Source engine possibilities?

General Development Source 1
#1

Hi,
I’m an indie developer using Flash and Unity3D, and I’ve stumbled upon this Source Engine. It says that it is free to use for anyone who has bought a source-based game, which I coincidentally have (Counter Strike: Source). But I have some questions regarding the possible uses of this engine. I know this can be used to create Half Life 2 mods, but can you also use it for standalone games, meaning that the player doesn’t need Half Life 2 installed in order to play the game? And, if so, do you have the right to monetize your game, or is the license for non-commercial use only?

Thanks,
Arne Gevaert

#2

Valve have a NDA on licensing their source engine. However, you can create anything you want using source and release it for free. If you buy the license I assume you get more access to the code but I do not know, either way you can code with the free version too.

They have a big list of source engine capabilities on their website which I think they recently revamped:
https://source.valvesoftware.com/index.php

So yes, standalone is possible with the license.

#3

you can make money(sell your game) only if you have a source engine license, otherwise you can ship it as a mod.

more info here: source.valvesoftware.com/licensing.php

Founded in 2004, Leakfree.org became one of the first online communities dedicated to Valve’s Source engine development. It is more famously known for the formation of Black Mesa: Source under the 'Leakfree Modification Team' handle in September 2004.