Valve open to being acquired

DiscoZombieDiscoZombie Join Date: 2003-08-05 Member: 18951Members
<div class="IPBDescription">:(</div><a href="http://blog.gameshadow.com/?p=481" target="_blank">http://blog.gameshadow.com/?p=481</a>

the long and the short of it is, Valve has said that they're not against being acquired. The very thought of EA buying them out is very frightening. I guess EA has started putting out some decent games again these days, but still... I thought valve had principles, like Google, where the customer and quality come first and profits follow... EA has no such scruples. I don't want Valve to sell out to The Man... and has anyone ever used the EA downloader? *shudder* almost as clunky and invasive as QuickTime.

as an aside, I really like <a href="http://blog.gameshadow.com/" target="_blank">http://blog.gameshadow.com/</a> as a gaming blog, and I had never heard of it before =p
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Comments

  • RetalesRetales Panigg cultist Join Date: 2003-08-07 Member: 19180Members
    Oh gods...


    All I can say right now.
  • FaskaliaFaskalia Wechsellichtzeichenanlage Join Date: 2004-09-12 Member: 31651Members, Constellation
    EA is just like Midas. Everything it touches turns into gold.

    But unfortunately you cannot eat a solid gold cake <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/sad-fix.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":(" border="0" alt="sad-fix.gif" />
  • AlignAlign Remain Calm Join Date: 2002-11-02 Member: 5216Forum Moderators, Constellation
    Says they're open to discussing, which just means they're not going to be rude about their dismissal. There's enough bad blood in the industry already.
  • GwahirGwahir Join Date: 2002-04-24 Member: 513Members, Constellation
    he's just not closing any doors.
  • DrfuzzyDrfuzzy FEW... MORE.... INCHES... Join Date: 2003-09-21 Member: 21094Members
    NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOooooooooooooo

    i hope they dont sell out <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/sad-fix.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":(" border="0" alt="sad-fix.gif" />

    Last thing we need is hl3 being made by EA, what a disaster that would be. You'd get a new half life every year thats half done and buggy :/
  • QuaunautQuaunaut The longest seven days in history... Join Date: 2003-03-21 Member: 14759Members, Constellation, Reinforced - Shadow
    Guy's...they've been open to being bought out since their inception. Just that no one has come over with a satisfiable offer.

    As in, as much freedom as they have now, only they don't make 100% of the money(and thusly less liability).
  • remiremi remedy [blu.knight] Join Date: 2003-11-18 Member: 23112Members, Super Administrators, Forum Admins, NS2 Developer, NS2 Playtester
    Right now I think Valve is one of the places I would really like to work, so I hope they don't get bought out by EA... I don't like EA.
  • Dalin SeivewrightDalin Seivewright 0x0000221E Join Date: 2007-10-20 Member: 62685Members, Constellation
    It seems that all the decent web applications and other companies are being bought out these days.
    Much like the Google/Yahoo! war.

    Sometimes these things can be good... new features... actual bug fixes etc.
    I for one have been against Steam from its inception but recently I've grown slightly fond of it. Its on all the time and I only use it for ZoS and NS. I for one think the 'community' aspect and features of Steam need to be reworked.
    At least with C&C, EA has turned an incredibly awesome series into something... slightly better. Their online system seems to be very popular and their site features player matches and what not and a lot of players seem to be really excited about all of that. Westwood had this setup when they weren't bought by EA but it was very different and not as prioritized. Besides my dissapointment with the game itself, EA has done better than I expected them to with a game series that I loved since I first sat down and played.

    With that sad, if Valve is indeed bought by EA, I don't believe their focus will be mis-placed entirely. They will most likely look at Valves current technology platform and use it to better their own systems (Valves systems seem to be a lot better than that of EA) and since they seemed to have recently shifted their attention to the idea of how a Community is essential for a truly brilliant game experience, I don't think they'll miss boat on that one.

    As for the fear of releasing a half finished sequel to Half Life... if this buy goes ahead (which I really don't think it will anyways) then it will probably happen when Half Life has been finished. Most game series have an expected 'life' to them and after Episode 3, I don't think they'll be making another. Their best bet would be to create a new franchise that they can hook onto. We know they can make other great games (TF2, Portal) so there's no reason to believe they won't keep making great games.

    Bottom line: EA buying Valve wouldn't be the worst thing in the world. If they were smart (which I think they are ((sometimes))) they wouldn't interfere a whole lot with Valves current affairs and software other than branding them differently and a slightly different direction.

    The worst thing in the world would be Google being bought out by Microsoft. Not that its ever going to happen but, scary.

    Thats my two cents at any rate.
  • GwahirGwahir Join Date: 2002-04-24 Member: 513Members, Constellation
    It's probably true they wouldn't mess with Valve too much, but EA would mess with them at least as much as it messes with Maxis. Not all that much, but enough to twist some of their IP into something horrible. Urbz.
  • Dalin SeivewrightDalin Seivewright 0x0000221E Join Date: 2007-10-20 Member: 62685Members, Constellation
    <!--quoteo(post=1685428:date=Aug 7 2008, 01:58 PM:name=Gwahir)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Gwahir @ Aug 7 2008, 01:58 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1685428"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->It's probably true they wouldn't mess with Valve too much, but EA would mess with them at least as much as it messes with Maxis. Not all that much, but enough to twist some of their IP into something horrible. Urbz.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

    I haven't heard of Maxis since I last played Sim Ant / Sim Hotel when I was younger.
    Now, I fear for Valve.
  • QuaunautQuaunaut The longest seven days in history... Join Date: 2003-03-21 Member: 14759Members, Constellation, Reinforced - Shadow
    <!--quoteo(post=1685431:date=Aug 7 2008, 01:16 PM:name=Dalin Seivewright)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Dalin Seivewright @ Aug 7 2008, 01:16 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1685431"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->I haven't heard of Maxis since I last played Sim Ant / Sim Hotel when I was younger.
    Now, I fear for Valve.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

    You're ######ing kidding me. The Sims? Spore? Jesus you're out of the loop.

    And Gwahir, EA is a lot more changed of a company than people around here want to give them credit for. I understand everyone around here is about as anti-establishment as it gets, but EA deserves some credit for the stuff they've done in the past year.
  • DrSuredeathDrSuredeath Join Date: 2002-11-11 Member: 8217Members
    Guys... Today's EA is not the EA of old.

    I have not been impressed by EA in the past, but for the past few years... they have been really solid.
    What other publisher would have given Spore such an atrocious development time? Have their games not been really good lately? I truly believe the day of Westwood, Bullfrog, Ultima Online fiasco is long gone.
  • TychoCelchuuuTychoCelchuuu Anememone Join Date: 2002-03-23 Member: 345Members
    <!--quoteo(post=1685434:date=Aug 7 2008, 04:38 PM:name=Quaunaut)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Quaunaut @ Aug 7 2008, 04:38 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1685434"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->You're ######ing kidding me. The Sims? Spore? Jesus you're out of the loop.

    And Gwahir, EA is a lot more changed of a company than people around here want to give them credit for. I understand everyone around here is about as anti-establishment as it gets, but EA deserves some credit for the stuff they've done in the past year.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
    Maybe he meant he hasn't heard the name Maxis. EA basically absorbed them and now instead of a Maxis game it's an EA game.

    And frankly I don't care if Valve gets eaten by EA or whoever. DICE got eaten by EA and what'd we get? Mirror's Edge and Battlefield: Heroes. I'll take an innovative colorful first person parkour game written by Terry Pratchett's daughter over HL2: Episode 3 any day. Not that I don't love HL2, but still.
  • DiscoZombieDiscoZombie Join Date: 2003-08-05 Member: 18951Members
    <!--quoteo(post=1685431:date=Aug 7 2008, 04:16 PM:name=Dalin Seivewright)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Dalin Seivewright @ Aug 7 2008, 04:16 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1685431"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->I haven't heard of Maxis since I last played Sim Ant / Sim Hotel when I was younger.
    Now, I fear for Valve.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
    Sim Ant was the bomb <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin-fix.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":D" border="0" alt="biggrin-fix.gif" /> it was all downhill for Maxis after the days of Sim Ant and Sim Earth, if you ask me. Let's hope Spore redeems them.

    As for EA, I will never forgive them for <a href="http://www.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/issues/issue_14/87-The-Conquest-of-Origin" target="_blank">the conquest of Origin</a>.
  • XythXyth Avatar Join Date: 2003-11-04 Member: 22312Members
    The problem with EA is they don't give a ###### about their fans, all they care about is how many copies the game is selling. Look at C&C Generals for example, still has a huge online playerbase years after release, yet it took EA years before they released a patch to fix a game-breaking exploit. That game hasn't seen attention from it's developers in years now, and it needs it. Blatant unbalance with various armies and units, but will it ever get a new patch? No.
  • HazeHaze O RLY? Join Date: 2003-07-07 Member: 18018Members, Constellation
    EA sucks, period. Nothing can redeem that company for the remainder of time. It's a money driven husk that assimilates and kills creativity in favor of pumping out another sports game that everyone has already been playing for nine years. ###### EA.
  • DrSuredeathDrSuredeath Join Date: 2002-11-11 Member: 8217Members
    Man, you guys can really hold a grudge. EA have been behaving really well for sometime now. All of the newly acquired developer more or less churn out solid games. AND STOP DITCHING THE SIMS 2, YOU ELITIST @#$%.
  • Private_ColemanPrivate_Coleman PhD in Video Games Join Date: 2002-11-07 Member: 7510Members
    <!--quoteo(post=1685450:date=Aug 7 2008, 06:56 PM:name=DrSuredeath)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(DrSuredeath @ Aug 7 2008, 06:56 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1685450"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->Man, you guys can really hold a grudge. EA have been behaving really well for sometime now. All of the newly acquired developer more or less churn out solid games. AND STOP DITCHING THE SIMS 2, YOU ELITIST @#$%.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

    I don't see what the Sims 2 has to do with anything, other than it was a bad game.
  • TychoCelchuuuTychoCelchuuu Anememone Join Date: 2002-03-23 Member: 345Members
    I enjoyed it. Basically The Sims+.
  • HazeHaze O RLY? Join Date: 2003-07-07 Member: 18018Members, Constellation
    <!--quoteo(post=1685450:date=Aug 7 2008, 07:56 PM:name=DrSuredeath)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(DrSuredeath @ Aug 7 2008, 07:56 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1685450"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->Man, you guys can really hold a grudge. EA have been behaving really well for sometime now. All of the newly acquired developer more or less churn out solid games. AND STOP DITCHING THE SIMS 2, YOU ELITIST @#$%.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

    It's not really that hard to hold a grudge with EA's wrap sheet. A company that massive does not simply "change."
  • lolfighterlolfighter Snark, Dire Join Date: 2003-04-20 Member: 15693Members
    <!--quoteo(post=1685446:date=Aug 8 2008, 01:13 AM:name=Xyth)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Xyth @ Aug 8 2008, 01:13 AM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1685446"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->The problem with EA is they don't give a ###### about their fans, all they care about is how many copies the game is selling. Look at C&C Generals for example, still has a huge online playerbase years after release, yet it took EA years before they released a patch to fix a game-breaking exploit. That game hasn't seen attention from it's developers in years now, and it needs it. Blatant unbalance with various armies and units, but will it ever get a new patch? No.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
    What exploit is that? The suspense is killing me.
  • TychoCelchuuuTychoCelchuuu Anememone Join Date: 2002-03-23 Member: 345Members
    edited August 2008
    <!--quoteo(post=1685459:date=Aug 7 2008, 11:09 PM:name=Haze)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Haze @ Aug 7 2008, 11:09 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1685459"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->It's not really that hard to hold a grudge with EA's wrap sheet. A company that massive does not simply "change."<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
    But it has changed! They already apologized for killing off stuff like Origin and Bullfrog, they've given massive resources and development time to innovative developers like Will Wright, and they've greenlit strikingly original and risky products like Mirror's Edge, which is a game where you spend most of your time getting motion sick onto colors that haven't been in a next-gen game since the last generation, or Battlefield: Heroes, which EA gets to give away for free and where they hope to make money by selling digital moustaches.
  • lolfighterlolfighter Snark, Dire Join Date: 2003-04-20 Member: 15693Members
    If they sell monocles and teacups along with the moustaches, me and DHP will be hooked.
  • Dirty_Harry_PotterDirty_Harry_Potter Join Date: 2002-11-21 Member: 9500Members
    edited August 2008
    ###### LOLFIGHTER!

    <!--coloro:#000000--><span style="color:#000000"><!--/coloro-->On the subject at hand, then well, I just hope they don't actually want to be bought, or that it will happen. Despite EA perhaps redeeming themself in the past some time, then I still don't 'trust' them.<!--colorc--></span><!--/colorc-->
  • remiremi remedy [blu.knight] Join Date: 2003-11-18 Member: 23112Members, Super Administrators, Forum Admins, NS2 Developer, NS2 Playtester
    edited August 2008
    <!--quoteo(post=1685487:date=Aug 8 2008, 10:04 AM:name=Dirty_Harry_Potter)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Dirty_Harry_Potter @ Aug 8 2008, 10:04 AM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1685487"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->On the subject at hand, then well, I just hope they don't actually want to be bought, or that it will happen. Despite EA perhaps redeeming themself in the past some time, then I still don't 'trust' them.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

    Why would you change the color of your text? Do you realize that people view the forums with different themes and that in some of them, it is very difficult to read black text without highlighting it?

    <a href="http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=104649&st=20&p=1685487&#entry1685487" target="_blank">http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/index....p;#entry1685487</a>
  • lolfighterlolfighter Snark, Dire Join Date: 2003-04-20 Member: 15693Members
    <!--quoteo(post=1685487:date=Aug 8 2008, 04:04 PM:name=Dirty_Harry_Potter)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Dirty_Harry_Potter @ Aug 8 2008, 04:04 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1685487"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->###### LOLFIGHTER!<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
    *monocle*
  • DiscoZombieDiscoZombie Join Date: 2003-08-05 Member: 18951Members
    <!--quoteo(post=1685482:date=Aug 8 2008, 09:26 AM:name=TychoCelchuuu)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(TychoCelchuuu @ Aug 8 2008, 09:26 AM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1685482"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->But it has changed! They already apologized for killing off stuff like Origin and Bullfrog, they've given massive resources and development time to innovative developers like Will Wright, and they've greenlit strikingly original and risky products like Mirror's Edge, which is a game where you spend most of your time getting motion sick onto colors that haven't been in a next-gen game since the last generation, or Battlefield: Heroes, which EA gets to give away for free and where they hope to make money by selling digital moustaches.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
    well don't count your chickens before they hatch. These games haven't been released yet. EA still has plenty of time to rush Mirror's Edge out the door unfinished and half-assed, and BF: Heroes still has time to be a money grab with shallow gameplay as well.
  • XythXyth Avatar Join Date: 2003-11-04 Member: 22312Members
    edited August 2008
    <!--quoteo(post=1685469:date=Aug 8 2008, 07:42 AM:name=lolfighter)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(lolfighter @ Aug 8 2008, 07:42 AM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1685469"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->What exploit is that? The suspense is killing me.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
    Scud Bug. Drag select a scud-site that is being built, press q (hotkey for selecting all attacking units you own) then ctrl+left click (Force fire at ground). The scud site will fire immediately even if it's only 1% built. Cancel building after firing is done (getting full money back) start building another, rinse and repeat.
    This isn't mentioning the laser-general laser turret trick (If you force fire one laser turret at another, the one being attacked will magically gain like 6x range and start randomly attacking enemy units) or the chinese nuke-cannon fast firing trick (Everytime the fire-rate of the cannon changes, be it from a speaker tower nearby or a promotion it will cause it to fire again. This can be easily abused if you have good micro skills and an overlord with speaker-tower upgrade).
    Or if you play as america, you can use a microwave tank to force-fire on a supply drop that is being built, once the building is done and you move the microwave tank away. Once the building gains power back the air-drop plane will show up immediately, giving you 2500$ instantly instead of you having to wait the 1.5 minutes like normal.

    Will these ever be fixed though? No.
  • AbraAbra Would you kindly Join Date: 2003-08-17 Member: 19870Members
    I have never experienced thinking "Wow, this game is really patched up!" or "hey, this game had a bug last week, now it's fixed, and it's even 2 months since the game came out!" after sitting through a "CHALLENGED? EVERYTHING!" EA intro.
  • HazeHaze O RLY? Join Date: 2003-07-07 Member: 18018Members, Constellation
    <!--quoteo(post=1685534:date=Aug 9 2008, 04:05 AM:name=Abra)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Abra @ Aug 9 2008, 04:05 AM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1685534"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->after sitting through a "CHALLENGED? EVERYTHING!" EA intro.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

    ...the millionth time. Why don't they let you SKIP IT?
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