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July 18, 2006
Working for a Company People Don't Hate
Late last week, at an EA event, "we" announced some products that will ship with HL2-Episode 2 (Portal, and Team Fortress 2, to be precise). (I say "we" 'cause I haven't done anything to contribute to those products, so it feels like glory hounding to strongly associate myself with them.)
The reaction from the gaming press and community have been really strong.
And, unlike my last employer, it's been strongly positive.
It's a total head-trip to work for a company that has such a rabid fan-base. I can't really describe it, other than to say it makes me want to live up to their expectations, do cool stuff, so that they (the fans) will like it, and draw in more fans. My office mate, Matt, is an escaped Microsofty, and his reaction seems sorta in-line with mine.
Sure, Steam has it's detractors (mostly folks who are pissed off that it makes pirating games essentially impossible, and some who complain that you need a net connection to activate a product you purchased in a retail box), but by-and-large, Valve's rep is positive. And the people here are wicked smart, passionate, and deserve the rep.
And somehow I managed to get invited into the club.
I'm still sorta reeling...
Oh, and if you're waiting for the TF2 trailer, it'll be out soon. Or, if you happen to be in my physical vicinity...
Posted by dberger at July 18, 2006 11:02 AM
Comments
Don't let it go to your head. First off, Team Fortress 2 has been 'in development' almost as long as Duke Nukem Forever. You could have announced that you were finally releasing 'Big Pile Of Crap' after it was in development for 8 years and some people would be thrilled the wait was over. Second, a lot of people have learned to be wary of Valve announced release dates for good reasons. Third, there are a lot of people out there who like Real, they just don't post as much on slashdot.
Posted by: Brad at July 19, 2006 10:12 AM