Recently we reported that Valve Software sent the press an unusual email announcing that the Portal 2 pre-E3 press event was canceled. Instead, Valve would reveal a big surprise that's left many fans and journalists speculating.
Some of us assumed that the company would finally reveal Half-Life 2: Episode 3, the long-awaited installment that feels a bit more like vaporware at this point. However that's not the case--the possibility was shot down by head honcho Gabe Newell.
A mysterious image soon appeared, supposedly from the actual E3 pamphlet. The image sported the Half-Life logo with "Freeman" and "June 14" centered underneath. Newell also nuked any possibilities of what the image would indicate, claiming that it was a fake. Again, we were left wondering just what Valve was up to.
Now rumors have surfaced that Valve will introduce Source Engine 2. An anonymous source said that it's possible Valve will actually show Half-Life 3 running on the new engine, backing up our belief that Valve may have turned Episode 3 into a full-fledged sequel.
Yet if Gordon Freeman isn't part of the June 14 equation, then Valve may simply announce just the engine alone. We tried to get to the bottom of the matter, however Valve has yet to return our emails.
It's reported that Valve's big surprise will not take place before Microsoft (June 14) or Sony (June 15) press conferences. It may be that Valve plans to reveal its surprise at one or both events next week.
