Is it finally happening? After almost a decade of waiting, “Half-Life 3” looks to be on the gaming horizon. It has been revealed that Valve has officially filed a trademark application for the title, “Half-Life 3” meaning they possibly have plans to use the title within the next couple years.
The trademark application was filed on September 29th with the European Union’s Office of Harmonization for the Internal Market (OHIM). The application states that the trademark covers “computer game software; electronic game software, downloadable game software via a global computer network and wireless devices; and video game software,” among other things.
Currently, no one from Valve is making a comment regarding the application and what it officially means for the future of the franchise. Unfortunately the application for trademark itself is not an indication that the game has even begun development.
In August 2013, Half-Life series voice actor John Patrick Lowrie said Half-Life 3 is not in development, though he admitted he has “no idea” what Valve may be planning in the future.
The most recent Half-Life game was 2007’s Half-Life 2: Episode Two. That game advances the story of previous entries Half-Life 2 and Half-Life 2: Episode One. A third episode was planned, but has not seen the light of day.
“Half-Life 2” was critically acclaimed upon its release. The first-person shooter video game and a signature title in the Half-Life series was developed by Valve Corporation and initially released on November 16, 2004. Like its predecessor, Half-Life 2 was met with near-unanimous critical acclaim. It was praised for its advanced physics, animation, sound, AI, graphics, and narrative. The game won 39 “Game of the Year” awards; some publications named it “Game of the Decade”. It won the title of “Game Of The Decade” at the 2012 Spike Video Game Awards. Over 6.5 million copies of Half-Life 2 were sold at retail by December 3, 2008, making it a bestselling PC game (not including the number of sales via Steam). As of February 9, 2011, Half-Life 2 has sold over 12 million copies.
