Valve
Valve business and news from across the web.
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MMO Week in Review: Lament for Elder Scrolls Online
Microsoft's decision to lay off a significant portion of The Elder Scrolls Online team has led to further management turnover and a restructuring of the studio. This week's MMO news also covers the early access launch of SpiritVale, the cancellation of Final Fantasy XIV Mobile, and discussions on lessons for Guild Wars 3.
Valve Doesn’t Want to Use Exclusive Games to Sell Steam Machines, Says Engineer
Valve engineer Pierre-Loup Griffais stated that the company does not intend to make games exclusive to the Steam Machine, preferring to keep the entire PC catalog available. Engineers Yazan Aldehayyat and Griffais also emphasized Valve's interest in fostering innovation among hardware manufacturers rather than dominating the market. Despite early success and high pricing, Valve acknowledges ongoing memory supply challenges for the Steam Machine.
Valve Says Memory Crisis is “Still Getting Worse,” But Believes the Steam Machine is a Success
Valve engineer Yazan Aldehayyat stated that the global memory crisis is worsening, with current retail supply lagging behind bulk orders by three to six months. Despite these supply chain issues, which are limiting production of the Steam Machine, Aldehayyat believes the platform is a success in addressing a real user problem. Valve is continuing production and support for the Steam Machine, even as the memory crisis is projected to continue into 2027.
Roadmaps and Plans
CCP Games provided an update on the future of force projection in EVE Online, while Valve offered a brief 'proof of life' regarding an update for Team Fortress 2's Mann vs. Machine mode. Both updates indicate ongoing development for these long-standing titles.
Business and Finance
Valve is reportedly selling between 12,000 and 15,000 Steam Machine units per week. This data provides insight into the current sales performance of Valve's gaming hardware.
Sunday Tech Bits
Valve acknowledges that the ongoing memory crisis shows no signs of abating, with RAM prices expected to continue their upward trend. The company notes that the situation is 'still getting worse,' impacting the cost of PC components.
Valve aren't putting any exclusives on the Steam Machine because they see "the whole PC catalog as our 'launch exclusive'"
Valve engineer Yazan Aldehayyat stated that the Steam Machine will not feature any exclusive games, as the company views the entire PC catalog as its 'launch exclusive.' This approach aims to keep the platform open and encourage innovation from hardware manufacturers. Valve also noted that PC hardware supply chain issues are causing delays, with retail availability lagging behind bulk supply by three to six months.
Saturday Multiplex
A trailer has been released for the official Ghost Rider character guide in Marvel Tokon - Fighting Souls. The article also mentions Valve's 14-year journey to create the Steam Machine, as detailed by Jason Schreier.
Op Ed
This opinion piece argues that Steam's success demonstrates the viability of an all-digital future for PC gaming, while acknowledging potential drawbacks. The article suggests that while digital distribution has largely worked, there are still considerations for game preservation and ownership.
The Steam Machine's $1,000+ price tag is unlikely to come down anytime soon as Valve says the memory crisis is…
Valve engineer Yazan Aldehayyat stated that the memory chip crisis is worsening, impacting the production and pricing of the Steam Machine. He noted a significant lag between bulk supply observations and retail availability, with prices expected to remain high. The shortage is also limiting Valve's production capacity for the device.
Valve reassures Team Fortress 2 players that it's still working on the Mann vs Machine update it announced last…
Valve has provided an update on the Mann vs. Machine mode update for Team Fortress 2, stating that development is ongoing but taking longer than anticipated due to a large volume of community submissions. The company acknowledged the extended silence since the last progress report and thanked players for their patience.
Valve says there's no end in sight to the memory crisis, and prices are only going to increase: 'Honestly,…
Valve acknowledges that the ongoing memory crisis, exacerbated by AI demand, is causing hardware prices to increase with no immediate end in sight. Valve engineer Yazan Aldehayyat stated that current retail prices lag behind bulk supply by three to six months, and the company sees prices rising in the short to medium term. The memory shortage also impacted the initial production of the Steam Machine, though Valve continues to support the device.
Virtual Reality Check
Valve has released a preview of its first Arm-based Arch Linux build for the Steam Deck. This update allows users to install and run Linux distributions on the handheld gaming PC, expanding its versatility beyond its native SteamOS.
Evening Postmortems/Retrospectives
A retiring Valve programmer revealed that at least one of the studio's popular game modes was developed in secret to avoid pushback from colleagues. This information comes from a PC Gamer report detailing internal development practices at Valve.
I’m giving up on modern gaming and I know I’m not the only one - Reader’s Feature
A long-time gamer expresses disillusionment with the modern gaming industry, citing the shift from complete, creative experiences to live service models, microtransactions, and endless monetization. The author feels current trends alienate veteran players and that younger generations are indoctrinated into a system that prioritizes profit over artistic integrity. This sentiment leads the author to abandon modern gaming in favor of retro titles and physical media.
Retiring Valve programmer says 'at least one' of the studio's beloved game modes was made in secret to…
Retiring Valve programmer Christopher Green announced his second and final departure from the company, reflecting on his 16 years working on titles like Half-Life 2 and its Source engines. Green revealed that the popular Half-Life 2: Deathmatch game mode was developed semi-secretly by a single programmer who believed in the project.
'We're interested in having the whole PC catalog as our 'launch exclusive'': Valve talks exclusives and the advantages of an open platform
Valve engineer Yazan Aldehayyat stated that the company is more interested in having the entire PC catalog as a 'launch exclusive' rather than restricting games to specific hardware. Valve aims to grow the PC platform by maintaining an open spirit, allowing other manufacturers to innovate with devices like the Steam Machine and handhelds such as the Lenovo Legion Go.
Palworld 1.0 briefly overtook the king of Steam, Counter-Strike 2, and devs can't help but bask in the victory: "Let me enjoy this moment for just a little longer"
Following its 1.0 update, Palworld has seen a massive surge in players, briefly surpassing Counter-Strike 2 in concurrent players on Steam. Pocketpair's John Buckley shared his excitement for the achievement, with other industry figures like Will Powers from Pearl Abyss offering congratulations. CEO Takuro Mizobe also expressed gratitude to the fans for enjoying the game.
Amid FBI investigation into Steam malware, Florida man arrested and charged with stealing crypto currency as part of…
A Florida man, Zyaire Dontaevious Zamarion Wilkins, has been arrested and charged in connection with an FBI investigation into a Steam malware scheme that allegedly stole at least $220,000 in cryptocurrency. The malware was embedded in several games on Steam, which have since been removed. Wilkins faces up to 10 years in prison under the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act.
Former PlayStation boss says Sony needs 'more games for more people' to justify a $1,000 PS6
Former PlayStation boss Shawn Layden believes Sony needs to innovate with game content to justify the projected $1,000 price tag for the PlayStation 6. He argues that focusing on a narrow range of popular titles like Grand Theft Auto 6 limits the industry's reach, and developers should create more diverse games to attract a wider audience.
