‘Half-Life 3’ trademark disappears from European system, dampening fans’ dreams

It doesn’t take much to get Half-Life fans stirred up about the long-rumored third installment of the legendary Valve first-person shooter. Earlier this week fans discovered documentation that appeared to show that Valve filed to trademark “Half-Life 3” in Europe, but the paperwork has now disappeared from website for the EU’s Office for Harmonization in the Internal Market. The original documentation said the trademark was filed on behalf of Valve Corporation by firm Casalonga & Associés on September 29th, but it’s possible that it was all a hoax. Don’t think for a minute this will fizzle speculation about the title, however: the internet’s obsession with the sequel spiraled out of control long ago. For now Valve’s biggest (official) project is its Steam Box designed to help PCs take over the living room. It’s not Half-Life 3, but it’s certainly ambitious.