Ten Years Ago: Half-Life Writer Marc Laidlaw - Kotaku Comments

Ten Years Ago: Half-Life Writer Marc Laidlaw

Krondonian — Tue, 20 Nov 2007 11:23:43 MST

I cannot believe that Half-Life is ten years old. I first played it on the PC, but didn't know anything about games and hated it. It was too hard, and I couldn't figure out what the hell to do. Many years later I'd just finished Half Life 2 and due to the awesomity of it, I thought I'd try Half-Life again on the PC. It is excellent. I thoroughly enjoyed it all, and a few weeks back bought the PS2 version. Incredible game to play now, especially compared to what else was availiable at the time. Great post.

Krondonian

Ten Years Ago: Half-Life Writer Marc Laidlaw

Dr.Chocobo — Mon, 19 Nov 2007 22:23:52 MST

Bald Gordon Freeman is the writer to Half Life?

Ca-winky-dink?

I think not

Dr.Chocobo

Ten Years Ago: Half-Life Writer Marc Laidlaw

shadow_judge — Mon, 19 Nov 2007 21:25:10 MST

Half-life 2 movie? It will be made if Gordon open his mouth and speak a word. Hey, could you guys imagine a movie in which the protagonist is totally silence and do his thing without saying a word, could it be a nice movie? No, totally not. Half-life movie is NOT a good idea.

shadow_judge

Ten Years Ago: Half-Life Writer Marc Laidlaw

Latonone — Mon, 19 Nov 2007 20:17:09 MST

@catapult37:

you are absolutely right. That movie fucking terrified me. and Half life 2 did so aswell.

I've got some sort of 1984 phobia, so these games are great experiences for me :D

Latonone

Ten Years Ago: Half-Life Writer Marc Laidlaw

chirokitsune — Mon, 19 Nov 2007 19:23:24 MST

@DigitalHero: If i remember right, Gordon's modeled after a few (maybe two or three) employee's at valve, combining several facial features. I can't remember where I read that but it might have been in the Art of Half-Life book that was around a while back.

chirokitsune

Ten Years Ago: Half-Life Writer Marc Laidlaw

Altima NEO — Mon, 19 Nov 2007 19:06:04 MST

@Ehardergardens: Im tired of the sanve HEV sound effects. They use them in Portal and in Team fortress. Its annoying.

Altima NEO

Ten Years Ago: Half-Life Writer Marc Laidlaw

catapult37 — Mon, 19 Nov 2007 18:53:19 MST

The perfect half-life movie has already been made, and it's called "Children of Men." While it's not quite the same kind of story as the HL series, it's amazing how that film perfectly captures the tone, mood, atmosphere, and even setting of Half-Life 2. It shares many of the same themes and even plot elements: humanity oppressed, parents unable to conceive, chaos, violence, and anarchy. Even its storytelling methods are the same, as both make extensive use of background elements, signs, newspapers, and overheard dialog to flesh out the world and its history. Of course, that long seven-minute take near the end, as Theo runs through a bombed-out battlezone, is quite reminiscent of an FPS experience, and all I needed was for someone to yell out "STRIDER!!" :-) See it if you haven't -- it's an excellent movie, and you'll likely agree that no actual attempt at a HL movie could ever convey the experience in an as effective -- and let's admit it, mature -- way as Children of Men.

catapult37

Ten Years Ago: Half-Life Writer Marc Laidlaw

fecalchaos — Mon, 19 Nov 2007 18:11:15 MST

Very cool interview.

Oh, and remember--this link will most certainly be a future contest answer.

fecalchaos

Ten Years Ago: Half-Life Writer Marc Laidlaw

perdevious — Mon, 19 Nov 2007 18:10:46 MST

Wow. I'm impressed. He seems to have been right on.

perdevious

Ten Years Ago: Half-Life Writer Marc Laidlaw

Ehardergardens — Mon, 19 Nov 2007 17:38:49 MST

Am I the only person that felt like half life 2 was 1/3 the game Half life 1 was? There just wasn't as many interesting set pieces in Hl2, or unique bosses, or interesting weapons. I recall when I got to the end of HL2, I was pumped thinking, 'AH now it's going to kick into high gear', then it was over. I think also there were/was far too many movies and info released about the game, so I had seen all the enemies/bosses/environments by the time I played it( I didn't know they had spoiled most everything). Both Hl1 and 2 had that dragged on forever though with a means of transportation taking you from one fight to the next that felt mostly the same. HL1 just had more magic than HL2 to me. Hl2 ep 2 had a very intense ending, but the rest of it sort of felt same old. I want new weapons, and much more varied imaginative environments. Being in the woods, just seemed like a set decoration change(the larger size of the level seemed underused until the very end)
Not saying Hl2 and episodes are not good, but HL1 was pure magic, and that magic is not there anymore for me.

Ehardergardens

Ten Years Ago: Half-Life Writer Marc Laidlaw

NunianVonFuch — Mon, 19 Nov 2007 17:06:25 MST

I remember deluding myself into thinking 5fps was ok playing it on a 133mhz. When eventually I reached the first headcrab I realized my mistake as it took several deaths to even see what was killing me. Although nice to see in retrospect since the game is a classic a lot of the responses he gives are similar to those of today although he was probably the first significant writer for a fps.

NunianVonFuch

Ten Years Ago: Half-Life Writer Marc Laidlaw

Zenax — Mon, 19 Nov 2007 17:05:42 MST

Was a nice interview. I love Half-Life (about halfway through the game currently) but can not finish it thanks to my sound crapping out on my computer a month ago or so...

Zenax

Ten Years Ago: Half-Life Writer Marc Laidlaw

MonkeyBiz — Mon, 19 Nov 2007 17:01:10 MST

THE FREEMAN HAS ARRIVED!

The hair is a lie!!!!

MonkeyBiz

Ten Years Ago: Half-Life Writer Marc Laidlaw

frostcircus — Mon, 19 Nov 2007 16:49:12 MST

Interestingly, I've just been replaying Half-Life over the past week or so. And I stand by my original (1998) belief that the absurdly overpowered marines really do hurt the game a lot, almost to the point of ruining it (if their role in the game wasn't so good, they would have ruined it).

Pretty much every other enemy is a total sissy by comparison; I don't know what the deal was there.

...and this isn't really on-topic at all.

frostcircus

Ten Years Ago: Half-Life Writer Marc Laidlaw

lostalaska — Mon, 19 Nov 2007 16:42:41 MST

Ah sweet, sweet Half-Life I remember picking up the game a few years after it had been out since I finally bought a windows machine instead of an Apple.

I distinctly remember asking a friend that was building a custom rig for me if I really needed a Voodoo 3 graphics card to play the game. I still remember how he raised his hand like he was gonna slap me across the face and then using his other hand hand to hold his arm as he told his arm "It's okay he doesn't know what he's saying" like he was talking his arm down from giving me the beating of a lifetime.

lostalaska

Ten Years Ago: Half-Life Writer Marc Laidlaw

Gouki4u — Mon, 19 Nov 2007 16:40:08 MST

It is funny how some of the things he says can also be applied to Half Life 2, only moreso.

Gouki4u

Ten Years Ago: Half-Life Writer Marc Laidlaw

WaterMedia — Mon, 19 Nov 2007 16:30:59 MST

Well done, and a great idea. High five Simon!

WaterMedia

Ten Years Ago: Half-Life Writer Marc Laidlaw

Shijirou — Mon, 19 Nov 2007 16:30:28 MST

@DigitalHero: Yeah, he sure does look like Gordon in the flesh!

Shijirou

Ten Years Ago: Half-Life Writer Marc Laidlaw

crapsh00t — Mon, 19 Nov 2007 16:27:29 MST

@DigitalHero: I saw the same thing too. Is Marc Laidlaw narcissistic?

crapsh00t

Ten Years Ago: Half-Life Writer Marc Laidlaw

onidavin — Mon, 19 Nov 2007 16:21:04 MST

Very interesting read. We need more old, old content -- seriously. It's nice to see how today stacks up to yesterday's notions thereof.

onidavin

Ten Years Ago: Half-Life Writer Marc Laidlaw

DigitalHero — Mon, 19 Nov 2007 16:13:38 MST

Is it just a coincidence that he looks like Gordon Freemon after chemo?

DigitalHero

Ten Years Ago: Half-Life Writer Marc Laidlaw

Rzarekta — Mon, 19 Nov 2007 16:13:15 MST

Games don't get much more classic than Half Life. I remember buying that the day it came out and absolutely loving it. If I remembe correctly, I had the "Voodoo 2" video card. Haha, remember those?

Rzarekta

Ten Years Ago: Half-Life Writer Marc Laidlaw

slikz21 — Mon, 19 Nov 2007 16:06:57 MST

I always love interviews like this, MORE!

slikz21