[MyIS]Zips
10-01-2009, 11:24 AM
UPDATE: Newell has since stated that Valve will cover the cost of the trip. The funds raised by Joe will now all be donated to the Penny-Arcade Child's Play charity.
Original: After next week, Australia will never again be the same. Gabe Newell is on his way to visit mod maker, Joe W-A, after Joe raised more than $3000 to fly Newell out for a visit.
The fundraising began after Joe heard that Newell had recently flown the leaders of a gaming community group boycotting Valve's upcoming Left 4 Dead 2 to Valve's Seattle, WA headquarters. Joe emailed to ask if Newell would fly him to Seattle so Joe could show him his "mod" (a PC gaming term for modifying an existing game into something new).
Newell playfully replied that he wouldn't fly Joe to Seattle because he was "boycotting" Joe's mod. The Australian-based game designer appealed to the game community for $3,000-the funds necessary to fly Newell halfway around the world-and raised the money in less than 48 hours.
"The power of the gaming community and their ability to rally around a cause - be it serious or fun in nature - is amazing," said Gabe Newell, president and co-founder of Valve. "In 2003, the community helped the FBI and European law enforcement officials find the people who stole the Half-Life 2 source code. This year, the community is putting me on a plane to the other side of the world to meet Joe W-A and see his MOD. It's going to be a fun trip."Updates on the trip and the meeting between Newell and Joe W-A will be provided via the Left 4 Dead Blog. Erik Johnson, who is also headed to the land down under, will be taking care of the blogging aspect.
Original: After next week, Australia will never again be the same. Gabe Newell is on his way to visit mod maker, Joe W-A, after Joe raised more than $3000 to fly Newell out for a visit.
The fundraising began after Joe heard that Newell had recently flown the leaders of a gaming community group boycotting Valve's upcoming Left 4 Dead 2 to Valve's Seattle, WA headquarters. Joe emailed to ask if Newell would fly him to Seattle so Joe could show him his "mod" (a PC gaming term for modifying an existing game into something new).
Newell playfully replied that he wouldn't fly Joe to Seattle because he was "boycotting" Joe's mod. The Australian-based game designer appealed to the game community for $3,000-the funds necessary to fly Newell halfway around the world-and raised the money in less than 48 hours.
"The power of the gaming community and their ability to rally around a cause - be it serious or fun in nature - is amazing," said Gabe Newell, president and co-founder of Valve. "In 2003, the community helped the FBI and European law enforcement officials find the people who stole the Half-Life 2 source code. This year, the community is putting me on a plane to the other side of the world to meet Joe W-A and see his MOD. It's going to be a fun trip."Updates on the trip and the meeting between Newell and Joe W-A will be provided via the Left 4 Dead Blog. Erik Johnson, who is also headed to the land down under, will be taking care of the blogging aspect.