Half-Life® 2: Episode One Available June 1
Valve Launches First of an Episodic Trilogy
Bellevue, WA, May 22, 2006 - Valve®, developer of
the blockbuster series Half-Life® and
Counter-StrikeTM, announced Half-Life® 2:
Episode One has gone gold. Episode One is the first in a
trilogy of episodes that will conclude by Christmas of
2007.
Half-Life 2: Episode One advances the 15-million unit selling
franchise and launches the first in a new, three-part series
that leads far beyond City 17. Half-Life 2: Episode One does
not require Half-Life 2 to play, and will be available via
Steam® and at retail stores in North America for just $19.95
on June 1st. Also included in Episode One is a first look at
Episode Two, which will ship by year's end.
"Given the rapid changes in PC gaming, we expect episodic
games will have the same impact on single-player gaming that
Counter-Strike had on multiplayer," said Gabe Newell,
president and co-founder of Valve. "The frequent releases of
upgraded technology and new content works better for both
consumers and developers, and is one of the key reasons
Counter-Strike grew to be 80% of the online action market. We
decided that a follow-up to Half-Life 2 delivered in 18
months with our first episode was more in tune with what our
customers want than waiting 6 years for another monolithic
product."
Episode One offers a new single player experience created by
Valve, and is designed to be four to six hours in length.
Stepping into the hazard suit of Dr. Gordon Freeman, you face
the immediate repercussions of your actions in City 17 and
the Citadel. Alyx Vance and her robot, Dog, will accompany
you in your efforts to aid in the human resistance's
desperate battle against the totalitarian alien menace of the
Combine.
In addition to the new single player experience, two
multiplayer games are included. And those who purchase
Episode One will have free access via Steam (www.steamgames.com) to Half-Life 2: Lost Coast,
the interactive technology demo that introduces High Dynamic
Range lighting to the SourceTM Engine, Valve's award-winning
game technology.
About Half-Life 2
Half-Life 2 has been named Game of the Year by over 35
organizations and sold over four million copies worldwide.
The intense, real-time gameplay delivered in Half-Life 2 and
Half-Life 2: Episode One is made possible only by Source,
Valve's proprietary engine technology.
About Valve
Valve is an entertainment software and technology company
founded in 1996 and based in Bellevue, Washington. The
company's portfolio of entertainment properties includes
Half-Life®, Counter-StrikeTM, Day of Defeat®, and Team
Fortress®. Valve's catalog of products accounts for over 20
million retail units sold worldwide, and over 80% of PC
online action gameplay. In addition, Valve is a developer of
leading-edge technologies, such as the Source game engine and
Steam, a broadband platform for the delivery and management
of digital content. For more information, please visit
www.valvesoftware.com