Three Big Announcements Coming from Valve
Not only is Valve experimenting with biometrics, but the company plans to reveal three big surprises over the next twelve months.
Although Valve didn't mention Half-Life 3 or Half-Life 2: Episode 3, the company recently said that gamers should expect "at least" three big surprises within the next 12 months. It was speculated back at E3 2010 that Valve's surprise event would reveal either of the two aforementioned games, however the company instead revealed Portal 2 coming to the PlayStation 3.
So without daring to take a guess, what should gamers expect? "I can guarantee you people are going to be surprised at stuff we do," Valve boss Gabe Newell teased in the latest issue of PC Gamer. "That isn't going to stop any time soon. I'm just laughing because... people will be shocked again."
He then added that "three pretty big surprises" are in store for gamers in the next twelve months.
Also in the works is support for biometrics. Valve has reportedly spent $50,000 on gaze-tracking technology to understand where game testers are looking during play. The company is also hooking up testers to biometric devices to not only track pulse rates, emotional reactions and more, but to give them a little jolt.
"With biometrics, rather than guessing [player states], we can actually use a variety of things like gaze tracking, skin galvanic response, pulse rate and so on," he explained. "Through combining those pieces of information, we can get a much more accurate indication of player state, so that's something we're super interested in."
To read more on Valve's master plan, check out the latest issue of PC Gamer.
Day 1, Subject 1337:
Subject shows profuse perspiration, high heart rate, general uneasiness and low moaning noises and will not stop staring at this bag of cheetos. Now he launches the game.
1)no half life 3
2)no half life 2 episode 3
3)portal 2 will be postponed...
lol j/k I can't wait to see what they're going to give us... also find it funny that since the core i7 contest thumbs up seem rare.
this is a typo. what they mean to say is that we should expect 1 surprise in the next 3 years.
Day 1, Subject 1337:
Subject shows profuse perspiration, high heart rate, general uneasiness and low moaning noises and will not stop staring at this bag of cheetos. Now he launches the game.
i also recall when l4d came out they had a presentation online talking about player states and how they got l4d working with these various states, specially for their random zombie surges which would benefit from biometric monitoring.
i cant wait for their big 3.
1)no half life 3
2)no half life 2 episode 3
3)portal 2 will be postponed...
lol j/k I can't wait to see what they're going to give us... also find it funny that since the core i7 contest thumbs up seem rare.
"Alyx Vance enters the scene. Subject heart rate slightly increases. Gaze alternate between upper-torso and lower-back regions. Subject also experiment a massive blood rush to the pelvis area."
On another note.... please please please oh pretty please with sugar on top and a stack of $5 dollar bills in a playboy strip club can we get HL: Episode 3. Promise I will be good.
I'm a Valve fanboi, I'll admit it.
Surprise 1: We will release Duke Nukem Forever ''soon''.
2 months later
Surprise 2: Duke Nukem Forever was cancelled.
2 months later
Surprise 3: We are still working on Duke Nukem Forever, release date: coming ''soon''!
Once nothing is boring, then everything is.
Getting to see this in other games may be interesting.