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Left 4 Dead: Survivors brings a new team to Japanese arcades
Taito unveiled the player characters for the Japanese arcade version of Left 4 Dead, and it's certainly a different type of crew to what's come before. The new heroes are (left to right) American bartender and ex-marine Jordan Blake, university student Yusuke Kudo, half-American, half-Japanese tour guide Sara Kirishima and high school student Hirose Haruka. The international mixture comes from the retained American setting, with the Japanese characters visiting the States on holiday - it's always a pain when you have to deal with a zombie outbreak on vacation. It's strikingly a younger cast compared to either Left 4 Dead game, and we wouldn't bat an eyelid if someone told us we were looking at Japan's version of Scooby Doo. Minus the dog, that is, which would be somewhat weird. Left 4 Dead: Survivors, as it's called, comes to test locations in Tokyo this weekend. To see how else it differs from the original, check out Taito's trailer and the much more involved user interface. [Image: Square Enix]
Left 4 Dead arcade's clean gameplay
The Taito Channel has a video featuring the Japanese arcade version of Valve's Left 4 Dead. The video looks pretty clean and like the co-op zombie game folks have been playing on their consoles and PC for years. After the break we've got a GIF of what the game reportedly looks like. Far more clutter on the screen. The only thing missing from the UI is somone popping up and exclaiming, "TOASTY!"
Valve measures sweat during Left 4 Dead play
Valve tinkers with a lot of things – whatever it feels like, mostly – but has a particular interest in biometrics and direct player feedback within games. At the Neurogaming Conference last week, Valve Experimental Psychologist (seriously, whatever if feels like) Mike Ambinder described a few tests he'd recently run, as reported by Venture Beat. In one test, Valve measured how much players sweat while playing Left 4 Dead, as correlated to their levels of arousal – just as Valve boss Gabe Newell specified back in March, concerning biometrics in the Steam Box. Another experiment gave players four minutes to shoot 100 enemies, and the game would move more quickly as the player showed signs of nervousness. Valve also created a successful version of Portal 2 controlled with players' eyeballs, but it was necessary to separate aiming and viewpoint – where your eyes are looking and where your head is facing – for that to work properly. The Steam Box will host some sort of biometric scheme, Newell said in that March interview. "What we've found is you can directly measure player state and it turns out to be very useful," Newell said. "You need to be able to directly measure how aroused the player is, what their heart rate is, things like that, in order to continue to offer them a new experience each time they play."
Left 4 Dead running on Vita via PlayStation Mobile is pretty Suite
The wizard digitalarts001 has made it possible to run Left 4 Dead with motion controls on the PS Vita, via remote desktop play and PlayStation Mobile (formerly "Suite"). The above video provides a magical demonstration of L4D on Vita, appearing to run smoothly even when motion controls are activated by the player pressing the left trigger and mumbling an incantation in broken Latin, we assume.A remote desktop application is just one of the homebrew innovations we can expect from PlayStation Mobile, but it may be one of the most important: When players can make their own games suddenly appear on the Vita, Sony won't have to create any of its own titles. Now you're thinking with Portals, Sony. Speaking of....
Full Left 4 Dead fan-film makes it to the safe room
Teased last week, the full Airsoft GI-sponsored Left 4 Dead fan-film has been posted on YouTube and it's well worth a few minutes of your life. The Northern Five Entertainment-produced film follows Zoey, Louis and Francis as they make their way to the boathouse outside of Riverside to board the Slater's fishing vessel. The acting's pretty solid all around, though Francis is depicted as less of a curmudgeon than we remember. We just need help on one thing: We know it's been a while since we played Left 4 Dead, but Scorpion from Mortal Kombat wasn't, like, an unlockable character, right? We're pretty sure he wasn't in the game.
Left 4 Dead's Boomer action figure is pretty gnarly
You know who we'd like to see featured in the hit television program Dirty Jobs? The guy who's responsible for making this Left 4 Dead Boomer action figure. Just think: Some poor soul at NECA not only had to mold this fully articulated, pustule-covered monster -- they had to paint on his every blemish, scab and scar. There is no amount of money high enough to merit such attention to nastiness. We won't be able to get our hands on this figure (and others from the zombie-centric hit) until next Spring, but you can be sure that when we do, our hands will be safely enveloped by gloves. Check him out in all his oozing glory after the jump.
Left 4 Dead fan-film teaser brings tears to our eyes, joy to our guts
Our modern zombie-centric television dramas have been decidedly not filled with zombies recently and the gore of 28 Days Later, Dawn of the Dead, 28 Weeks Later and Shaun of the Dead is as tired as this cat -- but there is hope on the horizon. The above teaser for a fanmade Left 4 Dead film has some serious potential, and it was filmed in just one weekend. Produced by Northern Five Entertainment and Sponsored by Airsoft GI, the full film will be released "soon," and personally, we can't wait. You know who can wait? Bill. Bill can stay in one place and wait with the best of them. Cheers, buddy.
Valve and Xsolla set up more than 450,000 cash kiosks in Russia
Valve recently embraced the Russian Ruble to make Steam transactions easier for its Russian customers -- while this may have made it easier for Russian gamers to see how much things cost, that didn't mean it was any easier to buy said things, as much of the country uses cash. Unwilling to block an entire market from spending its money, Valve has teamed with Xsolla, a game-monetization company, to establish more than 450,000 cash kiosks in Russia, where users can add cash directly to their Steam Wallets. It's nice of companies to make spending money on their products so easy -- it's almost like charity work. Almost.
Left 4 Dead making-of feature recounts Survivor evolution, other odd stuff
Edge has an extensive and rather interesting look back at the development of Left 4 Dead that touches on design philosophy and how people behave while playing. "Some people would declare themselves the leader and bark instructions, whether they were qualified to or not," said Mike Booth, then CEO of Turtle Rock Studios, where the game originally began development. "Other guys just wanted to help out and make sure everyone had health kits. A few would just wait for the moment to stab you in the back." Other interesting anecdotes include a foursome who decided to just end it all by jumping off the rooftop at the opening of "No Mercy," and the Counter-Strike veterans who protected a gaming-illiterate father. The article also looks at how Turtle Rock and Valve initially got together, the technology that produces the 30 zombies populating the game world at any given time and, our personal favorite, the evolution of Louis from "a religious nutjob" to the likeable office worker based on Faliszek and Wolpaw's pal from Cleveland. "I remember helping him move house," said Faliszek. "He dropped something, ruined it and still made a joke about it. That's the perfect guy you want in the zombie apocalypse." Who else is going to help you find all those pipe bombs?
THQ publishing re-formed Turtle Rock Studios' next FPS
Left 4 Dead developer Turtle Rock Studios has had an odd career trajectory, having been acquired and absorbed wholesale by Valve after gaining no small amount of attention for its zombie-slaying multiplayer title. The studio re-materialized last March under the supervision of original CEO Michael Booth, and presumably started work on something big -- as evidenced by a hiring push this past February, and their opening of a shiny new studio space. Today, one big detail about said project came to light: It's going to be published by THQ, and released in 2013. In a press release announcing the partnership, Turtle Rock COO Phil Robb said, "This project is the most ambitious thing we've ever attempted," later adding, "We're going to take the first person shooter experience to a whole new level, and we can't wait to show the game for the first time in the months ahead." The announcement lines up with a client list released by talent representation firm Verve (as discovered by supererogatory), which says GI Joe: The Rise of Cobra and Four Brothers writers David Elliot and Paul Lovett are working with Turtle Rock on a brand new IP for a "top-tier publisher." No more specific window was given for the game's proper announcement, though the press release explains that the title will not be shown off at E3. Or is that just to throw us off the scent? Nice try, you crafty press release, you. As for any complications this might cause concerning Valve's current relationship with the studio remains to be seen -- a THQ representative told us, "To clear up any confusion, we are getting clarification on the Turtle Rock/Valve relationship - and should have that info later today." Stay tuned!
Valve Store offering deals on merchandise, adding new Left 4 Dead plushes
Today's batch of daily Steam weekend deals is pretty radical, decimating the prices of jams like The Ball, World of Goo and The Orange Box -- however, you shouldn't ignore the other big sale Valve is currently hosting. Dozens of shirts, hats and other pieces of merchandise from the company's titles are currently on sale through The Valve Store. Many pieces of apparel are temporarily marked down to just five bucks; that's some cheap holiday shopping for your more game-savvy acquaintances. If you can hold off from capitalizing on these offers, you might be interested in two new items which will soon arrive on the Valve Store's virtual shelves -- plushes modeled after Left 4 Dead's gnarliest foes, the Hunter and Tank. You'll be able to place these bad boys next to your equally squeezable (and upsetting) Boomer plush when they go on sale in late December.
Valve releases the original Left 4 Dead just in time for Halloween
I just got done playing a level of Left 4 Dead 2 on my MacBook Pro when I saw this: Valve has released the original Left 4 Dead for Mac OS X. Valve originally released the sequel, Left 4 Dead 2, for the Mac on October 5th, promising the first one would come in time for Halloween. The reason for the delay? Valve was having a bit of a hard time making the original Mac-compatible. Late last night, Valve made good on their promise. If you're a fan of zombies, the original Left 4 Dead is a blast. It's also a steal at just US$9.99 (a 50 percent discount in celebration of its release), but for an even better value, you can get both Left 4 Dead and Left 4 Dead 2 for just $14.99 for a limited time. If you already bought the game through Steam on a Windows PC, you should be able to play it on a Mac now without having to re-purchase it thanks to Steam Play. Left 4 Dead requires Mac OS X 10.6.4 or higher (Snow Leopard Graphics Update required) with a 2 GHz dual core Intel processor or better. You'll also need either an ATI Radeon 2400 video card or better or an NVIDIA 8600M or better.
Left 4 Dead finally shambles onto Mac, goes on sale
Although its sequel broke down a boarded-up door and burst onto Steam for Mac back on October 5, the original Left 4 Dead was expected sometime before Halloween. Well, that "sometime" equals "today" and it's on sale for $9.99. (Or, be a savvy survivor, and opt for the $14.99 L4D plus L4D2 pack!)
Left 4 Dead born from Valve's killed 'flying fairy' game
"We stabbed it," Valve project manager Erik Johnson tells PC Gamer of the studio's apparent "flying fairy game," as Gabe Newell puts it. The conversation with Valve, which includes marketing director Doug Lombardi, provides revealing insight into the creative process of one of the most respected developers in the industry. Described as an "action fantasy sort of role playing game" featuring fairies, the project went as far as a working prototype (with spells cast by mouse gesturing) and "it was so bad," says Newell. Still, it was "a useful failure," adds the Valve co-founder, "because It was so clearly dumb that it made us say, 'Okay, what are we actually good at that we can do instead?'" Cue the Zombie Apocalypse! [Image credit: PC Gamer]
X10: Left 4 Dead 2 'The Passing' DLC in March, L4D1 tie-in DLC to follow
So what's the appropriate greeting for when you pass another survivor in the zombie apocalypse? We'll find out next month, when Valve plans to release the first Left 4 Dead 2 DLC campaign, "The Passing," on Xbox 360 and PC. The Passing will feature non-playable appearances by the original Left 4 Dead cast (those shadowy figures in the background there), who will aid L4D2's four survivors during the third act of the new campaign, which is set in rural Georgia. Not one to leave holes in a good story, Valve will explain the original survivors' frantic journey to Georgia by way of -- yes, it's really happening -- a new DLC add-on for Left 4 Dead 1 (not compatible with L4D2). No additional details were provided about the upcoming L4D1 DLC by Valve at X10 today, but it will follow the release of The Passing campaign and a digital comic (illustrated by Michael Avon Oeming) that will tie together the two DLC stories. Additionally, Valve confirmed that The Passing will also include new arenas for Survival, Versus and Scavenge modes, and a new co-op challenge mode. Players will also encounter a new "uncommon common" infected, dubbed the Fallen Survivor, which can drop random items when killed. The Passing is currently on track for a "late March" release. %Gallery-85283%
L4D mod 'Dead Before Dawn' recreates Dawn of the Dead remake
The Left 4 Dead modding community is really kicking decomposing zombie butt lately. We've seen Raccoon City, some of our favorite Super Mario 64 spots, and even Shaun of the Dead's Winchester pub all realized in the game's zombie apocalypse framework. Now we bring you another mod that pays homage to a zombie film: 'Dead Before Dawn,' a mod based on the 2004 remake of George A. Romero's classic, Dawn of the Dead. The new mod opened to public beta this Halloween and features a variety of locales stripped from the movie, along with its own snazzy campaign poster. The folks behind the mod even went so far as to create their own title sequence (though their version features far less Johnny Cash than the movie's). You can shamble on past the break to check it out. [Thanks, Gutfree!] %Gallery-77130%
See Left 4 Dead fan-made mod 'Mushroom Massacre' in action
Remember that Mushroom Kingdom mod DoritoClock was working on for Left 4 Dead? Well, he's making progress and now has some new areas of the campaign to show off: the exterior of Peach's Castle and Super Mario 64's first world, Bob-omb Battlefield. He even added the latter's Chain Chomp!It seems DoritoClock has also been reading our diary, because he's compiled a 10+ minute video walkthrough of all the areas. You can find that video past the break, but if you're anxious to see that Chain Chomp munching on a few undead carcasses (like we are), prepare to be disappointed. It's a work in progress, folks.
Left 4 Dead's 'Crash Course' landing September 29
DLC over here! Valve has announced that, next Tuesday, fans of Left 4 Dead will get a new campaign to play. "Crash Course" will take place between the events of "No Mercy" and "Death Toll," providing a series of survival maps and a streamlined version of Versus mode on top of the new co-op campaign action. The DLC will be free for PC on September 29 ... and 560 ($7) for the Xbox 360 version. Did you hear: a true sequel will be out just 7 weeks later?
Left 4 Dead 2 boycotters flown to Valve; boycotters boycot original boycotters
The two Steam users (Walking_Target and Agent of Chaos) who kick-started a Left 4 Dead 2 boycott, soon after the game was announced at E3 2009, were recently invited to Valve's offices to play the game and interview members of its development team. While both users (pictured above invading Valve boss Gabe Newell's personal space) vow to continue boycotting the upcoming title, they reported Left 4 Dead 2 "seemed balanced and 'tight' and did not feel like a rushed job." Ironically, since visiting Valve's office the two boycott leaders have been forced to defend themselves against accusations of "corruption," a position not too removed from the one Valve now occupies in relation to the boycott. Some Steam users have asked the pair to relinquish admin duties of the boycott group, but the Valve visitors maintain the effort has progressed "well beyond what most people thought we'd get done." The Left 4 Dead 2 Boycott group on Steam currently has over 40,000 members and requests (demands?) that Valve offer the sequel as either a free update or as a discounted expansion pack to owners of the original Left 4 Dead. [Via Shacknews. Image credit: L4D2 Boycott Group]
Left 4 Dead 'Crash Course' campaign DLC free on PC, $7 on 360 - this September
click for full-sized poster art And yes, that's Left 4 Dead ONE, last year's popular zombocalypse simulator, and not this year's "controversial" sequel. True to its word, Valve has announced details of an upcoming DLC campaign for the game, sending conspiratorial crybabies ("Left 4 Dead 2 is a cash-in and they'll never support Left 4 Dead 1") back to the drawing board. Though Left 4 Dead 2 is purported to last "much longer" as a platform, Valve clearly isn't ready to abandon the original.Targeted for this September, "Crash Course" is an entirely new campaign that "bridges the gap" between the end of the "No Mercy" campaign (think: rooftop helicopter evacuation) and the beginning of "Death Toll" (think: turnpike riddled with abandoned cars). The new campaign includes "new locations, new dialogue from the original cast, and an explosive finale," and it spreads the mayhem across a co-op campaign, survival maps, and a "streamlined version" of the Versus mode experience lasting 30 minutes. All this for the asking price of ... $0? Oh, but that's on PC only, friend. If you've waged war on the reanimated dead via your Xbox 360, you'll be paying 560 ($7 Earth bucks) for the privilege of adding "Crash Course" to your repertoire. Think about it this way, 360 gamers: if the original $60 game included just four maps, $7 for this set is a value, right? Hey, where are you going?
