Their debut game, the first-person shooter (FPS) Half-Life (1998), was a critical and commercial success. Valve was founded in 1996 by the former Microsoft employees Gabe Newell and Mike Harrington. It is the developer of the software distribution platform Steam and the game franchises Half-Life, Counter-Strike, Portal, Day of Defeat, Team Fortress, Left 4 Dead, and Dota. Valve Corporation, also known as Valve Software, is an American video game developer, publisher, and digital distribution company headquartered in Bellevue, Washington.
