#PotatoFoolsDay ARG

[Masakari]

... it shows yet again why Valve remains one of the best independent developers out there...

Wait, what? I don't think I would have ever considered them independent....

[Buzzy Beetle]

... it shows yet again why Valve remains one of the best independent developers out there...

Wait, what? I don't think I would have ever considered them independent....

I do believe they are both developer and publisher so... no. I don't think they're independent.

[Plinko]

Well, they are not dependent on any of the major game publishers (EA, Vivendi, Sony, Microsoft, etc), though it's probably high time the industry considers Valve to be a major games publisher itself.

[Zork Nemesis]

By definition, Valve is considered indie, or at least I think I read that somewhere.

[Buzzy Beetle]

According to Wikipedia an indie developer creates a game without the financial aid of a publisher. Since Valve is both developer and publisher, I think they're disqualified from the indie running.

[gator]

I bought the Potato Pack on day one simply because I'm both a glutton for games, and I could give away extra copies a hipster.

T, FTFY

[MateoTheBold!]

Don't the majority of independents self-publish though? I would hazard to guess that most independents developers act as their own publishers, just like Valve. If not, they enter into licensing agreements with publishers after the game is developed. I see where you are coming from though; Valve has become so big, it feels odd calling them independent. They don't have the classic low-key indie vibe anymore. But, is something indie because it is independent, or is something indie because it isn't mainstream?

I agree that an indie game developer is one who is beholden to no one but themselves; there isn't a publisher who is able to exert influence on how the game is developed, the timeline, or what the content is. To me that makes Valve an independent developer, even if they act as a publisher.

Either way, their ownership and business model is conducive to great games!

[Plinko]

I would assume Indie means in games the same things as it means in movies and music and book publishing - that you're independent of the major studios/labels/publishing housesfor your development financing. Many "indies" are still big companies. I'm not sure how big Valve needs to be before people call it one of the big publishers, but I think their revenue is still dwarfed by any of the companies I named - EA's revenues were $3.5 Billion, Nintendo's $12.5 Billion, Vivendi nearly $40 Billion last year. Valves was just under $1 Billion.

In any case, I agree with Masa (a sure sign I'm wrong, I know!). The fact is it was a stunt and as such we all have the right to make fair criticism of it. I played the games related to the ARG when I would have otherwise been doing other things so I could participate and what I got was a big fat nothing.

[BigBiker05]

I don't think it is fair to through Vivendi in your numbers. They own Universal pictures and a bunch of other crap outside video games.

[Araris]

While I agree the conclusion was disappointing for most, it's not as if Valve promised anything to begin with. I earned my Golden Potato only because I thought it would be cool having a Golden Potato next to my name, not because I expected every Valve game for free (that was just a nice bonus). I think collaborating with a bunch of indie developers to add bonus content and release several awesome indie games at an extremely low price was cool enough (Super Meat Boy, Amnesia, Killing Floor were all worth it).

Honestly, I'm probably more upset at people who bought the Potata Sack simply because they wanted a reward out of it.

[Plinko]

Because you hate developers getting money?

[TheCarpe]

http://valvearg.com/thankyou/

Drop in and give a shout to Valve and the developers.

[gator]

Always fun to read some backstory, at least from one game studio's experience.

http://arstechnica.com/gaming/news/2011 ... enture.ars

[Zork Nemesis]

Well, it's officially over, Two Tribes patched Toki Tori and RUSH today removing the potatoes and arg clues from the two games, though they've made it so that the bonus levels are still unlockable and they added achievements related to the Potato sack levels. Cogs also recieved an update but no information appears to be posted. Likely going to occur with the rest of the potato sack games soon enough, I can't wait to stop hearing GLaDOS in Killing Floor.

Should also be noted, the login screens no longer work either.