Valve registers European trademark for Half-Life 3

By +Frank B.
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Grand Master

+Frank B. Subscriber²

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Valve registers European trademark for Half-Life 3

Filing proves company is aware of mysterious numeral following two.

 

hl3.png

It exists!

Guys. GUYS! Are you sitting down? This is big, guys. Half-Life 3. It exists. Well, it exists as a trademark application. In Europe.

 

Still! It's really happening. The trademarking is happening, I mean. Who knows if the game is really happening at this point so many years after it was first announced. Remember when that voice actor said it wasn't happening? Well I've got something to show him. A little something called a trademark.

 

OK, OK, I'm calm. I'm calm! I promise.

 

Yeah, I know, maybe I've been driven crazy by the rumors and the hints?and most of all the deafening silence surrounding the game these past six years. But there it is in black and white pixels, right there on the webpage of the Trade Marks and Designs Registration Office of the European Union (just do a search if you don't believe me!). Valve filed for it two days ago and it covers "Computer game software; Electronic game software; Downloadable computer game software via a global computer network and wireless devices; Video game software," and "Provision of on-line entertainment; provision of computer and video games and computer and video game programs from a computer database or via the Internet."

 

That sure sounds like Half-Life 3 to me!

 

I know, I know, I shouldn't get my hopes up before Valve actually announces something. And there's no US trademark on file yet, and that is a little odd. Now that you mention it, Valve never actually trademarked Half-Life 2 in Europe... though it did renew the registration for plain old Half-Life in 2005.

 

But guys, Valve just announced a whole bunch of OS and hardware stuff, right? Maybe the company is tired of being silent and is now hooked on, y'know, announcing stuff. And you know what I've been saying would make a great killer app for SteamOS, right? I mean, wouldn't that be great?

 

I don't know about you, but I know what webpage I'll be staring at longingly as I drift off to sleep tonight.

 

Source: Ars Technica

Grand Master

Astra.Xtreme

Posted
Posted

Would be a great way to not make money if it is, but with Gabe.. *shrug* who knows. If it is, he can keep it.

Valve could lose most of their fanbase in one swoop if that made HL3 exclusive to SteamOS.  

 

I'd probably light up a torch and join the riots too.   :D

Grand Master

LaP

Posted
Posted

Honestly Valve has enough good games that if they would go SteamOS exclusive with their sequel it could make a difference. Half Life 3, Left for Dead 3, Portal 3, A brand new CS, A brand new Team Fortress and maybe a brand new ip to go with it. That would ###### me and lot of people off though ...

Grand Master

theyarecomingforyou

Posted
Posted

Half Life 3 SteamOS exclusive ?

Only if SteamOS is able to run from within the Windows environment and without any performance hit. If Half-Life 3 requires people to dual-boot or install SteamOS as their primary operating system then it would not only fail but generate a massive backlash.

 

More likely is that we'll see a special promotion with Steam Machines, with Half-Life 3 coming free to anyone who owns one - that would have a big impact on uptake. It would also make sense to have exclusive features for the Steam Controller regardless of the platform. I just don't see Valve boycotting consoles and requiring PC gamers to install SteamOS.

 

Can't wait. :)

Grand Master

spacer

Posted
Posted

I'm a huge Half-Life fan, but I'm remaining skeptical of this until it's officially announced. I'm also somewhat scared that it WILL be SteamOS only, just like HL2 required Steam back in the day when Steam was still new. Hopefully they don't go that route. I don't want to have to buy more hardware just to play a game that should have been out years ago.

Grand Master

Max Norris

Posted
Posted

More likely is that we'll see a special promotion with Steam Machines, with Half-Life 3 coming free to anyone who owns one - that would have a big impact on uptake. It would also make sense to have exclusive features for the Steam Controller regardless of the platform.

This would make a lot more sense. Incentive to get it without cheesing off 99% of your paying customers.
Grand Master

theyarecomingforyou

Posted
Posted

This would make a lot more sense. Incentive to get it without cheesing off 99% of your paying customers.

Exactly. It makes much more sense to provide an incentive to people buying Steam Machines than for Valve to outrage the majority of its customers. Another possibility would be bundling it for free or at a substantially discounted rate with the Steam Controller and use it as a trojan horse to get the controller into the homes of most Steam users. Valve doesn't have a track record with hardware so it would make sense to bundle the controller or console with HL3 to get it off to a great start.

Grand Master

+Majesticmerc MVC

Posted
  • MVC
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Valve won't make it a SteamOS exclusive, it'd be corporate suicide, but they might make it an early release for the OS ("Get Half-Life 3 early access with SteamOS"). Very exciting update thats for sure.

Veteran

Daedroth

Posted
Posted

Valve won't make it a SteamOS exclusive, it'd be corporate suicide, but they might make it an early release for the OS ("Get Half-Life 3 early access with SteamOS"). Very exciting update thats for sure.

Nah, I don't think they'll make it an exclusive, but launched at the same time.

Grand Master

Hurmoth

Posted
Posted

i hope this isn't another high-hopes trolling thread  :/ This better come real.... or i'm gonna..... :cry:

I really wish this meant something too, but I don't know. A company like Valve can afford to register a trademark like I can afford to go buy a bag of candy; barely affects their bottom line.

 

I really, really want to get excited about this, but there's been so many articles over the years that HL2:3 or HL3 was coming and it hasn't happened, so for me, I am going to continue on the "it isn't happening" train until I get a real confirmation from Valve themselves.

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Grand Master

Knife Party

Posted
Posted

I really wish this meant something too, but I don't know. A company like Valve can afford to register a trademark like I can afford to go buy a bag of candy; barely affects their bottom line.

 

I really, really want to get excited about this, but there's been so many articles over the years that HL2:3 or HL3 was coming and it hasn't happened, so for me, I am going to continue on the "it isn't happening" train until I get a real confirmation from Valve themselves.

I too hope its real... i mean come on! :laugh:

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