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E3: Valve Talks Left 4 Dead 2's Quick Sequel Strategy
by Chris Remo
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June 3, 2009
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Valve's big E3 announcement -- that last year's hit Left 4 Dead would be followed up with a PC and Xbox 360 sequel this year -- was a surprise coming from a studio that has never delivered a full sequel in such a short timeframe.
It was made even more notable by Valve's oft-stated strategy of supporting its multiplayer games with new content and updates for many months or even years after their release, as exemplified by the ever-evolving Team Fortress 2.
At E3, as part of a longer forthcoming interview, Gamasutra caught up with Tom Leonard, Valve developer and project lead on Left 4 Dead 2, to discuss the reason for the quick turnaround -- and the fate of the original Left 4 Dead.
"There's definitely not a change in policy," said Leonard in response to Gamasutra's inquiries as to whether this move represents a new direction for Valve's multiplayer efforts.
He pointed out that Valve has always experimented with different types of development and distribution. "With the various things we've done -- Half-Life 2, the big splash game that takes forever; or the episodic content; or the [Team Fortress 2] updates -- as a company we try to explore different ways of delivering value to the customer," he explained.
"For the team I'm working on, it was perceived that the best way to provide value was to provide this big experience."
Development on Left 4 Dead 2 began almost immediately after the first game shipped, following a short break, but the idea of a standalone sequel was borne out of necessity and practicality.
"The team got back together in early November, and we were all really excited to continue to expand the Left 4 Dead experience," Leonard recalled. "We hit the white board and came up with ideas about how we could expand the experience -- new characters, new locations, new positioning on the timeline of the infection, new game mechanics."
"As we started talking that through, it became clear that we weren't really talking about incremental updates; we were talking about a whole experience. And it would be hard to deliver that totality of experience in incremental bits."
"So I proposed to people, 'Why don't we try to make a sequel and do it in a year?' Everyone thought I was crazy, but as I talked them through the strategy of how to do it, the team collectively said, 'Yeah, that's interesting.'"
Leonard and the rest of the team discussed the idea with marketing VP Doug Lombardi and studio founder Gabe Newell, and were given the green light to proceed: "They said, 'Sounds great, if that's what you want to do.' Basically, the team was motivated to create an entire package."
But what about Left 4 Dead, which some players expect to fall by the wayside in the wake of its sequel?
Leonard declined to commit to there being more Valve-created content for the game, instead pointing out some upcoming functionality tweaks and the potential in user-created levels for the PC version. "We are doing updates across the summer, adding new matchmaking features, and new features to facilitate user maps after the SDK is out," he said. "Certainly, user maps will be part of the ongoing Left 4 Dead 1 experience."
"Additionally, those maps can be transported into Left 4 Dead 2. With regard to more content, it's hard to say, because the timeline for Left 4 Dead 2 is so sensitive, and the team has a head of steam right now for the game."
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I also can't help but think that the 360 version of L4D1 will die out. There is no user generated content like the PC, and I doubt Valve will support the game with a sequel in the works. I feel like a sucker for spending sixty bucks on L4D1. If I had gotten it for the PC, then I would have paid less and gotten more.
Oh well, live and learn I guess.
Basically L4D2 is nothing more than an upgrade to L4D1. The addition of melee weapons doesn't actually work as the hoards mean you get overwhelmed quickly. The new weapons are simply re-designs of the existing weapons.
It's very sad to see such an obvious thoughtless cash-in coming from a quality software house like Valve. I fear this may be the start of a downward spiral for them.
Left 4 Dead 2 has a lot more content than Left 4 Dead and the survival pack put together. More campaigns, more weapons, updated systems, more gamplay modes, etc.
Left 4 Dead 2, in and of itself, will no doubt have enough content to be worth the price, and worth being called a full "sequel".
However, it is absolutely true that Valve did promise more content beyond the already-worth-the-price base game, and I will be incredibly disappointed if they break that promise. Regardless of L4D's worth, regardless of L4D2's worth. If they make a promise and break it, or refuse to do it justice in some other way (discount, etc.), then it will be the first immensely disappointing thing that Valve has ever done.
I believe they're adding 3 new special infected, just the charger is the only one that's been spoiled thus far. Those 3 plus the original 3 (excluding tank and witch for a moment) will probably make for some quite dynamic match ups, and also make it harder to be totally prepared for everything. Also, from what I've read the melee weapons are supposed to be nutso good close up, but you have to drop a primary weapon for it. They're also adding new types of ammunition, again the only type that's been spoiled is incendiary ammo.
@Joshua Sterns
Between my small gaming group we've easily racked up over 100 hours on L4D1, so while it may be light on content it's replay ability is stupidly high. Considering how the new game has 1 more campaign than the first, along with some other possible game modes hinted at (think things along the line of survival but with an actual objective). It should provide an even greater play length.
So overall I look forward to this game with eager anticipation, and can't help but think it'll be worth every penny.
Yea there are around three new infected but, it's cheap ass gameplay mechanics. Like the charger knocking you away and also acting like a boomer to attract a hoard to you. The hazard who is pretty mich fire proof so incindiary rounds don't do much.
The director is supposed to be able to set the level in light or dark and bring in some pre-fabs to effectively re-route the path through the levels.
None of this is anything other than an upgrade of L4D1. The basic gameplay of 2 is identical to the first one. The whole feel of the game is just plain samey. After a 10 minute stint with the demo I couldn't see amy differences, apart from it seems harder to accidentally down your teammates during a firefight. The first of the five new scenarios just felt like a re-hashed first level of the old game.
There'd better be some major deals going down, at the very least for retail/Steam PC purchases, allowing us to buy L4D2 for basically $10 or even have it offered as a free DLC (or at least, assuming they do this, "enhanced" original campaigns that include the new infected, features, etc.). Valve will shoot themselves in the foot with their original player base, especially the original pre-order crowd (the 2 level demo was basically 90% of the game at launch, it really... really was) if they try to market this as a full fledged game deserving a $50 price tag. Even the XBox 360 purchasers deserve something very special, but kniowing Microsoft they'd get screwed somehow. Still, at the very least, owning the Steam version or the PC retail version (with CD key) of L4D1 should knock L4D2 to no more than a $15 purchase, since it looks very much a L4D v2.0 than a real sequel.
Though I won't go as for as boycotting the game (http://steamcommunity.com/groups/L4D2boycott), I certainly won't buy it if I don't feel the need for an "expansion pack" sold at the price of a full game.
I am not against improvements brought by L4D2, but Valve did promise post-launch support and content for L4D (http://www.videogamer.com/news/valve_details_post_left_4_dead_launch_plans.html). Perhaps the extra content could even be sold as DLC for L4D users, but the way it seems it looks like they are relying primarily on user-generated content.
Thankfully, as a modder, it looks like they'll support the L4D SDK (which currently is still in beta). Truth be told, this is not a dream world in which all softhouses release content the same way CD Projekt did. "The Witcher: Enhanced Edition" favored all users (old and new versions alike) and it definitely would be nice if other developers followed this example.
anyone remember system shock? nope, its all about system shock 2
anyone remember team fortress? not really, but we're all over TF2
anyone remember counter-strike source? everone raves about CS 1.6
battlefield 1942 was pretty popular and had several expansions, had a number in the title.
rainbow 6 vegas 2? fallout 3? halo 2 & 3? soul calibur 2 & 4? streetfighter 2? medieval 2 total war? super mario brothers 3? metal gear solid 4? Call of Duty 4? final fantasy 7?
Numbers people, Its all about the numbers. gamers like numbers (heck I'm drinking pepsi one). when you play a game its all about numbers or high scores or health, DPS, all that junk. Gamers are attracted to the numbers (like mice to cheese).
I mean left 4 dead 2 is one of the best games ever, just look at the numbers.
What the moderators fail to admit that there is a huge difference between updates that fundamentally alter and ultimately unbalance gameplay and providing additional content like maps and campaigns.
The L4D community is starved for new campaigns and Valve by the comments made in this article confirm the worst:
L4D WILL BE L4D.
"So we'll do the same thing with Left 4 Dead where we'll have the initial release and then we'll release more movies, more characters, more weapons, unlockables, achievements, because that's the way you continue to grow a community over time."
by gabe newell in 2008 http://www.videogamer.com/xbox360/left_4_dead/news/valve_details_post_left_4_dea
d_launch_plans.html
watch this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SQWylFmqnwM
and join this:
http://steamcommunity.com/groups/L4D2boycott
9.500 members in 5 days.
The psychology of this situation would probably be interesting as hell for marketing psychologists though.
This saddens me and worries me for TF2 and if they do release L4D2 whos to say they wont release L4D3 a year later again?