Portal developer quit Valve because they were too "hardcore" - Polidicks

[URL]http://spectrum.ieee.org/geek-life/profiles/profile-kim-swift[/URL] [img]http://spectrum.ieee.org/image/1987608[/img] [quote]. "I always had this hankering to go back and make more games like [I]Portal[/I], but Valve was more interested in focusing on games for a more hard-core audience. So I got the opportunity to come to Airtight Games as a creative director and lead a team making puzzle games for a broader demographic."[/quote] overall, an interesting article. aww shit

Good for her, quality news. /sarcasm.

Umm...what about portal 2?

I would hardly describe Portal 2 as a hardcore puzzle game.

casuals

What a scrub

i've read it just 5 minutes ago, i've always wondered why Kim Swift left valve i was wrong

Didn't she leave before Portal 2 was released? I remember seeing news of someone from the Portal team quiting Valve a long time ago.

I miss Kim Swift's panty drawer.

Good, if she wanted to target a "broader demographic" it's a good thing she won't be steering game development in that direction.

Didn't Kim Swift leave a LONG time ago?

[QUOTE=Cows Rule;34246931]Didn't Kim Swift leave a LONG time ago?[/QUOTE] Yep, she left Valve back in 2009 during the development of Portal 2. She's been the lead designer for Quantum Conundrum which is due to be released sometime in the next few months. I don't really understand how this game is more casual then Portal (aside from the cartoony art style), the original's challenge levels were pretty hard. [video=youtube;o9oZGs7UycE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o9oZGs7UycE[/video]

I remember seeing a gameplay video of that game she's working on. I didn't really consider it more or less hardcore than Portal though. But whatever, follow yer passion etc etc.

Just because you lot find Portal 2 easy to play doesn't mean it's easy to play for everyone else. Lots of thinking has to go into certain scenarios, she'd rather work for games that anyone can just pick up and play. Good on her for following her passion though.

Should look great on her resume: "Left Valve because they were too hardcore for me"

[QUOTE=Cows Rule;34246931]Didn't Kim Swift leave a LONG time ago?[/QUOTE] "Quit" is past tense.

[QUOTE=Antdawg;34246957]Just because you lot find Portal 2 easy to play doesn't mean it's easy to play for everyone else. Lots of thinking has to go into certain scenarios, she'd rather work for games that anyone can just pick up and play. Good on her for following her passion though.[/QUOTE] Portal 2 is pretty easy to pick up and play, the controls are simple and there are only a few gameplay mechanics to worry about (which they introduce and explain pretty well). The original was definitely harder though I enjoyed the new mechanics in Portal 2.

[QUOTE=elfbarf;34246939]Yep, she left Valve back in 2009 during the development of Portal 2. She's been the lead designer for Quantum Conundrum which is due to be released sometime in the next few months. I don't really understand how this game is more casual then Portal (aside from the cartoony art style), the original's challenge levels were pretty hard. [video=youtube;o9oZGs7UycE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o9oZGs7UycE[/video][/QUOTE] You'd think she would know the controls a bit better when tossing/dropping the safe :v:

someone left valve????

The puzzles in Portal 2 are hard, the controls and such are easy. But what exactly does she consider as hardcore...

Probably referring to DotA 2 and CS:GO.

[QUOTE=Vaught;34247183]Probably referring to DotA 2 and CS:GO.[/QUOTE] Different strokes for different folks I guess. It is for the best that she left, you don't want someone who isn't interested on a certain style of game working on that game.

from reading the last hours of Portal 2 it was also because Gabe didn't agree with one of her ideas but she disagreed with his disagreement which also lead up to her leaving. edit: found it. i was partially wrong. she didn't really leave entirely because of it, but there was a disagreement. [IMG]http://i.imgur.com/1mfsW.png[/IMG]

[QUOTE=acds;34246922]Good, if she wanted to target a "broader demographic" it's a good thing she won't be steering game development in that direction.[/QUOTE] Especially since casual games are always the flavor of the week, losing all players as soon as the new ADHD ohh shiny title is out. That and this game of hers looks like it's going to flop pretty hard.

[QUOTE=ShazzyFreak0;34247231]from reading the last hours of Portal 2 it was also because Gabe didn't agree with one of her ideas but she disagreed with his disagreement which also lead up to her leaving.[/QUOTE] How could a disagreement with Gabe ever lead to something so comparatively srs as leaving Valve? Gabe's like a fucking cushion when it comes to stuff like that; punch all you want, at the end of the day it'll just get torn lining and a flatter pillow to sleep on.

[QUOTE=ShazzyFreak0;34247231]from reading the last hours of Portal 2 it was also because Gabe didn't agree with one of her ideas but she disagreed with his disagreement which also lead up to her leaving.[/QUOTE] Honestly as a manager for games you can't let everyone have every idea put into the game, otherwise, it becomes a clusterfuck. [QUOTE=elfbarf;34246939]Yep, she left Valve back in 2009 during the development of Portal 2. She's been the lead designer for Quantum Conundrum which is due to be released sometime in the next few months. I don't really understand how this game is more casual then Portal (aside from the cartoony art style), the original's challenge levels were pretty hard. [video=youtube;o9oZGs7UycE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o9oZGs7UycE[/video][/QUOTE] She seems to have a hard time playing that. :v: Honestly if that's hard for her portal has to be like, impossible, when you just have to think really.

I know almost nothing about Kim Swift, but my mind treats her like a traitor. I'm sure she's a nice person, but subconsciously I can't help but think, "bitch". Even thought Quantum Conundrum looks amazing.

In my honest opinion? Good for her, shes following her passion. But Shame on her for being a stupid bitch, and leaving Valve. Not trying to sound like an asshole, but honestly. After reading this quote its really, ".. Oh wow, well'p, I'm glad she didn't participate in the development of portal 2..." [img]http://i.imgur.com/1mfsW.png[/img]

[QUOTE=RichyZ;34247751]oh god she wants to make games for a younger audience what a bitch[/QUOTE] Portal 2 was rated fucking E, how younger do the ratings get?

[QUOTE=JustGman;34247794]Portal 2 was rated fucking E, how younger do the ratings get?[/QUOTE] really portal 1/2 is for everyone at any thinking age... and it's pretty easy. Some points where you need to know what you're doing, but so what?