Valve Responds to L4D2 Boycott

[Unit Alpha]

Oddly, the boycotters are still increasing. Of today, there are over 30,000.

 

[PhoenixFlame]

Oddly, the boycotters are still increasing. Of today, there are over 30,000.

Like I said, give it 4 months and come back to see if that movement is still as strong as it is now. My guess would be no, considering there will be more information available, which will certainly include more content tidbits and who knows, a possible discount for L4D customers. Plenty of time for people to change their minds.

Even if that isn't the case, at current growth even if the numbers swelled to 6 figures, they're really a drop in the water compared to the 2.5 million copies of the first L4D game sold:
http://www.shacknews.com/onearticle.x/57883

If Valve releases the information they do and there are people who won't buy it, then there's really nothing they can do for them, to be honest.

This is why while I respect the opinion of the boycotters I question the foundation on which their refusal to purchase the game is built on, and like others, would be very interested to see who decides to buy L4D2 anyway.

 

[letsnoobtehpwns]

They better release the new content on the 360.

 

[Zac_Dai]

I think one of the major misunderstandings here is that this boycott group didn't know that Valve had said they were doing more DLC for the game. In fact it's actually one of the central pillars of our argument: that Valve has always said that there will be significant DLC and has given no concrete proof of what that will entail. Can you blame us for wanting to hold the company (a company that has always shown such respect for its fans) to what it promised, and for being worried that a full sequel was announced in more detail than any DLC that would presumably be released sooner than that.

Another issue is that of the splitting of the community: this statement, in my opinion, deals with that very nicely: hopefully this interoperability that this reply is talking about would allow people playing l4d2 to access all the l4d campaigns and gamemodes in that game, and play with the l4d community on the same game. That would be a very good solution.

Oh, and to all those that are responding simply to the boycott by insulting those in it, thank you. It is gratifying to see that those of us who, in an era of increasing dislocation of the consumer from the producers wish to express our own views and concerns, and that many of you will just accept anything that any large business (even if it is Valve) releases.*
Well. Fucking. Done.

I would also like to apologise most heartily for having principles and views about something that I wish to express, as apparently it makes me a lesser member of the human race.

*And this is coming from a self-professed Valve fanboy.

I completely agree with you.

People just don't get this boycott and on a wider scale think people should never complain about anything and just smile and take it up the arse.

But they never listen so its pointless arguing with them.

 

[bue519]

Actually, I think only time will tell when it comes to this. You don't expect Valve to come up and say "muhwahahaha, we're evil, screwing you, and enjoying every second of it". Any counter-statement by a company is going to be professional and optimistic sounding.

Let me be honest, I do not play L4D, I do not own it. Largely for lack of anyone to play with and not having a working mic. HOWEVER I cannot see how they can viably support TWO versions of the same game, one of which is going to be markedly inferior, without ultimatly shooting themselves in the foot/competing with themselves.

Honestly, a year between sequels isn't that big a deal, a lot of companies have done similar things. It's simply new for Valve.

It will be interesting to see how it all pans out, but I'm just watching from the sidelines.

Honestly, Valve will get me more interested in the franchise if they ever come out with customizable character models as opposed to choosing from one of a tiny selection of avatars.

>>>----Therumancer--->

You make a great point. The one solution I thought that could make everyone happy is to release Left4Dead2 as an expansion pack. That way valve makes money, the fan base doesn't split, and the boycotters have no reason to be angry. Almost everyone wins.

 

[Clashero]

I'm quoting from Shamus Young, who has a column and a webcomic here at The Escapist.

1) Significant content for L4D1 was promised, and never delivered

Earlier this year Valve released an entirely new game mode: Survival. The game throws waves and waves of foes at you, and you simply fight to stay alive as long as possible. I spent a few weeks? worth of of evenings and weekends with friends, experimenting with the scenarios and trying to reach the magical ten-minute mark. It provided me with well over twenty hours of gameplay. This one game mode - given away for free after release - provided me with more gameplay than the average big-budget game.

It may not have been everyone?s cup of tea, but I don?t think you can claim it wasn?t ?significant content?.

2) Valve put little faith in L4D1 since they almost certainly started working on L4D2 right after release

This is backwards. If they had no faith in the game, they certainly wouldn?t have begun making another one.

At any rate, this is true of all sequels. No doubt Valve began work on Half-Life 2: Episode 2 as soon as Episode 1 was complete. I don?t think this says anything bad about Episode 1.

3) The fact that L4D2 is nearly identical to L4D1 will decimate the community for both games.

?Nearly identical?? Different weapons, new maps, new storyline, new characters, new infected, new melee combat, new setting. In what way can anyone claim the two are identical? Is there any aspect of the two games that can be said to be similar?

Although, I do have to side with the malcontents on the second point: I am a bit concerned that a sequel will divide the user base. In a game so heavily dependent on the multiplayer aspect, it?s dangerous to divide the player base like this. If the user base for either title falls below a given threshold, it will become hard to fill games. This will make people less likely to go looking for online games, which can turn into a vicious cycle that renders the game unplayable online. (This is assuming you play with random people online, which is not something I would prescribe.)

It?s worth noting that if this issue arises, Valve could always counter it with offering deep discounts on L4D2 to migrate as many people to the new game as possible. Giving the games a common lobby system might mitigate the problem as well.

4) The announced date is not nearly enough time to polish content or make significant gameplay changes.

This is a prediction that the game will be of low quality. Valve has spent the last five years churning out games of supreme quality. The Half-Life 2 series, Portal, Team Fortress 2, and Left 4 Dead. Not a dud in the bunch. Doubtful, I can understand. But boycotting a game, sight unseen, because you predict it will be low quality even though the publisher has an outstanding track record? This makes little sense to me.

Again, they accuse Valve of not making ?significant gameplay changes?. Again, I point to the new infected types, new weapons, and new melee combat. What exactly are you guys looking for?

5) The new character designs seem bland and unappealing so far.

I would say the opposite, that the personalities seem too intense and garish. At one point the first-person character remarks that he?s wearing a $1,000 suit, which - given it?s impractical nature and bright colors - isn?t really sensible garb. These people seem a little more vibrant than the Left 4 Dead cast. We meet Bill, Zoey, Francis, and Louis after the apocalypse has had its way with them. Their personalities are subdued behind the shock of the last few weeks and their bloody struggle to survive. Their previous identities usually peek out only during brief moments of quiet. And they?re dressed sensibly.

These character designs look much more extreme. The ones we saw in the movie were more caricatures than characters. Taking the idea that Left 4 Dead games are presented like classic zombie movies, Left 4 Dead was by David Fincher and Left 4 Dead 2 is by Jerry Bruckheimer. Nobody will be more opposed to this direction than I am, and this is exactly the sort of decision I look forward to eviscerating when the game comes out. But? boycott?

6) L4D2 is too colourful to fit in with L4D1?s visual aesthetic.

So after complaining that the game is ?nearly identical? to its predecessor, you?re complaining that its? too different? New Orleans is a colorful place. I actually think setting areas of the game in daytime was a good idea. Empty, ruined cities can be pretty spooky in the light of day. And the night seems more frightening when it?s contrasted against day.

It did find the color surprising, though. In the previous game, colors were carefully managed in order to make key aspects of the scene (safehouses, other players) stand out.

7) The fiddle-based horde music is extremely disliked, though the differently orchestrated music is otherwise welcome.

I?m not crazy about it either. Strikes me as more comical than spooky.

8 ) L4D2?s release will result in a drop in quality and frequency for L4D1 content, even compared to before.

This is basically a repetition of point #4, along with the point that they feel like they?re entitled to more L4D content. While I wouldn?t mind more free stuff, I?ve already logged more than a hundred hours in the game. I?m not going to pretend I?ve been short-changed.

9 ) The community has lost faith in Valve?s former reputation for commitment to their games post-release.

100,000 disillusioned fans is nothing to scoff at. If even half of them made good on their promise to boycott the game, Valve will be $2,500,000 less rich. (Although, keep in mind that threatening to boycott something unless you get it for free isn?t a very effective tactic. If Valve released L4D 2 as a free content pack they would lose all of the sales, from people on both sides of the issue.)

I?m not sure where the rancor is coming from. In their manifesto the group never explains what it is they expect to see in a sequel, what sort of new content they need to see in the original game, or how long there "should" be between sequels. I expect that if you tried to get answers to these questions you?d see this ersatz community Balkanize into squabbling groups. Some just want more (free) Left 4 Dead content. Some Want Left 4 Dead 2 to be (more) different than the original. Some just don?t like some of the art direction. (Colors, music, characters.)

 

[quiet_samurai]

If I worked for Valve I would be like "Sike, there won't be a L4D2. It was all a ruse to test loyalties!" Yeah I'd run with that for a while.

 

[ckam]

L4D2... Yeah I think most people noticed the reference already.

 

[Avatar Roku]

You know, I could write a long post about how wrong I think the boycotters are, but I don't have to. Adam Sessler [http://g4tv.com/thefeed/blog/post/696648/Sesslers-Soapbox-To-the-Left-4-Dead-2-Petitioners.html], otherwise known as the only remaining good thing on G4, already summed my position up perfectly, with one exception which I will go into detail for.

That one thing goes beyond whether or not it's the right of the boycotters to demand free content, but rather the practicality of it. Just the new AI director* alone would be damned near impossible to have as DLC, let alone the rest of the game.

*For those who don't know, the AI director is being revamped. In L4D1, it would simply send differing amounts of zombies at you based on a timer/position system. The new one actually analyzes your tactics and:
A)Changes the number of zombies it sends
B)Changes the weather accordingly
C)Changes the layout of the level accordingly.
Kinda massive for DLC, and that's just one part of L4D2.

 

[UsefulPlayer 1]

I had lots of fun with the L4D demo over Xbox live, but never got around to buying it.

Now with L4D2, it presents a perfect opportunity for me to jump into the game and have a fresh audience over Xbox live.

 

[GrouchyBigfoot]

I think L4D is one of the greatest games I have played, and you all have your right to your opinions of not buying the game even if they are stupid but the new game will be much better than the first because it is almost like an expansion.

 

[darkroot]

Lolz just another reason why I don't like valve.

I'll just wait till they make L4D3