Valve: the least fan-friendly company of all time?

The Monkey

The Monkey

The Freeman
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What the hell is wrong with these guys? Six ****ing years since the last HL title, and not a single ****ing word on the next product. No promotional material, no revealing interviews, no hints of what to come. Not a single ****ing thing to keep the buzz up on the continuation of the HL saga. Dead silence. For six years. What genius at Valve thought that was a good marketing strategy?
 
The Monkey said:
What genius at Valve thought that was a good marketing strategy?
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Maybe this guy joined their team? People will wait for something good.
ae4Vs.jpg
 
Well, to be fair, they don't owe you anything.

What I'm a little concerned about is Valve's interests diverting away from my own interests. Again though, I don't blame them. I'm not really into the competitive space, I'm not interested in DOTA2 or CS:GO and that seems to be their focus. I think they are moving away a bit from Half-Life and I can't really blame them considering the demand for competitive games.

Their hardware stuff is cool, and it's a good focus, but it's so far away it's not even worth getting excited over. I have no doubt they are working on Half-Life, but it might have got to a point where it will never be perfect. Keep in mind over 70% of the people who worked on HL1 aren't part of Valve anymore and over 70% of the people who worked on HL2 aren't at Valve anymore. It's a crazy statistic, saddening even...
 
Bad business. Why would they want their customers to be hyped about Half-Life when in the mean time they've pushed out two L4D games, Alien Swarm, a new Portal game, a new Counter-Strike game and Dota 2? They want people to be talking about whatever they're releasing now, not a game that isn't done yet.
 
First: Calm down.

Second: Absolutely not. They are very fan friendly. There's not many development studios that will interact with the fans like Valve have in the past.

I'm guessing that their silence isn't so much a marketing strategy. It's obvious that if you look at the history of Valve's releases since Episode 2 that they have been dedicating a large portion of their time to other projects.

Obviously this doesn't appease you because you're only interested in HL, but what they've done in the meantime is created millions more customers be it from other franchises or Steam. So, actually, forget what I said. If it is a marketing strategy it's been a ****ing awesome one.

There's been clues along the way. No longer do they really talk about Episode 3. We've seen Valve staff wearing Half-Life 3 t-shirts, we've seen Gabe making vague references (referring to "Ricochet 2", that video where he's forging a crow bar and stating "these things take time").

If you furthermore broaden your thinking to the current state of the gaming industry... We're currently coming to the end of the current generation of gaming consoles. Does it make sense for Valve to develop Source 2, Half-Life 3 etc. geared towards the current generation of hardware?

10 years on from Half-Life 2... I think we will see something more "next gen" in the next 12-24 months. Talking about it that far in advance? Crazy.

Good things come to those who wait.
 
If you furthermore broaden your thinking to the current state of the gaming industry... We're currently coming to the end of the current generation of gaming consoles. Does it make sense for Valve to develop Source 2, Half-Life 3 etc. geared towards the current generation of hardware?
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This is the most important thing to keep in mind when talking about anything gaming related in 2012/2013.
 
They don't HAVE to tell you anything about it. Most companies don't. Maybe they aren't even making the game. Maybe they are waiting for the Source Engine 2 to be ready before making it. I think you just need to be more patient.
 
The man you're looking for is Doug Lombardi, and he does his job very well for the company he works for.

That doesn't mean I have to like it, and that in turn doesn't mean he has to care.

*shakes fist at the West Coast*

It is most probable at this juncture that they are going to use HL3's launch to promote the new technologies they are working on. These things take time. A lot of time, apparently. It doesn't make any sense for them to promise things they can't guarantee. They've done it in the past and been burned by the backlash. I honestly have no idea what the full consequences of that really means, but apparently they are so afraid of this happening again that they have called their shots appropriately. The most likely scenario to me is that there is a degree of industrial competition at work here, and they do not want to play their hand until the moment is right to make the most efficient use of their assets.

Edit: If it was a matter of just having more of the same game, someone at Valve would have leaked information by now. When it comes to industry secrets and upcoming projects, it's probably more of a case that any prospective sources will, 100% of the time, lose their job and credibility in their field, should they disclose anything that is not approved. It's the only way Valve can assure that they keep their edge. If I were in their position, I would enact the same policies.
 
Guys, Monkey is just sour that he, like so many of Valve's fans, are short sighted and can't see or be bothered to play the other brilliant titles they've brought out since. Wait, give the developers time to craft the next game as perfectly as they can get it. In the meantime, go play Dota or TF2.
 
Most of the people on this forum joined "halflife2.net"; just because the site has changed its name to stay relevant doesn't mean that the members have to become interested in Dota 2 and hat stores.
 
I really wish they hadn't given up on Stars of Blood. =(

*Stars of Barathrum would have been an awesome name, too. =( Space cows with lanterns, runnin round the cosmos.
 
I mean, imagine all the crazy that could have happened with a VR enabled space sim! All of my sighs, man. Who needs a view-stick on a joystick, WHEN YOU CAN LOOK AROUND YOUR COCKPIT!? Gah, all of my sad.
 
ChiliFan said:
Most of the people on this forum joined "halflife2.net"; just because the site has changed its name to stay relevant doesn't mean that the members have to become interested in Dota 2 and hat stores.
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That doesn't mean people have to sit around and be constantly bitter or angry towards the developers because the next iteration takes longer to make than the previous few. Even if you don't like Valve's other games, go off and play any of the huge variety of quality titles that are released each year. Sitting around and literally waiting every day for a singular game with nothing else to care about or play is kind of sad.
 
Not of fan of DOTA2 myself, but I can't blame Valve for going in that direction, nor do I discredit people who enjoy DOTA... I just think the game sucks -- the whole genre sucks, but that's just my personal opinion :p

As for Stars of Blood, I was honestly looking more forward to that than I was HL2EP3/HL3. I recently read an article that sequels stifle creativity, they were referring to blockbuster movies, but the same applies to video games. I would rather see Valve do something unique for once. Let's see... Valve has only technically made 3 IP's that are their own from start to finish, Half-Life, Ricochet and Left4Dead. I personally think Valve should continue to delay Half-Life and try something of their own... from scratch.
 
Omnomnick said:
That doesn't mean people have to sit around and be constantly bitter or angry towards the developers because the next iteration takes longer to make than the previous few. Even if you don't like Valve's other games, go off and play any of the huge variety of quality titles that are released each year. Sitting around and literally waiting every day for a singular game with nothing else to care about or play is kind of sad.
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It's pretty unfair to assume that people who only enjoy Valve's Half-Life games don't do anything else with their lives.
 
I'd like to throw out one more thing: When Half-Life 2 came out people were pissed that the stuff from the previews wasn't there. We had many a thread on here in 2005 asking where the hell the Hydra was and that was far from the only complaint. Where was the people reacting to your actions that was promised? Where were the enemies that tore apart the highly interactive environments? Where was traptown? Where was the scene were you were chased by Combine soldiers and you were able to block the door with a table? People were not at all happy and they especially weren't happy when it got delayed in September 2003.

Similarly Valve showed off Team Fortress 2 in 1999 then threw the whole thing out and started over (more than once). Then when Portal 2 came out people complained that he more obviously malicious puzzles full of spike plates and the Pneumatic Diversity Vents didn't make it. They know the next Half-Life isn't almost ready and they know they'll be changing a lot of stuff between now and release so they don't want to get people excited about a game that won't be released. They'll show it off when they can be confident that is what's going to be shipped.
 
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Meh... There was a time when I couldn't stop thinking about the HL series. I've probably played through HL2 more times than I can count. But recently (the last 3-4 years) I just haven't cared. I don't mean that I've given up on the game, I just mean I'm done waiting for it. I've found plenty of other games to spend my time on and they've done a great job keeping me occupied. I'm sure these guys are working on something. It probably won't be any time soon, but it will come out. I will play it and I will love it. In the mean time, i suggest playing something else to keep you busy. I know nothing feels quite the same but, there really are plenty of good games out there.
 
Araviss, I feel the exact same way -- I've given up looking forward to it -- not out of spite just out of practicality. I'm much more excited for games like Arma 3 which are a little more imminent and playing games on my existing library. Turns me into a much more positive person.
 
The Monkey said:
What the hell is wrong with these guys? Six ****ing years since the last HL title, and not a single ****ing word on the next product. No promotional material, no revealing interviews, no hints of what to come. Not a single ****ing thing to keep the buzz up on the continuation of the HL saga. Dead silence. For six years. What genius at Valve thought that was a good marketing strategy?
Click to expand...

I completely agree!! Valve do absolutely NOTHING for their faithful fans.

Oh ... wait ... a ... minute ...

Yeah, I'm drunk too.
 
I think they're working on a new game engine to drive this episode. Given how groundbreaking the Source engine was at the time it came out, I'm expecting some relatively interesting features (and given how advanced many recent game engines are, this is no small chore) in this new one. Also, I think they're porting this to Linux. Given the quality of their games (how few bugs there are), a new engine ported to a new operating system with new game content with the level of quality that Valve is known for, I think they're right on track.

That said, I'd love to see some works in progress. One of the things that made me salivate for the release of HL2 was the videos floating around online showing their progress with the new Source engine. I'd be surprised if they didn't do at least a little of that with this new game. The lack of this sort of material to the audience of a website like this is understandably frustrating though. Arguably it has distilled this community to a core few, which has been interesting to watch over time.
 
I posted this on SPUF as well - I wonder if HL3 is coming at the same time as the hardware. All new console-centric hardware has to have that killer release. The SteamBox, as an introduction to PConsole gaming, would do well to have the whole HL universe (HL, HL2 & episodes, HL3) remade for SteamBox certified boxes.

Too much? Release day ... does make you think though. Would the last episode in the series be a good way to intro your new PConsole to a new crowd?
 
I predict 92% of all fans who are so tired of waiting for HL3 that they don't care any more (despite often being the ones to bring it up) will go absolutely apeshit and superhyped once Valve actually announce it.
 
I'll agree that Valve probably don't want to release their biggest game in years for consoles that will soon be dead technology. I'll also agree that no matter how disenfranchised the fans are with the wait for HL3, they'll buy it anyway when it comes out.
 
Omnomnick said:
Guys, Monkey is just sour that he, like so many of Valve's fans, are short sighted and can't see or be bothered to play the other brilliant titles they've brought out since. Wait, give the developers time to craft the next game as perfectly as they can get it. In the meantime, go play Dota or TF2.
Click to expand...
Omnomnick said:
Sitting around and literally waiting every day for a singular game with nothing else to care about or play is kind of sad.
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I didn't realize until now, but you're kind of an ass.

As for me, yeah I've given up looking forward to the game. If the game ends up looking like a groundbreaking, phenomenal game then I may go apeshit when I start seeing that information, but even then the first thought going through my mind when I see the first information on it will be a blasé "finally." As with anything, the longer something takes, the better it needs to be to overcome the disappointment in how long it took.


Like a One-Hour-Hotdog.
 
A new Half-Life won't be released on the Source Engine..
Half-Life 1 was released on the GoldSrc engine..
Half-Life 2 was released on the Source engine..
So we can assume that Half-Life 3 is going to be released on the Source² engine.
 
Think you missed a few bits in there.
 
Krynn72 said:
I didn't realize until now, but you're kind of an ass.

As for me, yeah I've given up looking forward to the game. If the game ends up looking like a groundbreaking, phenomenal game then I may go apeshit when I start seeing that information, but even then the first thought going through my mind when I see the first information on it will be a blasé "finally." As with anything, the longer something takes, the better it needs to be to overcome the disappointment in how long it took.
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Telling people to have some patience doesn't make me an ass.

Let me put it this way: Half-Life 2 took 6 years to make, were you disappointed? Was anybody disappointed? Valve could be extremely open about the project but then people would just become more pissed off as they see the development get longer and longer. The main reason for such heavy silence is Episode 2, a case where Valve were pretty heavy on the advertising front early on, and the end product came out looking completely different than the advertised version. Both are pretty good reasons for them to remain relatively silent about the product until they believe it has reached a point where there is something decent or important to show.

Getting pissed off at Valve for their silence is kind of hilariously ironic since the very reason the game they're waiting for is taking so long is because the developers are trying to put so much care into making it as good as it can be in order to please fans, many of which are the very same people bitching constantly. Would you be happier if Valve just released a shit new Half-Life game every year or two? Or would you prefer it if they had thrown up a trailer a year ago which would most definitely not be related to or look anything like the final game?
 
Krynn72 said:
If thats what you think made me say you're an ass, then you're also kind of an idiot.
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Well what made you say it? Because that was the singular point I was making. If you have really seen the amount of bullshit negativity that is being thrown at Valve and people like Gabe for pretty much no other reason other than a lack of patience, you'd be as annoyed about the situation as I am.
 
Its not about the point you were making. Re-read the parts of your posts that I quoted. If you still can't see what made me say it, then the amount of effort I'd need to expend to make it even more obvious to you would clearly be an inefficient use of my week.

Maybe this will help. I'm an ass too. Look over my last few posts here. Even if my point (that you're an ass and an idiot) was 100% true, there's still another component to what I'm saying that makes me an ass. Use your little brain to try and figure it out.

(hint: that last sentence contained a prime example).
 
Thanks to Krynn's riddles I'm starting to have flashbacks to the goddamn Architect scene in the last Matrix. Don't deliver a "you should know why I'm angry" girlfriend speech. This is a goddamn forum where people who never met argue with each other and can't expect other strangers to read their minds or back-read posts; the least we can do is be direct about it and not waste my goddamn time.
 
Oh man why didn't I keep tabs on this thread. Awesome.

Krynn is not being hard to understand at all. Look at the parts he quoted when he made his first attack.

Nick was implying 2 things about people who are getting impatient about HL3, and they were pretty insulting.

1. They would totally be interested in TF2 and Dota if they just stopped obsessing over HL3
2. HL3 is the only game they're waiting for and think about it, and only it, every day

Both of these are really silly assumptions to make about someone who is upset over the wait.

But that said, Monkey's point in the OP is pretty poorly thought out, and I disagree.
 
Vegeta897 said:
Nick was implying 2 things about people who are getting impatient about HL3, and they were pretty insulting.

1. They would totally be interested in TF2 and Dota if they just stopped obsessing over HL3
2. HL3 is the only game they're waiting for and think about it, and only it, every day

Both of these are really silly assumptions to make about someone who is upset over the wait.
Click to expand...

More like,

1. People should attempt to take an interest in other games in order to fill their time. Team Fortress 2 and Dota 2 are good examples of high quality multiplayer Valve titles which can be played a lot of the time.

2. Of course everybody isn't solely waiting for HL3, but I can seriously imagine that a lot of the fan base don't really care about any other game than the next HL title, which is kind of sad considering how diverse the gaming industry is.

3. Getting pissed off at a company for taking time to make a good quality product is wrong.
 
1. What makes you think people aren't making attempts to take interest in other games to fill their time?
2. That's great that you can seriously imagine it. Do you have any solid evidence of this?
3. Agreed
 
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