Ahh... this must be because of the incredible game Valve developed in the past year that everyone's still talking about.
Oh wait, no it's just because they have an army of ridiculous fanboys who would rather the studio never developed anything except a sales platform and some fucking hats for fear of tainting something that was massively over-rated in the first place. Yes, fuck you too, swamp section.
Gamer culture used to mean something positive, something progressive that even those of us who've grown up with it into middle age could be proud of. Now it just means being a child too closed-minded and insecure to open their eyes to new things. This is why we get sequels from established companies all the time. This is why studios play it safer and safer. Grow up.