Half-Life Writer Marc Laidlaw Retires From Valve
By Vinny Lanni
After 18 years on the job, Marc Laidlaw has called it a day.
Marc Laidlaw, sci-fi writer and Half-Life developer, has decided to leave Valve and return to his first love, writing original stories.
Laidlaw started off as a writer of short stories and published books (Dad’s Nuke his first book, plus five others), jumped into the world of video games after being inspired by Myst (a PC adventure, puzzle game), and has been a staple at Valve for 18 years before today’s announcement.
In a surprising and somewhat strange encounter with a fan over e-mail, Laidlaw announced his retirement.
“I had a good run but lately I have been feeling a need for a break from the collaborative chaos of game production, and a return to more self-directed writing projects,” Laidlaw said.
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He also went on to talk about his inability to discuss new or current Valve projects to the public.
“I am no longer a full or part time Valve employee, no longer involved in day-to-day decisions or operations, no longer a spokesperson for the company, no longer privy to most types of confidential information, no longer working on Valve games in any capacity.”
Laidlaw discussed his relationship with Valve, a little bit of his past, and gratitude for the company and his 18 years there. Also, despite leaving the game development side of things, he left the door open for potential freelance opportunities at Valve down the road.
No one knows if Half-Life 3 is in development or if Laidlaw lent any part of his creative mind to the (rumored) process, but we will have to play the waiting game regarding any new news.
I think we can all agree, like Laidlaw stated, “(He) had a good run.”