Valve: Left 4 Dead 1 Not Being Left for Dead
Posted 06/10/09 at 10:27:00 PM by Nathan Grayson
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After Valve announced Left 4 Dead 2’s near-complete status at last week’s E3, L4D 1 players took up their pitchforks. After all, a sequel to any sort of multiplayer game is typically the final nail in the coffin of a developer’s ongoing support for that game, so why should Valve – one of the first major companies to embrace digital downloads, comedic reactions to PR flubs, and portal technology – be any different from everyone else?
Well, looks like you’ve once again underestimated Valve. So guess what you get for that costly mistake? That’s right: everything you wanted.
"Doing a sequel in one year is new for Valve. But providing ongoing support for our titles after the initial launch isn't - it has been part of our philosophy since Half-Life was released ten and half years ago," said Valve president Gabe Newell in a statement to Kotaku. "We see no reason to change that and will continue to support the over three million customers in the L4D community."
“In addition to the recently released Survival Pack, we are releasing authoring tools for Mod makers, community matchmaking, 4x4 matchmaking, and more new content during the coming months for L4D1," Newell says. "We also agree with our customers that there needs to be an interoperability plan for players of L4D1 and L4D2, as multiplayer games are driven by the cohesiveness of their community."
And so, Valve gives everyone everything they ask for. As usual. Seriously, how can you whine and gripe at that? It’s like screaming at a fireman for not salvaging your favorite family picture after he saved your mom, dad, cat, dog, potted plant, and sister who you didn’t like all that much and would’ve rather had the picture. Cut Valve some slack people. God forbid you have to actually pay for content every once in a while.
I love Valve so much <3
Submitted by NeoTifa on Fri, 06/19/2009 - 8:49am
Seriously? They can keep up with their old stuff while developing new stuff at the same time? *swoon* So glad that my fav game can live on...
"God forbid you have to
Submitted by I Jedi on Thu, 06/11/2009 - 3:53pm
"God forbid you have to actually pay for content every once in a while."
God forbid I actually pay for half of a game that is considered a full game, only to buy the other game a year later for another whooping $50.
Anyways, glad to hear they're coming out with more content.
Submitted by Nyarlathotep on Thu, 06/11/2009 - 2:21pm
I bought Crysis and played through it a few times over the course of a month. I haven't touched it since. I bought L4D when it was released and have been playing it ever since. I got more value from L4D than Crysis (and a few other newer games). If L4D2 comes out and costs $30 to $40 I'll pay for it without complaint. Why is it we all think multiplayer games with no monthly fee should be updated with new content forever? This just is not feasible from a business standpoint. If every developer adopted this business model we would eventually see PC gaming come to an end for lack of revenue.
Look up
Submitted by digital demon on Thu, 06/11/2009 - 11:00pm
As in the post right above yours.
theblod uses a 'push down'
Submitted by nekollx on Fri, 06/12/2009 - 8:04am
theblod uses a 'push down' thread method, he wount "be able to look up" a the time of posting since anything aboive you is AFTER you post
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Coming soon to Lulu.com --Tokusatsu Heroes--
Five teenagers, one alien ghost, a robot, and the fate of the world.
Submitted by digital demon on Thu, 06/18/2009 - 1:20am
From what I'm seeing, the post from I Jedi is still right above his.
Submitted by nekollx on Thu, 06/18/2009 - 8:25am
threaded replies
new comments post top down, threaded replies, like this, post in line
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Coming soon to Lulu.com --Tokusatsu Heroes--
Five teenagers, one alien ghost, a robot, and the fate of the world.
Best Game I've Ever Played!!
Submitted by the_river on Thu, 06/11/2009 - 10:41am
Seriously, I bought this game when they had that 50% off Valentines Day weekend. Both my buddy and I agree it was the best $25 bucks we have ever spent. I have never played a PC game for 120+ hours. I have like 89% of the acheivements and I've narrowed down the ones I won't go for. The last game I played in excess of 99 hours was Final Fantasy VII, eight years ago lol.
Granted, if I want a FPS, this is fun and all but Unreal Tournament takes that genre by a lot. UT3 rocks in graphics (especially for a game I can play at 60FPS at 1080p resolution on high) though Crisis is cool too but not for gameplay. The gameplay modes ramped it up and I think it is better than 2004 by far. But Left 4 Dead has the best co-op system I have ever seen. The Special infected make it or break it and when you are the last one standing, you know it isn't for long. I like that. Smokers are still cheap though lol.
I can't wait for L4D2 because of the better AI Director 2.0 and new weapons. But I think I'll still pick up that auto shotty first. :) But it's nice to know that when you are out of bullets, just like with the good 'ol Crowbar, you got something to fall back to. I'll pay an 'add on' fee for it. No doubt. Good product deserves a good cashflow for Valve. I just hope they don't rack it up to $50. Keep it below $40 for all the Steam downloaders. Retail is so 20th century. Keep it digital.
Submitted by lancethepants on Thu, 06/11/2009 - 9:35am
I guess you can't really complain when they still are working with the original L4D. Hope the pricing is right for the new game when it comes out. Usually Valve is pretty good with that, or having rediculously awesome discounts every once in a while
Can you say "Expansion
Submitted by AntiHero on Thu, 06/11/2009 - 8:30am
Can you say "Expansion Pack?" This is all this looks like to me. Warcraft 3: Frozen Throne, Call of Duty United Offensive, Crysis Warhead...all expansion packs, all of which were about the standard game price, all of which sold well. Some added content, some extra materials, some new maps, and BAM there's marketing ability for a "whole new experience" Same product, with some minor tweaks. CS:S and CS 1.6 was not a comparable situation because they are two totally different engines, and therein control differently. Same game idea, re-done, which deserved a whole new game title, and to be separate from 1.6. I will be buying the new L4D content, because i liked the original (beta as it's bein referred to) and since i got it as a gift, to me i won't be buying it again, but the first time. However i would buy L4D2 if i already bought L4D on my own. People...relax, Valve does this as much as any other game creator does. Do you think Half Life 2's episodes were worth as much as they cost when they came out'? Hell no, both of those episodes left me pissed off at the end, with a desire to stab someone in the face for ripping me off, i demanded vengeance on the short time spent playing (around 2 strait hours, mayb a bit more) and the lack of closure, or at least a partial closure point, sure the combine are done for, but now...the ones on earth are fighting for their place in the world. They had to pay their employees somehow though i guess.
I don't like Microsoft, I associate with it.
Expansion Pack
Submitted by Darth Ninja on Thu, 06/11/2009 - 1:36pm
Now that I could see as a reasonable compromise between Valve and consumers.
People get the content that should have shipped with L4D1 but valve still turns a profit. I only hope they don't try to push it[L4D2] for a $50 opening price like they did with L4D1.
I think if they don't do a promo or sale on L4D2 for people who bought L4D1 early it's a load of bullshit.And speaking of bullshit, I love Maximum PC, but since when did you guys become "Maximum PC, Maximum BS"
____________________
DarthNinja
SO...Much...Hate
Submitted by Havok on Thu, 06/11/2009 - 8:23am
Give Valve and MPC a break would you? Go pick up your soapboxes and your consoles and complain elsewhere please.
OMGWTFBBQ
Submitted by gothliciouz on Thu, 06/11/2009 - 5:38am
L4 dead 1 was just a beta for valve and it passed the test, now they are delivering what the final product should 've been in the first place. it's obvious this guys started the development of L4d2 right after the launch of the original game or probably even before that, of course they weren't going to release new contents because their plan was to put it on the final product.
Submitted by nekollx on Thu, 06/11/2009 - 8:08am
“In addition to the recently released Survival Pack, we are releasing authoring tools for Mod makers, community matchmaking, 4x4 matchmaking, and more new content during the coming months for L4D1," Newell says. "We also agree with our customers that there needs to be an interoperability plan for players of L4D1 and L4D2, as multiplayer games are driven by the cohesiveness of their community."
So lets see, L4D is STILL getting new content, L4D2 with have interoperability with L4D1. Seriousl yhave can you bitch it's a "Beta"
And where are pople getting $50 bucks? Has Anyone ANYWHERE stated the price for L4D2?
Buler?
Buler?
------------------------------
Coming soon to Lulu.com --Tokusatsu Heroes--
Five teenagers, one alien ghost, a robot, and the fate of the world.
Submitted by Darth Ninja on Thu, 06/11/2009 - 12:35am
I have to agreed with digital demon and sscotten on this one.
Frankly I'm still pissed off about the bullshit reviews you and your sister-mag PCG gave Left4Dead1 all those weeks ago.
I seem to remember something about "The AI director giving the game 'Infinate Replayability'".I think buying Left4Dead might have been the worst $50 I've spent on a game... Ever!
Also, God forbid you have to actually pay for content every once in a while., really? I would have thought MPC would have something more thought out then effectively "lul cheapass!".Also from the looks of it about 25,717 Steam users (Link) wont be paying anyway.
____________________
DarthNinja
Submitted by Muerte on Thu, 06/11/2009 - 4:34am
Wow, that's like a whole 1% of steam users. I'm sure they will miss them.
While I agree that the campaign part of the game had a limited replayability even with the AI director, the VS mode more than makes up for it.
Hell, by your own standard TF2 is about as repetitive as you can get. After all its the same classes and the maps may change but you still do the same things and the team play is rare. There may be more custom maps than L4D but that will change now that Hammer is out. At least with L4D team play is mandatory or you lose, period.
But I also don't think they should charge full price for what is basically an addon.
Submitted by Darth Ninja on Thu, 06/11/2009 - 1:26pm
It's still enough users I would think, after the new TF2 "item drop" unlock system people complaned and 3 days later they re-added milestones.
I don't know but I doubt more then 25 thousand people would have complaned in that time span.
____________________
DarthNinja
Submitted by digital demon on Wed, 06/10/2009 - 11:00pm
Is anyone else getting as sick of the "so you actually have to pay for a new game lol!" bullshit as I am? It has nothing to do with money. It has to do with Left 4 Dead being released incomplete, then a month after the content that should have been there at launch is released they say "Oh, BTW...we're bring out a whole new game!" No matter what gets added to 1 between now and 2's release, it will always be what 1 should have been.
And why will no one so much as respond to the hundreds (thousands?) of people who can't even play the damn game without blue screening? I'd be pissed too if I had bought the game and couldn't even play it while they're announcing the new one less than 7 months after the first one came out. None of it makes any sense.
Submitted by cicicicico1 on Wed, 06/10/2009 - 10:30pm
+1 to the guy below
Submitted by sscotten on Wed, 06/10/2009 - 9:02pm
Terrible article. Did Valve pay you to write this? I disagree completely and my proof is in their most successful game since Half-Life, Counter-Strike: Source. This game hasn't been updated in the last year, and no major updates in 2 years. So I say BS to your claims good sir.
Submitted by gumbo87 on Thu, 06/11/2009 - 5:27am
People that play CS have such a rigid idea of what it should be that if I was Valve, I too would be hesistant about tinkering with it too much. Just think of all those people that swore off CS when they released CS:S.
Have fun standing on your soapboxes, the rest of us will be busy playing L4D2 at launch. If I was a betting man, I'd wager 90% of the people bitching and whining about it are going to buy it the first time it's on sale on Steam, becuase it really is just about the money.
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