Developer & publisher · USA
Valve
Gabe Newell and Mike Harrington left Microsoft to make Half-Life; Steam later reshaped PC distribution.
Corporate lineage
- Founded by people who left Microsoft
Teams and companies brought in-house
Mechanics first shipped by Valve
Ideas this studio is credited with introducing to the medium, each with a full downstream history.
Physics & Simulation · 2004
Physics Manipulation Tool
A physics manipulation tool is an in-game device that lets the player grab, hold and launch simulated objects directly…
Origin: Half-Life 2
Physics & Simulation · 2004
Rigid-Body Puzzle Physics
Rigid-body puzzle physics turn mass, buoyancy and leverage into the vocabulary of a puzzle, so solutions get built by …
Origin: Half-Life 2
Space & Locomotion · 2007
Non-Euclidean Portal Space
Non-Euclidean portal space lets a player join two distant surfaces so that walking or falling into one emerges from th…
Origin: Portal
Economy & Business Model · 2010
Randomized Loot Box
Randomised loot boxes sell a sealed container whose contents are drawn from a weighted table, so the purchase buys a c…
Origin: Team Fortress 2
Economy & Business Model · 2013
Seasonal Battle Pass
A seasonal battle pass sells a fixed progression track for a limited period, releasing known cosmetic rewards as the b…
Origin: Dota 2
Camera & Input · 2020
Room-Scale VR Presence
Room-scale VR presence tracks a player's head and hands in physical space, making the camera an extension of the neck …
Origin: Half-Life: Alyx
Games developed (11)
1998
2004
Half-Life 2 2004 2 firsts
2007
Portal 2007 1 first
2007
Team Fortress 2 2007 1 first
2011
2013
Dota 2 2013 1 first
2020
Half-Life: Alyx 2020 1 first
Games published (2)
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