Face it, everytime you’re beginning to get ‘famous’ in a way or another, everyone starts to ask you what’s your opinion on everything. I’m not too fond on giving personal opinions in public, but hey… this is a blog after all. So, stop sending us e-mails, here’s our opinion.
With the recent announcement that Valve would be releasing Left 4 Dead 2 just one year after the first one, we’ve all been a bit shocked. Frankly, I was the first to shout a big ‘WTF’ and call it a prank when Geoffroy told me about it. We honestly thought that people at Valve had lost their mind, changed their business strategy and just realized there was tons of money to make there and that they just had to jump on the occasion, vomiting at the face of early adopters, all-time fans and modders just like a boomer would do.
Honestly, I felt ‘betrayed’ by this announce for a few reasons.
- First, Left 4 Dead was sold for a ridiculously high price for what it was. I mean, 50€ makes $70 for a quickly polished but unfinished mod where Team Fortress 2 cost a third of this price and is supported for free since its release. It seems like Valve forgot the reason why the TF2 model works so well (or so it seems), which has nearly quadrupled in size since it was launched (It started with 6 maps, it’s now on 24). They mention that 20 new weapons is too much for a free DLC, but that’s exactly what the TF2 team has done, and it wasn’t only re-skins.
- Second, there was only four campaigns with only two of them available in versus mode, that was pretty cheap for 70 bucks, even if I almost played it a million hours since it came out.
- Then, I thought about all the quality custom content that would be released a few months after, that same content WE are trying to add to the game but for which we’re still all waiting for an official support 7 months later (matchmaking anyone?).
- But more importantly, what about their constant preaching about what is a real customer service and how you should make games? Isn’t it Gabe Newell himself who declared this:
‘So we’ll do the same thing with Left 4 Dead where we’ll have the initial release and then we’ll release more movies, more characters, more weapons, unlockables, achievements, because that’s the way you continue to grow a community over time.’
Gabe Newell on VideoGamer.com a few months ago.
Now, what’s the situation? We got this barely interesting survival mode that basically makes a whole game mode with the worst parts of the original game (personal opinion). Well, sure it was free, but that was just the right price for what it was. Then we got 7 achievements linked with it, which are totally impossible to unlock for me because the game keeps resetting my medals count. And we got the two missing campaigns in versus mode. Now where are the new campaigns? Weapons? Unlockables? Survivors? Zombies?
Most people feel betrayed because they already felt that they paid largely enough money for a game that was half-finished, or even because they payed for it while keeping in mind that there was going to be a TF2-like support behind the price, and that’s my case. Trying to gather people into a community is a good thing, but making them pay the full price again for something you said was going to be free while preventing everyone from making their own custom content is really shooting yourself in the foot. I looks like Valve is preventing people to make user-content hopping that more people would buy their own.
Now, let’s face it again, we’re all going to buy this Left 4 Dead 2 (well, I guess), but Valve’s reputation seems to be going down again and again after each of their recent moves. First there was this HUGE price increase with the stupid 1€ = $1 conversion on Steam (remember kids, it’s still 1€ = $1.41 today), then Left 4 Dead came out half-finished, and now they’re lying to customers luring them to buy their stuff. What’s next? Of course we’re not hating them, since we’re all day-one fans of their work, but somehow, it still feels wrong. As Doug Lombardi said on Rock Paper Shotgun, we should just trust them a little bit… but with this full price tag coming along with what seems like just a few minor changes to the game (honestly, who cares about adding a frying pan as a weapon), this is not going to be easy. Let’s just wait and see how it turns out.
P.S.: No one’s against a Left 4 Dead 2 by the way, as long as they finish the first one. On the other hand, everyone knows they’re not a charity company, but when you make promises, you should try to respect it.
I totally agree with you. And also look at those new characters. Who wants to play with a big fat american guy character? Wtf?
thats just your personal opinion, when they changed the first characters from l4d1 everybodey was flaming, but now they love them. i for one will like to play as coach.
@Anonymous:
Yeah, basically, that's exactly what I said.
Personally I feel that whilst the L4D2 thing is annoying, the 1 EUR = 1 USD thing is the worst thing they've ever done by far.
It is just spitting in the eye of every non-American gamer. But we've come to expect that really. If you game outside of Japan or North America you are worse than scum according to some.
Well, for one thing the pricing on Steam sucks in general, as long as you are in Euro-Land.
But I can live with that as long as I can still buy the game for cheap at some online shop and activate in Steam afterwards.
Also, especially many smaller and independent games do have appropriate Euro prices, so there still are opportunities to get games for a fair price on Steam.
On L4D2:
From all that I have heard from the Rock Paper Shotgun Preview and their podcast interview with one of the developers i think that L4D2 will be worth the full price – if and only if Valve fulfills their promise of supporting Custom Content and delivers the promised changes to matchmaking for L4D1 in the next months.
I don't feel that L4D was 'unfinished' in any way. Even before any updates I way more then $50 worth of fun with that game. Then they released more versus maps and a new mode, awesome!!
I will buy L4D2 because I know it will be a polished game (even thought it is coming out quick) and I don't expect Valve to just hand me all their hard work for free.
I think that it will be something more than just adding a frying pan weapon. It looks like the game actually is going show enough changes to call it "2". The new(better) AI director, different location in the world and different "story".
But still…L4D1 still has so much of a potential. There are only 4 campaigns…It's just not ready to be forgotten(this could happen when a newer, better thing comes out). And of course I agree with the money thing.
Maybe it should be more like "Left 4 Dead: Episode 1" rather than Left 4 dead 2…
Who knows…we may all change our minds in 5 months. Depends on what will happen to L4D1 during that time.
I have to say that Nicolas couldn't have explained my opinion of this Valve move better.
I bought the game expecting additional content to be released, and now I'm being disappointed. You won't see me buy L4D2 unless they make my L4D1 purchase worth it.
This is beginning to become like a Battlefield game, releasing entirely new games when the previous one was still like a beta.
I'm willing to wait and see what information comes in the following months. Yes, I will be pissed that L4D2 has all the things promised as DLC for L4D and ideas from the community who have played the game. I'll wait to see if they actaully say that owners of L4D have to pay. To me the game is a modified L4D as it will play all the content for L4D and the game play videos still look and feel like L4D.
When Valve states definitivly point blank that all who wish to play L4D2 have to pay, then I think it might be class action time for a broken verbal contract and bait&switch;.
valve a perdu ma confiance lors de l'annonce de L4D2…
Sortir une "suite" si prématurément avec si peu d'innovation…
Quel foutage de gueule !
J'espère juste que le jeu ne scindera pas la communauté en deux et que le suivi de L4D premier du nom sera maintenu, mais bon je pense me tromper !
Même si nous boycottons le jeu, le jeu ne sera pas annulé, le mal est déjà fais, quelle preuve d'amour de la part de Valve pour ses fans !
je prie pour que les modeurs suite à l'annonce du 2 ne sapera pas leurs motivations pour nous pondre de nouvelles campagnes car maintenant on ne pourra compter que sur vous pour avoir des nouvelles campagnes !
Dude,its paid and not payed..
"I have to say that Nicolas couldn't have explained my opinion of this Valve move better."
Same for me. Thanks a lot for this resume.
So players having L4D2 will have maps from the first so they could probably play with L4D1 player? but L4D1 cannot play with L4D2 players?
L4D1 is still going to be updated but to which point? Will there be new campaign? Only rich players who will buy L4D2 will be able to get L4D2 AND L4D1 new campaigns?
What a mess!
Anyway, good luck with "I hate mountain"!
and have fun : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=koM4wyfCA_c
Does anyone else think that that at least part of the reason for this is the simultaneous console release?
This doesn't sound like Valve, but it does sound a lot like EA. I know they're just the distributor, but it is suspicious…
With supporting L4D they make no money, and they only want to make money, thats the reason for L4D2.
I dont buy that daylight crap :(
Yeah but the question is : what about I hate mountains ?
L4D1 or L4D2 ?
@Smad:
Definitely still Left 4 Dead 1 =)
I hate mountains has been designed for your favourite l4d characters. Definitely unsplittable ;)
i hate Left 4 dead 2 >:[
They should have atleast branded it as an expansion pack and released it for half the money.
So…there's a Steam Community group boycotting Left 4 Dead 2.
http://steamcommunity.com/groups/L4D2boycott
I also hate the decision, maybe if we spam mails to them they will release L4D2 as dlc :P.
Btw, nice dubbing of an Belgium video.
They're just treating fans like shi… oh no, wait a sec, like sheep !
Yeah, like sheep : If you're stupid enough to spent 70$ in a crappy 1.5 version, let's face it : fly to ireland, get yourself a shepard, and live a happy life.
Whens the next update. Im getting impatient. >:]
Yea that article has a lot of errors. For one, Valve became famous after Half-life.
2. Stop comparing TF2 to L4D, THEIR NOT EVEN CLOSE TO EACH OTHER, that's like comparing Half-Life 2 to Portal.
3. L4D is well worth the money. Today, you are lucky if a game is barely 6 hours. I've spent endless hours of L4D
Totally agree with this article, btw Very nice site