Half-Life 2 Confirmed for PS3, X360
Valve's acclaimed shooter comes to the next gen -- with some tasty extras.
by
David Adams
July 13, 2006 - While speaking at Electronic Arts' annual summer press event, Valve Software's Gabe Newell announced that Half-Life 2 will definitely arrive for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. Better yet, the ports, which are scheduled to ship simultaneously with Half-Life 2: Episode Two for the PC, will include official Half-Life 2 content available at that point, including Episode Two.
While Newell didn't announce every bit of what will be on the disc, the PS3 and X360 versions of
Half-Life 2 will include adjunct titles like Half-Life 2: Episode One and the just-reconfirmed Team Fortress 2. Counter-Strike: Source is also a possibility.
Half-Life 2: Episode One and Episode Two are the first chapters of a planned trio of episodic add-ons to the original Half-Life 2, extending the game's story.
Of particular interest is a single-player game called "Portal," which will come bundled with Episode Two. Portal lets players use a special gun to create gateways similar to those used in
Prey. A player could create a portal nearby, for instance, and then make a second portal on the other side of a chasm; walking through the first would transport him safely out the second. Unlike Prey, however, it seems players can dynamically create an unlimited number of portals on just about any surface available. The demo on display showed dozens of ways players could exploit this new technology both in terms of offensive and defensive strategies. Valve has yet to announce which games will use the new technology, but players can get taste of it when Episode Two ships.
Stay tuned for more details on how Half-Life 2 will arrive for next-gen consoles as soon as news comes in.
UPDATE: Electronic Arts has clarified that Counter-Strike: Source is not yet confirmed for the PS3 and X360 versions of Half-Life 2.
2006-07-13, 10:35 PM
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