This is an interesting take, especially coming from a non-gaming focused tech website like Ars Technica. I feel like it’s been too long since people were truly hyped about half life 3 though, and this wouldn’t be enough, even if Valve did go through with it.
People are increasingly unhappy with windows though, and the EoL of windows 10 may push people to Linux anyways.
There is no chance Valve will make HL3 SteamOS or Linux exclusive.
There is no chance Valve will make HL3
SteamOS or Linux exclusive.But, maybe we can make a super clickbaity article anyway?
Are ‘super-clickbaity’ articles a thing of the past? The signs point to yes!
@DScratch 7 reasons why you don’t see super-clickbaity articles anymore, number 4 is going to blow your mind!
No. Exclusives suck for everyone in the long run. In this case, it would also be pretty heavily set against the Linux / FOSS ethos, too.
probably all the fanboys will come out of the woodwork to defend it just like console exclusives
Nah sounds like a waste of time and resources to make a game built on their multiplatform engine and then lock it down to one environment.
not saying that valve would do this or that they should, but if that they did people would defend it. People defend a lot of things that don’t benefit anyone
This is not only dumb, but also manages to ignore Gabe’s past declarations on the matter. It even ignores the fact they even released CounterStrike (of all things) on consoles.
There won’t be exclusives. That isn’t good business for Steam or Linux.
Exclusivity is bad for gamers. We should reject it at all times.
Inclusivity then again means that even nazis should be allowed to game if they behave.
As much of a Linux fanboy as I am, I just kinda hate platform exclusives in general when it comes to gaming.
Something fun could be Steam items you can only gain through playing the game on Linux, Like the promotional in-game items you got for playing TF2 on the launch of the Mac and Linux versions.
I think it would be cool as a freebie to steamOS users. Would encourage people to try out installing steamOS to get the game for free.
Could either be that they just need to try it once to claim the game, or the game is free to play as long as they stay on Linux/steamOS to encourage them to use it long enough to finish the game.
I think if they did a special launch on SteamOS and made it super polished it would be a nice demonstration… Or maybe an exclusive demo or minigame or something along those lines. They did some nifty stuff for VR this way and it got people pretty hyped about it for a while back when Vive launched.
Genius way to create a ton of ill will towards Valve, SteamOS and Linux as a whole.
Please do not make a SteamOS exclusive game. I love Linux and Steam Deck, but this is not a good idea to exclude Windows users from playing the game.
What would be the point of actually making Half Life 3? The void caused by that game’s non-existence is too culturally important to ever replace!
To replace it with HL4
Crassius Curio says hi!
slithers away
Making HL3 only GNU/Linux exclusive would be the gigachadest thing ever done. Well even better than exclusivity. Make the game playable on windows but only with a downgrade in performance or need of emulation, like the whole industry has made with GNU/Linux.
Imagine if the Windows version requires WSL to work.
We all know Valve can’t count past two.
SteamOS 3.6 though 🙂
I stand corrected.
There are grown ass adults born after the last main story Half-life game.
While I have no doubt there would be some hype for a Half-life 3, I don’t think it would be the firestarter this author is thinking.
I’ll copy what I said on Mastodon
I don’t know, even though Valve are pushing Steam OS they still treat all their platforms equally, and I don’t think asking gamers to replace their OS (or install alongside their existing one) or buy a new PC in order to play Half-Life 3 is a good marketing strategy. Half-Life Alyx is a great example: as great a game it is, few people actually bought VR headsets to play it.
PS: I’m one of those guys who bought a headset for HLA, but I know I’m part of the minority here.
Horrendous idea, sorry.
If anything making it exclusive would just make your average Joe resent SteamOSExclusivity can eat my ass.