I honestly would've been surprised if things were playing out in *any* other way with Valve: Company's PR, Doug Lombardi, announces via HalfLife2.net that the upcoming expansion to Half-Life 2, Aftermath, has been delayed. The add-on was scheduled to be released via Steam this fall, and now Valve is saying that that won't happen before February or March of 2006.
And this is exactly why I have a problem with Half-Life 2. It's not that the game isn't great. It is. But, ultimately, it's just set on a rather shady premise that it's OK to offer borderline meaningless pieces of the puzzle as far as the actual plot is concerned and then release these "episodes" every two years apparently. No matter how good your story is, or how good the action is, I simply don't see how waiting two years for another glimpse into what is some sort of a story is worth it. I mean, if it was J.R.R. Tolkien's story... then maybe; as it is, I don't see how it's worth it.
And this is exactly why I have a problem with Half-Life 2. It's not that the game isn't great. It is. But, ultimately, it's just set on a rather shady premise that it's OK to offer borderline meaningless pieces of the puzzle as far as the actual plot is concerned and then release these "episodes" every two years apparently. No matter how good your story is, or how good the action is, I simply don't see how waiting two years for another glimpse into what is some sort of a story is worth it. I mean, if it was J.R.R. Tolkien's story... then maybe; as it is, I don't see how it's worth it.
