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Halloween Horror Streams: Left 4 Dead 2 brings, mauls us together
In the name of Halloween Horror Streams, you've seen Joystiq ask inane questions of Slender Man. You've seen Joystiq wear a schoolgirl outfit while berating, then fearfully running away from a giant psychotic wielding a hammer. Now, with just one week left before All Hallows' Eve, you'll watch Joystiq scream at one another to not use up their dang med packs while a Boomer is still in the room. Seriously, what are you doing, your health is over 50 percent! Just save the med pack. Great. Now we're going to die. Everyone back to the safe room. Left 4 Dead 2 comes to Joystiq's Halloween Horror Streams on Joystiq.com/Twitch at 4:00PM EST! Thrill as Jess Conditt (@JessConditt) has to save everyone. Swoon as Xav de Matos (@Xav) wields a shotgun like a surgeon. Rage as Alexander Sliwinski (@Sliwinski) hordes all the pills. Gawp as Anthony John Agnello (@ajohnagnello) tries to remember the controls. Joystiq.com/Twitch is where the magic happens every Tuesday and Thursday at 4:00PM EST. Halloween Horror Streams, however, happen all the time through Halloween so make sure to follow us on Twitch to know when we go live. [Images: Valve]
Left 4 Dead 2 now uncensored on Steam in Australia, 75% off
Australian residents age 18 or older are able to play the uncensored version of Left 4 Dead 2, after the R18+ classification for the game sprouted up earlier this month. Those with a censored copy of the game in Australia will be able to apply a free update to the game to upgrade to the bloodier original version on Steam. What's more, Left 4 Dead 2 is currently 75 percent off across all regions it is available ($4.99, £3.74, €4.99) until next Monday, September 22. Left 4 Dead 2 first launched in November 2009 as the sequel to Valve's multiplayer zombie shooter. The R18+ rating in Australia has been in the works for years, and created guidelines under the premise that certain types of graphic content are more impactful in video games than in films. The first game published under the restricted classification in the region was Ninja Gaiden 3: Razor's Edge's in January 2013. Deep Silver opted to re-work Saints Row 4 to meet Australia's MA15+ rating in August 2013. [Image: Valve]
Left 4 Dead 2 uncensored classified in Australia
Residents over the age of majority in the great nation of Australia are now permitted to legally purchase Left 4 Dead 2 in its unedited state on PC. Kotaku Australia confirmed with developer Valve that the new rating had been implemented. "We are making plans to deliver that version to those who have already purchased the game. We will announce more details on that soon," Valve's Doug Lombardi told Kotaku.
Left 4 Dead 2 is yours free, for a limited time
Valve is getting into the holiday spirit, announcing today on the official Left 4 Dead blog that the second game in the zombie-killing series is available for free for a limited time. "[Left 4 Dead 2] will be free as in, grab it now, pay no money, and it is yours to keep forever – for free!" the post reads. To claim the gift, and keep it in your Steam library forever, "all you need to do is install it." Left 4 Dead 2 will be available as a free gift until December 26 at 10am Pacific / 1pm Eastern. Happy holidays!
Left 4 Dead 2 Linux leaves the beta safe house
After a short-lived beta run, Valve has deemed Left 4 Dead 2 on Linux to be complete. The Linux version and the Extended Mutation System now join the full release of Left 4 Dead 2 on Steam. Left 4 Dead 2, which first launched in late 2009, hasn't slowed down these past four years. The Steam version has received numerous updates, DLC add-ons and even Steam Workshop support. As of last September, the Left 4 Dead series had eclipsed 12 million sales.
Left 4 Dead 2 Linux beta is live
Valve has announced a beta build of Left 4 Dead 2 for Linux is now live. Left 4 Dead 2 owners should see a special beta version of the game in their Steam library; if not, a client reboot is required. The Linux beta offers access to the Extended Mutation System, authoring tools and dedicated servers – on par with what's been available to PC and Mac versions of the title. This latest beta build also offers updates for Windows and Mac users, plus cross-play between all three platforms.
Resident Evil 6's 'Napad' enters Left 4 Dead 2
While we've seen the Left 4 Dead 2 gang holding their own in Resident Evil 6, we've yet to see Valve's side of this crossover event on PC. Above you can see the Napad in Left 4 Dead 2, a tank variant you can add to your game through Steam Workshop. The Napad is a fusion of infected corpses, all mashed together in some horrifying, Akira-like monstrosity.The PC version of Resident Evil 6 launched on March 22. The Left 4 Dead 2 cast will be playable through a free update, available for download this Friday.%Gallery-182977%
Left 4 Dead 2 adds Helm's Deep Reborn to official servers list
The fanmade map Helm's Deep – wherein Left 4 Dead 2 players attempt to defend the iconic Lord of the Rings castle fortress from relentless hordes of the undead – is now an officially supported map.It's part of the latest update to Left 4 Dead 2, which addresses consistency issues when playing on dedicated servers – Valve also decided to add Helm's Deep to the official servers list. If you want to add the map to your game, all you have to do is head to the Steam Workshop page for Helm's Deep Reborn and click to subscribe to download the map.The Steam beta version of Left 4 Dead 2 recently added an Extended Mutation system, where players could tweak existing game types and maps or come up with entirely new ones of their own design. To date, the Left 4 Dead series has sold more than 12 million copies.
Left 4 Dead 2 Steam beta introduces 'Extended Mutation System'
The Left 4 Dead 2 beta program has added the Extended Mutation System, an expanded toolset for modders to author custom scripts controlling enemy behavior, spawn points and custom game types. A Valve-created survival variant, called Holdout, is included as a Mutation example.Valve has published a wiki page detailing everything possible with the Extended Mutation System for budding directors, explaining the scripting language used in the game and some of the finer points of Mutation modding. Throughout this test phase, Valve will monitor what Mutations players come up with, fix bugs when needed and keep a close eye out for any features that may be missing.If you're in the Left 4 Dead 2 beta program – if you want in, this is probably the best place to ask for an invite – you can get cracking on your own custom Mutations right now.
Valve exploring Left 4 Dead 2 with R18+ rating for Australia
Valve is looking into its options for bringing the unedited version of Left 4 Dead 2 to Australia. Gamespot took note of a post on the Steam forums where Valve's Chet Faliszek stated the company is exploring the brave new world of R18+ ratings for video games in the region."No need to flood us with emails," wrote Faliszek. "We will have more information on this when we understand the issues fully and how we are moving forward but don't worry any cost associated with it doesn't worry us, this is something we want to do."Left 4 Dead 2 was denied classification twice in its unedited form for Australia. The game was eventually classified in the region without zombie decapitation and limb dismemberment – a skillset that Australians would have learned is also helpful in dealing with necromorphs.
Left 4 Dead 2 free to play this weekend on Steam
Celebrating the pre-Halloween weekend, Left 4 Dead 2 will be free on Steam this weekend. Valve announced that starting Thursday the co-op shooter will be gratis to play and is currently available to pre-load.This weekend adds a new achievement titled "Good Guy Nick" for current players who join up with a free weekend warrior.It should also be mentioned, in case you haven't paid attention the multi-million selling franchise in a while, that Left 4 Dead 2 added many of the maps from the original Left 4 Dead as free DLC on PC a while back.[Thanks, Bean]%Gallery-64704%
Left 4 Dead series sells more than 12 million
The Left 4 Dead series has sold more than 12 million copies, Valve writer Chet Faliszek noted in an interview with VG24/7. Faliszek talked about the company's approach to promoting its games, saying Valve doesn't rely much on marketing because "when a game does really well at pre-release, they're going to know that you're not just talking a bunch of PR crap.""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. They're going to know you're hyping," he said. Either the zombie apocalypse creates some high-quality wool, or Left 4 Dead must be a pretty great series.
Steam for Linux entering private beta in October for just 1,000 users
Next month, Valve is inviting 1,000 fortunate gamers to take part in the first external beta test of Steam for Linux. The trial includes the service itself and one game (which we're taking to be Left 4 Dead 2) that'll run on systems running Ubuntu 12.04 and above. Users won't get their hands on any other Valve titles, or Big Picture Mode, and the company is asking that only experienced Linux users get in touch -- novices are politely asked to wait for a subsequent release. It'll offer up details of how to sign up shortly, and given the love for the Valve's other products, we suspect it'll be a little oversubscribed.
Left 4 Dead 2 almost got 'Cabin in the Woods' DLC
The Cabin in the Woods, the brilliant kitsch horror film from director Drew Goddard, features a lineup of classic horror monsters, hidden in the background or dismembering members in the fore. One scene even shows a glimpse of infected from Left 4 Dead, and in a Reddit AmA Goddard says this isn't an accident.Read on for The Cabin in the Woods spoilers:"We actually were going to do a downloadable L4D2 expansion pack, where you'd fight in the Cabin world, but then MGM went bankrupt so the delay squashed it," Goddard writes. "But the people at Valve were still cool enough to let us use some of their monsters to fill the cubes in the background (I had a lot of cubes to fill)."The Left 4 Dead zombies populate some of the monster holding cells shown as the elevator descends into the bowels of the facility. Goddard was excited for the tie-in DLC and is upset it never happened."By the way – the game was gonna be amazing. You were gonna be able to play in both the upstairs Cabin in the Woods world and the downstairs "facility" world with all the monsters. Believe me, I HATE all video games based on movies, they always suck, but porting Cabin into Left For Dead felt like the right fit. It pains me that it didn't happen."Us too, Goddard. Us too.
Steam Workshop support coming to Left 4 Dead 2
Left 4 Dead 2 will receive Steam Workshop support starting in the middle of October, according to a recent developer blog. The system will allow players to rate and install community-created add-ons, including new maps, weapons, items and mutations thanks to an "expanded scripting tool."Steam Workshop will roll out for PC, Mac and Linux versions of Left 4 Dead 2 next month, though no specific release schedule has been announced yet by Valve.
The Matrix as envisioned in Source Filmmaker
Dodge this – er, sorry, we meant watch this. Because it's one of the best scenes from The Matrix, remade in Valve's Source Filmmaker.
Linux Left 4 Dead 2 outperforms Direct X Windows version
Valve recently announced that it will be bringing a few of Steam's most popular games to Linux, the first of those being Left 4 Dead 2. But besides the novelty factor of running the now classic zombie simulator on penguin-emblazoned hardware, there may be another reason to try the new platform out: It'll be faster. Even now, during development, the Valve team has L4D2 running at 315 frames per second on the Linux text platform, as compared to the standard Windows speed of 270.6 FPS.At that point, of course, the speeds are mostly arbitrary. But as Valve says, this speed shows the potential in customizing a game for the Linux operating system. This work on Linux is also benefiting the Windows teams - in working on the Linux version, Valve was able to speed up the OpenGL implementation on Windows to 303.4 FPS.
Left 4 Dead 2 'Cold Stream' DLC for Xbox 360 this Friday
It's been a long time coming, but the Cold Stream DLC will arrive on Xbox 360 this Friday, August 3, according to Valve. The Cold Stream update, which is already available on PC and Mac over Steam for free, will cost 560 Microsoft Points ($7) on the console.Cold Stream includes the fan-made campaign of the same name, along with the four original Left 4 Dead maps: Crash Course, Death Toll, Dead Air and Blood Harvest. Friday night we'll see if the new pack gets people "RELOADING!" the three year old game.%Gallery-64704%
Left 4 Dead 2 Cold Stream DLC delayed on Xbox 360
Left 4 Dead 2's Cold Stream DLC is out in completion on Steam today, but the Xbox 360 version is being held up (probably at gun- or frying-pan-point). Valve is working with Microsoft on a release schedule, the Left 4 Dead development team tweeted today. They hope to have it out "soon."When Cold Stream does finally drop an anchor in Xbox 360, it will cost 560 MS Points ($7). Cold Stream is free for PC and Mac via Steam.
Steam moves to Linux, first title will be Left 4 Dead 2
Valve has a dedicated team of developers working to bring Steam to Ubuntu 12.04, a distribution of Linux, and is beginning its endeavor with a port of Left 4 Dead 2. The team has been working on Linux distribution since 2011, based on Steam's success with Linux-based and internal Ubuntu servers, a post on Valve's new Linux blog announces. Valve is calling the project "Steam'd Penguins," apparently.Valve chose Ubuntu because it is "still experimenting" and Ubuntu is a popular distribution, but it will look to support others in the future. Right now the Valve Linux team is working on getting the Steam client on Linux with full functionality, optimizing Left 4 Dead 2 with a high frame rate and respectable graphics, and porting additional Valve titles. There will be an internal beta of Steam on Ubuntu in the "near future."The Valve Linux team will post updates on its blog, complete with penguins.Players generally have to use a compatibility layer such as Wine to play Steam games on Linux distributions, a process that can lead to some unwanted, unwarranted complications, no matter the platform.
