Former Half-Life Writer Claims Cancelled Borealis Game Was Developed Before VR Technology Was Ready

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In recent news, a former writer for the popular Half-Life video game series has claimed that the cancelled Borealis game was developed before virtual reality (VR) technology was ready. The game was set to be a spin-off of the Half-Life franchise, but was ultimately cancelled due to the lack of available VR technology at the time.

The writer, Marc Laidlaw, made the claim in a blog post on his personal website. He wrote that the Borealis game was originally conceived in 2003, and was intended to be a “Half-Life 2 spin-off” that would explore the mysterious Borealis ship. The game was designed to be a first-person shooter, and would have used VR technology to allow players to explore the ship in a more immersive way.

Unfortunately, at the time, VR technology was still in its infancy and was not yet ready for use in video games. This meant that the development team had to abandon the project and focus on other projects instead. Laidlaw wrote that he was “sad” to see the project get cancelled, but understood why it had to happen.

The news of the cancelled Borealis game has been met with a mix of reactions from fans of the Half-Life series. Some are disappointed that they will never get to experience the game, while others are glad that the developers were able to recognize that VR technology wasn’t ready for use in video games yet.

It’s clear that VR technology has come a long way since 2003, and it’s now used in many different types of video games. It’s possible that if the Borealis game had been released when it was originally planned, it could have been a groundbreaking experience for gamers. Unfortunately, we’ll never know what could have been.

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