STALKER not nicking art after all

The internet was a-storm over the weekend with rumours that textures had been found in STALKER's game engine that looked similar to textures found in Half-Life 2 and Doom 3. We previously reported the rumours.

Thanks to reader Rob S. for pointing out that the water textures used by both Valve and GSC GameWorld, the makers of STALKER, come from a texture pack sold by Marlin Studios. The chaps at Marlin make all kinds of exciting textures, including 'Home & Office Furniture - High Detail, Low Price!' and 'Traffic - Low Poly Pretextured Vehicles, SUVs and trucks you can even animate!'

Stunning stuff.

Valve has confirmed that it picked up some textures from Marlin for HL2, and separate sources have discovered that the IMP_Light texture that it was thought could have been pilfered from Doom 3 was, in fact, just a standard Impact Light texture, rather than referring to the Doom 3 monster.