[petercooper]

This is why the best creative works in the world are led by individuals with something to prove or to say and not faceless flat organizations.

Valve has released just one game this decade that wasn't built by external developers or by mod authors brought in: Portal 2.

[sillysaurus3]

Their entire business is built around mod authors they brought in. CS, TF, Portal, Dota, and I think even some of the HL mods started as grassroots efforts. Not sure on that last part.

Valve doesn't make their own games. They had to make HL back when they were struggling. It's their model, and it's one of the most lucrative in the world.

I think it's mistaken to say they have nothing to prove. They're held to the highest standards by the community, and they work their ass off to deliver quality content. Icefrog certainly has something to prove.