Because Valve is one of the few tech companies that still wants to have fun and be silly like tech used to be. Before we entered the hell scape tech feudalism era.
this post was submitted on 13 May 2026
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And like many classic bits of nerd silliness, it's also low-key impressive at the technical level.
The controller doesn't have a speaker in it. They managed to get this clear, recognizable sound from haptic feedback motors!
They did what now? 🤯
They did the same on the first model! But only for a few things
There seems to be a significant quality gap between publicly traded and private gaming companies.
Yeah because public companies are just investment scams now. The product they make is not their primary revenue. Once CEOs figured out you can just say shit on social media and juice the stock. Its market manipulation all the way down. At least with private companies its still about making a product or service and serving your customers and no private equity doesn't count that is a different scam. Where you offload debit.
They can also choose to intentionally make slightly less money if there's something they want to do first, or spend resources/time on stuff that doesn't bring in revenue. In a publicly traded company, the investors can sue for mishandling their investment.
Not just gaming companies. I watch every prodct from a listed compny with suspicion by now.
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tech feudalism
I use Steam but Gabe was one of the original tech feudalists.
Valve ignores the First Sale Doctrine, a law for over a hundred years. So now instead of being able to resell your games for whatever amount you want, your games are forever under the control of Valve.
Yeah I agree but that maybe more to the publishers not allowing that that to me would be achieved through regulation just like with the refunds. First sale was not something publishers wanted just a feature of having physical media. Also there is a myth that all steam games are DRMed. There are may games that run without steam being open but that is up to the publisher. Stuff like family sharing they added is them bring value to customers while walking a fine line with the publishers.
maybe more to the publishers not allowing that
It's not up to publishers. Publishers tried to put a disclaimer on books preventing cheap resale. The Supreme Court struck it down and it was written into law over 100 years ago.
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I tested this out last night. It took a few tries and my wife thought I was crazy till it screamed out. 11/10 would buy again.
what ?
When you drop the Steam controller it plays the Wilheim scream noise. They were trying it out repeatedly agitating their wife in trying something so senseless until it worked to her astonishment.
no, really ?
that's real... amazing
https://www.cnet.com/tech/gaming/the-steam-controller-wilhelm-scream-easter-egg-is-incredible/
For anyone who gets the ridiculous 5070 overlay ad instead of actual audio (Thanks CNET, for finding really annoying ways around ad blockers), here is just a video of the sound: https://youtu.be/tw5Luf_7F8c
I was responding earnestly because I thought it was polite. That's my mistake.
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Valve is trapped in a time prism where tech is still fun.
Time is more like a cube. You see, in 1884, meridian time personnel met in Washington to change Earth time. First words said was that only 1 day could be used on Earth to not change the 1 day bible. So they applied the 1 day and ignored the other 3 days. The bible time was wrong then and it proved wrong today. This a major lie has so much evil feed from it's wrong. No man on Earth has no belly-button, it proves every believer on Earth a liar.
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"If we're not gonna have planned obsolescence, let's make it so people wanna drop their controllers on purpose!"
Scream Controller
Well, now I want a Scream Deck and Scream Machine!
Billionaires don't make things
I mean, the choice to have the controller scream when dropped might have been something Gabe cooked up
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GLaDOS/GabeN: They're sentient, you know. I think that one was about to say "I love you".
"What are you doing? YOU MONSTER! They're one of us."
"I'm kidding. Destroying them is part of the test. They are no more important to you than you are to me."
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It's beyond silly. And I love it.
But I also hate it because I don't want to drop my controller, but I love that it screams when I do.
Honestly, now I really want one
I love that it feels clear that Steam employees love their jobs.
Ok, now I'm sold.
I love that this is how I find out about this.
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