Valve: Xbox Live 'such a train wreck'

[T-6000]

PC Gamer, on their website, released another part of their interview with Valve. And in this interview, they talk a bit about XBox Live, which they consider 'Such a Trainwreck':

PC Gamer: Was the mistake on the Xbox side to think that Microsoft would let you update it more often?

Gabe Newell: We thought that there would be something that would emerge, because we figured it was a sort of untenable… “Oh yeah, we understand that these are the rules now, but it’s such a train wreck that something will have to change.”

Erik Johnson: We did kind of blindly go off and build… you know what we’ve done in TF2 because you’ve played TF2, right? We built a lot of things. So there is this business issue of how do you keep delivering software, which we did kind of think we could resolve in some way. Market forces are dictating it should be resolved. But then memory’s a problem for us now – we’ve added all these things, so you have to consider those budgets at this point.

Erik Johnson: I mean it’s a trade-off. I don’t know how to evaluate that trade-off today. TF2 on the PC side has delivered a huge amount of value, but we’ve screwed up on the other side.

Doug Lombardi: OK, enough about our screw ups! Next question!

You can read the rest of the interview here:

http://www.pcgamer.com/2010/09/09/interview-valve-on-13-things-theyve-failed-at/

Meanwhile fanboys all across the web are accusing Valve of being paid a ton of money by Sony to go against the XBox and praise the PS3. And yet they don't post any bit of proof at all. If you compare XBox like and the Playstation Network it’s easy to see why Valve favors the PS3. I'll admit that I was a harsh critic of the PS3 in the past, despite being a PC Gamer, but I'll admit that at least the PS3 is alot more open than the Xbox 360. And it's easy to see why Valve would favor the PS3. As a Steam user, Valve likes to update their products with alot of free DLC and content, to keep their customers happy as well as reap the benefits of Steam (Despite the annoying DRM, though at least it's one of the least strict). Valve hasn't had hardly any luck in this regard with the XBox 360. Valve has had trouble bringing updates to the 360 version of Team Fortress 2 and they had to charge for the DLC for the 360 versions of Left 4 Dead and left 4 Dead 2. On top of that, Microsoft isn’t willing to work with Valve to bring Steam to the XBox 360. If I was Valve, taking a look at both consoles in the long run I can see why they'd favor the PS3. Oh, and let's not forget their stupid Anti-Gay policy:

http://www.computerandvideogames.com/article.php?id=263696

Classy Microsoft, real classy.

 

[Lobster]

I find the headlines cause most of the whining, in context the dig at XBLive was pretty tame, but the vocal angry people that comment, only respond to the singular quote, they assume it is a blanket statement.

 

[ríomhaire]

Gabe isn't one to keep his opinions about the consoles to himself. He also thinks the handheld market is a bunch of crap.

Things that we’re not doing enough experimentation on are mobile – I think all of the answers today in the mobile space are totally retarded. In spite of that, we don’t really get to have much of an opinion because we haven’t done anything. The GameBoy has been out forever; has Valve ever done a mobile game? No. So we only get to bitch so much about what other people do.

 

[Bad^Hat]

Wait, what the shit? I thought they removed that stupid ****ing gay/lesbian policy. Oh sorry, I mean their "sexual orientation" policy. Yeah, like they've ever banned anyone with straight/hetero in their gamertag or profile.

I have no idea how things go on the Sony side of the fence, but I've become pretty disillusioned of XBL recently. It's pretty disconcerting when you consider it's a paid service, and then hear that they still charge developers every time they roll out a patch on the service (I'm sure I read somewhere it was like $30,000 but I can't find it now). Because of this, games like CoD are still pretty broken because Activision are tight as hell, not to mention it probably contributes to things like Valve not releasing their content for free since they have to weigh up the cost with how much they can actually reimburse from it.

 

[StarBob]

Well it was pretty obviou this was going on behind the scenes. Valve delivers tons of free updates to PC people and want to do the same for Consoles but Microsoft doesn't roll like that. I would be in no way surprised if Gabe and Valve entered in to a contract that pretty much said that they can no longer say bad things about PS3 and Sony. They're probably getting a ton of money too. That's business for you.

 

[PvtRyan]

Well it was pretty obviou this was going on behind the scenes. Valve delivers tons of free updates to PC people and want to do the same for Consoles but Microsoft doesn't roll like that. I would be in no way surprised if Gabe and Valve entered in to a contract that pretty much said that they can no longer say bad things about PS3 and Sony. They're probably getting a ton of money too. That's business for you.

Considering Gabe just called mobile gaming, and that includes the PSP, "totally retarded" it suggests otherwise.

 

[StarBob]

Considering Gabe just called mobile gaming, and that includes the PSP, "totally retarded" it suggests otherwise.

Maybe just PS3...

 

[Letters]

Or maybe it's just a ridiculous claim!

Free money for people who don't say bad things about our stuff!

**** YEAH! BUSINESS! DEBIT THE BRIBE ACCOUNT!

 

[Krynn72]

Maybe you're wrong.


Definitely.

 

[ríomhaire]

Seems to be a lot of people around the internet claiming that Valve is being paid by Sony to say this shit. Funny how Valve have been complaining about not being able to do updates on the consoles like they wanted for quite a while before Sony apparently bought them out.

 

[Druckles]

Oh no, Microsoft are paying them because they are saying they can release free updates on Windows!

 

[Stigmata]

I could see Sony paying them off. We all know how strapped for cash Valve is, what with their floundering multiplayer shooters and failed distribution platform and all.

 

[Barnz]

valve is an independent company, they can talk the way they want. this is not the first time they talk negative about xbox and microsoft.

 

[Kyorisu]

I could see Sony paying them off. We all know how strapped for cash Valve is, what with their floundering multiplayer shooters and failed distribution platform and all.

WHOOSH.

That was the sound of people believing what you just wrote. Well the Sony pay off part anyway, people can be really dumb when it comes to platform loyalty.

 

[Raziaar]

I'm just disappointed that Valve has given in to the PS3 and will now give it the first games it has ever had.



"The PS3 is a total disaster on so many levels, I think It's really clear that Sony lost track of what customers and what developers wanted. I'd say, even at this late date, they should just cancel it and do a "do over". Just say, "This was a horrible disaster and we're sorry and we're going to stop selling this and stop trying to convince people to develop for it."

PS3 sucks.

 

[bam23]

you were paid to say that

 

[Bad^Hat]

What do I have to say for someone to pay me?

 

[JUL3]

Xbox can go burn in a fire of its own crapiness.

 

[Druckles]

What do I have to say for someone to pay me?

Depends what you're willing to say...

 

[Acepilotf14]

Druckles™ is an amazing person, a model Brit, intelligent and witty, and you can find him in retailers near you now for only $49.99(+tax).

Buy the first run of Druckles™ and receive a free copy of 'The New Millennial Guide to Cynicism' by Ross 'Samon' Fish, also in book stores near you!

 

[Krynn72]

Lose the book by Samon, and you've got a deal!