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[Durante]

Will the new office give people space to focus on doing actual work this time around?

Actual work?

Like inventing the best consumer positional tracking system that exists?
Or creating the first truly versatile PC controller?
Or making their client and service the most feature-rich which exists on any platform, by a huge margin?
Or maintaining and expanding two of the most popular multiplayer games ever?

I don't even play any of their multiplayer games, but this idea that Valve isn't doing "actual work" is utterly ludicrous -- doubly so since it seems primarily based on them not releasing that one game sequel people apparently want that much.

 

[Spiral Insanity]

Bigger office so they have room for roomscale? I am considering the same!

 

[Tagyhag]

As a Valve fan since the beginning, I'm not really sure what they do anymore. They must obviously have some big sequels in the queue, but it seems to me they are more miss than hit over the last three or so years. Steamboxes never quite took off, the controller is not so hot, and Steam is kind of stagnating. Disappointing since there was so much innovation at the start. I guess the game developer's utopia they created internally (no management, work on what you want) was counter to innovation in the long run.

Look up this thing called "HTC Vive". It's pretty cool.

 

[Kaako]

Oh that's nice but where the fuck is my HL3? Buried under 50 feet of concrete, that's where.

 

[patapuf]

Remember when we all liked valve?

Some people are really bitter about the switch to MP games, steam features and VR.

 

[CoffeeJanitor]

HL3 sequel confirmed?

 

[antonz]

Some people are really bitter about the switch to MP games, steam features and VR.

Or it could be the fact that have absolute dogshit quality customer service. They were perfectly fine with Illegal Gambling rings via their services etc.

 

[m4st4]

I don't mean this as an insult but people who still reply to these threads with a HL3 joke, are you dead inside?

Why, because I occasionally post on GAF? No, I have life as well. Half-Life 3 has none though.

 

[Deleted member 80556]

Hoping this new building helps them double down on the high school popularity system Valve has.

 

[Spirited]

Nice hopefully they'll fill the space out with whatever they decide, can't say I'm not hoping they'll expand on their game development teams!

Also what's good about drive-by posting in a thread like this? It feels like it's allowed in Valve threads because it seems to be the majority responses in every single one of them.
I would guess that even if they release left 4 dead 3 and start outsourcing their support work just like everyone else 90%+ of you would still drive-by post about how shit valve is.

 

[Easy_D]

Actual work?

Like inventing the best consumer positional tracking system that exists?
Or creating the first truly versatile PC controller?
Or making their client and service the most feature-rich which exists on any platform, by a huge margin?
Or maintaining and expanding two of the most popular multiplayer games ever?

I don't even play any of their multiplayer games, but this idea that Valve isn't doing "actual work" is utterly ludicrous -- doubly so since it seems primarily based on them not releasing that one game sequel people apparently want that much.

Dude I like Steam a lot, a good 80% of my game library is on the service and I'm obviously looking forward to more opportunities for them to improve the client. It's rather slow and clunky I feel. Maybe I should've specified more. Actual videogame development work apart from DotA CS:GO and TF2. Yes I know they're big popular games that rake in cash, but surely there's enough room for some other kind of experiences, like Left 4 Dead 3 .

 

[Nzyme32]

Dude I like Steam a lot, a good 80% of my game library is on the service and I'm obviously looking forward to more opportunities for them to improve the client. It's rather slow and clunky I feel. Maybe I should've specified more. Actual videogame development work apart from DotA CS:GO and TF2. Yes I know they're big popular games that rake in cash, but surely there's enough room for some other kind of experiences, like Left 4 Dead 3 .

This is again bordering on silly. This apparent ridiculous need for new games to be pumped out like clockwork. It's been known for a long time that they are continuing to develop new games and products, and of course Source 2 which underpins them. Having not released them so quickly is not something that is some massive cause for concern, and I also see no reason that people are some how obliged to receive these games on some schedule. This argument also spins on the point that they don't develop the specific games a person wants.

The only way I would have any concern or reason to be disappointed in a games company is if they didn't do anything at all over multiple years, and that's far from the case with Valve, or many companies that get the same kind of arguments.

 

[Bluth54]

Dude I like Steam a lot, a good 80% of my game library is on the service and I'm obviously looking forward to more opportunities for them to improve the client. It's rather slow and clunky I feel. Maybe I should've specified more. Actual videogame development work apart from DotA CS:GO and TF2. Yes I know they're big popular games that rake in cash, but surely there's enough room for some other kind of experiences, like Left 4 Dead 3 .

They have spent the last few years working on Source 2 and the only thing we've seen on Source 2 is the DOTA2 port and The Lab. Do you really think that's all they're going to release with Source 2?

 

[Solrac]

may is the fifth month of the year. 5/17 = 1+(-5)+7 = 3

hype !

 

[Qassim]

The jokes about Valve's productivity couldn't be aimed at a less appropriate target, it's why it's so funny.

Oldish comment but:

1. Develop and run three of the biggest (PC) games (hundreds of updates since launch per game, one game currently going through a significant engine transition). Two of those games having gigantic player bases. Running major tournaments for two of those games too.
2. Develop and run the biggest PC distribution and gaming platform
3. Developing a new game engine (Source 2) and supporting existing Source
4. Developing a Linux distribution for bringing Steam to the living room.
5. Developing two new hardware devices (Steam controller, Steam Link)
6. General Steam feature development (Big Picture, community features, market, workshop, etc, etc)
7. Developing and supporting SteamVR (supporting HTC Vive, Oculus Rift and others that target OpenVR) - this support includes developing tools for other engines (e.g. Unity) and providing developers with support.
8. Working on VR software like The Lab. It's a collection of mini games and experiences, but given the R&D that probably went into it (developing VR games the way they 'should be done') and overall polish, it probably wasn't a small effort.
9. And on that topic - a reasonable amount of research and other experimental projects (AR, VR, workshop for 'physical items', etc).

This is all excluding unannounced projects.

It's not bad for a company of less than 400 people.

When you consider Valve is a studio of around 400 people, they're one of the most productive in the industry.

I mean, if you look at other big studios and they really only focus on games, like Bungie who are said to have around 750 employees now, or even smaller ones like Naughty Dog (around 300), pound for pound Valve are punching above their weight.

But yeah... get back to some '''''''actual work'''''''' Valve, you know, stop working on those things other people like and go back to working on things that *I* like!

 

[Duxxy3]

Any chance this office is more conducive to actually making games?

 

[RandomExpletive]

Excited to see if this leads to a bump in customer service, or anything really. Valve could use a win to quiet down all the doubters

I imagine we'll see Source 2 in the next year or so, but it would be cool if things accelerated with this move

CRAZY how long its been since we got all those L4D3 leaks

 

[Micael]

Any chance this office is more conducive to actually making games?

I will just post the link to this again http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=198565297&postcount=111 because people continue to regurgitate the same factually wrong stuff over and over again, valve are now and have been for quite sometime one of the most prolific and influential developers in the industry.

and just in case it isn't clear THEY RELEASED A GAME 3 YEARS AGO, that is not a long time in this industry at all.

 

[8-Bit Sunset]

Er guys..

They were teasing us all along.
It's there in plain sight.

Spoiler

｡ﾟ(ﾟ´Д｀&#65439ﾟ｡ Please Valve.

 

[Duxxy3]

I will just post the link to this again http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=198565297&postcount=111 because people continue to regurgitate the same factually wrong stuff over and over again, valve are now and have been for quite sometime one of the most prolific and influential developers in the industry.

and just in case it isn't clear THEY RELEASED A GAME 3 YEARS AGO, that is not a long time in this industry at all.

3 years is a large gap for Valve. From 2004-2009 they released 9 games. Just under 2 a year. They released games in 2011, 2012 and 2013.

Nothing since then.

 

[Bluth54]

3 years is a large gap for Valve. From 2004-2009 they released 9 games. Just under 2 a year. They released games in 2011, 2012 and 2013.

Nothing since then.

I'm not sure why anyone was expecting a new game from Valve in the past few years, anyone who's followed Valve at all knows they were working on a new game engine for the past few years and a new game release was unlikely until the new engine was ready to go.

 

[Zafir]

Some people are really bitter about the switch to MP games, steam features and VR.

I'd argue people are mostly bitter about the fact that they're making so much money, and yet they don't act like a company making that much money. Like they're running a massive storefront, and have absolutely appalling customer support. Something goes wrong inside the steam client, such as say that caching issue, they have virtually no PR to deal with it.

Is it any wonder people aren't entirely happy with them?

 

[Micael]

Well it's not so much they don't have a PR, but I'm sure they are well aware that bad news die faster if you don't really respond to them, it's something companies tend to do when they want something to go away https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2013/04/22/the-power-of-silence-why-the-simcity-story-went-away/

3 years is a large gap for Valve. From 2004-2009 they released 9 games. Just under 2 a year. They released games in 2011, 2012 and 2013.

Nothing since then.

Sure, but not the first time valve has taken their time until releasing a game, and even from 2009 to 2011 it took them almost 2 years to release what is by their standards a relatively small game, 3 years in this industry even for valve is not that long, and ofc at that time they didn't have to support Dota 2 and CS:GO, which are 2 games that are now way bigger than TF2, all the while still supporting TF2, and having to deal with the massive increase the store has seen (the store has more than doubled since the release of Dota 2), developing l4d3, the VR research, the controller, the Vive partnership, the VR demos, and so on.

 

[Nickle]

Hopefully they can find a nice closet to fit their community outreach program in.

 

[Zafir]

Well it's not so much they don't have a PR, but I'm sure they are well aware that bad news die faster if you don't really respond to them, it's something companies tend to do when they want something to go away https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2013/04/22/the-power-of-silence-why-the-simcity-story-went-away/

Oh I don't disagree, but in general they don't really have PR either. They're a company who doesn't really talk much, never have, probably never will. Which can be irritating to people. Hell just look at Niantic, and how much anger they've garnered from all the Pokemon Go issues which they refused to comment on for weeks.

 

[Micael]

Oh I don't disagree, but in general they don't really have PR either. They're a company who doesn't really talk much, never have, probably never will. Which can be irritating to people. Hell just look at Niantic, and how much anger they've garnered from all the Pokemon Go issues which they refused to comment on for months.

Sure definitely not disagreeing with that, but in their case I'm not so sure talking is the best thing they can do, I mean everything they say or do, or even not do tends to get blown way out of proportions.
The half life 3 thing might be sort of a meme now, but it definitely didn't start that way, so they are in a complicated position as far as PR goes, although there is definitely places where they screw up, like with the all community translation situation, where them saying something and fixing the issue (assuming they were in fact in the wrong) would have been a good thing for them.

 

[poppedcollar69]

How is Valve's customer support lately? It's been a while since I used it and they promised improvements, so any recent experience from anybody in gaf?

Clippy gives better customer service

the best large scale digital storefront in gaming

Gog is better

 

[Bluth54]

Oh I don't disagree, but in general they don't really have PR either. They're a company who doesn't really talk much, never have, probably never will. Which can be irritating to people. Hell just look at Niantic, and how much anger they've garnered from all the Pokemon Go issues which they refused to comment on for weeks.

That's actually been changing. Members of the TF2 and CSGO development team post on the subreddits for those games. I imagine members of the DOTA2 team posts on the DOTA2 subreddit as well but I'm not 100% sure about that since I don't follow DOTA2 at all. There's also someone who works on the Steam client/store that posts on the Steam subreddit.

It's not a ton of communication but they are obviously moving in the direction of more communication.

 

[Javaman]

All the hassle of a move for only 17 more space?

 

[Boss Doggie]

Is it good customer service that I get my refunds quickly

Civ V is a really good game. Really good.

Oh I know, I'm just surprised there are still massive amount of players to this day.

 

[Prophet Steve]

All the hassle of a move for only 17 more space?

...17 more space? I am missing the unit of measurement here. It should be about 80% more.

 

[Yukinari]

Remember when we all liked valve?

The warning signs should have signaled the moment Gabe stopped talking about HL3 and when their games turned into platforms to sell cosmetics.

 

[Tagyhag]

The jokes about Valve's productivity couldn't be aimed at a less appropriate target, it's why it's so funny.

Oldish comment but:


When you consider Valve is a studio of around 400 people, they're one of the most productive in the industry.

I mean, if you look at other big studios and they really only focus on games, like Bungie who are said to have around 750 employees now, or even smaller ones like Naughty Dog (around 300), pound for pound Valve are punching above their weight.

But yeah... get back to some '''''''actual work'''''''' Valve, you know, stop working on those things other people like and go back to working on things that *I* like!

It's really sad that this must be said in every Valve thread. I've been thinking about making a thread about it because if you're going to be in a forum that prides itself in having hardcore informed gamers, how can you say such blatant ignorant things and not look like a fool?

 

[andrerobot]

man, you cannot get more boring than downtown bellevue.

 

[Gurnlei]

Give CS a few floors Valve.

Spoiler

What's with all this talk of Valve being the western Konami/closed off? Does not compute.

 

[pislit]

Valve isn't evil, just lazy as fuck and only moved into action by money.

Didnt know Valve is supposed to run their company like a charity.

 

[ChoklitCow]

Hey, Pepperidge Farms remembers when the hate train was high for Valve for them forcing us to install this intrusive, unneeded Steam application on our computers. Then it remembers when Valve was the saviors of PC gaming. Then the hate train ebbed and flowed more times than that old guy in the rocking chair could count. Actually, the old guy probably has Alzheimer's now. Thanks, PC gaming community. You gave an innocent marketing gimmick an incurable disease because of your misplaced hate.

 

[WaterAstro]

Well, they're about a block away already.

I want to say there's one other major studio in that area of Bellevue, as well, but I can't remember what it is. I know ArenaNet is a couple km down the highway, so that's not who I'm thinking of.

(also I feel like Sucker Punch's location is wrong; I coulda sworn they were in the same building as Valve...that's just what Google Maps shows)

Moving 3 spaces over = Half-Life 3 confirmed

 

[Soule]

I know people have already commented about it already but for the love of god I hope this means that they'll be creating a customer service department.

 

[element]

(also I feel like Sucker Punch's location is wrong; I coulda sworn they were in the same building as Valve...that's just what Google Maps shows)

Naw. That is correct where SuckerPunch is. The building where Valve is moving where a Safeway used to be before it was tore down 3 or 4 years ago.

Bungie is in the building behind. They took over an old arcade and an entire movie theatre multiplex (they have two floors).

The entire area is filled with studios, though downtown Kirkland has dried up after 343 moved out to Redmond Town Center. Totem Lake has Monolith and Signal Studios. Factoria has Motiga and NC Soft, which makes sense because many of the founders of Motiga were former NC Soft staff.

Having worked in Downtown Bellevue, it was common to be in line at Chipotle or a sandwich shop and see staff from five different studios.

 

[MrCunningham]

..What do you think the normal Konami is at this point?

What is their Dota 2 and CSGO?

Nearly one million at peak is pretty good for DOTA2. If Valve wants to bump up those TF2 numbers, maybe they should develop an all new female squad and at least one new game mode to go with it?

But really... more room for Valve employees to stretch their legs and continue to procrastinate on HL3.

 

[Asgaro]

It's coming.

Burn the heathens, Gaben. I never stopped believing.

this is it

this is the big one

lets go

 

[twobear]

To anyone who thinks that Valve has stopped making games: they didn't develop Source 2 just to port Dota 2 to it and be done. Be patient.

 

[_machine]

The jokes about Valve's productivity couldn't be aimed at a less appropriate target, it's why it's so funny.

Oldish comment but:
1. Develop and run three of the biggest (PC) games (hundreds of updates since launch per game, one game currently going through a significant engine transition). Two of those games having gigantic player bases. Running major tournaments for two of those games too.
2. Develop and run the biggest PC distribution and gaming platform
3. Developing a new game engine (Source 2) and supporting existing Source
4. Developing a Linux distribution for bringing Steam to the living room.
5. Developing two new hardware devices (Steam controller, Steam Link)
6. General Steam feature development (Big Picture, community features, market, workshop, etc, etc)
7. Developing and supporting SteamVR (supporting HTC Vive, Oculus Rift and others that target OpenVR) - this support includes developing tools for other engines (e.g. Unity) and providing developers with support.
8. Working on VR software like The Lab. It's a collection of mini games and experiences, but given the R&D that probably went into it (developing VR games the way they 'should be done') and overall polish, it probably wasn't a small effort.
9. And on that topic - a reasonable amount of research and other experimental projects (AR, VR, workshop for 'physical items', etc).

This is all excluding unannounced projects.

When you consider Valve is a studio of around 400 people, they're one of the most productive in the industry.

I mean, if you look at other big studios and they really only focus on games, like Bungie who are said to have around 750 employees now, or even smaller ones like Naughty Dog (around 300), pound for pound Valve are punching above their weight.

But yeah... get back to some '''''''actual work'''''''' Valve, you know, stop working on those things other people like and go back to working on things that *I* like!

This so goddamn much. Just think about; Riot runs a single game with about a 1000 people, Arenanet is working on Guild Wars 2 with way more than 300 people. Yet, Valve, who run the largest digital game distribution service on PC, 3 extremely popular live games, experimental work on VR and devices and unannounced game projects, they're everything but unproductive.

 

[WaterAstro]

This so goddamn much. Just think about; Riot runs a single game with about a 1000 people, Arenanet is working on Guild Wars 2 with way more than 300 people. Yet, Valve, who run the largest digital game distribution service on PC, 3 extremely popular live games, experimental work on VR and devices and unannounced game projects, they're everything but unproductive.

Then where's Half-Life 3?

 

[Coldsun]

Then where's Half-Life 3?

Just because they're not fully devoting staff to a project YOU want, doesn't mean they arn't productive.

 

[jono51]

I think Valve would do much better by making real games. You know, classic 8 hour campaign single player affairs. Sell off Steam to the Chinese, handover DOTA/CS/TF2 to the Koreans, quietly strangle VR in the corner of the office, and dump Steam hardware in the desert. Then, put all of your staff to work on $120m+ single player games. No more of this multiplayer esports shit that only a couple of million people are playing right now. If they pulled their finger out and buckled down on HL3 I wouldn't be surprised if over 10m copies were sold on day 1. They'd instantly be in the conscience of gamers everywhere, not floating around in game-dev purgatory like they are right now.

 

[mabec]

No summer sale 2017 confirmed!

 

[Zafir]

That's actually been changing. Members of the TF2 and CSGO development team post on the subreddits for those games. I imagine members of the DOTA2 team posts on the DOTA2 subreddit as well but I'm not 100% sure about that since I don't follow DOTA2 at all. There's also someone who works on the Steam client/store that posts on the Steam subreddit.

It's not a ton of communication but they are obviously moving in the direction of more communication.

I play Dota 2, I haven't really heard from anyone that Valve have been commenting on the sub-reddit(I only go on it a few times a week at most myself). That said, "Icefrog" has always been more tight lipped about changes for it.

When it comes to tournaments, they've been pretty abysmal even over the past year. I mean the Shangai Major's production was just laughable. Massive outings lasting hours, as well as other issues. I mean it was so bad they had to go in and sack everyone and get a new team, lol. I don't remember much communication about that either.

 

[Spirited]

I think Valve would do much better by making real games. You know, classic 8 hour campaign single player affairs. Sell off Steam to the Chinese, handover DOTA/CS/TF2 to the Koreans, quietly strangle VR in the corner of the office, and dump Steam hardware in the desert. Then, put all of your staff to work on $120m+ single player games. No more of this multiplayer esports shit that only a couple of million people are playing right now. If they pulled their finger out and buckled down on HL3 I wouldn't be surprised if over 10m copies were sold on day 1. They'd instantly be in the conscience of gamers everywhere, not floating around in game-dev purgatory like they are right now.

Havn't had this good of a laugh for quite some time, thanks.