Software giant Microsoft may control a huge portion of the consumer market, but they aren’t “big, bad and evil.” Or at least Valve doesn’t think so.
Whether you’re thrilled over the upcoming Left 4 Dead 2 or one of the many throwing a hissy fit, one thing’s for sure – you probably have either a gaming PC or an Xbox 360 to play the game on. If you’re a PS3 owner, unfortunately, you’re left out in the bleak, zombie-less cold.
Had the Valve team ever considered porting Left 4 Dead 2 to the PS3? “If it crossed someone’s mind it wasn’t the focus,” writer Chet Faliszek told Videogamer at last week’s E3. “The focus was 360 and PC. A) it’s what we develop on. B) it’s the platform we think lends itself to the interaction of our game the best.”
Maybe it has something to do with Gabe Newell thinking the PS3 is a waste of time, but Faliszek says that no, the team at Valve simply has a fairly close relationship with their colleagues in Redmond – in fact, as Faliszek describes it, many of Microsoft’s marketing staff are hardcore L4D players.
“Microsoft didn’t know about L4D at first,” explained Faliszek. “Then they saw it last year and they just started coming to our offices to play. I think it had little to do with actual work, they just wanted to play. And actually we had them out to come take a look at L4D2 before the announcement and everything. Talking with those guys, their marketing guys, they’re like, oh we play every Friday. And they do. They’re hardcore players. They all knew how to play. I didn’t have to give them any instruction. I thought we’d have to put it on easy for you guys. Let me tell you, you guys are good.”
In fact, Faliszek thinks that Microsoft has a scary reputation that isn’t wholly deserved. “This is a really good relationship and they’re really supportive, they’ve been really helpful, super great. I know they’re supposed to be big, bad and evil but that’s not the side we see of them.”
Unfortunately, that means bad news for gamers whose only platform is Sony’s PS3. When asked if he thought that Left 4 Dead (or its sequel) would ever appear on a Sony console, Faliszek was ambivalent at best. “Right now it’s PC and 360. That’s definitely what we’re going to do. It’s just the platform that lends itself to it. And Xbox LIVE just makes it an easy thing to do.”
On the other hand, the PS3 will be getting The Last Guardian. So maybe that makes up for it. Less zombies in New Orleans, more fantastic adventures with a fairly foreseeable ending. Your choice.
