Ten years later, still no Half-Life 3.

But fans remain hopeful.

Why does the world still need this game?

Ten years ago, Valve released one of the biggest and innovative sci-fi shooters ever made.

Its a game and a series that has maintained a hardcore following all these years later.

Why has there never been a sequel?

Does the world still needHalf-Life 3?

This question should infuriate you.

Its crazy that we havent returned to City 17 or been shot at by the Combine in so long.

It goes against everything a shooter franchise is.

In this case, its commendable that Valve hasnt just put outHalf-Lifesequels for the money.

The name Valve, of course, goes hand in hand with innovation.

Time and time again, the software company has caused waves in the video game industry.

But none have received the amount of sequels, mods, remakes, and recognition of theHalf-Lifefranchise.

Half-Life would take over the world.

Luckily, thats not where the story ended.

For our patience and persistence, we were awarded expansion episodes Half-Life 2: Episodes 1&2.

And we were promised a third.

Anxious fans started to ask questions.

Fast-forward to seven years later.

The series is basically comatose.

He stands in the whiteness of time, listening to the buzzing silence.

The only reason you would think about Dr. Freeman at all is because you remember the past.

Then time stopped, you slipped into a dream, and waited.

A whole new generation of gamers have turned up since then.

Perhaps deterioration through time isHalf-Lifes main antagonist after all, its name is another word for decay.

Gordon cant hold on to a single moment because he is quickly rushed away to another.

Slowly, in the span of seven years, the memory of Dr. Freeman is vanishing.

The argument is valid: Valve has taken its sweet time releasing aHalf-Lifesequel before.

This time, its been ten years sinceHalf-Life 2, and the last expansion dropped in 2007.

The point is that there doesnt seem to be a place for the smart sci-fi shooter in todays market.

Bungies magnum opus relies on planetary romance and military sci-fi to carry the story.

Half-Lifeis so much more than that, charming gamers with its boundless intelligence.

)Half-Life, years since its release, still tells a much more complex story than most shooters today.

Most shooters are just not very high on the story spectrum anymore.

Even Gabe Newell, CEO and co-founder of Valve, has recognized times have changed.

And his company has tried to keep up with the consumer.

What do video gamesstrive to be in 2014 as opposed to 1998?

Todays big blockbuster games look a lot like movies, and thats no accident.

It doesnt feel like youre in a movie.

Video games didnt sacrifice gameplay for the cinematic experience.

There arent any fancy cinematics inHalf-Life.

Youre not watching anything for theme or story.

Instead, the experience solely comes from moving through the game.

Playing the game advances the story.

The game is all the context you need.

You dont stop after every level to watch a cinematic.

Its the only way to really get the story.

There is shooting, platforming, puzzle-solving, and quantum physics.

Not to mention a plot that more likely comes from a philosophy textbook than a film.

If an indie game gets enough votes on Greenlight, Valve allows the game to be released on Steam.

The fact that countless fans voted forBlack Mesaassures me of one thing: there is still a need forHalf-Life.

Could it be the wake up call Valve needs to bring back their most famous hero?

Now more than ever.