Half-Life
News, coverage and analysis tracking Half-Life across the outlets.
Latest coverage
Dev ports Half-Life to the PS1, asks Valve if it's cool with that, and says he'll "make it public"…
A developer named Manny has successfully ported the original Half-Life to the PlayStation 1 hardware, creating a custom renderer and game runtime in Rust. The port runs at an average of 17 frames per second and includes all seven maps of the Hazard Course. Manny has reached out to Valve for permission to release the source code, stating he will make it public if he doesn't hear back within a month.
Game History and Preservation
This article discusses game preservation and history, referencing two videos: one on 'Aliens: The Video Game' and another on 'Half-Life' running on a PlayStation 1. The content highlights the importance of archiving and accessing older gaming titles.
Valve aren't putting any exclusives on the Steam Machine because they see "the whole PC catalog as our 'launch exclusive'"
Valve engineer Yazan Aldehayyat stated that the Steam Machine will not feature any exclusive games, as the company views the entire PC catalog as its 'launch exclusive.' This approach aims to keep the platform open and encourage innovation from hardware manufacturers. Valve also noted that PC hardware supply chain issues are causing delays, with retail availability lagging behind bulk supply by three to six months.
Valve says there's no end in sight to the memory crisis, and prices are only going to increase: 'Honestly,…
Valve acknowledges that the ongoing memory crisis, exacerbated by AI demand, is causing hardware prices to increase with no immediate end in sight. Valve engineer Yazan Aldehayyat stated that current retail prices lag behind bulk supply by three to six months, and the company sees prices rising in the short to medium term. The memory shortage also impacted the initial production of the Steam Machine, though Valve continues to support the device.
Retiring Valve employee replies to HLX question in AMA, unintentionally feeding HL3 fans hopium again
Valve software engineer Christopher Green's retirement AMA has fueled speculation about a potential 'HLX' project, possibly related to Half-Life 3. Green's non-committal response to a question about HLX has reignited hope among fans, despite no official confirmation from Valve. This follows previous rumors and speculation surrounding Valve's development cycles and potential unannounced projects.
Half-Life-inspired Invariant re-announced following Steam delisting, but was "never meant to be" a clone
Invariant, a survival horror game heavily inspired by Half-Life and developed by Faros Game Studio's Josip Makjanić, has been re-announced and is available for wishlisting on Steam after a previous delisting. Makjanić stated the game was "never meant to be" a clone and was rebuilt from scratch with a clear direction after initial development issues. The game is being rebuilt in the Godot engine for Windows and Linux.
2026's best RPG might look like Disco Elysium, but it was heavily inspired by Deus Ex, and its creator wants 'to do a first-person game at some point'
Developer Christoffer Bodegård discusses his journey into PC gaming, highlighting influential titles like Dragon Age: Origins and Deus Ex. His recently released CRPG, Esoteric Ebb, was inspired by tabletop RPGs and aims to replicate their unpredictability. Bodegård is exploring ideas for his next project, potentially a first-person game, and shares his current gaming habits, including extensive play of Paradox Interactive's grand strategy titles like Victoria 3 and Europa Universalis IV.
Doom dev Id is now "about the same size we were when making Doom 2016" after layoffs
Id Software has addressed recent layoffs, stating that the studio remains adequately staffed to continue developing games and technology. Despite significant job cuts impacting over half the team, the developer confirmed its current size is comparable to when it was developing Doom 2016. The studio emphasized its commitment to its core philosophy and supporting affected employees, while looking forward to future projects and QuakeCon.
id Tech is Still Part of Xbox’s Future Despite Layoffs – Rumor
Despite 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 works
Valve 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 Goodwill
A 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 Sunday
Summer 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 Games
This 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 Feature
A 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 ute
A 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 dev
Faros 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 1300fps
A 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 is
Developer 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.
