Its okay, Im sure Valve will come out with a VR only Half Life 3 so Gabe can do another interview with no shoes in new zealand like he did last launch xD
What makes this even more significant is that this has been paraphrased before, by Sean Murray. He was in the crossroads on whether he should move on to a next project or stay and fix No Man's Sky and he said someone from Valve quoted that line and told him to finish the game. Gabe Newell may be the person who got Hello Games to make NMS the success it is now.
50:36 Harry hiding his daughter's portrait in some random destroyed office and John later securing it in the protagonist's personal locker was very lovely. Rather than serving some dark dramatic connotation, she's protected by the main hero Harry could identify with. Quite touching and thoughtful gesture.
A thing about these older games I love is that whenever you see some random photos of people on a wall as setdressing it 10/10 guarantee family photos of the devs, something that reminds you the game was made with genuine passion.
@@GaomonAndLucarioParticularly with the huge period of time that Gordon was trapped by the G-Man. This child he presumably cared about grew up (well, hopefully anyway) never getting to know him.
@@self-proclaimedanimator I suppose it helps he had played music before but its really such a unique instance where someone truly is really good at making something.
Exactly what I thought, makes sense why all the sound is perfect. It's because it was made only by one guy, one mind, one vision. And he f******g nailed it!
@@Vektor.666 A lot of it was sound fx and beats from CD compilations but sampled and edited in fitting manner for HL. Just to be clear it wasn't all from scratch
The sound effects were so iconic you can still recognize them TO THIS DAY! The fact that this was all done by one person is simply incredible. The gun sounds, reloading, creature effects, crowbar…. It’s all just so incredible.
I'll have to add that that was true for games, until Steam hit the market - nowadays bad games can bounce back from the suck, assuming the studio will double down in their effort on improving the game. See Terraria (which wasn't bad, but kinda basic when 1.0 released), No Man's Sky, or Cyberpunk 2077. Before Steam, that 'formula' was _definitely_ true.
@@NostraDavid2 But you can't be a fresh brand studio consisting of a bunch of people who never worked on a single released game, release an unfinished game and expect people to just buy the game when it's ready. Also even for huge studios releasing a broken game will take away the trust from your fans, it's a stain you can't remove with an update patch as much as you try.
Long long ago, I remember someone drawing a distinction between "realistic" and "authentic". Usually you don't want literal realism. What you want is for the game to feel cohesive and internally consistent. Portals aren't realistic. If we actually had portals like Aperture Science, it would mean free energy. BUT the portals in Portal have an internal logic that's almost entirely consistent across two games. It FEELS real, even though it isn't realistic. That's authenticity.
The trick to making a fun game is to ground it, but with liberty. Like Gabe said things that are super-realistic aren't necessarily fun, but the trick is to ground the game in enough believable reality, whilst keeping those core fictitious elements in place, that it allows you to suspend your disbelief. I often think about games like Mass Effect or Killing Floor; those games have ALOT of science fiction elements in them, but they're still fun, and grounded in a way that the world is believable, and relatable like you said above to its own internal logic. The internal logic is really what matters. There is definitely a niche space for hyper realistic games, but it doesn't have to be every one. Two different kinds of people who would play Half-Life I & II and someone who would play say ARMA or MS Flight Sim, and yet someone who would play Serious Sam and Duke Nukem, AND YET someone who would play Mario and Sonic are all looking for vastly different things, and as it should be.
I really really like this comment. Two other terms that I think can be extremely helpful when discussing ideas in this space are “verisimilitude” and “suspension of disbelief.” As a bit of a side-note, I’ve been trying to find a term that represents what I _wish_ “hyperrealistic” actually meant: rather than just being “very realistic,” it would be nice to have a term for something that is a clear and deliberate exaggeration of what’s actually realistic, in a way that ends up feeling more real than what’s actually real. I think this inherently comes up CONSTANTLY in art, across all sorts of different mediums, because it really gets at the heart of how we perceive things, and how an artist can or should or needs to represent something in order for it to seem real. I think that drawn caricature portraits of people’s faces are a good demonstration of this idea, in the sense that, by overemphasizing a person’s most recognizable features, the artist can create a face that obviously isn’t actually realistic, but in a strange way, the depiction is almost more recognizable than the actual person themselves. On that basis, the best term I’ve been able to come up with is “hyperreal caricature,” but I feel like that phrase has a connotation of accusing the described thing as being phoney in some way.
@@deadfr0g verisimilitude is just a pretentious word for the authenticity I was describing. Only Jordan Peterson fans and those who up vote their own comments would use it.
This is a philosophy that Miyamoto always espoused too. People misunderstood him when he talked about players not wanting “realism”. He was talking about suspension of disbelief. Very similar to the idea Gabe described here.
Valve actually looking back and celebrating how far they've come is unheard of. I want to see more of this Valve, who isn't afraid of celebrating their progress as a means of showing what time, hard work, and dedication gets you, and what that looks like along the way.
@TheFace89 I don’t want a heavy update because unlike everyone else, I’m aware that we already had it in august 2008. All I REALLY want is for valve to combat the bot crisis.
@@heavenandhello6629 Honestly we need another Heavy update simply because they said it was going to happen sometime after the Jungle Inferno and it never did. Heavy's also hugely lacking in options that change his playstyle compared to the other classes. Most people say Heavy is boring-- that needs to change!
@@DropsOfMars Well the only reason I think he’s boring is because his old stock minigun viewmodel from 2007-2014 is gone. We also need back every old detail that was shown in youtuber Crowbcat’s “tf2 2007 and now” video. And plus, we shouldn’t have any more major updates before the bot problem is solved. Because for example, even if we had a 2nd heavy update, people would just get turned off from it by the bots.
The remake Black Mesa is also amazing. Definitely did the original half life justice. And the remastered blue shift and soon to come opposing forces as well. So awesome
16:28 "If I go up to a wall and shoot it, to me it feels like the wall is ignoring me, I get a narcissistic injury when the wall ignores me" It's such a good way to describe it, but damn it sounds like Gaban is just losing to the wall.
I'm glad the original team came together to give this beautiful gift to the fans. Even if we wait a thousand years for Half Life 3, we are grateful for what they did.
To this day I still remember that visceral feel of the opening sequence in Half Life 1. The entire opening sequence was such an incredible experience I will never forget.
34:00 I remember playing this in 1998, I had my newly bought creative sound 5.1 system setup for my new pc. I have never experienced something so immersive before, it was unbelievable! Thank you for creating this experience for us!😊
And today quite a few games - even AAA - titles release without surround sound support and if you complain the headphonies/stereos tell you you're stupid because you're not playing in stereo?! Conan Exiles was missing it at launch but it got added later (I think / if I remember correctly). Valheim was release ~3,5 years ago and still doesn't support it even thou Unity does for at least ~10 years now. It's literally just flipping a few bits (half a byte at most) in one config file and I've tried to inform the devs about it but the mods won't let it through.
25:23 At the time that specific environment absolutely blew my mind. I vividly remember walking down that hallway for the first time, hearing the squeak of Gordon's shoes on the tiles and being gobsmacked at how realistic it was. Might not seem like a big deal compared to today's photorealistic environments, but back then it felt like a game from 10 years in the future.
I to remember this vibe of the game feeling way ahead of it's time, at the time of release. I can't recall any games in 1998 that pushed graphics so far except maybe Unreal 1 but HL still looked better with the level design and enemy interactivity. It was ahead of it's time in many ways, the first "modern" FPS. I remember things coming a year or two after which started to compete, like Undying, Deus Ex, Unreal Tournament, Sin. Really top tier graphics and/or gameplay for their years. But HL1 did it first and a year before.
listen to the abomination of the ada wong phone-in voice work on the resident evil 4 remake.... and making the ashley character look like an old granny? authenticity>technology and `messaging`
Valve, this new angle you’ve been going for, willingly being more open with your fans does not go unnoticed. Its a very good break from the radio silence of the recent past. Keep it up.
I want to give some love to Harry Teasly, working through crunch time on your team's biggest all or nothing project whilst also taking care of a newborn baby girl who had heavy special needs, so much was given by the entire team but I want to give a huge thank you to you and your family for giving a huge part of yourself to make something so life changing not only to you but the entire industry as a whole. My favorite video game of all time, one of my favorite pieces of story telling ever, and some of my favorite video game soundtracks ever. Thank you.
Getting to work on this sounds like such a life-changing experience. And even for those who weren't able to work on it, so many were touched just by playing it. Very glad this doc got made.
Back in 1998, I'd talk with a kid (loner/geek etc.) in my class now and then. He started telling me about a game that his older brother introduced him to and how it was the greatest game of all time. We were only 12 years old and I had stopped playing games a few years earlier, having moved onto other hobbies/interests. 3 years later, we actually became really good friends and he surprised me. He gave me a burned copy of Half-Life - the very game, he'd told me about 3 years prior. I asked him why he waited this long. He told me that the game was that special to him and didn't know whether I'd appreciate it at the time. When I got to play it, I realised what it meant. Half-life was, is and will always be one of my most treasured experiences as a child.
@@phoenixvance6642 They felt it was ready to release. You can't find all the problems with a smaller team of people. Sometimes you have to put something through its paces before you know what you need to improve upon or fix
@@Nitro2030ce true, has anyone here seen the meme "software tester walks into a bar"? it's a pretty good summary of what software testing is like you put in a bunch of weird inputs, make sure they all work then a normal user says one thing you didn't think of, and, as the meme says at the end, "the bar goes up in flames"
The fact that Valve made a major update, free sale and made this video all just for its birthday makes me happy on a level I cannot describe. Thank you Valve and the designers for making this legendary game.
My first job out of college was at Sierra as the assistant brand manager on Half-Life. This game was the starting point of my career and I look back at those days like it was yesterday. I can’t believe it has been 25 years. Where has the time gone?
@@MacenW Went on to be employee 11 or something at Gearbox, executive produced the original Borderlands ->Quit and started my own studio and ran that for 10 years (working on tons of games) ->Sold the studio to Zenimax and then rolled the studio into Bethesda Game Studios becoming a Studio Director there -> Got acquired by Xbox and shipped Starfield -> Just quit Bethesda and am starting a new studio to make an original game. It's been a hell of a 25-years.
Except they haven't shown up in mire then 5 years. But you can have a steam deck!!. So theres that. They need to finish half life. Im not giving them praise for shifting to a money making machine. They have enough resources to try amd fail. They just seem to lack the ambition or maybe talent at this point to craft a good story to finish free-mans story.
@@-redacted_by_youtube No, they just stopped making games. "Gamers" tend to focus on the games themselves, but very few people acknowledge the decade Valve spent building up steam and generally improving the PC Gaming space in the time that they didn't produce any video games. The modern Indie community only exists because of Valve and steam as the biggest example of this. Now they seem to be getting back into making games directly, but simultaneously Valve seems to be trying to further improve on the broader gaming industry by breaking the Windows monopoly(making tools for Linux to run most games). Basically, Valve stopped making games so they could become a benevolent monopoly, improving all of our experiences as gamers(I hate the way that sounds) in ways that we don't even know to acknowledge.
I really hope Valve does this type of documentary for some of their other games too in the future, I found this so incredibly interesting and would love to hear more stories like this
I'm fairly certain those games already have a dev commentary and while that doesn't replace this type of thing it would certainly be a reason for valve not to do it@@AlexashaG
I wanna hear the one how they stopped making games because it was easier and way faster to make money selling other peoples games, getting kids addicted to gambling, and loli games. Lots and lots of loli games
The sound design of Half-Life to this day remains absolutely iconic. I know people in the comments are singing praises already, but Kelly Bailey is an absolute genius. Here’s to 25 years (and more…soon…hopefully) of Half-Life!
Kelly Bailey is one of those creatives that actually touched my soul and affected me at a fundamental level. Thank you Kelly for making the amazing sounds that moved me.
@@DashMatinlike notch or markus persson who make Minecraft by himself and later create a huge Community also not sence its sense (not a police grammar)
I love half life. I only got into it because it was free near its 25 anniversary. i could be wrong, but i think one reason that it was so special and ground-breaking was that a lot of the devs were new to games, so they had no idea what they were limited by, but had some people who had some experience and could teach some more complex but common methods. another one thing that is so awesome about it is that for things like the sound, or monster AI, you don't play it and go "wow that's so cool". you just naturally accept it because of how real it feels, especially with the sound, then you realize later, "wow every time i moved in a silo it echoes and i didn't even fully realize that it just felt so normal". Its also the same with the character AI. you only fully realize how real and responsive it is later because it feels so real and you expect that because that is how reality is. it makes the world believable ,and the game so immersive.
The whole intro section was mind boggling at the time. I remember thinking "oh, this has RPG elements", because walking around just talking to people was such a foreign concept in FPSs at the time.
It's not everyday that an upstart studio suddenly redefines a genre. In fact, it's almost unheard of. Valve truly is the studio of innovators, and I am truly amazed at what they have accomplished, and cannot wait to see what the future holds.
@@susperdis You can't just exclude everything non-pc and say they haven't been doing anything. Specially now that they've just released a steam deck OLED.
“Late is just for a little while, suck is forever” when he said that’s not the company we want to be, it made me choke up because it shows how much they strived to be the best that they could be.
56:53 It must have been incredibly hard for Mr Teasley to be away from his daughter when she was so unwell, crunching on the game and not knowing if it would succeed. Im glad they included her picture in the game, where everyone can see it, and that Valve was able to support them.
@@tc8557nobody relishes being away from their (special needs) newborn and spouse during those precarious first months. The occasional distraction can be good, but crunching to release a game in time when you have a baby at home being fed through a tube? Nightmare scenario
That is INSANE! Even though they admit it themselves that xen was a bit undercooked, all the other parts are brilliant and the game itself is nothing short of a work of art
Survivorship bias. 95% of new businesses fail. The ones that don't are, by definition, extraordinary. You have to work hard and be lucky. Good on Valve for nailing both.
25:55 seeing the original textures for stuff is such a treat. I love seeing these super nostalgic pieces of blurry imagery in full resolution. Someone needs to find all of them and do a retexture mod.
@@HaraldQuakeit literally is the same but for a couple of minor changes (the biggest one being xen itself which i loved a lot more) and a newer source engine. Coming from a person who's spent 789 hours playing half life 1, its dlcs and its mods (not only singleplayer but also played sven coop for the sake of having fun in coop).
she had actually posted all the original textures 2 years prior to this, search up "TWHL Half-Life texture sources" and in the thread scroll till you find "MEGAupload mirror" and take a look!
When Half-Life came out, I was 7, and my older brother was 15. He didn't get a copy of the game at launch but sometime into 1999 he got a copy. I had watched him play games my entire life being an 8 year younger little brother. When he got Half-Life, I just remember watching him play it and it felt like a movie to me. The game is so fun, and the sound, environments, etc. was so good it just felt like being in the middle of this grand story. It blew our minds. He would play it over and over again and I would still watch him. Eventually games like TFC and Counter-Strike came out and we would play those together and I eventually beat Half-Life myself when I was maybe 12, shortly before Half-Life 2 came out. Then Half-Life 2 came out and I watched my brother again beat it a couple times and then I started playing it. Then we were playing TF2 together. We got really into the multiplayer mods as well. It went this way through high school with me and my friends ended up loving the games as well and we all played together. Then after Episode 3 never came and nothing new was coming out of the port, in combination with me getting older and having other interests, Half-Life faded away from me as an adult. Once in awhile I'd come back and play through every 2-3 years from Half-Life 1 to the end of Episode 2, on that giant cliff hanger and I would wonder if the game was dead. However, now I have two children, and they are obsessed with watching me play through these games, just like I did with my older brother. It's sowing the seeds for the appreciation for video games in general. We are almost through our entire playthrough, and they will get to unfortunately get left with the giant cliff hanger that is the end of Episode 2. That's why with the rumors coming out this year of Valve working on a Half-Life game doesn't seem to be a coincidence, will Half-Life 3 be to my kids what the original was to myself as a kid? It sort of feels like destiny if we do see a new Half-Life game within the next couple years. The game has always been more than just a video game to me. It's part of who I am. I'll be an old man someday and I'll fire up Half-Life and do a series playthrough every now and again. Its the only story driven single player game I have ever replayed. I am not sure why but the game is so fun even replaying it. Truly a masterpiece to this day.
If you are narcissistic control freak who does not listen to other people and who doesn’t care about fans then sure, your cult leader is a fucking genius, whatever weirdo!!!
@@SpikesSpikesSpikes 1. FFXV and car fuel. Meaningless mechanic added for realism that provides virutally nothing gameplay-wise. 2. GTA:SA/RDR2 character/horse maintenance. "Realism" forced upon players that once again brings nothing to the gameplay and only serves as a pacekiller 3. Most games, where equipment durability decreases while used. Listen, I get it - you want players to use different weapons. But this is a dumb mechanic - you can have Legendary Mythic PeePeePooPoo Sword made from Unbreakable DooDoo Steel, the sword that lore-wise survived 1 gazillion years of use by different heroes and when its your time to wield it, it starts to break when you kill 5 orcs.
It's nuts that Karen was the only one working on textures, that's awesome. They're all so iconic and ingrained in my brain after the 20+ years of playing/modding Half-Life and Half-Life derivative games, mainly in my formative years.
I'd say she influenced the final aesthetic of the game more than anyone, everything avoids being drab like quake or garish like doom. Visual aesthetics of HL1 massively hold up because of this.
@@kuklama0706 seems like i wasn't able to get inb4 someone had to make this comment relate to politics in some way. we get it. women deserve rights. women are humans too. and it's a horrible thing that some people don't agree. but it doesn't mean you should keep saying that on completely non-political comments.
Exactly, the first thing in their minds was the player's experience, and whether or not the game will be a good one that people will enjoy How much money the game will make them was the last thing on their minds. Nowadays it seems it's the first and only thing on the minds of most companies, and now almost everything is pretty much the same bland corporate slop. I'm just glad valve hasn't shifted away from their original mindset
This...defined my life 25 years ago. You sirs carry so much monumental weight in the way I still think to-date. Small efforts have rarely demanded such big results. I count amongst the honoured to both witness and appreciate your efforts, no salute would or could suffice. Thanks, is the best I can provide.
Valve made a big part of my high school/early college days. The HL series, TF2, and L4D/2 formed so many core memories for me. It's really cool to see these legends talk about how they made such a rich and innovative game.
Grew up with the Half-Life series, Counter-Strike and L4D/2. I still remember watching my best friend play HL2 and playing L4D/2 with my friends. Those times were so much fun!
To anybody involved in the game who reads this - THANK YOU. You created a masterpiece that changed video games at the time. So many great memories of the original Half Life.
Remember when during the 20th Anniversary of _Half-Life,_ Danny O'Dwyer couldn't get a single interview or even an email reply back from Valve for his NoClip documentary? Times have changed.
That 3 level demo CD that was released before the entire Half-life game, was the only version I played until 2004, when I purchased the full game with HL2. In fact, I played that demo version hundreds of times, discovered every flaw, every manner of play through, speed-running before I even knew this was a thing. I had no other games on the family computer besides the Journeyman Project Turbo, as my parents thought videogames would put viruses on the computer. I have so many good memories of the first 3 levels of Half-Life.
This was amazing, Valve casually dropping a 1-hour Documentary for the 25th Anniversary of the best game they have ever created is so heartwarming to see.
Discovering this as a kid was one of the best experiences of my life. It's sad to think how today there is so much more money, so much more processing power, and so many more software developers, but so much less heart.
That's what I felt as well. The games industry is completely different today, the way Half Life came together is totally unique. I don't think theres less heart in it these days. I think there are a lot more passionate and talented people in the industry now than there ever was, and actually making a game is much more accessible for those people today than it was in the past. The big AAA studios are going to pump out soulless games, but there are also a lot of small indie teams out there producing some incredible games that are full of heart. Outer Wilds, Hades, Hollow Knight to name a few.
@@Blazik3n99 I think there is less heart as a fraction of the whole, although the whole has indeed grown. And companies that made great things in the past are always at risk of being infected with the Moneyball virus and focus-group, HR-ified blandness. Watching Blizzard's evolution over the years has really hurt. I recently played Outer Wilds and I agree with you. That game really made me feel something. Not quite as much as Half Life did though.
The mega budgets in triple A games can be the thing that can cripple them as much as help them I guess. So much capital is at stake and games have got sooo comlpex that they sometimes have to play it safe as so much is at stake. Throw in some box ticking, a few loot boxes to squeeze your wallet even more, varying degrees of quality control on launch day, mandatory subscription services etc etc. Back when games were pressed on discs (or cartridges, floppys, tape etc), they had to be essentially water tight, *finished* code - none of this patch it later with multiple GB's worth of data. The thing I also miss is the whole, 'Here's the world, go explore and figure it out..' No dumb highlighted prompts, or arrows just literally telling you where to go. Half Life 1/2 was just a beautiful experience of quiet isolated exploration mixed with full on loud gun fights that was so contrasting but blended perfectly, and all while respecting your intelligence. If you got lost, then you just kept searching. Indie is where it's at for me - crazy ideas, fun, risks taken etc. That's not to say big budget games don't do this either or with less passion as they are all just creative people doing what they love, but I find the idea of Indie devs being the bedroom coder revival of the past. I love this and seeing the explosion of these is heart warming. I played through HL2 recently and It still holds up brilliantly. Yeah, it's a bit clunky here and there but the atmosphere and characters still hit you. I'd forgotten what a good voice performace that the Alyx artist gave - so much warmth in that voice and the ending got me all over again 😂
it s cause modern video game companies are laser focused on marketing. And subtelty does not advertise video games. It is grandiose pursuit. The bombastic orchestral music or intense ecstatic synth. This is like when Tchaikovsky hated the cannons in his music. Because in the end it shouldnt be about being grand and pointless, but human.
I had absolutely no time to watch this to the end...but I just did. Can't believe it's been 25 years already since that genre defining game blew me away...damn...
I remember going to Circuit City as a kid and heading to the PC gaming section. Games came in nice, book-sized boxes, often with a fold-out page to show a full-screen view of the game. I recall the orange cover of Diablo 2, the blue box of Age of Empires 2, the Orc on the cover of Warcraft 3, StarCraft, The Delta Force Games, Roller Coaster Tycoon, The Sims, and then Half-Life. I remember visiting my cousin's house and being deeply immersed in this first-person shooter like never before. Gaming was infused with heart and passion, but the most important aspect was its replayability. All the games I've listed are absolutely timeless.
My birthday is also November 19th. I was 14 when this game was released. I had the privilege of experiencing this amazing game the first year it was out..... It blew my mind back then and it still blows my mind to this day.
I get depressed going to stores nowadays and looking at the game sections. Hardly anything there. I used to buy a lot of PC games in the big cereal box sized packaging at Sam’s Club. I remember seeing such iconic games over all the years when they first came out. Now it’s all just a list online. My local circuit city is now an Ollie’s and it’s so weird putting myself in such a different setting of the same place I had so many deep memories of discovering games and movies and playing demos growing up. And now it’s like a part of me is gone now that it is gone as well. I rarely even go in my Best Buy anymore because I can still clearly picture how it all used to be laid out with the massive rows of games and all the demo TVs. Now there’s barely some console games and a bunch of in game currency digital cards.
I’m not sure why, but hearing all these old sounds from the game brings me back to some happy memories in the early 2000s. It was truly a different time on the internet and it’s bittersweet because it’ll never return to that time.
My mother worked in IT in the 90's. In 99 we got our first computer powerful enough to play games, and my first game, along with Diablo and Baldur's Gate, was Half-Life. What a revelation! 24 years later and I've had a life-long hobby that still brings me joy today.
@@NathanMc I think one of my mother’s coworkers might have suggested them to her! I’m not sure if knew to pick those particular games. Truth is I don’t even remember.
Karen Laur absolutely nailed the texture work, I couldn't imagine it any other way! All so perfectly Half Life and it all contributes to exactly the right atmosphere at the mixing point of Half Life's influences
Shoutout to Karen Laur for nailing that aesthetic. These massive, monolithic office/industrial complex type building materials/textures. Really made half-life feel a certain way. With the level and sound design, you get this very 90's professional white collar work environment vibes. I was so happy to hear The Mist was an inspiration, because I think the original HL has something so unique going for it.
I'm sure this sounds cliche, but the talent, risk-taking and humility of all of these people is incredible! I didn't play Half Life until much later, after Half Life 2, but I've been introducing my young sons to it in hopes of inspiring them with a sense of adventure. I hope they can appreciate it more over time, including the insane amount of dedication that went into making it. Thank you so much Valve!
🎵 Kelly Baily is a huge influence for me. His music is so unique, I really hope he comes back to work on future Valve projects. It's not the same without him. He makes the levels love and breath, almost like they are alive. Especially in Half Life 2 ❤
True. When I heard he left Valve it broke my heart. The audio team with alyx done a phenomenal, if not just as good of a job as Kelly even without him being present, but would love to see him come back.
I was 11 when HL came out. I remember begging my mum to get it for me for Christmas. She did, and It changed everything. To hear your dedication to the project and how much of your hearts and souls went into it, affirms so much to me. Thank you all so much for creating this perfect piece of art.
That sound designer is a god. Its just pure epic nostalgia. Also the texture lady. Incredible. Saw these sky boxes daily for years playing cs. I will never forgot the excitement of 10 year old me playing half life and tfc on 220 ping on a 56k Modem. Had a Huge influence on me. Half life 3 now
So many games have realistic sound design that perfectly takes advantage of 3d space. But is it catchy and iconic from an artistic standpoint? Not many games pull that off. Half life has some unforgettable sounds
At the time, I was under the M rated age to purchase Half-Life myself (17 years old). So I walked the box from Big Kmart electronics all the way to the front cash registers. Nervously paid, no age check! The pure joy was electric. This game still calms me with great memories. Thank you for this documentary.
The special needs child hit me hard... i can totally relate... my daughter is almost 4, bone marrow transplant, feeding tube in stomach, minimal sleep, constant vomiting... under weight.. the toughest thing i have gone trough in my life... everyday is a fight for survival... this just shows that we can make it, and should not give up.😢
Beyond their excellent, genre-defining games, I also appreciate the way Valve operates as a company. Instead of being a soulless, corporate development mill, Valve is to this day a collection of people who are there because they love what they're doing. They aren't forced to churn out annual slop to make the line go up for the investors. Their creative process isn't constantly derailed by corporate ghouls, afraid to take risks because the line might go up less. Valve is an equal, democratic workplace free of corporate pressure, where artists can truly practice their craft. As a result, they've revolutionized FPS games three times already, with Half-life 1, 2 and Alyx. I just wish they finally figured out what's between 2 and 4.
*Saying thank you would not be enough.* Such a risky decision resulted not only in a revolutionary work for the gaming industry, but also in a dear childhood memory for many of us. Anyway, thank you, Valve.
It's kinda insane that just those guitar notes in the intro immediately pull you back into that Half-Life universe. I don't know how it's possible that some games are able to give you that insane atmosphere that sticks with you forever, Half Life definitely does, that's for sure.
And the Valve theme, to me the most iconic soundtrack ever. I'm instantly 12 years old again when ever I hear that theme playing. Along with many sounds from the game itself of course. This game is one of my fondest memories from my childhood. Just wish people from today could feel the experience it was playing Half Life back then. Something truly special.
I think for evolutionary reasons, the brain is very good at associating certain sensory "inputs" (especially smell, but sound is almost as powerful) with certain experiences. Lots of game soundtracks (whether music tracks or sound FX) can make me nostalgic, but HL and The Elder Scrolls are the only game series whose music causes that much deeper response, almost like your whole system just knows it's something important to you for completely emotional/psychological reasons but not concrete ones. I mean, a smell reminding you of grandma's baking isn't just about abstract things like family/love but also tasty food, which is very much a concrete thing. Point being, HL is incredible on every level.
yeah thats because they have some busy years in front of them. with cs2. potientialy a portal 3 or left 4 dead 3 ? they HAVE to be there for their fans.
which was a huge mistake on their part. they should have released the game with a new operation and all the maps.... not with missing trains and cache and cobblestone lol@@saricubra2867
1998, I was 22 and had just bought a PC to start experimenting with music production. I bought Half-Life not knowing anything about it. I hadn’t played computer games for years, my last system, an Amiga. Half-Life blew my mind, it felt like the game I’d been waiting for. I was hooked.
I turned 21 in Nov 1998. I played the game in 99 on my brothers computer, a Diamond Voodoo 2 card. I think I had sold my own computer. I was hooked. You just couldnt put down the game. It was so revolutionary. Quake 2 was also great, but Half Life just made a milestone leap forward in first person shooters. Then came the mod counter strike. The rest is history.
My birthday is also November 19th. I was 14 when this game was released. I had the privilege of experiencing this amazing game the first year it was out..... It blew my mind back then and it still blows my mind to this day.
Same story here, turned 18 in 1998, I came from the Amiga platform making music and saw this game with a friend. I was hooked instantly. Still am, also my kids (20 & 17) now playing HL Alyx and waiting for the next one.
The way Gabe talks about what "fun" really is, like whacking the wall with a crowbar and seeing a hole appear, reminds me a whole lot of Miyamoto talking about Mario's movement (in SM64 especially) and the joy of just moving around and interacting with things. It's the moment-to-moment stuff. As a level designer who has become a little bit disillusioned with the games industry lately, hearing all these people express such genuine passion for games and a clear understanding of what players actually enjoy, renews my hope for being able to find/start my own Valve/Nintendo one day. Also big props to Karen Laur, I've always loved the textures and photoscans of HL1 (the office environments especially; the transition from metal corridors and grates to wood panelling and kitschy carpet is very System Shock 1 to me), and learning that they were made by just one person is very, very impressive! Edit: not to pile onto an already overly long comment, but listening to Dave Riller is also so inspiring. The idea of building your spaces around your enemies so that they can shine (and function as reliably as possible) instead of building the areas first and sprinkling enemies on top is something I see modern games struggle with to this day, but Riller clearly figured it out about 26 years ago, from what it sounds like.
It was really refreshing to hear someone who has made games say "I play games to have fun, not for realism." I don't think I'm quoting him exactly, but some people need to hear that.
90's kid here. Half Life is one of the best games ever made. And it's one of my favorites to this day. It's not about the nostalgia, it's about how amazingly innovative and entertaining it is. I grew up to be a physicist influenced by sci-fi movies, books and games. And Half Life was definitely the most important one. I hope I never get to work in a research facility such as Black Mesa (Unless I find out that I'm able to run around and shoot as good as Dr. Freeman!) Edit: Forgot to say this: Also, Portal was as influential to my 16yo bro as Half Life was to me. He's stuydying to become a game developer thanks to games like Portal. You've been inspiring generations! Thank you, Valve!
This could not have come at a more oppurtune time. Literally writing a presentation on half-life and its impact for my game design degree. Thank you valve for this gem
It is true for that era. Sadly, now the patches and updates have become a crutch for developers. It is noticeable, so many developers rely on future patches nowadays. Back in the day it was like the World Cup in Football, one chance every 4 years. Now, it is like the Super Bowl, comes around every year. easy.
56:20 hey sir I as a player who finished half life a dozen times, I have seen your daughter's portrait quite a few times along my playthroughs and I feel touched by her condition. I have been for 22 years now the elder brother of a 20ish yo boy that is mentally stuck at 2yo, since birth. It has affected me and my family but we managed. That's all I just felt the need to say we are grateful to you, and the whole rest of the team, for giving us such a sensational game that forged me and connects me and my dad to this day
Watching this you realize a few key points: First, Valve learned how to make a game by working independent minds into a nondescript direction and then using that artistic and genius base as a launchpad for something resembling a scenically basic immersive environment. As such, sound played one of the most important roles and key to the experience. Arguably, the sound engineering is still - imho - the most important aspect of its' success. Secondly, Valve didn't just make a documentary about how Half-Life was made but simply just gave away for free, describing the template for any game, of any genre, time period, etc.....THAT WOULD STILL WORK.
Valve is like a boxer with 2 belts, they’re loved and are one of the best to ever do it. Only to get stifled by the success and money that came with it. Valve should be the one that creates THE age defining multiplayer VR Game. Look how old they are now, it’s not in them anymore. Just like every great artist there comes a time where you don’t have anymore to give. But Atleast what they gave us was generational.
@@biggpapaclaybro wdym they updated half life and all the half life mods on steam to all have the same support as the new HL1 update. they are recurrently working on games now. not just hardware. they are actually talking to us which they don't do much. I think the phase of silence is gone for now
@@biggpapaclay valve is about the only company that's released a triple A VR game. they also are the CREATORS OF COUNTER STRIKE the biggest multiplayer shooter of all time
@@biggpapaclay VR is a gimmick just like the Wiimotes, the Zapper Gun, 3D TV's, Smellovision, 3D glasses (the 1950's craze and the post Avatar craze), the Power Glove, Rock Band, Guitar hero, the Kinect, Cinemascope, and a million other long forgotten inventions.
Valve i just wanna thank you from the bottom of my heart for the years of fun and memories ,we love you and hoping to see new half-life series at least a remaster❤️
Harry Teasly's story really hit me in the feels. I always remembered that little baby in the picture, even while I was playing the game, hoping that Gordon will make it out alive to see her. So glad to know that picture belonged to such a loverly girl, and now she's immortalized on such a remarkable game. I salute you Harry, and the entire talented Valve team as well.
The late 90’s, early 2000’s were a magical time for gaming. So much innovation, top tier games and the first attempts at immersive storytelling makes this period so immensely fascinating. To me, Half-Life was one of those pioneers and a landmark game for this development. Love everything about. Thank you, Valve developers!
Dropping a 1 hour long documentary without any announcements or anything for it is the most Valve thing i've ever seen
I guarantee you that Half-Life 3 will just show up on Steam one day without any announcement or marketing whatsoever.
@@wta1518that would break the fucking internet
Edit: why did my comment get zero likes lol
@@wta1518ffs i hope so. my grandkids will still be waiting for that game.
Its okay, Im sure Valve will come out with a VR only Half Life 3 so Gabe can do another interview with no shoes in new zealand like he did last launch xD
@@wta1518 i mean does it need marketing at this point?
"here it is"
in a hour it probably gonna shut down the internet
25 years and Valve comes out of nowhere with an HOUR LONG documentary. Nice one
Да
classic valve move tbf
Just like everything
Oh yeah they also made Half Life free for a limited time
@@StevieOk-hr8yhI've heard it was a visual bug and no one could get it.
"Late is for a little while, suck is forever" - Gaben. Man I love this guy, why can't all game studios have this man.
What makes this even more significant is that this has been paraphrased before, by Sean Murray.
He was in the crossroads on whether he should move on to a next project or stay and fix No Man's Sky and he said someone from Valve quoted that line and told him to finish the game.
Gabe Newell may be the person who got Hello Games to make NMS the success it is now.
@@StrikeWarlock That's so awesome! Gaben really was years ahead of his time...
isn't this basically the shigeru miyamoto quote
Yeah but… he made me pay 7$ for a hat i don’t use
that's actually copied from Nintendo's CEO
50:36 Harry hiding his daughter's portrait in some random destroyed office and John later securing it in the protagonist's personal locker was very lovely. Rather than serving some dark dramatic connotation, she's protected by the main hero Harry could identify with. Quite touching and thoughtful gesture.
A thing about these older games I love is that whenever you see some random photos of people on a wall as setdressing it 10/10 guarantee family photos of the devs, something that reminds you the game was made with genuine passion.
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I mean it kinda serves as dark dramatic connotation when you travel to the sequel and see what happened to the world...
@@GaomonAndLucarioParticularly with the huge period of time that Gordon was trapped by the G-Man. This child he presumably cared about grew up (well, hopefully anyway) never getting to know him.
Thank you Valve for one of the defining games of my life. This documentary was wonderful.
Vine my man!!
Half life rly was built different. judging from this documentary they knew that the whole time
Thank you for providing many great live streams of this game.
damn right
hi vinesas
Kelly Bailey doing all of the sound, music, and helping design levels. What an insanely talented guy, and the music is forever iconic.
And he never wrote a soundtrack before Halflife
Like wot?
@@self-proclaimedanimator I suppose it helps he had played music before but its really such a unique instance where someone truly is really good at making something.
And he knew 0 music making knowledge pre HalfLife, this guy is legendary at music making and didn't know anything.
Exactly what I thought, makes sense why all the sound is perfect. It's because it was made only by one guy, one mind, one vision. And he f******g nailed it!
@@Vektor.666 A lot of it was sound fx and beats from CD compilations but sampled and edited in fitting manner for HL. Just to be clear it wasn't all from scratch
Valve actually acknowledging their past is crazy to see
Rockstar fans:....
I think its because it's a good past unlike so many other software companies.
Why? Out of all the big companies today, Valve has a lot more reason to look back and be proud of how far they've come.
@@asagudaBecause they haven't published an original IP in over 11 years.
Every time they release something Half-Life related my heart sinks a little
It’s so surreal seeing the iconic textures as REAL images
Yea, the monsters, specially all those that didn't get into the game and everything else changing over time.
I've lived in Eastern Washington for 10 years now, felt pulled to the area, because black mesa might as well be out here imo.
Its good for the immersion when the artist draw inspiration from the real world and only add minor touches to set their work apart :)
@mewkatlol black mesa is Nevada or new Mexico
The game was designed to be fun, and it still is
god damn RIGHT
So is they planning to release 3.0?
Most games are designed to be fun
@@Oscaragiousnot anymore yakhi
@@JesusChrist_Denton That's a slight to most indie devs.
The sound effects were so iconic you can still recognize them TO THIS DAY! The fact that this was all done by one person is simply incredible. The gun sounds, reloading, creature effects, crowbar…. It’s all just so incredible.
dude's a genius that's for sure!
a good chunk of it is outright pulled from commercial sound libraries. what ended up in the game is heavily modified, but still...
yeah especially the scientist sound
there are still game released today, 25 years later where the guns sound weak / like shit. Satisfying gun sounds is essential to a FPS.
I was crapping my pants as a teenager when I heard that Houndeye sound effect for the first time.
"late is for a little while, suck is forever" - Gabe N. Proven formula, thank you for making such great games.
It was well worth the weight.
I'll have to add that that was true for games, until Steam hit the market - nowadays bad games can bounce back from the suck, assuming the studio will double down in their effort on improving the game. See Terraria (which wasn't bad, but kinda basic when 1.0 released), No Man's Sky, or Cyberpunk 2077.
Before Steam, that 'formula' was _definitely_ true.
@@NostraDavid2 But you can't be a fresh brand studio consisting of a bunch of people who never worked on a single released game, release an unfinished game and expect people to just buy the game when it's ready. Also even for huge studios releasing a broken game will take away the trust from your fans, it's a stain you can't remove with an update patch as much as you try.
Explains why we don’t have HL3 yet
what if late IS forever... *cough* hl3 *cough*
Long long ago, I remember someone drawing a distinction between "realistic" and "authentic".
Usually you don't want literal realism. What you want is for the game to feel cohesive and internally consistent. Portals aren't realistic. If we actually had portals like Aperture Science, it would mean free energy. BUT the portals in Portal have an internal logic that's almost entirely consistent across two games. It FEELS real, even though it isn't realistic. That's authenticity.
The trick to making a fun game is to ground it, but with liberty. Like Gabe said things that are super-realistic aren't necessarily fun, but the trick is to ground the game in enough believable reality, whilst keeping those core fictitious elements in place, that it allows you to suspend your disbelief. I often think about games like Mass Effect or Killing Floor; those games have ALOT of science fiction elements in them, but they're still fun, and grounded in a way that the world is believable, and relatable like you said above to its own internal logic. The internal logic is really what matters. There is definitely a niche space for hyper realistic games, but it doesn't have to be every one. Two different kinds of people who would play Half-Life I & II and someone who would play say ARMA or MS Flight Sim, and yet someone who would play Serious Sam and Duke Nukem, AND YET someone who would play Mario and Sonic are all looking for vastly different things, and as it should be.
I really really like this comment. Two other terms that I think can be extremely helpful when discussing ideas in this space are “verisimilitude” and “suspension of disbelief.”
As a bit of a side-note, I’ve been trying to find a term that represents what I _wish_ “hyperrealistic” actually meant: rather than just being “very realistic,” it would be nice to have a term for something that is a clear and deliberate exaggeration of what’s actually realistic, in a way that ends up feeling more real than what’s actually real.
I think this inherently comes up CONSTANTLY in art, across all sorts of different mediums, because it really gets at the heart of how we perceive things, and how an artist can or should or needs to represent something in order for it to seem real. I think that drawn caricature portraits of people’s faces are a good demonstration of this idea, in the sense that, by overemphasizing a person’s most recognizable features, the artist can create a face that obviously isn’t actually realistic, but in a strange way, the depiction is almost more recognizable than the actual person themselves.
On that basis, the best term I’ve been able to come up with is “hyperreal caricature,” but I feel like that phrase has a connotation of accusing the described thing as being phoney in some way.
@@deadfr0g verisimilitude is just a pretentious word for the authenticity I was describing. Only Jordan Peterson fans and those who up vote their own comments would use it.
This is a philosophy that Miyamoto always espoused too. People misunderstood him when he talked about players not wanting “realism”. He was talking about suspension of disbelief. Very similar to the idea Gabe described here.
Well put
Valve actually looking back and celebrating how far they've come is unheard of. I want to see more of this Valve, who isn't afraid of celebrating their progress as a means of showing what time, hard work, and dedication gets you, and what that looks like along the way.
I hope they come back to Team Fortress 2 again in 2027 for the game’s 20th anniversary.
Bro if you want heavy update you can just say it lol, kinda preaching to the choir
@TheFace89 I don’t want a heavy update because unlike everyone else, I’m aware that we already had it in august 2008. All I REALLY want is for valve to combat the bot crisis.
@@heavenandhello6629 Honestly we need another Heavy update simply because they said it was going to happen sometime after the Jungle Inferno and it never did. Heavy's also hugely lacking in options that change his playstyle compared to the other classes. Most people say Heavy is boring-- that needs to change!
@@DropsOfMars Well the only reason I think he’s boring is because his old stock minigun viewmodel from 2007-2014 is gone. We also need back every old detail that was shown in youtuber Crowbcat’s “tf2 2007 and now” video. And plus, we shouldn’t have any more major updates before the bot problem is solved. Because for example, even if we had a 2nd heavy update, people would just get turned off from it by the bots.
one hour documentary on a video game 25 years old... unannounced and almost 2 million views in three days.
THAT'S how good Half Life was and is.
The remake Black Mesa is also amazing. Definitely did the original half life justice. And the remastered blue shift and soon to come opposing forces as well. So awesome
three did you say three? half life 3 confirmed
And 12000 comments. Even the number of comments is an impressive stat, it's disproportionately high considering view count.
I've never played it and still never will.
@@neyaneya5554 really sorry for you 🤷
It would be so cool to see a documentary like this on Half-Life 2
Hopefully for its 20th anniversary next year!
It would cool if we could see a Half-Life 3 documentary.
Don’t count on it
Half Life 2 E3 demo from 2003 is still crazy. People were watching the future.
Just gotta wait another 6 years
16:28 "If I go up to a wall and shoot it, to me it feels like the wall is ignoring me, I get a narcissistic injury when the wall ignores me" It's such a good way to describe it, but damn it sounds like Gaban is just losing to the wall.
Gaban
Gaban
Gaban
Gaban
Gaban
Had I worked on the development of Half-Life, I'd be the proudest man alive. What an achievement. You guys are true inspiration.
I'm glad the original team came together to give this beautiful gift to the fans. Even if we wait a thousand years for Half Life 3, we are grateful for what they did.
Yeeeaahhh sell the immortality potion there bud. But yesone of the greats
AI will create every variation of half life 3 possible, for us, in about 30 years, so no need to wait thousands of years my guy.
Walking legends in the flesh.
Would have been great of they came together to finish the GODDAMN STORY!!!
we getting gta 6 trailer before half life 3
To this day I still remember that visceral feel of the opening sequence in Half Life 1. The entire opening sequence was such an incredible experience I will never forget.
So glad other people feel the same way. No game for me has EVER recreated that feeling that half-life gave me. Half-life 2 intro was similar.
34:00 I remember playing this in 1998, I had my newly bought creative sound 5.1 system setup for my new pc. I have never experienced something so immersive before, it was unbelievable! Thank you for creating this experience for us!😊
And today quite a few games - even AAA - titles release without surround sound support and if you complain the headphonies/stereos tell you you're stupid because you're not playing in stereo?!
Conan Exiles was missing it at launch but it got added later (I think / if I remember correctly).
Valheim was release ~3,5 years ago and still doesn't support it even thou Unity does for at least ~10 years now. It's literally just flipping a few bits (half a byte at most) in one config file and I've tried to inform the devs about it but the mods won't let it through.
25:23 At the time that specific environment absolutely blew my mind. I vividly remember walking down that hallway for the first time, hearing the squeak of Gordon's shoes on the tiles and being gobsmacked at how realistic it was. Might not seem like a big deal compared to today's photorealistic environments, but back then it felt like a game from 10 years in the future.
I to remember this vibe of the game feeling way ahead of it's time, at the time of release. I can't recall any games in 1998 that pushed graphics so far except maybe Unreal 1 but HL still looked better with the level design and enemy interactivity. It was ahead of it's time in many ways, the first "modern" FPS. I remember things coming a year or two after which started to compete, like Undying, Deus Ex, Unreal Tournament, Sin. Really top tier graphics and/or gameplay for their years. But HL1 did it first and a year before.
listen to the abomination of the ada wong phone-in voice work on the resident evil 4 remake.... and making the ashley character look like an old granny? authenticity>technology and `messaging`
@journeytosilius1 both Unreal and Half Life looked beautiful for me
Valve, this new angle you’ve been going for, willingly being more open with your fans does not go unnoticed. Its a very good break from the radio silence of the recent past. Keep it up.
they probably won't
3 is all I have to say.
"recent past" xD
Y'all really are some heavy dickriders, it's just a fucking video
TF2 community: Are you sure about that?
I want to give some love to Harry Teasly, working through crunch time on your team's biggest all or nothing project whilst also taking care of a newborn baby girl who had heavy special needs, so much was given by the entire team but I want to give a huge thank you to you and your family for giving a huge part of yourself to make something so life changing not only to you but the entire industry as a whole. My favorite video game of all time, one of my favorite pieces of story telling ever, and some of my favorite video game soundtracks ever. Thank you.
AMEN 🙏
Well said!
amazing guy
Right? As a father myself I really felt for him after he opened up about that. What a guy!
Getting to work on this sounds like such a life-changing experience. And even for those who weren't able to work on it, so many were touched just by playing it. Very glad this doc got made.
Back in 1998, I'd talk with a kid (loner/geek etc.) in my class now and then. He started telling me about a game that his older brother introduced him to and how it was the greatest game of all time. We were only 12 years old and I had stopped playing games a few years earlier, having moved onto other hobbies/interests. 3 years later, we actually became really good friends and he surprised me. He gave me a burned copy of Half-Life - the very game, he'd told me about 3 years prior. I asked him why he waited this long. He told me that the game was that special to him and didn't know whether I'd appreciate it at the time. When I got to play it, I realised what it meant. Half-life was, is and will always be one of my most treasured experiences as a child.
Absolutely agree.
gold comment
Same. But for me, I bought Half Life on day one. And to this day, it's still my favorite game of all time.
@@GOAWAY-e6m yeah we gay, keep scrollin
@@GOAWAY-e6mwhy are you self reporting
i love gabe's take "late is a short period, suck is forever" it really somewhat describes valve.
Steam deck and cs2 needed more time in the oven when they launched. The frequent uodates got the deck into a good place at least
@@phoenixvance6642 They felt it was ready to release. You can't find all the problems with a smaller team of people. Sometimes you have to put something through its paces before you know what you need to improve upon or fix
Look at CS2, valve changed their philisophy
Similarly "A delayed game is eventually good, but a rushed game is forever bad" (attributed to Miyamoto at Nintendo)
@@Nitro2030ce true, has anyone here seen the meme "software tester walks into a bar"?
it's a pretty good summary of what software testing is like
you put in a bunch of weird inputs, make sure they all work
then a normal user says one thing you didn't think of, and, as the meme says at the end, "the bar goes up in flames"
The fact that Valve made a major update, free sale and made this video all just for its birthday makes me happy on a level I cannot describe. Thank you Valve and the designers for making this legendary game.
Update?
What update M?
Update?
The fact that The fact that The fact that The fact that The fact that The fact that The fact that The fact that The fact that
Check your HL copies guys
"Closing Theme" that started playing after Gabe's "That's just how I am wired, right?" was definitely the icing on the cake.
Pure class.
I'll never forget going through the legendary train sequence when I got this game with my first computer in 1998. Thank you Valve.
hl2 was on my first pc. damn i know that feel bro
My first job out of college was at Sierra as the assistant brand manager on Half-Life. This game was the starting point of my career and I look back at those days like it was yesterday. I can’t believe it has been 25 years. Where has the time gone?
Waiting for Half Life 3 ofcourse
@@victorn1291 HLA post credits scene
What are you doing now?
@@MacenW Went on to be employee 11 or something at Gearbox, executive produced the original Borderlands ->Quit and started my own studio and ran that for 10 years (working on tons of games) ->Sold the studio to Zenimax and then rolled the studio into Bethesda Game Studios becoming a Studio Director there -> Got acquired by Xbox and shipped Starfield -> Just quit Bethesda and am starting a new studio to make an original game. It's been a hell of a 25-years.
Swallowed up when the G-man took us all as time hostages.
"Late is only for awhile, but suck is forever". You can tell they invested their hearts into their projects.
"Late is just for a little awhile. Suck is forever." -Lord GabeN
half life 3 might be coming just very late then?
I mean, it does show when you play through these games. Even today.
I feel like all of the original writers quitting is a sign that it's getting too late.
they'll find a way
hope they'll make a 20 years anniversary documentary about Half-Life 2.
I'm sure @dannyodwyer will
HALF LIFE THRÈEEEEEE
And they did.
@@M1cHuy i've already watched it, it was great
I hope you’ve watched it since its release. Honestly, makes me love and appreciate the game even more than I already did.
The sound effects in this game are second to none, truly genius work by Kelly Bailey
What struck me the most was how humble everyone was about their contributions to the game and the industry as a whole.
yes
engineers and creative people vs bragging entrepreneurs.
Valve is like that distant relative that shows up in your birthday every 5 years, but always brings the best gifts.
Except they haven't shown up in mire then 5 years. But you can have a steam deck!!. So theres that. They need to finish half life. Im not giving them praise for shifting to a money making machine. They have enough resources to try amd fail. They just seem to lack the ambition or maybe talent at this point to craft a good story to finish free-mans story.
@@-redacted_by_youtube Yeah, we can't argue that
@@MarcoAntonioColioGallardo lol Right?
@@-redacted_by_youtube No, they just stopped making games. "Gamers" tend to focus on the games themselves, but very few people acknowledge the decade Valve spent building up steam and generally improving the PC Gaming space in the time that they didn't produce any video games. The modern Indie community only exists because of Valve and steam as the biggest example of this. Now they seem to be getting back into making games directly, but simultaneously Valve seems to be trying to further improve on the broader gaming industry by breaking the Windows monopoly(making tools for Linux to run most games).
Basically, Valve stopped making games so they could become a benevolent monopoly, improving all of our experiences as gamers(I hate the way that sounds) in ways that we don't even know to acknowledge.
@@doctordoggo8604 ok cool. Where is half life 3!!!!?!?!?
This and the new documentary are super inspiring. What an absolute goldmine of information & insight for an aspiring developer. Thanks Valve!
I really hope Valve does this type of documentary for some of their other games too in the future, I found this so incredibly interesting and would love to hear more stories like this
Next year will be Counter-Strike's 25th anniversary.
Something big will happen.
@@OriginalPuromaybe... but I want Alyx!
Would be pretty dope to see docs on left 4 dead and portal, what they used as inspirations n stuff.
I'm fairly certain those games already have a dev commentary and while that doesn't replace this type of thing it would certainly be a reason for valve not to do it@@AlexashaG
I wanna hear the one how they stopped making games because it was easier and way faster to make money selling other peoples games, getting kids addicted to gambling, and loli games. Lots and lots of loli games
The sound design of Half-Life to this day remains absolutely iconic. I know people in the comments are singing praises already, but Kelly Bailey is an absolute genius. Here’s to 25 years (and more…soon…hopefully) of Half-Life!
He is a master, he make a masterpiece of sound in HL, i listen almost every day to the OST of HL and the ambience. is amazing i love it.
sound design in games fell off hard, but half life was definitely peak
A big thank you to the sample CDs of that era too
Полностью с Вами согласен, это половина моей любви к ХЛ
Kelly Bailey is one of those creatives that actually touched my soul and affected me at a fundamental level. Thank you Kelly for making the amazing sounds that moved me.
I can't believe all the textures were created by one person and all the sounds and music were created by one person. That's pretty incredible.
Yea crazy, huge talents.
well it makes sence tbh for that stuff to be done by 1 person props to them
The music in Half Life is amazing, especially 'Nuclear Mission Jam' and the main theme.
@@DashMatinlike notch or markus persson who make Minecraft by himself and later create a huge Community also not sence its sense (not a police grammar)
i make music a bit of textures and sounds for my game, it gives me life literally
I love half life. I only got into it because it was free near its 25 anniversary. i could be wrong, but i think one reason that it was so special and ground-breaking was that a lot of the devs were new to games, so they had no idea what they were limited by, but had some people who had some experience and could teach some more complex but common methods. another one thing that is so awesome about it is that for things like the sound, or monster AI, you don't play it and go "wow that's so cool". you just naturally accept it because of how real it feels, especially with the sound, then you realize later, "wow every time i moved in a silo it echoes and i didn't even fully realize that it just felt so normal". Its also the same with the character AI. you only fully realize how real and responsive it is later because it feels so real and you expect that because that is how reality is. it makes the world believable ,and the game so immersive.
The whole intro section was mind boggling at the time. I remember thinking "oh, this has RPG elements", because walking around just talking to people was such a foreign concept in FPSs at the time.
It's not everyday that an upstart studio suddenly redefines a genre. In fact, it's almost unheard of. Valve truly is the studio of innovators, and I am truly amazed at what they have accomplished, and cannot wait to see what the future holds.
Not unheard of. Westwood, Blizzard and several others have redefined or created genres.
@@CoreusSymphonia They weren't upstart studios founded out of the dark, though. That's why they said it was almost unheard of.
they havent touched a relevant pc title since l4d2 theyre busy running their new hentai platform
They are the master of not screwing first sequels.
They have yet to make a second sequel
@@susperdis You can't just exclude everything non-pc and say they haven't been doing anything. Specially now that they've just released a steam deck OLED.
“Late is just for a little while, suck is forever” when he said that’s not the company we want to be, it made me choke up because it shows how much they strived to be the best that they could be.
They want to innovate videogames on every half life game launch and try to make all fans happy, you can see why half life 3 may take a life time 😅
still no third game tho, i sad@@scaydsods2844
cs2 cough cough
Came out BEFORE HL3@@ChopTactician
You have been fooled. They do not care.
I remember how surprised I was when I realised that I could move during the intro of the game. That's when I knew that this was something different.
56:53 It must have been incredibly hard for Mr Teasley to be away from his daughter when she was so unwell, crunching on the game and not knowing if it would succeed. Im glad they included her picture in the game, where everyone can see it, and that Valve was able to support them.
Always wondered who that baby was
actually it probably helped him get through it as he could focus on something productive he *could* do.
Hearing the story about his daughter really did made me feel sad
@@tc8557nobody relishes being away from their (special needs) newborn and spouse during those precarious first months. The occasional distraction can be good, but crunching to release a game in time when you have a baby at home being fed through a tube? Nightmare scenario
Yes, that was amazing! They made a game about aliens, but it was built on the best humanity has to offer.
Imagine starting a video game company with hardly any game developers on staff and then making Half-Life for your very first game.
That is INSANE! Even though they admit it themselves that xen was a bit undercooked, all the other parts are brilliant and the game itself is nothing short of a work of art
However, could you make a game like half life any other way?
Survivorship bias.
95% of new businesses fail. The ones that don't are, by definition, extraordinary.
You have to work hard and be lucky. Good on Valve for nailing both.
It's all passion and hardwork, something no gaming company today understands
@frostden especially lucky. there are many many hard workers out there with good ideas even, but they still don't make it.
25:55 seeing the original textures for stuff is such a treat. I love seeing these super nostalgic pieces of blurry imagery in full resolution. Someone needs to find all of them and do a retexture mod.
You haven't played Black Mesa? 😉
@@daedalus5070Black Mesa gameplay is worse than Half-Life's
@@HaraldQuakeit literally is the same but for a couple of minor changes (the biggest one being xen itself which i loved a lot more) and a newer source engine. Coming from a person who's spent 789 hours playing half life 1, its dlcs and its mods (not only singleplayer but also played sven coop for the sake of having fun in coop).
That lofi 90s digital camera aesthetic looks sick. 😌
she had actually posted all the original textures 2 years prior to this, search up "TWHL Half-Life texture sources" and in the thread scroll till you find "MEGAupload mirror" and take a look!
When Half-Life came out, I was 7, and my older brother was 15. He didn't get a copy of the game at launch but sometime into 1999 he got a copy.
I had watched him play games my entire life being an 8 year younger little brother. When he got Half-Life, I just remember watching him play it and it felt like a movie to me. The game is so fun, and the sound, environments, etc. was so good it just felt like being in the middle of this grand story. It blew our minds. He would play it over and over again and I would still watch him. Eventually games like TFC and Counter-Strike came out and we would play those together and I eventually beat Half-Life myself when I was maybe 12, shortly before Half-Life 2 came out.
Then Half-Life 2 came out and I watched my brother again beat it a couple times and then I started playing it. Then we were playing TF2 together. We got really into the multiplayer mods as well. It went this way through high school with me and my friends ended up loving the games as well and we all played together.
Then after Episode 3 never came and nothing new was coming out of the port, in combination with me getting older and having other interests, Half-Life faded away from me as an adult. Once in awhile I'd come back and play through every 2-3 years from Half-Life 1 to the end of Episode 2, on that giant cliff hanger and I would wonder if the game was dead.
However, now I have two children, and they are obsessed with watching me play through these games, just like I did with my older brother. It's sowing the seeds for the appreciation for video games in general. We are almost through our entire playthrough, and they will get to unfortunately get left with the giant cliff hanger that is the end of Episode 2.
That's why with the rumors coming out this year of Valve working on a Half-Life game doesn't seem to be a coincidence, will Half-Life 3 be to my kids what the original was to myself as a kid? It sort of feels like destiny if we do see a new Half-Life game within the next couple years.
The game has always been more than just a video game to me. It's part of who I am. I'll be an old man someday and I'll fire up Half-Life and do a series playthrough every now and again. Its the only story driven single player game I have ever replayed. I am not sure why but the game is so fun even replaying it. Truly a masterpiece to this day.
15:40 this has got to be the best speech on game design, ever
If you are narcissistic control freak who does not listen to other people and who doesn’t care about fans then sure, your cult leader is a fucking genius, whatever weirdo!!!
So many people, both consumers and game designers, have to listen to this. The modern obsession with realism sucks.
@@DrClock-il8ij name three games that have been hindered by excessive "realism"
@@SpikesSpikesSpikes 1. FFXV and car fuel. Meaningless mechanic added for realism that provides virutally nothing gameplay-wise.
2. GTA:SA/RDR2 character/horse maintenance. "Realism" forced upon players that once again brings nothing to the gameplay and only serves as a pacekiller
3. Most games, where equipment durability decreases while used. Listen, I get it - you want players to use different weapons. But this is a dumb mechanic - you can have Legendary Mythic PeePeePooPoo Sword made from Unbreakable DooDoo Steel, the sword that lore-wise survived 1 gazillion years of use by different heroes and when its your time to wield it, it starts to break when you kill 5 orcs.
@@roflixo but that is also inmersive. You don't have to play the games if the pace is that low, is your choice. There are games for everyone.
It's nuts that Karen was the only one working on textures, that's awesome. They're all so iconic and ingrained in my brain after the 20+ years of playing/modding Half-Life and Half-Life derivative games, mainly in my formative years.
I'd say she influenced the final aesthetic of the game more than anyone, everything avoids being drab like quake or garish like doom. Visual aesthetics of HL1 massively hold up because of this.
inb4 "women ruin everything" banter
@@kuklama0706 seems like i wasn't able to get inb4 someone had to make this comment relate to politics in some way. we get it. women deserve rights. women are humans too. and it's a horrible thing that some people don't agree. but it doesn't mean you should keep saying that on completely non-political comments.
WAMEN ruin good comment threads.@@totallyreyalfactsfsfs
The red rock texture always stood out to me as one of my favourites once you made it outside.
28:42 "late is for a little while, suck is forever" 🙌
just imagine if more developers had that kind of integrity with their product!!
just look at hollow knight community to see where that leads
Exactly, the first thing in their minds was the player's experience, and whether or not the game will be a good one that people will enjoy
How much money the game will make them was the last thing on their minds. Nowadays it seems it's the first and only thing on the minds of most companies, and now almost everything is pretty much the same bland corporate slop.
I'm just glad valve hasn't shifted away from their original mindset
This...defined my life 25 years ago. You sirs carry so much monumental weight in the way I still think to-date. Small efforts have rarely demanded such big results. I count amongst the honoured to both witness and appreciate your efforts, no salute would or could suffice. Thanks, is the best I can provide.
Valve made a big part of my high school/early college days. The HL series, TF2, and L4D/2 formed so many core memories for me. It's really cool to see these legends talk about how they made such a rich and innovative game.
Grew up with the Half-Life series, Counter-Strike and L4D/2. I still remember watching my best friend play HL2 and playing L4D/2 with my friends. Those times were so much fun!
To anybody involved in the game who reads this - THANK YOU. You created a masterpiece that changed video games at the time. So many great memories of the original Half Life.
Of course Danny from Noclip got to direct this. Bloody legend. Thank you Valve for this amazing series.
I could tell it was NoClip without even looking at the credits, it just felt right. They do fantastic work.
How about that Gameplay Director, Frank Howley? SOMEBODY SHOULD GIVE THAT GUY A RAISE.
Remember when during the 20th Anniversary of _Half-Life,_ Danny O'Dwyer couldn't get a single interview or even an email reply back from Valve for his NoClip documentary? Times have changed.
That 3 level demo CD that was released before the entire Half-life game, was the only version I played until 2004, when I purchased the full game with HL2. In fact, I played that demo version hundreds of times, discovered every flaw, every manner of play through, speed-running before I even knew this was a thing. I had no other games on the family computer besides the Journeyman Project Turbo, as my parents thought videogames would put viruses on the computer. I have so many good memories of the first 3 levels of Half-Life.
This was amazing, Valve casually dropping a 1-hour Documentary for the 25th Anniversary of the best game they have ever created is so heartwarming to see.
Discovering this as a kid was one of the best experiences of my life.
It's sad to think how today there is so much more money, so much more processing power, and so many more software developers, but so much less heart.
Истина ,👍
That's what I felt as well. The games industry is completely different today, the way Half Life came together is totally unique.
I don't think theres less heart in it these days. I think there are a lot more passionate and talented people in the industry now than there ever was, and actually making a game is much more accessible for those people today than it was in the past. The big AAA studios are going to pump out soulless games, but there are also a lot of small indie teams out there producing some incredible games that are full of heart. Outer Wilds, Hades, Hollow Knight to name a few.
@@Blazik3n99 I think there is less heart as a fraction of the whole, although the whole has indeed grown. And companies that made great things in the past are always at risk of being infected with the Moneyball virus and focus-group, HR-ified blandness. Watching Blizzard's evolution over the years has really hurt.
I recently played Outer Wilds and I agree with you. That game really made me feel something. Not quite as much as Half Life did though.
The mega budgets in triple A games can be the thing that can cripple them as much as help them I guess. So much capital is at stake and games have got sooo comlpex that they sometimes have to play it safe as so much is at stake. Throw in some box ticking, a few loot boxes to squeeze your wallet even more, varying degrees of quality control on launch day, mandatory subscription services etc etc. Back when games were pressed on discs (or cartridges, floppys, tape etc), they had to be essentially water tight, *finished* code - none of this patch it later with multiple GB's worth of data.
The thing I also miss is the whole, 'Here's the world, go explore and figure it out..' No dumb highlighted prompts, or arrows just literally telling you where to go. Half Life 1/2 was just a beautiful experience of quiet isolated exploration mixed with full on loud gun fights that was so contrasting but blended perfectly, and all while respecting your intelligence. If you got lost, then you just kept searching. Indie is where it's at for me - crazy ideas, fun, risks taken etc. That's not to say big budget games don't do this either or with less passion as they are all just creative people doing what they love, but I find the idea of Indie devs being the bedroom coder revival of the past.
I love this and seeing the explosion of these is heart warming. I played through HL2 recently and It still holds up brilliantly. Yeah, it's a bit clunky here and there but the atmosphere and characters still hit you. I'd forgotten what a good voice performace that the Alyx artist gave - so much warmth in that voice and the ending got me all over again 😂
it s cause modern video game companies are laser focused on marketing. And subtelty does not advertise video games. It is grandiose pursuit. The bombastic orchestral music or intense ecstatic synth.
This is like when Tchaikovsky hated the cannons in his music. Because in the end it shouldnt be about being grand and pointless, but human.
I had absolutely no time to watch this to the end...but I just did.
Can't believe it's been 25 years already since that genre defining game blew me away...damn...
Dang dude sorry you’re in debt with the reaper now ☹️
Crazy. I missed like a week of school when half life 2 came out 🤣
@@ClarkDent69 How embarrassing! Were you able to live it down or does it haunt you do this day?
language, lx blowaway
This feels so... aperture. I mean, like, you made this revolutionary mouth system for dialog in an hour, all because of an argument!
I remember going to Circuit City as a kid and heading to the PC gaming section. Games came in nice, book-sized boxes, often with a fold-out page to show a full-screen view of the game. I recall the orange cover of Diablo 2, the blue box of Age of Empires 2, the Orc on the cover of Warcraft 3, StarCraft, The Delta Force Games, Roller Coaster Tycoon, The Sims, and then Half-Life. I remember visiting my cousin's house and being deeply immersed in this first-person shooter like never before. Gaming was infused with heart and passion, but the most important aspect was its replayability. All the games I've listed are absolutely timeless.
I miss the flip-book boxes so much (and the bigger ones preceeding those)! Thank you for bringing back those memories.
My cousins introduced me to Half-Life 2 and it will always have a special place in my heart.
My birthday is also November 19th. I was 14 when this game was released. I had the privilege of experiencing this amazing game the first year it was out..... It blew my mind back then and it still blows my mind to this day.
I get depressed going to stores nowadays and looking at the game sections. Hardly anything there. I used to buy a lot of PC games in the big cereal box sized packaging at Sam’s Club. I remember seeing such iconic games over all the years when they first came out. Now it’s all just a list online. My local circuit city is now an Ollie’s and it’s so weird putting myself in such a different setting of the same place I had so many deep memories of discovering games and movies and playing demos growing up. And now it’s like a part of me is gone now that it is gone as well. I rarely even go in my Best Buy anymore because I can still clearly picture how it all used to be laid out with the massive rows of games and all the demo TVs. Now there’s barely some console games and a bunch of in game currency digital cards.
I relate to this 100%
This game was such a big part of my childhood. I can't believe it's been 25 years already!!
Kids back then are now adults and possibly married and got family 😂😂😂 yeah that’s how long, half of our lives
damn we are old af rn
Man this game is older than me
We're getting old, my friend.
38:14 just a tiny little moment that goes to show how much time these people shared together. Thank you for this everlasting experience.
nice catch
Ok, who the heck names their cat Blu? RIP Blu btw, you shall be remembered for inspiring one aspect of a wonderful game
For real, a guy who remembers your old cat's name 25+ years later, that's special.
I’m not sure why, but hearing all these old sounds from the game brings me back to some happy memories in the early 2000s. It was truly a different time on the internet and it’s bittersweet because it’ll never return to that time.
My mother worked in IT in the 90's. In 99 we got our first computer powerful enough to play games, and my first game, along with Diablo and Baldur's Gate, was Half-Life. What a revelation! 24 years later and I've had a life-long hobby that still brings me joy today.
You really knew how to pick good games.
@@NathanMc I think one of my mother’s coworkers might have suggested them to her! I’m not sure if knew to pick those particular games. Truth is I don’t even remember.
Karen Laur absolutely nailed the texture work, I couldn't imagine it any other way! All so perfectly Half Life and it all contributes to exactly the right atmosphere at the mixing point of Half Life's influences
Shoutout to Karen Laur for nailing that aesthetic. These massive, monolithic office/industrial complex type building materials/textures. Really made half-life feel a certain way. With the level and sound design, you get this very 90's professional white collar work environment vibes. I was so happy to hear The Mist was an inspiration, because I think the original HL has something so unique going for it.
Thank you!
'90s *
I'm sure this sounds cliche, but the talent, risk-taking and humility of all of these people is incredible! I didn't play Half Life until much later, after Half Life 2, but I've been introducing my young sons to it in hopes of inspiring them with a sense of adventure. I hope they can appreciate it more over time, including the insane amount of dedication that went into making it. Thank you so much Valve!
The fact that Valve even released this video, AND did a major update for Half-Life, makes me so happy.
But they can't count to No.3 or update The Heavy
@@mariobros68they are making half life barney vr game
@@player70477 and the heavy update for tf2 what?
@@mariobros68 they are making team fortress engineer vr game too
Hold up! What update?!
🎵 Kelly Baily is a huge influence for me. His music is so unique, I really hope he comes back to work on future Valve projects. It's not the same without him. He makes the levels love and breath, almost like they are alive. Especially in Half Life 2 ❤
kelly bailey is the voice actor for gordon freeman
True. When I heard he left Valve it broke my heart. The audio team with alyx done a phenomenal, if not just as good of a job as Kelly even without him being present, but would love to see him come back.
Triage at Dawn still brings me to tears
Please do more documentaries like this. Really brought me back. Love you guys.
Noclip documentary
A doc for Hl2 and Ep1 and 2 would be highly anticipated!
Also more games like this.
Yeah, I went there.
What a trip down the memory lane. Thank you Valve and the Half-life for the best time of my youth days. Much love.
I was 11 when HL came out. I remember begging my mum to get it for me for Christmas. She did, and It changed everything. To hear your dedication to the project and how much of your hearts and souls went into it, affirms so much to me. Thank you all so much for creating this perfect piece of art.
That sound designer is a god. Its just pure epic nostalgia. Also the texture lady. Incredible. Saw these sky boxes daily for years playing cs. I will never forgot the excitement of 10 year old me playing half life and tfc on 220 ping on a 56k Modem. Had a Huge influence on me. Half life 3 now
So many games have realistic sound design that perfectly takes advantage of 3d space. But is it catchy and iconic from an artistic standpoint? Not many games pull that off. Half life has some unforgettable sounds
incredible people they are
At the time, I was under the M rated age to purchase Half-Life myself (17 years old). So I walked the box from Big Kmart electronics all the way to the front cash registers. Nervously paid, no age check! The pure joy was electric. This game still calms me with great memories.
Thank you for this documentary.
The special needs child hit me hard... i can totally relate... my daughter is almost 4, bone marrow transplant, feeding tube in stomach, minimal sleep, constant vomiting... under weight.. the toughest thing i have gone trough in my life... everyday is a fight for survival... this just shows that we can make it, and should not give up.😢
i pray for you both.
Beyond their excellent, genre-defining games, I also appreciate the way Valve operates as a company. Instead of being a soulless, corporate development mill, Valve is to this day a collection of people who are there because they love what they're doing. They aren't forced to churn out annual slop to make the line go up for the investors. Their creative process isn't constantly derailed by corporate ghouls, afraid to take risks because the line might go up less. Valve is an equal, democratic workplace free of corporate pressure, where artists can truly practice their craft. As a result, they've revolutionized FPS games three times already, with Half-life 1, 2 and Alyx.
I just wish they finally figured out what's between 2 and 4.
To be fair they screwed up the train level.
@@johanbjorkman1914And Zen level, and Alyx while very good vr game, is not revolutionary.
I just wish they would care for tf2 a little more.
@@n1ColaX it was quite revolutionary for a VR game
Adam, I didn't expect to see you here.
*Saying thank you would not be enough.*
Such a risky decision resulted not only in a revolutionary work for the gaming industry, but also in a dear childhood memory for many of us.
Anyway, thank you, Valve.
It's kinda insane that just those guitar notes in the intro immediately pull you back into that Half-Life universe. I don't know how it's possible that some games are able to give you that insane atmosphere that sticks with you forever, Half Life definitely does, that's for sure.
And the Valve theme, to me the most iconic soundtrack ever. I'm instantly 12 years old again when ever I hear that theme playing. Along with many sounds from the game itself of course. This game is one of my fondest memories from my childhood.
Just wish people from today could feel the experience it was playing Half Life back then. Something truly special.
I think for evolutionary reasons, the brain is very good at associating certain sensory "inputs" (especially smell, but sound is almost as powerful) with certain experiences. Lots of game soundtracks (whether music tracks or sound FX) can make me nostalgic, but HL and The Elder Scrolls are the only game series whose music causes that much deeper response, almost like your whole system just knows it's something important to you for completely emotional/psychological reasons but not concrete ones. I mean, a smell reminding you of grandma's baking isn't just about abstract things like family/love but also tasty food, which is very much a concrete thing.
Point being, HL is incredible on every level.
This has been my favorite hour ever here on RUclips. Please make a Half-Life 2 sequel.
i love the new direction valve is taking to interact with their communities. 10/10
yeah thats because they have some busy years in front of them. with cs2. potientialy a portal 3 or left 4 dead 3 ? they HAVE to be there for their fans.
They dropped the ball on Counter Strike 2's launch.
indeed@@saricubra2867
which was a huge mistake on their part. they should have released the game with a new operation and all the maps.... not with missing trains and cache and cobblestone lol@@saricubra2867
Haha don't get your hopes up
It’s been an incredible 25 years of playing your games and seeing how you influence the gaming industry as a whole
This game has been around for so long, and there still just taking it all in their stride.
It's an almost perfect game
To me, this is huge. They really went all out for the 25th anniversary of one of my favourite series. Love to see it
Minus bringing back so many memories. I think this really show cased how Half Life in general set trends, that almost all modern games still follow.
As an old school player and HLDM clan guy, this made my day. What a wonderful tribute to a magical time in gaming.
1998, I was 22 and had just bought a PC to start experimenting with music production. I bought Half-Life not knowing anything about it. I hadn’t played computer games for years, my last system, an Amiga. Half-Life blew my mind, it felt like the game I’d been waiting for. I was hooked.
Woah, this is *exactly* my story too. Music production, Half Life, even down to the age, year, and the Amiga! Hello fellow gamer doppelganger!
I turned 21 in Nov 1998. I played the game in 99 on my brothers computer, a Diamond Voodoo 2 card. I think I had sold my own computer. I was hooked. You just couldnt put down the game. It was so revolutionary. Quake 2 was also great, but Half Life just made a milestone leap forward in first person shooters. Then came the mod counter strike. The rest is history.
My birthday is also November 19th. I was 14 when this game was released. I had the privilege of experiencing this amazing game the first year it was out..... It blew my mind back then and it still blows my mind to this day.
Same story here, turned 18 in 1998, I came from the Amiga platform making music and saw this game with a friend. I was hooked instantly. Still am, also my kids (20 & 17) now playing HL Alyx and waiting for the next one.
@@BasculeTheRascule
Doppelgänger do not forget this is a german word
The way Gabe talks about what "fun" really is, like whacking the wall with a crowbar and seeing a hole appear, reminds me a whole lot of Miyamoto talking about Mario's movement (in SM64 especially) and the joy of just moving around and interacting with things. It's the moment-to-moment stuff.
As a level designer who has become a little bit disillusioned with the games industry lately, hearing all these people express such genuine passion for games and a clear understanding of what players actually enjoy, renews my hope for being able to find/start my own Valve/Nintendo one day.
Also big props to Karen Laur, I've always loved the textures and photoscans of HL1 (the office environments especially; the transition from metal corridors and grates to wood panelling and kitschy carpet is very System Shock 1 to me), and learning that they were made by just one person is very, very impressive!
Edit: not to pile onto an already overly long comment, but listening to Dave Riller is also so inspiring. The idea of building your spaces around your enemies so that they can shine (and function as reliably as possible) instead of building the areas first and sprinkling enemies on top is something I see modern games struggle with to this day, but Riller clearly figured it out about 26 years ago, from what it sounds like.
It something FEAR did really well too. I'm convinced the level designer and AI designer were holding hands the entire time they made the game.
Well if you ever start a company, I'd love to be a part of it! I'm no game designer, but I could do like testing or marketing or something lol
Yeah they had some greats ideas
It was really refreshing to hear someone who has made games say "I play games to have fun, not for realism." I don't think I'm quoting him exactly, but some people need to hear that.
based Gaben
90's kid here. Half Life is one of the best games ever made. And it's one of my favorites to this day. It's not about the nostalgia, it's about how amazingly innovative and entertaining it is. I grew up to be a physicist influenced by sci-fi movies, books and games. And Half Life was definitely the most important one. I hope I never get to work in a research facility such as Black Mesa (Unless I find out that I'm able to run around and shoot as good as Dr. Freeman!)
Edit: Forgot to say this: Also, Portal was as influential to my 16yo bro as Half Life was to me. He's stuydying to become a game developer thanks to games like Portal. You've been inspiring generations! Thank you, Valve!
Holy cow, that was good. HL is a success story about talented people who grinded at their craft and created something beautiful
Ivan.
Ivan.
This could not have come at a more oppurtune time. Literally writing a presentation on half-life and its impact for my game design degree. Thank you valve for this gem
Wishing you all the best with the presentation and degree. Happy gaming!
"Well Gordon, I must say you've come at a very opportune time!"
The contrast between how Unreal and Half-Life spend their 25th year anniversaries couldn't be more stark here.
Happy birthday to the documentary, 1 years old.
"late is just for a little while, suck is forever" - amazing quote from Gabe
Gabes precognitive vision was so on point.
mmhmm.. just like episode 3 has been for a little while, and probably will be forever 😭
This is quote is largely attributed to Shigeru Miyamoto. "A Delayed Game Is Eventually Good, a Bad Game Is Bad Forever"
It is true for that era. Sadly, now the patches and updates have become a crutch for developers. It is noticeable, so many developers rely on future patches nowadays.
Back in the day it was like the World Cup in Football, one chance every 4 years.
Now, it is like the Super Bowl, comes around every year. easy.
@@alittlecreepywhenyou Why don't you give us your viewpoint on precognition? I'm serious!
56:20 hey sir I as a player who finished half life a dozen times, I have seen your daughter's portrait quite a few times along my playthroughs and I feel touched by her condition.
I have been for 22 years now the elder brother of a 20ish yo boy that is mentally stuck at 2yo, since birth. It has affected me and my family but we managed.
That's all I just felt the need to say we are grateful to you, and the whole rest of the team, for giving us such a sensational game that forged me and connects me and my dad to this day
Watching this you realize a few key points: First, Valve learned how to make a game by working independent minds into a nondescript direction and then using that artistic and genius base as a launchpad for something resembling a scenically basic immersive environment. As such, sound played one of the most important roles and key to the experience. Arguably, the sound engineering is still - imho - the most important aspect of its' success. Secondly, Valve didn't just make a documentary about how Half-Life was made but simply just gave away for free, describing the template for any game, of any genre, time period, etc.....THAT WOULD STILL WORK.
Valve is like a boxer with 2 belts, they’re loved and are one of the best to ever do it. Only to get stifled by the success and money that came with it. Valve should be the one that creates THE age defining multiplayer VR Game. Look how old they are now, it’s not in them anymore. Just like every great artist there comes a time where you don’t have anymore to give. But Atleast what they gave us was generational.
Not a bad summary.
Good post dude.
@@biggpapaclaybro wdym they updated half life and all the half life mods on steam to all have the same support as the new HL1 update. they are recurrently working on games now. not just hardware. they are actually talking to us which they don't do much. I think the phase of silence is gone for now
@@biggpapaclay valve is about the only company that's released a triple A VR game. they also are the CREATORS OF COUNTER STRIKE the biggest multiplayer shooter of all time
@@biggpapaclay VR is a gimmick just like the Wiimotes, the Zapper Gun, 3D TV's, Smellovision, 3D glasses (the 1950's craze and the post Avatar craze), the Power Glove, Rock Band, Guitar hero, the Kinect, Cinemascope, and a million other long forgotten inventions.
Valve i just wanna thank you from the bottom of my heart for the years of fun and memories ,we love you and hoping to see new half-life series at least a remaster❤️
Of course it's directed by Danny O'Dwyer. Seeing Noclip acknowledged is amazing. Amazing job.
It must've been a no-brainer for Valve to hire them after the last Half-Life documentary.
The dude is a psycho
Have the largest smile in my face seeing he finally got it to happen!
fuck
Wym he's a psycho?@@bretttheillustrator
Harry Teasly's story really hit me in the feels. I always remembered that little baby in the picture, even while I was playing the game, hoping that Gordon will make it out alive to see her. So glad to know that picture belonged to such a loverly girl, and now she's immortalized on such a remarkable game. I salute you Harry, and the entire talented Valve team as well.
The late 90’s, early 2000’s were a magical time for gaming. So much innovation, top tier games and the first attempts at immersive storytelling makes this period so immensely fascinating. To me, Half-Life was one of those pioneers and a landmark game for this development. Love everything about. Thank you, Valve developers!
CS beta, tribes. Fallout 1+2, EverQuest. Was a great time
Stronghold chads
Nothing like Wolfenstein, Doom 1, 2, Final and Heretic 2.
I don't think will see that type of innovation again.
The late 90s were a magical time to be alive for several reasons.
Man... Seeing that compilation at the end just brought back so many memories