By John Walker on August 14th, 2012 at 12:00 pm.
UPDATE: Guess what! Gamescom are now saying that Half-Life 3 and Dragon Age 3′s appearances on the list was “a mistake”, according to Eurogamer. Although they won’t say how that mistake happened. Also, Lamda Generation heard from Valve (a rare treat) saying they weren’t showing any games this year.
Another Half-Life 3 confirmation rumour? Why not. T3 have spotted, on the Gamescom pdf designed to show press what games are appearing, the Half-Life 3 is listed as Valve’s entry. You can see it for yourself right here.
It could of course me a mistake. It could be a joke by someone. It could be a crack in the fabric of time and space, allowing an entry from Gamescom 2098 to appear on 2012′s list.
But then, as T3 reports, that magazine that sells a lot of copies in Gamestop and is owned by Gamestop is delaying its print date this month in order to fit in an enormous announcement. In fairness, their penchant for hyperbole and their dedication to giving 2,901,393 pages to absolutely anything if they get some stupid month-long exclusive on promoting a product for someone else, means it could well be City Bus Simulator München, also appearing on that GC list.
Half-Life 3 rumours have been getting busier and busier of late, but seemingly not ever at the hand of Valve. A gamer spots what looks like Gordon Freeman’s face on their toast and causes a mass pilgrimage to their house, or someone plays Wheatley’s Spike Award acceptance speech backward and translates it into Swahili to get the number 3, and the entire internet explodes in a frenzy of frothing speculation, us included. This time it’s a word on a pdf, so back up that salt truck before taking this as genuine.
14/08/2012 at 12:01 golem09 says:
That’s tempting. Considering I already do live in Cologne…
14/08/2012 at 12:07 pakoito says:
Gamescom meeting: http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/forums/showthread.php?5839-RPS-meetup-at-gamescom
14/08/2012 at 12:02 Toberoth says:
Jolly good.
14/08/2012 at 12:02 Donncha O Caoimh says:
I really should finish Episode 2 now, and quickly. (Hope springs eternal)
14/08/2012 at 12:10 zergl says:
I picked up HL2+Ep1+Ep2 shortly after the Orange Box release and figured I’d just wait until Ep3 is announced/released before I play it so I don’t have to bother with the waiting game after a cliffhangery ending. I mean, how long could it be?
14/08/2012 at 17:47 OddsAgainst says:
You best wait till release. Who knows how long the Valve time turnover could be for this title.
14/08/2012 at 12:16 golem09 says:
I bought the orange box about 2 years ago, still haven’t ep1 and 2. I guess at this point I’m waiting for Black Mesa to come out and play EVERYTHING again, since I’ve only played the first half of Half Life 1.
14/08/2012 at 12:03 DeathHamsterDude says:
It . . . it’s happening, it’s finally happening.
14/08/2012 at 12:37 Ian says:
No it isn’t.
(I hope I’m wrong but there’s no use getting your hopes up any more.)
14/08/2012 at 13:07 Hypernetic says:
I expect an apology from RPS by the end of the week.
14/08/2012 at 13:23 Mr. Mister says:
Aaaaaaaand it isn’t. Seriously, eI don’t even want to know which forums they get their information from.
15/08/2012 at 03:03 a71236aszaa says:
Ah, I see they are still going for the old “if she doesn’t have tight clothing, cleavage, long nails and doesn’t swing her butt while walking then she’s not female”.
http://uk.ign.com/videos/2012/08/14/remember-me-captain-trace-mission-demo-gamescom-2012
15/08/2012 at 06:04 Avenger says:
Experience has thought me that, if a comment on RPS induces “WTF does that have to do with anything, you nimrod?” feelings, the link goes to a site that sells metal detectors, or torches, or something less interesting.
14/08/2012 at 16:19 hatseflats says:
I’m not sure what Valve could do at this point. Releasing an episode similar to HL2 and Ep 1 and 2 would probably disappoint; I played HL2 for the first time only a year ago and boy it hasn’t aged well. The kind of game HL2 was is simply old-fashioned. And I’m not saying that because I like CoD.
Releasing a Half-Life 3 which is vastly different in terms of gameplay from the previous episodes would probably upset fans. Not releasing anything is probably the easiest way to go about it, but that, too, disappoints fans. They’ve moved themselves in a difficult position.
15/08/2012 at 00:10 egg-zoo-bear-ant will e 91 says:
Half Life 2 was quite different from HL1. They just need a similar jump in technology and to make the new gameplay good.
14/08/2012 at 12:04 Askeladd says:
Let’s hope no alien invasion stops that uncertain announcement.
14/08/2012 at 12:04 DarkLiberator says:
Please be true.
14/08/2012 at 12:06 Fashigady says:
Valve to announce they are not announcing HL3 at Gamescom!
14/08/2012 at 12:12 Spengbab says:
TBH, it’d be worth getting floorspace just for a stand that says “Nope, no HL 3 this year, move on”.
14/08/2012 at 12:38 PoLLeNSKi says:
Literally having just replayed HL2 + episodes in the past week (well actually still gotta do the last little rocket bit in Ep2) I read that in the voice of one of the metrocops… ‘Nothing to see here, move along citizen.’
14/08/2012 at 13:00 RaveTurned says:
If I were Valve, at this point I’d create a three minute Half-Life themed remake of that scene from Dallas. Gordon Freeman wakes up in his suburban home to find he’s still a scientist at Black Mesa. The resonance cascade, Xen, the seven hour war etc were all part of some crazy dream.
There you go everyone, story’s over, thanks for playing and good night.
14/08/2012 at 13:41 Klatu says:
By ‘that scene in Dallas’ I presumed you meant Gordon in the back of an open topped limo, his shattered cranium being held together by Alyx as the G-Man exited the grassy knoll.
14/08/2012 at 14:42 RaveTurned says:
“HL3 officially announced as JFK: Reloaded remake!” – You heard it here first.
14/08/2012 at 12:06 ShowMeTheMonkey says:
Oh my.
14/08/2012 at 12:06 Namey says:
I’ll believe it when I see it.
14/08/2012 at 12:12 Screamer says:
Same here, the day we actually get HL3, I’ll eat a horse shit sandwich!
14/08/2012 at 12:13 c-Row says:
THE INTERNET WON’T FORGET!
14/08/2012 at 12:06 Bauul says:
That… actually looks almost like it could be legit! Although I’ll believe it when I see it.
14/08/2012 at 12:06 Meat Circus says:
#QTWTAIN
14/08/2012 at 12:06 pakoito says:
We are organizing a meetup at the gamescom. COME JOIN:
http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/forums/showthread.php?5839-RPS-meetup-at-gamescom
14/08/2012 at 12:06 Jams O'Donnell says:
There have been so many “will Valve announce Half Life 3 at [Event X]” rumors that have ended up in disappointment that I’m not even going to bother getting my hopes up any more.
…
Dammit. My hopes are up.
14/08/2012 at 12:07 mrwonko says:
It does contain this disclaimer though: “* Bitte beachten Sie die Quellen: Aussteller, Gamesmedien, Internet, Foren, Blogs. Angaben ohne Gewähr.” Roughly: “Mind the sources: Exhibitors, Gaming Media, the Internet, Forums, Blogs. All information is subject to change.”
I wouldn’t get my hopes up, but I’ll be super pumped if they do announce it, since I’ll be there. :)
14/08/2012 at 12:38 RaveTurned says:
With that kind of disclaimer they could put pretty much anything on there, then turn around later and say “Whoops, sorry guys and gals that was just an inside joke!”. Meanwhile, they get free press coverage free hype, sell tickets. Can’t see why they wouldn’t deliberately stir up these kinds of rumours really – aside from, y’know, integrity. :/
14/08/2012 at 12:49 bitbof says:
This needs to be mentioned in the news. In fact I’m disappointing that it hasn’t been already.
One more pointless rumor.
14/08/2012 at 12:07 The Hammer says:
Pleeeeeeeeaaase.
14/08/2012 at 12:07 GetUpKidAK says:
F1 2011 is also on that list.
Didn’t Valve announce that they wouldn’t be at Gamescom?
14/08/2012 at 12:51 Theory says:
F1 2011, developed by Deep Silver?
F1 Race Stars is missing too.
14/08/2012 at 12:07 c-Row says:
Not convinced yet. It even says “all indications without engagement” right under the headline and mentions forums and blogs as its source.
[edit] Beaten by mrwonko – damn! ;)
14/08/2012 at 12:08 Bobka says:
Lots of “Online” titles (seems to me, at least)… Ice Age Online? Really?
Dragon Age 3 though, haven’t heard anything about that one yet.
Sleepings Dogs… damn it, every time I see that name I think it’s something else about Watch_Dogs!
“Rayman and Legends”. teehee
14/08/2012 at 12:09 dawnmane says:
Dragon Age 3!!!!
14/08/2012 at 12:14 RandomEsa says:
Dragon age 3 will have features that were considered standard 15 years ago, but still not quite as much like in Dragon Age: Origins: Source . The whole video is really really embarrassing to watch especially when they call out the cosplayers.
14/08/2012 at 12:34 CrookedLittleVein says:
I have never cringed so hard in my life.
14/08/2012 at 12:09 MajesticXII says:
Don’t really care that much anymore :(
I would be interested in a new source engine only to play the awesome mods that it shall spawn. :3
14/08/2012 at 21:53 SkittleDiddler says:
I’m in the same boat as you. Five years ago, HL3 would have been a day one purchase for me, but now I struggle to see myself even buying it at heavy discount later down the line.
I just don’t give a crap about the series anymore. Valve Time tends to do that to people.
14/08/2012 at 12:09 PapaVoodoo says:
Hefty dose of salt: taken.
14/08/2012 at 12:09 Meat Circus says:
Nope. Nope. Nope.
14/08/2012 at 12:09 Dominic White says:
So, this year Valve are releasing CS:GO, DOTA 2, the Mann Vs Machine expansion for TF2 and officially unveiling HL3? As well as that big community update for Steam in general? And all in the wake of yet another mega-sale event and the release of Source Film Maker?
But hey, we all know they never do anything productive, eh?
14/08/2012 at 12:12 Fazer says:
It’s logical that bossless company can be anything but productive.
14/08/2012 at 12:53 JackShandy says:
It’s a bit odd that RPS hasn’t said much about Dota 2, actually. I understand waiting for release before giving out a full review, but it’s out there, it’s a complete polished game that’s getting the most players on steam.
14/08/2012 at 12:54 Alec Meer says:
We have EXCITING THINGS in the pipeline on the Dota2 front, trust me.
14/08/2012 at 13:16 wintermute says:
Might these EXCITING THINGS be some beta keys for your loyal followers?
If not, may I humbly suggest enquiring about said keys, in order to further please your loyal followers?
Thanks!
14/08/2012 at 13:26 JackShandy says:
I’m excited!
Wintermute, getting a beta key is very easy. Just go to it’s store page and sign up. It might take a while to get an email, but I think everyone gets in eventually.
14/08/2012 at 14:47 wintermute says:
Doing that now, thanks.
14/08/2012 at 13:22 RaveTurned says:
If it’s still not released, could there be a press embargo? I haven’t seen any other media outlets writing much about it – but then I’ve not been looking.
14/08/2012 at 13:28 JackShandy says:
I don’t think there is. The gaming press just doesn’t seem to talk about Dota much. I haven’t even seen anyone post about this beautiful comic!
http://www.dota2.com/comics/are_we_heroes_yet/?l=english
Frankly I think it outclasses the TF2 comics.
14/08/2012 at 14:04 Chris D says:
You’re right. That is exceptionally good, and scandalous I hadn’t heard about it before now.
14/08/2012 at 13:35 Chris D says:
You know about this one, right?
http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2012-07-10-the-dota-2-experience-part-one
14/08/2012 at 13:38 JackShandy says:
Yup, a rare jewel. That got me started playing the game.
14/08/2012 at 15:34 zeroskill says:
No, there is no press embargo on Dota 2. Press emabrgo was only when they were testing the game internally with the pro players, that was almost a year ago now, before the first international. Ever since they were sending out invites to the public there has been no embargo of any sorts.
14/08/2012 at 12:09 Fazer says:
It seems legit this time O_o
14/08/2012 at 12:11 AmateurScience says:
Oh my indeed.
14/08/2012 at 12:14 corbain says:
This would be excellent, my taste for the Half Life universe was re-whetted by the Mission Improbable Mod, which I reccomend you all play.
it’s so good, it could easily have been an outtake from EP2, a la Lost Coast (it is in fact way better than Lost Coast)
http://www.moddb.com/mods/mission-improbable/
14/08/2012 at 12:39 Carter says:
I second that, best custom sp map I’ve played
14/08/2012 at 12:14 Henke says:
Haha, I love the headline. :D
It’s so attention-grabbing and at the same time so unsubstantial. RPS should run headlines like that all the time just to keep things interesting. “Half Life 3 to be released tomorrow? I don’t know, maybe!”
14/08/2012 at 12:14 max pain says:
Spoiler:
It’s not true.
14/08/2012 at 12:16 ran93r says:
Maybe they will announce they have just started development on it, see you in five years folks.
14/08/2012 at 12:18 golem09 says:
Half Life 3 dubstep trailer incoming?
14/08/2012 at 12:19 max pain says:
I’m thinking real-action trailer.
14/08/2012 at 12:47 RaveTurned says:
Real Dubstep Action™ trailer?
14/08/2012 at 12:21 Jams O'Donnell says:
with a little person in the corner doing sign language
14/08/2012 at 12:44 c-Row says:
What’s “wubwubwub” in sign language?
14/08/2012 at 12:48 Jams O'Donnell says:
Somewhere there’s a perfect Skrillex gif to link here.
15/08/2012 at 02:53 Wildcard says:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AaAmlhzELpw
This is close.
Edit: Starts at 1:10
14/08/2012 at 12:18 Suriyawong says:
The universe will undoubtedly explode if/when this is announced.
14/08/2012 at 12:21 JohnnyMaverik says:
The day they announce episode 3 is the day the world ends… so maybe 2012 is the end of days after all.
14/08/2012 at 12:21 Delusibeta says:
The entire list is bollocks, since there’s a disclaimer:
‘Expected announcements gamescom 2012′
*Please take note of the sources: exhibitors, media, intenet forums, blogs.
*no responsibility is taken for the correctness of this information
14/08/2012 at 12:22 KauhuK says:
My body is ready. I’ve been itching for some Half-Life style fps.
14/08/2012 at 12:22 Network Crayon says:
I Can Haz End Times???
14/08/2012 at 12:45 TheApologist says:
I love this comment so much that I now love you.
14/08/2012 at 15:02 Obc says:
you sir, have won the internet. congratulations. you possibly cannot achieve a grander feat.
14/08/2012 at 12:22 AJ_Wings says:
I think people should pay attention to this section of the first page:
* Bitte beachten Sie die Quellen: Aussteller, Gamesmedien, Internet, Foren, Blogs. Angaben ohne Gewähr.
* Vereinzelt werden Spiele ausschließlich in business area für Fachpublikum vorgestellt.
Courtesy of google translate:
* Please note the sources. Exhibitors, games media, internet forums, blogs No responsibility.
* Chance Games are exclusively in business area presented for trade visitors.
Could be fake.
14/08/2012 at 12:24 thepaleking says:
“We are very pleased to announce, here at gamescom, the release of the Half-Life Trilogy. Combining the original Half-Life, Half-Life 2, and the episodes into a single package, updated with HD graphics and facebook integration. Thank you, bitches.”
14/08/2012 at 12:25 Maldomel says:
I don’t believe it. Or rather, I’ll keep my skepticism around me like a cloak till it’s confirmed (or not).
14/08/2012 at 12:25 Visualante says:
Welp, no Dota or CS:GO listed. Can only assume this is a joke.
14/08/2012 at 12:28 Surlywombat says:
They also list “Fifa 13″ .. like that is gonna happen!
14/08/2012 at 12:29 Squirrelfanatic says:
“Gameforge AG – AION”. AION?
14/08/2012 at 12:30 Lambchops says:
I love John’s continuing dedication at refusing to name “that magazine.” Gloriously childish, but I’d watch out for one of their employees sneaking up behind him and giving him a wedgie!
14/08/2012 at 12:47 LennyLeonardo says:
Maybe his mum reads this site and he doesn’t want her to know he’s aware of “that magazine”.
We’re talking about Razzle, right?
14/08/2012 at 13:05 LukeNukem says:
The internet also thinks that the cover for “that magazine” could be GTA5
14/08/2012 at 12:31 Defiant Badger says:
Nonsense nonsense nonsense!
14/08/2012 at 12:32 Hypernetic says:
NOPE I REFUSE
14/08/2012 at 12:34 Lambchops says:
Glances at list;
WARFACE!
14/08/2012 at 12:38 LTK says:
LALALALALALALALALALA I CAN’T HEAR YOU
14/08/2012 at 12:39 CrookedLittleVein says:
This article just reminds me of Horrible Histories;
http://m.youtube.com/#/watch?desktop_uri=%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DSQAWSXPaOCc&v=SQAWSXPaOCc&gl=GB
14/08/2012 at 12:41 Milky1985 says:
Bet valve come on stage and say
“Hello all. Yes we are working on Half Life 3, we don’t have anything to show you but we thought you would want to know.
Now go away and stop asking us about it”
14/08/2012 at 12:42 Flit says:
Lombardi sez no games to be announced: http://lambdageneration.com/posts/valve-to-reveal-new-unannounced-game-at-gamescom-2012/
14/08/2012 at 12:47 Eddy9000 says:
Apparently the death rate rises between January and February because the elderly and infirm will themselves to hold onto life long enough to see another Christmas. I wonder if there will be a similar phenomenon after the Half Life 3 release as a multitude of now elderly gamers slip away with a satisfied smile on their lips…
14/08/2012 at 12:48 TheApologist says:
This is it. It’s going to happen. The planets are aligned.
Next gen console specs are pretty much locked in, source 2 is coming, and Valve is pushing Steam onto Linux. Half-Life 3 is their machine to drive forward on all these fronts.
I can feel a good moon rising…
(And just like astrology, none of this means anything of course, other than I want it to be true, so leave me along to my rocking in a chair)
14/08/2012 at 13:12 Sakkura says:
There is a bathroom on the right.
14/08/2012 at 12:49 B_E says:
Hi there from germany, just registered to quote this from the document:
Translated as: Please mind the sources: Exhibitors, media, internet, forums, blogs. No guarantee.
This is simply marketing and guessing.
14/08/2012 at 12:55 DiamondDog says:
The whole ‘fabric of time and space’ thing. Yep, that one. Definitely.
14/08/2012 at 12:57 Knightley4 says:
Yeeeah, about that magazine… http://i.imgur.com/XBxpu.png
14/08/2012 at 13:08 The Hammer says:
UNLESS: for once they haven’t got an exclusive.
Ahahaha, yeah, right. :(
14/08/2012 at 12:58 Snegletiss says:
My heart. It’s beating faster.
14/08/2012 at 12:58 cunningmunki says:
There’s certainly been a lot of Valve activity recently; the movie maker, the Steam non-game releases, the TF2 co-op release, the indications of a Source 2 engine, the Steam ‘Hubs’, even Gabe’s comments about Windows 8 received a ridiculous amount of press.
Maybe, juuuuuuuust maybe, their PR machine is gearing up for something big.
14/08/2012 at 13:04 Hazzard65 says:
What’s Half Life 3?
14/08/2012 at 19:30 SuperNashwanPower says:
The time taken for exactly half the silliness of that comment to decay.
Which is about 4 x 10^62 years
14/08/2012 at 13:04 MOKKA says:
I would like them to not announce the game and simply release it one day. There’s already so much hype going on that they don’t need any more advertisement for it anyway. Besides, it would fit.
14/08/2012 at 13:06 mandrill says:
T3 is owned by Gamestop? We are talking ’bout the same T3 aren’t we? The gadget porn mag that I used to get until it depressed the hell out me by continually telling me I had to get the latest gadget that I couldn’t afford. (I still drool over Nautilus Speakers…)
I though T3 was a Future publication…
14/08/2012 at 13:10 The Hammer says:
John means Game Informer, not T3. Confusing if you don’t know RPS’s beef with GI’s exclusivity obsession.
14/08/2012 at 16:55 PoLLeNSKi says:
If it makes you feel any better, the top of the range Nautilus’ (the shell-ey looking ones) don’t even sound that good for the money. It’s very rare you’ll ever see a pair of them plugged in, even at a B&W trade show because they’re purely something for the looks…
The lower range (boring looking) ones sound okish for half the money of the signature, but if I did have that kind of money to spank on loudspeakers I’d be going for some Quad electrostatics and a pair of separate subwoofers to go with em :)
14/08/2012 at 13:06 BenLeng says:
City Bus Simulator München!?!?! OMG! FINALLY!
What is this HalfLife you’re talking about?
14/08/2012 at 13:07 elfbarf says:
The Game Informer cover story turned out to be a “big reveal” of Black Ops 2 Multiplayer, nothing related to HL3.
http://i.imgur.com/VaVcm.jpg
14/08/2012 at 13:10 Jerakal says:
It’s more likely now than ever, what with the Source 2 speculation and Team Fortress 2 featuring some suspicious new imagery.
14/08/2012 at 13:26 Hoaxfish says:
eurogamer are reporting it was a mistake: http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2012-08-14-gamescom-claims-half-life-3-and-dragon-age-3-will-be-at-show
14/08/2012 at 13:33 Tei says:
I have already played Half Life. It was good. Now I would wellcome new characters and stories, like Portal.
Plus Half-Life is history now. Playing HL now would be like stealing a weapon from a museum.
14/08/2012 at 15:08 EPICTHEFAIL says:
Stealing a weapon from a museum, you say? Rescuing it, more like. It doesn`t really belong there, after all. Not unless you trust Harrison Ford`s word over that of a random guy on the internet.
14/08/2012 at 17:07 gwathdring says:
There are a number of weapons I’d be tempted to steal from a museum.
But then I’d realize … replicas can function properly. Museum pieces are actually old. Stealing weapons from a museum is a good way to end up hospitalized.
14/08/2012 at 17:11 gwathdring says:
Possilby, as epic suggests, becasue of a nutter in a Fedora.
14/08/2012 at 13:36 MadTinkerer says:
But we already have the Machine vs. Mann update, featuring G(Ray)Man(n). That…
That’s not what they’ve been working on this whole time?
14/08/2012 at 13:44 lofaszjoska says:
You know, you could really be a bit more discreet about using lambdas and number threes in the headlines of a news post. Now i let out a three second ‘whaaat’ in a library for nothing.
14/08/2012 at 13:56 Eukatheude says:
It seems like Valve asked to put HL3 on the list, and shortly thereafter to remove it.
14/08/2012 at 13:56 Retroflex says:
While Eurogamer is reporting it as a “mistake”, Lambda Generation updated their article saying the Gamescom staff informed them that “Valve had previously requested that Half-Life 3 appear on that listing, but apparently, “just a few minutes ago”, Valve requested that HL3 be removed from that list.”
I don’t know what to believe anymore :( .
14/08/2012 at 15:10 EPICTHEFAIL says:
Insert Trololol song here.
14/08/2012 at 13:57 woodsey says:
You know when I saw the “Guess what!” of the update there was a brief stirring in my genital region.
Le sigh.
14/08/2012 at 15:28 GameCat says:
They just simply say: “We re working on HL3 right now. We will show you first screen in 2014″
14/08/2012 at 16:11 Kein says:
I can’t stop laughing. All I can do lately is to laugh at all this madness.
14/08/2012 at 17:38 Donjo says:
IT’S NOT FUNNY AAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHH
14/08/2012 at 16:57 lijenstina says:
Dr. Gordon Freeman – A case study on alien anatomy : facial injuries inflicted by metallic tools and gravitational manipulation – volume Three
14/08/2012 at 17:13 gwathdring says:
The best move Valve could possibly pull now would be to announce April 1st 2013 as the release date of Half Life 3, and actually release the game then. Unfortunately, all of these shenanigans come about because they haven’t actually made the game and might well not plan to. Oh well. Comedy has other venues.
14/08/2012 at 18:08 Dextro says:
So no new games says valve but they do have something to show. The intro video do Sony’s conference just showed a “Portal 2: InMotion” logo.