Half life 31/3/2024 ![]() I think most people would blindly throw cash at any new experience bearing the Left 4 Dead, Half-Life, or Portal names. Valve’s decision makers love to explore new ventures, but why give up on game development? Is Steam generating that much revenue that a successful game isn't even worth their time? Even if that were the case, why not have a Valve Games division? Again, it seems like easy money. As I jokingly tell my friends, Valve is either the smartest company in the world to know these games won't continue to sell or the dumbest for leaving easy money on the table. As evidenced by games like Dota and Team Fortress, which continue to be supported through downloadable content, the studio has clearly moved away from traditional game development and single-player experiences. ![]() Valve is sitting on a goldmine, yet, given the lack of movement for many of these games, appears to have little interest in making new entries any time soon. They want to see what a Boomer’s bile would look like on new-gen machines. They want to know what happened to Gordon Freeman. Each one of these titles has a rabid fan base, and people screaming for sequels or more content. Not many studios reach this level of success. Half-Life, Counter-Strike, Left 4 Dead, Team Fortress, Portal, Dota most developers would kill for this catalog of sure-fire hits. Valve rarely falters with the games it creates. The move away from game development being a primary focus jumped out as the story that should be explored. If you look at the history of games, Valve has taken a different stance in each of the most recent generations from game developer to digital-delivery platform to the current incarnation of a studio dabbling in VR and hardware. This company isn't afraid to shed its skin and alter the heart of its business. We rarely see what goes on behind their doors, yet they both continue to be leaders in the video game industry, and for dramatically different reasons. Both studios are closed-off and mysterious, the video game equivalents of Willy Wonka and his chocolate factory. In my search for another dive into a company, Valve and Nintendo showed the most promise, but neither presented an easy entry point. ![]() While that article sadly chronicled the demise of LucasArts, my investigative work uncovered dozens of interesting side stories, many of which have never been told. In the months following the publication of my “ Fall of the Empire” feature, I wanted to write more stories about the inner workings of video game development studios. ![]()
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