14 DAY TRIAL // Yesterday, a rumor appeared on the net according to which Google, the company which owns the most popular search engine and a whole suite of other applications developed for daily Internet use, is interested in getting into the gaming market, with an emphasis on the digital distribution one. Since Valve's Steam program is the most widely used game distribution service, it was only natural that the developers behind the Half Life franchise would be the rumored target for the Internet giant, according to The Inquirer, which published the presumed story, citing “well placed sources”.
Doing what all big companies do, when they want to enter a new market completely strange to them, Google is rumored to make quite a large financial offer to Valve in the immediate future, “any second now”. They would immediately start implementing their quite large Internet based applications, especially their current beta stage Google Content Distribution, with the Steam service which, as of this moment, holds the biggest portfolio of games available, 440, from the likes of The Orange Box or Bioshock to EVE Online, and a total of over 15 million customer accounts.
All these rumors were put to rest by Valve's Doug Lombardi who said that they were “complete fabrications”. He also stated that Google had not made any offer and had not even manifested a faint interest in his company. He added that right now, the only thing on Valve's agenda is the launch of Left 4 Dead, scheduled for November 18, and the support of developers who want to bring their games onto the Steam network of distribution.
So, this rumor bites the dust, but an old statement made by the same Doug Lombardi said that Valve wouldn't say no to a takeover by another company, only if the price was right and that the terms of the agreement did not refrain the creative processes which are in development at the company.