Valve Explains Lack of PlayStation 3 Support

[Pendragon9]

Because most of their dev costs go into buying snacks for Gabe Newell?

Sarcasm aside though, it's pretty obvious this is damage control. After pissing off a 23 million strong install base, basically giving them the finger, they have to come out and say something less caustic than most of what they have to say about the PS3, because, simply put, that attitude could start damaging PC/360 sales. Developers getting full of themselves, tend to turn people off.


Morne

This seems like the most logical choice.

The Ps3 userbase isn't so small anymore. So denying such a large group a lack of support will make them eat their words.

Well said.

 

[ItsAChiaotzu]

Here we go again with this nonsense...

*sigh*
Look, Valve is a GAMING company. They make GAMES! They are independent so they get paid for making GAMES that SELL. PERIOD. They have no vested interest in which console is better or who thinks what system is the bestest. Why is it nobody is crying because Valve isn't turning out Wii games? Because This is and has always been about butt-hurt Sony fans that for some reason think they know better than people who have turned out arguably the best track record for awesome game-age in the past decade.

Because most of their dev costs go into buying snacks for Gabe Newell?

Nice, fat jokes. That'll really make people take heed to your criticism. Speaking of which, what developer do you make awesome games for again? Oh wait, what's that? You DON'T make games or run a multi-million dollar gaming company? My bad. So basically you're just mad because nobody is buying YOU snacks, right? Is this snack envy going on here?

Sarcasm aside though...

After pissing off a 23 million strong install base, basically giving them the finger, they have to come out and say something less caustic than most of what they have to say about the PS3, because, simply put, that attitude could start damaging PC/360 sales.

Thats a really over-exagerrated statement. Seriously, how many PS3 owners even know what valve said? A handful of fanboys dispersed across countless forums does not make 23 million pissed off PS3 owning VALVE fans. Heck, you're making a huge assumption that 23 million is even strong... how many people own PS3's JUST for blu-ray? I'm willing to wager more than a considerable amount, considering that that has been and still remains the number 1 selling point for the system compared to the game library so far. Second, why would 23 million people care about ONE game developer from a company that makes a handful of games every few years? Are there that FEW decent games for the PS3 that this is worth bitching about? Really?
Thirdly, I seriously doubt that anyone who really cares about VALVE and it's games are going to intentionally stop buying the PC version (let alone 360) version of their games because of statements about a PS3... probably because those particular people are already PLAYING the games on the PC and 360 and could give a pig's eye about the PS3 and it's relationship. What gamer who has a bad ass PC desktop or a 360 didn't buy Left 4 Dead because "Gabe Newell trashed talked SONY!!!."


Then there's this whole "Valve is lazy developers who dont wanna learn the PS3" crap that I've hated since the very first time Gabe Newell opened his mouth.
Why? Because the vast majority of those people are NOT GAME DEVELOPERS... at least NOT game developers with any real credit or talent worth noting to give them the justification for espousing such an ignorant opinion. Truth is, none of us know HOW difficult it is to develop for the PS3, but I can determine by inference that it must be pretty TOUGH, considering that hardly anyone seemingly wants to do it. Valve is far from being the only developer snubbing the PS3's architecture and there is probably a very good and valid reason for that. Spending countless hours training, learning, and paying for developers to learn the PS3 architecture might satisfy PS3 game enthusiasts, but it might not make much business sense to a gaming company. There is no guarantee that a game developed ON the PS3 will have any success, even if the game is ported from another console. Haze was a PS3 only game, developed for the PS3... look how many people 'bought' that. Some companies had it made worth their while to do so, like Naughty Dog, but then they run the risk of being a one trick Pony... how many Uncharted games do you see coming out of that studio over the next 5-6 years. Probably more than we'll see a successful second franchise.

Anyway, until people with some real development credentials that can program top notch games on anything beyond an Iphone gets some training on the PS3, then comes back and regails us with the stories of how 'easy' it is to develop games on with some sort of proof, opinions to the contrary are moot. I don't think ANY gaming development is a simple process, and if the reports of how difficult the PS3 is to develop for have any substance (it certainly has a lot of verbal support from people in the industry), then I'm going to accept that as a very valid excuse no matter how much I love my PS3 and long for great games for it.

Until then, I'll play the great games that are coming for it, like Last Guardian and White Knight Chronicles and especially Demon Souls.
I'm not going to sit around complaining that I can't play any of those on my PC or 360 because those developers think the Xbox is too "boring" to develop for. I'm just going to buy what I can for the consoles I own and enjoy the GAMES.

Sorry, what the hell?

Name three other game companies that aren't owned my Microsoft or Nintendo that don't develop for Sony, and besides, the fat joke was that, a joke! He wasn't saying that that was a legitimate criticism, in fact, he said sarcasm aside after that, he was kidding.

People don't say Valve are lazy because those people have extensive programming experience and know exactly how hard it is, they say it because so many developers do make games for the Ps3, so Valve is technically lazier than them in that sense.

As a final point, I don't really care about Valve, the Half Life series frankly bores me and I have only really enjoyed Portal by them.

 

[Meado]

I do not get why Valve gets so much crap for developing for what is essentially one platform, instead of being multi-platform. If the cost to take a PC game (which is Valve's primary platform) and put it on 360 is 5% (<-hyperbole), but you increase your potential user base by 200% (<-hyperbole), then duh. But if that same percentage for PS3 is 200% (<-hyperbole), then why spend the money? Sony made a significantly different platform. This is one of it's self-professed PROs. Why ***** that you don't get more ports, when the code requires more effort to bring over?

This explains it better than any other post in this thread, most of which has been pointless bickering. It's cost vs profit, plain and simple.

 

[Razorback0z]

They hurt you because they love you, Sony. Now stand still and take your whuppin then git yer ass back in tha kitchen!

Were you spying on my childhood ? Thats exactly what daddy used to say.

 

[Bigeyez]

The sony fanboys are strong with this thread!

Valve doesn't develop for the PS3. Get over it. Stop being butthurt because someone talked smack about a console. /thread

 

[Bertinan]

It's because Microsoft designed the xbox-360 design tools like a PC running windows...PS3 is a totally different design.

Developers said the same thing about the PS2, and it dominated the last cycle. Sony is in a strong position, considering blu-ray appears to have won the format war. When people start making the switch, and Sony manages to bring the building price down, then it'll be interesting to see how they do.

Finally, no serious developer would support Wii...nintendo first party sales just dominate too much. It's all most wii owners are interested in.

 

[Megacherv]

valve also needs to hurry up with the DLC for TF2 on the 360 they talked about it like two years ago and its still not done

They're too busy working on Half-Life 2: Episode 3

Fantastic, as soon as I finish Uni I'm moving to the US and joining this PS3 dedicated team.

 

[Sindre1]

As far back as 2007, Valve honcho Gabe Newell said the PS3 was a "got in the way [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/77826-Gabe-Newell-Calls-PlayStation-3-A-Waste-of-Time] of creating memorable game experiences.

Whatever the reason...

Thats the same thing, dude.

Anyway, Sony deserves it as they deliberatly made the console hard to programe for. They said so.
PS3 owners however, does not deserve it.

 

[Bat Vader]

If Valve does not want to develop games for the PS3 they should not have to. I don't understand why PS3 owners get mad about it.

I have to buy a PS3 to play Heavy Rain but I am not mad it is not on the 360 or PC. People just need to get over this. It is their decision and should be respected.

 

[WhiteTigerShiro]

They should have said this 3 months ago...oh well.

In the last months VALVe has been talking about the wrong product with the number 3 attached. Stupid VALVe...

i c wut u did thar

 

[Jinoru]

Oh just get a PC you whiner PS3 owners you.

 

[Bigeyez]

The sony fanboys are strong with this thread!

Valve doesn't develop for the PS3. Get over it. Stop being butthurt because someone talked smack about a console. /thread

I got over it long ago, thanks. The miserable, pathetic excuses are what I'm targeting. Why is it so many Valve activists use the term 'butthurt' anyway? Some closet homophobia going on here or something? Or are you folks just getting rooms together?


Morne

I'm far from a Valve activist brah. Again stop being butthurt because some guy from Valve talked down the PS3. It's pretty obvious from your atittude thats what your comments are really about. If you were really over it you wouldn't give two shits about this thread or anything else Valve has said. Your PS3 Fanboy underoos are showing mang.

 

[Logan Westbrook]

Can I just make the forum in general aware that I really hate the term 'butthurt'

 

[DRADIS C0ntact]

The PS3 doesn't need Valve. Neither does the 360, for that matter. He said that a PS3 version of their games would be considered a stepchild, while the 360 and PC would be the sweet version? Okay...and how long has it been since the DLC was promised for the 360 version of TF2? Yeah...that's what I thought. It quite clear that the only sweet version is for the PC. Anything Valve makes on a console is automatically inferior to its PC counterpart simply because they either don't, or can't, support it with DLC.

 

[Credge]

I used to like Valve a lot. One of my top three developers. Now... not so much. This seems to happen when studios get too big for their own good, much like with what happened to Blizzard.

To be honest, all of this is stupid. Cool, the PS3 is hard to develop for and you won't develop for it. That's fantastic. But, whats this? You want to hire people to work on this terribly hard to develop for platform? Sounds more like you're lazy now.

Mainly, too big for their own good, like Blizzard. Keep Turtle Rock separate like North should have remained.

 

[Credge]

The PS3 doesn't need Valve. Neither does the 360, for that matter. He said that a PS3 version of their games would be considered a stepchild, while the 360 and PC would be the sweet version? Okay...and how long has it been since the DLC was promised for the 360 version of TF2? Yeah...that's what I thought. It quite clear that the only sweet version is for the PC. Anything Valve makes on a console is automatically inferior to its PC counterpart simply because they either don't, or can't, support it with DLC.

Eh, you can blame EA for that. Remember, TF2 exists on the PS3 as well.

The real problem with this is actually the 360's fault. There are some strict and arbitrary restrictions that Microsoft puts on any content that gets released. Oddly, the platform Gabe Newell despises has no such restrictions.

I'm struggling to find a source where Doug Lombardi said this was the reason for the long time it took Valve to release the Survival update for L4D, but it was a big deal on the L4D2 forums when it was announced.