Valve reportedly preparing second-generation Source engine

[Hong Kong Cavalier]

http://www.engadget.com/2012/08/06/valve-source-2-rumor/

ValveTime has dug through the Source Filmmaker code to reveal references to "Source 2," reportedly a next-generation revamp of Valve's famous game engine. Given that the three major consoles are all due a refresh, it's unsurprising to see preparations being made. That said, however, the second (and major) launch title for the original Source was Half Life 2, so we're gonna be getting a complaint letter ready if we don't get some more time with Gordon, Alyx and Dog in a beautifully rendered future dystopia.

*Crosses fingers*

[LeftOfSelf-Centered]

1. I refuse to get my hopes up! :)

Saw an article this morning on PCGamer...

I will not hope for Episode 3. I will not hope for Episode 3. I will not hope for Episode 3...

Please?
*whimper*

On a serious note though, I'm worried about the reference the above article makes to next gen consoles. I don't follow the console scene at all, have the next gen consoles even been announced yet? If not a revamp might still be year(s) off. So I hope Valve moves forward with the current gen and the PC (emphasis on the latter!) and deal with the next gen consoles once they materialize.

Of course we're talking about Valve here so who knows what they're up to...

[Hong Kong Cavalier]

2. The heck with Episode 3. I think they're gonna do Half-Life 3.

The big release for the Source engine was HL2, so...

*crosses fingers again*

The only next gen console that's been announced so far is the Wii U, but it's a given that Microsoft and Sony are working on their successors to the 360 and the PS3.

Valve will never abandon PC gaming. Not with Steam being the juggernaut it is for digital content distribution. And the Source engine was really written for the future, as they've been able to tweak and modify it so much over the years. Take a look at Portal 2. Then go play Half-Life 2. It's hard to imagine they're the same engine, honestly.

Since Half-Life 2's release, Valve has added the following to the Source engine:

High dynamic range rendering
Dynamic shadows
Massive-scale physics (Did you SEE that plane crash in Left 4 Dead)
Whole slew of other things I can't even name right now
Also total OSX support and (coming soon) Linux support for their Source titles.

In fact, it seems that the Linux version of Left 4 Dead 2 is twice as smooth as the PC version.

But it wouldn't surprise me to find out that they're working on Source 2. It'll probably be backwards compatible with all their original Source games, too.

<--- totally a massive fan of Valve's games, so I'm a little bit biased.

[LeftOfSelf-Centered]

3. HL3 or Episode 3.... just make something already!

Massive Valve fanboy myself. Half-Life is a game I know backwards, yet I can always go back to it and enjoy it.

I'm not worried about Valve abandoning PC gaming, it would no sense for them to do so, and I think they are one of the few publishers that really still "get" the PC as a gaming platform.

I'm even fine with the Source engine. Episode 2 and Portal 2 look perfectly fine graphically to me (don't have Left 4 Dead, so I haven't seen that plane crash). They run beautifully on my old-ish rig (Core Quad Q8200, GeForce 8800GT). As long as they give me my Half-Life fix, it's been much too long!

I'm happy to see they are working on porting games to Linux. I'd be cool to be able to get away from Windows for gaming (though I know it'll never, I can dream...)