Why is Valve abandoning their games, except for tf2

[Texashiker]

Half-Life series - abandoned, no word on EP3/HL3 in years.

Left 4 Dead series - abandoned, no real bug fixes, just the original maps being ported to l4d2. Glitches in l4d2 since day 1 are still there almost 2 years later.

Counter-Strike series - abandoned.

The only game that gets any kind of attention is tf2, which continues to receive updates on a semi-weekly basis.

 

[biostud]

Too many shooters to compete with to ensure a large profit. They use TF2 to try new steam features they can sell to other companies.

 

[magomago]

eh i'd say look at the economic realities: valve is more of a distribution company than it is a game company, and I wouldn't be surprised if lots of hires were the results of people with networking/database/Human Factors experience

so as long as steam sales are cheap, i don't care haha

 

[gorcorps]

Portal 2 is getting DLC today (and IIRC is free).

A new counterstrike is coming out.

They've been releasing remade L4D1 maps on L4D2, and more are on the way.

So... what the hell are you talking about?

 

[PowerYoga]

and dota2 i thought.

 

[KaOTiK]

The only thing you can say they abadoned currently is the Half Life series.
As gorcorps points out, they are supporting their other franchises currently.

 

[Texashiker]

They've been releasing remade L4D1 maps on L4D2, and more are on the way.

How about bug fixes that have been in the l4d series since day 1, especially l4d2.

death toll finale is broken, people just camp the water area
charger goes through survivors and does not hit them
exploits in dead center map 1
too many health kits in a lot of maps
And the list goes on and on.

A new counterstrike is coming out.

With valve time, your great-grand kids will have the new CS on their steam wish list.

As gorcorps points out, they are supporting their other franchises currently.

I dont know if you are keeping track, but 1 or 2 tf2 updates almost equals 6 months of l4d/l4d2 updates.

~~ EDIT ~~

This is from a thread in the steam forums I am keeping updated, its a list of the tf2 and l4d2 updates since February 2011. tf2 receives 2 - 3 times the updates that l4d2 does.

TF2 Updates:
http://store.steampowered.com/news/?feed=steam_updates&appids=440
September 20, 2011
September 16, 2011
September 15, 2011 - large update, lots of fixes
September 6, 2011
September 2, 2011
August 30, 2011
August 23, 2011 - this was a good sized update
August 18, 2011
August 9, 2011
August 3, 2011
August 2, 2011
July 29, 2011
July 28, 2011
July 27, 2011
July 26, 2011
July 22, 2011 - 2 updates were released on the 22nd.
July 22, 2011
July 20, 2011
July 18, 2011
July 7, 2011
July 5, 2011
July 1, 2011
June 28, 2011
June 27, 2011
June 23, 2011 - Uber Update
June 17, 2011
June 15, 2011
June 14, 2011
June 10, 2011
June 8, 2011
June 3, 2011
May 31, 2011
May 25, 2011
May 19, 2011
May 18, 2011
May 13, 2011
May 12, 2011
May 10, 2011
May 9, 2011
May 6, 2011
May 5, 2011
Apr 28, 2011
Apr 20, 2011
Apr 18, 2011
Apr 15, 2011
Apr 14, 2011 - this was a huge update
Apr 7, 2011
Apr 5, 2011
Mar 23, 2011
Mar 21, 2011
Mar 15, 2011
Mar 11, 2011
Mar 10, 2011
Mar 4, 2011
Mar 1, 2011
Feb 28, 2011
Feb 24, 2011

Left 4 Dead 2 Updates:
http://store.steampowered.com/news/?feed=steam_updates&appids=550
September 23, 2011
September 16, 2011
September 9, 2011
September 2, 2011
August 26, 2011
August 17, 2011
august 12, 2011 - blood harvest released
August 9, 2011
August 5, 2011 - 2 updates were released on the 5th
August 5, 2011
July 29, 2011 - 2 updates were released on the 29th
July 29, 2011
July 27, 2011
July 22, 2011 - dead air released
July 15, 2011
July 1, 2011
June 27, 2011
June 17, 2011
June 3, 2011
May 20, 2011
May 6, 2011
Apr 26, 2011
Apr 22, 2011
Apr 8, 2011
Mar 24, 2011
Mar 22, 2011
Mar 10, 2011
Feb 25, 2011
Feb 23, 2011

 

[Childs]

I'm thinking their last 3 projects L4D, L4D2, and Portal 2 have more to do with development time. They are projects they can get out the door quicker, and the same for the new Counter Strike game. Half Life was always a massive game...even the episodes, so its going to take awhile. TF2 updates are little bits and pieces that can be done quickly. It doesnt make sense to have the same kind of updates for the other games. They are probably working on HL in the background, while smaller groups are putting out the other games.

It would be funny if the only reason L4D3 isnt getting any movement is because of all the people crying about how fast L4D2 came out. Valve is the last company I'll give the benefit of the doubt to. In fact, I would rather they not put anything out and focus on Steam than put out a POS.

 

[KaOTiK]

How about bug fixes that have been in the l4d series since day 1, especially l4d2.

death toll finale is broken, people just camp the water area
charger goes through survivors and does not hit them
exploits in dead center map 1
too many health kits in a lot of maps
And the list goes on and on.




With valve time, your great-grand kids will have the new CS on their steam wish list.



I dont know if you are keeping track, but 1 or 2 tf2 updates almost equals 6 months of l4d/l4d2 updates.

I don't know if you're keeping track, but most devs/pubs don't even support their games after the first few months of launch and the only "support" some do is paid for DLC.

TF2 is a test bed game for F2P for Valve. They are collection as much data and testing as much stuff as possible because im 99.9999% certain DOTA2 is going to be F2P. At least L4D is still getting updates, content ones at.

 

[AyashiKaibutsu]

TF2 has a store where people will pay money to get an row inserted into a database somewhere. They get a better rate of return than cocaine dealers.

 

[gorcorps]

How about bug fixes that have been in the l4d series since day 1, especially l4d2.

death toll finale is broken, people just camp the water area
charger goes through survivors and does not hit them
exploits in dead center map 1
too many health kits in a lot of maps
And the list goes on and on.




With valve time, your great-grand kids will have the new CS on their steam wish list.



I dont know if you are keeping track, but 1 or 2 tf2 updates almost equals 6 months of l4d/l4d2 updates.

So your real problem is not knowing what the word "abandon" means then. Updates are coming, they're just not at the speed you want nor the things you want. There's very little reason for Valve to put more dollars into old games when they already made their sales. TF2 is F2P so updates are meant to draw people in to spend more on microtransactions.

 

[Texashiker]

So your real problem is not knowing what the word "abandon" means then.

Considering a lot of bugs in l4d2 are almost 2 years old (1 year 11 months as of October 2011), I would consider that "abandoned"

 

[Red Storm]

Most of the new TF2 updates seem to be nothing more than adverts and fixes for the in-game store/economy.

 

[TakeNoPrisoners]

HL is so abandoned it isn't funny.

 

[Chiropteran]

How about bug fixes that have been in the l4d series since day 1, especially l4d2.

death toll finale is broken, people just camp the water area
charger goes through survivors and does not hit them
exploits in dead center map 1
too many health kits in a lot of maps
And the list goes on and on.

Only half of those sound like bugs, the others sound like "this game is too easy and by not making it harder valve has abandoned it". Sorry the game is too easy for you, but a game being easy isn't a bug.

 

[greenhawk]

HL does appeared killed out, complete without ep 3 which was ment to be a 12ish month cycle between the "short games".

L4D was expected to be left alone and that was on the news of l4d1.5 (I mean l4d2) being released. No surprise their personally.

Counter Strike, that is rather long in the tooth now, but then their is some clips of a new one, but with new play styles added (so sounding like every other team fps out on the market).

As to TF2, attention is due to the ongoing money the game raises. Seen the cost of keys or hats recently? even with the game f2p, valve is making a lot of money for nothing.

edit: on one server last week for TF2, and someone opened something like 30 boxes in one hit. that is about $75US, just after that "one hat". do not need many people spending that sort of money (or some kids spending their pocket money on "gambling" to make valve's weekly costs. Legal gambling for children is how I see it.

 

[Red Storm]

edit: on one server last week for TF2, and someone opened something like 30 boxes in one hit. that is about $75US, just after that "one hat". do not need many people spending that sort of money (or some kids spending their pocket money on "gambling" to make valve's weekly costs. Legal gambling for children is how I see it.

You don't have to get your keys through the in-game store. I would stock up on metal, new weapons and hats when they released and always trade them for keys. Then I'd either trade the keys or try my luck opening crates. Got one unusual that way, ended up selling it for $250.

I've also seen people open hundreds of crates and get nothing but weapons and paint, so it's pretty risky.

 

[greenhawk]

too many health kits in a lot of maps


I dont know if you are keeping track, but 1 or 2 tf2 updates almost equals

On the first point, that sounds more like a pro vs noob issue. You might not like it, but valve generally wants to cater for the noob / less active player to keep them interested.

On the second point, have to had a read of what those updates for TF2 are most of the time? It is things like

"previous update stuffed up <y>, fixed"
or
"making item <z> craftable / tradable"
or
"adding support for upcomming item <x>"

hardly worth calling most of the TF2 updates as worth much when most of them are the above mentioned stuff.

or the one you see from time to time that is even cheaper is the "community map" releases. No work at all required by valve for that "update".

 

[Barfo]

Wow...most developers stop releasing bug fixes and adding content 6 months after they release a game and you complain about Valve?

OP is just butthurt they're not fixing the bugs that HE wants fixed, at the rate that HE deems acceptable...

 

[darkewaffle]

In other news, I'm ready to go home and push little kart.

 

[Jaskalas]

Screw bug fixes, give us new games (content, engines, features) to the series. We want them to have our money, they're not giving us anything to pay for. Ergo, fans feel neglected and abandoned.

 

[AyashiKaibutsu]

Screw bug fixes, give us new games (content, engines, features) to the series. We want them to have our money, they're not giving us anything to pay for. Ergo, fans feel neglected and abandoned.

Don't feel neglected. There's plenty of digitized hats for you to pay for. It's the natural conclusion to the whole "pay to win" system that's becoming all the rage even in games like Diablo III where you're going to have to pay to pay to win.

 

[greenhawk]

always trade them for keys.

but that is the thing, someone somewhere is buying them to trade with.

you might not be the buyer of the keys, but you are helping the system buy "training" people that if they want stuff, they trade in keys.

 

[Red Storm]

but that is the thing, someone somewhere is buying them to trade with.

you might not be the buyer of the keys, but you are helping the system buy "training" people that if they want stuff, they trade in keys.

That's true, but Valve was determined to take TF2 down this path, so I exploited it as much as I could. If they don't care, I don't care.

 

[Texashiker]

OP is just butthurt they're not fixing the bugs that HE wants fixed, at the rate that HE deems acceptable...

Do you visit the Steam forums very much?