During an interview with the Washington Post, Gabe Newell, co-founder of Valve Corporation, gives a hint as to why the highly demanded 'Half-Life 3' video game isn't a real priority. Andrea Peterson of the Washington Post had an interview with Gabe Newell regarding the success of Defense of the Ancients (DotA), the popularity of Steam and Valves future plans. The subject of Half-Life 3 was also discussed but only a few vague hint were given.

In response to a follow-up to the first question, Newell stated:

"So, if somebody becomes the group manager of X, they’re going to really resist it when X is not what you want to do in the next round of games. You don’t want them to sort of burrow into that – you want them to recognize that being really good at Half-Life level design is not as nearly as valued as thinking of how to design social multi-player experiences. You've had them feel like they have an organization and title tied up to something when the key is to just continue to follow where the customers are leading."

Half-Life 3 has been one of the most anticipated game but Newell has only given vague details while not having made any official announcements. This gave rise to the popular meme "Half-Life 3 confirmed", which takes vague and unrelated game references as an official confirmation.

Half-Life is a series of science-fiction shooters that has players take on the role of Dr. Gordon Freeman as he fights an alien invasion. The series has been hailed as one of the greatest game series and has been awarded multiple "Game of the Year" awards.

Gabe Newell hints as to why Half-Life 3 isn't a real priority