Artifact
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Valve turns 30 today, and it's stronger than ever
Valve celebrates its 30th anniversary, having significantly shaped PC gaming through titles like Half-Life and the digital storefront Steam. The company has also expanded into hardware with devices like the Steam Deck and Steam Machine, continuing its influence on the industry.
We can thank a Jim Henson Company puppeteer for some of Valve's best animation work
The distinctive character animation found in Valve games, such as Portal 2 and Team Fortress 2, owes a debt to puppeteer Karen Prell, who previously worked for The Jim Henson Company. Prell, known for her role as Red Fraggle and puppeteering the worm in Labyrinth, brought her expertise in bringing characters to life to Valve, significantly influencing the animation of characters like Wheatley.
"You're swimming against the tide making games like this": Why more developers didn't copy Firewatch's reactive storytelling
Chris Remo of Campo Santo discusses why Firewatch's reactive storytelling model, which focused on player choices influencing dialogue and world reactions rather than traditional gameplay, did not inspire many imitators. He attributes this to the inherent difficulty in implementing such systems in games, the high cost of creating convincing character interactions, and the medium's natural inclination towards more interactive genres like those found in Minecraft and Roblox.
Highguard's failure is emblematic of something that has tormented videogame investors for years now: past live service hits do not equal future live service hits
The failure of live service games like Highguard highlights a persistent problem for investors: past success does not guarantee future hits. Even experienced developers like those from Apex Legends and major companies like Riot Games and Valve have struggled to replicate live service success, leading to cancellations and layoffs across the industry.
