Why is game called Half-Life?

[Dvayne Reaze]

We don't ever see 2 words "Half Life" mentioned in game. In Portal they say Portal.
I know Lambda is used to mark Half-life of periodic element.

[PsyWarVeteran]

To make people spend half of their lives trying to figure it out.

[BurningCakeDoesAche]

"I know Lambda is used to mark the half-life of a periodic element"
That's it. You answered your own question. The game's symbol is Lambda and lambda is half-life.

[Dvayne Reaze]

Originally posted by BurningCakeDoesAche:

"I know Lambda is used to mark the half-life of a periodic element"
That's it. You answered your own question. The game's symbol is Lambda and lambda is half-life.

Why not call game lambda then?

[Cat]

Originally posted by Major Protonic-3 Heartbeat:

We don't ever see 2 words "Half Life" mentioned in game.

How is this an issue?

[calembredaine]

damn, sure would have wished for the gman to throw le epic dripping cool "that was quite half a life, mr.freeman".

[BurningCakeDoesAche]

Originally posted by Major Protonic-3 Heartbeat:

Originally posted by BurningCakeDoesAche:

"I know Lambda is used to mark the half-life of a periodic element"
That's it. You answered your own question. The game's symbol is Lambda and lambda is half-life.

Why not call game lambda then?

because it sounds like ♥♥♥♥

[Graceful Jabberwocky]

Originally posted by Major Protonic-3 Heartbeat:

Originally posted by BurningCakeDoesAche:

"I know Lambda is used to mark the half-life of a periodic element"
That's it. You answered your own question. The game's symbol is Lambda and lambda is half-life.

Why not call game lambda then?

[bean man]

The game is probably called Half-Life due to its scientific theme.

[Alcoholic]

Because it is our half of life

[hoaxey]

Half-life, in radioactivity, the interval of time required for one-half of the atomic nuclei of a radioactive sample to decay (change spontaneously into other nuclear species by emitting particles and energy), or, equivalently, the time interval required for the number of disintegrations per second of a radioactive material to decrease by one-half.

[Fosty]

Because that's how long you'll wait for the third game.

[Dark Redshift]

It's a pun on radioactive decay & how the lambda is used to mark wavelength in physics formula (as I recall from high school) as well as how Gordon is half alive due to constantly being in danger.

[Ikagura]

Valve wanted scientific references for their series to stand out.


I mean id soft has simple names like Doom and Quake for their FPS.