Why Valve isn't making games...

[moproblems99]

So it seems our best friends over at Valve haven't had time to actually make games because they have been doing the important work of making loot boxes better!

https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2019...ng-your-brainwaves-to-tailor-in-game-rewards/

But one suggestion in particular raised our alarms: adjusting virtual goodies in a game on the fly. "We can figure out what kinds of rewards you like, and the kinds you don't," Ambinder suggested, potentially based on the physiological responses a player might have from getting loot. He didn't talk to the very severe privacy implications of this feedback loop, however, nor about the abuse potential for having a game pump players with loot-driven endorphins at the moment they might start getting bored. (Slot machine and loot box mechanics are already decried for artificially toying with player expectations to hook them longer.)

 

[Vayra86]

Sometimes I do wonder if the people with a normal brain are getting scarce. I mean, if you're a developer that wants to make good games, this is like using doping to get your win. No need to make a good game with real mechanics, just add a slot machine and mine data.

If Valve wants to really sell MTX all they need to do is tell us there is a 0.001% chance of pulling out a Half Life 3. There, you can fire your data analytics team now. Of course in jest, but with a deep truth in it too: they know exactly what gamers want. They just choose not to make it, or spoonfeed it, or rape a concept because money must be made and there is no way a good game sells on its own, right...? History is full of examples of awesome games that millions play but make no money... oh wait its not unless they were F2P.

 

[Argyr]

hordes of brainless multiplayer arena shooter addict kids killed emotional and intellectual story driven action gaming.

I always dream of winning the lottery and founding a studio +buying the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. IP rights to make a proper sequel.
You can't win the lottery if you don't buy tickets tho...

 

[Vario]

HL2 was insanely overrated. What valve is good at is running a store and they should stick to it.

 

[FreedomEclipse]

HL2 was insanely overrated. What valve is good at is running a store and they should stick to it.

L4D was fun as hell though. Pity that their legacy of making games is buried under their store.

 

[moproblems99]

HL2 was insanely overrated. What valve is good at is running a store and they should stick to it.

Even that is getting debatable given recent events.

 

[blobster21]

I remember a similar document leaked on the internet that was published here by a forum member.

Photos of this internal document describded a mecanism to evaluate the gamer's mood and give /deny the appropriate rewards.

Edit: Yeah ! found it !

https://imgur.com/a/rhFuj

 

[R-T-B]

HL2 was insanely overrated. What valve is good at is running a store and they should stick to it.

Considering the eras competition, I'm going to have to harshly disagree. But to each their own.

 

[Flogger23m]

That is certainly disappointed but not unexpected. Valve is very much out of touch with reality. Newell is a nice person in general but it is too bad Valve is wasting away what little time he has left chasing pointless passion projects and figuring out new ways to cater to the lowest common denominator of gaming. Remember when Valve used to be about being creative and pushing games forward? Wish they would go back to that before Newell dies of a heart attack. Whoever takes over will make people happy for Epic Store's competition.

 

[moproblems99]

I remember a similar document leaked on the internet that was published here by a forum member.

Photos of this internal document describded a mecanism to evaluate the gamer's mood and give /deny the appropriate rewards.

Edit: Yeah ! found it !
]

If you read through the rest of the slide deck you posted the picture of, it makes this project look like rainbows.

 

[Deleted member 24505]

They make their money now selling in game shite to addicted fuckwit kids

 

[Vario]

Considering the eras competition, I'm going to have to harshly disagree. But to each their own.

Just some of the many other excellent story driven FPS games from the same time period ...

Painkiller, F.E.A.R., Doom 3+ROE, COD 1+2, Quake 4, Far Cry 1, Riddick Butcher Bay, Halo2,

 

[Deleted member 24505]

Riddick Butcher Bay was a very excellent but haard game imo. The modelling of Vin diesel was very good.

 

[R-T-B]

painkiller, F.E.A.R., Doom 3+ROE, COD 1+2, Quake 4, Far Cry 1, Riddick Butcher Bay, Halo2,

Halo... 2?

Nah man. We just have differing opinions here. And that's ok.

I did miss a lot of those though due to my mom being a age rating snob. Maybe I remember half life 2 so fondly because it was easy to smuggle in via coaxial cable internet...

 

[rtwjunkie]

Just some of the many other excellent story driven FPS games from the same time period ...

Painkiller, F.E.A.R., Doom 3+ROE, COD 1+2, Quake 4, Far Cry 1, Riddick Butcher Bay, Halo2,

All excellent and timeless games (except HALO2), but all pale to HL2. HL2 is quite frankly the model of what a good game is, from story to level design to game mechanics.

 

[R-T-B]

All excellent and timeless games (except HALO2), but all pale to HL2. HL2 is quite frankly the model of what a good game is, from story to level design to game mechanics.

The only thing I think that really aged poorly in the whole game was their infatuation with their somewhat dated (by modern standards) physics engine. Yes it was bleeding edge... almost a decade and a half ago. Thankfully most "physics puzzles" weren't too complicated and worked for the most part well.

 

[64K]

The only thing I think that really aged poorly in the whole game was their infatuation with their somewhat dated (by modern standards) physics engine. Yes it was bleeding edge... almost a decade and a half ago. Thankfully most "physics puzzles" weren't too complicated and worked for the most part well.

Blasphemer.

You know damned well that HL2 was a classic. Admit it.

The only thing that I can find to complain about the game is the obnoxious NPCs that "help" me by getting in the way when I need to move quickly and they block me.

 

[Sybaris_Caesar]

Did Valve ever make any game(s) outside Half Life? Iirc Dota was a mod of WoW where they hired the modders? Same for Counter Strike. And Left For Dead by the guys who made Evolve iirc. And googling reveals that even Team Fortress was a mod for Quake.

Valve has enough money now. So they should just become a publisher like 2K or EA methinks.

Or licence their IP to studios that WANT (or need) to make games. Although this option is quite risky since the universe of their IP isn't large and runs the risk of garbage games.

Maybe they should just stick to publishing and try to coaxe/fund some console exclusives to come to PC. I'm all for Beyond Two Souls, Heavy Rain and Detroit Become Human to come to PC but from all intent and purpose, they look like Eric Games Store exclusives and not even timed ones. F that. F EGS. Just gonna pirate it. Maybe IF EGS becomes feature-rich in a few years (user review for one. I know they said it's upto the devs but I'll just ignore games without user reviews TBH) or the games come to Steam, I'm gonna buy it then. Or maybe not pirate it even, just tune it out like all the console exclusives.

 

[64K]

Did Valve ever make any game(s) outside Half Life? Iirc Dota was a mod of WoW where they hired the modders? Same for Counter Strike. And Left For Dead by the guys who made Evolve iirc. And googling reveals that even Team Fortress was a mod for Quake.

Valve has enough money now. So they should just become a publisher like 2K or EA methinks.

Or licence their IP to studios that WANT (or need) to make games. Although this option is quite risky since the universe of their IP isn't large and runs the risk of garbage games.

Maybe they should just stick to publishing and try to coaxe/fund some console exclusives to come to PC. I'm all for Beyond Two Souls, Heavy Rain and Detroit Become Human to come to PC but from all intent and purpose, they look like Eric Games Store exclusives and not even timed ones. F that. F EGS. Just gonna pirate it. Maybe IF EGS becomes feature-rich in a few years (user review for one. I know they said it's upto the devs but I'll just ignore games without user reviews TBH) or the games come to Steam, I'm gonna buy it then. Or maybe not pirate it even, just tune it out like all the console exclusives.

A Portal 3 would be nice.

 

[rtwjunkie]

Just gonna pirate it.

Just gonna recommend you read the site rules.

 

[Splinterdog]

HL2 was insanely overrated. What valve is good at is running a store and they should stick to it.

Each to his own, but HL2 was a spectacular story driven game and was far from being overrated.
It also has replyability which few games have today.
Shame Valve can't come up with more of that magic.

 

[Lightning]

A Portal 3 would be nice.

How dare you write that number ?

 

[Vario]

The fanboat level and the car level were so tedious and long. I think it lost me at that point. Such a bland forgettable shooter. The gothic zombie level didn't fit with rest of the game. Nah that game was terrible compared with F.E.A.R. The only part of HL2 I liked was the prison at the end, that was done well.

 

[Vayra86]

HL2 was insanely overrated. What valve is good at is running a store and they should stick to it.

You actually said it. I've been thinking it for quite some time. But maybe I just need to give it another whirl. Thing is, HL1 was worth multiple playthroughs but HL2... never got that far. It just didn't stick and the novelty was off + I missed the brilliant opener HL1 had. HL1 just sucked you right into Black Mesa and there's only one way out - straight through it.

 

[Vario]

That was the best era for first person shooters and in my opinion, HL2 was one of the weaker offerings. It had better graphics than its competition, and I think that was what sold it. I replay a lot of old games from that time period each year.