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Google to Buy Valve? Ain't Gonna Happen

By - Source: Tom's Hardware | B 21 comments

The Inquirer’s Charlie Demerjian, quoting “well placed sources,” reported today that Google is “going to buy Valve any second now.” If so, that’s news to Valve’s marketing veep Doug Lombardi, who should be in a position to know.

“I never heard anything about it until I woke up this morning and checked my Blackberry, which John McCain invented,” cracked Lombardi. “There’s really nothing else to say."

No one would be surprised to hear that Google might be interested in acquiring Valve: Every major game publisher in the world—with the exception of Microsoft and Vivendi (although Vivendi’s Activision division is a client) has signed up to use Valve’s Steam content-distribution system.

Steam attracts game publishers for many reasons, not the least of which is that it handily solves the piracy problem without generating the kind of negative press that has plagued EA’s Spore. And in addition to developing Steam, Valve has produced several of the best-selling games of all time, and they’re on the cusp of shipping another: Left4Dead.

Now, the big question is why would Valve be interested in selling to Google—or anyone else? The company is privately (and very closely) held, so no one really knows how much money it’s worth or what kinds of revenue it’s producing, but when you consider how much time and effort they invest in each new episode of Half-Life, and how many new projects they’ve started or acquired over the years, it’s readily apparent that they not starving for capital.

Selling to Google would undoubtedly leave Gabe Newell and company with a big pile of money, but those guys have never played the short game; it’s doubtful they’ll start now.

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Top Comments
  • 10 Hide
    notherdude , September 17, 2008 8:15 PM
    I really, really hope they don't sell but Google is in a position to make anyone an offer they can't refuse. I'm really starting to get sick of freaking Google.
Other Comments
  • 10 Hide
    notherdude , September 17, 2008 8:15 PM
    I really, really hope they don't sell but Google is in a position to make anyone an offer they can't refuse. I'm really starting to get sick of freaking Google.
  • 0 Hide
    apoq , September 17, 2008 8:18 PM
    Here here. Beware of corporations growing too big.
  • Display all 21 comments.
  • 2 Hide
    Shadow703793 , September 17, 2008 8:22 PM
    notherdudeI really, really hope they don't sell but Google is in a position to make anyone an offer they can't refuse. I'm really starting to get sick of freaking Google.

    +1. True Google should be in check just like any other company (ie Micro$oft, Intel,etc)
  • 1 Hide
    Anonymous , September 17, 2008 8:42 PM
    When I first heard of this, I was both excited and terrified. I'm sort of a Google fanboy, but I'm also a Valve fanboy. To me, Valve is the Google of videogames. I'd be curious to see what Google does to the Steam platform, etc., but at the same time I want Valve to just be Valve. Steam works, Valve works. There's no reason for me as a user to want anyone to change that, even if I like Google.
  • 0 Hide
    diablo-x , September 17, 2008 9:36 PM
    Jay.ZZWhen I first heard of this, I was both excited and terrified. I'm sort of a Google fanboy, but I'm also a Valve fanboy. To me, Valve is the Google of videogames. I'd be curious to see what Google does to the Steam platform, etc., but at the same time I want Valve to just be Valve. Steam works, Valve works. There's no reason for me as a user to want anyone to change that, even if I like Google.


    Exactly what I'm thinking! Valve and Google are amazing at what they do, merging things always always fails. Thank god it's not true, but then it would be like Valve buying Facebook, never going to happen.
  • 0 Hide
    terror112 , September 17, 2008 9:52 PM
    what would happen if google can push steam to non-pc gamers? They could possibly incorporate a gaming section on google, and even advertise or push pc-gaming in general, hypothetically speaking. I love Valve more than google... CS:S ftw.
  • 0 Hide
    Anonymous , September 17, 2008 11:15 PM
    I really don't see Valve selling up at all. I bet they're almost printing their own money these days. The creation of steam and how well it works was equivalent to building your own mint.
  • -1 Hide
    caamsa , September 18, 2008 1:17 AM
    Why would they want to buy a big fat bald guy with a spigot sticking out of his head anyway?
  • 0 Hide
    thepinkpanther , September 18, 2008 1:41 AM
    google should do what we liked them for...make stuff that no one has, or better than then the previous. Buying successful companies is what Microsoft and EA does, google should follow that path.
  • 0 Hide
    frozenlead , September 18, 2008 2:35 AM
    You know, I've always wondered what Valve's pirating figures were versus other companies that don't use the interface directly. I mean...if you have to submit your CD key to Valve..pirating just got a lot more difficult.
    Unless I'm missing some method to cheat it that's beyond me.
  • -3 Hide
    SirCrono , September 18, 2008 2:37 AM
    Steam solves piracy??

    Then I've must imagined all those hours playing Ep1, Ep2 and Portal I spent.

    I think I need my meds.

    PS: Don't get me wrong, I buy my games, I just don't like when the "big brothers" force me to activate, don't let me use a backup ,etc. (And the orange box is so cheap only a bastard would dload it)
  • 1 Hide
    mr roboto , September 18, 2008 3:59 AM
    Valve is the way a video game studio should be run. They never release a game before it's ready and in fact have a reputation of delaying games to polish them a little more. That costs a lot of extra cash (especially if you add up all the games and time\money that costs combined) but as anyone can see they are not just a profit driven company. They run their studio like a real gaming fan would run it. Example, Portal was and is a hugely popular title that they could squeeze a lot of money out of if they so desired. At the height of it's popularity their CEO goes on the record to say that a Portal sequel will not be rushed to the stores just because they have an opportunity to make a killing. That they will not release another Portal title without reinventing it or adding some unique features, even though exploiting it to maximize profits is the way most companies would do it. Imagine if EA was run like Valve!

    The bottom line is that Valve has no incentive to sell what they have built and what continues to grow (Steam) and allows them to do what they do best, make awesome games.
  • 0 Hide
    adamk890 , September 18, 2008 4:09 AM
    I belive a guy once said that Google is becoming the new yahoo. It started off as something cool and then just began to transform into another media mogul... I'm glad that Valve isn't selling there is no reason to. There HL series must be worth enough to gold plate the tajmahal so i hope they dont hand it over any time soon.
  • 1 Hide
    jimmysmitty , September 18, 2008 6:18 AM
    VALVe has been offered buyouts by EA and numerous other companies. Each time they have said no. EA wants them because their download system compared to Steam is crap.

    Steam does prevent piracy for the games that are run directly through it for the most part. I have seen people stating ways to get all the games for free but normally they end up getting caught and the account gets closed and I think the email used to register gets blocked.

    Google is huge now. They started off as a small search engine but had the best method of doing searches and thats why they exploded.

    I don't think any one comapny could catch up to VALVes Steam though. EA even added Crysis to Steam recently along with the new expansion pack Warhead. Far Cry 2 is coming out on Steam and GTA IV is slated for a Steam release as well.

    The other unique feature that Steam offers is you can register a non Steam game and it will launch through Steam allowing you to use the Steam friends in game.

    VALVe is the best PC gaming company on the face of the earth. For over 10 years they have prduced the best games ever. And it all started with Half Life. Now they continue to deliver games with immense stories, great gameplay and graphics that still keep up with modern standards. I doubt any one company could ever buy VALVe.
  • 1 Hide
    Anonymous , September 18, 2008 6:37 AM
    Steam does solve the piracy issue.

    The issue is deterring pirates with DRM also tends to deter PAYING customers.

    Steam has the right formula for getting around this.

    You have to go online, at least once in a while, which is a hassle for some. However, this is countered by free, controlled, P2P distributed(I believe) patches which can be set to update manually or automatically in the background.

    The only enemy of this system, that I can see, is publishers.

    But they can pound sand, I owe only to the people who make the game, no one else.
  • 0 Hide
    Wanker79 , September 18, 2008 1:30 PM
    I wouldn't exactly say the Steam "solves" the piracy issue. But I'd be absolutely shocked if their piracy rate isn't light years lower than non-steam/DRM games. And steam's solution is vastly better and less intrusive than DRMs.
  • 0 Hide
    bf2gameplaya , September 18, 2008 6:07 PM
    I am beginning to tire of Steam's necessity to run my Steam games.

    Stardock's Impulse doesn't require Impulse to be running when you play an Impulse game.

    I'm not even talking about offline mode, I don't want the app running at all. So if Google did buy Steam that would be reason enough for me to no longer support it...unless they dropped the always running requirement.
  • 2 Hide
    Anonymous , September 18, 2008 8:01 PM
    Well sure, if he got the news off his Blackberry that McCain invented, surely it came from the internet, which was invented by Al Gore.
  • 0 Hide
    crockdaddy , September 18, 2008 9:31 PM
    One cool thing about steam/valve ... I actually somewhat trust them. I know that valve will reliably come out with updates and continue to support my product well into the future. This as a consumer grants me a great deal of confidence in giving up some of my rights for the good service Valve has consistently rendered.

    That being said I still strongly dislike DRM. Period. Even the steam kind. Its just Valve makes me feel alot better with the whole DRM thing by the service they provide. UNLIKE EA.

    PS.
    I used to love EA. Back in the C64 days, my buddies and I always looked forward to EA and SSI released games.
  • 0 Hide
    Anonymous , September 18, 2008 10:25 PM
    I loved Steam & valve until I got the screwed over 3 times by them.

    1st: buying the Hardcopy of HL2 8+months before it was released promised tons of sweat stuff and ended up getting only 2 things out of 10+.. T Shirt & the DVD...

    2nd: My Original CS/HL Activation to my account is magically removed from my account and placed on someone else while i stop playing games for a 6+months period to focus on College.

    3rd: my 2nd time i had to spend 6+months to focus on school and stay away from PC games my CS Anthology (which i ended up buying to fix my 2nd issue) Activation once again gets removed from my account and placed one someone else.

    PS: their only answer to fix the problem is to pay them the exact amount you payed for the game to move the CD-key/Activation to your account & the physical copy of your game mailed to them as proof. Valve is twisted. Also met at least 4 other people in college who came across the same issue with Valve. Something about not using your Steam account for a long period of time they like to give your games you payed hard money for away.
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