Gabe Newell
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Valve: We don't really worry about piracy
Though piracy -- the hearty, swashbuckling kind -- is currently running rampant on Steam, Valve boss Gabe Newell is unconcerned by the contemptible scourge of the C:\. "We don't really worry about piracy," he told Good Game in a lengthy E3 interview. Newell pointed to "misconceptions in the industry about what piracy is," drawing attention to the curious paradox that lies in people spending $2000 on a computer, only to resort to theft when they want to play a game on it. The real cause of the problem, according to Newell? "Bad service on the part of game companies."Newell used Russia as an example -- a place that everybody knows is a haven for piracy, right? Why even bother with localizations for that market? Here's why: pirates were doing a better job of localizing content for players, and once Valve offered a timely and accommodating service, its piracy issues in Russia "disappeared." Though the company's service-trumps-scallywags approach is unlikely to defeat hardened code kleptomaniacs, it's certainly preferable to the digital ball and chain of overly restrictive DRM. [Via BigDownload]
Valve's Gabe Newell still not talking Episode 3
Half-Life 2 developer Valve Software is remaining unsurprisingly cagey in conversations about Half-Life 2: Episode 3. Speaking with G4, the company's managing director Gabe Newell said, "There are very good reasons why we're not talking about Episode 3, which I can't talk about yet." When pressed on the possibility of hearing more about the game by the end of 2009, Newell downright dismisses the question and, instead, chooses to speak about the "rhythm" the team working on Episode 3 is developing. Does that mean Valve's working on the long-awaited rhythm/music component to Half-Life 2? We can only dream.[Via Big Download]
Steam's Left 4 Dead sale increased purchase infection by 3000%
Left 4 Dead saw a 3000% increase in sales during its Steam sale last weekend. Valve's Gabe Newell revealed the stunning figure during his DICE keynote, in which he also announced the digital distribution service saw its customer base increase 1600% that same weekend. G4 noted that the Valve overlord believes those figures broke the game's launch sales.Steam has certainly been experimenting with numerous sales lately. Valve has even hired an experimental psychologist to maximize buzz and marketing around the online retail sales. Wait, now Valve doesn't just want our wallets, they want our braaaaaaains too? Taking the whole zombie thing a little seriously, perhaps?[Via Shacknews]
Gabe Newell presents his vison for the gaming industry at D.I.C.E.
Long story short: Do it like Valve does it. Long story reasonably brief: Valve boss Gabe Newell wants to shake up the way the industry works by keeping pricing in flux, updating content more frequently and getting away from DRM as copy-protection, among other things. Newell also suggested leaning more on the release of concept art to get gamers excited, though we're not still not sure what effect that one Half-Life image is having on us.You can see more of the Freemanifesto that Newell delivered yesterday at D.I.C.E. right here. We'd love to know how closely your own view cleaves to his vision for the gaming landscape. Or, if you're feeling less cerebral: OMG Team Fortress 2 comics!
Gabe Newell to keynote D.I.C.E. Summit
When the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences kicks off this year's D.I.C.E. Summit in Las Vegas it will do so with opening remarks and a keynote address by Gabe Newell. The Valve supreme commander will join the show's laundry list of other industry luminaries when the event takes over Sin City's Red Rock Casino the week of February 17.Among the more interesting scheduled talks include a presentation by Resident Evil 5 creative director Jun Takeuchi, who plans to address the challenges devs face when creating games for a global audience. Another by Ensemble's Bruce Shelley will see the game designer look back on the studio's history as well as discuss what may have led to the company turning out its lights for the final time. As for what Newell himself will be talking about, nothing has been announced, though our Magic 8-Ball says it will be PC-centric and not particularly flattering towards DRM.
Shocker: Valve's Gabe Newell says most DRM is 'dumb'
Not everyone knows this but, here at Joystiq we're not just a gaming blog – bringing you all the latest, breaking news on stuff like Mario boxer shorts – we're also a world-class PC gaming consultancy. Yup. PC gaming publishers come to us and say, "Joystiq, how do we – the titans of video game publishing – compete in the piracy-laden graveyard of PC gaming?" And we respond simply; "Copy Valve."We don't mean make a product that's sort of like Steam, or is influenced by Steam – we mean make Steam! Change one letter. Stream? Steem? Whatever, just make it. Bonus points if you change your company's name to Valfe or perhaps Vålve. While most PC gaming companies – except a few notable exceptions – continue to flail in the face of technological progress (read: the internet), Valve continues making amazing games, releasing an incredible platform, and bundling many of their technologies together for competing developers ... for free.So when Valve chieftain Gabe Newell addresses the kingdom, it's customary for us to take notes (remember: we'll sell these notes later). In response to a customer email inquiring as to the extent of Valve's relationship with EA (and, by proxy, validating EA's continued use of onerous DRM on PC games), Newell responded, "As far as DRM goes, most DRM strategies are just dumb." Incredible, no? There's no equivocation; no hesitation. DRM=dumb. Ah, but notice that qualifier: "most." Of course, Valve's very own Steam client is rife with DRM which Newell puts this way: "The goal should be to create greater value for customers through service value (make it easy for me to play my games whenever and wherever I want to)." When's the last time you heard someone complain about Steam's DRM? And when was the last time you pirated a game over Steam? Bill's in the mail, folks. [Via GamePolitics]
Left 4 Dead demo coming 'early November'
Yes, we already knew that there would be a demo for Valve's upcoming co-op zombie survival sim, Left 4 Dead. Therefore, we're not terribly surprised by Gabe Newell's comment to Edge that the demo (which will allow one to four survivors to play through an early part of the game's campaign) would be dropping in "early November" -- after all, the game is due out on PC and Xbox 360 on November 18, so a preview period of a couple weeks would have been a logical estimation. Why, then, would we choose to post on this particular announcement? It's simple, really -- to keep the seemingly inevitable, real-life Zombocalypse at the forefront of your mind. Seriously, it's coming, people. Make your arrangements.
Newell says Valve needs to invest in PS3 development
In a recent interview with 1Up.com Valve's co-founder and resident PS3 hater, Gabe Newell, has stated that the company needs to start thinking about development for the PS3. "I think we need to do a good job with supporting the PS3 with the Source engine," he says. Previously, Newell has been vocally anti-PS3, but is now saying that "we'll, over time, be directly more and more supporting the PS3 as our bandwidth allows us to."So does that mean we can expect to see a PS3 version of Zombie-pocalyse-em-up Left 4 Dead? Newell states that Valve doesn't "have the bandwidth. For The Orange Box, EA did the PS3 version. They're interested in getting a PS3 version done. We just have to figure out where the resources can come from." Probably not until after the 360 and PC versions, then. Still, it's great that Valve is going to be looking into PS3 development at some point in the future. We're just hoping it's sooner, rather than later.
Valve's Newell confirms Left 4 Dead demo
Fear not, 1% of the world that isn't convinced fighting hordes of zombies with three gun-toting friends is totally awesome. Valve managing director Gabe Newell has confirmed with VideoGamer that a Left 4 Dead demo is coming. The demo, for both Xbox 360 and PC, will include single-player and online co-op options to try out. Said Newell, "I don't know what the date is for release on that, though. I think it's going to contain the first part of one of the campaigns. I think it'll probably be [the] Hospital [level] but I'm not sure." We've contacted Valve hoping for more information. Left 4 Dead is coming for you November 18.
OPM: EA developing Left 4 Dead for PS3
It's no secret that Valve's Gabe Newell isn't a staunch supporter of the PlayStation 3 -- well, that's putting it lightly. The Half-Life creator actually referred to the system as "a waste of everyone's time". PS3 owners were likely disappointed (though not surprised) to learn that Turtle Rock Studios' (a recent addition to the Valve family) upcoming zombocalypse survival sim Left 4 Dead would be console exclusive to the Xbox 360 -- though a recent blurb in the latest issue of Official Playstation Magazine contradicts this oft-repeated claim.The one-sentence newsbrief reads, "Valve's survival horror game Left 4 Dead is coming to PS3, but EA will be taking on development duties in-house." That's it -- no attribution for the report or timetable for the title's release. We expect that EA will soon deliver more info about the project -- until then, we wait with bated breath, hoping that we don't have another Orange Box fiasco on our hands.
Valve reveals new cast for Left 4 Dead
At the Electronic Arts press conference, Valve's Gabe Newell revealed that Left 4 Dead sports a new cast of main characters. Here's your quartet, shown above, with bigger pictures in the galleries. Left 4 Dead will leave you stranded in November.%Gallery-22771%
Valve sees MMOs as the future of the medium
We've talked previously about the tug-of-war that seems to be happening between the PC-yes and the PC-no crowd. Gabe Newell, head of the well-known Half-Life developer Valve, firmly stood up in the PC-yes column late last month. His impassioned statements were even referenced by the folks at Blizzard in their own denouncement of PC platform haters earlier this month.It's worth noting, though, that Newell sees MMOs specifically as the future of PC gaming. Valve itself is looking at the subscription fee and microtransaction models for future projects. They're also looking to the genre itself, something we've talked about here on the site once or twice before. Ultimately, they feel, the Wrath of the Lich King expansion is going to do more for the medium of videogames than the best efforts of groups like the PC Gaming Alliance. Make sure to check out Newell's now-slightly stale comments with a new eye towards the MMO-love.
The Daily Grind: Who's your dream developer?
If you could have any developer tackle an MMO project, who would it be? There are a lot of great developers out there who've never -- as far as we know -- tried their hand at the genre. In fact, recently both Sid Meier and Gabe Newell have expressed their interest in creating MMOs. So there's always the dream of seeing a Valve MMO or even something based on the Civilation franchise as well. However, there's still plenty of other developers that we'd love to see tackle the genre. Bungie, Rockstar, Insomniac and Relic Entertainment are a few that come to mind. There's also long shots like Nintendo or Epic Games, too. With so much money being made in the MMO market, we wonder if it's only a matter of time until a high profile developer can pitch a crazily-yet-awesomely different MMO concept and see it published and released into the wild. Maybe we'll even get a game out of
Newell says Wrath will save PC gamers (as if they needed it)
Gabe Newell, co-founder of Valve (bringer of Half-Life 2), says that the PC gaming industry is waiting excitedly for the release of Wrath of the Lich King to rescue its market.But, even though I breathlessly await Wrath, I beg to differ with Mr. Newell's comments. I don't think PC gaming is anywhere close to leaving the building, as some so-called experts in the field would have us believe. (Call me cynical, but I'm guessing a lot of those experts came from console manufacturers or optimistic mobile gaming companies.) The trouble with making these kinds of predictions is that there are currently no completely accurate ways of tracking the success of a game except to take press releases on faith. And in that case, you might as well believe the fox's promise to guard the hen-house. (Did you hear clucking? I thought I heard clucking.) Another problem with estimating market share for various games is that you're comparing Mana to Rage: each company can define "sales" and "subscribers" any way they please, making it nearly impossible to come up with clean comparisons of market share.Blizzard makes approximately $120 million dollars a month. Compare that to Iron Man's opening weekend gross of $109 million. Blizzard beats that number every month, not just with one summer blockbuster per year. Also consider that most PC retailers have devoted entire sections of their hardware floors to gaming PCs. This devotion goes all the way up to the hardware manufacturers themselves. When I worked at Toshiba, we had a product manager whose sole job was to create and improve gaming laptops. (Oh, how I envied that guy!) Yes, Blizzard's release of the Wrath expansion will juice the market, but it's more like an injection of steroids, not administration of last rites.
Valve puts saves and player identity online with Steamcloud
Valve announced its new Steamcloud service last night which will store Steam player data online, allowing gamers to access their save games, keyboard configurations, and any games they've purchased through Steam from anywhere in the universe. RPS attended the mini-press conference at Valve where Gabe Newell and company introduced Steamcloud and wanted to talk a little about all the negative press the PC games market has been getting.Valve strongly believes that PC at retail is not doomed and explains that when the company holds free weekends for games on Steam, it results in stronger sales at retail; Newell jokes that retail must have some kind of magic. The company says that future innovations for Steam (beyond Steamcloud) include driver auto-updating and the continued expansion of the game catalog.[Via Big Download]
Gabe Newell calls PS3 'waste of everybody's time'
Gabe Newell really hates the PS3. In a recent interview with Next-Gen, he blasted Sony's system due to its frustrating architecture, calling the system "a waste of everybody's time. Investing in the Cell, investing in the SPE gives you no long-term benefits. There's nothing there that you're going to apply to anything else. You're not going to gain anything except a hatred of the architecture they've created."Because of his distaste for PS3, the critically acclaimed Orange Box is not being ported to PS3 by Valve. Rather, EA is handling the port and he's confident that "they'll make the PS3 version a good product; EA got the job done in putting a lot of people with PS3 experience on the project." He does note that "it's harder to get it to the same standard as the 360 and PC versions."Hopefully, EA's treatment of The Orange Box will be better than the sloppy PS3 version of Madden, which was slammed by the gaming media for its sluggish framerate on PS3.[Via CVG]
RoboBlitz hitting Steam
The proficient program plumbers at Valve have issued a press release announcing the imminent arrival of RoboBlitz on their digital distribution network, Steam. Developed by Naked Sky Entertainment and powered by Unreal Engine 3, the action game is largely comprised of physics, explosions, robots and maladjusted space pirates (it says here). Tian Mu, CEO of Naked Sky, explains that after realizing how hot Steam was, he simply needed to have his game all over it."Steam is an attractive platform for the release of RoboBlitz. We're looking forward to being able to release to Steam's huge PC audience. Additionally, we have long-term plans to expand RoboBlitz with new content. Through Steam, we have a great avenue for delivering the game and updates directly to over 10 million gamers' PCs."RoboBlitz will see release in the "coming weeks," most likely alongside the previously announced Xbox Live Arcade version. The game is priced at $14.99 on Steam -- that roughly translates to 1200 MS Points on the Xbox 360, should the price remain the same on both platforms. Check out the (fairly old) trailer after the break.
First trailer of Valve's Portal released
One of the announced games to be featured alongside the upcoming PC and console versions of Half-Life 2: Episode Two is one that promises to obliterate your concepts of traditional level design and generally assault your brain with a large rolling pin. It's called Portal and, should the name not be explanatory enough, it deals primarily with gaping holes in time and space which magically transport you to different locations. Where Human Head's Prey took you for a wacky ride through these portals, Valve's title equips you with a sterile looking gun and urges you to make your own entry and exit points with wild abandon. The trailer (embedded in the second part of the post) aptly demonstrates the powers of the portal gun, the dangers of getting caught in an infinite loop and, of course, how using rampant teleportation can enable you to solve puzzles involving crates of some kind. As they say, hilarity ensues.[Thanks Easy_G!]
