First time for me too (and I'm glad Google Videos finally seems to have opened their service in France) and it sure brings back lots of memories 
If anyone is wondering whether to buy the Raising the Bar book about HL2, it's full of these very early drawings and renders. Got it for my bday last month and had finished it that same night.
And this may mark the day I finally get my own console. A red letter day by all means.
Having just started at Ubi France on Monday, I can tell you we were as surprised to read about this article as the rest of you. No one's heard of it and I have Michel Ancel ten feet away as I type this. I'm not saying it's true or false, we just haven't heard anything so far
The rant had "EA spouse article" written all over it, until he actually mentioned EA and it was clear that's the company he was targetting.
Wheres the windows to cast those shadows?
Well I asked myself the exact same question and then I saw that the roof actually has a window texture, so it made more sense. I agree that it's not so obvious, but the sky light probably could be seen better from a different angle
Better luck next time 
Kittehs will be my downfall....they always get me to do whatever for them
This is it, I need to start learning all of this...Awesome WIP
You should check your "rust" decals on your street lights. They all seem to start above the actual model they go with.
I think I need to see this in action before I can label it anything but BS marketing
Fletch's second and Mike's third are pimper
Just played it, and while I thoroughly enjoyed the first one, this second part feels a little bit like a "deja vu". Of course not in the mapping sense, but in terms of history and gameplay. Like GL said, the finding a button far away is nice for a while, then it gets boring because it gets predictable. And while the idea of going to the same place multiple times and having different things happen is always a welcome addition to a level, I don't like the feeling of going in circles trying to find some obscure switch, which already was a sensation I had playing the first level, though not on the same scale.
He really is impressive with the immersion he manages to pull in his levels. Let's do this
Quote from KoKo5oVaRWoah Furyo, the first "compatriote"
hehe, there's too few of us these days...
ah right, I always get them confused....
Random fact about 24: In Season 3, Lynne Kresge (spelling?), personal advisor to president Palmer, is played by the same actress that played the voice of Dr Judith Mossman in HL2 (Michelle Forbes).
What made me think of that you ask? Well she also stars in Prison Break.
Not that I want to go OT, but since we're talking about other series, you might wanna check Prison Break, the new Fox show. It's currently on a break until March 20th (iirc) and it's rather well done.
Any idea where I could read the story without having to play the game?
The only way it can be entertaining to me is if it bridges the gaps between say seasons 4 and 5. Then again I don't have a PS2 so the point is moot. I generally try and stay away from movie/tv series games, as they are almost always very pale ripoffs meant to sell only by their names. Anyone remembers Die Hard Nakatomi Plaza?
That's a very nice European setting indeed. One of my pet peeves with the Source engine is how models can only receive light from one source, as in your example the street light is fully lit though it should be half lit half dark (from the shadow reflecting on the building). Maybe you can try changing the source point though, to make it take its lighting at its base, making the model a bit darker. Right now the difference is really striking.
someone's been using the cs_office textures 
It looks nice, I need to start learning modelling myself...
