At this year’s E3 held in LA, Valve announced Left 4 Dead 2, the sequel to the survival horror game Left 4 Dead for the Xbox 360 and Windows PC. Left 4 Dead was very well received by critics and Valve promised to back the second game with even more vigor than it did the first.
But as Kotaku reports, Steam Group L4D2 Boycott (NO-L4D2) has aggregated many irate L4D fans to boycott L4D2. Apparently the fans stand in protest against Steam releasing L4D2 so soon after the first game. So far the group already has 15,841 members on board with the boycott.
The reasons cited by the Steam Group for the boycott are as follows:
-
– The release of Left 4 Dead 2 as a stand-alone sequel will split the communities and decrease the quality of multiplayer gaming.
-
– The announced content of Left 4 Dead 2 does not warrant a stand-alone, full-priced sequel and should instead become updates (free or otherwise) for Left 4 Dead.
-
– Left 4 Dead has not yet received the support and content which Valve has repeatedly stated will be delivered.
-
– The release of Left 4 Dead 2 will make Left 4 Dead an obsolete purchase and inferior piece of software after only one year since release.
The Group wants that Valve release content for L4D regularly as promised and not make L4D2 a standalone release. Also, if Steam does decide to go ahead with L4D2, the group wants that L4D owners at least be given discounts for the second game.
Meanwhile there are reports that Valve forum posts about the boycott group are being taken down while those making the posts face serious reprimands.