The Valve and Steam Platform Discussion Thread

[Metro]

Perhaps Valve could use that 'innovation' on their games (which are all basically just some iteration of an FPS) as opposed to putting something as woefully useless as another Novint Falcon on the market.

 

[Azalin]

Burn all innovashun fags! Burn Gaben!

Heretic,the God-Gaben and his chosen,the Multi Headed One will smite you

 

[Morgoth]

The problem with a company that is in such an unique position like Valve is that they sort of start to waste too much time experimenting and figuring out how to "revolutionise" games instead of just developing them (cough HL3 cough).

At some point after 5+ years of R&D they'll figure out it was pretty much for nil and the end product is just gonna be a "good" game instead.

In other words, mouse & KB is good for what it is. Why change something that works so well? They should better improve storytelling and physics and AI and shit, and make it PC exclusive.

 

[Metro]

The real problem is Steam makes so much money they have zero constraints -- they can fritter away endless amounts of time on silly pet projects.

 

[IDtenT]

The real problem is Steam makes so much money they have zero constraints -- they can fritter away endless amounts of time on silly pet projects.

Everything that is wrong with the wealthy.

 

[Morgoth]

The real problem is Steam makes so much money they have zero constraints -- they can fritter away endless amounts of time on silly pet projects.

Or developing for consoles even though they know their PC SKUs always outsell the console ones.

 

[Infinitron]

Or developing for consoles even though they know their PC SKUs always outsell the console ones.

Is that so? I know Portal 2 sold more on PC. And their older games were PC-exclusive at first, so of course console sales would be hurt by that. But what about Left 4 Dead?

EDIT: http://www.pcgamer.com/2011/08/31/g...ter-on-pc-left-4-dead-did-better-on-consoles/

Left 4 Dead did better on the consoles than it did on the PC

 

[Oriebam]

I tried playing left 4 dead on the consoles and my thoughts are

Spoiler

wtf is this shit

how do people even play it

 

[Morgoth]

Whatever. Their games would be a lot better though if they stayed PC exclusive. Money is not really the issue here, but Gabe's moronic obsession to serve "as many players as possible".

 

[Oriebam]

Why are you so entitled?

 

[Morgoth]

Why are you so entitled?

I'm not entitled. It's just a fact that Valve still is a very PC centric developer, so why the hell not just stick with it and expand on it's capabilities?

 

[Metro]

Eh, I don't really know if multiplatform design is their problem so much as complete lack of creativity. Excluding DOTA (which was just a stolen IP), all they do is make FPS-lite games. Would it kill them to make an ARPG or a strategy game or even a full-on/hardcore FPS? It's not like they're short on money to fund such projects. Instead they just put out new ways to milk their consumer base for more money via microtransactions. DOTA 2 is a cash cow. The new MvM mode for TF2? Just another money sink for people addicted to hats and shit ($1 tickets for the mode that has the drops). Gabe needs to take that money and hire people to design a new and unique game.

Valve games aren't bad, per se, but they're basically 'fast food' quality.

 

[Icewater]

What does that make the average non-Valve game, then?

 

[Metro]

What does that make the average non-Valve game, then?

 

[Morgoth]

Portal 2 was fastfood?

Have you even played it Metro buddy boy?

 

[Infinitron]

Excluding DOTA (which was just a stolen IP), all they do is make FPS-lite games.

Well, there's this too: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alien_Swarm

Also "stolen" (put in quotes because hiring the original developers to work for you is absolutely not stealing and is in fact pretty awesome)

 

[Metro]

Portal 2 was fastfood?

Have you even played it Metro buddy boy?

Yeah I did, it isn't that good. It's Portal 1 with gel.

 

[Infinitron]

Portal 2 was fastfood?

Have you even played it Metro buddy boy?

Yeah I did, it isn't that good. It's Portal 1 with gel.

And lulzy British voice acting! And an Andrew Ryan expy!

 

[Multi-headed Cow]

Still pisses me off Wheatley didn't have his voice electronically altered, whereas all the other goddamn personality spheres did. That bugged me more than anything else in Portal 2.

 

[Oriebam]

What does that make the average non-Valve game, then?

Those pigs look delicious.

 

[Metro]

Granted I never played the co-op in Portal 2 so I'm sure that's some fun added value but the single player was nothing spectacular. As an 'experience/interactive movie' it was entertaining (especially with JK Simmons as Cave Johnson). Valve is good at story telling, I'll give them that. As a game, however, it was mediocre.

 

[Oriebam]

Tell us more about Portal 2's storytelling

 

[Metro]

I sense sarcasm in you~ Maybe 'storytelling' isn't the word you would use but the whole retro vignette with Aperture through the years with JK Simmons voice acting was very well done. Same as HL2. Interesting setting/atmosphere but tepid game play.

 

[Morgoth]

Just shut up and go back to Doom, Metro.

 

[Metro]

I have shit taste in games.