Half-Life 2: Episode One Interview (con't)

FiringSquad: There were also a number of big action sequences in Half-Life 2. Will Episode One have any epic action set pieces akin to, say, the Strider battles?

Doug Lombardi: Folks will find the action sequences in Episode One are not only plentiful but also constructed with greater complexity than in previous Half-Life games. The introduction of a very strong accomplice (Alyx) has allowed us to place Freeman in the middle of multi-layered combat scenarios – scenarios in which both he and Alyx must make quick decisions and play an active role if they wish to advance.


FiringSquad: How hard is it to craft an ending for Episode One that will make people want to have Episode Two?

Doug Lombardi: It has been designed as a Trilogy since the start. So, the teams working on Episode One and Episode Two have been in very close communication regarding the continuity between these two episodes and the final episode in this series.

FiringSquad: What sort of graphical improvements will Episode One have over the original Half-Life 2?

Doug Lombardi: With each of the episodes in the trilogy, we will advance the story and leverage the latest technology while also introducing new technology driven by the creation of said episode. In Episode One, we will be utilizing the HDR lighting tech introduced in Lost Coast, and the film grain and color correction technology introduced in Day of Defeat: Source.

In addition, we’ve expanded the Commentary system, and Episode One will contain over 100 commentary nodes (versus the dozen or so in Lost Coast). The near-constant presence of Alyx throughout the Episode has driven the creation of two and half times as many animations for Alyx as were created for Half-Life 2. And we’ve updated the Source facial animation system to provide her with an even broader emotional palette. These, and other improvements being introduced for Episode One, will be added and made available for MOD authors and Source licensees via the next Source SDK update.


FiringSquad: Valve will once again use Steam as a way to distribute Episode One. Do you expect that this product will have even more digital downloads than Half-Life 2 did?

Doug Lombardi: Right now, there are over 8 million registered Steam accounts. And, with each new game made available via Steam, we’ve seen that number grow along with customer transactions and overall Steam activity. As with Half-Life 2, however, Episode One will also be made available at retail and we’re hoping to see strong sales via Steam as well as at retail outlets.


FiringSquad: Finally, what's next for Valve beyond the Half-Life 2 episodic games? Will there be future editions of the company's multiplayer games (CS: Source, Half-Life 2 Deathmatch, etc) or will Valve concentrate on all new projects?

Doug Lombardi: We’re working hard on the trilogy. Like Episode One, both Episodes Two and Three will be stand alone products (do not require Half-Life 2 to run). They will offer four to six new hours of new single player gaming, and be priced around $20.

In addition, and more near term, we have two new maps and engine upgrades coming for Day of Defeat: Source in mid to late June. And we’re on our 15th or 16th update for CS: Source, with more CS: Source content releases coming via Steam later this year.

Beyond that, please stay tuned.