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Half-Life 2 and Portal Writer Erik Wolpaw Returns to Valve

CuNi

Member
According to shack news and a few other websites, Wolpaw seems to be back at Valve. Apparently he's also been featured in Artifacts credits, but since I'm not at home I cannot verify this. This would mean that he was back around the 2nd half of 2018 since Artifact was released in November. Is Valve getting the half life gang together?

Edit: Valve News Network tweet with alleged confirmed from. Gaben.


Source:
https://www.shacknews.com/article/109200/half-life-2-writer-erik-wolpaw-is-back-at-valve
 
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Sentenza

Member
I'd pretend to be happy about it, since he's one of my favorite writers in this industry, but it's hard without knowing on what's going to work in the future. If anything at all.
 

CuNi

Member
I'm positive that this means something is happening. I'm not going to pretend that it is going to be half life related, but it at least gives me some faith back that Valve didn't forsaken their roots as a game developer and plan actual releases of games that seemingly contain a story, opposed to only tech demos etc.
 
I'm positive that this means something is happening. I'm not going to pretend that it is going to be half life related, but it at least gives me some faith back that Valve didn't forsaken their roots as a game developer and plan actual releases of games that seemingly contain a story, opposed to only tech demos etc.

It'd be nice to get something from Valve, if not Half-Life then something like Portal.
 

Fuz

Banned
Not sure if good or not.

He's absolutely amazing, easily one of the best game writers nowadays, but Valve isn't making much games lately, isn't it? Let's hope they don't waste his talent.
 
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CuNi

Member
Not sure if good or not.

He's absolutely amazing, wasily one of the best game writers nowadays, but Valve isn't making much games lately, isn't it? Let's hope they don't waste his talent.

Well he left in February 2017 and just now came back. I mean there must be a good reason to get someone to come back after them leaving because you were wasting their talent.
 

Alexios

Cores, shaders and BIOS oh my!
Gonna work on VR Apperture Science game a la Budget Cuts, bring it on <3
 
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He's just institutionalized...The man's been in there fifty years, CuNi, fifty years. This is all he knows. In there, he's an important man, he's an educated man. Outside he's nothin' - just a used-up writer with arthritis in both hands. Probably couldn't get a library card if he tried...those walls are funny. First they hate 'em, then they get used to 'em. Enough time passes, it gets so they depend on 'em. That's 'institutionalized'... Gaben sends you there for life and that's exactly what he takes, the part that counts anyway.
 

Hudo

Member
Interesting move for Valve to get into the games market. I hear it's pretty competitive.
 

Mackers

Member
I feel like with publishers leaving steam left and right maybe Valve are beginning to remember what made steam a success in the first place, killer first party exclusives. I think we will see Valve releasing their own games again sooner rather than later, Artifact was just the start.
 
Not sure if good or not.

He's absolutely amazing, easily one of the best game writers nowadays, but Valve isn't making much games lately, isn't it? Let's hope they don't waste his talent.
Valve are working on 3 new AAA games even after having just released Artifact. This doesn't count In the Valley of Gods either.
 

D7im

Member
HALF-LIFE 2 writer and PORTAL co-writer ERIK WOLPAW has reportedly returned to VALVE, with eagle-eyed players noticing that the veteran’s name appears in the credits for the developer’s latest game, Artifact. Wolpaw is a big name in the industry, with him having written Half-Life 2 Episode One and Episode Two, along with co-writing Portal, Portal 2, and Left 4 Dead. He left Valve in 2017 to work with Double Fine Productions on Psychonauts 2, though has now returned to the company in which he penned his biggest hits.


Read more at https://www.gamerevolution.com/news...l-writer-returns-to-valve#204wWYlbjHlxs7MR.99
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It’s hapening is in it?
 
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MayauMiao

Member
The lost of some high profile AAA game may have triggered Valve to actually get up and create new IPs or sequels before their own platform becomes stale with old AAA titles.
 
I feel like with publishers leaving steam left and right maybe Valve are beginning to remember what made steam a success in the first place, killer first party exclusives. I think we will see Valve releasing their own games again sooner rather than later, Artifact was just the start.

Yes, now that Steam has some actual competition they may finally get back into game development.
 
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The lost of some high profile AAA game may have triggered Valve to actually get up and create new IPs or sequels before their own platform becomes stale with old AAA titles.

This is exactly what I was thinking when I heard about all the companies creating their own launchers, independent of Steam. Maybe Valve has to make new games again
 
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ultrazilla

Gold Member
So can somebody break this down to me/those of us who don't really know these folks?
Is this some type of indication that Valve may be back actively working on Half-Life? Thanks!
 
So can somebody break this down to me/those of us who don't really know these folks?
Is this some type of indication that Valve may be back actively working on Half-Life? Thanks!

That’s what a lot of us are hoping for with cautious optimism.

To me it would at least signal that they are at least interested in developing a new game again.
 

Alexios

Cores, shaders and BIOS oh my!
I think it's the excitement for matured VR making some teams finally eager to create stuff again and see them through so they agreed on and got projects started and called them to get the gang back :)

Hoping Portal 3 is an AAA take of Budget Cuts' indie low budget effort. With no budget cuts:p!!!


Let's hope they're not just starting now so we don't wait 3-5 years for the results of their work, lol!
 
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Fake

Member
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