VALVE CORPORATION: EXPLORATION INTO THE COMPANY - PART 2 - CINEMATIC NARRATIVE WITH GAMEPLAY

 

[1] VALVE (2004) Gordon Freeman and Alyx Vance [Online Image] Avaliable from: http://img1.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20100426164516/half-life/en/images/1/19/Gordonalyx2.jpg [Accessed 24/04/2014]

    Kill the aliens that enslaved the human race. Escape from a lab controlled by  a psychotic A.I. These two stories can ultimately be boiled down into one sentence, yet these are the storylines to two games that can be considered to be one of the most influential and popular games. Half-life and Portal.
    It’s clear that Valve helped to pioneer the cinematic story telling experience in games, when the games I spoke of above are often held in high acclaim with gamers and critics[2][3][4][5][6][7][8].

One of Ratman's Dens.
[9] VALVE (2007) One of Ratman's Den [Online Image] Avaliable from: http://img3.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20100611154805/half-life/en/images/d/dd/Testchmb_a_13001.jpg [Accessed 24/04/2014]

    Portal communicates the lore by using insane scribbling and picture clippings, lining the panels of a small decrypted rooms hidden in test chambers. Ramblings of someone with decreasing mental stability help to guide Chell through the later tests, before abruptly ending when the Sentry Turrets are introduced. The small den’s show evidence that someone had inhabited them for long periods time, with makeshift beds, cans of food and bottles of milk and water. One even contains a makeshift shove. The walls often have foreshadowing, such as the placement of companion cubes placed over the heads of people, and even ‘The cake is a lie’ scrawled across the panels[10][11].
    This is essence of Cinematic Story telling, using the world and actions to explore the narrative, rather than dialogue. As Alfred Hitchcock has been quoted saying:

    “In many of the films now being made, there is very little cinema: they are mostly what I call ‘photographs of people talking’. When we tell a story in the cinema, we should resort to dialogue only when it’s impossible to do otherwise. In writing a screenplay, it is essential to separate clearly the dialogue from the visual elements and whenever possible, to rely more on the visual than on the dialogue[12].”

 

Concept of Chell meeting GLaDOS.
[13] VALVE (2011) Concept of Chell meeting GLaDOS [Online Image] Avaliable from: http://img3.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20100307232018/half-life/en/images/1/11/Chell_facing_glados_concept.jpg [Accessed 24/04/2014]

    Interaction between GLaDOS and the player helps to add to the story without it being just exposition which can get lost in all forms of media. We are given a look into the mind or programming of this A.I. We’re allowed to explore the character, shown that she’s not just plot device, but a three dimensional character, with motives and emotions.
    The gameplay mechanics are a key part in holding up the narrative, we are taught by stepping on the button, it opens door, but stepping off it, closes the door, telling us that we need to acquire a weigh. Triggered by the button, a large container looking out of place in the ceiling, releases a box, the weighted storage cube which becomes a key element in the later stages, as the companion cube. The companion cube goes on to teach us an important mechanic involving the final battle. All of this is done without dialogue, allowing the player to discover the mechanics themselves[14].

Breen on the Breencast on the clock tower in City 17.
[15] - VALVE (2004) Breen on the Breencast [Online Image] Avaliable from: http://img3.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20091026103546/half-life/en/images/c/cd/Second_Breencast_close.jpg [Accessed 24/04/2014]

    There are drawbacks to a heavily narrative game. A strict liner format takes away the players feelings of control and replayablilty. Without any ability to affect the storyline, the game does not need to played a second time. You know the story, you had your emotional experience with it, what’s the point in playing it a second time? I feel Half-life 2 and especially the sequels suffered from this issue. But, also these games did so much right.
    We are greeted with Dr. Breen, the main anatogist of the series. Breen is not just an evil person, although looking at his motives we are can argue about this element. But looking at Breen, he justifies his reasoning, to himself, but even more so to the player. He gives speeches which you can choose to watch or just carry on.

    “Did the lungfish refuse to breathe air? It did not. It crept forth boldly while its brethren remained in the blackest ocean abyss, with lidless eyes forever staring at the dark, ignorant and doomed despite their eternal vigilance.[16]”

    It’s not just good guys verses bad guys, it muddies the water. Breen think’s he’s doing what’s best for humanity, allowing them to ascend into the Combine empire. Where as you fight beside the rebels to try to break free from the Combine’s grasp.
    When simple the narrative is done in an exciting and intriguing way, can be considered superior to a complex plot told in a broken, disjointed way. With an obvious start to endpoint, without any complexities that might confuse the player due to the way it’s presented, the story can ultimately be more engaging.

Biblography  

SOURCES

[1] - VALVE (2004) Gordon Freeman and Alyx Vance [Online Image] Avaliable from: http://img1.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20100426164516/half-life/en/images/1/19/Gordonalyx2.jpg [Accessed 24/04/2014]

 [2] - GAMERANKINGS (1992) Half-Life 2 [Online] GAMERANKINGS Avaliable from: http://www.gamerankings.com/pc/914642-half-life-2/index.html [Accessed 24/04/2014]

[3] - DULIN. R (1998) Half-Life [Online] GAMESPOT Avaliable from: http://www.gamespot.com/reviews/half-life-review/1900-2537398/ [Accessed 24/04/2014]

[4] - METACRITIC (1998) Half-Life PC [Online] METACRITIC Avaliable from: http://www.metacritic.com/game/pc/half-life [Accessed 24/04/2014]

[5] - METACRITIC (2004) Half-Life 2 PC [Online] METACRITIC Avaliable from: http://www.metacritic.com/game/pc/half-life-2 [Accessed 24/04/2014]

[6] - METACRITIC (2007) Portal PC [Online] METACRITIC Avaliable from: http://www.metacritic.com/game/pc/portal [Accessed 24/04/2014]

[7] - METACRITIC (2011) Portal 2 PC [Online] METACRITIC Avaliable from: http://www.metacritic.com/game/pc/portal-2 [Accessed 24/04/2014]

[8] - ADAMS. D (2007) Portal Review [Online] METACRITIC Avaliable from: http://uk.ign.com/articles/2007/10/09/portal-review [Accessed 24/04/2014]

[9] - VALVE (2007) One of Ratman's Den [Online Image] Avaliable from: http://img3.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20100611154805/half-life/en/images/d/dd/Testchmb_a_13001.jpg [Accessed 24/04/2014]

[10] AONSHIX (2009) Narrative Narcissism; Half-Life [Online] Avaliable from: http://metacritical.wordpress.com/2009/06/14/narrative-narcissism-half-life/ [Accessed 24/04/2014]

[11] HAGGARD. D (2007) The Art of Narrative in Half-Life 2 [Online] Availiable from : http://danielhaggard.com/70/the-art-of-narrative-in-half-life-2/ [Accessed 24/04/2014]

 

[12] Weis. E (1982) The Silent Scream - Alfred Hitchcock's Sound Track Rutherford: Dickinson University Press Avaliable from: http://filmsound.org/silentscream/chapter1.htm [Accessed 24/04/2014]

[13] - VALVE (2011) Concept of Chell meeting GLaDOS [Online Image] Avaliable from: http://img3.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20100307232018/half-life/en/images/1/11/Chell_facing_glados_concept.jpg [Accessed 24/04/2014]

[14] RICARDO AFONSO (2011) Portal, Complete Walkthrough. [Online Video] Available from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PxOQDo_tHNY [Accessed 24/04/2014]

[15] - VALVE (2004) Breen on the Breencast [Online Image] Avaliable from: http://img3.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20091026103546/half-life/en/images/c/cd/Second_Breencast_close.jpg [Accessed 24/04/2014]

[16] VALVE (2004) Breencast [Online] Avaliable from: http://half-life.wikia.com/wiki/Breencast [Accessed 24/04/2014]

GAMES 

VALVE (1998) Half-Life [Online, CD] PC, Playstation 2, Xbox. Washington: Electronic Arts Inc.

VALVE (2004) Half-Life 2 [Online, CD] PC, Xbox 360, Playstation 3. Washington: Electronic Arts Inc. 

VALVE (2008) Portal [Online, CD] PC, Xbox 360, Playstation 3. Washington: Electronic Arts Inc.

VALVE (2011) Portal 2 [Online, CD] PC, Xbox 360, Playstation 3. Washington: Electronic Arts Inc.

VALVE CORPORATION: EXPLORATION INTO THE COMPANY - PART 1 - THE BEGINNING, THE DELAYS AND THE TRUTH

[1] VALVE (1998) Valve Logo [Online Image] Avaliable from: http://semiaccurate.com/assets/uploads/2011/09/valve-logo.png [24/04/2014]

    Valve, the brain child of Gabe Newell and Mike Harrington[2]. Throughout the years, many talented and creative men and women came together to produce some of the most memorable and creative games. Doug Lambardi, Robin Walker, Marc Laidlaw, all the programmers, artists and writers that spent years making Half-Life, Portal, Counterstrike, DoTA, Left4Dead, games that have made such an impact on the community and video games themselves, changing the way first person shooters and cinematic narrative is now presented.

    In August 1996, Newell and Harrington, two retired Microsoft Developers with 30 years under their belts, came together with a love of video games. Settling into an office in a small Seattle suburb of Kirkland, Washington, Valve hired it’s first employees. Taken from the ranks of the Quake Modding community, these young programmers and level designers, the essence of the gaming community, helped to produce one of the most ground breaking games, Half-life. With the licensing of the Quake engine in hand, the team was split into two and each, set forth in their production[3].

The heroine of Prospero
[4] VALVE (1996) The Heroine of Prospero [Online image] Avaliable from: http://img2.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20100418212431/half-life/en/images/b/b2/Aleph_1.jpg [Accessed 24/04/2014]

    One team worked on ‘Prospero’. A game which was originally concepted to come out after Half-life. It was exploration based with an intricate storyline and psionic combat. While the other team worked on ‘Quiver’. A first person shooter which emphasised on Aliens and Adrenaline. This was the base for Half-Life.
    As Quiver started to take over some of the initial goals of Prospero’s, morphing the latter into a Massive Multiplayer game. The game would have a mixture of Valve and user-created worlds, each running on a different server. Other elements for Prospero were concepted, such as online distribution for it, a server browser and a friend finder. These elements were later implimented into Steam, which I’ll be speaking about in depth in later posts. As Prospero mixed with Quiver, it’s atmosphere and narrative was adapted into the game[5].
    During the production of Half-Life, the Quake 1 Engine had to be heavily modified, with most of the code being rewritten such as the A.I. and the audio output had to be heavily modified. This became the GoldScr engine[6].

Half-Life 1, Sector C's Front Desk
[7] VALVE (1998) Sector C's Front Desk [Online Image]. Avaliable from: http://cd1.leviathyn.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/halflife.jpg [Accessed 24/04/2014]

    As Half-Life was set to be released in 1997, Newall and Harrington could see that the game was still incomplete. With the addition of Prospero’s atmosphere and narrative, the game needed to be refined. An extra year was given to the dev team as the founders felt Half-Life was not going to be good enough for release. On November 19th 1998, Half-Life was released through Sierra, who went on to create the expansions to this series as Valve started to work on a new engine, Source.
    Development of Half-life 2 begun in June 1999. Ideas about the sequel involved Gordon fighting the combine forces on Zen, and the version we know, eastern European city setting. Two years later, Newell left the development to work on Steam, allowing the dev team to work by themselves and explore ideas. The following year Newall announced Steam to the public[8].

Half-life 2, Dr. Breen's office
[9] VALVE (2004) Lighting effects in Breen's office from Half-Life 2 [Online Image] Avaliable from: http://img3.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20090604225421/half-life/en/images/5/5e/Half-Life_2_Dr_Breen_Office.jpg [Accessed 24/04/2014]

    During 2003, Newell announced Half-Life 2 at E3 in February, with Steam releasing the same year on the 12th of September. But something marred this year. A hacking. Source’s code was leaked online as well as the Half-Life 2 maps, showing that Half-life 2 is nowhere near completion. In October, Newell wrote an apology letter for now having to hold back Half-Life’s release date from September to April 2004, due to the leaked levels and coding. As April came around, Half-Life 2 was once again delayed, causing Kevin “Fragmaster” Bowen, the founder of Planet Half-Life, to leak inside information he was holding about the theft. It turns out that the hacking had nothing to do with Half-Life’s delay, and was used as an convenient excuse for the reason that the game was not going to be finished before September 2003[10].
    Pressure begun to grow within Valve, since the release of the information, so Newell let the truth out. The leaks had nothing to so with the delay of Half-Life 2, while emitting that the delays was his fault. He was too unrealistic about it’s progress, and the closer they got to the release date the more obvious it was that the game wasn’t going to be finished in time. But later that year, November 16th, we finally got Half-Life 2.

    Although I condemn Newell actions in lying about the leaking being the main issue of Half-Life 2’s delay, I can completely understand why he did it. He probably got excited about Half-Life 2 with all of the brilliant work they were putting into it, and so announced an extremely optimistic release date which turned out they couldn’t make. Developers often get abuse, just for making a game or being in the public eye. So saying that the leak affected development time is a legitimate reason for making your fans wait and minimising the amount of abuse. If your game was leaked, changing it would be for the best, as people would have seen the screenshots, and if the game worked, played it. When it came out he lied, the employees at Valve, especially Newell, all would have faced abuse. All of this due to his fear of disappointing the fans and receiving more harassment.
    Being transparent in situations like this is the best. By not trying to hid anything from the fans, they will have more respect for you in the long run. You’re fan base will grow. With them knowing your not there to cheat them, they can enjoy your games, instead of going in with a shield up, wondering what you’ve done to ruin their franchise. They are the people who will stand by you. If you have to delay a game to make it better, do that and explain why. Transparency is the best cause, and no matter what you’ll do, expect backlash. Valve now as an amazing reputation for making games, even if we have to wait, we’re not disappointed by them, and of course, Steam with it’s sales. I feel Valve learnt a lesson from this, and that's why we have limited information on Half-Life 3. The team doesn’t want to let us fans down, and so feel it better not to confirm or deny it’s existence.
    As I feel like I’ve now rambled on for far too long, I want to leave you with a line that’s stuck with me, said by none other than Gabe Newell in 2004:
   

“10 years from now, people will look back at Valve and see a company who genuinely cares about the games and the people who play games. We did not cut corners and yeah may never have shipped on time, but at least lived up to it’s responsibilities to moving things forward.”[11]

Biblography

[1] - VALVE (1998) Valve Logo [Online Image] Avaliable from: http://semiaccurate.com/assets/uploads/2011/09/valve-logo.png [24/04/2014]

[2] - CAPRIOLE, A. (2008) The History of Valve [Online] PLANET HALF-LIFE. Available from: http://planethalflife.gamespy.com/View.php?view=Articles.Detail&id=121 [Accessed 23/04/2014]

[3] - HODGSON, D. (2004) Anomalous Materials. In: HODGSON, D. et al. Half-Life 2: Raising the Bar - A Behind the Scenes Look: Prima's Official Insider's Guide. Roseville: Prima Games. pp. 8

[4] - VALVE (1996) The Heroine of Prospero [Online image] Avaliable from: http://img2.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20100418212431/half-life/en/images/b/b2/Aleph_1.jpg [Accessed 24/04/2014]

[5] - HODGSON, D. (2004) Anomalous Materials. In: HODGSON, D. et al. Half-Life 2: Raising the Bar - A Behind the Scenes Look: Prima's Official Insider's Guide. Roseville: Prima Games. pp. 9 - 11

[6] - BOKITCH, C. (2002) Half-Life Code Basis [Online] VERC Collective. Available from: http://web.archive.org/web/20070301012630/http://collective.valve-erc.com/index.php?go=q1_or_q2 [Accessed 23/04/2014]

[7] - VALVE (1998) Sector C's Front Desk [Online Image]. Avaliable from: http://cd1.leviathyn.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/halflife.jpg [Accessed 24/04/2014]

[8] - HALF-LIFE WIKI (2006) Development of Half-Life 2 [Online] Available from: http://half-life.wikia.com/wiki/Development_of_Half-Life_2 [Accessed 23/04/2014]

[9] - VALVE (2004) Lighting effects in Breen's office from Half-Life 2 [Online Image] Avaliable from: http://img3.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20090604225421/half-life/en/images/5/5e/Half-Life_2_Dr_Breen_Office.jpg [Accessed 24/04/2014]

[10] - CAPRIOLE, A. (2008) The History of Valve [Online] PLANET HALF-LIFE. Available from: http://planethalflife.gamespy.com/View.php?view=Articles.Detail&id=121 [Accessed 23/04/2014]

[11] - REDDIT (2014) Gabe Newells Quote [Online Image] Avaliable from: http://i.imgur.com/mSFmMM1.jpg [Accessed 23/04/2014]