L4D2 boycotter "invented" Spitter

By Oli Welsh Published 27 July, 2009

But accepts it was probably coincidence.

In an ironic twist to the friction between Valve and its fans over Left 4 Dead 2, a player who's part of the group boycotting the sequel came up with an idea similar to the new Spitter infected months before it was unveiled last week.

In a forum post dated May 31st, Walking_Target detailed a special infected also called The Spitter, with abilities (admittedly only roughly) similar to those announced by Valve at Comic-Con.

Walking_Target is also a leading member of the L4D2 Boycott group, which opposes the release of Left 4 Dead 2's content as a new game rather than updates of the original Left 4 Dead, believing it will split the community.

However, Walking_Target posted an announcement on the boycott group's page acknowledging that his idea matching Valve's was probably a case of coincidence - or "convergence" - rather than theft, as some of the community have interpreted it.

"The first reaction of these folks, including myself, is to think 'Hey, they ripped me off'. This is not really the case though," Walking_Target wrote.

"In reality, when you come right down to it, it is far more likely that there were already similar ideas to this already floating around, these people just happened to be the only ones, or the first ones on that venue to post about it.

"This is most likely the case for the new Special Infected in Left 4 Dead 2. Valve most likely foresaw similar solutions to the ones posted, probably before it was ever mentioned on the forums."

Walking_Target still feels that the new special infected should be used to "fix problems" in the original Left 4 Dead, rather than as new content for Left 4 Dead 2, however.

Plenty more information and controversy on the Left 4 Dead 2 gamepage.

Picture of Oli.

About Oli Welsh

Oli is Eurogamer's acting deputy editor and reviews editor and likes to take things one word at a time. He is among the best dressed people in South London.

Read more articles from Oli by visiting the Oli Welsh archive page.

You may also like...

Comments (25) Latest comment 3 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • Canyarion #1 3 years ago

    Wow, world news! I've called all my friends and family, this is truly shocking.

    Edit: At least it's a nice change from all the exciting Halo news.
    Edited by 1 at 27/07/09 @ 09:52

  • ChthonicEcho #2 3 years ago

    The entire L4D2 is a conglomerate of community ideas, why does this deserve a news article of its own? To poke fun at the boycott, or what?

  • Monkey_Puncher #3 3 years ago

    Slow news day?

  • IronCladChicken #4 3 years ago

    'with abilities (admittedly only roughly) similar to those announced by Valve at Comic-Con. '

    Lol... So, not really all that similar at all then? :)

  • ZuluHero #5 3 years ago

    And i've invented the Sucker, the Blower, the Slobberer, the Licker (no..wait... RE2 beat me to it)...

  • Toothball #6 3 years ago

    News just in! Initial reports show that Canyarion from the Eurogamer comments thread thought this article was amazing! More as it breaks.

  • metalangel #7 3 years ago

    This just in - embittered forum curmudgeon and EG commenter metalangel is about to go out and get a sandwich! While thinking about Saints Row 2!

    A Department of Defense spokesman has told CNN that the US military is currently at Defcon 2 as a result, NATO forces are clashing with the Red Army across Poland, much of Berlin is in flames, and the USS Nimitz has been hit by antishipping missiles and is listing badly in the Pacific.

  • AbyssUK #8 3 years ago

    This is big news an American with a tiny chance of starting a law suit decides not too and instead gives a reasonable explanation... that doesn't happen very often..
    Edited by 1 at 27/07/09 @ 10:32

  • penhalion #9 3 years ago

    This was exactly the point of the boycotters. They had thought up all of this stuff as ideas to put into the updates for the original L4D. Valve decided to create a whole new full priced game out of their ideas. The stupid thing is that simply releasing a new level a month as well as 4 new playable characters, would have made Valve far more money than a sequel will. They had a ready made audience just crying out for L4D content and more than willing to pay for it!

  • ChthonicEcho #10 3 years ago

    Hm, on the bright side, at least the comments are hilarious.

  • LazyDan #11 3 years ago

    I've got a feeling there's going to be a function to allow L4D1 players to play with L4D2 players in some fashion. Like special campaigns that are playable on both games, but the L4D1 characters start in a different place to the L4D2 players and they only meet up at certain points or help each other from different points. I.e group 1 is stuck behind an electric gate with a relentless horde constantly attacking. Group 2 elsewhere hit a switch and the gate opens for group 1 who can then escape inside away from the mass of horde.

    If that happens, the boycotters are going to look even more like a bunch of twats.

  • spudsbuckley #12 3 years ago

    Every single one of those boycotters is going to buy the game.

  • Schiraman #13 3 years ago

    Wow, what a pack of rascals Valve are - creating a game that is *exactly* what their fans wanted! No wonder people are boycotting them...

    /facepalm

  • kangarootoo #14 3 years ago

    Of couse it was a coincidence. An enemy that spits an area effect weapon has been around since D&D was first printed in the 70s.

    Anyone who thinks Valve purposefully pinched this has re-invented being a f*cking idiot.

  • metalnut #15 3 years ago

    Boycotters just want attention. Once the game's out and all their more sensible friends are having fun playing it, they'll shut up and buy it. If only they'd just shut up in advance.

    In other news, I'm going to start a campaign against the new Toyotas, because I believe they should have retrofitted all of this years model's changes into my existing car. The bastards.

  • skillian #16 3 years ago

    It seems some commenters here didn't read further than the headline.

  • hiddenranbir #17 3 years ago

    Instead of this article, could have had more game reviews. Lots of low profile, but quality, games getting skipped over. :(

  • Ryuken #18 3 years ago

    Walking_Target still feels that the new special infected should be used to "fix problems" in the original Left 4 Dead, rather than as new content for Left 4 Dead 2, however.

    This, I don't think anyone cares where the Spitter originates from, she's just one of the closet camping fixes in L4D2 while L4D1 doesn't have any of those which ruins the four original campaigns.

  • Oh-Bollox #19 3 years ago

    Lets face it, they both nicked the idea from the spitting aliens in the X-Com games. Nice try!

  • FogHeart #20 3 years ago

    Having frequented the forums and seen it happen, I can honestly say that the purpose of the spitter invented by this guy has nothing to do with the spitter Valve are designing. The Valve version is intended to prevent the players bunching up in a corner to overcome large attack waves: the spitter invented by this guy was intended to slow down the team's progress. It seems the other community members simply hijacked this chap's idea and held it up as an 'example' of how Valve were taking ideas from the community which they suggested as improvements to L4D and put them into L4D2 (which they are doing to some extent, and is a bit rude, come on, isn't it? No? OK, negative karma it is then). So kudos to this chap for going against the forum members and officially stating that this is NOT the same idea. However, he is also correct in stating that L4D badly needs a special infected type to counter 'corner camping'. Right now I get pissed off when I play the game and the other three team members insist on making the game too easy by corner camping and it's either join them in the lame way of winning or die alone.

    I'm not a boycotter, but I may not buy L4D2. The directions they are taking it in feel a bit hokey to me. I want the game to be about the Dead-of-Night, fate-of-mankind-dwindling-to-a-point, nightmare-planet-scenario. The clips I have shown have slightly ridiculous characters (bloke in a white suit?) using comedy weapons (frying pan?) and fighting while Mardi Gras music plays in the background.
    Edited by 2 at 28/07/09 @ 19:33

  • Duke_Red #21 3 years ago

    theevin Bstrds!!!!!

  • JensonJet #22 3 years ago

    Spitting attacks... I believe nature came up with that one quite a while ago now!!!

    Seriously why is some worthless kid even telling anyone he invented this idea? Or perhaps, more importantly, why is Eurogamer wasting time reporting? And why are we even commenting on this... oh yeah, I know... because Left4Dead boycotters are dumb, pathetic, crybabies (except me, I'm not getting it because L4D is an overpriced mod that's too short and... ok I'll stop there!)

  • FogHeart #23 3 years ago

    ^All wrong mate...

    ..pretty soon after release, given that they expected weapon/map/monster updates, lots of users made posts with suggestions. This guy invented the spitter as a means to slow down players who charged through the map (which is a good idea). Now, he did NOT whine that he invented it...other forum members did! HE set them STRAIGHT!

  • Bremenacht #24 3 years ago

    Walking_Target still feels that the new special infected should be used to "fix problems" in the original Left 4 Dead, rather than as new content for Left 4 Dead 2, however.

    Great idea. Introduce the spitter & charger as DLC for L4D. Do it in advance of L4D2 as a taster.

    (And charge for it too - starting another row about how it's unfair that Valve charge for DLC)

  • FogHeart #25 3 years ago

    Charging for that won't work - it's logically impossible have co-op with some people having new specinfected and some don't. Maybe you could get it working in Versus - players with the DLC can play as the new specinfected but others can't. But all players would need an update one way or another.
    Edited by 1 at 28/07/09 @ 19:31