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User Created Content is Key for New Games

Posted by ScuttleMonkey on from the world-according-to-valve dept.

An anonymous reader writes to tell us that recently Valve Software's Doug Lombardi has stated his strong belief that user created content is a very important part of games in the near future. "'I would argue that it's the biggest component those guys have to get over if they want online to matter.' 'Half-Life 1 was okay as a multiplayer game and Team Fortress Classic was really good, but Counter-Strike kicked both their asses no question. And that came from a kid going to college in Canada and another kid going to high school in New Jersey, who had our code and thought it would be cool to play our game.'"

5 of 167 comments (clear)

  1. Just... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Don't make a map of your school. Apparently that makes you a threat.

    1. Re:Just... by cheater512 · · Score: 5, Funny

      Hey what about a flight sim in pre-2001 New York with realistic collisions and explosions.

      Or is that taking it too far? ;)

  2. User created content by $RANDOMLUSER · · Score: 5, Funny

    U R in amaze of twisty little pasages, all a like

    --
    No folly is more costly than the folly of intolerant idealism. - Winston Churchill
  3. Console games. Console! by AlpineR · · Score: 5, Insightful

    The submitter left out a very important word in his summary. This article is about console games. The first sentence in the article is:

    Valve Software's Doug Lombardi stresses the importance of user-created content in home videogame consoles.

    He's saying that consoles are way behind general purpose computers in online play. One of the big advantages that computers have always had is customizability and user-generated maps and mods. The online experience of consoles will remain a poor shadow of the computer game ecosystem until they enable and allow the players to share in the extension of their games.

    This is a big reason why I haven't bought a full-size console since the Atari 2600. Two years after I got the Atari I also got a Texas Instruments 99/4A. I loved the ability to do wild things like save games, download levels from online bulletin boards, and even program simple games myself. Nowadays I enjoy playing Use Map Settings games in Starcraft and have created several maps of my own. That game is ten years old but still megafun due to the user-generated maps.

    AlpineR

  4. Re:Speaking of CS by Pvt_Waldo · · Score: 5, Interesting

    As one of the original DOD developers that got "bought", I have to give Valve immense throbbing sweaty kudos for how they work. Valve bought the game IP, agreed to start paying us, then told us, "Look, you're doing a really good job at what you do. We don't want to break that, so just keep doing what you do. If you need help, we're here."