Is Google Planning To Buy Valve?
- Thread starter Nathan Meunier
- Start date
Valve is hardly what I'd call an internet giant. Especially when measured up against Google. Though this rumour is just that and nothing more I am noticing some interesting trends in this thread that I would like to point out because I would love to see them go the way of the dodo.DeadlyYellow post=7.71763.736071 said:
1. Just because you like a company doesn't mean it is a corporate Juggernaut: Valve is a successful and established company with a significant game portfolio and a successful business model. But it is no EA, MS, Vivendi, Google, THQ or GM. If you love it so much, you should accept this.
2. It's dumb to hate companies because they are big: What if Google acquisitioned Valve, how would that make the products worse? Because that be corporate and soulless. Everyone waits with baited anticipation of the next BioWare title since it has been acquired by EA. As much as people hate Microsoft, GoW and Halo seem to be awesome enough. Likely a company merger like this would mean the same people making the same games in the same way with more money. That's good.
3. The idea that a corporate giant is going to fail miserably because of taking on a new challenge or entering into a new industry is tired: So XBox 360 sold more units in Japan last week than Wii. I thought the Xbox was doomed to failure. The PS3 was a gong show for Sony, but you can still buy it and Sony is still pulling in billions every quarter. EA decided not to acquire Take Two and they are in a stock drop, yet I don't see anyone worrying about their jobs with the company. If Google acquired Valve there might be some transition pains and two months of people posting "I told you" to forums. Then they'll all get gmail accounts to access the new features that have come up since the merge.
Meh, its fake - like Gabe said on the Rock, Scissor, Shotgun site:
?Which is all it is? a rumor.?
And article went on to say:
"Last year we had the following exchange with Valve boss/owner Gabe Newell:
RPS: I have a friend (an idiot) who is determined that in six months Valve will be owned by either Microsoft or EA?
Gabe: Tell him that I?m not interested in buying either one of them."
I'd laugh with a smile if Valve bought out EA - it'd be a huge undertaking to switch EA's clone-vats onto a Valve style Game's workshop.
Still, I doubt anyone will buy Valve as Valve has money enough to avoid it (I assume its a Public Limited Company? Not a Private LC? Or Gabe's own property?) and presumably the confidences of its owners to make cash.
Now, licensing the code/technology behind Steam, I can see that happening (although I sorely wish EA would abandon their awful EA Download manager for a licensed version of Steam - although they won't abandon their anklet-chain 'Digital Rights Management').
?Which is all it is? a rumor.?
And article went on to say:
"Last year we had the following exchange with Valve boss/owner Gabe Newell:
RPS: I have a friend (an idiot) who is determined that in six months Valve will be owned by either Microsoft or EA?
Gabe: Tell him that I?m not interested in buying either one of them."
I'd laugh with a smile if Valve bought out EA - it'd be a huge undertaking to switch EA's clone-vats onto a Valve style Game's workshop.
Still, I doubt anyone will buy Valve as Valve has money enough to avoid it (I assume its a Public Limited Company? Not a Private LC? Or Gabe's own property?) and presumably the confidences of its owners to make cash.
Now, licensing the code/technology behind Steam, I can see that happening (although I sorely wish EA would abandon their awful EA Download manager for a licensed version of Steam - although they won't abandon their anklet-chain 'Digital Rights Management').
Valve must have been approached to sell loads of times by now, and they haven't. They're not about to sell up to Google, who have no previous history in games and just want Steam.
On the money. Valve is in such a strong bargaining position anyway. Yes google is the Mega Corporation but if they wanted to get their foot in the door of game development, they would throw money at Valve to hold their hand rather that restricting their operations.mark_n_b said:
And that. Both companies would win from a buy-out as they are considered some of the best in their respective fields.Hey Joe said:
It could be good, as long as google is willing to throw money at them and not fuck with their ideas. If they just gave them more funding great, but I'd hate if they tried to use Valve's good name to sell a bunch of crappy games, which since they are a big company they might try to do. They've gotta understand the implications of what they could be doing. Valve will only last if they continue to make great games, it's not the equivalent "we buy Valve no matter what" it's "we buy Valve as long as they stay Valve".
actually they have to take down videos by law, it's not them doing something bad, it's them stopping illegal activityMosDes said:
Valve are bags of profit and awesome anyway.TheBadass said:
If anyone but Valve ends up in control of Valve they will want to make money of the brand names fast as possible. As much as I hate waiting for the next Half life it's better than getting Half 2: Episode X every 11 months and it being shite.