It was way back in 1998 that Half-Life was released by Valve Corporation. Serving as the company’s debut release and marking the first title in the Half Life franchise, the first-person shooter followed the story of Gordon Freeman, a theoretical physicist who finds himself stuck inside the Black Mesa Research facility following a failed experiment which resulted in an alien outbreak. By solving puzzles, navigating the facility and engaging in combat, it is perhaps no surprise that Half-life went on to receive critical acclaim.
Praised for its graphics, gameplay, and narrative, it is now regarded as one of the most influential FPS games of all time, and it was soon followed by Half-Life 2 in 2004.
Despite this, Half-Life 3 has never been confirmed. That being said, there have been plenty of rumors surrounding the next installment in the Valve franchise, especially substantial evidence indicating that a large-scale, unannounced project internally codenamed “HLX” (or “Project Helix”) is currently in development. Of course, it is worth taking this information with a pinch of salt. There has been no confirmation of such a project, and even if it does exist, it is not necessarily Half-Life 3.
Unfortunately, another recent announcement spells bad news for rumors, as it has been revealed that the Steam Machine will not release any accompanying exclusives.
Exclusives have become something of a sore point in recent months after Sony revealed that it would be henceforth focusing on PlayStation exclusives, no longer releasing accompanying PC ports for its first-party titles. However, it seems as though Valve will not be following suit by releasing any titles that can only be played on the Steam Machine. That being said, what does this mean for the Half-Life franchise?
Well, according to Valve itself who recently spoke to Bloomberg’s Jason Schreier, the company has no plans to make any upcoming releases exclusive, including Half-Life. In the interview, Valve’s Yazan Aldehayyat explains that the whole Steam PC library will be their “launch exclusive” as restricting players is not a business model they want to adopt.
Although this is good news for those who will be purchasing the Steam Machine, it does perhaps put an end to any rumors surrounding Half-Life 3. Considering that Valve has not released a major title in years, it would make sense for its biggest game to launch alongside the Steam Machine. However, this is seemingly not the case.
In good news, the Steam Machine is now available, but with an eye-watering price tag, it is definitely a commitment. However, if you are looking for the first PC/console hybrid, this may just be the one for you.
