When will Valve actually make THE game?

[Soviet Heavy]

Surely you're not describing Portal 2 as an experiment? What were they experimenting with in that that wasn't already tried in Portal?

so what was half-life 1? and alien swarm?

Alien Swarm was a tech demo.

It was Portal 2 that got me thinking about this. It seems to be a step in the direction that my train of thought was traveling when I made the thread. Portal 2 is the closest to a completely developed game that Valve has made. In comparison to its compatriots, it hasn't done so much to innovate as to refine.

 

[Ima842]

Pushing the envelope it's what makes VALVe one of the best developers around, but if you're saying that VALVe hasen't released a game combining all of the tecnolgy that it develop it's true, that can possibly be hl3.

 

[blankedboy]

Well I like having a bunch of playable science experiments. Some of them are incredibly fun.

What's not to like?

 

[kasperbbs]

That makes no sense, unless you prefer a company that releases the same thing every year.

 

[Abengoshis]

I'd say trying something new in every game potentially makes that game better than games which use tried and tested ideas.

Except Halo.

I said potentially. Also, to me Halo was a good game.

 

[Legion IV]

Probably in Half-Life 3 which will set new standards in the video game industry, that is unless GabeN decides to never release it.

I think thats going a little far. Valve is good sure but new standards in the video game industry? doubtful. this whole halflife 3 thing is just reminding me of a smaller version of duke nukem.

Lets give props to games and developers out there who are trying to set the standard.

 

[Rusty Bucket]

I'm more concerned that the only game they've made that was their idea is Half Life. Everything else they've done was a mod or concept designed by someone else and they just bought said mod or concept, developed it a little and sometimes hired the original designers.

 

[Leole]

When do you think Valve will end their testing and release a game that implements all of their little experiments added to their previous games?

When will Episode Three is going to get released? That's your answer.

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.....hopefully

 

[Casual Shinji]

I'd rather a developer focuses on a handful of gameplay mechanics than have them throw in as much as they can. A good developer knows how to create interesting gameplay with as few mechanics as possible.

 

[Radoh]

This is like saying Oblivion isn't a game because they wanted to test out their Radiant AI. Seriously what? Don't all games try something new, add something to the mix?
Heck, even Pokemon has changed it up every new generation.

 

[Pearwood]

About 5 days ago. Stupid question really.

 

[Alfador_VII]

So, basically if a game has even a shred of innovation it's not THE game as far as you're concerned?

So is L4D2 the closest they've come to a "real" game so far? If they hadn't screwed up and added melee weapons, new infected, special ammo, and changed the characters, they'd have satisfied you!

And I suppose you wanted Portal 2 to have EXACTLY the same mechanics and gameplay as Portal 1, and be about a third of it's length.

 

[Pedro The Hutt]

Considering they're constantly applying the lessons learned from their previous games to their new ones, that kind of, y'know, makes them all games. Unless you are for some reason desiring that Valve makes a game in which they don't do anything innovative and just make a cookie cutter game.

(Oh wait, Alien Swarm didn't count either, man it must be awesome to phrase a question in such a way that you can always be right)

 

[Twilight_guy]

Never. Just because they know they can doesn't mean they have the know-how or the time or to put it all together into a super-game. Isn't a game with one cool mechanic enough for you without having to qualify it as a science project?

 

[MrShadowzs]

hmmmm i never really thought of it that way

 

[pope_of_larry]

well 4 days ago portal 2 came out.

 

[weker]

As in a game that uses all of their experiments. Every one of Valve's games so far has been used to promote a new method of experimentation that the devs try out. Half Life 2 pushed forward physics engines. Episode 1 showed off High Dynamic Range. Episode 2 threw in open areas. Team Fortress 2 established constant patching to use as a testbed for game updates. Left 4 Dead experimented with AI behaviours. L4D2 was a challenge set out to see if Valve could release a full game in under a year. Portal was a continuation of physics with humor added this time.

When do you think Valve will end their testing and release a game that implements all of their little experiments added to their previous games? Their games seem like science projects that happen to be extremely playable. I can't imagine what would happen when they combined all of their tests together.

EDIT.
To clarify, (something I need to do a lot apparently), I recognize that Valve has in fact made games. That much is obvious. I am approaching this topic from the angle that they haven't quite made the game. As in, the game that is the culmination of their genre redefining experiments prevalent in all of their products up to this point.

their target audience are intrested in these experimental ideas and genres

 

[Silas13013]

Ahhh so YOU are the reason game developers keep spamming the same games year after year without any new ideas. Seems kind of backwards to me; to imply that innovation means that the game must not be done or something.

The only game I can really think of that Valve made that was truly a "demo" was alien swarm and that was only due to its length. My guess is you haven't played any recent Valve games if you think they aren't "done" or whatever. Go on, I'll wait...

In case you mised it, games like Half Life and full, fun bundles of bullet spraying joy that should in no way be seen as a science project. Now, L4D did have that "take all DLC and make new game that we actually support" but I still bought both of the games and I see no real reason why L4D is any less of a game than L4D2, which again, I don't see how it counts as "not a game".

I've also played TF2 since the game was first released and I gotta say I have sunk more hours into that game than any other. If it qualifies it as a science project because they maintain the game then please never make a real game because I like having the updates come out every few months.

Just because there isn't one "super game" that takes everything a developer has ever worked on and mixes it into one experience doesn't mean their creations aren't as worthy of the title of "game" as any other developers.

 

[one of them]

So the question is "When will Valve stop trying new things and just release a shitty sequel and/or new IP that has absolutely nothing new or intriguing about it?"
Uhh, hopefully never.