Impact of Valve's Information Release Techniques

[Viscid]

We all consider Valve's move to give almost no information about Half-life 2 until the last few months of development to be generally a good thing. (Mainly because we had no clue they were developing it, and it was just a big friendly surprise.)

Now that Valve has set an example for the rest of the development industry on how to hype their game, and how to avoid frustration and confusion on the consumer's part. If only 3DRealms could've kept their mouthes shut. But how will this affect the gaming community?

Surely, if other game companies follow suit, there will be a major negative impact on news sites. Without frequent news releases on upcoming titles, there will be much less to report.

Which also has its impacts in Magazines (already on unstable ground.)

And to you, the consumer. Sure, in retrospect it seems like it was a great thing, but if Half-life 3 was coming out, wouldn't you want screenshots as soon as it represented the final version of the game, rather than waiting 3 years of not knowing anything?

 

[Apos]

At least we know that they are even thinking of making a HL3 this time.

 

[TheWart]

Well, in all fairness, 3DRealms did what Valve did, but then they just kept missing deadlines....and now they are deservedly the joke of the industry.

 

[urseus]

The internet in time will kill gaming magazines. The same way that video and the internet are slowly killing porno magazines. How many kids nowadays will go out and risk trying to obtain a magazine when he can just grab a buttload (pun DEFINATLY intended) of porn from download sites.

 

[Xtasy0]

i dont think others will follow, most publishers push the game devs to get a game out ASAP, because they really only care about the money. valve it seems, isnt so concerned with the money, as they are with making a good game, like scraping HL and then redoing the whole thing, that shows their commitment to releasing a good game, and not just a game which was rushed to make money.

 

[TheWart]

Originally posted by Xtasy0
i dont think others will follow, most publishers push the game devs to get a game out ASAP, because they really only care about the money. valve it seems, isnt so concerned with the money, as they are with making a good game, like scraping HL and then redoing the whole thing, that shows their commitment to releasing a good game, and not just a game which was rushed to make money.

I too think Valve deserves a lot of credit....but so does Sierra, as they are the ones who decide how hard to push Valve.

 

[ShinRa]

TheWart, go back to DC, get outta here!!! It's me guinny from the DC forums.

 

[Xtasy0]

Originally posted by TheWart
I too think Valve deserves a lot of credit....but so does Sierra, as they are the ones who decide how hard to push Valve.

yeah, but HL2 didnt have a publisher for the 4-5 years it was in development, thats why they could keep quiet and just make a good game.

 

[Apos]

I just hope it won't influence 3d realms anymore than it already has.
In 1999, they released a screenshot showing that they had an engine feature that realistically simulated what police officers faces look like when they've just been kicked in the nuts.

http://www.planetduke.com/images/image.asp?/duke4/images/screenshots/pcgamer1999/02.jpg

Then, nothing.

 

[GOoch]

Personaly i think ValVe have done the right thing. I had no idea that HL2 was on the cards let alone the game was this close to realese (this September) normaly you get the info/screens/movies/interviews ..Then the game comes out middle of next year..
Not this time ..this is great news, i think we just need more media right now TBH..

 

[Straylight]

Valve claims that they didn't want to put out a bunch of info about what they game would be like early because then they would have to live up to those promises or dissapoint people if it didn't work out. Sounds fair enough and IMO it was fun to be flattened by it's sudden almost complete apperance.

-Straylight

 

[Fallout2man]

Originally posted by TheWart
Well, in all fairness, 3DRealms did what Valve did, but then they just kept missing deadlines....and now they are deservedly the joke of the industry.

No, 3D realms confirmed they were making Duke Nukem forever way back in '97 or so. Valve on the other hand, didn't confirm or deny Half-Life 2 until just before E3 this year. The difference is that we know DNF is in development, so it's like teasing the gamers to let us know it's in development but not let us know anything else. Wherass Valve kept its existence secret and then release a media-packed preview to let everyone know it was within months of completion.

So they did very different things, if 3D Realms had done this, then DNF wouldn't have become a joke, like it is today.

 

[jhero]

EA is horrible, we really should thank DICE for support (bf1942).

 

[jhero]

OMG, I bet you that the new map for bf1942 is finished and EA is just waiting to piss the people off. It's very annoying.

 

[reever2]

I doubt Valve's approach to realeasing information can be used for other games. Most if not all games dont have the amount of things to report on as half life does and without devs constantly releasing information they would have nothing to report or talk about, where as the half life community has a ton of mods being released and worked on, alongside retail mods which have been huge successes and are also being worked on,

 

[CultureShock]

Originally posted by Viscid
Sure, in retrospect it seems like it was a great thing, but if Half-life 3 was coming out, wouldn't you want screenshots as soon as it represented the final version of the game, rather than waiting 3 years of not knowing anything?

No.

The relationship between developers, media, and customers, has been twisted to the point where it's unworkable. The unquestioned demand for screenshots being the norm is evidence of this. My own position is that games should remain in blackout until they go gold, and any public discussion reserved until after release, as with efforts in other artistic mediums.

X-Vector
London_Midge, the apparant CS obsession on this board is making you see ghosts - that is definitely not him.

Correct.

London_Midge
Surely you're correct, XV, but I've just decided that anyone who has to insult 3DR in the same way for the millionth time simply has to at least be related to CS in some way, shape, or form.

Your redefining inquire as insult, is insulting. Still, being an international celebrity isn't without its costs.

 

[Claws]

Re: Re: Impact of Valve's Information Release Techniques

Originally posted by CultureShock
No.

The relationship between developers, media, and customers, has been twisted to the point where it's unworkable. The unquestioned demand for screenshots being the norm is evidence of this. My own position is that games should remain in blackout until they go gold, and any public discussion reserved until after release, as with efforts in other artistic mediums.

Thank you. All this media before a game is finished only ruins the game for me. So, while it does have a negative impact on news sites and magazines, I don't think it negatively impacts the consumer (game players). Magazines should stick to reviews.

 

[Ridic]

i would rather just "know" that HL3 is in the works (just an example) i wouldnt want any screenshots till like the last 2 months before it comes out. I think just knowing about it for a long time is enough and keeps people hyped up enough.

 

[CultureShock]

Re: Re: Re: Impact of Valve's Information Release Techniques

Originally posted by Claws
Thank you. All this media before a game is finished only ruins the game for me. So, while it does have a negative impact on news sites and magazines, I don't think it negatively impacts the consumer (game players). Magazines should stick to reviews.

I think you're right. This "geek" crap is destructive.

PlayfulPuppy
And now he claims he's from PC PowerPlay. Last time he claimed he was an industry renowned games developer, and then he said his identity was 'secret'.

Again, people see what they want to see. Some comments of mine were reported by a follower of the One True Way (TM) at PC Powerplay, hence my earlier remark. As for being an industry renowned developer, innovative and influential developer would be more accurate. Your transparent jealousy does you no favours.

Sorry people, in case you're wondering, I'm having a multi-forum chat. :bounce:

 

[PlayfulPuppy]

Originally posted by CultureShock
As for being an industry renowned developer, innovative and influential developer would be more accurate. Your transparent jealousy does you no favours.

Are you sure you're not just seeing what you want to see?

 

[Airtraffic]

Sorry people, in case you're wondering, I'm having a multi-forum chat.

All we need now is Drazula,George Broussard and Joe3dr in here and we'd have one hell of a party

 

[London_Midge]

Re: Re: Re: Re: Impact of Valve's Information Release Techniques

Originally posted by CultureShock
Sorry people, in case you're wondering, I'm having a multi-forum chat.

Well, you're at least looking at more than one forum, to be sure. :cheese:

 

[Mr.Reak]

Ha, you guys came from 3dreal forums?

 

[Viscid]

CultureShock said:
My own position is that games should remain in blackout until they go gold, and any public discussion reserved until after release, as with efforts in other artistic mediums.

Well that doesn't work at all in the marketing sense. Not only that, but you're talking about the complete destruction of game hype; something instrumental in the community of the game consumer.

Valve used Half-life 1's popularity to advertise the game. It did not need to root itself into the mindset of the gaming community because they had already firmly planted themselves. Currently; Counter-Strike is the top game being played online. All those people who have bought and enjoyed Half-Life is going to carry over to Half-life 2. If other developing companies who are not very well known only showed their games off months before an imminent release, there game simply would not sell.

 

[PlayfulPuppy]

That we did, the predictable aftermath of CultureShock showing up on forums.

 

[CultureShock]

Originally posted by Mr.Reak
Ha, you guys came from 3dreal forums?

Nah. It's the Samantha Janus Fanclub trying for a slice of the $100K PC Powerplay says George Broussard owes me.

Originally posted by Viscid
Well that doesn't work at all in the marketing sense. Not only that, but you're talking about the complete destruction of game hype; something instrumental in the community of the game consumer.

With great respect, you're wrong. Totally. Other media proves this.

 

[Viscid]

CultureShock Wrote:

With great respect, you're wrong. Totally. Other media proves this.

examples?

 

[CultureShock]

Originally posted by Viscid
examples?

Are you serious? If you'd done a little basic research before taking your position you'd know you're swallowing a popular and damaging misconception. Lastly, magazines are only on shaky ground because of poor quality journalism and over-production. Again, a little basic research would confirm this.

Train hard. Play easy. :smoking:

 

[Airtraffic]

magazines are only on shaky ground because of poor quality journalism and over-production.

Tell that to playboy! :dozey:

Train hard. Play easy.

Na,did that once,how about Train easy.Play hard :naughty:

 

[CultureShock]

Originally posted by Airtraffic
Tell that to playboy! :dozey:

Na,did that once,how about Train easy. Play hard :naughty:

You're getting soft.

I can think of another one. Better not... :E

 

[Claws]

/notices all these people from 3DR forums...

 

[Viscid]

Fanboys. I'm from the shack, (shacknews.com) GeorgeB posts there all the time. Nice guy, I have nothing against Duke3D-- But 3DRealms fanboys are freaks.

 

[Viscid]

See, love duke.

 

[London_Midge]

Originally posted by Viscid
Fanboys.

That is quite possibly the most uninformed opinion I've seen in this thread. With the possible exception of CS (who is SUCH a fan that he still frequents forums he has been removed from half a dozen times), you'd be hard pressed to pin the "fanboy" tag on any of the 3DR regulars posting in this thread.

You do realize that it's possible to be a fan of a certain company's games without being a blind devoted sycophant, right?

 

[Airtraffic]

Originally posted by Viscid

See, love duke.

I remember that issue,are you grey now too?

You're getting soft.

I can think of another one. Better not...

I know but i have to keep reminding myself thats theres kids in here younger then my daughter.But don't worry...i'm not soft quite yet!

That is quite possibly the most uninformed opinion I've seen in this thread. With the possible exception of CS (who is SUCH a fan that he still frequents forums he has been removed from half a dozen times), you'd be hard pressed to pin the "fanboy" tag on any of the 3DR regulars posting in this thread.

Quite right LM

 

[Viscid]

Fanboys Fanboys Fanboys!

 

[EVIL]

EA suxx.. they set way to much limits on gamecompany's. they involve to much. why cant they just let the gamedeveloprs go ahead instead of EA making the calls

 

[CultureShock]

Originally posted by Airtraffic
I know but i have to keep reminding myself thats theres kids in here younger then my daughter.But don't worry...i'm not soft quite yet!

Live hard. Die harder.

Quite right LM

Age is dulling your memory. :E

 

[pinkerton]

If i remember correctly, vavle pretty much started over from scratch with half-life and finished it in a year. Now, HL2 has taken 5 years because of the engine developement. As long as you have a great game and don't over hype it then you have a winner. <3 vavle (even if they did **** up my counter-strike >=[ )