Gamespot.com: EA to Become Publisher for Valve Retail Titles

[Chris D]

The following is a direct quote of Gamespot's news post:

Just over three months ago, one of the most contentious relationships in game history came to an end. On April 28, after months of overt legal disputes and covert bickering, VU Games and Valve Software announced they were ending a half-decade-long publishing deal. The arrangement saw the former publish the latter's groundbreaking PC first-person shooters Half-Life, Counter-Strike, and Half-Life 2.
[br]
However, Valve's next console game--after the PlayStation 2 Half-Life and the Xbox Counter-Strike--will be distributed by one of VU's main rivals. Today, Electronic Arts revealed that as of this fall, it will be the international publisher of the forthcoming Xbox version of Half-Life 2, which will now ship in October 2005. EA will also assume distribution duties of a new Game of the Year edition of Half-Life 2 for the PC, which will include Half-Life 2, Counter-Strike: Source, plus Half-Life 2: Deathmatch, and Half-Life: Source in a single box.
[br]
However, Valve will now officially self-publish all of its PC products, although the newly announced--and carefully worded--agreement will allow EA to "deliver a collection of Valve games to players worldwide" in the future.
[br]
"We consider Half-Life and Counter-Strike to be two of the best game franchises of all time," said Tom Frisina, Vice President and General Manager of EA Partners, in a statement. "We could not be more excited to have the opportunity to help deliver these outstanding games to players around the globe."
[br]
Valve founder and president Gabe Newell had similarly kind words. "By combining EA’s unparalleled operation structure and distribution channel with Valve's award-winning development teams and games community, we’ve established an awesome combination for delivering great products to console and PC gamers around the world," he said.
[br]
The EA-Valve arrangement covers the boxed, retail editions of Half-Life 2 and Counter-Strike: Source, it does not affect digitally distributed versions of the game. As before, those titles will be delivered and updated via Steam, Valve's online service.

[br]That's right; Electronic Arts is going to be the publisher of future Valve retail titles. Discuss.

 

[Deemo]

noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

actually as long as valve still makes the games i guess its fine

 

[French Ninja]

Electronic Arts is going to be the publisher of future Valve retail titles.

WE ARE DOOMED!:x

 

[SimonomiS]

The EA-Valve arrangement covers the boxed, retail editions of Half-Life 2 and Counter-Strike: Source, it does not affect digitally distributed versions of the game. As before, those titles will be delivered and updated via Steam, Valve's online service.

THANK GOD!!!

 

[Slainchild]

lol...

 

[Asknoone]

God no.....

 

[^Ben]

hrmmmmmm.

 

[Espion]

Maybe my vivendi version of the HL2 box will be worth something someday now

At least it's not 90% covered in EA logos.

 

[Kangy]

Honestly? I'll never purchase a Valve product in retail now, and I'm considering not doing it at all. All I can say is... congratulations on becoming huge hypocrites!

 

[Harryz]

The last EA product I bought was Burnout 3, and its going to stay that way.

 

[OvA]

Thats a helluva way to get people to buy from Steam

 

[dassbaba]

Quick, everyone, overreact!

 

[Fletch]

Creepy lil girl - "...challenge eeeverything.."

 

[Datrix]

Interesting...

 

[Dumb Dude]

Big deal EA is the publisher now, its not the end of the world. Just because they are the publisher does not mean that the games will suck. I love Battlefield 2 and I sure do love Valve games. Having an EA logo on the box sure doesn't stop me from buying games, and it sure as hell should not have an effect on what you people buy either. You guys are just over-reacting about all this, just because "your" precious little developer is now with a huge publishing company such as EA.

 

[The Monkey]

As soon as I read the title I knew what to expect of you guys in this thread.

 

[Dr. Freeman]

OHHHHHHHH NOOOOOOOOOOEEEEEEEEEEEESSSSSSSS
damn...now how are we gonna boycott EA? :frown: :angry:

seriously...this bit of news disturbs me.
i was so hoping Activision would be in the picture :|

 

[WooFerPPK]

i never played a quality product from EA since they called them selves EA, bf2 is the buggiest pos game ive ever played. I really hope if EA does become publisher it does not effect at all the way valve makes there games.

 

[WhiteZero]

I love the current "Hate EA" fad.

i never played a quality product from EA since they called them selves EA, bf2 is the buggiest pos game ive ever played.

You might want to bitch to Digital Illusions about that, not EA.

For some reason people can't differentiate between Publisher and Developer.

 

[DreadLord]

I love the current "Hate EA" fad.


You might want to bitch to Digital Illusions about that, not EA.

For some reason people can't differentiate between Publisher and Developer.

It's not a fad, shut the hell up.

And yea this sucks, I too was hoping for an Activision deal.. is there any word on the retail copy of DoD:S? Surely that will remain activision if a retail version is produced..

 

[operative x]

I think it was a very smart move, they have the BIGGEST publisher to handle the console and pc Box titles, whihc means EA is going to heavily promote their games to the mainstream audience and still ahve full control over steam. Very smart.

 

[Cole]

Whats so bad about EA publishing it?

Valve is still creating the game? EA is not. All that is changing is probably an EA logo and EA on the box's.

Though the good thing is, si that EA has nothing to do with steam thus valve keeps all profit from steam.

THAT IS A GOOD THING.

 

[Dsty2001]

nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Ennui]

All of the games that EA develops internally suck. Most of their games they publish but don't develop do as well... but not all.

 

[WhiteZero]

It's not a fad, shut the hell up.

ROFL
Good job giving me any reason to, fool.
-.-

Anyway, EA has produced/developed plenty of quality games.
But you guys can whine about it untill your post count shoots through the roof.

 

[Harryz]

I love the current "Hate EA" fad.

Hating EA a fad? Take Dreadlord's advice.

 

[Cole]

Ea Publishing Valve Games Is Good.
Ea Is Not Making The Game.
Ea Is Willing To Put More Money To Promote The Game Than Others.
Valve Has Control Over Steam.

What The Hell Is Bad About It?

 

[Goldmember]

Honestly? I'll never purchase a Valve product in retail now, and I'm considering not doing it at all. All I can say is... congratulations on becoming huge hypocrites!

Well for being a staff member, your reaction is very sad indeed. Think how this really affects anything.

 

[booogerhead]

this news is really nothing exciting: sure, everyone associates EA games with mass-marketing BS, but you have to realize that EA is doing nothing more than publishing.
everything else (designing & developing, as well as updates, new content, release dates [for better or for worse], and some of the distribution through online means) goes through valve.
ea is just publishing for retail stores since valve has no other means to distribute in that medium.
and for that matter, EA is a logical choice in publishing, as long as it is publishing and nothing more.

 

[anonymousity]

"Thats a helluva way to get people to buy from Steam"

Hahah, good point Thats funny to think about. Good idea actually; partner with the most 'hated' publisher out there, and offer a 1st party alternative to get the games.

 

[Burning Fish]

noooooooooooooooooooooooooo
ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Amen.

Can you imagine what happens when you start up the game?

*Valve Logo*
"Cool Valve-tune playing"

*Horrible EA-logo*
"EA GAMES! CHALLENGE EVERYTHING!

Annoying.
Hope there won't be any hidden Fifa-commercials in Day of Defeat Source.

 

[WhiteZero]

What The Hell Is Bad About It?

Nothing.
People just like to gripe about EA.

OH NOES! People who buy retail have to sit through EA's 5 second bump!!! AHHH!!!! It's the end of the world!!!! AHHHHHH!!!

Idiots...

 

[chu]

Good. Now I will be able to play aftermath, if it ever comes out.

 

[ViperAnus]

It's not a fad, shut the hell up.

And yea this sucks, I too was hoping for an Activision deal.. is there any word on the retail copy of DoD:S? Surely that will remain activision if a retail version is produced..

hehehe, havn't seen you in a while. I thought you had died or something


oh yeah... I agree with teh above

 

[Cole]

Yippy!!!
Valve Games can get proper marketing!!

 

[ThrasherX9]

Hating EA is common practice because they don't give a shit about their employees, have no sense of what it takes to support a game and what makes games fun. All in all, they suck.

 

[Lincoln]

Stop whining.

It's a publishing deal, EA won't be allowed to f**k with anything.

If they try, Valve wil most likely tell them to f**k off.

 

[DreadLord]

Nothing.
People just like to gripe about EA.

OH NOES! People who buy retail have to sit through EA's 5 second bump!!! AHHH!!!! It's the end of the world!!!! AHHHHHH!!!

Idiots...

You seem to be the only idiot here actually. You don't seem to understand what's going on at all in the gaming industry. EA is quickly monopolizing the gaming industry. Because of them there are no more good NFL games, just "Madden 20xx" because they made a deal with the NFL preventing anyone else to make those games. EA has been trying to buy companies like Ubisoft for quite some time now, but very few are able to fight back at all. EA is a HUUUGE company that does no good for the industry itself. Valve on the otherhand is an excellent company, with a good fan base. When EA publishes VALVe's games it's making it a hell of a lot tougher for all of us (all of us being every member of this site except for you evidently) to not support EA. Now when you buy a store copy of HL2, you're giving money directly to EA, which is indeed the devil.

You my friend, are an idiot.

EDIT: And I'd like to thank "Dsty2001" for screwing the tables completely in this thread. Congrats. Can a mod please delete his post?

 

[WritingARequiem]

Seriously, this doesn't affect the game. For every person who doesnt like EA, theres one-hundred who could care less who the publisher is. EA isn't having a say in the game, just marketing.

 

[Cole]

Hating EA is common practice because they don't give a shit about their employees, have no sense of what it takes to support a game and what makes games fun. All in all, they suck.

As a DEVELOPER THEY SUCK. AS A PUBLISHER THEY ARE VERY GOOD.