The recent Left 4 Dead 2 announcement was quite a surprise; one that readers here on TechSpot seemed enthusiastic about. However, the sequel isn't being welcomed with such open arms in some gaming communities. In specific, the disgruntled Steam Group named L4D2 Boycott (NO-L4D2) has seen a substantial rise in members from its start on June 1. At the time of writing, the group just cracked the 21,000 member mark.


Determined to stop the second installment of Left 4 Dead, the group has called Valve out on their decision. The boycotters argue that by releasing a sequel so soon, the L4D gaming community will be split - ultimately leading to the original becoming obsolete. They feel that the original title has yet to see its fill of downloadable content. As such, they are requesting that Valve honor its commitment to ongoing DLC releases. The group suggests that Valve should either deliver L4D2 as a free update or an expansion and if it is pushed as premium content, they request that Left 4 Dead owners be given discounts.

In response to the outcry, Valve has suggested that updating Left 4 Dead in the manner which fans desire is too difficult. During company meetings, it was determined that they wanted to see improved storytelling, new environments including swamps and New Orleans and a more intelligent AI. I'm certainly far from game developer so my outlook is moot at best. Which side of the fence do you sit on, and why?