Half-Life 2 finds new publisher

PC News | Along with an Xbox release in October?

EA have today announced some interesting news regarding the future publishing of Half-Life 2 for the PC. According to a press release we received today EA will be publishing the Half-Life 2: GOTY edition at the end of this year. In addition, EA will also be publishing Counter-strike: Source.

Hidden amongst the normal press release information was the surprising tid-bit about Half-Life 2 coming to the Xbox. According to EA, the game is set for release in October. They also claim that the game will feature the most sophisticated in-game characters ever witnessed, advanced AI, stunning graphics and physical game play.

Half-Life 2 Game of the Year Edition will feature Half-Life 2,Counter-Strike: Source, plus Half-Life 2: Deathmatch, and Half-Life:Source.

Related Half-Life 2 Content

Half-Life 2 on Mac tomorrow
26 May, 2010 Dr. Breen is watching.

Half-Life 2 gets cheaper
04 Mar, 2007 And the Source Engine's getting an update too.

Half-Life 2 Review
14 Dec, 2005 Wake up Mr Freeman…

15 Comments

Matt

6 years ago

"They also claim that the game will feature the most sophisticated in-game characters ever witnessed, advanced AI, stunning graphics and physical game play."

That was available last November

Gtpod

6 years ago

I'd rather pay exorbitant amounts to mod my PC...

ObsoletE

6 years ago

so EA are selling CS:S seperately as well as with HL2:GOTY?

and HL:S is poo

i got it with my version of HL2 (i got silver) and there's almost no difference except the water is transparent... so you can see that big alien fish before he chomps you...

they could've at least added rag-doll to the models...

Gtpod

6 years ago

I doubt they'd want to completely re-model the A.I. of an older game after completing one of the most graphically-demanding games of this generation.

ObsoletE

6 years ago

i wasn't expecting a complete remake, but when you say (paraphrased) and update of the original using the source engine, you'd expect the physics at least to be translated... and this includes rag-doll...

unless you needed to turn it on...

Gtpod

6 years ago

I'd have thought the whole engine would need an overhaul to add something like that in, rather than just a switch to flick.

ObsoletE

6 years ago

but the engine was overhauled... that's why it's Half-Life: Source... it's Half-Life on the Source engine (instead of the Quake 2 engine like it was originally)

so if it's already there, surely it's not that much more effort to add rag-doll joints to the toons... infact they should already be there from using the Source engine...

i dunno... maybe i am thinking too simply... it just annoyed me a little... i was expecting a little more than realistic water in the conversion to source...

838 La

6 years ago

Is it just me or EA is starting to own everything...
I also feel like there's going to be a EA console some where soon down the road...

ObsoletE

6 years ago

can you imagine what sort of damage EA could inflict on the industry if they suddenly released a console had made all their licences exclusive to it?

as much as i dislike EA as a company, they have some great titles/licences under their control...

Sony and MS would be screwed... Nintendo, not so much...

838 La

6 years ago

But then again... if is not done properly it may be a flop, like some older consoles.

Lol, but with that much different titles & licences & sport games... (I reckon about 80% sport games are EA's.)

So I really don't think that would happen if it is relased...

Just wondering why aren't they release one...

ObsoletE

6 years ago

^ probably because that would take effort on EA's part...

Matt

6 years ago

EA was pretty heavily involved in the 3DO. Given the amount of R&D required, the cost, and their previous experience with console development, I think they're just happier to sit back and dominate the charts.

David

6 years ago

They're bigger then they were back then.....

Interesting concept - I always wondered why Konami or Capcom never tried their hand at console making either.....

More to the point, why didn't Phillips and **** (Panasonic) give it another shot? If one of them partnered with EA (like Hudson and NEC did for the PC engine) that could be huge.

Matt

6 years ago

Quote

They're bigger then they were back then....

They're also pulling bigger profits and holding greater marketshare than any of the console manufacturers (the divisions that work on the consoles, that is!!), with the exception of the most recent financial year.

What possible benefit could they get out of releasing their own console that they don't get now? I don't think royalty fees are going to cancel out R&D and manufacturing costs, especially now that most consoles are loss leading for at least the first 5 years. The company would have to change structure dramatically to accomodate any sort of format reelase.

The second point is more interesting - Philips blew it, **** still works with Nintendo. I've heard rumblings that Samsung and Sharp are looking to get their piece of the pie in the generation after this one coming, and a partnership would probably be the way to go. I don't think EA really has as much to gain out of such a move - it's not really like the case with Nintendo where people would buy a console just to play their games, EA have done so well because their games are here, there and everywhere, advertised out the wahoo, and filled with licenses.

David

6 years ago

Matt wrote

it's not really like the case with Nintendo where people would buy a console just to play their games, EA have done so well because their games are here, there and everywhere, advertised out the wahoo, and filled with licenses.

Good point.

Quote

What possible benefit could they get out of releasing their own console that they don't get now? I don't think royalty fees are going to cancel out R&D and manufacturing costs, especially now that most consoles are loss leading for at least the first 5 years. The company would have to change structure dramatically to accomodate any sort of format reelase.

As Microsoft have proven, it's can sometimes be about power and control rather then money. They've (MS) been prepared to lose billions for a 20% market share, and are about to do it again - that's how much power and control are worth to them, so why not someone else like EA - another software company, who'd maybe have a greter chance of success? Sony doesn't make a hell of a lot on games either, but they see it as a doorstop on the floodgate of home media.

But so far it looks like EA are smart and are not sacrificing money for control - a lot like Nintendo, I suppose.

(Ooohh....some Nintendo fans wouldn't like me comparing them to EA!!!)

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