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Gabe Newell is going to Australia
Author: Joe MartinPublished: 2nd October 2009
Valve's Gabe Newell has announced that he will honour plans to visit an Australian Left 4 Dead modder.
The plan for the trip arose from a joke between the modder, Joe W-A, and Gabe Newell when Joe complained that he hadn't been flown to Seattle to preview Left 4 Dead 2 like some boycotters had been. Joe W-A said he should be flown to Valve HQ in order to show the Valve team his new Left 4 Dead mod. Newell replied however saying that Valve had decided to boycott the mod, with Joe asking if this meant he had to fly Gabe out to visit his house.
No, said Newell. You've got to fly project lead Erik Johnson out as well.
Since then Joe W-A has raised the required $3,000 USD to pay for the flights and record the event, with surplus funds being donated to the Child's Play charity which provides computer games and toys for children in hospitals across the world.
Valve's announcement indicates that Gabe and Erik will honour the agreement, even though it arose out of nothing but playfulness. While the official press release doesn't indicate this, it's also being reported that Valve has refused the $3,000 and decided to pay for itself so that the full amount can be donated to charity.
"The power of the gaming community and their ability to rally around a cause - be it serious or fun in nature - is amazing," Newell said.
"In 2003, the community helped the FBI and European law enforcement officials find the people who stole the Half-Life 2 source code. This year, the community is putting me on a plane to the other side of the world to meet Joe W-A and see his mod. It's going to be a fun trip."
Valve will be blogging about the trip and posting their impressions on the mod via the official Left 4 Dead blog, but you can let us know your thoughts in the forums.
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Nicely done Joe W-A!
:D
indeed
lol yea maybe, kill 2 birds with one stone :)
now now, we can't be killing things with stones, that could constitute melee and that would be 18+ so can't be "released" in Australia... ;-)
Following this example, I plan to boycott future episodes of The Guild unless I'm taken to see Felicia Day....
... what? it might work
Wasn't a lot of the original money donated by valve workers who wanted to get rid of them for a while?
Whats your problem? The game is basically a new game, They added so much that you couldn't install this as an add-on to L4D and still play that the original way. Just be happy valve released this sequel to game withing 5 years.
Indeed, where's my Half Life 2 Episode 3?
Valve is a profitmaking company - they're doing this for the publicity, and nothing else.
Of course, but how many other companies do that, even if it's for publicity reasons?
It's almost........ None? :-D
I'm sure we all realise that most companies are out to make a profit.
Its just not often you find a company that you don't resent for doing it...
Now everyone can feel "good" about buying L4D2, despite their previous hesistence, because it's obvious that "Valve still cares".
*Note: Not taking an opinion either way on if this is a good or bad thing, just trying to objectively comment on the mastery PR maneuvering going on*
I love the idea that Dev celebrities goto modders home countries and homes to take a look at what they are making, I hope it is fully documented, video and all.
Maybe Gabe can speak to the Parliament of Australia and tell them to pass some reasonable laws regarding gaming content and labeling.
Do not be surprised if the next Left for Dead is based in Australia and the Parliament is the first set of blokes to be turned into zombies, oh wait, they already are!!!
"How can I tell who will be the first to be turned into zombies?!?!"
"Easily son, they are the ones with nooses around their necks!"
"oooooh, i though those were part of their suits"
LOL,
Star*Dagger
That would be South Australia, all the other states have been willing to implement R ratings for games for several years.
And then they announce it'll take until 2013 for release. :p
(Providing the source code doesn't leak like HL2 :))
Well the length of time with literally nothing (screenshots, trailers etc.) is odd. Maybe this Aussie guy could threaten to burn Gabe's passport or something unless he fesses up.