Half-Life
News, coverage and analysis tracking Half-Life across the outlets.
id Tech is Still Part of Xbox’s Future Despite Layoffs – RumorDespite recent layoffs at id Software, the id Tech game engine remains a part of Xbox's future plans, according to a report. Many employees working on the engine's development were affected by the cuts. The engine is expected to be used in future projects at id Software and by MachineGames for their Wolfenstein titles.
Valve's Gabe Newell continues spending his billions on an undersea armada, adding an $800 million deep sea vessel to the one he already had in the worksValve co-founder Gabe Newell is significantly expanding his investment in ocean exploration by commissioning a second, larger deep-sea vessel, the RV11000, for nearly $800 million. This follows his initial investment in the 100-meter RV6000, which is currently under construction. Both vessels are being built by Vard and Oceanco, with the RV6000 expected in 2028 and the RV11000 in 2030.
A second OG Steam Controller prototype has been found at GoodwillA second prototype of Valve's original Steam Controller has been discovered at a Goodwill store in Seattle, seven years after a similar find. The 'Chell' prototype, believed to be from 2013-2014, features a different button layout and lacks thumbsticks compared to the final retail version. The controller was found by the father of a 14-year-old Valve fan and reportedly functions as a generic controller.
Are these the 100 most influential games of all time?Kitfox Games CEO Tanya Short discusses a list of the 100 most influential video games of all time, compiled by professional game designers. The list, assembled through the Polaris game design retreat, aims to serve as a tool for designers to improve their craft and create influential games.- Summer Games Done Quick 2026 Returns this SundaySummer Games Done Quick (SGDQ) 2026, a week-long speedrunning marathon, will take place from July 5-11 in Minneapolis, benefiting Doctors Without Borders. The event will feature speedruns of various games, including Super Mario 64, Half-Life, and Balatro, and will be streamed live on Twitch and YouTube. Viewers can donate to Doctors Without Borders throughout the marathon.
- The Top 10 Best Valve GamesThis article lists the 10 best games developed by Valve, highlighting titles such as Half-Life, Portal, and Left 4 Dead. The list aims to rank Valve's most acclaimed titles across various genres.
The two best years in video game history were both in the 2010s - Reader's FeatureA reader argues that 2011 and 2013 were the best years in video game history, citing a high volume of quality releases and industry-shifting console launches. The article details numerous significant titles from both years, including The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword, Skyrim, The Last of Us, and Grand Theft Auto 5, alongside the debut of the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.
Testa Sin: Reloaded – demo uteA demo for Sin: Reloaded, a remastered version of the 1998 first-person shooter Sin, is now available on Steam for PC. Developed by Nightdive Studios using their Hex Engine, the game features a story-driven campaign where players control police officer John Blade. The full game is also planned for release on PlayStation and Xbox later this year.
Invariant is a Antarctica based horror coming from a former Serious Sam devFaros Game Studio, founded by former Croteam developer Josip Makjanić, is developing Invariant, a first-person horror game set in an Antarctic research facility. Influenced by The Thing, Half-Life, and F.E.A.R., the game tasks players with surviving dangerous creatures and uncovering the mystery behind the facility's collapse. A release date has not yet been announced.
This gaming PC can boot to Windows in just six seconds, runs Unreal at 1300fpsA PC enthusiast has built a custom machine capable of booting Windows 95 in just six seconds, utilizing a combination of modern hardware like a Ryzen 9 9900X CPU and an NVMe SSD, alongside older components such as a PCI adapter and an Nvidia GeForce 7900 GS graphics card. This setup also allows for impressive performance in classic games like Unreal, running at 1300fps.
Running Half Life, a 28-year-old PC game, on a 19-year-old Nokia shouldn't be impressive, but it isDeveloper Dante D. Leoncini has successfully ported the 28-year-old PC game Half-Life to run natively on a 19-year-old Nokia N95 smartphone. The game achieves 30 frames per second on the device's limited hardware, with added mouse and keyboard support, though it runs at a low resolution. This achievement highlights the potential for classic PC games to be playable on a wider range of devices, including modern retro handhelds.
A developer got the original Half-Life running on a 2007 Nokia N95 at a respectable 30 fps, plus it even works with a…Developer Dante D. Leoncini has successfully ported the original Half-Life to run on a 2007 Nokia N95 smartphone, achieving a respectable 30 frames per second. The port also supports Bluetooth mouse and keyboard input, with ongoing work to improve performance and enable network play.- 25 '90s Games That Hold Up Perfectly Today (And Where to Play Them) | TAGThis article identifies 25 video games from the 1990s that remain enjoyable for modern players, distinguishing between titles that hold up with no caveats and those that require specific versions or adjustments. It highlights how 2D pixel art generally ages better than early 3D graphics and provides information on where each game can be legally played today.
Yerba Buena, out today, is a Portal-esque puzzle platformer where your weapon of choice is copying and pasting physicsYerba Buena, a new puzzle platformer, is now available on PC and Steam. The game allows players to copy and paste the physics and movement properties of objects onto other items, enabling unique puzzle-solving opportunities. It is set in an abandoned video game world and features a narrative about an NPC named Barb trying to save San Francisco.- Sunday Postmortems/RetrospectivesThe design lead of a major competitor to Half-Life stated that its publisher was so dissatisfied with the game's progress that proper testing was neglected before its launch. This resulted in negative press and criticism upon release.
The design lead of Half-Life's biggest competitor says that its publisher was so 'pissed off' by the time the game launched that it didn't bother testing it properly: 'We got trashed in the press because of bugs'Robert M. Atkins, design lead for the 1998 first-person shooter Sin, revealed that its publisher Activision was upset with the developer Ritual Entertainment's formation of the Gathering of Developers publisher alliance. This strained relationship led to Activision allegedly not properly testing the game's gold master, resulting in significant bugs at launch that harmed its reception. The game also faced immense competition from Valve's Half-Life, which released shortly after.
There is no discovery on this earth more pure than a closet full of your dad's '90s big box PC gamesA Reddit user's discovery of their father's extensive collection of '90s big box PC games has resonated with many, sparking discussions about physical media and shared gaming experiences. The collection includes classics like System Shock 2 and Diablo, alongside more eclectic titles, highlighting a bygone era of PC gaming.
Half-Life owes its existence to one of the game industry's most formative figures—no, not Gabe Newell, the…Ken Williams, co-founder of Sierra Online, played a crucial role in securing a publishing deal for Valve's Half-Life, recognizing its potential when others did not. Despite Valve's ambitious technical approach and a mid-development reboot, Williams' early support was instrumental, though Sierra ultimately faded while Valve went on to global success.- Summer Games Done Quick Returns This July, Schedule Out NowSummer Games Done Quick (SGDQ) will return from July 5-11, 2026, in Minneapolis, Minnesota, benefiting Doctors Without Borders. The event will feature speedrunners tackling games like Super Mario 64, Balatro, and Tetris, with all donations going to the charity. Last year's event raised $2.4 million.
- Summer Games Done Quick returns this July, schedule out nowSummer Games Done Quick, a popular speedrunning event, has announced its schedule for the upcoming July event. The schedule includes a variety of games, notably a hybrid run of Jak & Daxter and Half-Life.