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Watch some people who are better than you play TF2 and Counter-Strike today
Another lazy Saturday, another attempt at browsing Netflix (or waiting for your Qwikster DVDs, you neanderthal), more multicolored bowls of Fruity Pebbles. If you want something more exciting than Ip Man and a sugar rush this weekend, check out the Team Fortress 2 and Counter-Strike ESEA Season 9 LAN Finals right here, live from Dallas, Texas. The Finals will crown a champion tomorrow, where all winning teams will get a split of the $67,000 pot. Not too shabby for a well-timed frag.
Valve games show up on Origin [update]
Update: The Valve titles offered by Origin are, in fact, boxed retail copies, rather than downloadable versions as indicated. Seeing as EA has published Valve titles at retail for years, this is less world-shattering than originally thought. As sentient, probably-intelligent creatures, we as humans like to think that we have a pretty good understanding of the world around us. Our belief systems, while dynamic and varied across creed and culture, all provide for an interpretation of the world around us. We build order out of chaos, but despite how solid we think our understanding of the universe is, the impossible can still sometimes be possible. EA's PC gaming distribution service Origin is running a buy-two-get-one-free deal, which defies all logic and human reasoning by including Left 4 Dead GOTY Edition, Left 4 Dead 2, and Counter-Strike: Source among its offerings. This echoes statements made to Eurogamer by EA honcho Jens Uwe earlier this week, who said that EA is in talks with other publishers to release content on Origin. We never doubted that non-EA titles would eventually make their way onto the platform, but we didn't really expect Valve to be first in line, considering that the two companies have a bit of a history. Perhaps Valve is extending an olive branch of sorts? [Thanks, Stefano!] [Image credit: TexHex]
Counter-Strike: Global Offensive coming to XBLA, PSN and Steam early 2012 [update]
Update: Looks like we didn't have to wait too long at all for confirmation of the project: Valve and Seattle-based developer Hidden Path Entertainment just distributed a press release announcing Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, an updated and expanded version of the seminal team-based shooter. Slated for an early 2012 release on XBLA, PSN and Steam, the downloadable title will add "new maps, characters, and weapons," renovated versions of classic maps (what's up, de_dust) and a plethora of new modes, matchmaking options, leaderboards and other modern shooter mainstays. Best of all, it'll be playable later this month at PAX Prime. Check out the full press release after the jump! Original post: A heaping pile of evidence is growing in support of a future installment in the thoroughly-played Counter-Strike universe -- this one subtitled Global Offensive. The most promising tidbit is the Facebook page of anti-cheat gaming community ESEA, which revealed the name of the game, and promised more info later this morning. The post was preceded by an image of ESEA's Craig Levine at the offices of Valve. (You can tell it's legit, because hey, there's a giant valve.) Valve designer Jess Cliffe corroborated the title on the Steam forums, correcting an earlier poster who labeled the game "Global Operation." Also, Electronic Sports League manager Bastian Vieser claimed on Twitter that he "Just spend [sic] all day playing the new Counterstrike Global Offensive" at Valve's HQ. It certainly seems like a real thing -- now there's just the small matter of whether it's a port, expansion or an entirely new game altogether. We've got our freakishly elongated fingers crossed for the latter.
Counter-Strike Source out for Mac
Just in case you missed it yesterday, Counter-Strike is now available ... wait for it ... for the Mac. Yes, possibly the most premiere PC game of all time is now playable (specifically the Source version) natively on the Mac, thanks to Valve's own Steam distribution service. And it's another Steam Play title, which means that if you own it on the PC (which you probably do if you've ever played FPS games in your life), you can download and play it right now on the Mac as well. You can even play cross-platform, so your buddies on the PC can finally let you into their clan -- assuming you're leet enough. Just in case you don't own it, the game is also on sale right now for under $7. I tweeted on our @TUAW account last night that this might be the last big title in the Source library for the Mac (along with Half-Life and Team Fortress 2), but many of our followers correctly pointed out that we haven't seen Left 4 Dead or its sequel released on our platform yet, so stay tuned for that. A few of you also complained that Day of Defeat hadn't been brought over to the Mac yet, and that's true as well, though I wouldn't quite consider that as "canon" as the other games. But whatever floats your boat -- the more games on our platform, the better.
Counter-Strike: Source strikes the Mac, receives update
digg_url = 'http://www.joystiq.com/2010/06/23/counter-strike-source-strikes-the-mac-receives-update/'; Man, have you guys played this game Counter-Strike: Source? Valve just dropped it on Steam for the Mac and it is hot. It's also been updated to accommodate Achievements, stats, engine improvements and even a Death Cam. We've been playing it for a few minutes now, and it really seems like Counter-Strike is going to be something special. What's that? It's been on PC for years now, and the PC version gets all the new enhancements too? You can buy the game once and play it on Mac or PC? It's on sale for a paltry $6.80 in celebration? Huh. Well, can you recommend any good maps? The one we've been playing on is really dusty.
Left 4 Dead co-dev Turtle Rock Studios reanimated
You might remember Turtle Rock Studios for its series of excellent Counter-Strike mods or for its work on Left 4 Dead -- a project the studio started in 2005 and only finished after being acquired and eventually absorbed by Valve. Though a majority of its staff now works for the PC gaming juggernaut, Turtle Rock's original CEO Michael Booth has revived the outfit and has begun to rebuild its team of developers. Though we're as yet unsure what projects Turtle Rock is planning, we wish the team the best of luck. Not just because we've loved its games so far, but because we feel an immediate fondness for game developers named after dungeons from A Link to the Past.
Global Online Games Awards honors multiple MMORPGs
The recently held Global Online Games Awards in Seoul, South Korea, just handed out awards to World of Warcraft, City of Heroes, and EVE Online for excellence in their respective genres. World of Warcraft took the top spot in the roleplaying game category, City of Heroes took the award home for the adventure/action game, and EVE Online found an award in the strategic simulation category.The judges were formed from an international panel of game experts, including Simon Carless from Gamasutra and Game Developer magazine. Each game was rated on scenario/planning (content), graphics, music and sound, included technology, and creativity. Other winning titles included Counter-Strike Source in the first-person shooter category, FIFA '09 in the sports category, and Nexon's KartRider for best racing/casual game.Gamasutra has the whole write-up, so head on over there if you want to check out the full article.
360 gets Source, developers cheer
Valve announced today that it is now offering the 360 optimized version of its Source engine. The Source engine powers Valve's very successful Half-life 2, as well as the upcoming Portal and Team Fortress 2. Gabe Newell, president of Valve, had this to say:"The combination of Source and the Xbox 360 provides game designers throughout the industry the chance to create powerful entertainment experiences. Whether they're pursuing a traditional FPS, RTS, RPG or delving into new genres, Source and the Xbox 360 are designed to offer the flexibility and tools to allow designers to pursue any design imaginable."The availability of this engine to 360 developers means two things. One, developers can make games quickly and more efficiently. Two, Valve will be making oodles of money. At any rate, it looks like the Unreal Engine just got some new competition (maybe more when the Offset Engine shows up). In the end, it's not like it really matters. We just want our Counter-Strike Source, am I right?[Via OpenXBOX360]
