Virtual reality has exploded as an outlet for video games in recent years thanks to the release of devices like the Oculus Rift and PlayStation VR. Valve, the developer of the Half-Life and Portal series, has also put its hat in the ring with the Valve Index headset.
However, the company's co-founder Gabe Newell is apparently looking into the "long-lead" possibility of games made with brain-computer interfaces in mind. In an interview about Valve's Half-Life: Alyx with IGN, Newell said research that occurred "a while ago" and the technology has been "the background thread I get pulled back into when other things aren't demanding my attention."
The long-time video game developer does go on to talk about things that do take up his attention on a "typical day," such as answering e-mails or dealing with personnel issues and the press. In fact, he describes getting roped into Half-Life: Alyx's development similar to people asking Keanu Reeves' character John Wick if he's "back." Yet Newell says he tries to avoid typical days as much as possible because they are predictable, and as a result he goes after problems that aren't obvious in the moment.
Newell goes on to say, "I think [computer-brain interfacing] is an extinction-level event for every entertainment forum that's not thinking about this." He believes the technology is closer to The Matrix than people realize, will have a huge impact on the experiences that developers can create, and that Valve needs to keep pushing harder even after "great steps forward" like the Valve Index VR headset.
Alongside his fellow interviewee Robin Walker, a programmer and designer on Half-Life: Alyx, Newell discusses how VR will improve the single-player, story-driven experiences that the Half-Life series is known for. Walker believes the game will also hugely benefit from a blend of development experiences coming from veterans who worked on Half-Life 1 and members of Campo Santo, who created the adventure game Firewatch before being acquired by Valve.
While much of the IGN interview is dedicated to Newell's asides about the potential of brain-computer interfacing, ultimately it does come back around to the next Half-Life game being a potential stepping stone for the company. Newell ends the conversation hoping people will "come back and say the magic is still there" after playing Half-Life: Alyx when it releases later this month.
Source: IGN