There’s a headline I never thought I’d write in 2013. It seems a certain co-op multiplayer mod has been in development for the original Half-Life for almost 15 years, titled Sven Co-op, and now a release is on the horizon. The news comes by way of announcement on the Sven Co-op forums (via Kotaku) stating that Valve themselves has given the mod development team their blessing.
In response to Valve granting the Sven Co-op Development Team access to the GoldSrc engine and the freedom to make adjustments as the team saw fit, forum “super moderator” JPolito wrote, “We are grateful beyond expression to Valve for their generosity and efforts put forth to make this possible. We’re looking forward to working with one of the greatest game engines ever made, and we can assure everyone that there are many, many more updates to come.” Those updates can potentially include enhancements to the game’s engine and level editor.
For those curious about what to expect from this Half-Life mod, here are the basic details: The game will run as a standalone title, so a purchase of Half-Life is not required. The co-op mod will be free for Steam users, and will grant the ability for “2+ player co-op play” across the entire original Half-Life‘s campaign. Utilizing the content delivery system SteamPipe, the team will be able to automatically update the game as needed.
It seems as if a life-long endeavor is finally coming to fruition for these developers. Kudos to Valve for not only granting Sven Co-op access to the original Half-Life engine, but also actively encouraging the team to improve upon the original system, and share their dream of a co-op Half-Life campaign with other interested gamers through Valve’s very own digital distribution system. Whereas some developers might shut down fan projects such as this, it’s good to see Valve foster a welcoming community that encourages creative experimentation. Considering sales of the original Half-Life probably weren’t going to pick up anytime soon, there’s really no reason to forbid these guys from keeping the game alive in the hearts of fans.
Are you folks interested in playing the original Half-Life campaign with a buddy or two? Or are you content to wait until Valve finally announces a release date for Episode 3. What about a full-fledged sequel? Share your thoughts in the usual place, and don’t forget to like IGXPro on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, or give us the ‘ol +1 on Google+. If you can’t get enough of my shenanigans, (who could blame you?) you can check me out @GamingsNirvana, or add +VinnyParisi to your circles.
