HALF-LIFE NAMED BEST PC GAME OF ALL TIME
Story-Driven Thriller from Valve and Sierra Studios Tops PC Gamer's All-Time List
Bellevue, WA (October 13, 1999) - Half-Life, the blockbuster debut game developed
by Valve Software and published by Sierra Studios, was named "Best PC Game Ever" in the
November 1999 issue of PC Gamer, the world's best-selling PC games magazine. The
other top five games in the "50 Best Games Ever" include Civilization II, Quake I &
II, StarCraft, and System Shock 1 & 2.
"PC Gamer's annual Best 50 Games Ever listing has always been notoriously difficult
to compile, but Half-Life emerged as the clear winner this year. There was little disagreement
among the editorial team that the game's incredible fusing of action and story has forever
changed the face of PC action gaming," said Gary Whitta, editor in chief of PC Gamer magazine.
"…Aside from its revolutionary significance it (Half-Life) is, quite simply, the most addictive
and fun PC game I have ever played. Hundreds of games vie for a place on our coveted list every
year, but only 50 can make the grade - and only one can top them all."
Half-Life has been a huge critical and commercial success since its release. It is the most
honored game of the year, having won over forty-five 1999 Game of the Year awards from leading
publications around the world. Half-Life also won seven Spotlight Awards earlier this year,
including Best of Show. The Spotlight awards are especially significant because winners are
chosen by fellow game developers and announced at the annual Game Developers Conference.
To date, Half-Life has sold more than one million copies worldwide. During the month of
July-almost eight months after release--Half-Life: Game of the Year Edition was in the number
one spot on PC Data's best seller list by both units and dollars. Valve's second game, Team
Fortress 2: Brotherhood of Arms, which is slated for release next year, was given the E3 Game
Critics' Award for Best Action Game and Best Online Game at the electronic entertainment industry
tradeshow E3 in July 1999
Later this year, Sierra Studios, Valve, and Gearbox Software will release Half-Life: Opposing
Force, which is an entirely new episode that runs on top of the Half-Life engine.
Founded in 1996, Valve develops entertainment software. Half-Life is Valve's debut title.
Since its release in November, 1998, Half-Life has won over 45 game of the year awards from
publications that include PC Gamer, Computer Gaming World, and CNET's Gamecenter. Valve's
upcoming title, Team Fortress 2: Brotherhood of Arms recently won the E3 Game Critics' Award
for Best Action Game and Best Online Game. More information about Valve is available through
the company's web site at www.valvesoftware.com.
Sierra On-Line, Inc. http://www.sierra.com/ is one of the original developers and largest
worldwide publishers of interactive entertainment and productivity software. Sierra is a division of Havas
Interactive, a global leader in interactive content, and is one of the world's largest publishers of education,
entertainment and home productivity software. Its divisions, Blizzard®, Coktel, Knowledge Adventure®, Sierra™
and WON.net™ are famous for releasing critically acclaimed and award winning titles. Havas has operations in
the US and in Europe and is a subsidiary of the French publishing house Havas, part of Vivendi Communications.