ValveTime

While rummaging through some recently added code for the Source Filmmaker, we have been able to identify a trio of new scripting fragments which appear to directly reference Half-Life 3.

The fragments, which were added around two months ago in early January 2014, appear as placeholder text written in the Python programming language, and are used to provide examples of possible file locations used internally by Valve for the company's render farms. Think of them as tool tips designed to help a user navigate various complex menus without getting confused. The three code fragments are available for your viewing pleasure below.

The render farm code itself does not currently function in Source Filmmaker outside of Valve, as the public release of the software does not support render farms. The code fragments themselves are located in the following directory, should you want to check them out for yourself.

Now, while it would be very easy to get hyped or overly excited for this kind of news, we should reiterate that this code does not actually function or relate to Half-Life 3 itself in any way, unlike code previously found relating to Source 2 and Half-Life 2: Episode Three. Since this code is designed as an example, it is highly unlikely that the reference to "dog_fight" is anything more than a simple call back to the Dog vs. Strider action set piece from Half-Life 2: Episode Two. What is interesting, however, is the notion that Valve are now officially referring to the project internally as part of other software development — in this case, the Source Filmmaker. Whether or not we will ever see any cutscenes or trailers for the game created within the Source Filmmaker is another question entirely.

Click here to learn more about these references to Half-Life 3 within the Source Filmmaker. [...]

As many of you may have noticed, Gabe returned to Reddit earlier this week to take part in his promised AMA. This episode of the ValveTime Weekly News Round-Up includes a full recap of the event alongside discussions for the upcoming arrival of Valve's first officially licensed board game, the release of the latest themed content pack from TF2Maps.net, and more!

The fine folks over at TF2Maps.net have recently revealed their latest themed custom content pack for use in Team Fortress 2, created by forum users E-Arkham and Cinnamon (aka Aly). As you would imagine, this new "Japan Content Pack" is primarily themed around traditional Japanese architecture and foliage.


A wide number of high quality new props are featured in the pack, including various lanterns, bridges, trees, bamboo, doorways, structural supports, signage, a resupply locker, and even a themed upgrade station for use in the Mann vs. Machine gamemode. Most of the models included with the pack come in a variety of sizes and skins, allowing for map creators to easily develop the distinctive red and blue colour contrasts present within so many TF2 maps. Various themed textures and overlays were also designed specifically for the pack, including 7 coloured wood variants, bamboo flooring, and a number of signs. If that isn't interesting enough for you, the pack also includes a rather pretty blossom particle effect, which players can totally fail to notice as they rocket jump through levels at high speed blasting everything in their path.

Click here to check out the rest of the content included in the Japan Content Pack! [...]

Update (March 7, 2014):
Even though the AMA never officially ended -- Gabe said he was going away for a bit, and that he would return after more questions had been upvoted -- it's been three full days since the AMA was left hanging, so we're assuming that it's over at this point. As such, click here for the finished, nicely-formatted PDF containing all of the questions that Gabe answered.


Original Story (March 3, 2014):
Earlier today, Gabe Newell made true on his word to hold an "Ask Me Anything" on Reddit if the"Heart of Racing" charity effort reached a donation goal of $500,000. Even if it was a day later than originally expected, Valve's co-founder took to Reddit and fielded a number of questions submitted and upvoted by the community. Gabe was joined by Valve employees Erik Wolpaw, Erik Johnson, Ido Magal, and Greg Coomer.

In the AMA, Gabe has covered a broad range of questions, ranging from the location of the next Dota 2 International tournament to the reason why Gabe and Mike Harrington picked the name "Valve". (We think they made the right choice, since "ValveTime" sounds better than "RhinoScarTime".)

Click here to read the answers Gabe and the others provided during the AMA! [...]

As you may have noticed, this past week wasn't particularly bustling with headline news, but there was definitely still enough developments to fill up an all-new ValveTime Weekly News Round-Up! In this episode, we talk about the public release of Steam Family Sharing, a major update to the Steamworks Development tools, the reveal of "Fantasy Dota", and much more!


As always, don't forget to subscribe to our YouTube channel and to follow us on Facebook and Twitter. Be sure to give our Dota 2 Announcer Pack a thumbs up over on the Steam Workshop. Thanks for watching.