Valve players could not have been more surprised when the developers announced that they are launching "Artifact," a card game based on the popular MOBA "Dota 2." The announcement was not well-received.
'Where is my Half-Life 3?'
Some of the more obvious vitriol is coming from people who seem to think that the most-anticipated "Half-Life 3" development was squashed for a card game. Really, the issue is so persistent now that it has become an implied meme. There were also people expecting "Team Fortress 2," or "Left 4 Dead 3." As such, the disappointment that came with the shock of a card game seems to be somewhat reasonable.
And Valve fans are not shy about showing their disappointment and hate, either. There was a collective groan from the crowd when the game was teased at The International this year. The top current YouTube comment for the teaser video for "Artifact" refers to how it's just another Warcraft / Hearthstone clone.
The same YouTube video has a ratio of more than 2 dislikes or every 1 like, which is impressive considering Valve is actually one of the more-beloved video game companies. Is "Artifact" really that bad that fans are gritting their teeth over it?
Vlad Savov from The Verge begs to differ. He writes, "I struggle to see many valid criticisms of Valve’s proposed entry into the card game genre, especially given how little is yet known about it." He makes a good point, actually.
So what happened? Why all this hate?
'Just another rip-off'
He theorizes that this is because the announcement was done at a bad time. Fans were expecting something different at The International. This is because at this event Valve usually announces new heroes or mechanics — things that players can actually do in-game, in "DOTA 2." No one was expecting what basically constitutes as a spinoff game, much less a card game.
He also points out that this could be Valve doing a cash-grab, following suit on franchises like "The Elder Scrolls" and "The Witcher," both of which apparently have their own card games now.
However, he does add that all this hate for "Artifact" which, again, we really know nothing about yet, is somewhat unreasonable. For one, Valve does not owe us any game.
Also, people forget that Valve is not an entity that makes decisions based on just one person, or even on a popularity vote in the community.
Bluntly speaking, it is still a business, and there are many factors that weigh in on this decision other than gamers feeling entitled to their "Half-Life 3."
No one is holding their breath for "Artifact," but at the very least, gamers could hold the judgment until after the game is actually released.
