Abilidebob
Member
Tell me of an alternative for PC gaming at the time. Or you're telling me you're fine with PC gaming only having MMOs and F2Ps?
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Valve turns 21 years old today
- Thread starter ArtHands
- Start date
Tell me of an alternative for PC gaming at the time. Or you're telling me you're fine with PC gaming only having MMOs and F2Ps?
Vale turns 21 today. 2 + 1 = 3.
How many of those devs who made Half-life, Left for dead or Portal are even left? :/
Sad Affleck
Member
Before the carnival of stupid arrives to this thread, as it does to every Valve thread, I want to say that Valve's contribution to modern gaming in general and PC gaming in particular is enormous. Almost every single Valve title has been hugely influencial and almost all of them have secured a permanent spot in "best of all time" lists everywhere. Even if Valve never makes another game it will be forever part of any discussion on the greatest development studios of all time.
Yet for me, as a PC gamer, Valve's greatest contribution to gaming isn't its games. Steam revitalized PC gaming and I feel that we are all very lucky as gamers that the company that took a leadership position in PC gaming was Valve and not someone like EA, Activision, Ubisoft or Microsoft. While other developers and publishers were ready to write an obituary for PC gaming, Valve invested in that space and created a modern PC gaming market that is flourishing beyond any expectation. They made PC gaming more accessible to the masses, gave developers a more direct way to reach their audience and provided gamers with a viable alternative to the walled gardens and online paywalls of console gaming. Valve also revitalized Linux gaming, created arguably the best VR system out there, made PC gaming more couch-friendly through Big Picture and the Steam Controller and in their spare time released two gaming juggernauts in CS:GO and DOTA 2.
I, like many of you, am disappointed that Valve isn't making the story-based single-player games that I love anymore, yet that fact can't erase the rest of Valve's stellar work.
Yet for me, as a PC gamer, Valve's greatest contribution to gaming isn't its games. Steam revitalized PC gaming and I feel that we are all very lucky as gamers that the company that took a leadership position in PC gaming was Valve and not someone like EA, Activision, Ubisoft or Microsoft. While other developers and publishers were ready to write an obituary for PC gaming, Valve invested in that space and created a modern PC gaming market that is flourishing beyond any expectation. They made PC gaming more accessible to the masses, gave developers a more direct way to reach their audience and provided gamers with a viable alternative to the walled gardens and online paywalls of console gaming. Valve also revitalized Linux gaming, created arguably the best VR system out there, made PC gaming more couch-friendly through Big Picture and the Steam Controller and in their spare time released two gaming juggernauts in CS:GO and DOTA 2.
I, like many of you, am disappointed that Valve isn't making the story-based single-player games that I love anymore, yet that fact can't erase the rest of Valve's stellar work.
Sentenza
Member
Used to be one of these persons who got slightly annoyed when someone made a dismissive joke about Valve's abysmal gaming output.
Not anymore. At this point I think they absolutely deserve it.
And regardless of how much it is in their right to do whatever they want, their lack of proper communication about it is becoming borderline insulting.
Not anymore. At this point I think they absolutely deserve it.
And regardless of how much it is in their right to do whatever they want, their lack of proper communication about it is becoming borderline insulting.
sleverfunk
Member
Can't imagine dota 2 being made by another company. thanks valve.
They don't have to come at the expense of Valve's creative titles. But once you put the obscene amount of money they make off of crates, skins, and Steam next to what they'd make on HL3, it makes less and less sense for them to make a big AAA game like that ever again. Cue the card game.
I hope they prove me wrong. Gabe, at the height of paid mods, said "actually, money is what steers the community" on reddit, which is one of the most out of touch things I've seen a studio head say. I think they're completely lost now that they make so much passive income.
Great if you dig Dota or CS:GO, but that's not really the Valve I personally want to see again.
Doug Lombardi still at Valve? lol
TheRedSnifit
Member
I honestly hope they continue to make multiplayer games and never touch single player games again.
I'm not even being snide. Their multiplayer games are so, so much better than Half Life ever was.
I'm not even being snide. Their multiplayer games are so, so much better than Half Life ever was.
Wowfunhappy
Member
Gabe Newell did say in an interview around the time Portal 2 was released that "Portal 2 will probably be our last single player experience", or something to that effect. It's just that no one—including me—really believed him at the time.
I'm not mad at Valve per se, just super disappointed. They were one of the best developers out there, and no one else is making games like theirs.
Also, Portal 2 is still my all time favorite game for the way it handles story telling, and I don't see that changing any time soon.
Jeep Barnett confirmed last year that Valve still makes games, Gabe himself confirmed earlier in the year that there are a few fully-fledged VR games in active development and has also said the company hasn't abandoned SP titles, and less than three weeks ago a Dota 2-based CCG was announced. I get it -- Valve's silence on what the future holds for Half-Life is frustrating -- but I don't agree that it should be held to a higher standard on the matter of speaking about future projects. Publishers dance around that question all the time. The only difference is that Valve doesn't have to push out games to appease shareholders or concern itself with staying within a budget, so the wait times between lid lifts are longer.
Half life 3 and Portal 3 confirmed
Funyarinpa
Member
Pretty much where I am on Valve.
I get the disappointment. Though given their headcount, unless the company significantly grows in number of employees, i don't think we'll see large scale single player games from Valve again.
I think people underestimate the work needed to run a platform like steam. They do a lot of R&D as well.
Big props to them for not making Dota and CS a p2w shitfest like most companies do.
I'm in the minority but I'd be fine with no HL sequel. The fact that there were several prototypes being developed but canned in the end says enough. I feel like L4D, Portal or even CS could benefit more from a sequel. I'd personally would like to see a new IP preferably an RPG seeing how they are expanding to more genres. Anyway, can't wait to try Artifact.
I'm in the minority but I'd be fine with no HL sequel. The fact that there were several prototypes being developed but canned in the end says enough. I feel like L4D, Portal or even CS could benefit more from a sequel. I'd personally would like to see a new IP preferably an RPG seeing how they are expanding to more genres. Anyway, can't wait to try Artifact.
Evil Monkey DTT
Banned
A decade ago I'd call them legends, now I call them scummy. I'll never forget how long they let the cs go gambling stick around and that 30 percent bullshit.
No, but they do have plenty of capable people who have joined since (among those that havent left since joining in the intervening years) that could produce a great single player Half Life experience. They just... aren't do so.
davidwhangchoi
Member
i wonder how old Valve will be when HL3 comes out.
Reiner's story seems very dubious to me. Half-Life 3 being an interactive FMV game? An RTS? Come on. I honestly believe he was either fed bogus info so he'd stop digging or misunderstood what he was told (i.e. mechanics inspired by elements of those genres were being toyed with, but the game was always an FPS first and foremost).
Wait, why is this on the gaming side?
"Such unreasonable behavior", said current Valve fan
Sentenza
Member
I honestly don't give a shit of what they said until we'll see them, at this point.
At no point I even suggested that I would accept only single player games as a legitimate release.
But it's been five years even since DOTA 2 and the only "big announce" they made so far is a fucking card game. Something that anyone could develop and wouldn't really require the know-how and financial prowess of a company like Valve.
It's pretty logical that some prototypes existed or still exist. My point is that most likely there never was good content (story, mechanics) to warrant further development and eventual release. I'd be pretty pissed if HL3 was a mediocre game just for the sake of releasing a sequel.
That's a fairly common stance these days and perfectly understandable.
Oh, sure. I just assumed -- incorrect, apparently -- "the fact that ..." was a reference to Reiner's account of Half-Life 3's undoubtedly messy development since regardless of where you stand on its veracity, it is the closest thing we have to confirmation that Valve has had trouble deciding on a path to take (that much I believe, by the way).
Edit: To be clear, "Come on" wasn't directed at you. I was just emphasising the outlandishness of the preceding details.
Battlesmurf
Member
First thought that came to mind is that "I wish Valve wouldn't have forgotten that we helped put them in the position they're in today" followed by "I'm not going to post if it's negative". Reading these comments, I'm glad I'm not the only one that a)Appreciates Steam for what it offers b)resents Valve a little for getting out of game dev.
Crazy to think of how far they've come financially and what they've accomplished though. Very cool overall on that end of things.
Crazy to think of how far they've come financially and what they've accomplished though. Very cool overall on that end of things.
infinit777
Member
They made it past 3?
interesting.
interesting.
Alexander DeLarge
Member
Hopefully this is a big year for Valve. I want to see those games they're revealing at Dev Days and that new Steam client overhaul.
torre_avenue
Banned
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Interficium
Banned
This is what capital-G Gamers actually believe.
They completely changed the face of PC gaming. I hope CS eventually gets a big tech upgrade that stays compatible with the existing market place items. The Half-Life ship sailed ages ago, the people you want working on it are not employed there any more.
Player counts suggest otherwise. But it is fair to consider Valve as something other than purely a video game developer these days. They make way more money on Steam.
Player counts suggest otherwise. But it is fair to consider Valve as something other than purely a video game developer these days. They make way more money on Steam.
IIRC, the game is being ported to Source 2.
The epitome of entitlement. This is why I'm embarrassed to tell people I play video games.
giancarlo123x
Banned
Valve is a lie.
Masterspeed
Member
Hatty Birthday
Same. Although I (and most folks) also want to see game types that I'm are already interested in, I really want variety and experimentation. VR is definitely the most interest thing they mess with so the games to come from that will be interesting to me. Hardware has been great. Looking forward to what else is coming and of course Steam is great, though the refresh is long overdue, especially with all the directions things are going.
Thank you for an actually meaningful contribution to a Valve thread that isn't ancient memes or toothless whinging.
Great memories with Valve stuff. Left 4 Dead is still
My favourite co op game. HL2 was amazing. Portal was so outta left field. Steam used to be awesome before it kinda started feeling way too bloated (and when are they ever going to make a meaningful upgrade to its look? It's fugly as hell compared to Origin) and I really wish Big Picture mode would work better I feel like I need to have a mouse handy all the time, even for stuff that says full gamepad support.
I wish Gabe and co had never discovered Hats and DoTA and had the drive to actually finish what they start.
My favourite co op game. HL2 was amazing. Portal was so outta left field. Steam used to be awesome before it kinda started feeling way too bloated (and when are they ever going to make a meaningful upgrade to its look? It's fugly as hell compared to Origin) and I really wish Big Picture mode would work better I feel like I need to have a mouse handy all the time, even for stuff that says full gamepad support.
I wish Gabe and co had never discovered Hats and DoTA and had the drive to actually finish what they start.
Mufausa The 3rd
Member
I was waiting for this one lol