Valve’s Games vs. Gabe Newell’s Favorite Video Game

[vycyous]

I wasn't sure where to put this, so I just chose the off topic section.

A while back, I remember reading an article (found the link: http://www.computerandvideogames.com/296735/features/gabe-newell-my-3-favourite-games/) in which Gabe Newell (founder of Valve/Steam, if you didn’t know) was quoted saying that Super Mario 64 was his favorite game of all time.

With that being the case, it’s interesting that we have never seen a game from Valve that’s anything like Super Mario 64. Instead, Valve has a game lineup that consists mostly of first-person shooter-type games (the biggest exceptions seem to be Dota 2, the Portal series, and maybe the aging Ricochet, which I guess started out as a mod for Half-Life). It sort of reminds me of when you hear some heavy metal guitarist (or similar) say their favorite musician or biggest influence was Bob Dylan or James Taylor or the like; it’s kind of hard to draw the comparison. Although, to be fair, the article also says that the original Doom was a major turning point in how Gabe viewed video games, which would make sense when looking at Valve’s past work.

Obviously, Valve’s games are not the first-person shooter clones we all know and love [to hate], but Valve hasn’t really stepped all that far outside the box from that general category, either (again, besides the aforementioned exceptions). Of course, Valve is more developer than publisher and developers don't often stray too far from their core games and styles. I mean, if you're only going to do (basically) one thing, then do it well and be the best. But, maybe it's time for a change of pace.

What do you think? Besides Half-Life 3, Left 4 Dead 3, Portal 3, Team Fortress 3, or the next Counter Strike…or Dota 3, what would you like to see Valve do next? Maybe a third-person, action, platformer-type game? A real-time strategy game? Role-playing game? A large, open-world action/adventure game? Maybe a simple side-scrolling game? Or, should they just stick with the now established game series they have and release sequel after sequel? Quit making games altogether? Again, what do you think?

[vycyous]

I just realized there's at least one similarity between Super Mario 64 and Portal. The paintings that you jump through in SM64 are sort of like the portals in Portal, though it's not a huge part of the overall gameplay.

[Naedmi]

Does Gabe look like the kind of person to make an exact copy of a game he likes?

[Hopper]

Half life: Mario. Worth the weight.

[vycyous]

İlk olarak TheDean tarafından gönderildi:

Does Gabe look like the kind of person to make an exact copy of a game he likes?

I never said that Gabe or Valve should make an "exact copy" of any game. However, maybe I'm the only one that feels it's strange that Gabe/Valve has never made anything even close to or somewhat resembling Gabe's favorite video game of all time.

Generally, something we like very much ends up being very influential in our lives and the decisions we make. It's just hard to draw any comparisons between any of Valve's games and Super Mario 64, besides the fact that they're all video games. As I said in my original post, however, the Doom influence is obviously there.

[Xedhadeaus]

Valve should make a 3d platformer.
I feel like they're getting No love.

[Xedhadeaus]

Then have them make a good sonic heroes with rampant Co op potential!

[vycyous]

İlk olarak Xedhadeaus tarafından gönderildi:

Valve should make a 3d platformer.
I feel like they're getting No love.

I agree. And of the relative few that there are, even less make it to the PC. Sony PlayStation exclusives like Sly Cooper, Ratchet & Clank, Crash Bandicoot, Jak and Daxter, and even Uncharted come to mind. The Wii U has the fantastic Super Mario 3D World, along with the back catalog of great Wii games like the Galaxy series. I can't seem to think of any 3D platformer-type exclusives on the Xbox systems, besides maybe Crackdown. The upcoming Xbox One exclusive Sunset Overdrive looks fun. On the PC (not exclusives, mind you), we have Prince of Persia, Darksiders (to some degree), Psychonauts, Tomb Raider (here and there), Tiny & Big in Grandpa's Leftovers, Papo & Yo, the recently ported to PC Enslaved: Odyssey to the West, and many of the LEGO games. I would almost say Assassin's Creed, but those games jump for you, so there's no real timing involved (but they're still fun). We can always use more.

[Zelris]

İlk olarak Xedhadeaus tarafından gönderildi:

Valve should make a 3d platformer.
I feel like they're getting No love.

Unfortunantly, it is more or less a dead genre.
Outside of Nintendo and a few indie titles they just aren't made like they used to be.
Same with arena shooters.

[Xedhadeaus]

STOP TALKING!!!

I miss them so much.

[vycyous]

İlk olarak Xedhadeaus tarafından gönderildi:

STOP TALKING!!!

I miss them so much.

I'm with you. Most of the games I mentioned in my previous post are either part of a series that has pretty much run its course or is really old, with only a handful of exceptions. We need some new 3D platformers that aren't LEGO games (although, those are fun). There you go, Valve.

[Xedhadeaus]

İlk olarak vycyous tarafından gönderildi:

İlk olarak Xedhadeaus tarafından gönderildi:

STOP TALKING!!!

I miss them so much.

I'm with you. Most of the games I mentioned in my previous post are either part of a series that has pretty much run its course or is really old, with only a handful of exceptions. We need some new 3D platformers that aren't LEGO games (although, those are fun). There you go, Valve.

Eidos hatched quite a lot.
Legacy of kain,
Akuji the heartless
Gex 1 2 3
Tomb raider... Though tomb raider has controls that make me want to cry.

There were others from others too.
Crock1,2
Ape escape.
Scaler
One
Rayman 2
Sonic games.

Sigh. There is obviously potential. But it's like No one wants to do it anymore. Eidos had the Mario clone down with gex. And even simplified it for akuji. Two perfect games. But they quit for some reason.

[Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart]

His other favorite games are Doom and Star Trek played on a Burroughs mainframe computer.

[pwned11]

Half-Life and Half-Life 2 *are* like Super Mario 64 and Nintendo products. I should note that I weirdly haven't finished either Half-Life game (life is crazy, am I right?). But when I was playing Half-Life 2, I was like "Whoa, this feels like Zelda with a gun." I could have just as easily compared it to Mario 64. Why? Because both games are immersive in a 3D Nintendo sort of way. Other shooters are full of action. But with the Half-Life series, there is this sense of savoring every step of an immersive experience. And the controls were obviously obsessed over. And little things were obsessed over. When I think of 3D Nintendo games, I think of certain *feeling* in the controls and a unique type of subtle immersion that isn't in-your-face. But that immersion doesn't just let you be, either. It's different than say, Monster Hunter. In any case, I got that same feel from Half-Life and Half-Life 2. With both of those games, it felt like a Nintendo product -- if Nintendo was American, was making a first person shooter, and was making content that was less "all ages." I know that what I just wrote might seem very vauge... but since you're a Nintendo fan... just think hard about what I said. Like really imagine a Nintendo first person shooter (not Prime) that was American. Really imagine what it would feel like. What you'll conjure up in your mind so something very close to Half-Life!

You *wouldn't* get Call of Duty nor Halo. And I'm not dissing those franchises at all. I'm just saying... Half-Life is about as Nintendo as an American-made first person shooter can get!

[Copperfield [SAC]]

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[Tiberius]

Hi everyone