And Valve has bought the rights to the three conversions mentioned above. In order to play these conversions, though, gamers have to own the original "Half-Life", which keeps the money flowing in to Valve and Sierra. Other total conversions, such as "Team Fortress Classic" and "Day of Defeat" are also exceedingly popular. "Counter-Strike", the most popular of these, currently boasts over 1.7 million players per month, dedicating more than 2.4 billion minutes per month to the game, according to an October 2002 Business 2.0 story. "Half-Life" fans, though, used the code to make entirely new games – called Total Conversions – which are freely distributed over the Internet. Avid gamers use this code to make modifications – or "mods" – to the game, usually resulting in freely downloaded new levels or characters. Like many other action titles, "Half-Life" offered its basic programming code to whoever wanted it. The appeal of "Half-Life" goes beyond the game itself, though. Graphically, there have been no challenges. So far, there have been very few games that have challenged the latest PC builds. While Alyx's father survived the first game, her mother wasn't so lucky.Īs a result, said McNealy, "they need more intensive games – bigger, badder, faster. PC hardware is now considerably faster than consoles – and the graphics capabilities of computers are noticeably superior. Typically, that's when PC titles pick up steam. The industry is nearing the apex of the console cycle and will soon start to see declines there. It's not just high-profile games that are behind that surge. "Holiday of 03 is going to be a really big year for the PC," said P. 2003 might rectify that with "Half-Life 2," "Doom III" and other, unannounced titles that will be unveiled at E3 next month. PC games have seen sales decline over the last few years, as consoles stole the spotlight. The game will also have multiplayer features, but Valve is holding those details back until it gets closer to shipping the game. The story is once again conveyed entirely within the course of playing the game." There are new characters as well, most prominently Alyx, whose mother was killed during the events of the original game. Several of the characters from are back, including Barney the security guard, the G-Man, about whom you learn more and in whose employ you now are, and several of the scientists. "You are once again Gordon Freeman," described Gabe Newell, managing director and co-founder of Valve. A non-interactive theater will show gameplay (much like id Software and Activision ( ATVI: Research, Estimates) debuted "Doom III" last year). The game will make its public debut next month at the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3), the trade show of the gaming industry, at the booth of graphic chip developer ATI. Gordon Freeman takes up the crowbar again this September. With zero fanfare, "Half Life 2" has tied (and possibly surpassed) "Doom III" as the most anticipated PC action game of the year – and could help spark a revival of the PC gaming industry. Since its 1998 launch, "Half-Life" and its various add-on packs (including mods such as "Counter-Strike" – see below for more on those) have sold more than 8 million copies worldwide, according to Valve. Developed once again by Valve and published again by Vivendi's ( V: Research, Estimates) Sierra games division, the game will put players back in the familiar shoes of crowbar wielding hero Gordon Freeman, battling aliens from the planet Xen.įor those of you scratching your head and wondering what the big deal is over a video game sequel, here are a few numbers to take into consideration. "Half-Life 2" is scheduled to hit store shelves Sept. Later this year, it will finally be answered.Įli and Alyx Vance are two of your key allies. Five years later, the call for that sequel is as loud as ever. Players quickly began clamoring for a sequel, but developer Valve Software responded with silence. NEW YORK (CNN/Money) - When it was released in November 1998, "Half-Life" redefined the action gaming genre by combining fast-paced action and an intelligent, intense story. The sequel could help revive an industry. The pioneering action game redefined a genre.
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