Develop-Online is running a pretty interesting series across January, asking folks in the games industry to provide job advice to aspiring developers. One of the first folks Develop asked was Gabe Newell, and he shouted his advice real good.
“DO NOT FOCUS ON ANYONE BUT YOUR CUSTOMERS. YOUR REPUTATION WILL FOLLOW YOU FOREVER SO ALWAYS BE FAIR TO YOUR CUSTOMERS, AND CERTAINLY ONE THING YOU NEED TO ALWAYS REMEMBER IS THAT YOUR CUSTOMERS ARE NOT GOING TO BE FOOLED. SOME PEOPLE THINK THEY CAN GET AWAY WITH SOMETHING AND JUST HOPE PEOPLE WON’T SEE THROUGH THE BULLSHIT. THE INTERNET IS WAY SMARTER THAN ANY OF US.”
Jeez Gabe, not right in our ear! You don’t have to shout!
Obviously the quote was taken from email correspondence, and Gabe just so happened to have left his caps lock on for some reason. Now all I can imagine is Mr Newell walking around the Valve offices barking orders at everyone. Or at the very least sending emails in all caps.
Regardless it is solid advice.
EVERYONE YOU SHOULD TOTALLY LISTEN TO GABE NEWELL’S ADVICE. IT IS IMPORTANT THAT YOU FOLLOW HIS INSTRUCTIONS AT ALL TIMES!
NEW YEAR, NEW JOB: Gabe Newell’s best advice for aspiring devs [Develop]
RaygunBrown
Monday, January 9, 2012 at 9:33 AMMY KINDA GUY
Almighty Booka
Monday, January 9, 2012 at 9:35 AMYOU CAN USE MY OFFICE AND MAYBE AFTERWARDS WE CAN GO TO LUNCH.
LyndonL
Monday, January 9, 2012 at 11:24 AMHahahaha Made my day!
f4ction
Monday, January 9, 2012 at 9:37 AMi wOULD lISTEN tO gABEn eVEN iF hE tYPED lIKE tHIS.
Oh good lord that hurt.
Chuloopa
Monday, January 9, 2012 at 9:38 AMGABE NEWELL IS ALL CAPS!
ilzydroid
Monday, January 9, 2012 at 2:21 PMhttp://memegenerator.net/cache/instances/400x/11/12220/12513448.jpg
ShiggyNinty
Monday, January 9, 2012 at 9:41 AMIF YOU DONT TALK IN ALL CAPS THEN I AINT DOWN WITH YOU
Mawt
Monday, January 9, 2012 at 9:48 AMI THOUGHT THAT BY “CAPS” THIS ARTICLE WAS GOING TO BE ABOUT TF2.
Zap
Monday, January 9, 2012 at 9:52 AMI LAUGHED HEARTILY
Harli
Monday, January 9, 2012 at 9:49 AMTHAT’S A RATHER INTERESTING TABLE YOU HAVE THERE GABE
Tigerion
Monday, January 9, 2012 at 10:10 AMIT IS NOT A TABLE, IT IS A VALVE
Harli
Monday, January 9, 2012 at 10:48 AMI SEE WHAT YOU DID THERE
Jodski
Tuesday, January 10, 2012 at 4:13 PMNO, NO I DON’T THINK YOU DO.
Slyph
Monday, January 9, 2012 at 9:51 AMMEME-MAKING STUFF, RIGHT HERE.
giort08
Monday, January 9, 2012 at 9:53 AMLOUD NOISES!
blaze0041
Monday, January 9, 2012 at 9:55 AMWELL IT SEEMS THAT NO ONE WAS LISTENING WHEN MR. NEWELL WAS TALKING NICELY, SO NOW HE HAS TO SHOUT GOOD ADVICE TO THOSE FAT CATS RUNNING THE OTHER GAMING COMPANIES THAT ARE TOO STUPID TO TAKE CARE OF THEIR CUSTOMERS PROPERLY.
(All done while holding the shift key)
Mark Serrels
Monday, January 9, 2012 at 9:58 AMSo much respect for people who hold the shift key.
Nick
Monday, January 9, 2012 at 10:10 AMChromebook?
blaze0041
Monday, January 9, 2012 at 11:43 AMNay, just a certain sub-13″ gaming notebook…
Alinos
Monday, January 9, 2012 at 10:55 AMShift is how it is done.
Hit the caps lock then suddenly the next thing you go to type after it is all caps :(
Matthew K
Monday, January 9, 2012 at 10:08 AMMY BUSINESS TIP IS “RELEASE A PRODUCT PEOPLE CAN ACTUALLY PAY YOU MONEY FOR”. THAT ONE’S FREE, GABE.
Richard James
Monday, January 9, 2012 at 10:16 AMTHE PROBLEM WITH THAT IS HE CURRENTLY DOESN’T NEED OUR MONEY. SO WE ARE GOING TO SPEND A LONG TIME WAITING.
AnalystWeresmurf
Monday, January 9, 2012 at 11:30 AMHE DID, IT CURRENTLY RESIDES ON STEAM… CATCH UP TO THE REST OF DER INTERNETZ. YOU’LL PAY FAR LESS THAN RETAIL AND YOUR WALLET WILL FEEL MUCH BETTER. *releases shift*
Matthew K
Monday, January 9, 2012 at 11:44 PMI DIDN’T KNOW GABE OPERATED OZGAMESHOP.
Velnica
Monday, January 9, 2012 at 10:09 AMGABE FOR PRESIDENT!
Richard James
Monday, January 9, 2012 at 10:12 AMTHE PROBLEM WITH BEING CUSTOMER CENTRIC IS YOU HAVE TO KNOW WHO YOUR CUSTOMERS ARE FIRST. THEN YOU NEED TO LISTEN AND CONSIDER WHAT THEY SAY. OF COURSE NOT EVERYTHING CUSTOMERS SAY IS VALID.
HINT FOR SOME PUBLISHERS, CUSTOMERS ARE NOT YOUR SHAREHOLDERS OR THE GAMING PRESS.
Uilt
Monday, January 9, 2012 at 10:23 AMTHIS CUSTOMER REALLY, REALLY, REALLY WANTS TO SEE F-STOP RELEASED…
m
Monday, January 9, 2012 at 10:29 AMMAYBE THE CAPITAL LETTERS ARE A SIGNIFICANT HINT WITH REGARDS TO EPISODE 3!
SomeDude
Monday, January 9, 2012 at 10:59 AMAS YOU CAN SEE THEY’RE ARE THREE SENTENCES, AND HE IS ALSO TALKING ABOUT LISTENING TO CUSTOMERS. SURELY HALF LIFE 3 IN 2012!
Malorion
Monday, January 9, 2012 at 3:52 PMThis is how conspiracy theories start. Just sayin’.
Marathon
Monday, January 9, 2012 at 10:59 AMDear Ubisoft, EA and Activision please take note.
Thankyou
Daniel
Monday, January 9, 2012 at 11:11 AMI LOVE GABE, VALVE IS ALSO MY FAV DEV <3
Link
Monday, January 9, 2012 at 11:26 AM“…PS never release the third game in a fan favourite series”
[Razor]
Monday, January 9, 2012 at 1:51 PMWell, it’s worked for Shenmue and Megaman Legends
Nick
Monday, January 9, 2012 at 11:26 AMSTOP RIPPING AUSSIE CUSTOMERS OFF WITH YOUR RIDICULOUS PRICES THEN! HUH, GABE HUH HUH?
blaze0041
Monday, January 9, 2012 at 11:41 AMTHAT’S THE FAULT OF THE PUBLISHERS, THEY SET THE DAMN PRICES ON STEAM- ESPECIALLY EA, ACTIVISION, ZENIMAX (BETHESDA) AND 2K (AMONGST OTHERS). I WISH GABE WOULD TAKE A STRONGER STANCE ON REGIONAL PRICING MYSELF, BUT STEAM PROBABLY WOULDN’T BE AS BIG AS IT IS TODAY IF THAT WERE THE CASE. THERE ARE OTHER WAYS TO GET AROUND THIS ISSUE- THANKS TO KOTAKU, I FOUND OUT ABOUT GREEN MAN GAMING WHEN I BOUGHT DEUS EX HUMAN REVOLUTION.
Ezekiel
Monday, January 9, 2012 at 11:44 AMDID ANYONE ELSE NOTICED THAT HE SAID THE INTERNET WAS SMARTER THAN ALL OF US? CERTAINLY NOT SOME PARTS I HOPE, YOU KNOW THE REALLY SCARY PLACES.
Rouei
Monday, January 9, 2012 at 2:12 PMTHE REALLY SCARY PLACES ON THE INTERNET KEEP ME UP AT NIGHT IN MORE WAYS THAN ONE…
klanky
Monday, January 9, 2012 at 11:52 AMGUYS, I THINK GABE IS BRAINWASHING US…… FOR THE BETTER I GUESS.
Eric
Monday, January 9, 2012 at 12:29 PMLOUD NOISES!
Sage87
Monday, January 9, 2012 at 12:34 PMCan someone forward this advice to Ubisoft?
SeatSniffer
Monday, January 9, 2012 at 12:36 PMyer, basicly dont sell out…
Jiff
Monday, January 9, 2012 at 1:02 PMThat name is hilarious!
Damian
Monday, January 9, 2012 at 12:46 PMHE NEEDS A CLEAN SHIRT.