Valve, the video game development company behind the critically acclaimed Half-Life series, has just filed a new "Computer Game Software" trademark, which is still being processed by the US Patent and Trademark Office. News of the pending trademark has spawned a mill of rumors and speculation as to what this new trademark could bring to the gaming industry from Valve.
Valve was founded in 1996 by two ex Microsoft employees who took the first-person shooter genre by storm with the release of the groundbreaking sci-fi action shooter Half-Life for PC in 1998. Since then Valve have gone on to pioneer virtual reality technology, culminating in the release of Half-Life: Alyx in 2020, which won Game of the Year at the 2020 VR Awards. Earlier this year the company also released the Steam Deck, a handheld gaming system with access to the full Steam game library service, to rival Nintendo's popular Switch system.
Valve filed for a new trademark for NEON PRIME on October 10, which has been marked under "Computer game software, electronic game software, video game software, computer game programs downloadable via the internet." As this is an expansive set of categories which could cover the development of almost anything game or technology related, speculation is rife from the gaming community on just what this might hint at.
Rumors have been suggested for a "Half-Life Trading card game," "a Steam streaming service," and a new addition to the Half-Life franchise. Although the trademark has not yet been approved, Valve will be expected to officially release more information if, and when, the trademark evaluation process is successfully complete.
There is a strong hope among Half-Life fans that this could be a code for the development of Half-Life 3, an installment that gamers have been avidly waiting for since the cliffhanger ending of Half-Life 2: Episode Two, the 2007 expansion for 2004's smash hit sequel, Half-Life 2. Before the release of Half-Life: Alyx, fans had waited for 13 years for a new installment to the franchise.
Although the possibility of a new entry into the Half-Life franchise is an exciting concept which has fans' hopes high, they may, unfortunately, be setting themselves up for disappointment. The sheer amount of projects that could be considered under the file of "Computer Game Software" is enormous and could encompass anything from a new piece of hardware or software for the Steam Deck, to a completely new game franchise that may be developed years from now. Fans will have to hold their breath for further announcements from Valve in the future and in the meantime don their VR headsets to play Half-Life: Alyx instead.