Left 4 Dead 2 Boycott

[Captain2]

Valve Fans Form Left 4 Dead 2 Boycott Group

Andy Chalk posted on 3 Jun 2009 5:37 pm
Filed under: andy chalk, boycott, fans, l4d2, left 4 dead, steam group, valve, zombies
A group of angry gamers has commemorated Valve's announcement of a sequel to the hit zombie-killer Left 4 Dead by forming a Steam Group dedicated to boycotting it.

When I heard that Microsoft and Valve had announced Left 4 Dead 2 I said to myself, "Hey, that's cool. A follow-up to a hit videogame is about as surprising as a sunrise but I'm always up for a little more zombie-shootin'." Good news, right?

Not necessarily. It seems lot of people were unhappy about the announcement, which they see as a betrayal of Valve's "promise" to support Left 4 Dead with new content, and over 3000 of them have joined a new Steam Group called L4D2 Boycott (NO-L4D2), complaining about everything from Valve's lack of commitment to Left 4 Dead to the new game's overly colorful "visual aesthetic" and crappy fiddle music.

The group's manifesto:

Significant content for L4D1 was promised, and never delivered
Valve put little faith in L4D1 since they almost certainly started working on L4D2 right after release
The fact that L4D2 is nearly identical to L4D1 will decimate the community for both games
The announced date is not nearly enough time to polish content or make significant gameplay changes
The new character designs seem bland and unappealing so far
L4D2 is too colourful to fit in with L4D1's visual aesthetic
The fiddle-based horde music is extremely disliked, though the differently orchestrated music is otherwise welcome
L4D2's release will result in a drop in quality and frequency for L4D1 content, even compared to before
The community has lost faith in Valve's former reputation for commitment to their games post-release
Is it really all that bad? Left 4 Dead 2 may be more of an incremental update than an all-out zombie revolution but that's hardly unusual in a sequel and given Valve's track record, producing a follow-up to a major hit game in the span of a single year strikes me as a step in the right direction, not something to complain about. Half-Life 2 came out four-and-a-half years ago and we don't even have a release date for Episode 3 yet!

The L4D2 Boycott group is growing fairly quickly, although it's impossible at this point to say whether that's a sign of widespread discontent or merely that people really like to join online social groups. But if either one sounds like your cup of tea, feel free to join the rage party at steamcommunity.com.

My original response was more of a case of "what the hell?" but now that I think of it I tend to agree, with a sequel en route I don't see any additional content arriving for the original. I love the game but I've always been content with the feeling that more stuff would be coming, Knowing that this is likely it I just get a sense that this isn't a complete game.

What do you think?

 

[CustodianV131]

Never played it and never will because I don't like the subject matter.

Don't see why Valve can't bring out a sequel though. From what I heard in podcasts they brought out more free content in the form of accepted maps ect then most other companies ever deliver already.

Plus you can always wait for the ineveiable sale or blue/green/red box edition to get it cheap.

Voting with your wallet is a very valid method, don't see the point of getting all worked up about it though.

 

[GenMarshall]

I agree that its a bit too early for L4D2 (It would have been more appropreate to have the sequal come out in two-three years from now). Though its nonsense to go up in arms.

I'm planning to buy L4D2 when it comes out.

 

[Maniacal]

Partly because I can't afford nor will I have time to play it when it coems out, there will be the inevitable rediculously cheap sale at some point.

As for the content already given to L4D, the survival maps are nice, but only 1 is actually new, the rest are somewhat-changed old maps, some rather lazily so. I prefer the campaigns, but the current 4 are rather boring now. They have been very slow with releasing the SDK too.

Hopefully they will offer a discount to current owners of L4D, even if they do put in more content than they have announced.

 

[Kan' Sharuminar]

Yeah, definitely far too early a release, I'm disappointed. I'm hardly going to boycott the game, but I'm not buying it when it's first released

 

[tycoonist]

yeah, i totally agree with this article. from what i've seen they just have met the promises for more content with the release of a new game, which is about the same as the old. and they expect me to pay more money for it?

 

[Kozmos]

Hell I still dont have the first because I thought the content was insufficient to warrant the 50$ price tag.

 

[GoodGame]

I'm confused. I though L4D2 would just be an expansion. What evidence is there that L4D2 won't just be L4D with new maps, weapons, and some minor engine tweaks? So L4D1 is going to be obsolete already?

If the gameplay improvements are just a couple of weapons upgrades and a graphic overhaul, I probably won't pick up L4D2 until it's a bargain seller anyways.

If this won't affect L4D1's SDK going fully public, then I doubt it will be such a big deal. Modding communities last years after a game is out.

 

[steviejay]

As someone who only has it for the 360 and as such tend to miss out on all the good new content, what sort of stuff is there out for it on the PC that isn't on the 360 version and would it justify buying it again?

 

[Maniacal]

Well VALVe said that all the L4D1 content will work in L4D2, or at least it iwll be able to be ported over, probably with minor changes (VALVe either lives up or fails to live up to it's promises).

 

[Serutan]

The cynic in me looks at this and thinks that it's awful easy to boycott something that isn't out yet...

 

[JtheJackal]

The boycott is absolutely absurd and has no reason to exist. It is disappointing that a thread was created on this instead of the great looking Left 4 Dead 2. The game is improving and adding more of what I liked about the first game and zombie movies in general, plus placing it in unusual game locations. It is an absolute shame so much unjustified anger is put to a great looking game.

 

[Captain2]

The Boycott is entirely acceptable and has every reason to exist (I'll show you my full arguement if you show me yours).

While I myself do not intend to Boycott, I see those who do as having quite reasonable grievences. Of course I'll take it out on them by only paying $10 during a sale or something

 

[Maniacal]

The boycott is a way to get VALVe's attention and have them address a number of concerns amongst L4D fans about L4D2.

 

[tycoonist]

The boycott is absolutely absurd and has no reason to exist. It is disappointing that a thread was created on this instead of the great looking Left 4 Dead 2. The game is improving and adding more of what I liked about the first game and zombie movies in general, plus placing it in unusual game locations. It is an absolute shame so much unjustified anger is put to a great looking game.

will the valve employee please stand up?

 

[Civfan333]

The cynic in me looks at this and thinks that it's awful easy to boycott something that isn't out yet...

QFT.........I'm pretty sure around 50% of the people saying they won't buy this game will end up buying it within 6 months of release.......

 

[JtheJackal]

The boycott is a way to get VALVe's attention and have them address a number of concerns amongst L4D fans about L4D2.

Which are? Paying for a game with more content than the original? All I've seen is people who want free things. Or is this game being made with child labor or some other serious issue a boycott is meant to address?

 

[Maniacal]

Which are? Paying for a game with more content than the original? All I've seen is people who want free things. Or is this game being made with child labor or some other serious issue a boycott is meant to address?

So far it looks like the game is merely a slightly improved and astheticaly-changed versino of the first game, generaly people do not want to buy the same or very-very-similar game twice.

QFT.........I'm pretty sure around 50% of the people saying they won't buy this game will end up buying it within 6 months of release.......

VALVe loves sales, and last year there was a massive sale post-christmas (and some sales before).

EDIT:
http://www.gossipgamers.com/valve-defends-left-4-dead-2-release-among-20000-member-boycott/

The announcement of Left 4 Dead 2 has caused a significant amount of players unrest at how early the sequel is going to be released. Steam members had quickly created a boycott group on Steam which now has now almost reached 20,000 members at the time of writing. Valve has been consistently claiming the sequel isn’t a quick cash scheme and that the game itself will be huge and much more than just another DLC.

In a recent interview, Valve’s Chet Faliszek said that the project was originally called “this big thing,” and that the content has much more to offer. He said: “It was just like, OK, this is big enough that this isn’t DLC, we’re not going to be able to leak it out. It’s a cohesive, single thing. It’s Left 4 Dead 2.”

Faliszek also promised Left 4 Dead fans that updates are still due for the original. “In fact Left 4 Dead one, we still aren’t done with it,” he said. “We still have updates coming. Our focus is always on what we’re putting in the box, put as much as we can in the box. Let’s not worry about: let’s save that and not put that in the game. No, let’s put that in. And with the five campaigns, all of them out of the box, playable Versus, co-op, Survival and the new mode, there’s just a ton of content in there.”*

When asked if Left 4 Dead had now become an annually updated franchise, and whether 2010 would see the release of Left 4 Dead 3, Faliszek replied: “We do it once in a year and everyone’s like, oh my God! Let’s do this one. Let’s worry about this and then we’ll see.”

Perhaps a discounted expansion would’ve been the better way to go but we’ll stay tuned for further updates on the outcome of L4D2.

*I think he means L4D2 in the last sentance, although I could care less about rehashed survival maps from the campaigns and versus.

EDIT: 22,569 Members

 

[tycoonist]

QFT.........I'm pretty sure around 50% of the people saying they won't buy this game will end up buying it within 6 months of release.......

well, i know for sure i won't be buying it. the first one was fun, but not long. and as far as i can tell this is much of the same story. so i won't be spending £29.99 on it.

 

[Kan' Sharuminar]

QFT.........I'm pretty sure around 50% of the people saying they won't buy this game will end up buying it within 6 months of release.......

I don't doubt it. I certainly will, but not at full price and probably in one of the sales which, as PS suggested, will happen not long after the release.

Which are? Paying for a game with more content than the original? All I've seen is people who want free things.

How much more content than the original?

I love Valve, and I'm hardly opposed to the idea of a franchise that has yearly releases with marginal changes (I own every Football Manager from 2005 onwards). I just like to know ahead of time that it's going to be this way :/