Marc Laidlaw, known for his pivotal role as lead writer at Valve and creator of the Half-Life series, wrote the short story "400 Boys" at the age of 21 in 1981. Initially published in Omni magazine in 1983, it later gained broader recognition when included in the anthology "Mirrorshades: The Cyberpunk Anthology." Interestingly, Laidlaw notes on his website that "400 Boys" may have reached more readers than any of his other works, except perhaps his seasonal ad copy for Dota 2. Despite his fame in the gaming world, Laidlaw's contributions extend far beyond video games.
Set in a post-apocalyptic city, "400 Boys" depicts a world where warring gangs adhere to a bushido-inspired code of honor. The emergence of the new gang, the 400 Boys, forces these factions to unite. This narrative, a mix of beauty and brutality, was brought to life by Canadian director Robert Valley, whose episode "Ice" in the series "Love, Death & Robots" won an Emmy for Outstanding Short Form Animation.
Laidlaw recalls the inspiration for "400 Boys" stemmed from his time in Eugene, Oregon, where he was struck by the names of bands plastered on phone poles. This sparked his desire to create a story featuring various gang names, much like the band names he admired. "It was just name after name of super cool bands, and I just wanted a way to do that," he explains. "I just wanted to make up lots of band names."
Marc Laidlaw has moved on from Half-Life but remains active online. Photo credit: Mimi Raver.
Over four decades after its initial publication, "400 Boys" has found a new life as an episode in the fourth season of Netflix's acclaimed animated anthology series "Love, Death & Robots." Directed by Robert Valley and written by Tim Miller, the episode features voice acting by John Boyega, known for his role as Finn in Star Wars. This adaptation marks a significant resurgence for Laidlaw's early work, which he never anticipated would gain such prominence.
"The story kind of faded out, but cyberpunk kept going and I didn't really think about it that much," Laidlaw reflects in a video call just before the season's premiere.
The journey to the screen for "400 Boys" was not direct. About 15 years ago, Tim Miller from Blur approached Laidlaw about adapting the story, but the project fell through due to studio changes. However, the success of "Love, Death & Robots" in 2019, with its unique blend of edgy and challenging animation, reignited interest. Laidlaw was impressed by Miller's previous work on the series, particularly the adaptation of J.G. Ballard's "The Drowned Giant."
400 Boys has been adapted into an episode of Love, Death and Robots on Netflix. Image credit: Netflix.
After moving to Los Angeles in 2020, Laidlaw met with Miller at various events and, a year ago, received an email about optioning "400 Boys" for the series. Laidlaw had minimal involvement in the adaptation, appreciating the opportunity to step back and see how the story was visually enhanced. "It was fun to sit back and not have to be involved in the trenches on something for once," he says. He also noted the new elements added to the episode, which he found visually engaging, especially with John Boyega's voice acting and the unique setting.
Reflecting on his career, Laidlaw views "400 Boys" as a product of a much younger self. "I'm still pretty happy with it considering how young I was when I wrote it," he remarks. After joining Valve in 1997 to work on Half-Life, Laidlaw's career took a significant turn. He "retired" from Valve in 2016, though he admits he "retired too hard" and missed being creatively active. The publishing industry had changed dramatically during his time in gaming, making it challenging to return to writing novels.
Currently, Laidlaw has shifted his focus to music, gaining a new audience after Valve's Half-Life 2 anniversary documentary and sharing lost development footage on his YouTube channel. "I'm like, I'm in the wrong business!" he jokes. "I should just be leaking information about my old employer."
Discussing the Valve documentary, Laidlaw found it therapeutic to reconnect with old colleagues and reflect on his time at the company. With the Half-Life and Half-Life 2 anniversaries behind him, the only remaining Valve project he might discuss is Dota 2, now 12 years old.
When asked about the possibility of returning to video game writing, Laidlaw remains open but notes the lack of compelling offers since leaving Valve. He humorously suggests Hideo Kojima should have considered him for "Death Stranding." "When Death Stranding came out, I just was grinding my teeth. Like, does he know I'm available?" he quips.
Despite some unexpected offers, such as writing for a mobile phone laser tag game, Laidlaw feels the industry often misunderstands his role and what he can contribute. "I did kind of expect more interesting offers of stuff to do afterward," he admits.
Finally, when asked if he would return to Valve for Half-Life 3, Laidlaw is firm: "I would not do that." He feels his time with the series is over and that new creators should take the helm. "I'm one of the older guys, maybe not the oldest, but it's so much work," he explains. "I mean, I don't think I could do that anymore."
As "400 Boys" finds new life on Netflix, Laidlaw reflects on his career with a sense of gratitude for being part of phenomena like cyberpunk and Half-Life. "The fact that I got into the cyberpunk thing before it was called cyberpunk, and then I came across this sort of beginning game company that ended up making Half-Life… I've been lucky to be a part of these things that just kind of become phenomena."
