I think that would be missing the point. With Half-Life 2, you could buy the game as a disc but it still required Steam to play. They leveraged their legendary IP to bring users into a system that is way more profitable for them than selling copies of any particular game, even a Half-Life game. They've been sitting on that IP for a while now, not tarnishing their repuation from the release of a title that could potentially not live up to expectations. Now they're launching a new platform, and they're leveraging the IP to get people to buy into the platform. If they can own the best VR platform and get enough people to buy in on it, the game sales that come after that will overshadow whatever return they make on a new Half-Life game. Supporting other platforms would hurt them, if I'm correct about their intentions. Years ago a friend suggested to me that Valve might do a combined HL3/in-house-VR launch, and I've been expecting it ever since; it makes too much sense as a business strategy, and fits in with their prior method of operations.
It just hasn't been their strategy so far. That's Facebook's strategy. Valve has wanted to be the "good guys", if your device supports Steam VR you can play.
Yes but that was 15 years ago, and they are referring to Valve's VR strategy. Valve has made an effort to have SDKs available to anyone and have developed a generic VR input system that allows you to play any SteamVR game with any brand of device, Oculus, Microsoft, Valve, whatever. They've also stated in response to the Oculus store offering hardware exclusive titles that they would never create or publish a VR game specific to one platform.
Going back on those claims would ruin so much goodwill towards Valve among the VR community.
> They've also stated in response to the Oculus store offering hardware exclusive titles that they would never create or publish a VR game specific to one platform.
Sauce? I tried googling, didn't find anything immediately relevant. I'd be curious as to their exact wording of that claim.
Valves games are tied to OpenVR (which they created), an/the only implementation of which is SteamVR. They are trying to do what Google did with Android - create an open platform/ecosystem which OEMs jump into in order to push consumer adoption.
It wouldn't surprise me if it was only compatible with more recent VR sets. They are giving a shot at an engine that could set the pace for the next decade, the same way CryEngine 3 and Unreal Engine 4 couldn't run on current generation average rigs when they came out.
VR sets are really just display and IO devices, there's no good reason for them to not work with older equipment. That's not to say that Valve isn't likely going to make best use of their Index Controllers to provide a unique and purpose designed experience which would just be represented by a button press on other sets. Just that they wouldn't be any good technical reason not to be compatible.
Gabe Newell said that Valve was jealous of Nintendo being able to design their hardware and software together. Expect Knuckles/Index to be a major factor in the gameplay.
The new controllers are compatible with the Vive, and sold separately, so that leaves an option open. I would still be very surprised if Valve locked the game to the Index.
