action game with strong team oriented play and strategic elements. Each member of a team takes on a specific class, such as scout, sniper, or engineer, in competition with other teams. The player's class determines his or her appearance, tools or weapons, and skills. Close coordination with other team members is the key to success in the game; it is also the source of the game's long-standing popularity. The original Team Fortress, developed as an extension to id Software's Quake, was released in August 1996. Today, approximately 40% of current Quake servers are dedicated to Team Fortress.
"When we began development of Team Fortress 2 our goal was to build the best team-based action game yet," said Team Fortress's Managing Director, Ian Caughley. "Most multiplayer action games are just collections of individuals killing each other, but with TF 2, the emphasis is as much on team play and strategy as it is on shooting."
"We looked at all of the different game platforms we could host TF 2 on," added Robin Walker, lead designer of TF 2. "Half-Life's advanced technology, as well as its flexibility for extensions, with features like client-side DLL support and add-on controllable HUD's (Heads Up Display), meant we could do things with Team Fortress 2 that wouldn't be possible on any other system."
"This is the best thing that could have happened for Team Fortress and the fans of the game who have been waiting for TF 2," said John Cook, lead developer of Team Fortress. "The resources we now have at our disposal ensure the game will have functionality and breadth of support that it wouldn't have had if we had continued on our own."
Sierra Studios and Valve also announced that Team Fortress 2 will be shipping as a Half-Life expansion pack later this year. "Half-Life is clearly perceived in both the user and press communities as the best single-player action game for 1998. Team Fortress is one of the most popular games being played on the Internet. Building TF 2 on top of Half-Life's will result in a multiplayer experience of much greater depth and broader appeal than anything currently available," said Scott Lynch, Senior Vice President of Sierra Studios.
Details on the TF 2 expansion pack will be forthcoming.
Half-Life, on PC CD-ROM, is scheduled to ship in Summer 1998 and will be available at most software retailers, as well as through Sierra Direct at (800) 757-7707.
Founded in 1996, Valve develops games software. Based in Kirkland, Washington, the company consists of more than 20 leading artists, game designers and programmers. More information about Valve is available through the company's web site at www.valvesoftware.com.
Sierra Studios, a member of the Sierra family and a brand division of parent company Cendant Software, is dedicated to bringing to market computer game entertainment software that reflects a commitment to established game brands, quality gameplay and represents a move to bring new and innovative experiences to gamers. Encompassing the creation, progress and advancement of the computer gaming industry, Sierra Studios embodies the new era of entertainment software excellence. Sierra is part of Cendant Software, one of the largest PC consumer software groups in the world, and a leader in entertainment and educational software. Cendant Software consolidates the sales, manufacturing, finance, accounting and management of Cendant Corporation's software divisions, including Sierra, Knowledge Adventure, Davidson & Associates, Inc. and Blizzard Entertainment. Cendant Corporation is the result of the December 1997 merger between CUC International and HFS Incorporated, creating a business and consumer services company focused on real estate, travel and membership.
[ May 27, 1998 ] - Valve and Sierra Studios Debut Half-Life's Multiplayer Features at 1998 Electronic Entertainment Expo
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Revolutionary multiplayer functionality for the mainstream gamer
E3, Atlanta, GA. - Valve L.L.C. and Sierra Studios today unveiled a collection of innovative multiplayer features for Half-Life, the highly anticipated 3D first-person action game and debut release from Valve. The new features, intended to broaden the appeal of multiplayer action gaming to a wider gaming audience, are being showcased for the first time at the 1998 Electronic Entertainment Expo, held in Atlanta, GA May 27 through May 30.
"With the multiplayer functionality in Half-Life, we are going to make action gaming on the Internet a lot more fun and a lot less frustrating to the mainstream gamer," said Scott Lynch, Senior Vice President of Sierra Studios.
The multiplayer features of Half-Life that will be shown are:
One Button Play
Gamers will be able to be up and running in a multiplayer game with the press of a single button. There will be no configuration hassles, no IP addresses, and no need for additional utilities or patches. The Half-Life launcher will automatically connect to the Internet, locate the master server, select an appropriate low-ping game, download any resources necessary to play, and launch the game.Find Your Friends
With Half-Life's integrated communications and searching facilities, gamers will be able to find their friends no matter where they are on the Internet, get together, talk to each other, and then jump into a game together. It's also easy to set up a private game that only you and your friends can play.Be Yourself
Anonymity is a thing of the past with Half-Life. As part of customizing the appearance of their onscreen character, players can scan a picture of themselves onto their computer and have that appear as their character's face in the game (and on their opponents screen). Members of clans can spray paint their clan logo or other bitmap on the opposing teams territory to let them know who's really in charge. A master server keeps track of your accomplishments and standings versus all of the other Half-Life players.Lag-friendly game design
For many players new to the Internet the amount of time it takes for information to travel back and forth across the Internet, known as lag, can make the fast pace of action gaming very frustrating. By the time the server has registered a fire command, the target has already moved. Half-Life addresses this by designing for lag. One example of this that will be shown at E3 is one of the weapons, the Snark, a fire-and-forget organic grenade that is completely independent of the player's ping time.Cooperative and Competitive scenarios
Many mainstream gamers are interested in both the competitive and cooperative aspects of the multiplayer experience. Half-Life will contain both head-to-head and cooperative scenarios.Auto Download and Configuration
Even experienced gamers can be frustrated by the complexities of downloading new maps, placing add-ons into the right directories, and knowing which of these should be used with which servers. Half-Life makes all of these operations automatic and completely transparent to the player. If a player connects to a server, and the server administrator is running a Half-Life game that requires new sounds, new models, new maps, or additional DLL's, all of these will be automatically downloaded and configured for the user.24 by 7 Server Support
Players will no longer have to worry if their favorite Half-Life game or map is available. With free support from WON.Net, they will be guaranteed that all of the popular levels will be available at all time, with nothing more than a WON.Net registration. A master server will also keep track of all available servers running on the Internet, which games they are running, all standings and scores, and what servers offer players the lowest ping times,Additional Features
In addition to the above, Half-Life features 32-player Internet and LAN multiplayer support. Servers are available via WON.net, Gamespy or user hosted servers. Half-Life's skeletal animation system lets players see which weapons opponents are using. Half-Life's dynamic environments add to the realism and chaotic fun: burn marks, bullet holes and blood marks appear on surfaces. Multiplayer levels include player-controlled trains and conveyer belts, which offer creative means of offense and defense.Voted "Best Game at ECTS" by All Games Network and winner of "Best Action Game" and "Best Take on First-Person Action" in Gamepen's "Best of 1997 E3 Awards", Half-Life combines the most advanced, proprietary technology with genre-breaking gameplay elements to create the next revolution in computer gaming.
Half-Life, on PC CD-ROM, is scheduled to ship in Summer 1998 and will be available at most software retailers, as well as through Sierra Direct at (800) 757-7707.
Founded in 1996, Valve develops games software. Based in Kirkland, Washington, the company consists of more than 20 leading artists, game designers and programmers. More information about Valve is available through the company's web site at www.valvesoftware.com.
Sierra Studios, a member of the Sierra family and a brand division of parent company Cendant Software, is dedicated to bringing to market computer game entertainment software that reflects a commitment to established game brands, quality gameplay and represents a move to bring new and innovative experiences to gamers. Encompassing the creation, progress and advancement of the computer gaming industry, Sierra Studios embodies the new era of entertainment software excellence. Sierra is part of Cendant Software, one of the largest PC consumer software groups in the world, and a leader in entertainment and educational software. Cendant Software consolidates the sales, manufacturing, finance, accounting and management of Cendant Corporation's software divisions, including Sierra, Knowledge Adventure, Davidson & Associates, Inc. and Blizzard Entertainment. Cendant Corporation is the result of the December 1997 merger between CUC International and HFS Incorporated, creating a business and consumer services company focused on real estate, travel and membership.
[ Dec 18, 1997 ] - Valve Announces Worldcraft Support For QUAKE 2
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Popular Level Editor Supports id Software's Latest Game Release
KIRKLAND, WA December 18, 1997-- Game developer Valve today announced version 1.6 of the popular level editor, Worldcraft. The new release adds functionality that allows add-on developers to create levels for id Software's recently released Quake 2, as well as Activision's Hexen 2.
"Demand for Quake 2 support has been very strong," said Gabe Newell, Managing Director of Valve. "Within a few days of Quake 2 shipping, I had personally received several hundred e-mail messages from add-on level developers who were interested in purchasing a version of Worldcraft that supported Quake 2."
Worldcraft 1.6 support for Quake 2 and Hexen 2 includes:
FGD files Worldcraft 1.6 contains FGD files for Hexen 2 and Quake 2. Worldcraft uses FGD files to expose game entities, such as monsters, paths, and objects, to level developers.
Exporters Worldcraft 1.6 has the necessary export support to create map files appropriate to each of the games.
Quake 2 specific features Worldcraft 1.6 also provides support for new features unique to Quake 2, such as its transparency modes, radiosity settings, and the ability to export textures to a separate WAL file.
The 1.6 upgrade is free to registered users. New users will be charged $35.00. The upgrade will be available at the Worldcraft website, before December 31st. A patch for version 1.5 that allows limited editing of Quake 2 levels is available immediately.
Worldcraft is specifically designed to make first-person game level editing faster and easier for experienced level designers as well as for those just getting started. The original Worldcraft, developed for Quake players who wanted to create customized levels of that best-selling action game, was released independently by creator Ben Morris in September of 1996. In May of 1997, the tool was purchased by Valve for use in its premiere game, the first-person action game Half-Life.
The next major release of Worldcraft will be the 2.0 release included with Half-Life. In addition to the functionality of release 1.6, Worldcraft 2.0 will include vertex merging and scaling, which lets users merge faces on an object or scale an object around a specific vertex; the path corners tool, which makes it easy to specify a complex path for an entity within the game; and entity reports, which help users see the relationships between groups of entities (like buttons, switches and doors). Worldcraft 2.0 will also let users take advantage of features native to the Half-Life engine, including DSP sound effects, 24-bit color palettes and libraries of prefabricated objects.
Half-Life, published by Sierra On-Line, is due to ship in the first quarter of 1998.
Founded in 1996, Valve develops games software. Based in Kirkland, Washington, the company consists of more than 25 leading artists, game designers and programmers. More information about Valve is available through the company's web site at www.valvesoftware.com.
Quake and Quake 2 are registered trademarks of id Software, Inc. Hexen 2 is a registered trademark of Activision, Inc. All rights reserved.
Yahn Bernier, Creator of BSP Joins Valve
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I'm happy to formally announce that I am now a Valve employee. I've been here since January when I relocated from Atlanta and left my job as a patent attorney by day and BSP developer by night. Valve originally hired me to work on development tools and on Half-Life's mulitplayer code, and that's taking up the bulk of my time. Now that Ben Morris has decided to return to Canada, I'll probably also do a little work finishing up Worldcraft 2.0.
Needless to say, these new commitments are going to make further development of BSP (by me, anyway) very difficult. I am looking at the possibility of releasing it to another developer to work on. However, the priority here--obviously--is to make Worldcraft the best and most popular 3D editor available and I'll do whatever I can to help make that happen, including adding some popular BSP features to Worldcraft.
Games development has been a long-time passion of mine and it's great to have this opportunity to do it full-time. I consider BSP to be something of a stepping-stone for me and I'm very happy to be moving on to other interesting projects. Valve is a very cool place to work and my fiancee, Beth (who is also an attorney) and I are excited about living in the Seattle area.
Official Half-Life™ Release Date
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Scheduled release date is Summer 1998. A downloadable playable demo will be available approximately 30-45 days prior to game release.
Half-Life™ Preliminary Findings CD
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We recently released the "Half-Life™ Preliminary Findings CD," a limited-edition, non-playable multimedia preview CD containing gameplay movies, interviews with development team members at Valve, screen shots and tons of game info. The CD was (and, in certain stores, still is) available at participating Electronics Boutiques and Best Buy locations. If you were unable to secure a copy of the CD, much of the content is available for download on Half-Life™ fan sites (see web ring below).
Gabe Newell, Re: Half-Life™ Ship Delay
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Sierra is sending out the release below letting people know that Half-Life™ won't be shipping until the first quarter of next year. This is a total bummer for us here at Valve, for everyone at Sierra, and, I'm certain, for all of you who have been doing such a great job supporting us.
The problem is pretty simple, Half-Life™ is a very intricate and detailed game, and it's taking us longer to get it done than we thought. We considered simplifying parts of the game or dropping some features to try and cut back on the amount of work, but in the end we decided it was best to keep building the product we all believe in and take our lumps on the schedule.
It still sucks, though.
Anyhow, I wanted to make sure you all heard about this directly from us rather than from some other source. We greatly appreciate everything you have done to support Half-Life™, and we think the game is going to more than live up to your expectations.
Gabe Newell
Managing Director, Valve
THE TOP TEN REASONS WHY HALF-LIFE™ IS DELAYED:
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(brought to you by the Half-Life™ development team)
10. We resisted Ultima Online but got sucked into Oprah's book club
9. Wasted 300 development hours catapulting sheep
8. Gabe and Mike learned scheduling at Microsoft
7. We're having problems making it year 2000 compatible
6. El Nino
5. Redoing the models so they all have ponytails
4. Wedge put his eye out with his new pellet machine gun
(see www.valvesoftware.com/hocopus)
3. Spending too much time on our .plan files
2. Everything is finished; just waiting on the "Bill Gates Mansion" level
AND THE NUMBER ONE REASON THAT HALF-LIFE™ IS DELAYED........
1. Forgot to add mandatory Satanic references
Heading to Comdex?
Half-Life to be Featured on 3Dfx's Voodoo 2 Chipset
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If you're heading to Fall Comdex (November 17-21 in Las Vegas, Nevada), make a beeline directly over to the 3DFX booth (#LS103) and check out a sight to behold....Half-Life running at the fastest frame-rate ever achieved in 3D graphics acceleration.
Half-Life will be demoed at the 3DFX booth on their new standard in 3D acceleration, Voodoo 2 Graphics. Valve (developers of Half-Life) has been working with the Voodoo 2 prototype board and Gabe Newell, Managing Director, passed along the following comments:
Valve has been working with 3DFX on support for the Voodoo 2 chipset in Half-Life. Using preliminary drivers, we've been seeing as much as a 100% framerate improvement for Half-Life over existing Voodoo 1 performance, and this is still without taking advantage of the Voodoo 2 triangle setup capability. Worst case, we saw about a 20% framerate boost, with an average of around 30-60%. These performance gains are in comparison to 3DFX's existing chipset, not to software execution.
In addition to the overall speed advantages, which are far and away the best we've seen for any 3D accelerator, the extra texture memory for Voodoo 2 means that the performance is much smoother over a wider range of scenes, since we are less likely to blow the texture space on the card and end up being bottle-necked on bus transfers.
Preliminary Findings
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We recently released the "Half-Life Preliminary Findings CD," a limited-edition, non-playable multimedia preview CD containing gameplay movies, interviews with development team members at Valve, screen shots and tons of game info. The CD was (and, in certain stores, still is) available at participating Electronics Boutiques and Best Buy locations. If you were unable to secure a copy of the CD, much of the content is available for download on Half-Life fan sites (see web ring below).
:Press Releases
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HALF-LIFE: First and foremost, Half-Life's release date (originally slated for mid-November) is slipping. Though I can't offer a new ship date until late next week, it will most likely slide into a 1Q98 ship. Also note that a playable demo (on CD and downloadable) will be available approx. 30 days prior to the release of the final product.
We are all extremely excited about Half-Life and are confident that this small delay will be worth the wait for action game fans! I'll get back to you within the next 10 days with the revised ship date.
OGR hosts Half-Life's "Monster of the Week"
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Visit Online Gaming Review's special Monster of the Week feature to learn the habits and characteristics of many of Half-Life's creatures. You'll want to acquaint yourself ahead of time with some of the smartest lifeforms you've ever seen in an action game!
Valve hires Yatzse Mark
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Yatzse Mark, who has been working as a contractor for Valve for several months, recently became a permanent staff member. Yatzse is an accomplished texture artist and painter who has worked on traditional cel animation before joining Valve. She is currently creating a variety of 24-bit textures for the alien world that will be seen within Half-Life.
Valve hires Doug Wood
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Animator Doug Wood joins Valve from Apogee/3DRealms where he worked on projects such as Duke Nukem3d, Shadow Warrior, Prey and the Plutonium/Atomic Edition for Duke. Before 3DRealms, he worked for Origin down in Austin. Doug is responsible for many of Half-Life's scripted sequences, including tentacles that pull unsuspecting scientists through the ceiling, and headcrabs that turn humans into zombies.
Half-Life in the Press
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Half-Life has been getting some great press lately, both online and in print. A few of the most recent online stories include: Gamecenter - The Magnificent Seven - Half-Life ("Half-Life's baddies could give single-player action the shot in the arm it desperately needs") and GameSpot Half-Life story ("But best of all might be the strong AI that allows monsters to communicate amongst themselves and sometimes to even work as a pack.") For a complete list of Half-Life previews, check the links below.
Valve Hires Jay Stelly
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Developer Jay Stelly recently joined Valve from Tetragon, where he was lead engineer and 3D engine developer on Virgin's Nanotek Warrior. Previously, Jay worked on titles for the Sony Playstation and for 3DO. Currently, he is working on some very cool effects for Half-Life, including some unique fog and water behaviors.