Zombie Protest

Zombie Protest

I'm well aware that I did my zombie post for the month. And while I'm sure I should leave well enough alone, I'm not. It's because the subject is zombies and well, you know well enough to know that I can't shut up about them.

A while back I reported on Left 4 Dead. Now since I haven't actually bought the game and just played it like any red blooded true American, in the sense of free-o-charge. Not to mention the circumstances that left me not ever having a copy (thank you connections from EA that never followed through...) I didn't give much a fuck when I heard the announcement at E3 and saw the footage and grabbed the one poster I could get of it that there was a sequel coming out called 2L4D.



Now, you would figure that this if Valve we're talking about. The makers of Half-life and all the various incantations that have spawned from it. I mean, shit, how many "game of the year" editions of the same game can you out? I guess that's why I wasn't sweating it when the before mentioned red headed wonder never bothered to get it for me. I knew that there would be a million different versions out there to buy from. A couple months after the first one there's always a new edition that has way more bells and whistles than the ones from previous before.

So it should come to no surprise to anyone that Valve is putting out a sequel to a popular game engine... Killing zombies. But yet again, people feel compelled to be pissed at just about anything and everything.....

Whatever your view is of internet boycotts, Left 4 Dead might be the first critically acclaimed franchise whose announcement of a sequel was answered by nearly 10,000 fans pledging not to buy it. Since the game was unveiled June 1 at E3, a Steam group called L4D Boycott (NO-L4D2) has assembled 9,742 members as of Saturday, and seems to be growing. Far from being enthused about a new game, they have nine complaints, most of which concern L4D2 obviating the need for, and undermining the value of, L4D1 - and just a year after the fact

• Significant content for L4D1 was promised, and never delivered
• Valve put little faith in L4D1 since they almost certainly started working on L4D2 right after release
• The fact that L4D2 is nearly identical to L4D1 will decimate the community for both games
• The announced date is not nearly enough time to polish content or make significant gameplay changes
• The new character designs seem bland and unappealing so far
• L4D2 is too bright to fit in with L4D1's visual aesthetic
• The fiddle-based horde music is extremely disliked, though the differently orchestrated music is otherwise welcome
• L4D2's release will result in a drop in quality and frequency for L4D1 content, even compared to before
• The community has lost faith in Valve's former reputation for commitment to their games post-release

Don't get me wrong. If I actually did pony up the 50 bones for the game back when it came out, I may as well be pretty peeved about this whole situation. But would I have been peeved enough to create this video for my anger?



No. Even though I'm a creative guy, I'm still not THAT creative. Holy hell, that was the most amazing thing I have ever seen. Bravo, good sirs. Bravo! If E3 was good for no other reason this year, it was because it spawned that sort of reaction.

Knowing me, I would have just addressed my outrage on a random internet message board. You know, the typical thing one does when they are pretty pissed at a company, a movie they've seen or just about any other reason to angst.


Fans of the series invade Valve

I guess I can't totally relate to all of these things though. I never got the whole achievement points down. I avoid playing my Xbox for that very reason. It was bad enough back in the day with High Scores. I still maintain the high score for Pac man at one laundry joint and I still get all paranoid about it being beaten. So I don't even want to get into the world of Achievement points. God damn system is worse than crack and I will not fall victim to it.

I can see where everyone is all pissed at this news. The way the game play for 2L4D and the only additions to the game being slightly minor, it does seem that they could have easily made this into downloadable content for all those who already shelled out the 50 bones the first time.



Adding in a New Orleans backdrop doesn't seem to add much, and if anything, opens the source folks to create wacky new games such as "Survive Katrina" or something else otherwise witty. I mean, will their be a topless zombie walking around with some beads? Now that, I would sell out some cash... and some beads for!

Don't get me wrong, I'm going to play this. So I can't really talk shit. I guess the best thing out of all this is that I didn't have to pay a huge price for it since I didn't bother getting the first one, which at this point looks like a Beta test version of this game since it still has so many tweaks to get worked out.



As for your folks planning on protesting this game.. Shine on, you crazy bastards! I think it's a just cause to be pissed about. You paid your hard earned cash, you should have a finished game. Especially if the content and the support was promised and never delivered on. Don't want to be a mindless zombie spending your cash on anything and everything Valve puts out