Game developers would most like to work for Valve, survey finds
Take that, "my own company".
Game developers would most like to work for Valve, a new survey has found.
An Independent Game Developers Association survey of more than 2200 developers asked participants for their most desirable publishers and developers, and Valve came out on top - ahead of "my own company".
Valve, maker of Counter-Strike, Dota 2, Team Fortress, Left 4 Dead, Steam, the Source engine and, fingers crossed, Half-Life, is based in Kirkland, Washington.
Gabe Newell's hugely successful company topped a list that also includes the likes of Activision Blizzard, BioWare and Nintendo.
Here's the top 10:
- Valve
- My own company
- Activision Blizzard
- BioWare
- Ubisoft
- Current employer
- Nintendo
- Naughty Dog
- Double Fine
- Bethesda Game Studios
Privately-owned Valve is not beholden to shareholders and does not report financial results. It uses a flat organisational structure that downplays bosses and managers in favour of a system that lets staff dabble in multiple projects.
The Valve handbook for new employees sheds light on the company. Its subtitled: "A fearless adventure in knowing what to do when no one's there telling you what to do." For more on the way Valve works, check out our interview with the company's former business development chief Jason Holtman: Gabe Newell isn't the boss of me.
Valve is currently dabbling in virtual reality with Oculus Rift as well as maintaining the Steam platform, MOBA Dota 2, first-person shooters Team Fortress 2, Left 4 Dead and Counter-Strike. It also invests heavily in eSports tournaments such as The International.
It's also planning an assault on the living room space with the yet-to-be released Steam Machine, a line of pre-built gaming computers running SteamOS.