As the days are passing by and New Year’s Eve is just around the corner we decided to remember the rumors that made 2013 a bit more exciting. In this edition of 2013 A Year in Rumors we will be taking a look at everything that happened during the year that gave us hope about the existence and development of probably the most anticipated AAA title of all time – Half Life 3.
Back in June, the hardcore Half Life 3 fans at Valvetime found something that could not be ignored by the public. Using the project management software JIRA employees at Valve were internally discussing projects like Half Life 3, Source 2, Left 4 Dead 3 and more. Even though this wasn’t enough to prove the development of the game it was still something that encouraged the hope in fans of the franchise as it meant that Valve were talking about it. Other interesting projects discussed via the software were Steam Box (which we learned more about in recent months), Episode 3, SteamMMO, Episode 3 Movie and iOS Dev. However, disappointment hit most, when a major element in the discussed projects was noticed. For the games that were in development or already released (like Portal 2) Valve had not one, but several projects in JIRA, dedicated to certain elements of the game, such as UI, animation and more. Half Life 3 had only one project group. Moreover in the mailing list of the software people were able to find off-topic projects such as Diablo 3, Skyrim, Hiking and more. A glimmer of hope, yet it wasn’t enough to prove the development of Half Life 3.
A mere few days later, Kotaku found an interesting interview with Warren Spector, creator of Deus Ex. Before Disney’s acquisition of Junction Point Studios, they were working with Valve on a Half Life project. However, as they were talking about a time back in 2005-2007, the unspecified project they were working on could very well be one of the already released episodes of the game.
Hope, slimmer than ever, was once again reborn when a trademark on Half-Life 3 was filed for in Europe. The filing on 29th of September this year was the proof the community needed in order to be sure of the development of the title. However, just as fans were taking deep breaths, preparing for the long-awaited announcement of the game, Valvetime destroyed all hope with the harsh truth. A mere two days after the Trademark was filed for, it was removed from the official Trademarks Registration Office, proving that it is most likely a hoax.
After the major disappointment Half Life 3 fans were looking back at the JIRA database, trying to find something that could make them certain of the existence of the next game in the franchise. However, the facts were there. Later on, Valve commented that it won’t make any exclusive games of the SteamOS, which only meant that you wouldn’t need to have a Steam Machine in order to play Half Life 3, if it comes out.
Although fans experienced one disappointment after another, through the course of the year, not all hope is lost. Most people believe that Half Life 3 will be announced with the upcoming reveal of Steam Machines, but who knows? Do you believe in the development of Half Life 3?
Find more information about the rumors and Half Life 3 here.
Find more about the ‘2013: A Year in Rumors’ here.