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May 23, 2012

Tag: Valve

April 5, 2010

The Real Zynga vs. Valve

by Frank — Categories: Gaming — Tags: , , , — 1 Comment

This weekend I was privy to a curious little battle over at one of my favorite sites in the Escapist. Every year, they hold a little elimination tournament mirroring the NCAA College Basketball contest, only with developers. Normally, the Escapist’s March Mayhem is filled with a few spirited discussions but nothing too crazy. That changed this year with the semi-finals matchup of Zynga (a Facebook games developer best known for Farmville, Mafia Wars, and more) versus Valve (known for Half-Life, Left 4 Dead, and others).

With the encroachment of casual gaming that has been sparked by the Wii and continued with the rise of Facebook games, the contest turned not just into a developer vs. developer showdown but one that was casual vs. hardcore gamers. The lines in the sand were drawn and multiple volleys were sent back and forth between the two camps that has culminated in, as of this writing, almost 600 pages of posts and a total of almost 50,000 votes.

Though I ultimately supported Valve in this endeavor, it’s interesting to see how casual games have inspired passionate feeling on both the positive and negative ends of the spectrum. Though Zynga took a lot of hits for not being a “real” game developer, there’s nothing like a little competition to get things going, and it took Steam matching Zynga’s aggressive advertising campaign for the contest to beat them.

Honestly, I don’t get all the hostile feeling about casual gaming. Games in the casual arena are just that, casual. The bread and butter of the industry’s passion is going to be hardcore gamers, while casual games serve as a gateway to people not freaking out and thinking games are nothing but stealing cars, shooting people, or causing explosions. Neither arena is going to take over the other any time soon, and even practical business sense knows that a diverse market is a healthy market.

When the dust cleared, and Valve emerged victorious after a hard-fought battle, both sides, despite not really wanting to admit it, probably learned something about each other. Whether or not that actually means casual and hardcore games can exist in the same market remains to be seen – but both have advantages and disadvantages you really can’t dismiss out of hand.

March 2, 2010

Valve’s Viral Vision

by Frank — Categories: Gaming — Tags: , , , , — Leave a comment

It seems that Valve is at it again with some viral marketing, releasing a curious update yesterday to puzzle game darling Portal that included a new achievement and some curious radio message data. If you’re curious about the shenanigans, you can check Jim Sterling’s latest article on Destructoid about the Portal craziness, or alternatively the live decoding thread on the Steam forums.

I do have to say that seeing viral marketing work properly – that is to say, overt but not obvious, teasing but not condescending – is entertaining business. If you check the thread, you can see people have brought those cryptography and puzzle-solving talents to bear, figuring out an interpretation of the sounds and then the image data within hours. The fact that Valve has also been notably tight-lipped about helping is also a great way to increase the mystery and keep the high interest going.

Having something to speculate about is one thing – I mean, people have been asking for what might be Portal 2 and of course, Half-Life Episode 3 for quite some time now. But having something to speculate about along with a breadcrumb of data idly dropped by a developer? That makes the process of waiting just a little bit more exciting if not good marketing. People remember decently good viral campaigns, because they are both complex in their planning but simple in their execution. Obviously, if a game doesn’t live up to the marketing, you might think that the virus might not have done its job, but from a certain perspective, if it’s created the kind of buzz and short term exposure needed to make people aware, it just might have.

Anyway, I’m looking forward to seeing the results of the image data (all very curious pics, you should definitely check them out) as well as the big reveal that Valve might have up its sleeve with all this. I hope you are too!

September 24, 2009

Overly Positive Thoughts – And They Ate (L4D2) Cake

by Frank — Categories: Gaming — Tags: , , — Leave a comment
Left 4 Dead 2
Image by Kimli via Flickr

You guys and gals may remember a previous Overly Positive Thoughts installment where I lauded the praises of the Left 4  Dead 2 boycotters who bravely decided that Valve being uncharacteristically fast with a sequel was a bad thing. Well, for those who haven’t been able to follow that I wanted them to eat cake, it seems there’s an update on the boycott front.

Seems that Destructoid reported a while back that Valve decided to up the ante by confidently inviting the leaders of the boycott to Valve’s sekrit studios in order to try out the L4D2 game, look at the L4D DLC content that was coming, and then come to a decision based on that information about how they felt. Not surprisingly, the two leaders of the boycott group did have kind words to say about L4D2, even though they want to continue the boycott until individual concerns are addressed.

The boycott group is now split between people who have been taking in the information given to them as a result of the trip with some pause or rational judgment, and those rabidly screeching that their own leaders sold out and that they were paid by cake, cookies, and possibly whores of Babylon to deep-six their own group’s cause. The resulting angst, veiled jealousy, and arguing that Valve’s little trip has caused threatens to crack the group’s very foundations.

But hey, everyone should take heart even though their two most prominent members are perhaps eating cake that is flavored with quite a bit of crow in the middle of it. Surely the group will come together in a Superfriends-style ending and shun the soulless corporate attempts of Gabe Newell and the rest of the Valve crew to buy them off. It’s a certainty that some of these people who are still part of the boycott will actually refuse to purchase L4D2 when it comes out, and even though they might look much like forlorn kids looking inside a candy store, they’ll be secure in their beliefs, right?

Surely this didn’t reveal that most of the boycotters were divided into several neat camps of “stick it to the man”, “I’m too cheap to pay for something”, and “rebellion is cool”. They all got under the banner of one cause, and damnit, just like Mel Gibson in Braveheart, they’re willing to lose their heads over the freedom that that means. On the day of launch for L4D2, those that don’t welch out and buy the game anyway because it’s actually well-designed and a true sequel will be the real hardcore, true believers in this worthy, totally not fad-oriented movement.

Besides, if anything else, this is a valuable lesson for all those haters out there – if you want to have an all-expenses paid trip to play the game of your dreams, just start some hater group out there for it and be as vocal as a screaming, kicking baby about it. Hell, if you’re that loud, maybe you’ll even get free alcohol. At the bare minimum, you’ll at least get some crow cake.

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June 13, 2009

The Left 4 Dead 2 Boycott – Let Them Eat Cake

by Frank — Categories: Gaming — Tags: , , — 1 Comment

cakeSo by now some of you may have read the Overly Positive Thoughts I had on Left 4 Dead 2. In my own way, I tried to cheer up those crazy, dedicated L4D2 boycotters, and since the numbers have just gotten larger, it seems I’ve got to whip out a little more optimism for them all.

Let’s try to picture this whole Left 4 Dead 2 situation like something most of these people enjoy: cake.

Say that there’s a city bakery in town. The bakery is perhaps different from other bakeries in that it tends to take its time releasing new kinds of cake for the people in town to enjoy. Sure, the time that it takes for the bakery to decide on a cake, design it, polish it, and give it to the ravenously hungry public is slower than a glacier melting, but despite complaints, people love this bakery’s cake.

One year, the bakery comes out with a brand new cake – zombie-flavored chocolate cake with sprinkles. Now, aside from the fact that it seems rather obvious that everyone should love a chocolate cake with sprinkles, the bakery takes their time, as usual, with the cake. When the cake is released to the adoring public, they eat it up – literally – and it’s so popular that countless hours are spent making more zombie cakes for people to eat. This is especially needed considering that the giant third layer of some other great tasting cake is taking longer than usual to make – and people are still hungry.

So because people are constantly hungry for their cake products, and because zombie-flavored chocolate cake with sprinkles is pretty easy to make from a basic perspective, the bakery announces that a brand new zombie-flavored chocolate cake will be showing up – and not only will it have sprinkles, but it’ll also have injected vanilla frosting, better eggs for baking, new flour formula, a dusting of Godiva fudge chips, and of course, strawberries. Happy and confident that the hungry people beating down their door every day will be satisfied, they place a giant placard in the front window proclaiming the new creation, with a single, fake-model slice for better visual detail. Surely with a new cake coming out so soon, the people would be nothing but ecstatic.

To the bakery’s surprise, the very next day, there are protesters outside. This is particularly confusing for several reasons. For one, the protesters are pointing to the fake-model and talking about how terrible it looks, which is odd considering it’s made out of plastic and covered in enamel – hardly edible. They’re also demanding more zombie-flavored chocolate cake with sprinkles, which is doubly odd because it’s clearly still on the menu for ordering. Some of them have started to demand that the new cake be free, and while the bakery has given out some nice little additions and cake toppers to their other cake orders in the past, a brand new cake hardly costs nothing. But the most puzzling part of it all, is that several protesters have taken a look on the bakery website, noted the live camera of the bakery where the ingredients for the cake are laid out and being mixed for testing, and have immediately begun saying the cake is going to suck, and suck hard.

The head baker, confused as he is, decides to clarify things, so a placard is placed in the window, next to the picture of the brand new zombie-flavored, vanilla-injected, chocolate-and-strawberry masterpiece, stating the obvious – that the new cake isn’t finished, that the old cake can still be bought and eaten, and that there might, just might, be a way to create new custom orders with both cakes. Shrugging his shoulders, he walks away, hoping that these people will understand, but knowing that there are more sensible and not-so-confused customers waiting in line for cakey goodness.

The moral of the story? Aside from making people terribly hungry for cake, you can hardly judge a creation when it hasn’t even been finished yet, let alone judge what whoever makes it will do with it. I think that while the Left 4 Dead 2 Boycott does continue, I do hope that they aren’t so miffed as to not check up on how things are several months from now, when the ingredients are being really shaped and the recipe details are being released. Until then, go have a slice of cake. It might just calm the nerves, just a tad.

June 4, 2009

Overly Positive Thoughts: The Left 4 Dead 2 Boycott

by Frank — Categories: Gaming — Tags: , , — 4 Comments
L4D Smoker Sock Monkey
Image by Mrs. Gemstone via Flickr

You know, even for the worst situations, there needs to be a bit of a silver lining, a bright light in the darkness, a fruity center in a massively dry jelly donut. Overly Positive Thoughts puts on the old thinking cap, takes a look at a bad situation, and turns those frowns upside down.

For this week’s Overly Positive Thoughts, we take a look at a curious little story from the corner of the web regarding everyone’s favorite zombie shooter hit from Valve, Left 4 Dead.

Seems that the announcement of the inevitable sequel, Left 4 Dead 2, which is coming to all us survivors in mid November of this year, was not met with 100% praise and adoration (someone hates something on the Internet? Say it ain’t so!). A group of Valve fan monkeys, upset that L4D2 has “come too soon” and who feel saddened, angry, and betrayed by Valve’s new endeavor, have created a Steam Community Group for the Left 4 Dead 2 Boycott effort. As a result, rage and hatred has been generated on both sides of the fence, from the people in the group to outsiders and opponents calling this a pathetic display of online petitioning.

Now, I’m more than happy to give this community group my massive single-digits readership and the publicity that it so richly deserves. For one thing, this is history making, and shouldn’t be missed. Not only is this probably record set for organizing a protest of a game, but it is clearly the fastest anyone has gotten from mild-mannered fan to frothing-at-the-mouth Internet crusader. We’re looking at an all-time record for nerdrage, everyone, and you don’t want to miss it. Where’s the Guinness Book of World Record for Feeling Slapped In The Face?

Not only that, but this is a true, revolutionary achievement in eliciting emotion and reaction based on trailers. Forget about Star Wars: The Old Republic and its awe-inspiring “Deceived” trailer, forget about Final Fantasy XIII and its new epic journey, forget about all the wow factor that all the new motion control stuff inspired. When you think of a piece of media that generated true emotion and feeling, and by emotion and feeling, I mean “like you had your cereal pissed in”, look to Valve. Their short and sweet L4D2 trailer induced so much virtual vomiting on the part of so many rebellious fans that a whole group was made for the express purpose of vomiting whatever people felt like, 24/7, every day of every week. Clearly, more trailers need to use more banjo and fiddle. Take note!

And last, but not least, the establishment of this group just highlights the shining gem and wonderment that is community building, which is nothing at all like those boring, rational people who are simply satisfied and surprised that a sequel to a great game is coming out so soon. No, this is true, real, raw, valuable community:

“We’re going to eat the big di*ck…
VALVe spat relly good on their fans!” – from DoC

Yes, and clearly, they spat on your keyboard so you couldn’t type words or spell correctly. Fight on, my fellow rebel!

“This group might actually work if everybody informs people about it at every place he can we can easily get 20000-30000 members soon which is about 1-2 million dollar loss. Valve will have to take action. ” – from SuperBeast

Obviously! Because of the currently over 5000 members in this group, certainly every single one of them will not treat this as a bandwagoning trend and perhaps fail to remember why they signed up two months from now. You are unified, you are enraged, you are community. Go L4D2 Boycott, I am certain you will succeed where 99% of online petitioners and “I Quit” thread makers failed. Also, your math, clearly based on a released price for L4D2, is accurate. Impressive!

“WHAT THE FUCK IS VALVE THINKING? WE´RE NOT STUPID! STOP WITH THE EPISODE 3 DELAY AND RELEASE US SOME GOOD GAMES! SAY NO FOR LEFT FOR DEAD 2 AND YES FOR EPISODE 3, IT´S WHAT EVERYBODY HAS BEEN WAITING FOR! ” – from Darth Revan

Yes, fight the power! Oh, by the way, the Half Life 2 Episode 3 Boycott group is the other way.

“The sequel uses new survivors. I LOVE THE CURRENT ONES TOO MUCH TO LEAVE THEM. THIS HAS ALREADY KILLED THE GAME MORE THEN THE TITLE OF IT. ” – from Arcanine

Indeed, viva la revolution! Fight for Generic Old Army Vet, Tattooed Rebel, Hot College Chick, and Token Minority, as they are completely original characters not based on templates at all. Clearly, they need to stay on top of the L4D empire.

I love the internet. Don’t you?

Fight on, boycotters! Overly Positive is behind you with sunny, encouraging feelings to stave off all those clearly crazy Valve fans.

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