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JJ Abrams says the 'Portal' movie is still in the works
JJ Abrams says the 'Portal' movie is still very much in development, although there's still much more work to do.
Valve won't help Apple defend against Epic's antitrust lawsuit
Valve has rejected Apple's request for Steam data in defense against Epic Games' lawsuit over the App Store.
'Dota 2' will get year-round updates and crack down on 'smurfs'
Valve is shaking up 'Dota 2' by promising a steady stream of updates and efforts to fight 'smurfs' who create accounts to hike their win rates.
Valve opens 'Half-Life: Alyx' level editing tools to the community
Steam Workshop support for 'Half-Life: Alyx' should enable all-new mods and levels for Valve's virtual reality game.
Steam's direct publishing changes only helped two thirds of developers
Valve has published a “data deep dive” for sales of paid games, revealing that the first full year of Steam Direct led to a 24 percent increase in initial earnings (the first two weeks) for the median game in 2019 versus 2018. Titles in the 75th percentile (that is, making more than 75 percent of new releases) earned a whopping 56 percent more in 2019 than in 2018. Many game studios thrived under Steam Direct, in other words, but those that didn’t tended to struggle.
'Half Life: Alyx' gameplay videos showcase gravity gloves and more
With just a couple of short weeks before Half-Life: Alyx comes out on March 23rd, Valve has shared three new trailers from the upcoming game. If the game's first trailer left you wanting more, these provide a more in-depth look at Alyx's setting and gameplay without spoiling any of its story beats.
Valve wants cities to bid on hosting The International
Cities that have lost out on bids to host the Olympics or other big events may have another opportunity to shine. Valve Software is soliciting bids from "host cities" to put on The International -- the annual Dota 2 championship and one of the top esports tournaments. Today, Valve issued a request for proposal (RFP) document, shared by Polygon, that asks cities to throw their hats in the ring as potential hosts for next year's tournament.
Half-Life games are free on Steam until March
With the first Half-Life game in more than a decade set to come out in March, series creator Valve has made every game in the franchise free to play for the next two months. As long you have Steam installed on your Windows, Mac or Linux computer, you can play all of Gordon Freeman's adventures, including Half-Life and its excellent Opposing Force expansion, as well as Half-Life 2 and its two subsequent DLC episodes.
Steam makes it easier to find and download game soundtracks
Steam's approach to game soundtracks has been broken, to put it mildly. It's been treated as downloadable content for its associated game, forcing you to buy the game in question -- and you could forget about having an easy way to manage your collection. Valve is thankfully fixing that experience. It's introducing a "soundtrack" app type that lets you buy soundtracks whether or not you own the core game, manage them in your Steam library and place them in a central music folder instead of scattering them across multiple game directories. Developers can even sell soundtracks when the game isn't available on Steam. In theory, a creator with an Epic Games Store exclusive could still peddle the soundtrack.
Take a look at the 'Portal' prequel that never was
You're probably not going to see a Portal 3 in the near future (Valve seems to have an aversion to third installments), but you're about to get the next best thing: a look at the prequel that never shipped. LunchHouse Software has received permission to produce a documentary series that reveals F-Stop (aka Aperture Camera), a prequel to the Portal series that was cancelled in mid-development. The initial video only shows basic game mechanics, but those already speak volumes.
'Half-Life: Alyx' is a VR prequel set before the events of 'Half-Life 2'
After more than 12 years, Valve is officially returning to the Half-Life universe. Half-Life: Alyx is a "full-length" VR entry into the series -- but if you were thinking we'd finally find out what happened after the events of Half-Life 2: Episode Two, I have some extremely disappointing news. Alyx will take place between the events of Half-Life and Half-Life 2. For those of us who've been waiting for Valve to return to these games, it's a bit of a bittersweet moment -- the company undoubtedly knows how to make an excellent game, and the screenshots Valve shared certainly should get fans excited. But if you're looking for closure after the mega-cliffhanger that was Episode Two, you'll have to keep waiting.
Steam is holding a sale to celebrate the launch of Remote Play Together
After a brisk, one-month beta, Valve's new Remote Play Together feature is now available to all Steam users. As the name suggests, it allows you and up to three other friends to play split-screen games with one another over the internet. It emulates the experience of playing a game on the couch with a group of buddies by capturing your friends' inputs and then streaming it back to your device. Once you're in-game, you can talk to your friends over voice chat.
Valve will unveil its 'Half-Life: Alyx' VR game on Thursday
No, your eyes aren't deceiving you: after 12 years, Valve has announced a new Half-Life game. The company has confirmed swirling rumors with word that it will reveal Half-Life: Alyx, its "flagship VR game," on November 21st at 1PM Eastern. It didn't provide any details about the game itself, but this backs claims that the game will switch attention to Alyx Vance, the resistance fighter and Gordan Freeman ally who played a key role in Half-Life 2.
'Dota 2' will match players sooner if they're open to different roles
Play class-based games and you'll know that it's tough to convince people to play certain roles -- there are only so many people who'd rather be the support character than the front line hero. Valve's solution for Dota 2? Give players an incentive to fill those roles. Its latest update to the game adds a Fast Queue option that bumps Ranked players to the front of the line when they're willing to play with all roles selected.
Steam's redesigned Library is available to everyone
Your Steam game collection is about to look decidedly different. Valve has released a Steam update that brings the redesigned Library to everyone, giving you a smarter (and hopefully easier) view of your catalog. There's now a central hub with game news, friend activity, recent games and the Collections you create either by hand or with search criteria. You'll also see Events that showcase ongoing activities in games, such as special multiplayer weekends or new add-ons. Think of it as a way to surface a long-lost favorite or keep in touch with what others are playing.
Steam's new beta takes local multiplayer games online
Valve didn't wait long to give you a chance to play local multiplayer games online. The latest Steam beta client now includes Remote Play Together support that lets friends join in multiplayer experiences that would normally require sitting on the same couch. Only the host needs a copy of the game -- everyone else just needs a controller or (with permission) access to the keyboard or mouse. You can play across computer platforms (a Mac player could join a Windows game, for instance), and voice chat lets you yell at players as if you were there.
Trolls swamp unused Twitch category with pirated shows and porn
Twitch just learned first-hand about the challenges of moderating live video. Trolls have hijacked the site's largely unused category for Valve's Artifact (which previously had few if any streamers) to livestream material that most definitely violated Twitch's terms of service. Motherboard noted that it started out with memes, but on Memorial Day weekend included pirated Game of Thrones episodes, porn and in one case video from the Christchurch mass shooting.
Valve's Index VR headset will ship June 15th
You won't have to wait until May to learn more about Valve's Index VR headset. Valve briefly posted (and promptly removed) unfinished pages for the Index that offer both a clearer look at the headset and reveal a June 15th ship date (Engadget has confirmed this with Valve). While the company didn't provide vivid detail about the headset proper, it showed that the Index would included its own headphones. It also appears that you'll have the option of buying separate base stations and Knuckles motion controllers (now Valve Index Controllers) on top of any potential bundles.
Steam's redesigned library will show what's happening with your games
Steam's ages-old game library screen is getting a much-needed overhaul. Valve has previewed a redesign that keeps the familiar column of games on the left, but shakes up seemingly everything else. You'll see rows for your recently played games and, crucially, game updates -- if there's a new character or an important upgrade, you'll know it right away. Your friends list will also appear directly in the library to help you leap into their multiplayer matches.
Saints Row creative director Jaros leaving Volition for Valve
After ten years at Volition, creative director Steve Jaros announced he's leaving the Saints Row studio to join the team at Valve Software. Jaros, who was at PAX Prime showcasing upcoming Saints Row 4 standalone expansion Gat out of Hell, enthused on Twitter about contributing to Saints Row and his "life changing" time at Volition. He added it was time to move on to "new adventures" at Valve, though he didn't specify what those adventures would entail. In other words, expect the portal gun to get a dubstep attachment soon enough. As for Volition, the Deep Silver studio's working with High Voltage Software to bring Saints Row 4 to PS4 and Xbox One on January 27, 2015, with Gat out of Hell releasing on the same day for last-gen, current-gen and PC. [Image: Deep Silver]
