Stardock Boss Thinks Steam Is Holding Back Half-Life

[GrizzlyCow]

I'm new to the whole internet thing, so I like some help.

Are these people who are defending Valve against an attack that really wasn't an attack fanboys?

 

[BrunDeign]

Some of you guys need to pull your heads out of your arses and actually think about it before going into your "blind fanboyism-induced rage."

Valve is terrible at keeping up with release schedules. This as become a sort of "badge of honor" for them now.

Lets take a look see at some of those games you guys are listing as "made after Steam" eh?

First of all, all mods are exactly that, modifications. They count in no way whatsoever as full-release titles.

Left 4 Dead - almost complete already before the studio making it was bought by Valve. I can only assume that these new employees also did Left 4 Dead 2 so while it technically counts, you can see why Mr. Wardell wouldn't count it.

Portal - the concept and most of the level design (from what I can gather) was made by a group of college students. Valve hired them, added the voicework, and made it look prettier while also probably contributing SOME level design. This doesn't count either.

HL: Episode 1 and Episode 2 are just that - episodes. They're supposed to come out in quick succession. Even though, of course, they came out 2 years apart? Maybe three? Full length Call of Duty games came out before that and Valve was working on nothing at the time besides the Orange Box.

TF 2 I would count as something Valve has worked on, and sure maybe they do spend a lot of time on it. But then again, almost everything they're putting into the game now is community made, so half the job is already done for them these days.

In the end I agree with Wardell on this. Steam is definitely taking a chunk out of Valve's "free time" to work on games, and it shows. Doesn't mean the games aren't great. Doesn't mean the few games that Valve does make don't beat the stuffing out of just about every other game in terms of quality. Just means that Valve has been reduced to doing development the "slow burn" style.

 

[SamElliot'sMustache]

"When one of your groups is so ridiculously profitable, every business instinct you have is to throw all your best people at it, because that's what's making the money."

How dare he say that Steam is successful and based on his own experience make an assumption regarding the lack of a new Half Life game being linked to the need to invest more resources into it! Off with his head! He doesn't have the right to an opinion since he used to own a competing distribution software and made one game that failed to achieve it's goals for which he has apologized constantly and is in the process of making up for it by giving away the next game for free. I've also heard that he likes bees, for shame, what a despicable person.

Agreed! All hail Newell, God-Emperor of all he sees, and kill anyone who expresses any thought more complex than (or even slightly contrary to) "I love Valve!"

 

[GiantRedButton]

I'm new to the whole internet thing, so I like some help.

Are these people who are defending Valve against an attack that really wasn't an attack fanboys?

No they are disagreeing with what the stardock dev said, you will often see people with opinions other than yours on this so called internet, i haven't found a way to fix it sadly.
The Valve fanboys are the ones who write EPISODE 3 NOW, theres a couple of those here including me.

Episode 3 naow plx!!!!

 

[Captain Pancake]

He just formalised what we've all been thinking. Left 4 dead, Portal and TF2 are all well and good, but they are getting in the way of what fans have been waiting for.

 

[Weaver]

I don't really think this is the case. Valve makes a hilarious amount of money, I have a feeling if a developer is great at optimizing the source engine or what have you that he's not going to get put on the Steam client to develop a new UI for it.

 

[Beryl77]

Seriously, even after he sold Impulse, he's still spouting lies about Valve. For example, it has been confirmed multiple times that the workers at Valve can choose themself at which project they want to work at, Gabe doesn't just tell them to work on Steam because it makes the biggest profit. Valve has never been known for making a lot of games, even before Steam,it took them a long time to release a game. I'm sure that they have a very good reason why they don't talk about Half-Life at the moment. I'm actually fairly sure that they will start talking about it at E3 2011 after Portal 2 has been released. It's pure jealousy that speaks out of him.
I thought he would stop after he sold Impulse because Steam wouldn't be a rival anymore but it seems that it's hard to kick a habit.

 

[The Hairminator]

I believe we may get a ninja announcement of Episode 3 within a short amount of time. The atmosphere is right for it, the viral campaign for Portal 2 as well as the game itself seems to have a lot of references to the episode. And they are both in the same universe.

Anyway, I have very much faith in valve, one may even call me somewhat of a fanboy. I trust them completely- perhaps too much, but only time will tell.

 

[Serenegoose]

But... Portal 2 is a new Half life game. It's just not a Gordon Freeman vs the Combine Half life game. That's like saying Guards! Guards! Isn't a Discworld novel because it's not about Rincewind.

 

[Ironic Pirate]

Is there no limit to how low this guy will to insult a competitor. I used to respect Stardock, but this, selling Impulse to with Gamestop, saying idiotic things about Steam... what the hell, dude? I get he (used to) ran a competing service to Valve's own, but they sure haven't gone out of their way to badmouth anyone.

What? How is that a low blow in any way? Valve's release schedule is already a standard industry joke, and he just wondered if there was a correlation between that and the fact that they were now running a retail service. Actually, I don't even think that counts as insult, really.

I mean, yeah he has motivation to say something like this, but these overreactions are getting crazy.

I think it's mainly the fact he's badmouthing Valve for the very same thing his company is doing, but Valve is clearly winning in comparison on pretty much every level. I mean, Stardock's few notable games are Galactic Civilizations II and Sins of a Solar Empire, and the second was a third party game they assisted development with.

Valve have Half Life, Portal, Team Fortress, Left 4 Dead, Counter Strike, Day of Defeat, and most of their library has received updates in the past (Those listed are still updated to this day with engine upgrades and tweaks, or in L4D and TF2's case still being updated with more content) using Steam as a method of receiving and applying these updates automatically.

Yeah, the Stardock guy is being a bit of a dick, I'm not saying that. But everyone is all like "Oh no he didn't!" when it's a boringly tame accusation.

 

[BrunDeign]

Seriously, even after he sold Impulse, he's still spouting lies about Valve.

Having an opinion does not a liar make.

Your opinion can be wrong (which I don't think his is), but it isn't a "lie" in the purposeful sense. It's just a belief.

Like your comment. It is an opinion. And in my opinion, you are wrong. It's sort of a cycle until someone breaks it with irrefutable proof.

 

[Charli]

I am a patient person. From me, to any good developer, you can have at least a decades worth of time just produce some quality. Too much shit is shoveled out to cash in on the latest IP that managed to probe the gamer brains glee spot as of late and ends up ruining it in record time.

Valve. Blizzard. Both of you keep to your methods of "It'll be done, when it's done." And we'll stay cool.

Blizzard have been doing this less as of late, the last WoW patch was a bit of a fiasco in terms of things broken. And I can't help but think, they weren't too happy about releasing it either.

 

[Something Amyss]

And he just broke the #1 rule of maintaining a good reputation among the internet gaming community: Don't ever criticize Valve, unless you're working there.

Especially if you have a point. XD

 

[Beryl77]

Seriously, even after he sold Impulse, he's still spouting lies about Valve.

Having an opinion does not a liar make.

Your opinion can be wrong (which I don't think his is), but it isn't a "lie" in the purposeful sense. It's just a belief.

Like your comment. It is an opinion. And in my opinion, you are wrong. It's sort of a cycle until someone breaks it with irrefutable proof.

There's a difference between having an opinion and not telling the whole truth. For example he once said that Valve would rip off indie developers with Steam but then the indie developers defended Steam and said that they get more money with Steam then with any other platform. In this interview, he said that Valve would put most of their workers on the most profitable project but it has been clearly stated that at Valve, the workers can work on whichever project they want to. The Half-life team doesn't have anything to do with the Steam team.
So either he got his facts very wrong but then he should do some more research before saying something like this, or he's just lying at some points. I'm not saying everything is wrong what he said because we don't know everything but a lot of things that he has said in interviews are simply not true because we know what the truth is, so it's not just an opinion.

 

[DTWolfwood]

um haven't valve been releasing at least 1 game year for the last few years? <.< Sorry if they don't feel like its necessary to make cash-in sequels ALL THE TIME. just saying.

Plus what has stardock done for me lately?

 

[GrizzlyCow]

I'm new to the whole internet thing, so I like some help.

Are these people who are defending Valve against an attack that really wasn't an attack fanboys?

No they are disagreeing with what the stardock dev said, you will often see people with opinions other than yours on this so called internet, i haven't found a way to fix it sadly.
The Valve fanboys are the ones who write EPISODE 3 NOW, theres a couple of those here including me.

Episode 3 naow plx!!!!

It seemed to me like he was just inquiring on the status on a game. He wasn't badmouthing anyone or discrediting anyone, but he gets jumped on for asking a question that in no way accused Valve of misconduct. People are attacking the poor smuck relentlessly for such a small thing and treating it like some unholy slight against the company. Though, I would simply attribute it to a simple misunderstanding of the man's attention, but these people here--who I believe are indeed fanboys--are attacking him of a fair (perceived, I might add, once more) criticism of Valve.

Having an opinion is one thing, my friend, but presenting it hostilely, for any reason, like this is a sure sign of fanboyism.

Anyway, this is a forum; we should be discussing the points of this man's statement rather than attacking him. Besides, Valve is a boy company, and I don't think they need white knights defending their honor in the first place. They might even be in agreement with them.

 

[Tyro The Fox]

Half-life is Valve's much-loved, magnum-opus, it could be argued. Craftsmanship costs money and time: Steam is where the money comes from and time has to be spent making thing better.

Also, Steam's existence seems to say: "Hey, play something else while I scrape off another virtual layer from Barney's mouth. He's not saying 'Headhumpers!" quite right."

Furthermore, they're doing other stuff that could be seen to divert people away from just one project. User Developers, like those in TF2, making Maps and Weapons, probably would be sorted out by cheery marketing people and maybe one or two developers who look over then implement what's been sent in like an app store where every app kills mercilessly or looks quite dapper. That frees up some in-house developers that would otherwise be creating hats, maps or weapons.

Other moves like this could allow the company to grow big enough to throw more resources and man power into developing games. I'm confident the Advertising Budget would be mostly been thrown at making the game itself. However, I'm sure they would still take half a decade to make it in their careful, skilled manner.

The development would not appear to be impeded by the juggling of the company's many ventures at the moment if its seems to be trying to scrape together developers to work on their own projects.

Does that make sense?

 

[dagens24]

As long as the quality of Valve's games isn't in decline then I don't really care to be honest. I was annoyed as everyone else when I heard Portal 2 was getting a delay (and again the second time), but now it's almost here I don't care as long as it's as good as it looks.

Right on the money.

There are enough developers out there that copy paste there old games (I'm looking at you CoD series) so they can push them out every year that my game dance card is full. I like it that there are still a handfull of devs that take their time and release good, quality games at a slower pace.

This isn't to say that CoD and the every one or two year sequels aren't fun or high quality, but there are just so many of them that they keep me busy enough. If Vavle wants to take an extra year or two to make something sparkle then by all means, I have all the games I can handle right now anyway.

 

[Sartan0]

"When one of your groups is so ridiculously profitable, every business instinct you have is to throw all your best people at it, because that's what's making the money."

How dare he say that Steam is successful and based on his own experience make an assumption regarding the lack of a new Half Life game being linked to the need to invest more resources into it! Off with his head! He doesn't have the right to an opinion since he used to own a competing distribution software and made one game that failed to achieve it's goals for which he has apologized constantly and is in the process of making up for it by giving away the next game for free. I've also heard that he likes bees, for shame, what a despicable person.

Yeah. We can add to that: somehow Steam and Value can do no wrong and if you say anything involving them that is not 100% Valve Fanboy Approved (TM) you will get flayed and set on fire.