Turtle Rock Studios Announces Source Project

[Evil Avatar]

Right from Valve comes word of a new Steam powered Source engine title from the co-creators of Counter-Strike.

Turtle Rock Studios, the independent studio that has co-developed recent Counter-Strike games with Valve, today announces a new Source-based title in development for the PC, to be released via Valve's Steam online platform for digital distribution.

Turtle Rock Studios was founded by Michael Booth in 2002, and has grown to include industry veterans who have contributed to such titles as Nox, Red Alert II: Yuri's Revenge, and Command & Conquer: Generals.

"Working with Source and Steam allows us unprecedented flexibility in our development process, provides instantaneous world-wide distribution, and affords us the creative freedom to focus on building a game universe of our very own." said Booth. "We're excited to be working with this technology and to reveal more about the project over the coming year."

For more information, please visit www.turtlerockstudios.com (http://www.turtlerockstudios.com/)

[Wasson_]

What kind of game? Another FPS?

[Magnanimous Gnome]

I'm surprised that we haven't seen more games using the Source engine. The PC game journalists hyped it up as the next big thing, as did Valve, and now it's taken a back seat to Unreal 3.

Speaking of which, are any of the Unreal 3 engine games out yet, or is UT2k7 going to be the first?

[Grifter]

I really don't think the source engine is all that great. So far the only things that have impressed me are the physics and the facial animations, both using seperate programs not part of source that any developer can license for their games. The only game engines that impress me right now are UE3 and Project Offset and I have yet to play something using either so that doesn't mean much.

Magnanimous, Gears of War will be the first UE3 game realesed in July for the 360, then Frame City Killer around August and Bio Ware's Mass Effect this holiday season. I am not sure the official date for UT2K7 but am assuming it will be out sometime after the PS3 launch.

[fndarkone]

"co-creators" of counterstrike condition zero which we all know TANKED. the "deleted scenes" which were created by epic or gearbox (cant remember which) were much better but they still sucked. i really dont have anything to say about a new turtle rock game. i just wanted to bash cs:cz

[DubiousQuality]

I agree with Grifter, aside from the physics and facial anis I didn't find Source to be impressive at all. Looking far more foward to some Unreal 3 goodness. UT2007 has a tentative ship date of 10/2/06 I highly doubt Midway would want to miss the holiday season with such a big title so I'd say its prolly safe that it'll come around then.

[Varsity]

Source is subtle. Its strengths are mostly the things you don't see because they are done so well. :)

[Captain Awesome]

Love Source and its proven strength are in the user tools and overall engine. Everything from the sound engine, online code to the graphical part of it. I just want to see more modifications and dev's create brand new content for it. Meaning new sound, textures and new programmed engine bells n' whistles for their own creations.

Agreed Varsity, it goes without saying because it is done so well. People should download that film effects video, and the HDR demo is awesome shit there. The great thing about Source is that its constantly being upgraded. So we dont have these huge gaps in waiting for something so far down the line for game development. People just dont notice them as much because its subtle add-on's Valve throws in.

I like some of those next-gen engines. But they usually just bring some insane eye candy and they usually almost never have anything else. Things like a solid online code or multiplayer component. Its like when Doom3 first hit the streets, people were dropping their jaws because of the graphics and later realized the graphic power just couldnt be pushed through a pipe online the right way. What was it, 4 player MP at most?

And even then people had to dumb down the graphics substantially. I'll wait, I think the said companies in this thread have proven what they can do well and their online numbers show that.

[Dr Quincy]

Isn't source just a rejigged Quake 1 engine? I heard that somewhere.

[Grifter]

The Source Engines sound is buggy at best and doesn't sound any better (or worse) than any other AAA title. Valve's HDR so far is nothing spectaculer, it looks good but then so does a lot of other games. It just seems like everyone who uses source has issues with it. What exactly are it's strengths? Textures are average, models are average, sound is nothing special so that leaves what, the net code? The Source engines net code was far from stable when CS Source was released. It has improved over the years but again I don't think it is pushing any bounderies. As far as the Doom 3 engine is concerned I think it has just as many flaws as source just in different areas. I think we will know once and for all if D3 engine can hack the next generation of games when we play Quake Wars.

More people have had random frame drops, stutters, desktop crashes and display glitches with source than any of the other modern licensed game engines.

[Hieremias]

Isn't source just a rejigged Quake 1 engine? I heard that somewhere.

Uhh... no. The first Half-Life used a modified Quake 1 engine. Source is the engine for Half-Life 2, and was developed by Valve.

I think the Source engine is one of the best on the market for producing realistic urban settings (Doom 3 has the lock on sci-fi corridors and Far Cry has the jungle aspect covered).

[Varsity]

The Source Engines sound is buggy at best and doesn't sound any better (or worse) than any other AAA title.
This is precisely what I mean by subtle. Listening to it, you don't realise that the DSP, distance delay/muffling and reverb are not only automated, but based on the materials (textures) and geometery of the surrounding area. Make a map and the sound just works. The entire engine is stuffed full of things like this, and audio is hardly the most spectacular.

More people have had random frame drops, stutters, desktop crashes and display glitches with source than any of the other modern licensed game engines.No, actually. It doesn't have an unusal error rate. It's just the most played engine around, certainly among the types of people who will sign up on forums and bitch about it.

[Draft]

No, actually. It doesn't have an unusal error rate. It's just the most played engine around, certainly among the types of people who will sign up on forums and bitch about it.bet it's not played as much as HL1s frankenquake engine.

Source as an engine has yet to impress. Everyone creamed over it when HL2 first came out, but once other companies started to license it, the truth set us free. HL2 looks fucking awesome because it has like the best art ever, not because Source did anything crazy or cool. Who knows, maybe the Dark Messiah guys will do something noteworthy with it.

[DubiousQuality]

I dunno Draft I kinda thought HL2 itself looked worse than VTM:Bloodlines but I'm guessing thats just personal preference. I found HL2 to look very drab and flat texture wise.

[Roc Ingersol]

I think that's more a function of artistic style than engine capability.

They were aiming at a photorealism - in a drab environment.
The engine seems plenty capable to me.

But that's me... I'll take interactivity and internal consistency over polys any day.

[Dirty Harry]

man you guys are pathetic, i would try to argue the advantages of the source engine and hammer editor but its pretty pointless. Kids, come back when you stop spouting cliche complaints, like sound stuttering, how about stop using that piece of shit built in audio card and use a real one. Nforce is not a subsitute for a real sound card.

DubiousQuality: i find your opinion dubious, ive played both games and i can tell you for a fact that Bloodlines did not look better than hl2.

[Grifter]

man you guys are pathetic, i would try to argue the advantages of the source engine and hammer editor but its pretty pointless. Kids, come back when you stop spouting cliche complaints, like sound stuttering, how about stop using that piece of shit built in audio card and use a real one. Nforce is not a subsitute for a real sound card.

DubiousQuality: i find your opinion dubious, ive played both games and i can tell you for a fact that Bloodlines did not look better than hl2.

Yeah, cause arguing the advantages of a subject in a debate on the overall quality of said subject takes intelligence and god forbid if DirtyHarry actually thinks before he posts.

It's amazing how one slightly retarded child can change the thread from an intelligent debate on the quality of the source engine into a childish flame war.

Anything that effects game play and detracts from the immersiveness of the game is a bug and worth mentioning. Modern onboard sound hardware, unlike on board video, is more than capable for today's games and while not being the best solution is no excuse for a game running that poorly on all settings.

If you wanna play with the big boys try thinking before you post, your little tough-guy Canadian gangsta wanna-be attitude is pathetic. Grow up and stop acting like a 14 year old who has watched one to many Snow videos and thinks he's hardcore and try acting like a semi intelligent adult. (we don't want to push you to hard, you might hurt yourself)

[Varsity]

HL2 looks fucking awesome because it has like the best art ever, not because Source did anything crazy or cool.
There is almost no limit to what it can look like, if you write the correct shaders. That's another of its subtleties: the look of a game is defined entirely by the art team. As it happens most devs so far have re-used the existing shaders, and not without good reason, but with TR's title being next gen they'll likely have written their own code and will have their own look. It's also completely possible to add whatever lighting effects you like because of the modularity.

Source's advantages underpin everything, and by being as good as they are, they are largely invisible to the end-user. Are we getting the message yet? :p

bet it's not played as much as HL1s frankenquake engine.No...why?

[Grifter]

I think, like the Doom3 engine, we really need to wait for the games that take the engines in a new direction. So far the games we have seen using these engines are almost indistinguishable(sp?) from their predecessors.

[Dirty Harry]

Yeah, cause arguing the advantages of a subject in a debate on the overall quality of said subject takes intelligence and god forbid if DirtyHarry actually thinks before he posts.

It's amazing how one slightly retarded child can change the thread from an intelligent debate on the quality of the source engine into a childish flame war.

Anything that effects game play and detracts from the immersiveness of the game is a bug and worth mentioning. Modern onboard sound hardware, unlike on board video, is more than capable for today's games and while not being the best solution is no excuse for a game running that poorly on all settings.

If you wanna play with the big boys try thinking before you post, your little tough-guy Canadian gangsta wanna-be attitude is pathetic. Grow up and stop acting like a 14 year old who has watched one to many Snow videos and thinks he's hardcore and try acting like a semi intelligent adult. (we don't want to push you to hard, you might hurt yourself)

Son i suggest you shut your mouth if you plan to keep any respect you have gained from me. Are you attacking me personally because you do not agree that stupidity prevails when it comes to computers?.

Break it all down all funky like, first lets look at the personal insults you chose to use:


a)I'm Apparently a gangster wannabe
b)I'm a fourteen year old child
c)I've watched too many Snow Videos which in turn,
d)Makes me think I'm some Internet tough guy, who is hardcore?
e)I'm Canadian
f)and final, I'm a Mentally Challenged individual

Some of these are quite funny, I bet you are quite a hit with the ladies. To start I'm neither Italian nor a Wannabe "gangstah", nor is it important to this discussion who i socialize with (I'll give you a hint, lotsa leather involved, spiked helmets etc). So A) is now nulled, your argument is starting to fall apart grifter_66.

The Fourteen year old comment somewhat ties into the Snow videos because that realistically represents what Snows fan base Age Demographic is. so I'm going to group them together if you don't mind. Coincidentally it is pretty weird considering how old Snow is and how he physically appears that he appeals to Pre-teens. I'm neither a pre-teen or a big Snow fan but i will be honest and say I've seen a few of his videos and as far as i can tell Snow is not an example of being "gangstah", all "crunked up". This being said what does Snow have to do with this conversation, points b) and c) nulled.

Onto a semi concrete insult, my favorite personally. With d) you accuse me of being a fake tough guy. Have you ever met me personally, I doubt it most likely so you have no idea as to my physical stature or strength. For your information I am quite strong, both physical and mentally. Tough guy is just a title someone uses to prove something to themselves, self reassurance and all so i have no use for the term. Am i tough?, very much so since I've been through a large amount of bad events throughout my life so far. Stress, confusion and pain certainly don't mold an individual into representing "puppy dog tails and lollypops and sugar & spice and all that is nice" Grifter. While i do not feel this insult has been nulled, i think its maligned.

E): wow this one doesn't even need a debate, are you trying to suggest that someone from "Canadian" would be a poser compared to an American or someone from the UK?. I'm not even sure what being Canadian has to do with this and i absolutely refuse to waste more time on it. Nulled

Onto the final insult, F). Now this insult as well is pretty rude, through conditions i do have people involved with my life that are Mentally handicapped some worse than others. I think it would be totally awesome if some "retard" could express themselves as well as the post that caused you to start with all these personal attacks. That being said i know that i am not retarded nor is the way I'm acting on level with a mentally challenged individual so once again NULLED BIATCH.

Anyways out of six insults Grifter, five of them are completely warentless and needless.

I think you need to take some of your own advice and start acting more mature, you complained about my level of maturity so here i am forced to waste needless time expressing myself like a BIG BOY, grown up and the such. GOOD DAY SIR.

[Captain Awesome]

Isn't source just a rejigged Quake 1 engine? I heard that somewhere.

haha nope.

[Grifter]

man you guys are pathetic, i would try to argue the advantages of the source engine and hammer editor but its pretty pointless. Kids, come back when you stop spouting cliche complaints, like sound stuttering, how about stop using that piece of shit built in audio card and use a real one. Nforce is not a subsitute for a real sound card.

DubiousQuality: i find your opinion dubious, ive played both games and i can tell you for a fact that Bloodlines did not look better than hl2.

I re-quoted your first post just in case you forgot how much of an asshole you came off as being.

First things first, you came into this thread insulting everyone who does not think the source engine is all it was cracked up to be with absolutely no information to back your comments. That son, is why I figured you were of a young age. As for the cliche complaints, they are all true therefore making your retort sound as if it were coming from someone of a lesser intelligence who happens to be a HL2 fanboy.

When you jump into a situation insulting people for no reason other than to insult them, trying to virtually throw your wait around and strong arm people into agreeing with you is where the tough guy comment comes into play.
Most of the people who act that way do so because they do not have the mental capacity to prove a point or give an opinion in any other way.

I could give a shit how "tough" your life has been and all I have to say is welcome to the club.

This is an Internet forum about video games where your "bad events" don't mean jackshit. If you can't keep your temper under wraps when talking about a video game specially on your first post maybe you should seek another hobby or help. If it was not a temper issue maybe you should re-read your posts before submitting them and make sure your not coming across like a complete douche for no reason.

I agree the retard comment was over the line and calling you a Canadian was not an insult but a fact, the wanna be gangsta was the insult, BIATCH. Also, I am assuming the BIATCH comment was a joke associated with the wanna-be gangsta comment and not meant as serious insult.

Yes, there is something funny about a Canadian wigger/Gangsta wanna-be (don't ask me why) but the American ones are just as bad and annoying. Picturing a Canadian Mounty on his horse chasing a bunch of them through the forest is even funnier.

I have to be honest, I am glad you knew who snow was.