GoKawiilValve turns 30, tracing roots to Gabe Newell and Mike Harrington's Microsoft exit
Valve LLC was formally registered on August 24, 1996, by two ex-Microsoft employees, Gabe Newell and Mike Harrington, who left secure jobs to bet on making games. They funded the venture with personal savings, a stock sale, borrowed money, and a deal with publisher Sierra On-Line that gave up 30% of revenue and their intellectual property. That gamble led to Half-Life in 1998 and eventually Steam, which began as a simple patch-delivery tool before becoming the dominant PC gaming storefront.
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Valve's origin story illustrates how personal risk-taking by well-placed tech insiders can reshape an entire industry, since the company's early games and Steam platform fundamentally changed how PC games are distributed and played. The anniversary also highlights how a small, founder-funded startup grew into one of gaming's most influential and secretive companies without ever going public.
- Valve was founded on August 24, 1996 by former Microsoft employees Gabe Newell and Mike Harrington.
- Publisher Sierra On-Line financed early Valve in exchange for 30% revenue and full IP rights.
- Half-Life's 1998 success and Steam's later expansion cemented Valve's lasting industry dominance.
Valve Steam Deck OLED Handheld — Thirty years after two ex-Microsoft employees bet on games, Valve's Steam Deck is the culmination of that gamble: your whole Steam library, including Half-Life, in a handheld. It's the most tangible way to celebrate the company's anniversary.
See Valve Steam Deck OLED Handheld on Amazon → Affiliate link — we may earn a commission on purchases, at no extra cost to you. Product picked by AI based on this article; it is not a tested recommendation.Source: techspot.com — Zo Ahmed, 2026-08-24
Published there as: “Valve is 30 years old today, and it all began with two former Microsoft employees and a risky bet on games”
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