Valve left us 4 dead...

Creative use of photoshop aside, I believe many gamers, including L4D players were taken by surprise by Valve's announcement of the development of L4D 2, slated to be released by the end of this year. For those still in the dark, here's a couple of additional reading to keep up to date.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/L4D2

http://steamcommunity.com/groups/L4D2boycott
http://www.1up.com/do/newsStory?cId=3174667
http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2009/06/04/valve-on-l4d2-trust-us-a-little-bit/

I must say I share the same sentiments as the rest of the disgruntled L4D fans (I joined the group!), but primarily because I didn't like the idea of spending money to get another sequel just when I bought the original game. Its like how I gave up trying to keep up with EA Sports' FIFA every year. The coincidence with the 40% weekend discount also played a part, almost as if Valve was trying to clear stock to make way for new ones.

Sure it looks interesting, with enough content and storyline to warrant a "new game" status (hell, if I ever decide to buy it, it'll be because of that CHAINSAW), but I'm really concerned whether L4D will continue to receive updates and new content, just like the other fan favourite, Team Fortress 2. If it were EA or something, I wouldn't care less, but this is Valve, one of the few game developers that I actually feel a sense of loyalty to (the other is Blizzard). And its precisely their commitment to long-term post-game support that attracts their large fanbase.

Will I succumb to temptation and buy it? Guess I'll adopt a wait and see approach.

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Since we're on the topic, here are some games that deserve to be awarded a "Longest Lasting Game" award.

1) Counterstrike (1.6 - Source)

It's synonymous with LAN gaming shops and tournaments all over the world, ever since it was released in 1998. Thats a 10 year history boy!

2) Starcraft (and Brood War)

While not as popular now, its still one of the iconic RTS games that pro gamers train on for tournaments. The South Koreans in particular are still crazy over this. Another 10 year-old!

3) Warcraft III (and Frozen Throne)

Another RTS, albeit more recent one, to command a huge fanbase with thousands still playing on Bnet and LAN shops. Thanks to the custom map DOTA, WC3's lifespan has been considerably lengthened. Possibly the most widespread RTS game now too. Blizzard has been patching TFT regularly too. 7 years!

4) Team Fortress 2

This one gets in based on pure ingenuity on the part of the game developer. Its a newbie in terms of age (only 2 years) but updates have been coming regularly and not just to fix game bugs. You get whole new maps, game modes, new weapons and other goodies with every update released. If this continues, it'll probably be around for ages to come. Respect to the TF2 department in Valve!