Valve speaks out against charging for DLC - finally some good PR for this company

[Roufuss]

I pretty much hate Valve and their business practices, but I do have to agree with this -



Speaking with Eurogamer, Team Fortress 2 designer Robin Walker pretty much slams every publisher who ever made folks pay for DLC:


"You buy the product, you get the content," Team Fortress 2 designer Robin Walker told us. "We make more money because more people buy it, not because we try and nickel-and-dime the same customers."

What a great philosophy! I'd daresay there are games out there that I've long since traded in that I would buy again if new free content came out. DLC should be an incentive to buy a game in the first place, adding value to a title to generate more sales. I would much rather have free extra content that is supported by advertising than a $5 map pack any day of the week



They practice what they preach because I remember them giving us Half Life 2 Deathmatch for free, as well as Lost Coast, and added some new maps to Counter Strike: Source at no extra cost. They will probably add in more maps to Team Fortress 2 as well.

Hopefully this means Xbox Live people will be able to see free Team Fortress 2 maps as well!


http://kotaku.com/gaming/as-the-valve-turns/valve-keeps-dlc-free-262573.php

[Chacrana]

Aren't they also forcing people to rebuy shit they already own? I have no idea anymore, since I refuse to buy anything that requires Steam.

[Scrubking]

:applause: The way it should be.

[Roufuss]

Aren't they also forcing people to rebuy shit they already own? I have no idea anymore, since I refuse to buy anything that requires Steam.

Only at retail, you can still get the Black Box through Steam IIRC.

They will probably phase out all the other Half Life 2 products and just have the Orange Box on the shelf, so while it sucks, it makes a lot of sense. I never really saw the point of having two SKU's.

The good news it that maps and additions to their games will always pretty much be free, so it means people who grab this on the 360 for Team Fortress 2 and whatever will never have to pay for extra maps, which imo is a rip off as that stuff used to always be free before Xbox.

[Friend of Sonic]

I wonder if Microsoft will force them to charge for content-- does Microsoft get a cut out of every points transaction for third parties?

[SpecTrE3353]

What is there to hate about Valve's business practices?

[Noodle Pirate!]

The original TFC was a free bonus and really breathed new life into the game and interest in the original game when it came out.
That was pratically a new game, not just a new skin or gun.
They pretty much created the class based fps with what was just a bonus side project.
People may hate steam etc.. but Valve has given away more free content for their games then any other developer I can think of.

[Roufuss]

I wonder if Microsoft will force them to charge for content-- does Microsoft get a cut out of every points transaction for third parties?

If Microsoft forces them to charge for content, you better believe Valve and Gabe Newell will make a HUGE deal out of it, so at least we'll finally learn if it's true if Microsoft really controls the price points for things on the marketplace.

[TC]

Isn't the 360 version being published by EA?

[lokizz]

half life games have always had amazing dl for free. hell i still love the they hunger mod for the original half life. but eh who didnt see this dl fee shit coming down the pipe. it will only get worse.

[tangytangerine]

Isn't the 360 version being published by EA?

Yeah, that's what I thought too.

[62t]

Well the PSP version of Burnout is getting 2 tracks for free. I cant see that happening on X360.

[Kaijufan]

Isn't the 360 version being published by EA?
I'm pretty sure Valve is publishing it and EA is distributing it for them.

[mr ryles]

glad to see out of all the money grubbing companies out there that valve is doing something to stand for what is right.