Valve announced in a press release today that the first of three episodes in the Half-Life: Episodes series has gone gold and will be available starting June 1. The announcement also confirmed that the second episode of the series, set to conclude by Christmas of next year, will be available before the end of 2006.
Half-Life 2: Episode One will be available via Steam and in major retailers with an MSRP of $19.99. The title will clock in at under six hours, but should offer all but the most seasoned Source aficionados at least four hours of gameplay. Picking up where Half-Life 2 concluded, Episode One will see Gordon Freeman accompany Alyx Vance and Dog in a battle through City 17 to fuel the resistance movement against the Combine. This first episode will include two multiplayer games, as well as the option to download the HDR-showcasing Half-Life 2: Lost Coast.
Valve co-founder Gabe Newell said: "Given the rapid changes in PC gaming, we expect episodic games will have the same impact on single-player gaming that Counter-Strike had on multiplayer. The frequent releases of upgraded technology and new content works better for both consumers and developers, and is one of the key reasons Counter-Strike grew to be 80% of the online action market. We decided that a follow-up to Half-Life 2 delivered in 18 months with our first episode was more in tune with what our customers want than waiting 6 years for another monolithic product."
