Valve is beloved for its quality titles and excellent games distribution service (Steam, if you're not hip and in the know like me), but they're also infamous for constant delays and excruciatingly long development cycles. They're also incredibly secretive, so while we may know they have some serious stuff in the works, we can't be certain of exactly what it is.
Well, as it turns out, one of the projects Valve had in the pipeline was... well, Pipeline.
Idealistic project to encourage young people towards video game development, or a sinister front for the ritualistic sacrifices fueling Half Life 3's development? You decide.
Valve is known for hiring only the best and brightest in the industry; getting the chance to "work" in the company's offices is a serious privilege and an honor. This is a huge opportunity for these kids; I must admit, I am most "jelly" at this moment.
I do have to say that I'm a bit skeptical. I mean, it's a nice thought, Gabe, but I think the youngsters of today are into a different sort of "pipe line", if you know what I am saying.
Well, as it turns out, one of the projects Valve had in the pipeline was... well, Pipeline.
Read more at The EscapistValve Pipeline is a new project from the company to help those students who want to make games, but haven't really started their professional journey yet. A handful of teenage students will be working at Valve to create a website for aspiring developers, while learning the ropes of basic development from some of the best in the industry.
Pipeline itself seems to be an online guide to getting into the game development industry. At the bare minimum it will include FAQs and a forum for discussing routes into the industry and how to prepare for a career making games. The twist is that the entire site is being built from the ground up by the very people it's targeting - with some help and mentoring from the staff at Valve, of course. Valve has never spent much effort training industry newcomers, so the project is also an experiment on its part to see just what this younger generation can do.
Idealistic project to encourage young people towards video game development, or a sinister front for the ritualistic sacrifices fueling Half Life 3's development? You decide.
Valve is known for hiring only the best and brightest in the industry; getting the chance to "work" in the company's offices is a serious privilege and an honor. This is a huge opportunity for these kids; I must admit, I am most "jelly" at this moment.
I do have to say that I'm a bit skeptical. I mean, it's a nice thought, Gabe, but I think the youngsters of today are into a different sort of "pipe line", if you know what I am saying.