Valve, the studio behind Half-Life and Steam, was founded on August 24, 1996, by former Microsoft engineers Gabe Newell and Mike Harrington. The company released Half-Life in 1998, reshaping first-person shooter design, then launched Steam in 2003, establishing digital game distribution as an industry standard. Today the company celebrates its 30th anniversary with both products still shaping the industry.
tomshardware.com
· 2026-08-24
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.
techspot.com
· 2026-08-24
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