Valve: Half Life 2 will be released on Xbox, PS3, and Gamecube 2

[Great Rumbler]

While Nintendo and Sony have yet to release information about their next consoles Valve have confirmed they are working on Half-Life 2 for them.

The game is set to launch on the PC later this year and the Xbox soon after. Valve have now stated that they plan to launch Half-Life 2 on the PS3 and 'GameCube 2'.

Valve have also announced that they will release a number of special edition packs for the game. There will be a standard single-player version, a version with mutli-player options and a collector's edition with t-shirts, pens and other Half-Life 2 items.

That's pretty good news.

I wonder which version will be better...

Cube-Europe

[OB1]

That's not until the end of 2005 at the earliest...

Good news for those without a PC or X-Box, but it's pretty late.

[A Black Falcon]

Why should anyone sane care? FPSes are made for mouse and keyboard and should stay there! Putting them on gamepads ... doesn't work well ...

[OB1]

Yeah, Perfect Dark, Goldeneye, Halo, and Time Splitters games were just so crappy on their respective consoles.

A keyboard and mouse certainly provides more aiming accuracy, but these are shooting games so not having pin-point accuracy actually makes aiming more realistic. Plus there's analog movement which you can't get with a PC.

[A Black Falcon]

Yes, I admit analog movement is nice. But precice aiming (not analog aiming, since consoles have that, but the precision of a mouse...) is far, far better... sure, some FPSes are still fun on consoles. But none of them would be more fun on consoles than they would be on PC...

[Dark Jaguar]

Simple solution, design both versions to support both control types. The PS2 (and PS3 I imagine) have USB slots, and I have often used my PC keyboard with my PS2 for SOCOM. Just add keyboard and mouse support for the console version. The PC has many many different solutions (only like 2 of them decent though) for having duel analog sticks. Just have support for a controller there.

[OB1]

A mouse is better, but a console controller is more than good enough. The only thing that's necessary is enough customization with the controls. I can aim very well in Time Splitters 2 and can make a head shot very easily from far away. A kb&mouse would give me more accuracy, but that's not always a good thing. For one thing it's not as comfortable, and it's also not as realistic. I'd like to see someone in real life jump up in the air, spin around 180 degrees and hit a guy 300 feet away with a rocket launcher like you can do in Quake 3. That ain't gonna happen!

Now of course I'll be getting HL2, DX2, and Thief 3 for my PC, but that's because I plan on making my own levels and mods for these games.

[Dark Jaguar]

Realism? Who cares about realism when you are firing lasers at aliens?

[OB1]

Not all FPS's are unrealistic. Take a look at Full Spectrum Warrior, for example.

[Great Rumbler]

I've played lots of FPSs on both the PC and on various console and while console controls may not be as good as a keyboard and mouse they are plenty good enough to have fun playing an FPS.

Controls are beside the point really since I don't really want to spend hundreds of dollars upgraded my computer just to play Half Life 2 with a keyboard and mouse when I can play it on the Xbox that I already have.

[A Black Falcon]

Its besides the point for me because I don't think I'll be buying any FPSes anytime soon... unless I see the PC version of JK2: Jedi Outcast for $20 or under, that is.

[Great Rumbler]

So, you just came in here to start up another arguement? Is that it?

[A Black Falcon]

No, I just don't see why people would get the console versions when there's a much better version available.

[Great Rumbler]

Maybe because getting a computer or upgraded your old one enough to play it on any decent level would cost a lot of money. Or maybe it's because we actually like playing FPSs on consoles, which I do.

[OB1]

The funny part about this is that ABF also goes off on how space sims are better with joysticks even though they're harder to use than mice, but then he turns around and says that only a kb&mouse is acceptable for a FPS because accuracy is all that matters.

Quite funny, huh?

[A Black Falcon]

Okay, if your excuse is money then I understand... PCs are a lot more expensive.

Oh, and OB1, its called "different genres are different"... just like how I like a gamepad for action or sports games but wouldn't use one in a flight sim or a RTS? Or how Rogue Squadron is no good with a joystick while Crimson Skies is? Different games are designed for different things, and different genres have different things that they are best at! For FPSes what they are best with is with great, precise aiming controls... joystick aiming is tolerable but clumsy when compared to a mouse, that's for sure.

[OB1]

Just because you suck with a controller doesn't mean that everyone does. I'm almost as good with my GC controller while playing TS2 as I am with a kb&mouse for any PC FPS.

[A Black Falcon]

I didn't say I was so much worse with them... I'd say that I'm almost as good at the console ones, as long as they have auto-aim. I'd never even think of turning off the autoaim though because manual aim with a analog stick is nearly impossible... my point wasn't just about which one I am better with.

[OB1]

I never use auto-aim in console FPS's unless it's forced upon me or the controls are simply crap (like EA's Bond games). I can get headshots from far away in TS2 with ease, and I've yet to turn on auto-aim in that game.

[A Black Falcon]

Ack, if I didn't use autoaim in console shooters I'd be absolutely terrible! That's the only thing that makes them close to PC ones in playability... of course I'm no good at the PC ones either, but that isn't a genre I've either ever been good at or ever spent much time trying to improve in...

[lazyfatbum]

*throws in Two Cents*

Mouse and keyboard sucks dick compared to analogous controllers. I will bet real American money that I can beat anyone in a FPS with an anal controller against keyboard and mouse.

Precision in body movement in collaboration with aiming always proves to have the upper hand in death matches and single player FPS games. Unless it's rockets, explosives, etc. In which aiming and body movement hold no baring on victory