Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast
Results 1 to 20 of 26

Thread: Is it Just me or is the Half Life Series the Least well known but popular games

  1. #1
    Key (Level 9) garagesaleking!!'s Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2007
    Posts
    1,818
    Thanks Thanks Given 
    0
    Thanks Thanks Received 
    0
    Thanked in
    0 Posts
    Xbox LIVE
    haasinhampton

    Default Is it Just me or is the Half Life Series the Least well known but popular games

    This is just something that has always puzzled me, it seems to me that half life is probably, if not the highest selling, and best game series around that has the lowest recognization among people.

    I cant believe how many people dont know what half life is or have never heard of it. It was the kind of game that i assumed everyone might not like like, but at least had heard of.

    And for the people who do like half life, it seems like there is a battle between halo fans, and half life fans.

    Am i just crazy or has anyone else ever noticed this?
    Autobots. Roll out.

  2. #2
    drowning in medals Ed Oscuro's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2002
    Posts
    16,556
    Thanks Thanks Given 
    3
    Thanks Thanks Received 
    1
    Thanked in
    1 Post

    Default

    In my experience, everybody seems to know about HL. On campus I can't recall having a discussion with anybody who knew what Halo was but not HL. It could be that people who didn't know HL were being quiet, though; I think HL fans tend to be more outspoken about their love of the series

  3. #3
    ServBot (Level 11) roushimsx's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2005
    Location
    Oklahoma
    Posts
    3,030
    Thanks Thanks Given 
    0
    Thanks Thanks Received 
    0
    Thanked in
    0 Posts

    Default

    I think Half Life 1 and 2 are such awesome sellers because of Counter Strike & Counter Strike Source more than anything (what with the massive online communities they have), but god damn if they are among my favorite games ever.

    ...until the Xen levels in the first game. Actually, until the level right before the Xen levels in the first game. Ugh.

    But yea, whenever I come across someone at work that loves first person shooters but has never seen/played Half Life 2 (which is the case for a lot of people that mainly only played Goldeneye and Halo), I offer to lend them one of my copies (since I've bought each console release). Sometimes they bite and sometimes they decide to just drop the $20 on Orange Box. They've never been disappointed either way and it's always fun to discuss the game with them as they play through it for the first time and draw comparisons to other games that they love (like Halo 3).

    I wish I could wipe my memory of Half Life 2 / Episode 1 / Episode 2 / Portal and play through them all over again for the first time. Episode 3 can't come out soon enough. How the hell is Half Life 2 4 1/2 years old already?

  4. #4
    DP's favorite trollbait Custom rank graphic
    Kitsune Sniper's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2003
    Location
    Calexico, USA
    Posts
    13,853
    Thanks Thanks Given 
    0
    Thanks Thanks Received 
    0
    Thanked in
    0 Posts
    Xbox LIVE
    FoxhackDN
    Steam
    Foxhack

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by roushimsx View Post
    I think Half Life 1 and 2 are such awesome sellers because of Counter Strike & Counter Strike Source more than anything (what with the massive online communities they have), but god damn if they are among my favorite games ever.
    Er. What? No, really, what?

    I've noticed the CS players rarely touch or even mention the Half-Life games. It's like they're in their own pocket universe (and they can STAY there.)
    Quote Originally Posted by Edmond Dantes View Post
    I can't tell if we're discussing My Little Pony or Neon Genesis Evangelion anymore.
    eBay Auctions / GameTZ profile / DP Feedback / Youtube / Twitter / RateYourMusic

  5. #5
    ServBot (Level 11) BHvrd's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2002
    Location
    Somewhere getting an all-over tan.
    Posts
    3,354
    Thanks Thanks Given 
    0
    Thanks Thanks Received 
    2
    Thanked in
    2 Posts

    Default

    I play Unreal and Half Life and used to tear up Quake. I'm into action shooters, don't care much for tactical shooters like Ghost Recon or half ass tactical/action shooters like Call of Duty....yes, I went there.

  6. #6
    Banned

    Join Date
    Feb 2009
    Location
    near Cincinnati
    Posts
    525
    Thanks Thanks Given 
    0
    Thanks Thanks Received 
    0
    Thanked in
    0 Posts

    Default

    Half-Life was pretty much the only game to do something noteworthy with the Quake II engine(all iD could do was make tech-castle maps full of gray and brown walls). Even Doom 3's basic plot stole from Half Life.Then we got Source, which was a worthwhile engine, as opposed to the bug-filled Unreal engine that Epic keeps making.

    Valve also supported the fan community, unlike companies that spit on and stifle their fans(Epic, Square). They took things such as Counterstrike and Team Fortress and nurtured them into legit products.

  7. #7
    ServBot (Level 11)
    Join Date
    Apr 2008
    Location
    FL
    Posts
    3,239
    Thanks Thanks Given 
    0
    Thanks Thanks Received 
    0
    Thanked in
    0 Posts

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by BHvrd View Post
    I play Unreal and Half Life and used to tear up Quake. I'm into action shooters, don't care much for tactical shooters like Ghost Recon or half ass tactical/action shooters like Call of Duty....yes, I went there.
    That's the same boat that I'm in. I started playing Quake II at the age of 8, Unreal Tournament at 12, and Half-Life at 16. (I'm 20 now, so I guess it's time for a new shooter series) Aside from these series, I haven't had any love for the FPS genre. An FPS should be all about the action, and only about the story if it can integrate it well. I'm just now at the point where I play Counter-Strike Source on random servers without friends asking me to play, but I have a strong dislike for tactical shooters of any sort. To me, a tactical shooter gets everything wrong in terms of what a shooter should be.

    From what I've seen, Half-Life is indeed the underdog in terms of mainstream recognition. Half-Life was a success, but Quake III/UT were bigger for their multiplayer focus at that pivotal time. Half-Life 2 was anticipated by fans of Half-Life, not so much the general shooter community, which seemed focused on Halo 2 and tactical stuff. According to Xfire, CSS is played much more than HL2, and the case is similar with Team Fortress 2. Coincidentally, HL2 was primarily bundled with these games, with its solitary release being a rerelease for retail and the Steam store release. More people recognize the things that came from Half-Life than Half-Life itself.

    With the action elements of the series being top-notch (realistic, yet fun and frantic), the story may turn people off. In fact, how many Half-Life fans actually paid attention to the story? When you're used to shooters where you're a space marine kicking ass, a story about a theoretical physicist isn't the easiest thing to relate to. Gordon Freeman isn't a badass, he's a nerd, but he somehow knows how to use a gun rather well. The humor element is a bit alien to the FPS genre, and the series is absolutely full of it. While HL1 was limited in terms of art style, HL2 has a distinct look that differs from the bland realism of other shooters.

    The way I see it, Half-Life has achieved success not for its story and content, but rather, for its technical features. For the average gamer, the selling points are the physics, the visual quality, etc. For the fans, it's the story. A lot of things like the 8-hour war, the Combine, Dr. Breen's role in everything, and how it all ties together might go over the heads of an average gamer. It's a nerd's shooter, and I'm surprised (and glad) that it's made it as far as it has.

    As for Episode 3, I'm wondering if it's going to be a completely new game. As hard as it is for me to say this, the Source engine is beginning to look and feel dated. When they're having difficulties rolling it onto 64-bit Windows, it's time to start thinking about the next iteration of their platform. I'd like to see Ep3 as a standalone game, not a 5-6 hour story expansion to HL2.

    However, this gets back to the topic. For a series that's sold bundled with other games, you have to wonder about commercial viability. They may be on to this, since they've announced that they're looking for a voice actor to play Cave Johnson, CEO of Aperture Science. While everyone jumped to the conclusion of "Portal 2!," I'm almost certain that it's for Half-Life. As anyone who's played Ep2 knows, Ep3 has the almost unavoidable opportunity to tie Portal into the Half-Life timeline. If CJ is in Ep3, that means that either he's still sane and Portal is distant future, or he's come out of hiding and Portal is before HL2. At any rate, it means that he's not the G-Man. If HL2:Ep3 and Portal 2 are the same product, that's two fanbases ready to purchase.

  8. #8
    Mega Man (Level 19) The 1 2 P's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2007
    Location
    The World Is Not Enough
    Posts
    11,193
    Thanks Thanks Given 
    0
    Thanks Thanks Received 
    0
    Thanked in
    0 Posts

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by NayusDante View Post
    Half-Life 2 was anticipated by fans of Half-Life, not so much the general shooter community, which seemed focused on Halo 2.
    I suppose the midnight launch and huge marketing campaign(slurpee cups, toys, fake websites and a ton of other merchandise) helped Halo 2(and 3) alot. But you are correct, lots of die hard pc fans were waiting for Half-Life 2 to drop, just like they are now waiting for the third game.

    The OP is correct. While I can go up to 10 random people and ask them about Halo, atleast 7 will have heard of it. But Half Life? I'll be lucky if one of the ten have. Although the majority of casual gamers haven't heard of it, I'm surprised at how many shooter fans haven't heard of it either. My guess would be because it's mainly a pc series, although that will now change.

    I have the PS2 version of HL1 and the Xbox and 360 versions of HL2. From the little I've played of HL2 I'm not super impressed but I'm only about 20% thru the game. Regardless of how HL's popularity compares to other fps games, it's still a great series that sells extremely well and is also constantly ranked as one of the top pc games of all time.
    ALL HAIL THE 1 2 P
    Quote Originally Posted by THE 1 2 P
    Why? Once you've seen one partially-exposed butthole you've seen them all.

  9. #9
    Great Puma (Level 12) skaar's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2005
    Location
    #vbender
    Posts
    4,724
    Thanks Thanks Given 
    0
    Thanks Thanks Received 
    0
    Thanked in
    0 Posts
    Xbox LIVE
    SkaarDragoon

    Default

    We live in an era where most people who buy games would describe Half-Life - if footage was shown to them - as a "Halo-type" game.

    Tragic, really.
    <Sothy> its the internet <Sothy> who cares

    Quote Originally Posted by Daltone View Post
    This is a classic gaming site and the most active thread is a load of people wanking off to my little pony.

  10. #10
    ServBot (Level 11)
    Join Date
    Apr 2008
    Location
    FL
    Posts
    3,239
    Thanks Thanks Given 
    0
    Thanks Thanks Received 
    0
    Thanked in
    0 Posts

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by skaar View Post
    We live in an era where most people who buy games would describe Half-Life - if footage was shown to them - as a "Halo-type" game.

    Tragic, really.
    If this is true, then the majority of the populace has godawful visual perception. Not sure how anyone could mistake Combine and headcrab-zombies for those Metroid space pirate rip-offs from Halo.

    But even sadder is that Halo has become the flagship "action" shooter. This is what happens when people jump in late in the game, without being exposed to Doom, Quake, etc. I doubt that Quake Live will educate the masses to the necessary degree, since it's really just for Quake fans. Also, it doesn't seem like Duke Nukem is going to come back and revive the action-shooter anytime soon.

  11. #11
    ServBot (Level 11) roushimsx's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2005
    Location
    Oklahoma
    Posts
    3,030
    Thanks Thanks Given 
    0
    Thanks Thanks Received 
    0
    Thanked in
    0 Posts

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Kitsune Sniper View Post
    I've noticed the CS players rarely touch or even mention the Half-Life games. It's like they're in their own pocket universe (and they can STAY there.)
    Considering Counter Strike was a Half Life mod, you pretty much had to buy HL to play it (until they did a retail release, but even then they bundled that with the main game in some compilations). Likewise, if you wanted Counter Strike Source, you bought Half Life 2 since CSS was the multiplayer mode of the game at the time (until Episode 2 came out with TF2).

    HL2DM is pretty rad, but it mostly only gets love on the LAN play. Killing friends with toilets rocks.

    edit - since when were Call of Duty or Medal of Honor remotely considered tactical shooters? They're not run and guns, but they don't even try to fall into the same category as stuff like Operation Flashpoint, Rainbow Six or SWAT 3/4. They're good at what they do and most of them are pretty ok (with some being hella good).
    Last edited by roushimsx; 05-20-2009 at 05:44 AM.

  12. #12
    Pear (Level 6) Daltone's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2003
    Location
    The Wirral, UK
    Posts
    1,258
    Thanks Thanks Given 
    0
    Thanks Thanks Received 
    0
    Thanked in
    0 Posts

    Default

    That's a sad thing to notice indeed. When you look at the two big FPS releases of late 2004, Halo 2 and Half Life 2, the gulf in quality becomes apparent. Ok, so the hovercraft sections of HL2 went on a bit longer than anyone would have liked, but side-by-side it makes Halo 2 look like the bland, rushed abortion that it is.

  13. #13
    Great Puma (Level 12) heybtbm's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2005
    Location
    Wisconsin
    Posts
    4,338
    Thanks Thanks Given 
    0
    Thanks Thanks Received 
    0
    Thanked in
    0 Posts
    Xbox LIVE
    The Shamemaker
    PSN
    heybtbm
    Steam
    The_Shamemaker

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by garagesaleking!! View Post
    This is just something that has always puzzled me, it seems to me that half life is probably, if not the highest selling, and best game series around that has the lowest recognization among people.

    I cant believe how many people dont know what half life is or have never heard of it. It was the kind of game that i assumed everyone might not like like, but at least had heard of.

    And for the people who do like half life, it seems like there is a battle between halo fans, and half life fans.

    Am i just crazy or has anyone else ever noticed this?
    To answer your question: It's just you.

    I realize there are some people that want to label Half-Life as some underground, hip, counter culture FPS...but that's just not reality. Half-Life was hyped to no end back in the day as was every expansion and even more so with HL2.

    HL was a system killing FPS at the time (as in you HAD to upgrade your machine). It was 1998's version of Crysis. All PC FPS fans were chomping at the bit to play this game. That was the reality of the time.

    I understand people love to take their shots at the Halo games and foolishly assume because something sells millions of copies, it's automatically "bad". It's a shame. You see this silly attitude with music and movies all the time. Kotaku had an interesting article about this exact subject a year or two ago. It somehow mostly affects teens and 20-somethings. Imagine that.

    In short: Half-Life is well known and respected by millions of FPS gamers.
    "One of the ways I gauge a DS game is by recharges. "...Tycho (Penny Arcade)

  14. #14
    DP's favorite trollbait Custom rank graphic
    Kitsune Sniper's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2003
    Location
    Calexico, USA
    Posts
    13,853
    Thanks Thanks Given 
    0
    Thanks Thanks Received 
    0
    Thanked in
    0 Posts
    Xbox LIVE
    FoxhackDN
    Steam
    Foxhack

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by heybtbm View Post
    I understand people love to take their shots at the Halo games and foolishly assume because something sells millions of copies, it's automatically "bad". It's a shame. You see this silly attitude with music and movies all the time. Kotaku had an interesting article about this exact subject a year or two ago. It somehow mostly affects teens and 20-somethings. Imagine that.
    It's not that some of us think Halo is "bad". It's more how the Halo fanboys think of everything else as "bad". That's annoying.

    As a guy who'll play pretty much any FPS that doesn't make me feel ill (motion sickness), that kind of attitude pisses me off and only makes me hate Halo.
    Quote Originally Posted by Edmond Dantes View Post
    I can't tell if we're discussing My Little Pony or Neon Genesis Evangelion anymore.
    eBay Auctions / GameTZ profile / DP Feedback / Youtube / Twitter / RateYourMusic

  15. #15
    Mega Man (Level 19) The 1 2 P's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2007
    Location
    The World Is Not Enough
    Posts
    11,193
    Thanks Thanks Given 
    0
    Thanks Thanks Received 
    0
    Thanked in
    0 Posts

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Kitsune Sniper View Post
    It's not that some of us think Halo is "bad". It's more how the Halo fanboys think of everything else as "bad". That's annoying.
    I agree but this can be said about many different games(for example, FF fans thinking every other rpg series isn't as good). Halo is my favorite fps series but I don't go around saying other fps games suck just because they don't have the "Halo" title. What annoys me is the constant media and fanboy labeling of the lastest "Halo killer". That shit is super annoying, although we haven't heard it that much since Killzone 1 failed to live up to the moniker.

    Quote Originally Posted by Kitsune Sniper
    As a guy who'll play pretty much any FPS that doesn't make me feel ill (motion sickness)
    Same here. I'll play any fps I can get my hands on. However, since you brought it up, Star Wars: Dark Forces(PS1), Quake 2(PS1), Doom 3(Xbox) and Darkwatch(Xbox) have all given me motion sickness at least once. Luckily I still finished them but I had to limit how many times I sprinted thru levels.
    ALL HAIL THE 1 2 P
    Quote Originally Posted by THE 1 2 P
    Why? Once you've seen one partially-exposed butthole you've seen them all.

  16. #16
    Insert Coin (Level 0)
    Join Date
    Jan 2008
    Location
    Sandy, OR
    Posts
    169
    Thanks Thanks Given 
    0
    Thanks Thanks Received 
    0
    Thanked in
    0 Posts

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Kitsune Sniper View Post
    It's not that some of us think Halo is "bad". It's more how the Halo fanboys think of everything else as "bad". That's annoying.
    I totally agree with this. I get this a lot when I try to introduce people that like Halo to Time Splitters. I have heard so many Halo fanboys say- "Time Splitters? Oh, I heard that people that suck at Halo like that game."

  17. #17
    DP's favorite trollbait Custom rank graphic
    Kitsune Sniper's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2003
    Location
    Calexico, USA
    Posts
    13,853
    Thanks Thanks Given 
    0
    Thanks Thanks Received 
    0
    Thanked in
    0 Posts
    Xbox LIVE
    FoxhackDN
    Steam
    Foxhack

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by jahvybe View Post
    I totally agree with this. I get this a lot when I try to introduce people that like Halo to Time Splitters. I have heard so many Halo fanboys say- "Time Splitters? Oh, I heard that people that suck at Halo like that game."
    I actually wanted to like the Time Splitters series sooooooooooo much... but I can't play FPS games with a console pad. It's ridiculous! I've been playing FPS for like seven years and I can't get used to using a DPad and the analog sticks at all. It's like driving. It just doesn't work in my head.

    I wish they were out on PC.
    Quote Originally Posted by Edmond Dantes View Post
    I can't tell if we're discussing My Little Pony or Neon Genesis Evangelion anymore.
    eBay Auctions / GameTZ profile / DP Feedback / Youtube / Twitter / RateYourMusic

  18. #18
    Insert Coin (Level 0)
    Join Date
    Jan 2008
    Location
    Sandy, OR
    Posts
    169
    Thanks Thanks Given 
    0
    Thanks Thanks Received 
    0
    Thanked in
    0 Posts

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Kitsune Sniper View Post
    I actually wanted to like the Time Splitters series sooooooooooo much... but I can't play FPS games with a console pad. It's ridiculous! I've been playing FPS for like seven years and I can't get used to using a DPad and the analog sticks at all. It's like driving. It just doesn't work in my head.

    I wish they were out on PC.
    Yeah, I have a friend that I can never get to play console games because of this. I actually have never played a fps on a pc.

  19. #19
    Key (Level 9) garagesaleking!!'s Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2007
    Posts
    1,818
    Thanks Thanks Given 
    0
    Thanks Thanks Received 
    0
    Thanked in
    0 Posts
    Xbox LIVE
    haasinhampton

    Default

    dark watch and time splitters are both awesome games, i consider myself a halo fanboy but i dont hate things that arent halo, i have actually gotten sick of playing halo.
    Autobots. Roll out.

  20. #20
    Pear (Level 6) Daltone's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2003
    Location
    The Wirral, UK
    Posts
    1,258
    Thanks Thanks Given 
    0
    Thanks Thanks Received 
    0
    Thanked in
    0 Posts

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by jahvybe View Post
    I actually have never played a fps on a pc.
    If you have an older computer try this alternatively you could always give Gordon a whirl.

    Problem solved.

Similar Threads

  1. Replies: 0
    Last Post: 02-09-2013, 05:00 PM
  2. Replies: 0
    Last Post: 09-03-2012, 08:40 PM
  3. F/A - PC Games: Ultima Collection, Half-Life and more
    By birdie3 in forum Buying and Selling
    Replies: 1
    Last Post: 02-24-2005, 11:25 AM
  4. Half Life 2 -- Video Games and Movies
    By SoulBlazer in forum Classic Gaming
    Replies: 0
    Last Post: 11-16-2004, 04:19 PM
  5. Not Just Half-Life -- Other cancelled DC games
    By bargora in forum Classic Gaming
    Replies: 10
    Last Post: 03-13-2003, 11:35 AM

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •