A rant to valve.

[MASTACHIEFPWN]

Current Players Peak Today Game

41,033 68,164 Counter-Strike: Source
37,223 74,471 Counter-Strike
28,179 36,278 Total War SHOGUN 2
20,428 34,340 Call of Duty Black Ops - Multiplayer
20,113 22,947 Sid Meier's Civilization V
17,637 21,045 Team Fortress 2
17,239 37,059 Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 - Multiplayer
16,029 23,710 Football Manager 2011
12,024 14,511 Left 4 Dead 2
10,786 11,485 RIFT

Gotten from the steam stats [http://store.steampowered.com/stats/]
Now I count 4 VaLVE games there. I think they don't have a problem with popularity.

Look at all of the people playing Blops right now on Xbox, They've got atleast a million. (Sorry about the pre edit, I thought the peak and the current were combined.)

And where are you getting these numbers?

My xbox 360 good sir.

 

[MASTACHIEFPWN]

playing Blops right now on Xbox, They've got atleast a million. (Sorry about the pre edit, I thought the peak and the current were combined.)

What point are you trying to make by that. VaLAVE is mostly a PC orientated company. And a million is giving it a little too much credit, I suspect that it has 200,000 at most.
And I also suspect that there are most Xbox players in general than there are PC gamers. So if we put it into equality, it's around the same number.

I think it is too little credit. 7 million copies sold. New game. That is a pretty high number.

But lets take into concideration that CS and TF2 were sold for more than one console as well. So the playing field was about equil in most terms.

 

[pyrosaw]

I really don't understand your criticism. It's not really Valve's fault that they make games that are so awesome that people play them for many years. In fact, I think it's great that they continue to fully support those games. And as for your rant about the free hats: would you rather have free nothing? I don't care about the hats at all, but I guess it's kind of nice for TF2 players.

I also don't really see how they are not being creative, apart from the fact that they only make FPSs. But given their genre, they are one of the most innovative companies around. This is a company that made Half-Life, Portal, Counter-Strike, Team Fortress and Left 4 Dead. Each of these games are immensely popular and contained many innovative features. The only criticism I can think of is that they don't seem to develop games very fast.

They are NOT popular. Compair them to Call of Duty, the numbers of people in one black ops playlist will stampead that 25000 playing TF2. Valve is closing its market, and they are loosing supporters, It's either come up with something new, or die out.

They ARE popular. There wouldn't be Half Life 2:Episode 3 jokes everywhere is there weren't. And are you seriously comparing the Blacks Ops servers to Valves? The Call of Duty servers beat EVERYONE when it comes to people online. Valve is no different. Valve has done pretty good as a company. Compared to other companies, they've accomplished a crapton. Portal 2 coming out, Defense of the Ancients 2, maybe Half Life 2: Episode 3(If Wikipedia is to be believed). They look pretty good. How about you ask Activision or Ubisoft for some freaking innovation? They could use it.

The episode 3 joke is popular with the 100,000 people still playing valve games. Yes, Activision really needs inovation, (That, or people need to open their eyes) But inovation doesn't count for much when it was held 10 years ago, now every one has been there, done that. Yes, valve has accomplished a crapton, and I wouldn't mind if they just faded away now, but the fact that they keep purposly trying to keep what little they have left is just a waste. If they want the nerds to really come, They should make a new online shooter. If not, They can fade. (But in my heart I want them to stay, with quality)

Then I think your just being inpatient. Valve is a slow company, but when the games come out, they are great. Remeber Portal? Nobody expected that to happen. Nobody expected L4D either. Valve will shake things up. They always do. It's hard being a Valve fan because they work so slow.

 

[MASTACHIEFPWN]

Modern Warfare 2 still has more than double the players of all of the valve games currently combined. I really like valve, and they are starting to fade away, even though they still fully support each game (I get a TF2 update like every month, can't say that about MW2) So my point is they need another multi player game to bring new things to the table. And to go along with your "Point" When was the last time counter strike got new stuff? Never? (I am not entirely sure if they had added maps or not) Yeah sure modders make new game modes, but they are limited to the 40,000 people still playing it.

Funny, it's a mod not made by Valve, but 100% supported by them though. Also, it's still more updates supported by the game's creators than what MW2 gave me.
Also, 40,000 players, is a lot of people. And Valve produces numbers by the hour, Xbox doesn't.

Popularity is not equivalent to quality either. The fact that at any given time 40,000 people playing CS actually makes your point completely moot. It's like saying that Nintendo is stagnating and dying out because Xbox has more players.

Another point about the uselessness of your numbers: CS is Steams Number 1 selling game right? Well, what's the one for the Xbox? How many games by Bungie do you own and constantly play (MastrChiefPwn, really? Obvious much?)? By Valve, I can name four. L4D2, TF2, CS:S, HL2.
They're all shooters yes, but guess what, they all incorporate different ideas and have been supported for a longer time than you "popular" games. And at a profit too. The fact that you spout these random numbers and yet Valve is so successful actually renders you simply wrong.

And yes, an opinion can be wrong.

No, an openion cannot be wrong (for the most part). Xbox doesn't produce the numbers, the games servers do. (For instance, I can only use reach, halo 3, and the past 2 cod games because they do a current player count) Valve was succesful at a point, Their "Peak" now they are slowly going downhill. In a year and a half, I bet CSS will loose another 10,000 players.

 

[MASTACHIEFPWN]

I really don't understand your criticism. It's not really Valve's fault that they make games that are so awesome that people play them for many years. In fact, I think it's great that they continue to fully support those games. And as for your rant about the free hats: would you rather have free nothing? I don't care about the hats at all, but I guess it's kind of nice for TF2 players.

I also don't really see how they are not being creative, apart from the fact that they only make FPSs. But given their genre, they are one of the most innovative companies around. This is a company that made Half-Life, Portal, Counter-Strike, Team Fortress and Left 4 Dead. Each of these games are immensely popular and contained many innovative features. The only criticism I can think of is that they don't seem to develop games very fast.

They are NOT popular. Compair them to Call of Duty, the numbers of people in one black ops playlist will stampead that 25000 playing TF2. Valve is closing its market, and they are loosing supporters, It's either come up with something new, or die out.

They ARE popular. There wouldn't be Half Life 2:Episode 3 jokes everywhere is there weren't. And are you seriously comparing the Blacks Ops servers to Valves? The Call of Duty servers beat EVERYONE when it comes to people online. Valve is no different. Valve has done pretty good as a company. Compared to other companies, they've accomplished a crapton. Portal 2 coming out, Defense of the Ancients 2, maybe Half Life 2: Episode 3(If Wikipedia is to be believed). They look pretty good. How about you ask Activision or Ubisoft for some freaking innovation? They could use it.

The episode 3 joke is popular with the 100,000 people still playing valve games. Yes, Activision really needs inovation, (That, or people need to open their eyes) But inovation doesn't count for much when it was held 10 years ago, now every one has been there, done that. Yes, valve has accomplished a crapton, and I wouldn't mind if they just faded away now, but the fact that they keep purposly trying to keep what little they have left is just a waste. If they want the nerds to really come, They should make a new online shooter. If not, They can fade. (But in my heart I want them to stay, with quality)

Then I think your just being inpatient. Valve is a slow company, but when the games come out, they are great. Remeber Portal? Nobody expected that to happen. Nobody expected L4D either. Valve will shake things up. They always do. It's hard being a Valve fan because they work so slow.

Yes, I agree I am being a tad impatient, but It is like valve is letting the world lay out around them and just watching. But also remember that their most popular game (Half Life 2) Everyone knew about, and that was the one that outsold the mainstream title.

 

[TriggerHappyAngel]

OP's Statement:
"If a game isn't as succesful as Call of Duty: Black Ops, then it isn't succesful at all"

My facepalm just facepalm'd itself.

 

[RanD00M]

But lets take into concideration that CS and TF2 were sold for more than one console as well. So the playing field was about equil in most terms.

CS on Xbox can't be played anymore, since whatever the network system for the original Xbox was called.
Both PS3 and X360 TF2 communities are dead since VaLVE were too busy updating the PC version.

And online communities loose most of their players very quickly. 7 million copies sold is nothing when you think about it. Because after that we have to think about how many people will just play the single player and be over with it, how many people don't have a good enough internet connection to play it online and how many people have just given up on it by now. Those 7 million are seeming a lot smaller right now.

 

[Stormz]

My biggest problem with Valve is that they can ban you for any reason they want, and then what? what if you spent hundreds on steam games? Also you can't share your account, I can understand for fear of being hacked but what about family members? they have to buy the game too? it's really greedy.

 

[MASTACHIEFPWN]

OP's Statement:
"If a game isn't as succesful as Call of Duty: Black Ops, then it isn't succesful at all"

My facepalm just facepalm'd itself.

And when did I say that? OH WAIT, NEVER.

Look at valves past, They outsold Up to Black Ops with a game that lacked multiplayer, If they can do that, Why can't they just announce a really attractive gametitle that they have only begun to work on? They can do it, They are just too concintrated on the dying community that decided to stay with their quality games. (And they are dying because some are moving on)

 

[mattttherman3]

Plus Valve is continually pissiong off half life fans. Oh lets not make Half life episode 3, lets remake episode 1!

 

[Luke5515]

I think their main problem recently is they just don't have the man power to put out all the games they have planned.
As for tf2, just try to ignore the whole economy thing. It's nice to get hats, but it's no big deal. Just pretend it's not there.

 

[MASTACHIEFPWN]

But lets take into concideration that CS and TF2 were sold for more than one console as well. So the playing field was about equil in most terms.

CS on Xbox can't be played anymore, since whatever the network system for the original Xbox was called.
Both PS3 and X360 TF2 communities are dead since VaLVE were too busy updating the PC version.

And online communities loose most of their players very quickly. 7 million copies sold is nothing when you think about it. Because after that we have to think about how many people will just play the single player and be over with it, how many people don't have a good enough internet connection to play it online and how many people have just given up on it by now. Those 7 million are seeming a lot smaller right now.

Yeah about 1 million. 1/7th of it. Black ops is dying out a lot faster than MW2 did, mainly becuase it all around sucked, but still.

 

[MASTACHIEFPWN]

I think their main problem recently is they just don't have the man power to put out all the games they have planned.
As for tf2, just try to ignore the whole economy thing. It's nice to get hats, but it's no big deal. Just pretend it's not there.

I don't mind it for the fun factor it originally had, but now with every big game realease, they advertise for it. It gets old.

 

[RanD00M]

Yeah about 1 million. 1/7th of it. Black ops is dying out a lot faster than MW2 did, mainly becuase it all around sucked, but still.

Now we also need to put into perspective that TF2 was released in 2007, which means that it is almost 4 years old. And is still widely played. Its community will be alive a lot longer than any CoD games will. Probably with the exception of CoD4 on the PC, which will survive as long as the internet will.

 

[TriggerHappyAngel]

OP's Statement:
"If a game isn't as succesful as Call of Duty: Black Ops, then it isn't succesful at all"

My facepalm just facepalm'd itself.

And when did I say that? OH WAIT, NEVER.

The whole thread you've been comparing Valve's playerbase to CoD's playerbase... remember?

 

[AngryFrenchCanadian]

"MASTACHIEFPWN"

The name simply reeks fanboyisim. You could have at least taken a different name to troll with.

 

[Luke5515]

I think their main problem recently is they just don't have the man power to put out all the games they have planned.
As for tf2, just try to ignore the whole economy thing. It's nice to get hats, but it's no big deal. Just pretend it's not there.

I don't mind it for the fun factor it originally had, but now with every big game realease, they advertise for it. It gets old.

Well I'm still having fun, and every time it says pre-order this or that to unlock this or that, I kind just put my fingers in my ears and go "LALALALAlalalal"

 

[Trogdor1138]

Thank you for your well thought out request, but due to the demanding number of pointless fan gripes received we will be unable to instantly reply. We will however put it in the pile with the rest of the 947 thousand. We shall send a carrier pidgeon when our team of typewriter monkeys are ready to ship it.

Sincerely, Valve complaint quality assurance team.

PS: Donate Hats to the monkeys now to help support us and get a free copy of Braid. A suave and sophisticated monkey is a happy monkey.