160°

How two Valve engineers walked away with the company's augmented reality glasses

Three months ago, celebrated video game publisher Valve did something completely out of character: it fired up to 25 workers, in what one employee dubbed the "great cleansing." At the time, co-founder Gabe Newell quickly reassured gamers that the company wouldn't be canceling any projects, but it just so happens that one project managed to get away.

Valve was secretly working on a pair of augmented reality glasses... and those glasses are still being built by two Valve employees who lost their jobs that day.

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4012d ago Replies(2)
jeffgoldwin4012d ago

I had lasik surgery so Id never have to wear glasses again. And now some companies are trying to push these things on us? No ty.

Until the holodeck comes around, I'm happy with meh controller.

nirwanda4011d ago

Your lucky I have glasses and have to strap glasses to glasses to watch 3d, so I don't have much chance of even trying these

McScroggz4012d ago

How awesome is Valve? I mean, yeah they fired 25 people but sadly that's just life. But they could have easily retained the rights and whatever patents/intellectual properties pertaining to these but they let them seek their dream. No company is perfect, but Valve almost always proves that it's truly focused on gaming from all perspective.

Much props, and I hope these turn out well because we should all be so lucky to achieve our dreams.

NarooN4011d ago

"but Valve almost always proves that it's truly focused on gaming from all perspective."

*L42 Fiasco
*HL3/Ep3 still isn't out a billion years later

Truth be told I don't even like a lot of Valve's games. The games I do most likely, they didn't even directly develop (like the Counter-Strike games, Day of Defeat, etc.) They're nice as a company, but I won't really pretend that they're perfect or whatever.

That said, it's cool how they let these dudes continue working on their project without fear of any legal consequences. I guess Valve was gonna implement this in some unannounced game but it probably just didn't work out.

McScroggz4011d ago

I'm not an expert on Valve, but I know from the very beginning they openly released their game engine for people to go nuts with, and subsequently have not only released fan-made mods, but they even hired some of those people who made successful mods.

Like you said, no company is perfect. But even though I'm not a PC gamer my opinion of Valve is exceedingly high.

NarooN4011d ago

Yeah don't get me wrong, Valve is much better than a lot of other companies *cough*EA*cough*Activision*cou gh*. It's just that some of the things they've done in the past were questionable or dumb, but those moments are really infrequent and they never made the same mistake twice.

snake_eater4011d ago

"For its part, Valve has released all interest in the project, leaving the Technical Illusions team legally clear to do what they love. Says Ellsworth: "Gabe was completely behind it... I talked to Gabe, and he talked to the lawyers, and he's like, 'It's theirs, make it happen,' because he could see we were passionate about it.""

This is why Valve is better than EA or ANY other game developer/publisher out there

1OddWorld4011d ago

Yes, valve made the right decision by not stymieing the tech. By allowing these people to pursue the tech we will all benefit by advancements in the science. It seems that some companies can see past profits to the real "big picture". I will buy there next product to show support for this type of behavior. EA needs to take notes.

90°

Team Fortress: Source 2 and Portal 64 Fan Projects Shut Down by Valve Takedowns

Fan projects Team Fortress: Source 2 and Portal 64 have shut down after Valve intervened in their development.

-Foxtrot124d ago

First they open Steam up to more AI, now they are shutting down fan projects when at one time they used to support or even give the fans jobs.

Wonder what's going on with Valve at the minute.

rlow1124d ago

@Foxtrot
It’s called money plain and simple.

JEECE123d ago

I mean, that might explain the Team Fortress 2 thing, because Valve might bring that to Source 2 (though I'm not sure I'd bet on that), but I can't see how Portal 64 hurts them. If anything, it's more attention to the Portal and therefore Valve/Steam.

Giblet_Head123d ago (Edited 123d ago )

There's potential that Valve had already planned to bring Source 2 to TF2 officially after Counter Strike 2. It's been getting some renewed attention lately.

Inverno123d ago

You got Nintendo to thank for Portal64 being taken down. As for TF2, most likely it's due to the probability of Valve working on a source 2 port themselves. It's sucks but Nintendo are the biggest pricks in the business and not letting this drag out into a huge court drama is the best decision.

100°

Valve Opens the Floodgates to Allow More AI Based Games on Steam

Valve has updated its stance on AI games on the Steam storefront, allowing creators to publish AI-created games.

Droppedez124d ago

AI is just another form of slavery for our computer brethren.

Barlos123d ago (Edited 123d ago )

Hell no. I want games that have been made by creative minds who have a passion for their craft, not a bot with a penchant for plagiarism.

BrainSyphoned123d ago (Edited 123d ago )

So instead of paying for an engine and assets to create a game they are paying for an engine and assets to create a game.

290°

Valve Tells Players To Stop Inhaling Steam Deck Vent Fumes

Valve has officially warned against inhaling the Steam Deck vent fumes in an official response due to potential health hazards.

gold_drake150d ago

my god, people are so dumb these days.

shinoff2183149d ago

I read the headline to my girl and she even reacted wtf is wrong with people. People wild

Notellin147d ago

I feel bad for her that she can't read and needs you to do it for her. Keep your head up!

shinoff2183147d ago

Notellin, I've been teaching her 😘

Jin_Sakai148d ago (Edited 148d ago )

This generation is about dumb as it gets.

frostypants148d ago

Huffing things isn't new to be fair.

SavageFlamingo148d ago

This has nothing to do with generations. It’s not a stupid challenge or anything. People just happened to smell it while they were playing. The steam deck exhaust is easy to smell without even trying. Just playing it you’ll smell it in the air around you.

Felix_Argyle_Catbro147d ago

"tHiS gEErAtIoN"
It's every generation, today you just see it more clearly thanks to internet.

k2d148d ago

To be fair, I loved the smell of glue, gas and certain plastics as a kid (new disc cartridges/new hardware, anyone?)

Si-Fly147d ago

Instruction manuals for me, best smell ever 😂

crazyCoconuts148d ago

I actually take a whiff of it once in a while, it's funny that it smells so good lol

DarXyde148d ago

Tide pod fiasco all over again

Felix_Argyle_Catbro147d ago

"tHeSe DaYs"
People have been just as dumb in the past, you just see it clearly now thanks to the internet.

gold_drake147d ago

thanks for that .. insight. ha.

rlow1147d ago

Well good thing about dumb people, they play an important part in human history. How else do we know which plants, animals and foods ar dangerous? Dumb people! They pay the price so the rest of us don’t have to. Lol

FinalFantasyFanatic147d ago

Honestly, I'm not even surprised considering some of the people I come across these days, inhaling fumes would explain a lot of things.

+ Show (5) more repliesLast reply 147d ago
Knightofelemia149d ago (Edited 149d ago )

Wow people will huff anything nowadays some people just have way too much time on their hands.

Abnor_Mal148d ago (Edited 148d ago )

Another reason to love the PlayStation Portal, no chance of breathing in noxious vapors.

Get a Steam Deck they said, to which I reply, what are you high?

KwietStorm_BLM148d ago

Were you high when you typed this?

Abnor_Mal148d ago

Sorry bud no Steam Deck here.

148d ago
FinalFantasyFanatic147d ago (Edited 147d ago )

Even the Steam Deck does streaming better than the Portal (they portal is capped for streaming for some reason, whereas the Steam Deck isn't).

Neonridr147d ago

imagine pretending a glorified streaming device is better than a stand alone unit that can also, stream.

+ Show (1) more replyLast reply 147d ago
Eonjay148d ago

Stand by for the 'gaming kills' articles.
Que Halloween movie theme.

Nucleux148d ago

What does it smell/taste like?

Barlos148d ago

Better than the Switch cartridges is my guess.

Just to be clear, I've never licked a Switch cartridge, nor have I inhaled my deck's fumes.

Profchaos148d ago

Same never licked a switch cart I've always been worried more about where it's been than the taste but

Fluke_Skywalker148d ago

It smells good, that's the problem lol. When I first turned mine on I noticed it 😅
Better stop sniffing it then.

Barlos147d ago

I've had my deck for over a year, I've never been compelled to put my nose near the vent for a good lungful 😂

crazyCoconuts148d ago

I can't explain it... It smells...new

SavageFlamingo148d ago (Edited 148d ago )

Kind of like cheap bacon cooking. Even cheap bacon smells good.

+ Show (3) more repliesLast reply 147d ago
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