EP3 has been delayed (possibly thrice) due to Portal/Portal 2

[Twilight Mage]

What we know:

Valve has said there were originally plans to tie Chell into Half-Life more strongly after Portal, but then changed their minds going into Portal 2.


Why EP3 was delayed for Portal:

First time - To incorporate Chell into the story.
Second time - To incorporate the Portal Gun into the gameplay/story (due to popular demand).
Third time - To deincorporate Chell from the story.

It's likely that the first and second delays were more of a single combo delay.


Summary: We'd likely have EP3 now were it not for that meddling test subject!

[laneg]

if they were ever going to incorporate the portalgun into the story, they mustve been smoking some large amounts of crack. i dont think anyone wanted that.

[Dagspöket]

I doubt it.

[Moose Muscles]

I'm not quite buying this theory yet...

[nod113]

The way I read the article I thought that they would be removing half life references from portal, but not necessarily the other way around.

[gamer1973]

Half Life 2 and Portal were never ment to tie in
Portal is what we call a "Side-Story"
The Portal team doesn't need all the people from the Half Life team

[reameesh]

Summary: We'd likely have EP3 now were it not for that meddling test subject!


Who cares? I JUST WANT THAT MEDDLING TEST SUBJECT TO APPEAR ON MY GAMES LIST. :D

[MADDOGGE]

Half Life 2 and Portal were never ment to tie in
Portal is what we call a "Side-Story"
The Portal team doesn't need all the people from the Half Life teamMaybe not Portal, but Chell was supposed to. This straight from Gabes' mouth to our ears, but that was back in 2007.

[Twilight Mage]

Maybe not Portal, but Chell was supposed to. This straight from Gabes' mouth to our ears, but that was back in 2007.

That's what I meant.
But then they pulled Chell from the HL story line, likely requiring EP3 to be changed accordingly assuming work had been done to integrate Chell into the HL story line...which it likely had been.

[Mike_Bson]

Episode 3 was never delay, because it never got a release date (or month, or year).

[wade]

Episode 3 was never delay, because it never got a release date (or month, or year).

/thread.

[Revolution 9]

Episode 3 was never delay, because it never got a release date (or month, or year).

Hurry up Ep3 i want 2 play NOW!

[MADDOGGE]

That's what I meant.
But then they pulled Chell from the HL story line, likely requiring EP3 to be changed accordingly assuming work had been done to integrate Chell into the HL story line...which it likely had been.Yah, I think Chell was pulled after the overwhelming success of P1. I doubt the Ep3 story needed much changing at all at that early stage. Just the character that was going to be Chell needed to be replaced. Honestly other than a name and model change. Since we know nothing really about Chells' background even that wouldn't necessary need changing in Ep3. Alex's dad was not Eli to begin with nor was she originally a major player. Poop happens.:D:D

[Lysander]

Indeed. Because Valve only one development team.

[slipperywhenwet]

Maybe not Portal, but Chell was supposed to. This straight from Gabes' mouth to our ears, but that was back in 2007.

GUYS!!!! There are still multiple ways to get chell in ep 3. I mean there maybe some sort of aperture science time distortion divice (astdd) or maybe gman. We really know NOTHING about the games storry except glados and wheatly + friends. Then again, they may not have even started anything with chell in ep3 and decided not to have her in it b4 they started production. We will just have to wait.

[Patcher]

Do you know that valve can develop a lot more than two games at a time?

[WillBright]

Chell in HL2:E3 --> forced and unnecessary. Plus, having her speak would break the character from the first game, and I doubt she'd just show up and be silent.

Portal Gun in HL2:E3 --> makes a lot more sense, allows for new gameplay, helps tie in Aperture Science and the Borealis. Very likely to happen, and possibly even a reason for the long dev period.

Case closed!

[eyefork]

Episode 3 was delayed because Gabe accidentally lit the entire storyboard on fire while attempting to light the candles on a co-workers birthday cake.

[Spidery_Yoda]

Summary: We'd likely have EP3 now were it not for that meddling test subject!

You made the whole thread so you could say that didn't you?

Anyway I doubt thats why Ep 3 is delayed. I think its more due to Valve abandoning the episodic approach, and making sure Episode 3 isn't 'just more of the same'.

[wade]

Chell in HL2:E3 --> forced and unnecessary. Plus, having her speak would break the character from the first game, and I doubt she'd just show up and be silent.

Portal Gun in HL2:E3 --> makes a lot more sense, allows for new gameplay, helps tie in Aperture Science and the Borealis. Very likely to happen, and possibly even a reason for the long dev period.

Case closed!

Why don't you think the portal gun in HL2:ep3 would be "forced and unnecessary"?

It doesn't allow for "new" gameplay, the portal gun has been around since... Portal. Why would this be a reason for the long dev period, the engine already supports portals, since... Portal.

It would help tie the two games together, but the borealis already does that without the portal gun.

I admit, it would be kind of neat to have Gordon totin' the portal gun, but I'd prefer it if they left portals to portal and crowbars to half life.

[iamacyborg]

You know, they could always link them together in the same manner that Half Life, Blue Shift and Op For were linked, ie quick glimpses of things happening in the other game.

[maturin]

Anyone who thinks there will be a portal gun in Episode 3, except for short-lived, constricted use in dungeon-like environments, has obviously never mapped for Source.

[scapino]

For I hope the last time, EP3 isn't delayed! They NEVER released a time line for finishing it.

Kurt

[MADDOGGE]

For I hope the last time, EP3 isn't delayed! They NEVER released a time line for finishing it.

KurtPashaaaah, that has nothing to do with it. It did not come out as scheduled therefore it has been delayed for over a year or more. Get with the program. Logic has absolutely nothing to do with this flawed arguement.;)

[scapino]

But it was never schedualed! ;)

Kurt

[GannonSlayer143]

I'd rather see just a nod to the Portal Gun. Maybe Alyx find a broken one on the Borealis.
Alyx: "Any ideas as to what this could be? Looks kinda like a gravity gun. Well what ever it was, its broken now."

Or maybe she finds some blue prints and takes fold it and put it in her pocket. Then she forgets it in her pants and it goes though the wash. :)

Anyway, having you wield the Portal Gun would be kinda messed up in my opinion.

[youknow]

Second time - To incorporate the Portal Gun into the gameplay/story (due to popular demand).

I completely and utterly hate that idea. It's like adding combine overwatch into l4d or adding terrorists to TF2. Do not want.

[ruthlessebk]

Portal 3: Gordon Freeman is the test subject.

[bloughberri]

Good things come to those who wait.
;)

[bloughberri]

I completely and utterly hate that idea. It's like adding combine overwatch into l4d or adding terrorists to TF2. Do not want.

They look like they've already set it up for that, however. So Gordon just may get a portal gun...

I wonder how the gravity gun is going to take this?

[leahcim]

Why EP3 was delayed for Portal:


I dunno. One thing the portal 2 stuff on gameinfomer has made clear is that the story is always in flux throughout the development of a game at Valve and that gameplay is done first and drives the game much more.

Most of the details that OCD forumites are going to sweat over "In episode 2034 of coronation street aired in 1974, I remember Ken Barlow said 'I don't like Tomatoes' but last week, 36 years later, he was eating one! It's ruined the whole story for me..." aren't really done until nearer the end.

[Blaze T Dragon]

Considering that Episode 2 was obviously made before Portal's success was known, they must have already been planing a tie in. Due to the fact that Chell is also a silent protagonist, it's doubtful that she and Gordan will ever meet. Due to the fact that Portal was literal a tech demo for the portal gun, Valve probably was planning to include it in Episode 3 as a new weapon, and this was a way of testing to see if people liked the mechanic.

The portal gun could be the dangerous technology stored in the Borealis that could cause the "unforeseen consequences," seeing as it could probably be modified to be able to connect to other dimensions, and essentially be able to produce combine troops anywhere, instantly. Therefore Episode 3's plot could be centered around making sure the device doesn't fall into the wrong hands. Whether or not it'll become a gameplay mechanic or not is still up in the air due to the success of portal and its sequel. Maybe they'll let you play with it for a bit, but at some point it gets damaged, and you need to bring it to Kleiner to get it fixed/destroyed.

Anyways, what I'm trying to say with my crackpot theories is that if they were planning on having the portal device be key to the plot for episode 3, then it's unlikely that the development has been significantly delayed due to portal. If anything, maybe there were a few changes to the game due to the success of portal, like maybe some easter eggs, but I doubt it's anything substantial.

[Sk8SkaNJ]

its delayed because their business strategy seems to be to release a game every holiday season

07 - Orange Box
08 - L4D
09 - L4D2
10 - Portal 2
11 - Episode 3

[nanosheep]

Darn meddling kids!

[Crinkz]

its delayed because their business strategy seems to be to release a game every holiday season

07 - Orange Box
08 - L4D
09 - L4D2
10 - Portal 2
11 - Icefrogs game

Just so VALVe can troll us more. =/

[leahcim]

Considering that Episode 2 was obviously made before Portal's success was known, they must have already been planing a tie in.


I dunno, the writers said here gameinformer.com/portal2 that Portal is set in the Half life universe for the rather more mundane and pragmatic reason that the team wasn't big enough to create their world entirely from scratch.

[FiverBeyond]

What we know:

Valve has said there were originally plans to tie Chell into Half-Life more strongly after Portal, but then changed their minds going into Portal 2.


Why EP3 was delayed for Portal:

First time - To incorporate Chell into the story.
Second time - To incorporate the Portal Gun into the gameplay/story (due to popular demand).
Third time - To deincorporate Chell from the story.

It's likely that the first and second delays were more of a single combo delay.


Summary: We'd likely have EP3 now were it not for that meddling test subject!

Dangit... you're right. Now I'm going to go back and rewrite all of my Chell-Gordon love story fan fiction.

[SplatterPanda]

if they were ever going to incorporate the portalgun into the story, they mustve been smoking some large amounts of crack. i dont think anyone wanted that.

Half Life 2 and Portal were never ment to tie in
Portal is what we call a "Side-Story"
The Portal team doesn't need all the people from the Half Life team

pre-portal 1 release, there were articles stating that valve would have liked to release the Ravenholm map so that players would understand the gravity gun mechanics before getting into the game. with portal, they had the opportunity to introduce players to the portal gun so that a long tutorial process like alyx showing gordon the gravity gun in HL2 wouldn't be as necessary in later HL games featuring the portal gun. i don't have time to go searching for those articles, but i saw them in gameinformer, i think.

Indeed. Because Valve only one development team.

and no, valve has more than one team working on stuff. i doubt valve has people developing for TF2 one week, l4d2 the next, and then portal 2 the following week. they'd never get anything done. in fact, valve hired the narbacualr drop creators to develop portal, they didn't just cut people out of another project to work on portal instead, which they'd have had to do if there was only one dev team.

[Jimmy T Malice]

Just to please both sides of the argument, I think it would be good if Gordon picked up a portal gun and the viewmodel popped up, but then it malfunctioned when you tried to fire and wouldn't work afterwards.

[P1X3L]

Just to please both sides of the argument, I think it would be good if Gordon picked up a portal gun and the viewmodel popped up, but then it malfunctioned when you tried to fire and wouldn't work afterwards.

You've earned.. *Robot Voice* One Necrocard, your total is *Robot Voice* One.

[LordLucika]

I wonder how the gravity gun is going to take this?

The portal gun and the gravity gun suddenly come to life and mate, creating the Instant Superportal Creatah!

[notavirus.exe]

Just to please both sides of the argument, I think it would be good if Gordon picked up a portal gun and the viewmodel popped up, but then it malfunctioned when you tried to fire and wouldn't work afterwards.

Holy raging revival batman, this thread came back for seconds...

I hope ep3 is never released and instead valve makes a NEW installment of the hl series, HL3. The episode idea i thought was pretty dumb.

[jvleme]

I'd rather see just a nod to the Portal Gun. Maybe Alyx find a broken one on the Borealis.
Alyx: "Any ideas as to what this could be? Looks kinda like a gravity gun. Well what ever it was, its broken now."

Or maybe she finds some blue prints and takes fold it and put it in her pocket. Then she forgets it in her pants and it goes though the wash. :)

Anyway, having you wield the Portal Gun would be kinda messed up in my opinion.

this! ^

[mariobro123587]

Darn meddling kids!

Scooby-Doo Reference? :p

[Xenoyia]

I'd choose portal 2 over episode 3 any day.

HL2 is crap compared to portal 2.