Valve Should Really Shut Their Mouth – “Twiggy” The PushSquare Opinionator

Nov 7, 2009

Valve Should Really Shut Their Mouth – “Twiggy” The PushSquare Opinionator

Category: Columns, Playstation 3

Tags: left 4 dead 2, twiggy, valve

Sorry Gabe, But I've Lost A Lot Of Respect For Your Company.

I have absolutely no problem with console exclusives. I love them, actually. Console exclusives are what make me a Playstation fan, a Nintendo fan and an XBOX fan. Granted I write my column on a Playstation website, that gives me a vested interest in the Sony side of things, but I still find it interesting the way a console exclusive can really define the philosophy of a platform. Halo and Gears Of War define the XBOX 360 just like Mario and Zelda do the Wii. Valve choose to keep their games exclusive to the XBOX 360 and PC platforms and I think that’s absolutely fine. What I do object to is their “fanboy” mentality they use to justify the decision. Insomniac Games handle the situation well – whenever asked about plans to release a multiplatform game they simply reiterate their Playstation alliance; no need for insults or backhanders. Why can’t Valve do the same?

Valve are great developers no doubt. Growing up as a purely console gamer, one of the first PC games I played was Half-Life. It’s a fantastic game. I’m not going to try and deny Valve have talent. But look, this Playstation 3 vendetta the team apparently have must stop. If nothing else, it’s making people look past Valve’s talent, and see the douchebags behind it.

GearBox’s Randy Pitchford spoke out about Valve earlier this week, likening their mentality to fanboys. The fact is, if Valve don’t want to develop on Playstation 3, they don’t necessarily have to give a reason. They don’t have to make a comment. They don’t need to say anything. All they need to say is that they are developing games for the XBOX 360 and PC.

Valve’s comments yesterday, which I must admit were probably taken out of context a little, showed a real lack of understanding from the company. They claim the community options of the PC and XBOX 360 “fit” their game Left 4 Dead and that’s why they aren’t bringing it to Playstation 3. Have Valve touched a Playstation recently? As far as I’m concerned, the PS3 has all the features of the XBOX 360 aside from Cross-Game Chat. The comments would have made sense in 2007 but, no matter how “inferior” you want to make the Playstation 3’s community functions look — the fact is, I can complete the simple task of jumping online and joining my friends game on PS3. Apparently Valve don’t think so.

If Valve continue to talk like this, they shoot themselves in the foot. There’s a potential consumer base on Playstation 3 that Valve could sell their games to. Even if they are poor ports, or not priority — there’s money to be made on Playstation 3. Or perhaps was – should Valve ever decide to port their projects to the Playstation would anyone actually buy them? As a community, Playstation 3 owners have been treated poorly, at the simple request of seeing the games on PS3.

If anything, Valve should be humbled by the PS3 community. Time and time again Sony platform owners have requested Valve games for the PS3. Instead of, in the least, being honoured that people want to play their games, Valve have talked shit on the Playstation 3 platform and customer base.

It’s such a shame that a talented company has a voice, because if they didn’t they wouldn’t have lost so much respect from the PS3 community. Sorry Valve, I’m done with you and your products. Not because you won’t develop for the PS3, but because you come across like utter idiots.

“Twiggy” is an anonymous PushSquare columnist who has been spotted in three major cities across the globe. It’s rumoured he’s on the run from the British monarchy who accused him of treason.

Previous entries in the “Twiggy” range:

leveldead

If you're done with their products over this then it clearly shows how personal you take things and how you are actually the problem when one talks about this console wars crap. Why? Well because other developers like Naughty Dog say the same things but they just have a little more class when they say it. They favor the PS3 and they at times speak as though they work for Sony and not as a game maker. Valve favors the Xbox 360 as it's closer to home for them. Naughty Dog favors the PS3 as it too is home to them. So when Valve says that Live is head and shoulders above PSN it's the same thing as our games are only possible on the PS3.

So in the end it's all about the games. Not the PR crap that goes with it.

Heartnet

Nah they only would say its only possible to make it on the ps3.. if in fact it is only possible to make it on the ps3... One Reason being that if the game goes over sumin like 10GB it cant be put onto the Xbox since the Disc wud have to be Blue Ray or HD DVD.. for instance MGS4 isnt possible on the ps3 since its a 30GB Game... Uncharted 2 aint possible because its a 25gb Game... Valve have slagged off Sony for such little things.. FACT!

xerotrinity

"Its only possible on the PS3", not, "This game isnt on the xbox because that system sucks huge donkey cock" says mister head PR man is a big difference.

Level headed

Naughty Dog favours the PS3 because they are owned by Sony.

Paranoimia

The only Valve game I ever played was Half Life, and I hated it because of its stupid ending.

As far as I'm concerned, I can easily do without Valve and their games - there are better titles out there from better developers, and they'll miss my money a lot more than I miss their games.

If they still feel that the PS3 is hard to develop for, when smaller, supposedly 'lesser' developers companies are turning out amazing titles on PS3, then Valve simply come across as inept and incapable. Hell, even one-man teams - today's equivalent of the 80s C64 and Spectrum 'bedroom coders' - are perfectly capable of developing decent titles for sale on PSN.

I can only presume that there's some kind of love-in going on behind the scenes as a result of Gabe's years working at Microsoft. Regardless of whether that sounds like a fanboy quote, it's the only logical explanation. I can't see it being a pay-off, as that wouldn't seem logical; the user-base of the PS3 may be smaller than the 360's, but it's still huge, and there's a shitload of money to be made from it - more, surely, than even MS would be willing to pay for a handful of games from one developer.

imagamernotahater

so by that reasoning, the PS3 exclusive developers should also shut their mouths when they come out with the obviously bull that their game is not possible on the 360 and can only be done on the 360. Talk about pot kettle. but thenj i dont hear you writing an editorial about that. then again this is a sony / ps3 website what else should we expect.

Duh

Except that the PS3s hardware is better so when devs say the games aren't possible on 360, they actually mean it.

nutbear96

Well everyone has a computer, right? And Valve games are only good on PC, right? So why don't they just cencel making games on Xbox and just for PC and then it will make PC gaming popular again and Valve makes the best PC games, right? And Valve runs Steam so Steam would have better sales, right? So just stop making games on for Microsoft (consoles!) and just focus on PC because if you play The Orange Box or Left 4 Dead on Xbox you aren't getting the better experience (PC).

luisx

Talk is cheap, if when the time comes for valve to make a PS3 game people will buy it. Do you really believe that what he said was actully heard by a great enough number of people to affect sales, And even those who say they will not buy it, do you really think that they will miss out on a potential game of the year, that is of course if the person talking is a real gamer. Actually a real gamer wouldn't even worry about which console it on.

supra5mge

Wow the haters really come out fast. I myself love exclusives too. I love all of my systems and spend too much time on all of them. Valve probably feels that because so many people on PSN are silent (read:Don't talk smack!) that the community is dead. I never put a mic on when I play 360 cuz I don't want to hear pwn pwn pwn over and over again. While yes you do get that on Playstation from time to time I think the age of the core user base makes itself apparent. We realize it is JUST A GAME and never take it too seriously, instead opting to have fun with some relaxing conversation.
This generation of consoles is crazy with all of the Fanboys. Most of my friends that own only a PS3 wont touch the 360 and vise versa. I just don't get it. Oh well.

Anon

"Except that the PS3s hardware is better so when devs say the games aren't possible on 360, they actually mean it."

Not true. Not matter what the companies want you to believe the X360 is more powerful. I work on games for a living, and within the industry it is a well known fact that the PS3 is the min spec console.

David Macphail

LOL, please explain why no game on the 360 looks even half as good as Uncharted 2 or Killzone 2 then.

If the 360 has better hardware then every team who develop for it must not have a clue what they're doing, since PS3 exclusives ALWAYS look and play better on "Min specs" as you put it.

You basically just said that every dev on the 360 is useless and should be fired because they've given a poorer end result from better hardware to work with...........

Name

"Not true. Not matter what the companies want you to believe the X360 is more powerful. I work on games for a living, and within the industry it is a well known fact that the PS3 is the min spec console."

Actually that's untrue; they both have their ups and downs but in terms of raw processing power PS3 is the most powersul console on the market at the minute.
And I do work on games and consoles for a living.

cfsage

If a developer speaks his mind they "come across as utter idiots"? That doesn't sound fair. Point of the matter is is that Valve wasn't happy with what happened to its PS3 port of The Orange Box. They're just not interested in investing the time, money, and research in developing for the PS3. The architecture is very different from the Windows and XBOX 360 platform, they also have a solid community between both XBOX LIVE and Steam. Your going to criticize them for focusing their efforts and bringing out good products?

Level headed

If it's all because they weren't happy with the PS3 port of orange box then maybe they should have done it themselves instead of passing it off to EA(?). Ports done by other company's always end up being inferior.

cfsage

Like I said, Valve isn't interested in spending the time and money required to develop for the PS3. They handed it off to EA b/c EA has a lot more experience developing for the PS3. It didn't work out and they decided to stay close to home. You won't drive a particular car for a certain reason right? Same deal here.

Level headed

But why act like an xbot and bash the consol. There are plenty of PS3 exclusives to prove Valve wrong; they should just shut up and get back to programming for xbox and pc's and not bother the world with their fanboyism

cfsage

Your comment only further proves my point. PS3 exclusive developers are solely focusing on the PS3 and probably receiving a whole lot more support from SONY due to the exclusive nature of the product. Valve would probably stop commenting on PS3 development if everyone would simply STOP ASKING. As the PS3's online community evolves I'm sure Valve will change its stance, but until that time if you want to play L4D, then purchase a PC or a XBOX 360.

dside

They're trying to conceal the fact that they're fat lazy idiots. It's been a known fact for years. With Uncharted 2, Killzone 2, Modern Warfare 2, Assassin's Creed 2, etc etc on the ps3, I couldn't give a fuck less about their games that look as if they had come out five years ago.

bellybuster12

look like they came out five years ago.........but when ever a valve games comes out it sweeps the awards.

lol@ps3 fanboys

grow up

Alch

So basically your saying, if you dont have anything nice to say, dont say it at all in relations to the PS3?

They gave a valid reason why the Xbox is more intune with L4D2. It has a better community, more live users, and easier integration. <shrug>

HopelessDeveloper

None of those are valid reasons, since it's highly suggestive. There are 29 million PSN users, as opposed to 17 million on the 360... how many of those are active accounts and gold memberships?

PSN is easier to get into, because it is free and available to everyone with an internet connection. The community is head and shoulder above xbox live in maturity level. I used to play xbox live religiously. I've even played Gears for MLG. I'm not some fanboy, it is the simple truth. So unless you are saying that L4D shouldn't be played by mature adults, and should be targeted at brats who think cussing masks the fact that they are social misfits, well then keep this POS multi-platform game on as few platforms as possible.

And the easier integration is also a joke, you need to jump through ridiculous hoops to meet the Microsoft TCRs, that force you to abandon all creativity and make your game the way they want you to. Sony offers more freedom, and some developers like Naughty Dog have made a better multiplayer experience than anything ever put on the 360 by far.

crossed23

I think basically what your saying Twiggy is that to some gaming is more than just the games. If you keep up with developers as I do, and one such as Valve comes out and talkes like the article does, its just not professional, and as a consumer it makes you not want the product. Im I go to a resturant and the waiter/waitress is talking complete trash about a store across the street I would get up and walk out, and I would prob go to the other store, especially if they have better service.

fuckyou intheass

Is your name Randy Pitchford? Or are you just a typical PS3 fanboy? OR IS IT BOTH?!

SKhan

Came here via N4G.com rss.

Being a PC gamer who has never owned a console except PSP, I have to say I love Valve games but as with most PC gamers, I have huge admiration for their support for the platform.

However, even I am disappointed at how immature a stance Valve takes against Playstation platform. Frankly, Valve is not gaining many admirations by being so silly and opinionated... even among its loyal fanbase.

HopelessDeveloper

I've given up on Valve, when they refused to update their shitty technology, or hire competent programmers. Learn to program for anything that isn't a PC (or a dumbed down PC like the 360), it isn't that hard, almost every other developer is able to.

What gets to me is how they are trying to mask their inability to be a competent developer, with fabricated limitations in the PS3 structure, that just don't exist. Valve shut your mouth until you earn the right to talk.

SiNTAX

Wow Twiggy, set off a little shit storm here, don't mind if I grab a chair and some popcorn...

Arjun Pun

I totally agree with this article. I salute the writer for being honest about the real fact that valve is microsoft bitch. They cud at least act decent and just stop bad mouthing ps3. I had notice valve as a worst game developer coz they get paid to say ps3 is hard to develop.

Michael Schwartz

wow...this guy isn't very good with grammar.

anonymously anonymous

ALL HAIL GRAMMAR NAZI's....

robert_doobie420

Valve is an independent developer they can do what ever they want it's not like they have to make the game for ps3. Why should they make games for the ps3 when the ps3 community aren't interested in there games? The effort in making the game is not worth it when games like the orange box sold poorly so all that time developing for the system is really pointless. God whoever wrote this article needs to stop being so but hurt and play it on his pc, I'm pretty sure his computer can handle it.

David Macphail

The only reason Valve won't develop for the PS3 is because it's too complicated for them and they're far too lazy to spend any real amount of time with the manual.

Look at that fat pig Gabe Newell, does he look like the kind of guy who spends as much time as humanly possible on anything? He looks like the kind of guy that goes with the attitude "If i can't do it inside 1 hour then it's not worth doing.".

Then he defends his decision by bashing the very console he's too uneducated to develop for.........pathetic.

do_butana

nah they dont spend any time on there games they just wave a wand and wallah its done!

theres a reason why when valve release a game its remembered for years to come, hell half life is STILL one of the best FPS available today after how many years?
counter strike is one of the most played games online STILL after how many years?

every single time valve release a game it gets nominated for GOTY theres a reason for that.

robert_doobie420

Also if you think valve games suck you need to get your head out of your ass. Valve is the best in the business and I feel sorry for you if you don't like their games.

David Macphail

I feel incredibly sorry for YOU if you think Valve is the best in the business........obviously you've never played ANY game that wasn't made by Valve.

Dave

Valve makes good games? Yeah thats about it, good games but not outstanding ones.

You`'ll find those on PS3. Im yet to find a game from Valve that I enjoyed and ive been gaming since before spectum and C64.

Mordecia

Here's my two cents: What I believe he meant when he said "community options" is that the people who own 360's are more suited to games like Left 4 Dead. Thats what all the PS3 fanboys in this giant internet fuckcloud say about 360 anyway. I guess they are right to a certain extent, considering I own only one console(360) and have 2 Halo games and 2 Gears of War games. All my games I buy from Valve(Left 4 Dead 1&2, Half-Life2, Counter Strike: Source, Day of Defeat: Source) are on my PC because we all know thats where true gaming is.

stephander

Sure yer done, let's see you pass up ep3, scrub fanboiiii

brianc6234

Valve is run by idiots. Gabe Newell is a tool. This clown who made a fool of himself this week should be fired. I don't own a PS3 but have a pretty powerful PC so I could buy the PC version of their games but I won't. As for the Half Life games, I don't even care for them. I tried playing the second game but got bored. I dont even care about their games. They should shut their filthy mouths though. I have too many great PS3 games to play to even care about games like Left 4 Dead.

Chris_Buffalo

I absolutely hate websites that don't edit their work, i'm done with this...

see what I did there... that means I really mean it...

willdigital

Leveldead made a great point. Just cause Vavle likes the 360 over the PS3 don't get mad. Now, i see is Vavle is being honest and people can't take it. They feel better focusing on the 360. Not sure how the Orange Box did on the PS3. (heard it was a bad port and sells were not good, not sure) But maybe that why they focus on the 360.

billgatesisthedevil

Valve is stupid, why make games to be pirated on a high failure rate system (360) and unpopular pc systems? Ps3 exusives are smart because they will not be pirated and the ps3 is bigger and better than 360 hardware wise. plus ps3 hooks the gamer up with peripherals which 360 you have buy all microsoft crap. all i have to say I bought half life 2 for ps3 and i didnt buy left 4 dead for xbox because of rrod. HAHAHAHA!!

jack

Fat fuck

john

amen! these guys are douche bags! i won't even buy their crap on the PC anymore...

do_butana

yeah that was completley hilarious!
gearbox studios giving valve flack for not supporting the PS3 when the ps3 version of borderlands is FUCKED!
i had so many issues with borderlands on the ps3 ranging from corrupt game data, to corrupt saved data TWICE I LOST MY SAVE DATA 20 HOURS DOWN THE DRAIN!

i mean seriously, guys, if your going to give someone flack about something make sure your doing a excelling job yourself.

clickmyface

See though, I don't think you get it, and I think Valve does. You dismiss the cross-game chat like it's not significant, but it is. There is an entire ecosystem built around it. For many, including myself, the feature is important every day. My brother lives a days drive away, but we still talk every day. How? If not through email or txt, then through Xbox Live. We coop in L4D or we play separate games and talk in private or party voice chats. Sometimes, we just sign on to talk. It's essentially like Skyping or talking on the phone, except far more entertaining and enjoyable. Lots of us have PS3s, but theres no question about picking XBOX for all multiplayer FPS because we know the coop/chat experience is superior on XBL.

Mint

Looking at this objectively, Valve COULD have legitimate reasons for claiming the game "fits" the 360 better. You raise the "cross-game chat" as the only difference, and in doing so completely fail to acknowledge the differences between PSN and Live, and the number of players on each. Live is inarguably the better service, and is far more popular as such. This means that not only will there be a higher likelyhood of a truly unique match of players, but the chat in itself will play a part. Playing L4D without voice chat would be fucking stupid.

But more importantly, everyone seems to be of the belief that Valve are the only people to claim the PS3 is a bitch to develop for. Worse still, some ignorant motherfuckers want to just assume that's wrong due to some fanboyish love of what is at the very heart of it, a hardware developer. Not your father, not your best friend, a company that makes hardware. I work in the games industry, believe me when I say developing for the PS3 isn't just something you get anyone to do, you need people specifically skilled in that area, whereas developing for the 360 you can get people who develop for the pc also. Being that developing for the PS3 is a specific skill, it is therefore less available. This also leads to the problem that you may get someone who just isn't all that great. So before you flap gums about how much of an injustice it is against the PS3, bear in mind the ability to develop for the PS3 means hiring devs who can ONLY develop for a PS3 game. That means money, time, and all of this for a console with a smaller fanbase. If you still cannot see how this is fiscally dangerous for any developer, then you're too far into the fanboy camp to be reasoned with, and I'll take my leave. Ciao.

Level headed

You've missed the whole point. They offer up pathetic excusses for not developing for the PS3; they bash it like an xbot. If they don't want to develope for it; then fine - just don't slag off about the consol. Stuff like this will hurt the sales of the PS3 and as a PS3 owner; I'd prefer sales not to be diminished so we don't get over look by other 3rd party devs.

PS3 Owner

well to tell valve something... i now have to buy only original game copies to play on my PS3.. thr is no other way.. so even if 1/2 of ps3 owners play a valve game their revenue will be more than that of Xbox and PC combined.. It is time they learn how to do the math..

Twiggy

Guys, this has gotten so out of hand. Even the Examiner have ironically flamed the piece I wrote as a "hit magnet" (ironically landing themselves on the front page of N4G in the process).

Merely, the point I was trying to make was, it's absolutely fine if Valve don't want to make PS3 games. But if they don't want to make them, they should be avoiding fanning the PS3 flames and just avoiding questions about it. Everytime they talk about the PS3 they make themselves look silly, so why not just reiterate their dedication to the PC and XBOX 360 and done with it?

That's all I was saying. Has nothing to do with "fanboy this" and "fanboy that".

Thanks! :)

Gumball04

I personally think valve don't have what it takes too develop on the PS3, as EA ported The Orange Box to PS3 instead of valve. Yes their games are good, but their development team suck, pitty really, I'm sure it will sting them in the ass 1 day.

Mint

A massively foolish comment. Their games are "good" (understatement) and yet their development team suck? That is a contradiction in terms, even barring the lack of credit for some of the best games ever made. The entire half life series redefined story based first person adventures. The Source engine is a phenomenal piece of work. Left 4 dead is quite literally the greatest coop game ever made. To say they are "good" is just not being realistic, they are fantastic. But you think they "don't have what it takes"? Get a grip man, Valve are not the first to say Sony's architecture doesn't lend itself to making great games without difficulty. This doesn't make them poor developers, it makes them a more considered developer. The only companies to have made stand out games for the PS3, are PS3 only companies. Everyone else, particularly those making multi-plat, have made games of less impressive quality, than a console far older than it.

nombre

I really don't care about Valve developing only on 360 & PC. I'm just pissed because Valve released an unfinished Orange Box game for the PS3, which I then had to re-buy on PC (Only TF2, though). You don't release an unfinished game, say "oh well", then move on without losing respect. It's like buying a car without things like a radio, an AC, seatbelts, or padded seats. You can still run the car, but its still not completed. Oh well. Valve has lost my money.

Mint

Valve didn't make the Orange box released on the PS3, it was ported by another company, hence the lack of quality.

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