Pre-Purchase Left 4 Dead 2 and get Bill's hat for Team Fortress 2

[AtomicSpark]

Pre-purchase Left 4 Dead 2 and get an exclusive item for the popular RPG Team Fortress 2!

Bill's Hat

• Adds +5% Steam Cred
• Grants bragging rights in combat

​

 

[Operational]

Neat, I had already pre-ordered L4D2 and I love TF2 so this is a nice bonus.

Steam forums are their usual case of crazy right now.

 

[xdrive]

Looks like valve are doing anything for those extra pre purchases.

lol the steam forums have exploded.

This is my favourite thread.

 

[Warped]

pretty awesome deal if you ask me. i find myself attached to Valve now more than ever before. best developer on the market hands down.

 

[ríomhaire]

That's awesome. That actually makes me want to preorder now. **** you Valve I hate you. I didn't want to buy the game till now and you're roping me in in the most shameful and stupid way possible: Getting a free hat.

I don't know why they keep going with the whole generic hats for eveyone though, the beret makes more sense on the soldier than anyone else.

Edit: Maybe I'll preorder from Game, get the demo/hat code and then cancel my preorder.

 

[Reginald]

Spiffy. I like hats.

I think TF2 needs a chainsaw though.

 

[Jeru]

Is it pedantic to complain that the flash badge should be over their left eye (viewer's right) rather than in the middle of their head?

Also I actually have the hat, so you're not getting me that easy valve.

 

[MJ12]

I don't really care for the hats, but Valve ain't being the Valve I used to know.

I really don't think they need to hit this low "extra ingame" item crap to get more money. Have they ever offered exclusive ingame stuff for pre-orders aside from L4D2?

That aside, it looks cool on the demo, and might look cool on the spy.

 

[Headcrab Pie]

Free Hat?

 

[MJ12]

Free Hat?

No, $45.00 hat.

 

[Sliver]

Getting pretty sick of all developers including pre-order bonuses. Just a cheap scheme to get fools to pre-order. That being said, Scout looks the best with Bill's hat.

 

[Asknoone]

This would be an appalling new low if they hadn't already hit that with the Gamestop deal. Pre-order, and receive an extra bonus feature? It's such a low and viral-esque marketing tool that not so long ago Valve were quite above. It may seem to some a small and trivial issue to split hairs over, but it's a slippery slope - it's a downhill path from here if such a trend gains momentum.

What happened to the ubiquity of products? To the ubiquity of Valve products? Not cool. All L4D has marked with Valve is a descent into the casual and mainstream market, and all the repugnant commodities that come with it.

 

[PimpinPenguin]

This has EA all over. EA have been putting pre-order bonuses and retail specific items in nearly all their games recently such as Dragon Age, Sims 3, NFS Shift and the upcoming Mass Effect 2. I know Valve say that EA have no influence over their decisions but i don't believe them anymore. It's a very nice crossover i just thought that Valve were above making it pre-order exclusive.

 

[brad92]

Yeah, this is not cool at all!

 

[Hectic Glenn]

I've just been playing TF2 on a 32 player server where people are saying 'HOW U GET THAT HAT???' And players are responding 'pre-order l4d2'...

...

'brb pre-ordering l4d2'

Unfortunately...it works.

 

[Paulaner]

OT: I'd like Valve to put the same enthusiasm into some new IP, be it an RPG or an RTS or an adventure or a simulation or whatever.

 

[brad92]

What an absolute shame! We have lunatics ravaging across the Steam Forums actually asking for specific Half-Life content for TF2 for Ep3 pre-orders in the future. Like Gordon's glasses. How pitiful.

 

[Operational]

No, $45.00 hat.

Oh please. You get a little something called "Left 4 Dead 2" at the same time.

 

[kineaesth]

Man I am upset that I didn't get a hat.

It's okay I didn't get a hat either.

You're right, though; this isn't really a very Valve thing to do. That was my major complaint initially with L4D2, that it just didn't seem like a Valve move.

 

[Warped]

Spiffy. I like hats.

I think TF2 needs a Gnome Mage

fixed

 

[Marler]

hehe nice1 valve

 

[MJ12]

Oh please. You get a little something called "Left 4 Dead 2" at the same time.

If you've been persuaded to buy L4D2 after seeing this add, you were probably not persuaded by the content you have been shown on behalf of L4D2.

 

[<RJMC>]

I dont get whats the hate whit this

its not like the hat gives you some advantage,is just a visual decorations based on something from another property of them that you get when you preorder the other game
is not like those plans of buyings special weapons for certain games or stuff like that

so I dont see the hate "omfg valve has become the new EA whit making stuff to make people buy theyr games!! so low by giving a free stuff that dont give any benefice or significance in the game but is still content and I want my content free cuz valve has give it before!!!!"

 

[lefty]

Not having been able to play TF2 in over a year I greatly look forward to the day that I get to go and play with all the new content... (exclusive preorder hats excluded :/) but then I thought, what if TF2 had been a hat-collecting game when it first came out? and then I cut myself.

 

[Born]

If I see this slimy shit creep into the Half-Life agenda, that's it. All hope. Gone. Valve seems to recognise that morons will flock to these kind of "special" offers. 'Tis a shame.

 

[Au-heppa]

This would be an appalling new low if they hadn't already hit that with the Gamestop deal. Pre-order, and receive an extra bonus feature? It's such a low and viral-esque marketing tool that not so long ago Valve were quite above. It may seem to some a small and trivial issue to split hairs over, but it's a slippery slope - it's a downhill path from here if such a trend gains momentum.

What happened to the ubiquity of products? To the ubiquity of Valve products? Not cool. All L4D has marked with Valve is a descent into the casual and mainstream market, and all the repugnant commodities that come with it.

I've got a hat! I've got a haaaaaa-aaaaaat. I've GOT A HAT! Hey, Samon, guess what? I've got a hat! Hey, Samon, hey, Saaaaaaamon, I've got a hat? A hat? Yes, I have one! It sure is cold here in Finland when it's SNOWING AND EVERYTHING, I wish I had a hat, OH WAIT I DO!

NJAH NJAH NJAH NJAH NJAH!

 

[Apocalypse89]

I find it hilarious how everyone on this board ripped apart the boycott for being a bunch of irrational whiners with a false sense of entitlement, and yet are exploding over a bonus hat.

 

[Asknoone]

There is no correlation, and I'm pretty sure everyone here has pre-ordered.

 

[Yorick]

I want to say that Valve isn't falling from grace, but I'm not sure. The way I see it is this. Valve has been making unbelievable deals through Steam for quite some time, deals that I'm not sure how they are actually making money on. I mean, TF2 for $2.50? They do constant half-off deals and free weekends and etc.

What I think happened is it's starting to hit them a bit. Most of us know that we can just wait to buy L4D2, because there will probably be a good Christmas deal, or it will be down to half off in about 6 months or so. There's no need for us to rush around to get it, especially those of us who view it as more of an expansion pack than a whole second game. They've taken a whole more marketing driven approach with L4D2, and that says a lot to me.

At least this is what I'm hoping the case is. If they need a bit more money to make quality games, then sure, release a couple of stupid things that idiots will pay early to get. I just hope they aren't losing their touch.

I'm pretty sure everyone here has pre-ordered.

*coughs*

 

[DEATHMASTER]

If I see this slimy shit creep into the Half-Life agenda, that's it. All hope. Gone. Valve seems to recognise that morons will flock to these kind of "special" offers. 'Tis a shame.

Not really, milk suckers for dough, more $ for valve, no problems for me.

 

[Ennui]

Valve fans have turned into a bunch of whiny pussyfoot bitches lately. Anyone else noticed this? It's not like getting Bill's hat gives you any sort of advantage in TF2.

We live in a capitalist society, let them market however they want, it's not like it's hurting a single one of you whether or not you preordered :upstare:

 

[Asknoone]

Valve fans have turned into a bunch of whiny pussyfoot bitches lately. Anyone else noticed this? It's not like getting Bill's hat gives you any sort of advantage in TF2.

We live in a capitalist society, let them market however they want, it's not like it's hurting a single one of you whether or not you preordered :upstare:

Valve fanboy.

Man, I have always wanted to say that to someone.

 

[alchemistlord]

Woah, Team Fortress 2 is an RPG?!!? Lol

 

[BabyHeadCrab]

I want to say that Valve isn't falling from grace, but I'm not sure. The way I see it is this. Valve has been making unbelievable deals through Steam for quite some time, deals that I'm not sure how they are actually making money on. I mean, TF2 for $2.50? They do constant half-off deals and free weekends and etc.

What I think happened is it's starting to hit them a bit. Most of us know that we can just wait to buy L4D2, because there will probably be a good Christmas deal, or it will be down to half off in about 6 months or so. There's no need for us to rush around to get it, especially those of us who view it as more of an expansion pack than a whole second game. They've taken a whole more marketing driven approach with L4D2, and that says a lot to me.

At least this is what I'm hoping the case is. If they need a bit more money to make quality games, then sure, release a couple of stupid things that idiots will pay early to get. I just hope they aren't losing their touch.



*coughs*

Not a damn chance. Valve is doing better than ever, and L4D2 will rake in quite a bit with Steam/console sales tossed in. Digital distribution is disgustingly profitable.

 

[Operational]

If you've been persuaded to buy L4D2 after seeing this add, you were probably not persuaded by the content you have been shown on behalf of L4D2.

Because Bill's Hat was never supposed to persuade people to buy L4D2 who wouldn't anyway (although some TF2 obsessives have bought L4D2 just for the hat).

Here is, what I think, Bill's Hat was trying to do:
*Get fans of L4D to take a closer look at TF2.
*Get fans of TF2 to take a closer look at L4D.
*Generate news at gaming sites (free advertising).
*Try out a form of non-intrusive in-game advertising (an alternative to the Valve-ads in CS1.6).
*Allow the TF2 team try out a new way of giving out hats.
*Get people to pre-order now instead of buying later.
*Increases inter-game communtiy bonding (eg, "You play L4D2? Hit me up on Steam and we'll play a game).
*Let people have fun.

 

[Plissken]

Oh, for the love of crap, people--its a hat. Anyone who suddenly rushed out to pre-order L4D2 who wasn't thinking of getting it before... you just spent $35-$60 to get a HAT. A hat! ... A freaking hat! You bought a digital hat for $60. Its a visual piece of eye candy that you only see yourself wearing in the equip screen or while taunting.

How is this some sort of Machiavellian scheme to get your money... I guess if you're a completest, this might drive you little mad, but if you really would go out for a game you weren't already interested in buying in the first place just to get a piece of eye candy you'll only wear until you find another hat you actually like... you have no reason to complain to anyone. The hat does nothing to affect game play.

For everyone else... this is nothing, gimme a break. Its not like they added a special Bill Class to the TF2 line-up, not like we can run around with a pump action shotgun, dual pistols, and a Molotov. I see this less than an incentive for pre-ordering, and more a reward to the more loyal fan base for their support; like the Halo was for those who didn't abuse the system, only this doesn't suck.

Geez, its a freaking beret with a shield emblem on it...

While we're on it, the bat, too--are you really going to deride that? In a game with so many other melee weapons, the only thing the bat will probably bring to the table is the satisfaction of screaming BONK! into your mic. How is that going to make you HAVE to pre-order? Chances are you'll end up using anything else--the Cricket Bat or the Chainsaw or the Crowbar or the Katana or the Machete--the bat will probably just be a clone of the police baton in all but skin, model, and sound.

None of these so called incentives are meaningful, and I see no reason to deride VALVe or any other company for it. Why not view them as little extras that thank you for your support?

Its not like in an MMO where the item might do something useful--increased running speed cloaks in LotRO, for example--or like in the Soul Calibur series where each console has its own unique character--that to me is far worse than anything VALVe is doing here.

Or, you know, the practice of having DLC exclusive for one console and not the other. Particualrly after you've bought the game only to see an announcement that one console gets this stuff, and the other console either gets nothing or something else you don't care as much for.

You can maybe make a case for what has happened with the class updates for TF2 on the XBox360, but considering that the issue there lies mostly with Microsoft and that VALVe is packaging the updates together into the cheapest package possible for the most content available speaks more to their dedication to their patrons than it does to their greed.

 

[kineaesth]

Because Bill's Hat was never supposed to persuade people to buy L4D2 who wouldn't anyway (although some TF2 obsessives have bought L4D2 just for the hat).

Here is, what I think, Bill's Hat was trying to do:
*Get fans of L4D to take a closer look at TF2.
*Get fans of TF2 to take a closer look at L4D.
*Generate news at gaming sites (free advertising).
*Try out a form of non-intrusive in-game advertising (an alternative to the Valve-ads in CS1.6).
*Allow the TF2 team try out a new way of giving out hats.
*Get people to pre-order now instead of buying later.
*Increases inter-game communtiy bonding (eg, "You play L4D2? Hit me up on Steam and we'll play a game).
*Let people have fun.

Hey, this is a really good post.

 

[ríomhaire]

There is no correlation, and I'm pretty sure everyone here has pre-ordered.

I always intended to get this game, but I was going to wait till I could pick it up cheaper. I can't believe this is what makes me want to get the game. I'm like one of those stupid girls in the Simpsons who all buy the Malibu Stacey with the NEW HAT.

Don't ask me why I have a week spot for this. I guess I'm just an idiot.


And I've now realised it wasn't Game they had the preorder deal with, it was Gamestop, so I signed up for a Game membership card and now I have both CoD6 and L4D2 preordered and I have a demo code for the XBox Live demo (but that's been publicly released now anyway, hasn't it?) for nothing. Going to cancel those preorders and go see if I can get a FREE HAT code from Gamestop. God this is sad.

 

[deer]

I want to say that Valve isn't falling from grace, but I'm not sure. The way I see it is this. Valve has been making unbelievable deals through Steam for quite some time, deals that I'm not sure how they are actually making money on. I mean, TF2 for $2.50? They do constant half-off deals and free weekends and etc.

What I think happened is it's starting to hit them a bit. Most of us know that we can just wait to buy L4D2, because there will probably be a good Christmas deal, or it will be down to half off in about 6 months or so. There's no need for us to rush around to get it, especially those of us who view it as more of an expansion pack than a whole second game. They've taken a whole more marketing driven approach with L4D2, and that says a lot to me.

At least this is what I'm hoping the case is. If they need a bit more money to make quality games, then sure, release a couple of stupid things that idiots will pay early to get. I just hope they aren't losing their touch.

With COD6 coming exclusively to Steam they will have shitload of money so I think this hat is just a bonus and a cool bonus for me now I have 3hats (beret, gibus, halo) + halloween mask. :farmer:

 

[chimpmunk]

Here is, what I think, Bill's Hat was trying to do:
*Get fans of L4D to take a closer look at TF2.
*Get fans of TF2 to take a closer look at L4D.
*Generate news at gaming sites (free advertising).
*Try out a form of non-intrusive in-game advertising (an alternative to the Valve-ads in CS1.6).
*Allow the TF2 team try out a new way of giving out hats.
*Get people to pre-order now instead of buying later.
*Increases inter-game communtiy bonding (eg, "You play L4D2? Hit me up on Steam and we'll play a game).
*Let people have fun.

Please god no.