Tech: Half-Life Dreamcast Mod

Custom Half-Life Sega Dreamcast by Vadu Amka

I would have given my left arm to have one of these back in the day.  I was a pretty hardcore Half-Life fan.  I think that if Dreamcasts  had actually looked like this off the shelf, they might have sold better.

"Culture games took care of the packaging for the game "Half-Life" on Dreamcast, which was never released anywhere else than on abandonware sites. They plan to hold a contest to win a copy (with the game and a new case as if it was actually released) and the competition is even more striking, they asked me to make a customized Dreamcast on the Half Life theme and thereby propose a complete package.

I took the colors of the main character with the crowbar. I didn't want a completely orange console, the color is often linked to Metroid. I mainly worked on the paint peeling and rust appearance. According to my taste, the console remains relatively sober and faithful to the covers' visuals."

Fan Film: Half-Life 2 In Real Life

"Half-Life 2 In Real Life" by Nick Bertke

Half-Life 2 is arguably one of the best games of the last decade. It combined excellent gameplay, awesome graphics, amazing physics, and some of the best weapons in the history of FPSes.

Digital mashup artist Nick Bertke (aka Pogo) created this clever video – in which he combined his actual neighborhood with components of the Half-Life 2 universe, and the result is awesome. In fact, it’s nearly impossible to tell where the real world ends and VALVE’s dystopian universe begins.

Fortunately, it looks like he lives in a part of town that doesn’t have head crabs or antlions.

"Elements from Half-Life 2 composited into my neighbourhood."

Link Round-Up: January 18, 2013

Half Life Stained Glass by MartianGlassWorks

Available for purchase from Etsy. US$600

Bobba Fett mixer, cuz even bounty hunters love cake!

Food Replicator demonstrates how to create your own Gingerbread Communicator

The iconic London Underground typeface turns 100

Sweets: Half-Life Headcrab Cupcake

Half-Life Headcrab Cupcake by Artistic-Aviary

Via: Obvious Winner

"The cupcake is white cake (with parchment paper because [Liz] couldn’t find the cupcake liners) and cream cheese frosting! The headcrab itself is a marshmallow that [Liz] re-shaped and covered in fondant, painted with food coloring."

Crafts: Half-Life Stained Glass

Half-Life Stained Glass

"My Mom started doing stain glass. I asked her for Freeman and this is what I got"

Video: Half Life Origins Live Action

Now, this is how you do a video game movie! I, for one, would watch the hell out of an eight hour movie following the Half Life storyline.

Everyone remembers the first time they stepped onto the Black Mesa Transit System and into the shoes of the unexpected hero, Gordon Freeman. Half-Life Origins is a short film that takes you back to where it all began.

Director's Note: After 10+ years since it's release, if you ever go back and replay the original Half-Life, it doesn't look anything like you remember. The graphics are horrible compared to present day games, but years ago it blew my mind. This video plays with that contrast. I incorporated a fusion of live action and CG environments that give it a semi-realistic look, but also not realistic at the same time. Hope you enjoy it!

Short Film: Singularity Collapse

Half-Life – Singularity Collapse

Another fan film based off of the Half-Life Universe, with plentiful special effects and action. Interesting how people continue to make films and be inspired by the world of a game from several years ago.

Merchandise: Retro Half-Life 2 Magnets

What if Half Life 2 was actually developed 10+ years earlier for the NES? It would probably look something like these bead sprites from Arcade Artist Donna Pike.

These Half-Life 2 - 8-bit Retroactive - NES style Magnets are available now at Etsy.  The set includes four large magnets: Alyx Vance, Gordon Freeman with his faithful Gravity Gun (with glow in the dark action), the Black Mesa administrator turned Combine collaborator Doctor Breen, and everyone's favorite de-beaked headcrab: Lamarr.  They also come with a collectible card of the game’s box art rendered in 8 bit style  Get yours now. Price: $25