[April 26, 1999] - Half-Life Goes MacThat's right Mac fans, this Fall you'll finally be able to run, think and shoot your way to gaming bliss because Half-Life is coming to the Macintosh. Browse the official Half-Life site to learn more about the game that has taken the PC market by storm. To learn more about Half-Life for the Mac check out the official release.
[April 22, 1999] - Half-Life Interviews GaloreIt's been a busy couple of days for Half-Life in the press. There's a brief interview with Valve Software's Gabe Newell at The Hive which covers E3 and TFC. Marc Laidlaw (Half-Life's story author) shares a few words at Loonygames.com about life before and after writing for Half-Life. And Randy Pitchford of Gearbox has been talking up a storm about Half-Life: Opposing Force. Check out the Adrenaline Vault and GA-Source to read what he has to say about the Half-Life expansion pack and the company that's making it.
[April 19, 1999] - All New Team Fortress Classic MapsThe community support for Team Fortress Classic has been amazing. There are already tons of user made maps available on the Internet. Check out I.AM TFC to download a collection of 18 new TFC maps.
[April 19, 1999] - Half-Life Nominated for Academy AwardsThe Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences (AIAS) has announced the finalists for its second annual Interactive Achievement Awards. The Academy, created to advance and recognize outstanding achievement in the interactive arts, will present the awards at the Variety Arts Theater the evening of May 13, during the Electronic Entertainment Expo in Los Angeles. Gordon Freeman better dust off his tux, because Half-Life is nominated in seven categories: Game of the Year, Action PC Game of the Year, Outstanding Achievement in Art/Graphics, Outstanding Achievement in Interactive Design, Outstanding Achievement in Software Engineering, and Outstanding Achievement in Character or Story Development.
[April 16, 1999] - Half-Life Expansion PackHalf-Life fans are rejoicing with the news that Half-Life: Opposing Force will be hitting the stores this fall. Developed by Gearbox, Half-Life: Opposing Force offers an entirely new episode of single player action and will offer an enormous variety of new multiplayer content. Gamers play a soldier this time around, instead of Gordon Freeman. Opposing Force features a host of new military, experimental and alien weapons, a fierce new alien race, and new multiplayer maps designed by industry all-stars.
[April 13, 1999] - Half-Life Featured on TV.COM
TV.COM, a weekly television show about entertainment on the Net, has made Half-Life: Uplink their feature download for the week. Head on over the the TV.COM site and check it out.
[April 13, 1999] - Gabe Newell On TFCGabe Newell, founder of Valve Software, was recently interviewed about the success of Team Fortress Classic. In the Next Generation Online interview Newell discusses the free Half-Life mod and describes how making TFC helped reinforce many of Valve's decisions regarding the forthcoming Team Fortress 2.
[April 9, 1999] - Half-Life Software Developer's KitJust a reminder that the Half-Life SDK has been released. For information about the SDK you can go here. You can download the SDK from the following locations:
14 Meg SDK includes everything released to date, with code and a few updated components.
Planet Half-Life
HalfLife.Net
Stomped713K SDK includes only the source code.
Planet Half-Life
HalfLife.Net
Stomped
[April 8, 1999] - USA Today Gives TFC Perfect ScoreWe hope everyone is enjoying Team Fortress Classic. The folks at USA Today sure were. In a recent review, the national newspaper gave TFC a perfect 4 out of 4 score saying, "Coupled with brilliant level design, sound effects and gameplay, Classic rocks." Also, if you need some help setting up and playing TFC check out the TFC Game Guide on Modcentral.
[April 7, 1999] - Team Fortress Classic Is HereThe wait is over! Many a frenzied Half-Life fan will be downloading the free multiplayer mod Team Fortress Classic today. Don't be left out! Head over to the Team Fortress Classic site to find out where to download.
[April 6, 1999] - Half-Life Named Greatest Game of All TimeUltimate Games has released their list of the top 50 best games of all time. Topping their list is none other than Half-Life. Check out the entire list or skip to the end and see what they had to say about Half-Life.
[March 31, 1999] - Team Fortress Classic CountdownAs part of the Team Fortress Classic for Half-Life launch preparations, Sierra Studios and Valve recently hosted a TFC party in San Francisco. Journalists from all over came to wine, dine, and frag the night away. After they recovered from their night of fun, many of the journalists wrote about their experience. Check out the articles on Gamecenter and Gamespot.
[March 18, 1999] - Half-Life Receives Seven Awards At GDCHalf-Life blew away the competition at the 1999 GDC Spotlight Awards, receiving top honors in all but one of the categories it was nominated in. In total, Half-Life received seven awards including Best PC Game, Best Action Game, Best Use of Graphics, Best Use of Audio, Best AI, Best of Show, and the People's Choice Award.
[March 18, 1999] - Team Fortress Classic Site LaunchedThe release of Team Fortress Classic is just around the corner. To get the latest scoop on this free mod for Half-Life check out the all-new Team Fortress Classic Website. The new site is home to all the latest TFC news, updates, and screenshots.
[March 16, 1999] - TF2 Models You Won't BelieveValve has announced that Team Fortress 2 will use Intel's Multiresolution Mesh Technology (MRM). The MRM technology will allow Valve to create a "scaleable" game with highly detailed, realistic looking models that automatically adjust performance to the gamer's PC. Check out the official release to learn more about this exciting technology and what it will bring to Team Fortress 2.
[March 16, 1999] - Talkspot Interview ArchiveTalkspot has posted the archived Valve interview from March 13th. They are also running the archive in their programming between 2pm- 4pm (PST) during this week (on Channel Z). Don't forget that there's another interview this coming Saturday. See the story below for details.
[March 12, 1999] - Chat With Valve on TalkspotHere's your chance to probe the minds of Valve. Several members of the team that created the Game of the Year will be featured on Talkspot's Bootdisk show on Saturday, March 13th and 20th from 2 - 4 P.M. (PST) Artists and designers will be online to answer questions and reveal the secrets of Half-Life. The group will also reveal the latest info on the forthcoming release of Team Fortress Classic for Half-Life and Valve's next full product, Team Fortress 2!
[March 11, 1999] - Game Fan Raves About Half-LifeGame Fan has recently posted an excellent review of Half-Life on their Website. Check out the review and see why they call Half-Life the "best game ever made."
[March 8, 1999] - Team Fortress Classic PreviewedThe much-anticipated release of Team Fortress Classic for Half-Life is just around the corner. Recently the folks from Valve paid some magazines a visit with TFC in hand. Read what the mags had to say about the free mod for Half-Life at IGN PC, CNET Gamecenter, and Gamespot.
[March 4, 1999] - Gabe Newell Interview at Gamespot UK
A new interview with Gabe Newell of Valve has been posted at Gamespot UK. Gabe answers questions about making Half-Life, the game's success, and the future for Valve (including TF2). Check it out.
[February 26, 1999] - Half-Life Receives Over 30 "Game of the Year" Nods
At last count, Half-Life had been named "Game of the Year" by more than 30 online and print publications. Among these publications are Computer Gaming World and CNET Gamcenter, two of the most respected publications in the industry. In honor of all the awards, the Half-Life team has launched a new "Game of the Year" website.
[February 12, 1999] - Half-Life: Uplink Demo
The official demo for the "Game of the Year" has arrived. Half-Life: Uplink is a never before seen single player mini-mission that allows players to get a healthy sampling of this incredible 3D action thriller. Requires DirectX 6, P133MHz, and 24MB RAM.
Download it now! at Avault.com, PC Gamer.com, Sierra.com, Warzone.com, Won.net, Gamespot.com, or Gamecenter.com.
[February 1, 1999] - CNET Gamecenter Honors Half-Life
CNET Gamecenter, one of the Internet's most respected online publications, recently posted their "Best of 1998" awards. Half-Life beat out all other PC games on the way to receiving the Game of the Year award. Half-Life also racked up top honors in the category of Best Action Game.
[January 27, 1999] - Gabe Newell on Half-Life
An interesting interview with Gabe Newell, Managing Director of Valve, has been posted on Decay. Also, if you're still looking for help getting through a level of Half-Life, check out the massive players guide on GX gamers.com.
[January 18, 1999] - Half-Life Receives Two More Awards
Half-Life has been named Game of the Year by both GamePower and Gamezilla. Also, check out the new interview with Gabe Newell, the Managing Director of Valve, over at Gamestream.net. If needed, there is a text-only version of the interview.
[January 15, 1999] - Valve and Sierra Studios Announce Immediate Availability of Half-Life™ Update
Sierra Studios and Valve have also announced the immediate availability of a new update for Half-Life. The update (1.0.0.8) addresses such issues as optimizations of network bandwidth, a new team play option, as well as new player models and maps. Also announced were the late January release of the Half-Life Software Development Kit (SDK) and the future release of a Linux version of the Half-Life dedicated server. For more info on the update, check out the Q&A on BluesNews
[January 15, 1999] - Team Fortress Classic to be released for Half-Life™ at the end of January 1999In a recent press release Sierra Studios and Valve announced the development fo Team Fortress Classic for Half-Life. Team Fortress Classic is a port of the original Team Fortress, an extremely popular multiplayer mod that features unparalled team play. Valve's Robin Walker said, "Team Fortress Classic players can now enjoy Half-Life's superior graphics and audio, ease of use, and advanced animation technology while we focus on making Team Fortress 2 the best multiplayer game possible." Team Fortress Classic will be available as a free download in the coming weeks.
[January 13, 1999] - Chicago Tribune Covers Half-LifeIn a recent review, The Chicago Tribune gave Half-Life a near perfect score and said Half-Life "shocks and surprises unlike any other action game." Half-Life has also been named Game of the Year and Action Game of the Year by GameOver.net. Finally, Half-Life has received a 99% rating from our friends at 99% Complete Software Magazine, an online magazine written by students from the Marcus Whitman Central School District.
[January 11, 1999] - Half-Life: More Game of the Year HonorsThe popular web site, Download.net, has named Half-Life Game of the Year. Also check out the great review of Half-Life on SCIFI.COM.
[January 7, 1999] - Half-Life Receives Top HonorsHalf-Life has received Game of the Year honors from Gamers Depot. And, for the third consecutive week Half-Life has been voted #1 PC game by consumers on Worldcharts, the most popular entertainment charts on the Internet.
[January 6, 1999] - Hamming It Up With Half-LifeHalf-Life has made a cameo appearance in the popular Internet comic strip User Friendly. Also, check out the great Half-Life review at DeathMatch UK.
[January 5, 1999] - Vote for Half-Life as Action Game of the Year
Intelligamer has named Half-Life a contender for Action Game of the Year. Go to the Intelligamer site to cast your vote for Half-Life. While you're out surfing in cyberspace, read about another victory for Half-Life. Half-Life has faced off with yet another challenger on ALLVIEWS.NET and has emerged victorious.
[December 29, 1998] - Half-Life Stomps the CompetitionCNET Gamecenter has posted a shootout between Half-Life and one of those other action titles out there. Read the article and see why Half-Life blows away the competition.
[December 21, 1998] - Half-Life Tops Holiday Gift ListHalf-Life is the number one action game for the holiday season according to GameSpot. Check out the article to see why Half-Life should be on the top of everyone's holiday shopping list. If you get stuck playing your new copy of Half-Life consult the Half-Life strategy guides on GameSpot and CNET GameCenter.
[December 11, 1998] - Help Playing and Making Half-LifeWhether you need to know a secret within the game or a secret on how to design your own Half-Life mod (or your own game), help is on the Web. The folks over at Gamespot have posted an extensive Half-Life strategy guide. Meanwhile, Valve's Harry Teasley recently wrote an article for Loonygames.com. Read what Teasley has to say about designing a games interface.
[December 8, 1998] - Half-Life is King of the HillHalf-Life has been named "King of the Hill" in both the "Game of the Year" and "3D Action Game of the Year" categories by Antagonist Games Network, the #1 gaming community on America Online! Check out their awards page and their review of Half-Life.
[December 8, 1998] - The Final Days of Half-LifeThe folks over at Gamespot were at Valve for the last few days leading up to the completion of Half-Life. Check out this fascinating story to learn about the people behind Half-Life and the making of the game.
[December 8, 1998] - Half-Life Maps and Too Much CoffeeThe number of quality multi-player maps being created for Half-Life is nothing short of amazing. Check out the Radioactive Map Archive to find a healthy collection of new Half-Life maps. And, what better way to explore all the new Half-Life multi-player maps than as the comic strip character Too Much Coffee Man. Download Valve's hilarious homage at HalfLife.org.
[December 2, 1998] - Just In time for the Holidays, Free Half-Life downloadsThe much anticipated security guard mod is now available. Be the first of your friends to crack skulls as the helmet wearing, crowbar wielding security guard from Half-Life. You can download him, a new map titled Frenzy, the latest update, and the mini SDK (Software Development Kit) at WON.NET.
[December 2, 1998] - You want answers?Have technical questions about Half-Life? The amount of community support is amazing. Those looking for info on server related items, check out Docta' Schwa's server FAQ on Contaminated.net . For general questions about installing or running Half-Life, check out the troubleshooting section of Halflife.org, the I.AM Half-Life FAQ and Slugo's Mod Central.
[November 25, 1998] - Half-Life: Even More Incredible ReviewsIn the past few days even more stellar Half-Life reviews have been posted. Check out the reviews on Gamespot, Computer Games Online, and Half-Life Haven.
[November 20, 1998] - Half-Life: The Critics AgreeHalf-Life is in stores now and the first reviews are glowing. See what the folks at Gamecenter, Gamelinks, Gamers Republic, Gamerush.com, Reviewboard Magazine, and Next-Generation have to say about what many are calling the "Game of the Year."
[ November 16, 1998 ] - Half-Life Primary Server Program LaunchedValve and Sierra Studios have unveiled an unprecendented server program for those who would like to set up dedicated Half-Life game servers before the product hits stores around the globe.
[ November 10, 1998 ] - Can You Taste It?Half-Life has gone gold! It was 5 inches in diameter and a whopping 3 ounces. We couldn't be prouder. But seriously, replication of the CDs has begun and Half-Life will be screaming into stores before you know it.
[ November 10, 1998 ] - Half-Life: "Multiplayer mode is fast and intense" - IGN PCLast week we hosted a little multiplayer party for the press in San Francisco. Judging by the stories on Gamecenter, Gamespot, and IGN PC, it seems they had a good time.
[ November 9, 1998 ] - Firingsquad.com Previews Half-LifeWow! After previewing Half-Life, Firingsquad.com offers some advice: " ...do yourself a favor - During Thanksgiving, forget about the turkey and the family dinner, go out and buy Half-Life now or you'll find yourself with empty hands come Christmas!" Read all about it!
[ November 3, 1998 ] - Half-Life Preview at Gamecenter.comGamecenter's George Jones admits that Half-Life's "terrifyingly real and atmospheric game world" scared the bejezus out of him. Take a look at this lengthy and detailed preview
[ November 2, 1998 ] - GameSpot TV's Interview with Gabe NewellValve Software's Gabe Newell discusses the details of Half-Life and tells GameSpot TV why it will be the most technologically advanced game on the market once it ships. Read all about it!
[ October 28, 1998 ] - MSNBC's Game Plan Gives Half-Life Five StarsSteven Kent of MSNBC's Game Plan gives Half-Life five out of a possible five stars and indicates that the game "brings intelligence to the first-person-perspective shooting genre." Read all about it!
[ October 16, 1998 ] - Gameslice Daily Editorial Praises Half-Life: Day One.Gameslice's Editor-in-Chief sums it all up by saying: "Half-Life raises the bar, and our expectations for the future. It crystallizes the definition of a solid 3D game experience: one that challenges your mind, tests your reflexes, and appeals to your emotions." Read all about it!
[ September 25, 1998 ] - CDMAG.COM (Strategy Plus' Web site)"If the rest of the game's levels are able to continue the OEM version's compelling mix of exploration, discovery, and action, shooter fans who want something a bit meatier than more rocket arena-style gaming should be in heaven." Read all about it!
[ September 25, 1998 ] - GAMESPOT.COMI don't give accolades easily, and I have no qualms saying this game is looking incredible. It blew me away as few games have done in my three years covering games...(This is) a potential masterpiece of drama and immersion. There is so much about this game that's impressive." Read all about it!
[ September 25, 1998 ] - OGR.COMImagine, if you will, the wide variety of first-person shooters on the market standing in a firing line, eyes blindfolded, hands tied behind their back. The firing squad consists of a solitary figure, a one Mr. Half-Life, and he proceeds to mow down his victims with unrelenting accuracy." Read all about it!
[ September 3, 1998 ] - Half-Life OverseasGameSpot's Elliott Chin spoke briefly with Gabe Newell, managing director of Valve Software, before he took off to London for E.C.T.S. (European Computer Trade Show). In the story, Newell discusses the importance and differences of the European market. Read all about it.