Gabe Newell Boycotting L4D Modder’s Campaign

A 19-year-old Aussie emailed the Valve boss to complain that he wasn’t flown in for the boycott-bustin’ playtest of Left 4 Dead 2. Gabe Newell’s reaction, allegedly (and in fun), was to announce a boycott of his own.

The modder, Joe of Joe’s Modding Menagerie, is putting together a campaign for Left 4 Dead (pictured, above. Note the “I miss Twitter” graffiti.) He’s apparently friendly enough—or was, anyway—with Newell that the Valve managing director answers his emails. He’s even autographed a prop graphics card. But Joe felt snubbed by the corrupting/co-opting/olive branch offering to the Left 4 Dead 2 boycott leaders, and sent Newell this email with the header “I think you just opened up a can of worms: Why the hell haven’t I been flown to Valve? I mean, you guys need to preview my campaign.”

Newell’s arch reply: “We are boycotting your campaign.”

Shocked, Joe asks if that means he has to fly Newell to Brisbane for him to preview the mod. Newell ups the ante. “Me and Erik [Johnson, Valve project manager] ,” he answers, cc’d to Johnson.

So what’s left to be done? Boycott a boycott? Two of those won’t make a right here. Instead, Joe has begun a fund drive to collect enough money to fly both down to Brisbane to test out his campaign. A ticket from Seattle to Brisbane runs about $US1000. Joe has AU$6 in donations so far.

Fly Gabe Newell [Blogspot]