Advocacy FAIL: L4D2 pre-order sales double of original, says Valve
by Alexander Sliwinski 
{ Jul 3rd 2009 at 1:15PM } 
Nitpicks aside, Valve has already stated that it plans to continue supporting Left 4 Dead with more content. The company expects to announce more DLC near the end of summer and has expressed that people will understand the big L4D picture within a year. Assuming it hasn't announced Left 4 Dead 3 by then, of course.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Bahamett @ Jul 3rd 2009 1:19PM
C'mon Valve, show some PS3 love!
Strnd @ Jul 3rd 2009 1:46PM
I don't see why.
If they can't make a proper port, there is no use in making it for the PS3, all the negative PR about "It's not as good as the 360 version!" will hurt Sony more than having people complain at Valve.
Games by Valve are meant to be played on PC anyway, there you are guaranteed DLC and updates! With consoles there is always a doubt.
roger @ Jul 3rd 2009 2:11PM
Yeah I hope this gets ported over, because I will not be renewing my Live subscription this December.
Geist @ Jul 3rd 2009 3:48PM
Good lord, just buy it on PC. It'll be infinitely better than what's on PS3, and you don't even need a good computer. Hell, if it'll run the original Half-Life, it'll probably run this. If Valve does something well, it's scaling for hardware.
David @ Jul 3rd 2009 7:00PM
A PS3 port doesnt necessarely have to be bad. It all depends on the developers. If they could get some devs from Insomniac, Guerilla or Sucker Punch or something similar they would have a pretty good chance at succeeding.
David @ Jul 3rd 2009 7:05PM
@Geist: This laptop can handle Half Life 2 and Team Fortress 2 well. But it can barely run L4D on lowest - way too much lag to be playable.
Swagman @ Jul 3rd 2009 8:16PM
@ roger
I guess you are shit out of luck then, mate. Valve hates the PS3 architecture and development environment, sees no future in learning how to develop for it, and quite frankly, sells millions of copies of their games on PC and 360.
In other words, no need whatsoever, for them to care about a PS3 port for any of their games.
If the future, if you want Valve games on Playstation hardware, I suggest you start a campaign to convince Sony not to make PS4 architecture out of proprietary hardware, so that developers do not have to make the hard choice of whether to make games on Playstation or not.
You would think after the entire SEGA Saturn vs. PS1 (1994 - 1997), the entire game industry would have learned that lesson by now - proprietary hardware is a losing game. Just like the PS3 vs 360, the Saturn was a much more powerful system than PS1. But just like PS3 vs 360, the only people who could get the power out of Saturn, was 1st party developers. Just like PS3 vs 360, the Saturn hardware was boatloads harder to program, and cost more money to develop for. Just like with PS3 vs 360, Saturns proprietary architecture made it a lot more expensive than PS1. And just like Saturn vs PS1, there are a considerable number of developers who refuse to work with PS3, and Valve is one of those companies. And just like PS3 vs 360, all of these factors have combined to make the system with the easier to use architecture the one that sells the most hardware and software - which in turn, impacts what console 3rd parties support.
It is not hard to see where this is going, considering it's already happened before a decade ago. So in the future, if you really want the support of all 3rd parties, including the likes of Valve on Playstation hardware, then as fans of Playstation hardware, you need to do whatever you can to convince Sony to stop going with expensive to developer for, hard to develop for, proprietary hardware. Other than that, you are always going to be shit out of luck.
MarioSpitza @ Jul 3rd 2009 8:58PM
@Swagman
"If the future, if you want Valve games on Playstation hardware, I suggest you start a campaign to convince Sony not to make PS4 architecture out of proprietary hardware, so that developers do not have to make the hard choice of whether to make games on Playstation or not."
Swag, this makes no sense whatsoever. First, 'proprietary' simply means it is exclusively owned by one person (or group). In other words, *all* consoles have proprietary hardware.
Secondly, anyone who purchases the devkit from Sony has the full knowledge of the PS3's hardware at their hands. First Parties are typically more able to pull of better software because they are usually the most familiar with it (because they spent the longest amount of time with it and had created it) and also because they tend to be the wealthiest companies (Nintendo, Sony, and Microsoft here...). However, it should be noted that other developers (Konami and Square, for example) are able to pull off equal or even better graphics than First Parties because they put the effort, cash, and time into it.
Truth is that the difficulty of programming on a particular hardware isn't simply based on how new the technology is, but how complex it is and how similar it is to prior hardware. The Wii is incredibly easy to develop for because it is less complex than the 360/PS3 and probably due to its similarity with the GCN's hardware. On the other hand, the PS3 is the most difficult likely due to the incredible complexity of the Cell chip (and the little similarity between it and the PS2's engine). Sony had this same issue with the PS2 (Emotion Engine). They create complex engines which is supposed to maximize potential power, but end up causing headache due to the complexity.
But of course, as the PS2 clearly shows, ease of development isn't everything. The PS3 is losing developers because the 360 is similarly powerful and has a larger userbase. Obviously, easier development also plays a role, but it is nothing compared to the importance of userbase.
P.S. You are also incorrect about the Saturn. First, the difficulty of the hardware came almost entirely from the tacked on second CPU, which Sega put no thought into, and had hoped that simply having it would mean double the power. Secondly, theoretically, it was more powerful than the PSX, but it didn't seem to work in reality (even First Party games paled to what was available on the PSX).
Cease-Fire @ Jul 4th 2009 8:30PM
The boycott rubbed me the wrong way and I defiantly preorderd.
Obie @ Jul 3rd 2009 1:21PM
L4D2.....R2D2's zombie brother??
Girugamuk (Moptimus Slimed) @ Jul 3rd 2009 1:32PM
I think hes more closely related to R4P17
dark_inchworm (on Steam!) dark inchworm (on XBL!) @ Jul 3rd 2009 1:44PM
Zombie Star Wars?
Yes please.
BIGGEN (LIVE-PSN: BIGGEN1103) @ Jul 3rd 2009 2:17PM
actually, zombie star wars isn't a bad idea. it worked pretty well for Marvel.
as for L4D2, i'm all for a speedy sequel as long as it's an improvement over the original. that's with any series tho
uncle jesse @ Jul 3rd 2009 1:23PM
Of course this will sell big! Anyone that played the original will eat this one up, too. Even if you don't want to.... you will buy it. Oh yes, you will buy it.
I don't really get what they are waiting for though when they say 'people will understand the big L4D picture within a year'. People have already made up petitions and whined all over the place about the sewuel coming so fast. Why not just spit it out so that everyone can jump on board and support it?
NukeAssault @ Jul 3rd 2009 1:26PM
Seems that petition didn't do much did it. XD
copa @ Jul 3rd 2009 1:47PM
Nope, Valve is the most consumer-friendly company in the industry. I always give them the benefit of the doubt, and they haven't disappointed me yet.
Nightsbane @ Jul 3rd 2009 1:35PM
Meh, still not buying it.
MrKlorox @ Jul 3rd 2009 6:43PM
Same without drastic price cut.
Girugamuk (Moptimus Slimed) @ Jul 3rd 2009 1:36PM
Seeing as its people on STEAM bitching it doesn't surprise me that pre-orders aren't affected
Squid @ Jul 3rd 2009 1:39PM
Can't wait to see how all those "LAN support for Starcraft II" protests turn out.
Linkb8s (XBL: Tenku no Link) @ Jul 3rd 2009 2:49PM
Actually, those protests actually have something behind them to support. SCII's lack of LAN is a terrible injustice that can easily be abused to force a Pay-to-Play Multiplayer system. If ALL multiplayer has to run through Battle.net, what's stopping Activision from charging for the service? Where are the Starcraft fans going to go to for their SCII Multiplayer fix? Nowhere.
The L4D2 protests are just people nit-picking.
whylekat @ Jul 3rd 2009 3:37PM
The fans are 1 thing. But what about the tournaments?!
Geist @ Jul 3rd 2009 3:49PM
Not going to happen. Activision is going to charge for Battle.net, and if they're lucky they won't kill SC2 because of it.
Squid @ Jul 3rd 2009 4:31PM
You people are still making the same mistake as these L4D2 protesters: thinking that a small, yet extremely vocal echo chamber on the internet is going to have a huge impact on the sales of one of the biggest releases of the year. Starcraft II, even moreso than L4D, has an enormous mainstream fanbase that is going to buy the game no matter what some group of internet nerds wants to whine about.
MrKlorox @ Jul 3rd 2009 6:48PM
I love it when this happens. "Fuck you! You're an idiot for announcing your request/protest!" then in the next sentence "No but this OTHER team of protesters/requesters have it right."
Fucking hypocrites.
Everybody has a legitimate right to voice their dissatisfaction with the way their favorite games are being handled. The real assholes are the ones who tell them they shouldn't make any kind of request/protest at all.
WINterfang @ Jul 3rd 2009 1:39PM
PEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEELS!!!
Manly Mcbeefington (Mr. ESC) @ Jul 3rd 2009 2:27PM
And now for something completly diferent:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=faYW0CIpJsM
MrKlorox @ Jul 3rd 2009 6:49PM
-1
avan @ Jul 3rd 2009 1:41PM
boycott over such a great game? over such a great company? i rather to own both games that the get D/L content that is locked in my soon to be RROD box. plus this is more like half life episodes, what it take to make these ppl just put left 4 dead episode 1
AsherR @ Jul 3rd 2009 1:51PM
From what I can tell from your comment you are saying it is more like Episodic content for L4D, right? Similar to HL2:Ep 1-3.
The problem is that the episodes are priced at cheaper price point. This will be a full priced game just like L4D when it first came out. That is the problem that a lot of people are having with L4D2.
I'm just annoyed that they can make L4D2 so quickly and I still don't have HL2: Ep 3. Damn you Valve!
d889 @ Jul 3rd 2009 3:32PM
thats the entire point ... this game is essentially an episode and you are paying full price for it ... but the consumers never seem to realize it.
MrKlorox @ Jul 3rd 2009 6:51PM
Especially when the first one was smaller than a regular game yet cost just as much.
sony boy @ Jul 3rd 2009 1:44PM
i'm sure most people will buy it when this becomes 30 bucks.
AsherR @ Jul 3rd 2009 1:53PM
That's what I'm planning to do...
I'm sure it'll be fun, but I don't want to spend $50 on the series this time around.
Jrinswand @ Jul 3rd 2009 2:09PM
Yeah, I'm planning on buying it as soon as it is put on one the Weekend Deals. After getting The Orange Box for $10 as a Weekend Deal, I'm only buying things when they go on sale from here on out.
Even if I don't like I game, I'm tempted to buy it when it goes on sale. For example, the other week Empire: Total War, a game/genre which doesn't interest me in the least, went on sale for $25 and I was like, "Oh shit! I must have it!"
MrKlorox @ Jul 3rd 2009 6:54PM
Exactly. The main problem is the game is being sold at full retail price. And since so many bought the first L4D when the exact same thing happened (bought an episode for full price) Valve thinks they can get away with it again. And sadly most consumers will fall for it like the cattle they are.
CaramelZappa @ Jul 3rd 2009 1:52PM
I don't really have a problem with the L4D2 coming out so soon, but I'm still not buying it until they release Episode 3. Long overdue.
AsherR @ Jul 3rd 2009 1:54PM
You speak the truth!
FACE EXTRACTION @ Jul 3rd 2009 1:53PM
Can't say I'm at all surprised.
McWilly @ Jul 3rd 2009 5:52PM
Your face says otherwise.
MrKlorox @ Jul 3rd 2009 6:55PM
If by surprised you mean cliched, then yes.
ZaxCG2 @ Jul 3rd 2009 2:08PM
Hm... well Steam hasn't even opened up for pre-ordering so this statement could likely change come November.
Optimaximal @ Jul 3rd 2009 3:51PM
Indeed...
Anyway, these pre-orders are more than likely for the 360 crowd, who probably never really expected anything free, given the difficulties Valve are facing getting free and constant updates out for the 360 version of TF2.
Tony Montana @ Jul 3rd 2009 2:09PM
lol why is this surprising since when did petitions ever work.
"Hi Valve. Me and my brother are writing to inform you that we will not be purchasing Left 4 Dead 2. Think about that Gabe thats TWO copies, not one but TWO."
Can you imagine the guys at Valve reading those petitions and thinking "OK WTF is this a joke?"
Martin @ Jul 3rd 2009 2:11PM
Back in the paper days.
Jason Statham (Aka Vegeta) @ Jul 3rd 2009 2:17PM
"For all the talk of petitions and boycotts over Left 4 Dead 2's sooner-than-expected release, the game doesn't seem to be suffering much."
Then you most not know gamers. We tend to bitch and whine alot, but it's not like we actually do anything.
DjDATZ @ Jul 3rd 2009 2:36PM
LOL Boycott #fail.
Gemini Ace @ Jul 3rd 2009 2:47PM
I'm convinced that boycotts and voting with your wallet just don't work.
MarioSpitza @ Jul 3rd 2009 9:18PM
I disagree.
They work, but the issue at hand is getting enough people on board. Internet petitions don't work because they don't attract enough people. How many people visit websites like Kotaku/Joystiq/1Up/Etc? And it doesn't help that these websites don't support boycotts (for obvious reasons).
There is a very small amount of hardcore gamers (I'm guessing probably 5-10 million at most) and they're split between consoles. Furthermore, not all of them agree on the same issue. If there was a way to bring enough of the hardcore crowd together and make them agree to not purchase a game, I'm convinced it would work.
Unfortunately, my belief is exclusive to consoles. I firmly believe that piracy hampers boycotts on the PC (of which L4D is also release on). If a company sees that their game is getting a ton of piracy, the primary assumption is probably going to be that people just don't want to pay, not that they're 'boycotting' (of which piracy doesn't fit the definition very well either).
JH @ Jul 3rd 2009 3:18PM
Why all the hype over this game? I played it for ten minutes and it looked AWFUL. Running at 1080p on a high end plasma, it still looked like outdated original XBOX games in the graphics department. And Zombies....why the obsession? It is the same thing over and over. Shoot zombies as they come towards you. Don't get me wrong I love some of the Valve games, Half-Life 2 goes down as one of the best shooters of all time, but Left 4 Dead is a game better left on the shelf.