Wired's annual Vaporware Awards for 2010 have just been revealed by the publication. This year's hot list includes various hardware releases, some returning favorites, and of course, Black Mesa: Source and Half-Life 2: Episode 3.
Other items include the white iPhone 4, 64-bit versions of Flash, L.A. Noire, and Duke Nukem Forever.
Other items include the white iPhone 4, 64-bit versions of Flash, L.A. Noire, and Duke Nukem Forever.
4. Black Mesa
A full year after its release date slipped from 2009 to 2010, this fan-developed remake of the original Half Life, which expands on the universe and gameplay of the classic first-person shooter, now resides in the all-too-familiar "done when it's done" category.
We feel bad ripping on a project that's being hand-built for fans, by fans, but the fact that Black Mesa has been in development for more than seven years and is currently AWOL does not bode well for its future.
"I know it's not a professional project, but still," says one anonymous Wired reader.
"Apparently the developers have taken 'Valve Time' to heart." says reader Phuzz.
"Yes, we all know it's a labour of love by people who have other jobs," says a Wired reader named Erratum. "But jeez — it's been almost seven months since any media's been released. For all we know the team have all turned into headcrab zombies."
2. Half Life 2: Episode 3
The third and final installment in the Half Life 2 story arc could still be as far as two years out. Originally, Valve's plan was to release the various sequels to the enormously popular first-person shooter console game as individual episodes so there would be less downtime between installments.
"That really worked out well," quips one Wired reader. The first episode was released in 2006, and Episode 2 came out in 2007. Now, three years later, Episode 3 still hasn't emerged.
"Not only has the time between Half Life and Half Life 2 been surpassed, the only information released on Episode 3 is a years-old piece of art," an anonymous reader writes.
In Valve's universe, things don't happen in normal human time, they happen in "Valve time", where days and weeks are stretched to months and years.
"Valve time be damned, enough already," says reader Kadayi.
A full year after its release date slipped from 2009 to 2010, this fan-developed remake of the original Half Life, which expands on the universe and gameplay of the classic first-person shooter, now resides in the all-too-familiar "done when it's done" category.
We feel bad ripping on a project that's being hand-built for fans, by fans, but the fact that Black Mesa has been in development for more than seven years and is currently AWOL does not bode well for its future.
"I know it's not a professional project, but still," says one anonymous Wired reader.
"Apparently the developers have taken 'Valve Time' to heart." says reader Phuzz.
"Yes, we all know it's a labour of love by people who have other jobs," says a Wired reader named Erratum. "But jeez — it's been almost seven months since any media's been released. For all we know the team have all turned into headcrab zombies."
2. Half Life 2: Episode 3
The third and final installment in the Half Life 2 story arc could still be as far as two years out. Originally, Valve's plan was to release the various sequels to the enormously popular first-person shooter console game as individual episodes so there would be less downtime between installments.
"That really worked out well," quips one Wired reader. The first episode was released in 2006, and Episode 2 came out in 2007. Now, three years later, Episode 3 still hasn't emerged.
"Not only has the time between Half Life and Half Life 2 been surpassed, the only information released on Episode 3 is a years-old piece of art," an anonymous reader writes.
In Valve's universe, things don't happen in normal human time, they happen in "Valve time", where days and weeks are stretched to months and years.
"Valve time be damned, enough already," says reader Kadayi.
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