Left 4 Dead series sales hit 12 million

The Left 4 Dead series has infected more than 12 million gamers, according to Valve writer Chet Faliszek, and a third installment may be on the way. Speaking to VG247, Faliszek elaborated on Valve's marketing strategy, saying with the rise of the Internet, the rules have changed.

"Telling people a game is great will sell one extra copy. Letting people play the game--Left 4 Dead is a good example--is much better," he said. "All of our pre-release stuff is designed to just let people play it."

"We just let the game speak for itself because the Internet has made this thing where you can’t pull the wool over people’s eyes any more," Faliszek added. "They’re going to know you’re hyping."

In a separate interview with Eurogamer, Faliszek said Left 4 Dead 3 is possible, but is not planned until "sometime down the road." He further tempered that comment by adding he feels that way about every Valve game, meaning it's "not a promise of when or where."

The original Left 4 Dead launched in 2008, with a sequel spawning just a year later. A Linux version of Left 4 Dead 2 is in the works, but it does not yet have a release date.