What Would PC Gaming Look Like Without Valve?

[balimuzz]

Valve has provided Steam, and they have provided some of the best PC games of all time. So, what would the PC gaming world look like if Valve were to have never come along?

 

[[Gavo]]

Very corporate and scary. More so, I guess.

I am glad such world doesn't exist.

 

[Kiutu]

PC gamers would still be egotists with a few less games to brag about and no steam to brag about. I dont think any sort of PC apocolypse would occur.

 

[Hexadecimal16]

There would be a distinct lack of the most fun multiplayer zombie game in existence.

 

[Daezd]

The same to me - I don't use Steam and I've never played a Valve game.
I know - I am a heathen.

BURN IT, BURN IT NOOOWWW.



It'd probably be a desolate wasteland where every customer has to fend off hordes of pricey DLC download, and costly patches while trying to cope with a lack of communication and updates! (FOR FREE?!)

 

[a stranger]

hell

 

[antipunt]

no half-life. And thus, no counter-strike D:

 

[DragonChi]

Dim..very Dim. i wouldnt want to live in a world without Valve.

 

[Zildjin81]

About the same......

 

[WinterSoldier]

Maybe there would be more RTS games? :\

 

[Azeban]

The same to me - I don't use Steam and I've never played a Valve game.
I know - I am a heathen.

And I thought you were cool.

But seriously, not even Portal? That game was awesome.

 

[iggyus]

I cant even imagine. It would completely different I guess

 

[Erana]

Women would loose some of the few realistic video game representations... : (

 

[Arcticflame]

Blizzard would have taken Valves place, and not been corrupted into an MMO and an alliance with Activision. RTS's and RPGs would see major innovation regularly.

I think it would be much better.

I don't think that's how it works

Blizzard would have continued along the same path whether it was for valve or not. And as for innovation... Damn Innovation. I'd prefer some solid RTS' and RPG's which there haven't been much of lately, rather than innovation.
Funny you mention blizzard, as I consider them to be like valve except RTS and RPG's. (valve time included)

Too many games go for innovation.

Products like Spore would have more effort put into them rather than relying on hype from overzealous PC elitists

Oh come on now. Spore wasn't hyped by PC elitists. Spore was hyped by the middle ground, it's difficult to find a PC elitist that wanted to touch spore with a 10 foot pole, because spore had casual written all over it. And PC elitists hate casual.
Perhaps if valve didn't exist, an FPS sims would have been created instead? Unparalleled realism in picking up kitchen utensils and burning to death.

With less of the hyper competitive and rather ill mannered people brought in by Counterstrike, PC gaming would be a much lower issue, meaning DRM would likely never become much of an issue.

However with less ill mannered people, surely then more child friendly games would be on the agenda? Leading to PC FPS games being decidedly non-gorey... horrifying propositions.

On the other hand, all those ill mannered people would go straight to xbox live halo, the community would reach critical mass until the microsoft servers explode. Killing all staff.

This leads to linux and apple fighting over the gap left behind by microsoft. No more console wars between xbox and ps3. And no more mac vs PC ads.

 

[amazinglettera]

Blizzard and The Sims might own...everything!

 

[Azeban]

The same to me - I don't use Steam and I've never played a Valve game.
I know - I am a heathen.

BURN IT, BURN IT NOOOWWW.



It'd probably be a desolate wasteland where every customer has to fend off hordes of pricey DLC download, and costly patches while trying to cope with a lack of communication and updates! (FOR FREE?!)

Try to burn me and you will learn why the phrase "Fear The Reaper" is in widespread use.

The same to me - I don't use Steam and I've never played a Valve game.
I know - I am a heathen.

And I thought you were cool.

But seriously, not even Portal? That game was awesome.

Not even Portal.
I am massively uncool. Where do I turn in my overcoat and sunglasses?

This thread is now Max's intervention. We need to save him from his self-destructive spiral.