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]
MY KINDA GUY
YOU CAN USE MY OFFICE AND MAYBE AFTERWARDS WE CAN GO TO LUNCH.
Hahahaha Made my day!
i wOULD lISTEN tO gABEn eVEN iF hE tYPED lIKE tHIS.
Oh good lord that hurt.
GABE NEWELL IS ALL CAPS!
http://memegenerator.net/cache/instances/400x/11/12220/12513448.jpg
IF YOU DONT TALK IN ALL CAPS THEN I AINT DOWN WITH YOU
I THOUGHT THAT BY “CAPS” THIS ARTICLE WAS GOING TO BE ABOUT TF2.
I LAUGHED HEARTILY
THAT’S A RATHER INTERESTING TABLE YOU HAVE THERE GABE
IT IS NOT A TABLE, IT IS A VALVE
I SEE WHAT YOU DID THERE
NO, NO I DON’T THINK YOU DO.
MEME-MAKING STUFF, RIGHT HERE.
LOUD NOISES!
WELL 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)
So much respect for people who hold the shift key.
Chromebook?
Nay, just a certain sub-13″ gaming notebook…
Shift is how it is done.
Hit the caps lock then suddenly the next thing you go to type after it is all caps 🙁
MY BUSINESS TIP IS “RELEASE A PRODUCT PEOPLE CAN ACTUALLY PAY YOU MONEY FOR”. THAT ONE’S FREE, GABE.
THE PROBLEM WITH THAT IS HE CURRENTLY DOESN’T NEED OUR MONEY. SO WE ARE GOING TO SPEND A LONG TIME WAITING.
HE 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*
I DIDN’T KNOW GABE OPERATED OZGAMESHOP.
GABE FOR PRESIDENT!
THE 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.
THIS CUSTOMER REALLY, REALLY, REALLY WANTS TO SEE F-STOP RELEASED…
MAYBE THE CAPITAL LETTERS ARE A SIGNIFICANT HINT WITH REGARDS TO EPISODE 3!
AS YOU CAN SEE THEY’RE ARE THREE SENTENCES, AND HE IS ALSO TALKING ABOUT LISTENING TO CUSTOMERS. SURELY HALF LIFE 3 IN 2012!
This is how conspiracy theories start. Just sayin’.
Dear Ubisoft, EA and Activision please take note.
Thankyou
I LOVE GABE, VALVE IS ALSO MY FAV DEV <3
“…PS never release the third game in a fan favourite series”
Well, it’s worked for Shenmue and Megaman Legends
STOP RIPPING AUSSIE CUSTOMERS OFF WITH YOUR RIDICULOUS PRICES THEN! HUH, GABE HUH HUH?
THAT’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.
DID 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.
THE REALLY SCARY PLACES ON THE INTERNET KEEP ME UP AT NIGHT IN MORE WAYS THAN ONE…
GUYS, I THINK GABE IS BRAINWASHING US…… FOR THE BETTER I GUESS.
LOUD NOISES!
Can someone forward this advice to Ubisoft?
yer, basicly dont sell out…
That name is hilarious!
HE NEEDS A CLEAN SHIRT.
What’s CAPS LOCK? Shift Key 4 Life!
I AM GABE HEAR ME ROAR BUSINESS ADVICE!
CAPS LOCK IS CRUISE CONTROL FOR COOL! (done on an iPhone, so I had to hit the capital letter button for every letter I typed)
Settings -> General -> Keyboard -> Enable Caps Lock
Then double tap the shift key.
SPEAKING OF WHICH, GABE, YOUR CUSTOMERS WANT EPISODE 3!!
Gabe Newell Provides Advice For Developers DON’T SAY NO TO THAT THIRD SANDWICH.
Well that was frustrating yet interesting at the same time, I read the entire list of comments, as someone was yelling, even though I didn’t want to. D:
GABE <3
SOMEONE GIVE GABE NEWELL HIS PIE, HE’S GETTING ANGRY!
WHY ARE WE ALL SHOUTING?!
GABE, THOU SHALT USE THE ROYAL CANTERLOT VOICE AT EVERY OPPORTUNITY!
I LOVE LAMP!