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Valve Software handbook for new employees [pdf] (2012)

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Re: Valve Software handbook for new employees [pdf] (2012)

#151
post #81

Earlier quoted context omitted.

IMO it’s really hard to argue with the quality valve software is putting out. I can’t really name a game that isn’t considered a must play that they’ve made

Artifact flopped really hard.

Dota Underlords wasn't exactly a success either.

Re: Valve Software handbook for new employees [pdf] (2012)

#152

I think it's funny that this is passed around as a great example of how to run a company, but I really don't think Valve are producing much.

Valve's efforts with Proton have made it so that gaming on Linux is actually possible.

Re: Valve Software handbook for new employees [pdf] (2012)

#153
post #36

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In addition to the other products mentioned: Deadlock is maybe the best new big budget IP in recent memory, in terms of theme/setting and art style and character design. Particularly after the update a week ago, the game is stylish as hell now. Even the main menu music is a banger: https://youtu.be/WkGDC3idX1E Now, the game isn't exactly out yet, but it is pretty widely accessible, and the core of the game is just fa…

I pretty much have the opposite feeling about Deadlock after putting 200+ hrs into it (not that much but enough to understand the game). There was a recent streamer that said it best: the game design fundamentally punishes you for engaging with other players. Instead, it rewards you for running around the map breaking static entities (boxes, statues, static creeps, etc.). Which is, frankly, boring. There's just no wa…

For gameplay, your explanation isn't totally wrong, but it's not totally right either. Deadlock is a MOBA, so yes, there's more to it than fighting other players. Sometimes team fighting or ganking is the right answer, sometimes farming or pushing objectives is the right answer. It depends on the current state of the game, and your own hero/play style.

Personally, I love that kind of depth and complexity, and I would hate for Icefrog to listen to the people pushing for the game to become more simplified and Overwatch-like. We already have Overwatch and Rivals for people who just want to fight all the time, but there's nothing really like Deadlock that combines MOBAs and hero shooters with the mechanical depth that Deadlock has -- especially when you factor in the movement tech.

> There's just no way imo that will ever be successful in an FPS/shooter. It might work for MOBAs, but I think the idea of a MOBA-first shooter is just never going to get much traction beyond a niche.

It's definitely a risky play in some sense, but arguably less risky than engaging a pure MOBA or pure hero shooter directly, since those have already well established, polished entries. That there's nothing really like Deadlock out there is one of its big advantages, if you like Deadlock's gameplay, there's really no alternative.

Re: Valve Software handbook for new employees [pdf] (2012)

#154

Earlier quoted context omitted.

As some with a gaming PC, a few VR headsets, and a steam deck, I find myself reaching for the steam deck most often. It’s a good enough experience and easy to just turn on and play. The friction to getting the VR headset out is surprisingly high so it really only happens when I’m playing with a friend, which only three friends have headsets. So it just ends up not happening.

I don't quite understand this. The friction on ordinary desktop PC gaming is also fairly high. I can't imagine playing on Quest 2 or 3 is significantly more complicated. Also, if you are playing a large RPG (like Asgards Wrath 2), a few minutes of setup won't make much of a difference in playing time. I agree it's a different issue for more casual games. I think the more relevant difference is that there are vastly m…

I think there’s a very simple explaination actually.

Most people psychologically don’t like wearing or carrying technology unless there’s a really good reason. Most people also don’t like psychologically feeling isolated.

VR doesn’t have a good reason, and makes you feel isolated. No further rationale is necessary.

Re: Valve Software handbook for new employees [pdf] (2012)

#155

I think it's funny that this is passed around as a great example of how to run a company, but I really don't think Valve are producing much.

I use Proton every day, but I'll also shoutout Deadlock - first MOBA since the original DOTA that feels fresh and fun to play.

Re: Valve Software handbook for new employees [pdf] (2012)

#156
post #147

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Which is a great way to run a business that you care about owning for a long time. But as a consumer you have to think about what happens when leadership changes—PE buys them and starts reputation mining. It takes a while to burn through the good will and for a few years you can make a lot more money off of that than you can continuing thing as usual.

You think Gabe will sell to PE? You need someone willing to sell to be able to buy something. I’m betting that won’t happen, and that the next BDFL is not going to run the thing into the ground fast enough for it to matter to me.

Dude, Gabe could get hit by a bus tomorrow, and all it takes is for 0.2% of Steam shares to be given to a secondary person, for any reason, due to a legal order (as he owns only 50.1%) to cause the takeover.

Valve is also facing a class action lawsuit for anticompetitive practices. If they lose, even though they will almost certainly survive, watch the tables flip upside down fast.

Re: Valve Software handbook for new employees [pdf] (2012)

#157
post #130

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think there's a lot of weirdness if you try to answer "what is the PC gaming platform?" and how Valve or anyone else fits into it, and because it's PC a lot of answers can be true simultaneously, and many different users want/expect different things. Is it processor architecture? Is it the OS? Is it the store and whatever facilities they provide? Is it the mode of physical interaction with the device (desk, couch+T…

PC gaming is what has been since the MS-DOS days and lame beeps, versus the Amiga. I always find interesting the mention of "rise of PC gaming". Those of my generation have been playing PC games, and 8 bit home computers before that, since the 1980's. Game consoles were almost inexistent in most European households for us. The exception being the Game and Watch from Nintendo series, like Manhole.

Trying to define "Personal Computer" is another rabbit-hole, it's such a broad concept. I'd argue someone could be right if they called an iPhone a PC as for many that is their computing device, at the same time as someone else's PC being a monstrous workstation that you'd need to load onto a trolley to move.

Re: Valve Software handbook for new employees [pdf] (2012)

#158
post #98

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>"they pretty much killed off our project.” That project was CastAR — augmented reality glasses which Jeri Ellsworth is now working on as a separate project, having been handed the legal rights to do so by Valve . But how many billion-dollar companies would do that? Just give the rights to the ex-employees? I think most other companies would have not. So, in that sense, Valve is unusual, even if it's not the oranizat…

Unfortunately, no-one’s investment in AR or VR has worked out. Even the “winner” (Oculus/Meta) has found the market to be disappointingly small.

I only have 2mb ADSL, each world on VR Chat is something about 300mb+ in size not including VR Avatars. I'll join a world with folk, and they'll jump worlds before anythings loaded.

I wear glasses so I have to use special lenses to enable me to see in-game. These costed an addition 150 euros.

The XREAL Air 2 look appealing but I am unable to buy inserts for. This make's them useless to me.

> "While we plan to offer lenses for the Air 2, its updated frame design makes self-assembly of the lenses too difficult"

If where we lived in a fantasy world where everyone had a 10Gbit connections, perfect eyeballs. Yeah, it'd be great tech, practical too. But those without are left out like left-handed folk.

My Valve Index is sitting untouched behind me. I bought this in 2021, Why can't companies offer a version for those with a prescription? One size fit's all doesn't work here.

Re: Valve Software handbook for new employees [pdf] (2012)

#159

I think it's funny that this is passed around as a great example of how to run a company, but I really don't think Valve are producing much.

The only thing that matters is setting up a near monopoly where you have a chokehold. Valve did this with steam. Now it literally does not matter what asinine and silly business practices they do internally as long as they keep the money printer functioning. A lot of people do not understand this and think stupid things like, “if we copy Valve’s flat hierarchy, we’ll be as successful”.

Re: Valve Software handbook for new employees [pdf] (2012)

#160
post #125
post #10

Anybody working for Valve here? Can somebody confirm how many % percentage of this is BS?

This is a common question from people interviewing at Valve. I was suspect how accurate it was before I joined given how long it's been since it was updated. However, it still 100% represents the culture within Valve. Desks are still on wheels, structure is still completely flat, etc... It's been on my list of "eventual todos" to make a trivial update to help reinforce that it's still relevant.

How is individual performance evaluated?
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