Valve apologizes for wrongful bans with free Left 4 Dead 2

Jos

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Valve Software is offering free copies of Left 4 Dead 2 to the 12,000 players it erroneously banned from playing Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 via Steam over the last couple of weeks. Apparently, non-cheating gamers were being flagged as cheaters due to a "combination of conditions" that occurred while Steam was updating the disk image of Modern Warfare 2. The bans had caused hue and cry among owners of the game who posted about the issue in online forums.

Nevertheless, Valve has ultimately owned up to the error and offered some sort of compensation. Players affected by the software glitch received an apologetic email from CEO Gabe Newell explaining that the error wasn't something inherent to Modern Warfare 2, and said that erroneous bans have now been reversed and accounts have been restored. In addition, the company has also given two free copies of Left 4 Dead 2 to all affected players, one of which can be gifted to a friend through Steam. That said, if you already owned a copy of the popular zombie shooter I guess there's not much in it for you other than the gift of giving.

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I like Valve :)

They somehow manage to make me smile even when they mess up and make a mistake, I wish apple would follow in there footsteps, would also be nice if all companys followed through.

Although, thats 12,000 people who I can now team up with in L4D2.
 
this explains the pissed off first time post i would see over at the steam forums!

By, the way i wouldn't mind a L4D2 as a gift :)
 
I don't believe this is the first time people have been banned because of a "combination of conditions" in MW2. I had a friend that sucked bad and I mean really bad all the time, one day he just got banned. Unfortunately Valve won't give you the time of day or any kind of proof, they never want to admit to any possibility that the system could be flawed. My friend went as far as contacting the better business bureau. How many real cheaters would go thru that trouble, and suck so bad cheating? LOL
 
OMG..Capitalism CAN be achieved without draconian methods and milking your customers dry for every nickel you can get out of them.

What an amazing concept Valve...Treating your customers with respect and doing the right thing.
 
Definitely the way it should be done and a great PR move towards gamers unlike PB. Just shows you though that cheating software isn't close to perfect yet, and maybe now people wont dismiss false positives so easily.
 
Yeah - I gotta find a friend who was banned so I can get myself a copy too! Glad Steam is willing to make it up to its customers like this.
 
Funny. I was banned because i joined my friend and he was in a hacked lobby. Can't be banned for modded lobbies my ****ing ***.
 
EXCellR8 said:
got my free copies... too bad i already bought it last year and have no friends.

I'll be your friend :) and smash up some zombies together: Steam name, burty117
 
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