Email to Gabe Newell

Mr. Newell,

I recently won a Valve All-Access Pass code through PC Gamer. I have since received the computer, which was promptly shipped out the day following my return of the appropriate forms, but I still have not received the access code for the pass. According to Dan Stapleton, PC Gamer's reviews editor, the magazine had not yet received the pass code from your corporation. As of August 28th, I have heard nothing more in regards to the Valve All-Access Pass. This pass is to include all past, current and future games released by Valve, which holds a great deal of intrinsic value. Unfortunately, I am concerned that I will not be receiving it in a timely manner if at all. A large number of my friends have presumed that I already have this code and are surprised that I do not yet have it. My concern is that I may not receive it at all despite the win being largely broadcast.

My reasoning behind this concern is directly related to previous activities involving your corporation which have held considerably less intrinsic value. Last year, I participated in a Valve co-sponsored highlander community tournament, which promised medals to qualifying participants. A year later, neither myself or my son have yet received that promised medal. This medal has very little, if any, monetary value yet still, the fact that it was promised and has not yet occurred after such a length of time has tarnished our opinion somewhat of your corporation. To compound the issue, I had purchased 3 copies of Left for Dead for myself and family based on the things that you said in regards to how the game would be supported similar to Team Fortress 2. Instead, it was hardly supported and Left for Dead 2 was released instead, essentially sinking the $150+ that I had invested in the game. Whereas there has been a large number of individuals voicing their disappointment in regards to the lack of prompt fulfillment in both of these cases, I am most poignantly aware that I am standing alone in regards to receiving the aforementioned pass code, which seems to already be all but forgotten. It is a highly uncomfortable situation, which has grown by considerable measure due to the actions of one of your volunteer moderators on the forum.

One of the things that I have admired about your corporation is its response to concerns presented by the community which supports you monetarily like the recent protest outside of Valve. I thought the response was both funny and awesome. Therefore, I am aware that the community itself may be well-versed in some way in which to bring my concern in regard to the pass code to your attention. I went to your corporation's forums on Steampowered.com to explain my situation and ask for advice, which is what I am following by emailing you personally. The conversation was polite, positive, and helpful, which is, sad to say, surprising considering usually it can be misogynistic and rude. I was, however, utterly shocked and disturbed when ian, a volunteer moderator on the forums locked the thread with the sole statement that it was going into "dark, dangerous and evil places". When I messaged him privately about the matter, he made a number of base and, frankly, insulting accusations for which there is no basis. His responses were so unfitting to a corporation through which I am a consumer and have acquired 183 games through over my and my children's accounts that it has risen my concerns to outright alarm. Online forums are online forums but the moderators that a corporation chooses to govern those forums essentially represent that company. If ian's behavior is representative of Valve, then my instinct as a consumer is to not spend another penny through Steam. Steam requires a great deal of trust between its consumers and Valve as we are not receiving physical copies of Steam's wares. We, the consumer, depend on your corporation to allow us continued access to the considerable sums of money that we may put into our accounts through DRM. If something should utterly shake that trust, such as ian's behavior, then would it be rational to continue purchasing goods from that retailer if this is the chosen kind of behavior of its representatives?

My goal here, however, is not to try to tell you how to run your company. Instead, it is to inform you of my deep distress in both how my view of Valve is growing increasingly and irreparably tarnished both as a consumer and a recipient of a pass code which will bind me to your company through the rest of its corporate life. As such, just as a stockholder would feel, I have a vested interest in the success of Valve. Initially, my sole point of contacting you, as suggested by community members on the forums, was to simply ask about the pass code and remind that I am still awaiting it so that I will not be forgotten. Because of ian, however, I am in great distress and tone has changed. I, your customer since Half-Life was released and a mother of two children with their own growing accounts, wants to ask you if you truly care about the opinions of your consumers or are your responses to consumer concerns all simple hijinks meant to entertain doting fan boys and derail from pertinent issues? My own concerns as a consumer were declared "dark, dangerous and going into evil places" by a representative of your corporation. Is that truly your opinion, too?

Thank you for all the games,
xxxxxx xxxxxx