Firetaffer said:
Really I've been thinking about this for the pass few months, the only game series they have really made is the half-life series. Their other games seem to be taken from someone else in one form of the other.
Counter-strike and Team Fortress were both mods that they bought.
Alien swarm was bought partway in development as well.
Portal was aquired from some students.
Left 4 Dead was originally made by Turtle Rock Studios.
Didn't they recently aquire the Dota IP?
Sure you could argue that without their aid the games would not be like they are today, but I would just like to point out they they seem to just buy ideas off of people :O.
I would like to submit a few counter-points, if I may. (Oh, I may? Thanks!)
On the matters of Counter-Strike and Team Fortress: These weren't just mods that were "bought". Valve actively hired the entirety of both mods development teams. After so doing, they gave them free choice on what to do then. Most chose to rebuild and revamp their respective mods. The others went to work on other Valve projects. This is hardly "buying" a mod.
Now, in regards to Alien Swarm: This is much the same as above. Valve recognized true creative talent in the members of the AS mod team. They offered their support in developing and releasing the teams mod. After which, Valve offered them positions within the ranks of Valve HQ.
Now on to Portal: The tale behind Portal is slightly different. For starters, Portal itself isn't some rebuilt/revamped mod or rehash of some other mod. It's a wholly original franchise (tied into Half-Life) that was birthed out of a concept from another game. Said game was called "Narbacular Drop" and was the brain child of a team of student developers. They submitted NB to their college's annual student project expo. An expo in which students create and are graded on developed works of software. This expo is also used to showcase the schools and students work to prospective developers and studios who are looking to hire new talent. Valve, having been present at the expo, was so thoroughly impressed with the teams work on NB they invited them to visit Valve's base of operations. After a brief meeting, Gabe offered them jobs. And thus, Portal's development began. (with a grand total of 8 people)
To clarify the history of Left 4 Dead You are correct that Left 4 Dead was birthed from the minds of Turtle Rock Studios. However, what you've either neglected to mention or were unaware of is that Turtle Rock was all but merged with Valve shortly after the development of Counter-Strike: Source. Ergo, for all intents and purposes, when Left 4 Dead began development, those involved were not part of Turtle Rock.
Also worthy of note, if not quite as topical, was that Turtle Rock got the idea for Left 4 Dead from Counter-Strike: Source. Namely, they'd host large server games wherein a few human players would spawn as the Counter-Terrorists and at least 30 or so bots would spawn in as Terrorists. The bots were set to the highest difficulty and were equipped solely with knives. The games became a challenge to see who could survive the longest.
As for Dota II: I refrain from speaking on the matter. If only because it seems there's more misinformation than actual truths flying around and I'd be uncertain which points I'd state were true or not.
One final note. You seem hell bent on making it seem like Valve doesn't create much on their own and only take others ideas. Truth is, while that is a bit of a harsh exaggeration, EVERY game company does this. They don't start with a set group and remain stagnant. They hire the best, brightest, and most talented artists and programmers they can find. These hirees and their wealth of fresh talent are the key aspects responsible for the creation of the franchises we see today. They bring with them new ideas and concepts for their parent company to build from. The key difference is, Valve is one of the few companies out there that:
A: Doesn't just buy concepts but instead hires dev teams.
B: Openly admits to hiring and supports mod teams.
Most companies just buy the franchise or secretly hire or buyout certain parts of a mods dev team.
So, in effect, I fail to see where your seemingly baseless complaint is coming from. I can't quite grasp where you see Valve doing something in the wrong except to complain about them doing things virtually every game company does. I'd like a little clarification, if you don't mind.
tunderball said:
Whats with all the Valve bashing going on today. Seriously they're like one of the best game deelopers out their and actually seem to care about their products before and after release. Oh and who cares if they haven't always developed a game from the ground up, part of all the media industry is recognising a good idea and having the guts to follow it through.
Seriously this thread is like having a go at Peter Jackson for just directing and not writing the Lord of the Rings.
I've noticed this as well. It seems like a group of people have decided to all but spam this forum with Valve hate. I'm not sure what's spurred this assault, but pretty much every thread I've seen in this regard is a blatant attempt at trolling. (and yes, I mean trolling.) They're just threads created to insult Valve and anyone who likes them. None have had any real discussion value at all. Not to mention most of the OPs that start them make personal attacks at anyone who posts a differing view from theirs.
