Announcements
L4D2 Boycott (cont'd)
The Passing - And More?
Left 4 Dead DLC Update:
Valve has thrown us a bone and mentioned Left 4 Dead in the release of the April 22nd L4D2 dlc The Passing.
The new dlc just released for Left 4 Dead 2 features a 3-part campaign where the sequel’s characters cross paths with the survivors of the first Left 4 Dead. This was something that many fans feared was the death nail for any hope of further L4D dlc, especially since it was revealed after it released that the original character Bill is killed off. Apparently Valve plans to release both a unique original Left 4 Dead dlc campaign and an online comic book intending to show the events that lead up to The Passing. So there is the first mention of specifics for the long awaited Left 4 Dead dlc - a new campaign that explains the dlc just released for Left 4 Dead 2.
You can expect this L4D dlc “sometime” after the release of The Passing for L4D2, according to the Steam blog. So I’ll keep my ears open for when that will be and what exactly it may contain.
Group News:
Not really a hotbed of group activity to report since there hasn’t been any dlc, or reason to discontinue the boycott for most members. We’ve contracted in size 10% since our peak membership in March, a trend I’d point to Left 4 Dead 2’s constant sale status and Valve’s success in pretty much abandoning the L4D community. I don’t begrudge anybody buying the sequel if its 20 dollars or less, which is what many boycotters felt would be a fair price for it - but for myself and for those who remain in the group the natural depreciation for the game’s price isn’t at all a carrot from Valve to make amends with a scorned community, and I don’t plan on buying it just because it’s cheaper 7 months later.
Opinion:
As a PC gamer using steam, constantly seeing Left 4 Dead 2 ads the past 6 months is getting awfully tiring. I looked up some game sale stats, and Left 4 Dead 2 has woefully underperformed in the PC market ever since it released. Valve has used XBOX reviews and sales data exclusively when pushing L4D2 marketing, claiming in February they were approaching 3 million units sold. At the moment in May, according to gamerankings and vgchartz, L4D2 on XBOX is at 2.65mil units sold and still 100,000 units shy of original Left 4 Dead sales (remember Valve claiming preorders for L4D2 were 4x higher and predicted 4x the game sales in total?) For comparison, this puts Left 4 Dead 2 five million units shy of the success of Call of Duty 4 or GTA IV. My point here is that Left 4 Dead 2 is a marginally successful game, mostly confined to the XBOX market, and it calls into question Valve’s objectivity when they’re permanently plastering their weakly selling title on Steam homepages for more than 6 months. Considering the new Steam is more integrated and cumbersome than ever, more people are going to want some fairness in their reviews and advertising methods if we’re all locked into using the program.
Regarding L4D dlc, It’s my opinion that by now, with practically nobody playing Left 4 Dead anymore, the dlc will be suspended or it will be woefully lacking, being crafted to complete the canon in order to offer some future trilogy or combo pack, rather than as an authentic campaign intended to be played by the original Left 4 Dead gamers.
Thoughts?
Valve has thrown us a bone and mentioned Left 4 Dead in the release of the April 22nd L4D2 dlc The Passing.
The new dlc just released for Left 4 Dead 2 features a 3-part campaign where the sequel’s characters cross paths with the survivors of the first Left 4 Dead. This was something that many fans feared was the death nail for any hope of further L4D dlc, especially since it was revealed after it released that the original character Bill is killed off. Apparently Valve plans to release both a unique original Left 4 Dead dlc campaign and an online comic book intending to show the events that lead up to The Passing. So there is the first mention of specifics for the long awaited Left 4 Dead dlc - a new campaign that explains the dlc just released for Left 4 Dead 2.
You can expect this L4D dlc “sometime” after the release of The Passing for L4D2, according to the Steam blog. So I’ll keep my ears open for when that will be and what exactly it may contain.
Group News:
Not really a hotbed of group activity to report since there hasn’t been any dlc, or reason to discontinue the boycott for most members. We’ve contracted in size 10% since our peak membership in March, a trend I’d point to Left 4 Dead 2’s constant sale status and Valve’s success in pretty much abandoning the L4D community. I don’t begrudge anybody buying the sequel if its 20 dollars or less, which is what many boycotters felt would be a fair price for it - but for myself and for those who remain in the group the natural depreciation for the game’s price isn’t at all a carrot from Valve to make amends with a scorned community, and I don’t plan on buying it just because it’s cheaper 7 months later.
Opinion:
As a PC gamer using steam, constantly seeing Left 4 Dead 2 ads the past 6 months is getting awfully tiring. I looked up some game sale stats, and Left 4 Dead 2 has woefully underperformed in the PC market ever since it released. Valve has used XBOX reviews and sales data exclusively when pushing L4D2 marketing, claiming in February they were approaching 3 million units sold. At the moment in May, according to gamerankings and vgchartz, L4D2 on XBOX is at 2.65mil units sold and still 100,000 units shy of original Left 4 Dead sales (remember Valve claiming preorders for L4D2 were 4x higher and predicted 4x the game sales in total?) For comparison, this puts Left 4 Dead 2 five million units shy of the success of Call of Duty 4 or GTA IV. My point here is that Left 4 Dead 2 is a marginally successful game, mostly confined to the XBOX market, and it calls into question Valve’s objectivity when they’re permanently plastering their weakly selling title on Steam homepages for more than 6 months. Considering the new Steam is more integrated and cumbersome than ever, more people are going to want some fairness in their reviews and advertising methods if we’re all locked into using the program.
Regarding L4D dlc, It’s my opinion that by now, with practically nobody playing Left 4 Dead anymore, the dlc will be suspended or it will be woefully lacking, being crafted to complete the canon in order to offer some future trilogy or combo pack, rather than as an authentic campaign intended to be played by the original Left 4 Dead gamers.
Thoughts?
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As for the noname L4D DLC, i think it's kind of suspicious that they talk about it way too early, without even giving it a name. I think it's just a way to turn the crowd on the boycott once more to make sure any protesting word against The Passing is silenced or devaluated.
Although i really hope we get at least half a decent campaign and not just another crash course.
Although i really hope we get at least half a decent campaign and not just another crash course.
[SBP]AlphaGamma I rather see it as buying half a good pie,being promised to get the filling a dough for the other half for free, and then they don't do it but rather make you buy the same half pie topped with just about everything they could find in the kitchen.
L4D was were i started, and it's were i'm going to stay!
@ AlphaGamma
you should turn that into a FUUUUUUUUUU comic strip
you should turn that into a FUUUUUUUUUU comic strip
L4D3 announced at next E3 ?
Meh, Valve is in it for the money and nothing else so I wasn't too surprised when they ditched L4D for L4D2.
I'd me more enthusiastic about any L4D DLC if it wasn't about 7 months too late to make any real, lasting difference.
i feel its kinda like someone stealing your car, wrecking it, then trying to make up for it by giving you candy. Candy is good and all, but they wrecked your car! L4D is pretty much that wrecked car, sure i will enjoy playing the new levels but it wont make me buy any other L4D game, or accept Bill's death as cannon for that matter. I still know all 7 survivors would die before Bill would even get scratched.
Time known about DLC:
Almost 2-3 months prior to Passing Release
Almost 2-3 months prior to Passing Release
@AlphaGamma : They're not charging for the rest of the pie. Did you draw that yourself?
