Fashioned after the scanner robot in Half-Life 2, a papier-mâché piñata hangs in the air, awaiting its fate. You really expect us to believe that Half-Life 2 is nearly done? Newell just grins wider, turns around and slowly points at an object hanging from the ceiling. "We were right about the date, just not the year," he says with a smile. The scanner piñata hangs in the lobby of Valve Software's office building. Given the roller-coaster ride that Valve has been on for the past 18 months, all three of these things seem more likely than what Newell is about to say. A massive computer virus might infect the network. You imagine the thoughts that must be running through his head. "OK, what now?" he asks the gods above, wondering aloud how the forces of nature will next conspire against Valve. It's September 30, 2004, and Gabe Newell is looking to the heavens. He didn't know how or when to explain what really happened. Today Newell admits the statements he made in March 2003 have haunted him every day for the past 18 months. In fact, it wasn't anywhere close to being done on that date. Of course, Half-Life 2 didn't arrive on September 30. "The reason we are announcing today is because we now know when it will be done." - Gabe Newell, March 2003 Half-Life 2 will be coming on September 30, 2003. Today he wants to make a promise to the fans, to open the eyes of expectation. But no, that's far too imprecise for Gabe. Even "fall" or "when it's done" would probably fly. He could say "September" and no one would complain. Knowing what you know now, you want to coach Newell to not be so sure of himself. "We're going to launch the product at E3 and we're going to ship it on September 30, 2003," Newell empathically states. "The reason we are announcing the game today is because we now know when it will be done." "We didn't want to do the whole 'when it's done' thing," Newell explains in his preamble. No, today is a day of great resolve-a carefully calculated announcement of Half-Life 2 and a public declaration that the game is about to enter the final stretch of development. And at times there will seem to be no exit strategy for Newell, no clear sense of when victory-the release of the game-will be achieved.īut none of that is evident to Gabe today. From the perspective of many fans, Newell's battle to release Half-Life 2 will also end up being a campaign filled with misinformation. Unfortunately, the parallels don't stop there. Like the second American offensive in Iraq, Newell's battle will begin today with a shock-and-awe campaign of spectacular visual firepower-the first demo of the game. Today is March 21, 2003-the start of the second war in Iraq, which is a fitting parallel to the battle Newell is about to start with the announcement of Half-Life 2 and its release date. Gabe Newell, Valve's founder and managing director "I was up until 3:30am last night watching the first night of bombing in Iraq on CNN," he explains. Unfortunately, Newell's fatigue is the result of something else entirely. Understandable, you think to yourself-it's never easy pulling all-nighters to finish a game. "Sorry, I was up really late last night," he explains. He pulls off his smudged glasses and gently runs an index finger over his right eyelid. He sounds that sure of himself.īefore he divulges the date, however, he pauses. As Newell talks about the game's imminent completion he speaks with such conviction that you half expect him to give you the exact minute and second the game will be released. Now Gabe is ready to announce a release date. For years gamers have impatiently waited for definitive news on the sequel. The game he's referring to is Half-Life 2, the sequel to Half-Life, one of the best-selling PC first-person shooters of all time. We finally know when this game is going to be done." "That moment, I'm happy to say, is right now. "During any project there comes a time to draw a line in the sand and put a stick in the ground and say, 'This is it. He pulls out an Aeron chair, plops himself down, and runs his stubby hands through his reddish-brown hair. It's 11am on an overcast morning in Bellevue, Washington, and Newell, the impresario behind Valve, lumbers into the company's starkly decorated 10th-floor conference room.
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