Got some cash? Valve 'happy' to talk acquisition
by Christopher Grant 
{ Aug 5th 2008 at 1:56PM }
Valve's always done plenty in-house, but partnerships with Sierra and now EA Partners have provided the dev with significant marketing and distribution resources that it would rather not take on. Speaking of EA, Lombardi relayed some details behind Valve's decision to partner with the Big Bad Publisher, concluding, "We haven't seen the boogeyman." It's clear both Valve and EA have eyes for each other and, with recently acquired devs like BioWare and Pandemic calling their relationship with the publisher "mutually beneficial," it wouldn't surprise us if EA took Lombardi up on his offer to talk.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
coldbrand @ Aug 5th 2008 2:03PM
Boy it sure is paying for TF2 updates in here.
Sensai @ Aug 5th 2008 4:24PM
I'm really hoping that this means 'We'd be happy to give you the finger and show you the door.'
Seriously, if Valve is taken over by EA or M$ or...I dunno, insert other random bad developer here Steam could go to shit, which would be too damn bad as Steam is actually a pretty neat thing.
Also: that band you're talking about, it's Death Cab for Cutie, isn't it?
mat parker @ Aug 5th 2008 2:05PM
Here comes Gabe's old friend Bill
kojo87 @ Aug 5th 2008 2:05PM
ANYONE BUT EA!!!
Jon2309 @ Aug 5th 2008 2:09PM
Personally, I'm willing to see how it turns out. Rock Band turned out well.
kojo87 @ Aug 5th 2008 2:14PM
true. but for the most part they produce nothing but shovelware. can anyone give me a good reason why Madden 08 was significantly worse than Madden 07? (at least for the Wii version) the actually removed features!
as long as Valve still puts out games of the same quality as HL2, TF2 and Portal, i will be a satisfied customer. keep the PC the priority too!!
Mr.ESC @ Aug 5th 2008 2:15PM
Ubisoft...NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO.
Now that Blizzard and Valve, that would be very interesting.
World of Half life.
copa @ Aug 5th 2008 2:46PM
"Rock Band turned out well."
EA does not own 1% of Harmonix.
I agree with Kojo87. Valve is one of those few developers that have been able to finance themselves through their success. They have consistently produced software at a phenomenal level of quality.
Being acquired would give them access to more capital, but we don't have any evidence that this would improve their games.
Vanillacide @ Aug 5th 2008 4:36PM
EA?
Heart shrieks "No!" like Vader.
Head thinks, EA titles on Steam could be pretty cool; so long as they weren't like Ubisoft etc who only provide their titles on Steam to US customers and block the rest of the world ... wait ... it's EA ... shrieks "No!" like Voldemort.
Purple Haze @ Aug 5th 2008 8:10PM
Anyone includes Activision by the way.
Can everyone just get used to the fact that EA aren't so bad at the moment. I think Justin got it right on the last Joystiq podcast with his idea of things going in cycles.
DangerMouse @ Aug 5th 2008 2:09PM
Hey, maybe Microsoft should buy them so they can develop for the 360 exclusively!
Oh wait!
:-p
OSUJay @ Aug 5th 2008 2:11PM
Valve has never made a 360 exclusive game...
j.howlett @ Aug 5th 2008 2:22PM
portal for xbla, and they have never put a valve game themselves other than the 360
OSUJay @ Aug 5th 2008 2:24PM
Ever heard of the PC? The 360 is an afterthought to Valve.
Oh, and Portal: Still Alive? Already available for free on the PC.
http://www.shacknews.com/onearticle.x/53778
j.howlett @ Aug 5th 2008 2:34PM
yes i have heard of personal computers. they'll never be able to fit one in a house, computers just keep getting bigger. but seriously i meant for consoles. they so far, to my knowledge have only worked with the 360. other companies have handled their games for consoles in the past.
OSUJay @ Aug 5th 2008 2:37PM
You're right but that doesn't make a game a 360 exclusive when it is available on more than one platform.
WhoMe @ Aug 5th 2008 2:56PM
Shit man, you got served.
j.howlett @ Aug 6th 2008 4:56AM
"you know i don't think that sounds as manly as you think it does." - Kip
uranutan3 @ Aug 5th 2008 2:10PM
;_;
Thatoneguy64 @ Aug 5th 2008 2:10PM
No, this can't happen. If they get bought out, I'd fear the service of Steam would move to only games from Valve and whatever company owns them.
Well, I guess there's always Impulse from Stardock (it lets you download a digital copy and get a physical one sent to you :P)
Jeff @ Aug 5th 2008 2:19PM
As a PC gamer, I would love for EA to buy Valve.
Valve's games, particularly on PC, are some of the best available. Increasing resources/marketing for Valve can only be a good thing for gamers.
Steam is a work of art, and the future of PC gaming. If Steam became the sole digital distribution channel of EA's PC games it would gain a lot of traction. Lots of big titles recently (Crysis, Mass Effect...) haven't been available on Steam because of EA. I assume that Spore wont be either... If Steam gets EA's catalog it will give it even more traction... and it will be a boon to EA, who are probably selling much less on their garbage digital distribution channel than they would through Steam.
Shawn @ Aug 5th 2008 4:46PM
yeah, I'm with ya on being a PC gamer to the core, but we DON'T want STEAM turning into anything like EA Link/Download(or whatever it's called now). The EA EULA prohibits gamers from downloading a purchased game a year after purchase. Meaning, you buy Crysis, you download it, you want to play it again a year later after getting a new PC, too bad, you're out of luck. With STEAM, you can download that game to any computer for however long you want.
This makes me very very nervous. I use STEAM for it's flexibility, beyond just the great catalouge and the great community features. Being able to have peace of mind that a game I buy will be there( and I do trust Valve to be there) to download anytime I want is a great feeling.
If EA's download policy and EULA has changed in anyway recently, please let me know, but the last I've read and heard is that it still restricts downloads, which is a no no in my eyes. If EA were to adopt STEAM's policies, I would be onboard in a second. Until then, I remain a healthy skeptic.
Also, I've been getting into Impulse lately, Stardocks new DD service. So far it's got everything you would want for a community, and all that's needed now is more games. With Demigod on the way, and the ability to download anytime, anywhere, as long as you want was a major selling point to me preordering Demigod, not to mention the beta is starting soon :)
Shadow El @ Aug 5th 2008 2:20PM
"He's not talking about 'selling out' ... like that band ..."
I can't be the only one here who thought of Reel Big Fish, right?
...I can't be the only one here who's heard of Reel Big Fish, right? >_>
danny. @ Aug 5th 2008 2:22PM
No sir, that's right where I went. I was a big ska/punk fan back in the day though.
Jack @ Aug 5th 2008 4:56PM
Sell Out!With me oh yeah!
Sell out, with me tonight!
Record company's gonna give me lots of money
and everything's gonna be (all right)!
Jack @ Aug 5th 2008 5:03PM
Sell Out!With me oh yeah!
Sell out, with me tonight!
Record company's gonna give me lots of money
and everything's gonna be (all right)!
deadjesterx @ Aug 5th 2008 2:22PM
If you had told me something like this would happen a few years ago, I would have been horrified.
But I got to give respect where respect is due and in my opinion EA has started to change for the better. Whether or not this trend lasts as yet to be seen but I'm not as ready to proclaim EA as the anti-christ like I would have as little as two, three years ago.
Getting aquired by a big publisher isn't necessarily doom for the developer they picked up. Sometimes it is, true. Just take a look at how Activision broke Neversoft (take a good idea and run it into the ground). But to use Activision as an example again take a look at Infinity Ward. It's owned by a big publisher and yet are obviously given enough creative freedom and time to produce AAA titles. If Valve does get bought up by a big company, let's hope that they are treated with the same respect and "hands-off" approach as IW or Blizzard.
Faar @ Aug 5th 2008 2:39PM
Maybe EA really *has* changed somewhat for the better, but so what? Where is the benefit FOR VALVE in selling out to the great satan of gaming?
I can see plenty of benefit for EA, getting to lay their sweaty paws on steam just for starters, and the Valve brand name is worth oodles, as is Half-Life and other assorted properties of Valve's.
But all Valve has to gain from this is a big ol pile of cash, and seriously now, don't they have enough of that already? I don't think cutting off their private continuing pipeline of cash rolling right into their offices is worth selling everything they own and are to a faceless, soulless, conscience-less mega corporation.
F1 & The day I beat Ghost and Goblins @ Aug 5th 2008 2:21PM
At this rate EA will buy the who'll frackin' industry! Hell the only thing that can stay on par with them right now is Actiblizzard and even they don't have enough resources to wait out the battle!
Though there is of course the flip-side that EA will eventually slip up and violate some anti-trust law just like Microsoft did.
I pray that happens before every game I buy will have the EA logo on the box.
Smasandian @ Aug 5th 2008 2:22PM
What was wrong with Madden 08?
It ten times better than 07.
As to Valve, I hope they stay independent. That's one thing I like about them. But I'm thinking it wont happen. Valve would cost a bundle.
F1 & The day I beat Ghost and Goblins @ Aug 5th 2008 2:27PM
Of course it is! It has an 8 in it duh! Thats like one whole number above 7!
scott @ Aug 5th 2008 4:06PM
I can see it now... Portal 2009, Half-Life 2009, etc.
All games would be basically the same, but with updated character "rosters."
nelson @ Aug 5th 2008 2:22PM
I am fine with this as long as EA doesn't make them hit deadlines so they can make their shareholders happy for Q1/2/3/4.
Valve's like Blizzard. They only release when they know they have quality. Hope nothing changes that practice.
omg do want left 4 dead!!1
Marty @ Aug 5th 2008 2:23PM
God I hope Valve doesn't get bought out by EA.
Neebs @ Aug 5th 2008 2:29PM
EA isn't that bad anymore.
StuScotsLazyEye @ Aug 5th 2008 2:31PM
I'll speak for all PC gamers here...
NO NO NO NO NO NO NO
and...
NO.
Cyro @ Aug 5th 2008 3:01PM
I guess they're not a lot of you left.
atrimus @ Aug 5th 2008 2:43PM
in ten years EA will be the only company that makes games, and a company called Micronydo will make the world's only console.
Cicadymn @ Aug 5th 2008 2:42PM
I've noticed EA buying companies up and then letting them have full reign of their games only providing money. I'd want to see how EA handles Valve, it may just be exactly the same as it is now, but on the other hand it may be totally fucked.
For example: WAR, Mythic bought by EA made into EA Mythic, they changed their mind and it's now back to Mythic Entertainment operating under the EA umbrella. Devs and such deny any problems with EA. Maybe it's just a special case, because after Hellgate EA might have realized that they shouldn't contribute to MMOs other then providing cash.
If EA has grown up and realized that if they let the companies do what they know how to do and just throw money at them, they'll see profits going up instead of down.
AwesomeTown @ Aug 5th 2008 2:46PM
I'm sure Valve wouldn't agree to an acquisition to a company that would try and influence any of their projects including Steam itself. Well, at least I hope so.
Tez (PSN: Tezasaurus) @ Aug 5th 2008 2:47PM
My wall isn't big enough for a Gabe Newell poster.
Neebs @ Aug 5th 2008 5:54PM
DOHOHO
xFenixKnightx (RRoD hath striketh upon me 08-03-2008) @ Aug 5th 2008 3:00PM
"Maybe EA HAS changed."
Its all because of this little jackass named PETER FUCKIN MOORE!!! How dare he change EA for the better? How dare he shake things up and actually make Madden update their game with real new features? Down with Peter Moore, his sexy tattoos, and his winning smile!!!
http://i193.photobucket.com/albums/z225/xybapodcast/PeterMoore2.jpg
Grendel Pr1me @ Aug 5th 2008 3:00PM
You know, 2 years ago, I would have thought this would be truly horrifying, and hope that Gabe was sporting a blackjack, and about to go ninja in Lombardi's office. However, if anything is evident at this point, if EA doesn't buy Valve, then another monolithic publisher will, just not as nicely. If you think Activision Blizzard wouldn't start harassing the hell out of Valve and suck it into the pipeline of crap they have with their other notables, then you haven't been paying attention.
The one good move in the last few years from EA has been the rehiring of John Riccitiello, and his vision for that company. Even though they have gone out and acquired great developers, I think that Criterion, who obviously write their own cheque, is a great example of what happens when you leave a developer be, and just publish. Some can argue that Burnout Paradise was not what the predecessors were, but then no game sequel should be.
Coming away from E3, the one thing that we should all remember, is that of all the big publishing houses, EA seems to be pushing out the good product. Activision, among others... not so much. So cheer for an EA acquisition of Valve, if not for the games themselves, then for the protection of the brilliance that is Valve. Lest we be inundated by Crash Bandicoot and Spyro games that are Steam Powered. *shudder*
WiNG [Life in a Game] @ Aug 5th 2008 3:14PM
SPY SAPPIN' MAH PRODUCTION VALUE!!!
Ibere @ Aug 5th 2008 3:15PM
EA is evil. :-( Look at the shitty job they did with The Orange Box in the PS3.
If one big publisher should buy Valve, I hope it is Ubisoft, but I would prefer them to remain independent anyway.
ScottG13 @ Aug 5th 2008 3:33PM
Oh man... that Gabe Newell poster would be sooooo dreamy!
Yawn @ Aug 5th 2008 3:46PM
WHY EA WHY I HATE YOU EA
Just when I was starting to "like" EA again they make these?
Well they didnt really make anything,it was Valve.
Id really hate to see Valve going to the dark side of videogames...where updates are expensive you can buy weapons and games have sequels every year.
bnpederson @ Aug 5th 2008 4:27PM
EA has an utterly horrible record with DRM and consumer rights on their games purchased via digital distribution. Frankly I can't see Steam becoming the new standard and EA dropping all their current DRM or software license issues at the drop of a hat since EA would be the one buying Valve, not going into a merger.
So yeah, I'm not hopeful simply because I like Steam as is and don't feel EA would help it any. That said EA probably wants a profitable quarter or five before it even thinks of another multi-billion dollar purchase.
Shashwat @ Aug 5th 2008 5:28PM
EA is freaking greedy. look at how they ruined Sim city. They're gonna make "accessible" half life games for the wii with fluffy rabbits taking the place of the combine and the guns all ejecting flowers.
No, but seriously I don't trust EA. They might not ruin Valve's games but if they buy Valve their creativity might be stifled and they would be forced to churn out sequels like crazy.
imagine what would happen if tilted mill or another mediocre developer created every other Half Life game for a tighter release schedule.
Fix Sim City and i might trust EA.
And I don't want EA to take over Steam.