Is Valve scared of progression?

[bug_of_war]

Okay, before the flaming begins, hear me out. I like Valve, I use Steam all the time and have enjoyed playing Left 4 Dead and Team Fortress 2 for hours. I enjoyed getting a free copy of Portal and I enjoy the whole Steam experience for the most part. There is no doubt that Valve has definitely dominated the PC market with Steam and they have very loyal followers, however it seems to me that they have not really progressed any further than the COD series has. They rely on the Source engine which is arguably quite out-dated, they frequently re-use audio files and textures, in terms of focusing on what their audience wants they seem to ignore their fans (when's the last time you heard anything bout Half Life 3? Or Half Life 2: Episode 3?), they spend more time making hats and items for TF2 (still a popular game, but it is an old game), and whilst they've made unique games with new/interesting mechanics, none of them have been explored much further (Portal 2 isn't my game, but it's unique gameplay makes me curious as to why they aren't making new maps/a new game based on it's gameplay mechanics).

TL;DR: Valve re-uses stuff, don't listen to their fan base and don't explore their games any further than 1 sequel.

So people, what's your 10 cents? Have Valve stagnated and stopped moving forward, or am I simply speaking too soon/being to cynical?

 

[sextus the crazy]

Valve has barely any corporate structure. It's just a group of game designers doing whatever the hell they want for the most part. The fact that they don't stick to sequels and such is because they just don't feel like it. They probably get bored of doing that and instead just do whatever they're interested in.

 

[BrotherRool]

Interesting fact, Valve has only ever actually originated one new IP as far as I can tell. Portal, L4D, Alien Swarm, Counterstrike, DOTA2, Team Fortress, Day of Defeat and Ricochet were all based on mods or games other teams were working on that Valve bought out.

Saying that

Valve has barely any corporate structure. It's just a group of game designers doing whatever the hell they want for the most part. The fact that they don't stick to sequels and such is because they just don't feel like it. They probably get bored of doing that and instead just do whatever they're interested in.

This person just solved the thread. Valve have no management, no strategic plans, no goals. It's impossible for them to have feelings and motives like this really. People just work on what they want to and things come out. And since they're really finicky about quality you see lots of delayed releases and games not coming out when you think they would

 

[thesilentman]

It's Valve. A bunch of game devs working on games. What motivation is there for them to innovate since they have such a fanbase? Why should they?

I was ninja'd, but repetition for emphasis helps.

 

[sanquin]

Just keep in mind, most of valve's business comes from steam, not from their games. They used to truly make games or at least take existing idea's and turn them into games, but with steam becoming such a success that's what their focus started to become.

That and what sextus said.

 

[DazZ.]

they spend more time making hats and items for TF2

I don't think any new items are made by Valve for quite a long time now, most of (if not all) the new items made for Dota2/TF2 come from the community.

(Portal 2 isn't my game, but it's unique gameplay makes me curious as to why they aren't making new maps/a new game based on it's gameplay mechanics).

They've released a map maker, a really simple one used in game, not Hammer. They don't need to make maps as there are hundreds available.

 

[Chemical Alia]

they spend more time making hats and items for TF2

I don't think any new items are made by Valve for quite a long time now, most of (if not all) the new items made for Dota2/TF2 come from the community.

(Portal 2 isn't my game, but it's unique gameplay makes me curious as to why they aren't making new maps/a new game based on it's gameplay mechanics).

They've released a map maker, a really simple one used in game, not Hammer. They don't need to make maps as there are hundreds available.

And they've been putting in mostly just cross-promotional items from other games in TF2 as of late, with most of the community focus going towards the Dota side of things.

 

[DazZ.]

I think valve has made a economy for a game self sufficient. Think about it. Modders make hats and weapons for TF2 for free but everyone who buys those items are paying Valve. Ingenious.

The hat's/weapons modders get paid as well, the max anyone's got was around $300,000? Complete guess at a number I can't remember but it seemed high to me.

Edit: $500,000
[Source [http://www.pcgamer.com/2013/02/01/top-tf2-item-makers-making-500k-a-year-we-cannot-compete-with-our-customers/]]

 

[Colt47]

Their strategy of just doing whatever they want has played to the companies benefit over the years, though. They've dabbled in just about all things game related, from the games themselves to distribution services and now even consoles. Also, the steam platform, while having a rocky start, has become one of the most prolific game distribution services out there. Valve tends to remind me of better days, before corporations had to be built to fund mainstream titles.

 

[Glaice]

I think Valve is putting too much time or focusing on one or two things a bit too much (IE TF2) with a number of games having pre-order bonuses having TF2 hats or a weapon or some crap like that.

 

[distortedreality]

Just keep in mind, most of valve's business comes from steam, not from their games. They used to truly make games or at least take existing idea's and turn them into games, but with steam becoming such a success that's what their focus started to become.

That and what sextus said.

Pretty sure the game devs at Valve have absolutely nothing to do with Steam, so I don't see how the continued success of Steam could impact in any way on Valve developing new games. As you said, what sextus said is spot on.

I find the notion that Valve are scared of progression odd though - Valve have been huge advocates of innovation in all aspects of gaming, and have come up with a couple of their own innovations along the way.

I think Valve is putting too much time or focusing on one or two things a bit too much (IE TF2) with a number of games having pre-order bonuses having TF2 hats or a weapon or some crap like that.

The problem, if you want to call it that, with Valve is the exact opposite - a lack of focus is why we don't see new games coming out regularly. Personally, it doesn't bother me in the slightest. I'd rather a dev take years to release a great game, rather than a mediocre game on a yearly schedule.

 

[Dryk]

I think Valve is putting too much time or focusing on one or two things a bit too much (IE TF2) with a number of games having pre-order bonuses having TF2 hats or a weapon or some crap like that.

Almost all of TF2's pre-order bonuses are made by the developers of the other game or the community. They just implement them.

 

[Agente L]

Not exploiting IPs to create new sequels equals to not being progressive? What? Don't we hate CoD and it's kind for yearly sequels? Didn't peopel boycott valve for releasing l4d2 one year after l4d?

I do agree they kinda stagnated a bit due to hats and microtransactions, but I wouldn't say they stopped going forward completely. The marketplace and the workshop are two amazing tools for the community. Portal 2 has a crazy amount of maps there, and most dota 2 items comes from workshop

I guess it's time for Source 2, but so far source is working perfectly well for them. The graphics may not be top notch anymore, but the physics and it's flexibility still are great. And we know that valve has a great art direction, so even if their engine falls behind technically, they still make beautiful games.

 

[templar1138a]

The answer is simple: Stop viewing Valve as a developer. Because, for all intents and purposes, they're not. What they are is a digital retailer. And I'm okay with that.

Oh, and the last time I heard anything from Valve about Half-Life 3? Never. All I've heard about it has come from butt-hurt fanboys who whine that Gabe Newell avoids the number three at all costs. I will say it again: Half-Life 3 is the new Duke Nukem Forever.

 

[KingsGambit_v1legacy]

Valve has barely any corporate structure. It's just a group of game designers doing whatever the hell they want for the most part. The fact that they don't stick to sequels and such is because they just don't feel like it. They probably get bored of doing that and instead just do whatever they're interested in.

What sextus said, in answer to the OP. Valve doesn't operate like normal studios, where publisher's fund specific projects with development milestones as deadlines along the way.

Apart from Gabe (though I believe he wouldn't say so), there is so management structure or set teams at Valve. Developers work on what they want and with whoever wants to be involved. This process gave us Portal and Left 4 Dead. Both were so popular and innovative that sequels were in fact made, one soon after (which caused a lot of anger and a call for a boycott of L4D2), the other years in the making.

They aren't "scared of progression", whatever that means. If anything, they consistently break new ground. Halflife set a benchmark for story-focused FPSs, Portal for puzzle games and L4D created an entire new genre. HL2 was the most played MP shooter in its day and TF2 also created an entire genre, the class-based MP shooter. If that's not progress or innovation, I don't know what is. But it's not releasing the same game with an incremented number on the box (*cough* Activision).

 

[Newby_Newb]

Interesting fact, Valve has only ever actually originated one new IP as far as I can tell. Portal, L4D, Alien Swarm, Counterstrike, DOTA2, Team Fortress, Day of Defeat and Ricochet were all based on mods or games other teams were working on that Valve bought out.

Portal was based on a game called narbacular drop, which was made by students of digipen institute of technology. Valve hired the creators and they made portal.

The only original IP that Valve has ever made is Half-Life.

 

[bafrali]

I hope this doesn't seem like making a strawman but why are you berating them for not releasing a new game every year? Isn't this the exact same thing CoD does and why gamers hate the franchise (even though its userbase ishappy with it.) They announce L4D2 "early", people ***** about it. They don't announce anything about Half Life till they are ready for it (unlike every other developer that is perfectly happy making teasers for their teasers for the sake of hype), people still ***** about it. They support their games, people ***** about it. They distribute user made hats, both making cash for themselves and the artist and people still ***** about it.

Is there anything left to ***** about. Actually yes. Why is that catapult so fucking OP Valve. Are you scrubbing yourself with too much money to notice this menace among our lanes.

 

[Smooth Operator]

They reuse their engine as everyone does, otherwise the games share very little resources (obviously the iconic sounds will be noticed every time).
But when it comes to mechanics all their games get a unique setup, and they don't pump out sequels like mad because they know what bullshit that produces.

That being said they did make a shift from developer to retailer, last Gabe interview I watched all he really had to share was content creation, statistics, marketing and monitoring... it is really rather sad, if not downright scary.