With the absence of Half Life 2: Episode 3 from the gaming market and the swift consecutive release of Left 4 Dead 2 following Left 4 Dead, Valve has received more than a few questions about their release schedule strategy. Finally, they’ve (kind of) responded.
In a recent interview with Xbox World 360, Valve’s Marketing Director Doug Lombardi spoke against claims that the company’s release schedule makes no sense.
"I think it’s fair to say that Valve never approaches a product release the same way twice," Lombardi said.
"With Half-Life 2 we took six years to create an epic sequel, then we immediately shifted to episodic releases, which were then followed by the release of a new IP (Left 4 Dead) which was given a sequel in less than a year."
"Now, with Portal 2, we’ve taken a couple of years to produce a full sequel to a game that was launched in episodic size. The point is not that we’re schizophrenic, but that we try to productise every game in a way that’s best for [it], given market conditions and other factors."
At least they aren’t schizophrenic, but the gaming world is long overdue for a scent of the Half Life trail. Until then, check out the newly released Portal 2 box art and drool in anticipation.
[CVG via Xbox World 360]
