Valve Boasts That Any Three Employees Can Ship Any Game
- Thread starter MikeWehner
- Start date
You know what this means right? Only 2 people (if we're lucky) are working on Half-Life 3. Now it all makes sense. 
Thing is, this is the same structure they've had since they first started brainstorming ideas for their very first game. And it's more or less the same structure all the mod teams they've acquired probably had. So, no, it's not going to be any more inconsistent than any of their other products.DrunkOnEstus said:
What probably is going on, though, is the Duke Nukem Forever phenomenon. Where they've put it off for so long already that the fear of not living up to expectations is taking a toll on development. Except instead of constantly scrapping what they have and starting from scratch on a new engine, they're just procrastinating by working on every other project that technically counts as work. And to be fair, we have gotten one game a year on average from that, not counting loads of free expansions. Just not the only game in the world everyone seems to care about.
This is news? Really? I thought this was already well-known? Or, was this yet another interviewer asking the same questions Valve employees have been asked for the past decade?
Seriously though, this is old news. Portals core design team was comprised of a whopping eight people. Portal 2s was a staggering twenty-eight.
And those teams managed to design and ship two of the most celebrated titles in the industry. So hearing Mr. Coomer say "any three employees can ship a title" isn't surprising at all.
As for TF2, it's a fairly small number of people that work on the seasonal updates. Including the 'hats'. In fact, now-a-days, the community has more involvement in what gets added to TF2.
[sub]* When Valve first formed, they began work on two games. One was Half-Life, the other was called Prospero. At about the mid-point of development, the company as a whole decided to shift to Half-Life, effectively putting Prospero on the back-burner forever.[/sub]
Valve has consistently released at least one game a year since 2003. That's a product shipping schedule two even three times faster than most developers. And that's not counting DLC, updates, and Steam development.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_games_developed_by_Valve
While it may seem like long stretches of time in between the games of a specific series, in reality Valve releases software titles quite often.
So, despite what some people think, it's very likely Valve could easily "survive" on the income from their game releases alone.
Seriously though, this is old news. Portals core design team was comprised of a whopping eight people. Portal 2s was a staggering twenty-eight.
And those teams managed to design and ship two of the most celebrated titles in the industry. So hearing Mr. Coomer say "any three employees can ship a title" isn't surprising at all.
Considering every game they've ever made, save for the first Half-Life (*), has been made in this manner, I doubt Half-Life 3 will end up "inconsistent".DrunkOnEstus said:
As for TF2, it's a fairly small number of people that work on the seasonal updates. Including the 'hats'. In fact, now-a-days, the community has more involvement in what gets added to TF2.
[sub]* When Valve first formed, they began work on two games. One was Half-Life, the other was called Prospero. At about the mid-point of development, the company as a whole decided to shift to Half-Life, effectively putting Prospero on the back-burner forever.[/sub]
anian said:
I know it's been said many times by many users on this forum, but it bares repeating:LostintheWick said:
Valve has consistently released at least one game a year since 2003. That's a product shipping schedule two even three times faster than most developers. And that's not counting DLC, updates, and Steam development.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_games_developed_by_Valve
While it may seem like long stretches of time in between the games of a specific series, in reality Valve releases software titles quite often.
So, despite what some people think, it's very likely Valve could easily "survive" on the income from their game releases alone.
"Valve Boasts That Any Three Employees Can Ship Any Game"
In any three decades with any three release windows closed.
In any three decades with any three release windows closed.
You have over 200 employees and none of them has ever thought of shipping the next instalment of your biggest franchise? Shame on you Valve, Shame on you.
I wonder if any of them are into platformers. I always wanted a platformer that uses the source engine just for the curiosity's sake.
I wonder if any of them are into platformers. I always wanted a platformer that uses the source engine just for the curiosity's sake.
Dude... You are right. I forgot about left for dead. Not portal though...Vigormortis said:
Sooo... uhh... why do you have to come around and rain on my Valve Hate parade?! Not cool, man! lol jk
well, they did very well before Steam made profit. And they are still making huge profits from the games they create. So yes, they could easily.anian said:
The flat structure is great for emplyees, but not so great for its costumers. Also they need (and probably have) a proejct structure. 3 folk come up together "Create" a project, and do it. thats how valve games are born very likely.
not all people go to work to "Challenge thier abilities".
See, this is why everything Valve touches turns to gold. Since every employee is as powerful as any other, none of them feel like they're under anyone. This makes them feel in charge of not only their own career, but also the future of the company; on a very personal, immediate level. Giving them this feeling of empowerment gives them a feeling of responsibility, and makes them care greatly about their work.
As a result, not only is it a positive workplace, but every product they ship is made with all the care of a detailed model airplane or something else one does as a hobby. Since nobody's TELLING them to do it, the work is theirs, and it becomes a much more fulfilling experience.
As a result, not only is it a positive workplace, but every product they ship is made with all the care of a detailed model airplane or something else one does as a hobby. Since nobody's TELLING them to do it, the work is theirs, and it becomes a much more fulfilling experience.
Because I hate parades! Those stupid plaster and wood floats. Those lame costumes. That annoying band music. Those obnoxious "wavers".LostintheWick said:
And those clowns....those God-damned clowns....
Gee, thanks. Now you've got me envisioning someone at Valve making a Metroidvania-style platformer.bafrali said:
That's all I need. Something else to be disappointed about because, as amazing as it could be, I'll never see it. [sub]Kind of like another game that shall go unmentioned[/sub]
:'(
I suppose Deadlight will have to slake my thirst for that type of game, for now.
True. But consider, in each of those games, how much of the narrative was told through level design and environmental "clues". Now apply that same design philosophy to a game like Metroid.bafrali said:
I don't know about anyone else, but the potential within that excites me. But again, I doubt we'll ever see something like that. At least, not from Valve.
Still, I think we can all agree that there's too much of a dearth of good side-scrollers now-a-days. We have a few. Rayman Origins, Deadlight, Shadow Complex, etc. But for the most part, a vast majority of the contemporary side-scrollers are, at best, derivative, and at worst, awful.
Anybody else getting the feeling that this is the same sort of hubris that happens right before a nation/country/empire/company collapses.