If two images (one and two—warning, shitty language) posted to reddit (via 4chan) are to be believed, Valve CEO Gabe Newell has just revealed in fairly certain terms that they'll be announcing Half-Life 3 next year at E3 2012. If the rumors are true, it will be the biggest E3 announcement in recent memory, and thousands of gamers will finally sleep easy knowing that the game will most likely actually come out in their lifetimes.
In response to an obscene email from 4chan's gaming board, Newell supposedly wrote, "I don't suppose it will ease your wrath if I told you we're announcing all of your favorite things at E3 2012?" and later, "I can see how the wording caused some confusion there. Yes we are announcing something with a three in it."
That said, there's a pretty good chance this is fake. Despite Newell's known propensity for responding personally to emails sent directly to him, this one's particular level of obnoxiousness makes it a little hard for us to believe that he'd bother. On the other hand, maybe that's what it took to realize that the maelstrom-like level of impatience with which some gamers are anticipating the next Half-Life entry is reaching critical mass.
For our three cents, we really hope it's true. What do you think? Another 4chan troll or concrete news (finally)? Let us know in the comments or on Twitter or Facebook.
Violent J December 11th, 2011 at 09:18 PM
Explains why ImmaVegeta has been M.I.A.
Anthony December 12th, 2011 at 11:03 AM
I was on that board yesterday, and have been following this story all week. I hate to be rude, but the article is slightly wrong. It started out as a guy asking if he were to announce "something with a three in it" and if he did he would soil his pants. Gabe replied, "Clean pants for you." Then after the VGAs, the third email was sent, and his response was about how he's going to announce "All of our favorite things" at E3 2012.
Josh December 12th, 2011 at 05:24 PM
I have a feeling this isn't half-life 3 at all....in fact, just portal 3. Wouldn't surprise me
omg December 12th, 2011 at 06:17 PM
if this was a portal 3, then i lost faith in valve....
Presariov2000 December 17th, 2011 at 02:03 PM
knowing VALVe, It's probably just the letters in the word three. OR I could be wrong, Gabe isn't always a troll, right? Riiight?
Walid December 23rd, 2011 at 01:01 PM
he said they will announce something with 3 in it" .. hmm this can be portal 3 .. can be left for f***ing dead 3 "plz hopefully not " ... well hopefully could be HL3 ... but he said " something " .. HL3 is not something ... it is everything ... HL is what made valve great as we know ..
emptyaddy January 8th, 2012 at 10:53 AM
"On the other hand, maybe that's what it took to realize that the maelstrom-like level of impatience with which some gamers are anticipating the next Half-Life entry is reaching critical mass." ...Is the author of this kidding with regards to Half Life 3 fans being impatient? With both film and videogame franchises being created and turned into trilogies in the same span of time from when the Orange Box port in 2007 (of a 2004 dev!) was dropped, it's hard to argue Valve had their priorities correct with anything besides entrepreneurial endeavors. The only other fanbase that mirrors the level of patience would be that of Duke Nukem. This is unequivocal. Anyone waiting for the continuation/reiteration of the Half Life universe is the epitome of patient. With not so much as even an announcement, Valve has done everything besides completely abandon the very IP that established their relevance and sought instead to forge ahead in the collective money factory that is the glitchy Steam service. This isn't another "you mad bro" rant, or a rant at all. It's a simple observation that instead of acknowledging a respective stance towards the very fanbase that fostered your dev fallacies as a private company by passively annoucing that a new engine-powered sequel awaits the next platform because it makes more business sense, a general trolling appeasement is opted for instead. And why non-Steam HL variations are the only purchases a fan should employ towards Valve, ever. Not a maelstrom, a quiet reality for many.
redsiegekitlauncher January 19th, 2012 at 11:08 PM
If you think about why PORTAL 2 is released as a standalone when the truth is most people expect it to be released as "an ORANGE BOX 2 content...the reason..... so they can release PORTAL 3, TEAM FORTRESS 3, and HALF-LIFE 3 altogether... GABEN:"I don't suppose it will ease your wrath if I told you we're announcing all of your favorite things at E3 2012?" ....ORANGEBOX 2???
Nixxen February 1st, 2012 at 04:41 AM
Halflife 2: Ep3 anyone?
34665 February 10th, 2012 at 11:03 AM
Comon complex! This was confirmed fake months ago! ¬¬