Valve: Why we Love Them Pt. 1

Valve seems to be the gaming dev company that made all the right choices at the right time. So, why is it that Valve does so well as a company, even in times when other companies in the industry seem to have to cut back their projects? A lot of gamers love to speak of Valve's dedication to making games that are truly games for gamers, but I believe it goes far beyond this. Valve's games are not only made by guys who love to game, but by guys who know how to make a game interesting.

Valve has always done a great job at bringing new features and creative elements to games. An excellent example of this is with their recent title, Left 4 Dead, which was so well planned that every aspect of the game adds to the experience. If you haven't read Valve's Left 4 Dead blog, I really suggest giving it a look here. Everything from lighting, down to the look of buildings and how players hold their flahslights was considered, and reading about it is absolutely fascinating. It's this attention to detail along with Valve's love for the gamer community that really sets it apart.

Valve's dedication to great gameplay has been displayed in amazing titles, such as the Half Life series and Team Fortress 2. Yet, Valve has recently placed themselves at the forefront of yet another aspect of how we play games: digital distribution. With the Steam platform, Valve has not only made it easier to get games to your PC, but has made it secure for the vendors as well. Steam has become the best of its kind, and luckily so, as Valve feels very strongly that DRM is a negative thing, especially if done incorrectly, as forcefully stated by Gabe Newell. Today's PC gaming scene owes a lot to Valve, it seems, and they are really looking out for the end user. One important statement was made by Robin Walker, a Team Fortress 2 designer:
"You buy the product, you get the content. We make more money because more people buy it, not because we try and nickel-and-dime the same customers."
(via Eurogamer)

PC gamers can rest assured that Valve will treat them well. Look forward to some neat Team Fortress 2 updates, as well as additional content in Left 4 Dead coming up. And maybe we'll have another article in the Why We Love Valve series further down the line :D