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Half-Life 2 sets a date

Developer sets new release date after hackers steal game's source code.
February 3, 2004: 7:35 AM EST



NEW YORK (CNN/Money) ? When Gabe Newell, founder of Valve Software, confirmed last October that hackers had wormed their way into the developer's network and stolen the source code to "Half-Life 2," it sent shock waves through the gaming industry. "Half-Life 2," you see, wasn't just a title any gamer worth his or her salt was drooling over, it was the title industry insiders were counting on to help revive the struggling PC gaming business.

As Valve developers gathered their wits, an executive from publisher Vivendi Universal Games told media outlets that the theft would delay the game until April 2004. That date was nothing more than a blind guess, though. Valve, the only company that really had a firm grasp on the impact of the theft, wrapped itself in a cocoon, refusing all questions from the media and not saying a word about when the game would hit shelves ? until now.


Half-Life 2 is expected to help revive the PC gaming industry.
While still shying away from giving a firm date, Doug Lombardi, Valve's director of marketing, told me the company "is currently targeting this summer for the completion of Half-Life 2".

Valve does not plan to reveal any additional information until the time surrounding the E3 trade show, where the game will once again be shown this year. E3 will be held in Los Angeles May 12-14.

"Half-Life 2" wasn't the only game delayed by the source-code theft. Valve had licensed out the game's "Source" graphics engine to developer Troika, which was hard at work building "Vampire: The Masquerade ? Bloodlines," a PC role-playing game. That game, initially set to be released this year, had to be delayed to implement the same security fixes needed on HL2. It now has a target release date of Spring 2005, said Trokia co-founder Jason Anderson.

Later today, Valve will also announce Arkane Studios, an independent French developer that created the critically-acclaimed role-playing game "Arx Fatalis," has licensed the engine for a forthcoming title. The game is already in development, but does not have an announced release date.

The summer release date of Half-Life 2 is certain to once again divide gamers. Some will be relieved to finally have a date, however vague, that they can target. Others are likely to howl in outrage that the game has been delayed so far beyond its initial target date. (The game was originally scheduled to hit stores on Sept. 30, 2003.) Some ludicrous conspiracy theorists will likely begin regurgitating the ridiculous story that the source code leak was intentional, so Valve would have an 'excuse' to delay the game.