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[Buggy Loop]

It's vr so not widely accessible, but also it's been almost half a decade. Games that got entries that year are getting their sequels now

Those games getting sequels are probably trash bin open world shit made by a thousand employees

Half Life Alyx is a game changer. I don’t care that it’s VR niche, it’s still the benchmark after all those years and one of the most impactful experience I had in gaming for nearly 2 decades.

But you know, we can add Counter-Strike 2, new game Deadlock, constant support for Dota 2/TF2.

They aren’t twiddling their thumbs even if peoples want to meme on Valve, let’s be honest here.

 

[ChorizoPicozo]

they don't make games anymore

 

[Sentenza]

they don't make games anymore

Making games is not the only thing that takes manpower.

They worked on Steam OS and even if both are open source they've been THE major contributors to Vulkan and Proton for the last few years.
And this is obviously putting aside anything strictly Steam or Steamdeck related (Steam Input, family co-cop share and other client feature come to mind).

I wish they would become publicly traded, want to buy in

They work as they do BECAUSE they are not publicly traded.
But yeah, their overall market value would most likely snowball in a heartbeat if they did.

 

[Seider]

Stop talking about Valve not releasing games. Its not true.

List of Valve games - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[Mr.Phoenix]

Valve is pretty much a store. How many people do you need to maintain a storefront?

And even when they dabble in games, they are making indie-tier games. And by that, I am referring to the size and scope... eg. Portal and Alyx. And such releases are what, one in a decade? They don't need a team bigger than 500 people to do all that.

 

[Killer8]

"Valve don't make games"

In the last 10 years:

Dota 2 continued support since 2013
TF2 continued support since 2007
Supported CS:GO from 2012 to CS2 launch
Went back and helped ship The Last Stand mod for L4D2
Released Artifact
Released Dota Underlords for mobile
Released Half-Life: Alyx
Released Counter-Strike 2
No doubt have to devote some people to other small projects like the Portal Switch ports, Portal RTX, Aperture Desk Job etc.

All with 181 people.

 

[Rentahamster]

It's easy to win when you do all the right things, compared to the trial and error of other companies, this is just effortless.

Steam could make the wrong decisions on how to use those 300 employees, and end up like other companies chasing success through trial and error.

Making those correct decisions is "doing something".

Are you familiar with this meme?

 

[SantaC]

Valve released Counter-strike 2 last year.

it wasnt even a new game. my cs go got patched and suddenly i had CS2.

 

[Buggy Loop]

it wasnt even a new game. my cs go got patched and suddenly i had CS2.

 

[Kerotan]

And they make a fraction of the games.

 

[Three]

It was Valves Overwatch 2 moment but f2p and less hate.

 

[TintoConCasera]

Aren't they about to release a new game? some hero shooter?

 

[Topher]

Aren't they about to release a new game? some hero shooter?

Yeah. Deadlock. That's the rumor anyway.

 

[TintoConCasera]

Yeah. Deadlock. That's the rumor anyway.

So they do still make games then.

Kinda bummed about it not being a single-player game, but it's clear they are still interested in creating new stuff.

 

[Topher]

So they do still make games then.

Kinda bummed about it not being a single-player game, but it's clear they are still interested in creating new stuff.

Yeah, that's the problem. They keep doing these multiplayer games. I'm sure they make a lot more money doing that, but it definitely sucks they can't dedicate some resources for the sake of their Half-life and Portal fans.

 

[TheThreadsThatBindUs]

Why does this surprise anyone?

Valve is not a games development studio. They maintain a storefront and manage a small number of other products like the Steam Deck.

 

[Trilobit]

Yeah, that's the problem. They keep doing these multiplayer games. I'm sure they make a lot more money doing that, but it definitely sucks they can't dedicate some resources for the sake of their Half-life and Portal fans.

Are the people responsible for the story in previous games still at the company? I really have no clue about that.

 

[Three]

Yeah, that's the problem. They keep doing these multiplayer games. I'm sure they make a lot more money doing that, but it definitely sucks they can't dedicate some resources for the sake of their Half-life and Portal fans.

Unfortunately they very rarely use those IPs but they usually do it to sell hardware. Aperture Desk Job (from the portal universe) for example is being listed as a game here but it was in reality a 30 minute tech demo for Steam Deck. Luckily we got Alyx 4 years ago too which they planned to launch with Valve Index. The releases are few and far between outside of those especially compared to the big publishers which release several games in a year for the actual game sales.

 

[Topher]

Are the people responsible for the story in previous games still at the company? I really have no clue about that.

No idea either. Half-life Alyx was extremely well received though so seems like they still have the talent.

Unfortunately they very rarely use those IPs but they usually do it to sell hardware. Aperture Desk Job (from the portal universe) for example is being listed as a game here but it was in reality a 30 minute tech demo for Steam Deck. Luckily we got Alyx 4 years ago too which they planned to launch with Valve Index. The releases are few and far between outside of those especially compared to the big publishers which release several games in a year for the actual game sales.

Those are definitely not what I have in mind when I think of Valve making a new single player game. I think we are all just at the mercy of whatever fancies Gabe Newell. If we ever get a new Half-life game then it will be because Gabe wants to play a new Half-life game. That's just speculation on my part, but I see Valve as being very deliberate in what they do and I think that stems from Gabe.

 

[SantaC]

It is an update of cs go. You think they give away free games?

 

[Fabieter]

Are the people responsible for the story in previous games still at the company? I really have no clue about that.

They bought a indie company a few years ago which helped with HLA. Sadly they seemed to have canceled their own games after they were bought.

 

[Guilty_AI]

It is an update of cs go. You think they give away free games?

Aren't their most popular games free?

 

[Skifi28]

"Valve don't make games"

In the last 10 years:

Dota 2 continued support since 2013
TF2 continued support since 2007
Supported CS:GO from 2012 to CS2 launch
Went back and helped ship The Last Stand mod for L4D2
Released Artifact
Released Dota Underlords for mobile
Released Half-Life: Alyx
Released Counter-Strike 2
No doubt have to devote some people to other small projects like the Portal Switch ports, Portal RTX, Aperture Desk Job etc.

All with 181 people.

So the majority of what they do is supporting games they made many many years ago with the occasional small release here and there. CS:go was outsourced as far as I remember and CS2 is practically an update to that rather than something new. Seems like they've mostly stopped making games indeed. The major exception being Alyx (4 years ago I believe).



Is that a bad thing? I don't know, I've stopped expecting anything from Valve years ago.

 

[Wildebeest]

The last game they made was Portal 2 so it seems they are overstaffed if anything.

 

[Pegasus Actual]

They don't make games but somehow the top two games on Steam are Valve and are being currently played by over 1.5 million people.

 

[adamsapple]

Because Valve haven't made a game in years. It's mostly just a store.

Stole the words outta my mouth. They're not actively developing multiple games at the same time to release on 4,5 platforms. They don't need to have the kind of workforce of an EA.

 

[00_Zer0]

I’m actually surprised by this. I always had them down as some kind of PC gaming juggernaut.

Court documents show that not only is Valve a fraction the size of companies like EA or Ubisoft, it's smaller than a lot of triple-A developers

According to improperly redacted documents from a recent lawsuit, Valve had 336 employees in 2021.

www.pcgamer.com

Sad to say that is why they half ass so many releases of theirs. Their team is just big enough to only pick or choose to update a few games here or there.

That is why you see TF2 in the shape that it is. That is why CS2 is a fraction of what CS:GO represented. That is why you hear nothing about a successor to VR, a new Steam Box, HL3, LFD3, or Portal 3. There is not enough help to tackle everything they need to tackle at one time.

Valve does their own thing and will drop support for their popular games, or spectacular failures at the drop of a hat. If it wasn't for Steam store profits they couldn't get away with how they run their company.

I am the biggest Valve fan in the world, but the reality is that the Valve from late 90's to the early 00's is no more.

I am resigned to the fact that Valve designs a kick ass store front, some cool as shit hardware, and most of the time they can spit out a good game every 10-15 years or so, but the only thing they make sure to update steadily is their storefront.

I am shocked that the Steam Deck keeps getting the support it's getting, because believe me, whenever it stops being the flavor of the month they will drop it like they dropped VR, or how they dropped TF2.

Btw, has anyone seen how dogshit Deadlock looks. It looks like an ill conceived unholy mashup of TF2-Overwatch, Counter Strike, and Moba GaaS games with a shitty art direction.

Valve is going to take that FU money earned from Steam store profits and watch it burn up in flames with this game, because players are tired of GaaS games and tired of Valve not updating what's already on the market. They will not support this game.

Go look at the TF2 reviews and tell me everything is ok over there, because it's not. Valve should restructure, hire more help, or stop this ambitious bullshit where they leave whole communities in limbo and lying in the dust. Gamers are tired of it.

 

[Buggy Loop]

It is an update of cs go. You think they give away free games?

Yes. That’s their most successful model for online games.

 

[Jaybe]

Valve’s culture is very unique. Their new employee handbook from 2012 was leaked which details how they work and what they value. A very interesting read if you are interested in company strategy and HR.

https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/apps/valve/Valve_NewEmployeeHandbook.pdf

 

[Barakov]

I wish they would become publicly traded, want to buy in

Nah. The fact that they're private is why steam is so great. PC gaming would be in a far worse place if they went public. If they went public you'd get a bunch of money grubbing maniacs that would demand they kowtow to the current thing.

 

[Topher]

Nah. The fact that they're private is why steam is so great. PC gaming would be in a far worse place if they went public. If they went public you'd get a bunch of money grubbing maniacs that would demand they kowtow to the current thing.

Amen brother

 

[EDMIX]

Is this a like a joke or?

Yes, they are less then the size of EA, Ubisoft etc, cauuuuuuuse they don't make games anymore, fuck is this thread even suppose to be? lol


Look, I'll make one too

"Derrrr GOG is FRACTION of the size of EA and Ubisoft, datz crazy"

"Derrrr Epic Games Store is FRACTION of the size of EA and Ubisoft, datz crazy"

 

[SportsFan581]

I'm surprised how high the total is on the development side, I figured that was a much smaller effort for them.

 

[Wonko_C]

I’ve heard they shelve a lot of ideas.as for half life 3, I still can’t believe they have just left is hanging all these years. It’s been like, what?….. 20 years since half 2: episode 2?

Read this quote below:

Are we ignoring that they released one of the best gaming experience in the past decade if not more with Half Life Alyx in 2020?

 

[Wildebeest]

I’ve heard they shelve a lot of ideas.as for half life 3, I still can’t believe they have just left is hanging all these years. It’s been like, what?….. 20 years since half 2: episode 2?

Nobody makes good single player FPS games any more, so Valve probably look around and think there is no market for Half-Life 3 any more, even if they still have the skill in house to make such a game.

 

[AJUMP23]

I would like a retrospective on projects Valve has started then canceled.

 

[lachesis]

Valve = a private company, not a publicly traded one, so I guess they won’t have to answer chronic duty of making profit for short term at the expense of their core business practices that has resonated with the consumers.

A lot of the time once a company goes public, the change the stance on certain practices that made them successful because of short term profit…

TBH at this point, game making is a side job for them…. They are almost a platform holder on its own. Good for them, and hope they’ll never falter (too much) from current path, and keep on improving.

 

[James Sawyer Ford]

Contribute nothing and take everything

 

[Topher]

Contribute nothing and take everything

 

[Anthony Soprano]

Wonder how many are dedicated to things like programming and designing of the Steam client itself.

It's a remarkable accomplishment, considering the likes of EA, Ubisoft, Microsoft and Epic Games have failed to make a client as good as Steam. Not that there isn't room to improve it (would be nice to have more customization options of the UI), but just from a feature and stability standpoint it's shocking how great it is compared to the competition.

 

[Verchod]

Makes sense, they're output is also a fraction of the size.

 

[Seider]

The last game they made was Portal 2 so it seems they are overstaffed if anything.

What is Half Life Alyx then?