Previously called Worldcraft, Now Called Hammer Editor (or just Hammer), Valve’s map/game creation tool was released along with Half-Life in 1998 – although it was developed long before this, and independent from Valve. (1)
Ben Morris developed and released the first version of Worldcraft independently, and for free, in 1996 as a modification tool to create levels for Quake, an id Software game. (1) Valve, recognising the quality of the program Morris created, hired him and released version 1.6 of Worldcraft in 1997 for use with Quake 2, and finally Version 2.0 (Valve’s first first-party release) bundled with Half-Life in 1998. (1) Since then, Valve has continued to support Worldcraft, changing the name to Hammer Editor following its initial release and has been released with all subsequent Valve games. (2)
Worldcraft/Hammer editor is seen as one of the most influential pieces of game modification software ever released, as the games that have been developed from it have been user-generated (the software is intended to be used by non-professionals, rather than professional game developers) and many of them have gone on to be purchased and released by Valve Software proper, and the mod teams that released them hired. Aspiring game developers often see mod tools such as Worldcraft as a tool to use for gaining employment into the industry. These mod tools act as the catalyst for the symbiotic relationship between Game Developers and modders, with both parties working together to create and release quality products. For an example of a game developed, released and purchased by Valve, see the entry on Counter-Strike.
References:
(1)Valve Press release (http://www.bluesnews.com/pressreleases/WC16release.doc)
(2)http://developer.valvesoftware.com/wiki/Hammer_Editor_version_history
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