Misguided plan to sue Valve over PS3 version of Orange Box

Mike Bantick
Tuesday, 24 June 2008 05:44

Opinion and Analysis

File under rumour for now, but there is an undercurrent of momentum building to launch a law suit against HalfLife 2 creators Valve for false advertising.  A growing community of dissatisfied PS3 owners are not happy with their port of The Orange Box. 

Valve have until July 1st to produce a patch for the PS3 version of The Orange Box – containing HalfLife 2 and both HL2 Episodes to date, Team Fortress 2 and Portal .

The following comment was posted over at scrawlfx.com .
 
"One of our readers, Toni T, has sent us in this saying that unhappy Orange Box gamers are going to sue Valve unless they receive a patch for the game before July 1, 2008. I know that is a short time, though when you think about it the game hasn't received any real support in seven months. We post this as a rumour because the thread posted was supposedly deleted and we have no real proof whether gamers will actually pursue the suing. The case is for false advertising and they are bringing it to the US Federal Trade Commission."

Though the actual issues with the PS3 version are hazy at best, the rumoured sue threat and petition – supposedly now at 2000 signatures – against Valve continues to grow.

If all this is true, it is misguided.  For starters, Valve had little to do with the port to the PS3.  If there are issues with the game, Valve themselves are guilty of no more than putting their name and IP reputation to a below par product.

Gabe Newell of Valve has been on record as disliking development on the PlayStation platform, preferring PC and by dint Xbox 360 to be the focus for Valve titles.

The forthcoming Left 4 Dead for example will – to date – not see a PS3 release.

Publisher/Developer giant Electronic Arts took it upon themselves to provide the market with a PS3 version of The Orange Box.  A development process that caused a delayed release on the PS3 as it was.