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Thousands Of Gamers To Boycott Left 4 Dead 2

June 06, 2009 in News comments 26

Left 4 Dead 2 was only announced a few days ago, and while many fans are excited for the next installment, many fans are also very disappointed. Since the game was revealed, almost 10,000 people have joined the Steam group "L4D Boycott (NO-L4D2)".

Go to the source for the full article.

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:

quote
• 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
Miss Razz via kotaku.com »
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Most recently commented on by on Jun 9, 2009

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  • 3
    Aussie Legend Jun 6, 09
    For gods sake, people really have nothing to do these days.

    Sure L4D2 is probably coming out a little early, but if you don't like the idea DON'T FRIGGIN BUY THE DAMN THING
    • 3
      Sparky5318 Jun 6, 09
      Isn't that the point? They are signing a petition to NOT buy the game...and their points are valid to an extent.
      Valve becoming a little Activision/EAesque releasing a sequel less than a year later, with minor improvements. I would be pretty mad myself after buying a game and getting (hardly) any post-release support.
      • 1
        Storm Jun 9, 09
        Some gamers that play Valve games are pretty damn spoiled though. Valve have given us many free updates with their games, there have been a good amount of improvements to Versus and such over the few months of the original's release. Compared to other companies, Valve release much more content, and again, it's free. This sequel wasn't originally the idea, and it's not Valve's style, but they had too many differentiated ideas to warrant some DLC.

        As long as they can connect the games somehow, I'll be happy. That seems to be one of the bigger issues, the community.. The argument about these changes could easily be DLC doesn't hold much weight to it for various reasons. For one, any of the changes to the sequel would have drastically changed the style and core of the original game. The setting is completely different, the AI Director improved, different paths to take...and especially the new infected and melee weapons. There's no way that would all fit with the tune of the original game, and it's decent ideas that fans do want, such as the longer and more challenging campaigns.
  • 0
    McClubbin Jun 6, 09
    Well, this is pretty unusual. So they're angry because Left 4 Dead 2's gonna be stealing the original's thunder?
  • 1
    Storm Jun 6, 09
    It's really bothersome. Can't we just wait until the game's release, try it out, then make an opinion about it being good or bad? Now, I know that sounds crazy, but heck, I just thought I'd throw it out there...

    The initial reactions are shocking...I expected people to complain but good god...the bandwagon is much bigger than expected. And the funny thing about this is some of these 'boycotters' will most definitely get the game.
    • 6
      Moonrise Jun 6, 09
      They're complaining because the release is too close to the original and (as a result) it's going to end up hurting the overall "community" of people that play both games. It's logical, really.
      • 4
        Storm Jun 7, 09
        Using some console sequels, such as Halo 2 and 3, Gears 1 and 2, R6V 1 and 2, the activity seems to have remained quite steady. From the differences with L4D and L4D2, I suppose I'll be switching back and forth...that is unless they incorporate L4D in some way. Still, the gameplay will be quite different, so meh.

        Fair enough, but a lot of these complainers don't seem to address the 'community' aspect. I don't see it as a major split, just another option when L4D falls a little bland later on in the year. And a lot of players aren't getting this sequel, either due to it's cost or some other reasons, most L4D2 players will be new to the series, which'll build the player-base.
  • 0
    Bale Fire Jun 6, 09
    I can sympathise with them. Left 4 Dead 2 seems to have very minimal improvements from what I've seen so far, nothing which expansions and updates couldn't have introduced.
  • 4
    Star of Spurs Jun 7, 09
    Eh, they'll still buy it.
    • 0
      Dragoshi1 Jun 7, 09
      QFT

      Valve fanboys are the most loyal, even if they say their not.
  • 1
    BANDITO ATTACK Jun 7, 09
    i dont even like l4d and i can see that a sequel is totally unnecessary. they gave the first one hardly any time to grow. maybe to you guys who dont mind buying the new yearly installment to your favorite franchises this is all fine and dandy, but to valve's core fanbase, this is blasphemy.
    • 0
      dwg14390 Jun 7, 09
      Hey! I am a proud EA user!!

      Buying yearly installments is my life!

      Seriously this isn't like Valve though. I mean L4D didn't even get new map packs did they??

      All I seen was that they made the gameplay a bit harder and better but that could also happen in updates/expansions.

      Hope Valve's got a good reason for this.
  • 0
    Nagare Jun 7, 09
    no matter what they will all buy it because they love valve and know the game will be awesome even if it is a little bright

    I like their logo though
  • 0
    Seeker X Jun 7, 09
    Since the first game would've relied on DLC to fill it up with significantly more content, they might as well release the second one.
  • 0
    Red 9 Jun 7, 09
    I can agree to an extent; L4D2 just seems like an addon to me. All it really has are new characters filling the same roles, and a few more weapons and locations. Was a sequel really warranted for such content? Though staging a protest? Grow up.
  • 3
    Tiger of Wu Jun 7, 09
    Valve have been pretty epic so far and now, because people think they're making one mistake all of a sudden they're boycotting and spreading hatred?

    Wow, EA/Activision/Whoeverthefagelse must have burned those guys pretty hard. "I can't do it Valve; after everything I've been through I can't trust another like I did them!" Wah, wah, wah, stfu. At least half of those people are going to buy the game on release.
  • 1
    Star of Spurs Jun 7, 09
    Does anyone else think this might have something to do with Valve fanboys pissed that Half Life 2: Episode 3 wasn't announced?
    • 0
      TurMoiL911 Jun 7, 09
      Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. Whoa. Whoa. What's this about Half-Life 2: Episode 3 not being announced yet ? DAMN IT, VALVE. GET TO OWRK ON THAT ALREADY

      Yeah, my main issue with L4D2 is that Valve hasn't even given the first game its full course yet. There's still a lot of untapped potential in the first game and releasing a sequel and all the focus that goes into that with leave the first game to wither on the vine.
  • 0
    Daweii Jun 7, 09
    Personally the only thing i hate about Left 4 Dead 2 is that all the melee weapons seem to have a one hit kill on everything. In some of the gameplay videos weapons as silly as a frying pan were one hit killing anything they touched.
    • 0
      Star of Spurs Jun 7, 09
      I think that the zombie that was killed with the frying pan was injured previously. The pan just finished him off.
    • 0
      TurMoiL911 Jun 7, 09
      Yeah, just when I thought melee-spamming in the first game was a pain in the ass. People doing it with the automatic shotgun was bad enough, now people can do it with a chainsaw ?
  • 0
    Province Jun 7, 09
    I really dont see why you would 'boycott' a game :s

    Well, I understand it, but I can't actually see Valve giving little more than two s***s about 10,000 people who will probably buy the game soon anyway.
  • 0
    dwg14390 Jun 7, 09
    To every 1 vote on that boycott, another 2 will purchase the game. 1 of them actually voted in that boycott.
    Fact.
    • 0
      Bale Fire Jun 7, 09
      quote dwg14390
      1 of them actually voted in that boycott.
      Fact.
      The second part of your post confuses the hell out of me. What do you mean?
    • 0
      Daweii Jun 8, 09
      quote dwg14390
      To every 1 vote on that boycott, another 2 will purchase the game. 1 of them actually voted in that boycott.
      Fact.
      Personally i don't think Left 4 Dead is good enough to have that sort of ratio. Sure many people will still buy it but if it is the same thing different suit then it won't sell nearly as much. I would never boycott this game but i am not happy with it, the game seems like a step backwards. Maybe it is because they are calling it a sequel when all these changes should have been in the first game to start with. I just hope it has more than 4 levels and that the weapons do become more balanced.
  • 1
    Big Willie Jun 8, 09
    Seems to me that if 9,742 people signed that petition, they don't have anything to worry about in terms of community. Hell, tons of people still play the original Halo. And even then, the games not being released until November which makes it a year to date from the other. Personally, I'm kind of psyched to play a game based in the Southern United States. That's an untapped market. Maybe it's popular will finally boil over to a game being made about Voodoo in the south. That would be awesome.

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