Why Is Valve So Quiet?

[Kamakiri]

We got 69 days till the arrival of HL2. The best game ever. And really we know nothing about the game. No real meaty substantial information about HL2. By now most games that are due out in 69 days the community pretty much knows everything about the game from the way the guns handle to multiplayer modes. The list goes on.

So I'm asking a serious question, not to flame Valve because I love the guys, but what is Valve stradegy behind keeping quiet with so many aspects of HL2? Will they release heaps of information at once?

Right now HL2 is pretty much done. They are just stress testing the absolute crap out of it and maybe adding a few enhanced graphics here and there. So why are they making us wait? The whole world is going to buy it anyway.

 

[crabcakes66]

to build interest..........

are you not that much more interested to find out what you dont know?

its human nature.

valve has some people that ovbiously dont think with there heads up there asses and there hands in there wallets

 

[Kamakiri]

Yeah good point. The whole interest thing.

 

[Murray_H]

And if you let too much out and hype it up, people always end up being disappointed

 

[Lobster]

And I think there a little busy at the moment making some game, I dunno, You might have heard of it.

But seriously though, I love this secrecy, It means you can discover it all yourself and have some of those jaw opening moments.

 

[PriNcE oF SpAcE]

actually I don't mind that they don't release to much info about the game...it makes it more exiting...of course the waiting is difficult, but I'd rather have alot of surprises when I play my game.

 

[PriNcE oF SpAcE]

what I'mcurious about is when they're going to launch an official HL2-site...pretty funny how there's absolutely no official info at Valve's own site.

 

[crabcakes66]

Yeah it will add to the "WOW" factor.

this game is seriously going to be alot of fun. ...What if they hyped the hell out of it and it didnt live up to people's expectations?

 

[The Mullinator]

PriNcE oF SpAcE is right, its way more interesting when you know hardly anything about it. If we already knew alot about the story then we wouldn't have as much fun going through the story while actually playing the game.

 

[Tropico]

Originally posted by crabcakes66
What if they hyped the hell out of it and it didnt live up to people's expectations?

...which is know as the UT2k3 effect.

I dont mind the wait but a couple of screenshots wouldnt hurt the story.

 

[SFA]

Plus speculation is fun!

And when new media arrives, its extra-exciting!

 

[Spiffae]

And gabe said that they were going to release some screenshots.

 

[crabcakes66]

Originally posted by SFA
Plus speculation is fun!

And when new media arrives, its extra-exciting!

exactly. look at how people go farging nuts over every new tidbit of media/info/interview that we see.

everything is being critizied to the point of just being annoying.

 

[SFA]

I'm actually looking forward to new screenshots much more than new movies. Its JUST the right amout of spoiler material - images of the game itself in action without spoiling any set-pieces or dialogue.

 

[ComradeBadger]

Yeah... I agree with the most people in the thread... I love the 'comm blackout' and complete lack of info ... oooo I can't wait for the story.... and I mean that in a good way

 

[djkanuk]

Valve are also really careful not to give any plot spoilers. Like that 'twist' in HL1 when you first thought the marines were the cavalry riding in to save the day (and your sorry a$$), only to turn out that they were there to hunt you down as well.

A real, "Luke, I am your father..." kind of moment. I don't want any of those from HL2 spoiled. I'm even trying to limit my reading of the plot conjecture on these boards.

 

[Chris D]

True, people love the speculation. Every time I check the forum there's always a question. "Do you think Alyx will be kidnapped, How big will the game be, What colour is the CD going to be, Are they going to release a demo etc. etc."
They're questions that nobody knows the answers to but they still get asked, so then we can think about it and speculate.

I'd be perfectly content in just seeing a few more screenshots, the rest of the E3 videos and then a few new vids to show off a little bit more and know nothing more about the characters or plot until I play the game for myself.

When I learnt about HL1 all I knew is that it was a FPS where you play this scientist guy and there's a big accident involving aliens and then the military come in and try to clean up the disaster. Having so much details left unknown to me the game was so much better.

 

[NoGodForMe]

Originally posted by Tropico
...which is know as the UT2k3 effect.

Or the "two more weeks" promise.
I hope HL2 comes out on Sept 30th, which is the "line in the sand" date. We'll get excited when the game goes gold.
I don't care to see any screen shots, or movies.

Just tell us if it's going to be released on Sept 30th.

 

[Tropico]

Thats all true Chris_D but i have read Lord of the Rings a few times and i´m still loking forward to the 3rd Film even though i know exactly what is going to happen.

 

[Mountain Man]

Valve is playing it smart. I believe the release of Half-Life 2 will be a model for all future high-profile releases. Keep the fans guessing and hungry for more. Nothing wrong with that.

 

[Kamakiri]

Very true. We are all very hungry for it that's for sure...

 

[Llevar]

Originally posted by Tropico
Thats all true Chris_D but i have read Lord of the Rings a few times and i´m still loking forward to the 3rd Film even though i know exactly what is going to happen.

I think that's a bit of a different story. You are actually looking for ward to the movie precisely because you already know what's going to happen. A person that's never read LOTR is likely to not give a rats ass about the third movie cause they didn't udnerstand anything from the first two and the third is probably going to be just as confusing for them(only more action of course).

With LOTR you are excited because you will get to see all your favourite characters that you are so familiar with from the book come alive on the screen. With HL2 you are excited because you are hopefully going to experience something entirely new and unheard of(here the less you know the more surprises await you and the more enjoyment is derived from it).

 

[Yo-Han]

I think we already had a lot:
a 30 minutes tech demo gameplay movie..the ign preview that tells a lot..hi res bink movies to see actual gamequality..that's more then enough to keep us hungry

 

[A.I.]

Valve knows how to do the foreplay with the public - we can expect a very orgasmic October I think

 

[Guest]

Man. I lov to frag ur asses online when i get this game.

 

[A2597]

frankly, the LACK of info is a very good thing IMO.
Look at Unreal2, REALLY hyped, and in the end, it was too short, and gernally stank. the public was furious. Wouldn't matter HOW good the game was in reality, it never could have lived up to expectations.

Same could happen with HL2, which is why I am happy they arn't saying anything.

 

[chili pepper]

Valve has done tons and tons of interviews recently about Half-Life 2. There have been many previews and videos released by Valve.

You must be a complete moron to think Valve has been quiet about the game.

 

[Guest]

Simply, i like what vavle is doing. Done. (this has nothing to do with late media)

 

[yeggz]

Why is Valve hiding HL2 so much? Wow, what a stupid question.

Half Life 2 isn't real, of course. It's only a publicity ploy for Valve. Trust me, I get this from a very good source... my imaginary uncle who works for Valve.

 

[Yatta]

Are you calling Valve quiet? You should see 3DRealms and their Duke Nukem Forever! lol!

 

[Ghoti]

Actually, Valve is doing the exact opposite of the Duke Nukem Whenever team. Back when Quake was about to be released, they said "Oh yeah? Well, look what we're going to release soon! Er, after we design the game, license an engine, build the levels, um, yeha. But lookie!" After about, what, five years of constantly saying "It'll be out in four to six months", they finally just S'd TFU and, in theory, concentrate don working on the game. As a result, DNF is now a running joke.

With HL2, on the other hand, the only implication of a sequel to HL was the ending of HL itself. It wasn't until just before the EEE that Valve had ever even mentioned that there was any work even being done on HL2. Now that it's almost done, and the end is literally in sight, they're doing interviews and releasing screens and shorts showing off the game engine's new features, and a little snippet here and there of the setting and story.

 

[GLMinorThreat]

Originally posted by Kamakiri
The best game ever.

I'm sorry but Deus Ex is the best game ever, and the only game I will let be better is Deus Ex Invisible War.

Anyways... They're like Nintendo, they like to keep stuff secret until its released, so you're surprised. Less chance of the game being ruined.

And I personally think it was good of Valve to keep their work on HL2 for the past five years a secret... not easy for a company to do for so many years.

 

[Loke]

To be honest, I think DNF has been cancelled. Look, they have had that game in production in like 5-6 years... that just dumb. Wonder how much money they must have been wasted.

 

[GLMinorThreat]

Originally posted by Loke
To be honest, I think DNF has been cancelled. Look, they have had that game in production in like 5-6 years... that just dumb. Wonder how much money they must have been wasted.

HL2's been in development for the past five years...

And the Silicon Knights game Too Human has been in development for well over that long... it's gone through 2 console generations now...

DNF probably has been cancelled but you can't really go by the fact that its "been in development" for 5 years.

 

[ferd]

personally i think the best is yet to come....
it would be cool to start the game and knowing nothing!

 

[ferd]

Re: Re: Why Is Valve So Quiet?

Originally posted by GLMinorThreat
I'm sorry but Deus Ex is the best game ever, and the only game I will let be better is Deus Ex Invisible War.

Anyways... They're like Nintendo, they like to keep stuff secret until its released, so you're surprised. Less chance of the game being ruined.

And I personally think it was good of Valve to keep their work on HL2 for the past five years a secret... not easy for a company to do for so many years.

Dues-Ex is probably 5th or 6th...i mean there is SMS, Perfect Dark, Zelda... and for me the best one is still HL1...nothing compares...;(

 

[ferd]

Originally posted by Ghoti
Actually, Valve is doing the exact opposite of the Duke Nukem Whenever team. Back when Quake was about to be released, they said "Oh yeah? Well, look what we're going to release soon! Er, after we design the game, license an engine, build the levels, um, yeha. But lookie!" After about, what, five years of constantly saying "It'll be out in four to six months", they finally just S'd TFU and, in theory, concentrate don working on the game. As a result, DNF is now a running joke.

With HL2, on the other hand, the only implication of a sequel to HL was the ending of HL itself. It wasn't until just before the EEE that Valve had ever even mentioned that there was any work even being done on HL2. Now that it's almost done, and the end is literally in sight, they're doing interviews and releasing screens and shorts showing off the game engine's new features, and a little snippet here and there of the setting and story.

imo Valve is the only company (maybe aside Nintendo) that really cares...and that isnt controlled by some power-greedy nerd, but really truying everything to make us happy and keeping promises

 

[Loke]

Originally posted by GLMinorThreat
HL2's been in development for the past five years...

4 years have I been told?

DNF probably has been cancelled but you can't really go by the fact that its "been in development" for 5 years.

Who can?

Anyway, I hope that the game has not been cancelled, always wanted a Duke Nukem FPS after I completed DN3D.

 

[Kuros]

THIS is quiet:
http://teamfortress2.sierra.com/news.html

 

[Llevar]

Re: Re: Re: Why Is Valve So Quiet?

Originally posted by ferd
Dues-Ex is probably 5th or 6th...i mean there is SMS, Perfect Dark, Zelda... and for me the best one is still HL1...nothing compares...;(

and then there's Starcraft, Diablo, FF, Fallout, Goldeneye.