Valve on viral marketing and leaks: 'Everybody assumes we have some sort of like grand plan... and it's literally just somebody fat fingering something'

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You're probably thinking about this sort of stuff a lot more than Valve is.

Valve employees, left-to-right, Steve Cardinali, Gabe Rowe, and Clement Gallois, at the Valve offices in Bellevue
(Image credit: Future)

A colleague and I recently travelled to Valve to get a behind-the-scenes look at the company's upcoming product launches. Before we entered the building, we were already discussing one of the products yet to be announced, the Steam Frame. For many, this announcement will not come as a complete surprise, as intrepid detectives glean information from even the slightest breadcrumb left by Valve in the months ahead of the launch.

This time, a trademark for the name 'Steam Frame' gave away the Deckard project's real name ahead of our visit, but Deckard rumours have been rife for years. Some more accurate than others, but generally not miles off when you piece it all together.

Valve's hot hardware

Valve's new and improved Steam Controller during a visit to Valve's HQ in Bellevue, Washington.

(Image credit: Future)

Steam Frame: Valve's new wireless VR headset
Steam Machine: Compact living room gaming box
Steam Controller: A controller to replace your mouse

We actually ask if we can quote that line, to which Gabe responds, "That's basically what it is."

I can't remember exactly who, but someone else says, "It's true."

So, when you're trying to decipher some sort of secret code from Valve's terms of service using Gabe Newell's initials, just know, Valve probably isn't thinking about it anywhere near as much as you. From the impression I get from most of Valve's engineers, it seems they spend most of their time tinkering with the products instead of thinking about ways to sell them. In fact, Valve appeared a little surprised when I mentioned that I was expecting to see the Steam Frame during my visit, which suggests those behind it aren't even following the gossip on the street.

Or… maybe that's what they want me to think?

Jacob Ridley
Jacob Ridley
Managing Editor, Hardware

Jacob earned his first byline writing for his own tech blog, before graduating into breaking things professionally at PCGamesN. Now he's managing editor of the hardware team at PC Gamer, and you'll usually find him testing the latest components or building a gaming PC.

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