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Voice actor job posting hints at potential Portal 2 details
A Kotaku tipster seems to have stumbled upon a casting call for "a character for a new game in the Portal series from Valve Software" on subscribers-only actors resource Breakdown Express. The posting is loaded with character details for the game's "principal antagonist," including his history, demeanor and general outlook on life. The posting even details how the character's psychology changes as the story progresses, hinting at some intriguing story possibilities for the sequel to our top game of 2007.If you don't mind having such important details spoiled at least seven months before the game is released, follow the read link and, er, read all about it. Or, if you're a voice actor who can handle "dark comedy ... with occasional dramatic moments" starting next month, why not try out for a piece of video game immortality?
Is Facebook gaming 'the next big thing'?
Worlds in Motion recently covered events at the InterPlay Conference in San Francisco. InterPlay is devoted to social gaming, and is billed as 'the premier conference on the business of games on the Social Web.' Among the speakers at InterPlay were Charles Yong and Jing Chen, co-founders of Developer Analytics. The company offers a social networking metrics platform that provides a leaderboard of the top Facebook applications, where casual games predictably rank high. Their talk focused on the monetization of social games and the feasibility of adding greater depth to casual games, an opportunity that's drawing a 'significant surge of venture capital funding,' Worlds in Motion reports.On the topic of generating more revenue from social games, Charles Yong said, "Social gaming is where the really great monetization is at. You can prototype with little to no money down. The whole premise of this is that marketing cost is really, really low, compared to a real game, like Grand Theft Auto IV." Before casual gamers could take offense at this statement, Yong clarified that casual gamers can be hardcore about their chosen style of play, but "they haven't seen GTA IV, they haven't seen Half-Life 2, and real money is coming out of virtual goods and currency."
Individual Orange Box games hit retail April 9
Perhaps you've been burnt by digital distribution in the past, and now refuse to even touch the likes of Steam. Perhaps you found one or more of the games in Valve's critically acclaimed Orange Box to be lacking in a peel. Perhaps you'd like us to stop with the excruciating puns you jerks and report the news already geez.So, have at it: Valve has confirmed to Joystiq that the individually boxed Orange Box PC games are due to hit physical shelves on April 9th. The separate SKUs, which will be available worldwide, consist of first-person puzzler Portal, caricatured multiplayer romp Team Fortress 2, and a crowbar double-whammy in the form of Half-Life 2: Episode One and Two. Valve has yet to officially announce pricing details, but retailers currently list Portal at $19.99 and the other two packages at $29.99 each. Expect more details soon.
Valve likes the look of Wii
Valve's take on the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360? They're not massively keen. But what about the Wii? Nintendo's console is rarely mentioned by Valve bods; indeed, it's fair to say that Valve and Nintendo may not seem like an obvious partnership, given the former's reputation as a developer of PC games (and a damn fine one, at that). Then again, marketing director Doug Lombardi seems to think the Wii might be worth investigating. Doug, we totally agree!Chatting to videogaming247.com, Lombardi revealed that Valve would be more likely to develop for the Wii than either of its more powerful rivals, thanks to the fact that "it's growing, there's already a huge user-base, and it's fun." What's more, Lombardi reckons that getting Source (Valve's proprietary 3D game engine) running on the Wii would be realistic: "Source is really scaleable. We can do that."Oh, man. Half-Life 2 or Portal with the Wiimote, anybody?
Valve: More Portal coming 'for sure'
Though we'd be GlaDOS can be to have another slice of Portal's topsy-turvy displacement gameplay, we'd almost certainly be unsatisfied with a quick 'n dirty content boost to our 2007 game of the year. Thankfully, Valve's Doug Lombardi has told Eurogamer that the developer isn't looking to simply throw a handful of new puzzles at us. "There'll be more Portal, for sure," he said. "But the details of that, to be honest, we're still working out."Also being worked out at Valve headquarters are the continuing adventures of crowbar-wielding physicist, Gordon Freeman, who's due to appear in Half-Life 2: Episode Three. "With Episode Three we want to live up to the promise of where we are taking things to; there's a lot of work being done to make sure we deliver on that promise." If you're dying to learn more about where said things are being taken to, you're going to have wait a bit, "probably months not weeks." And don't even get us started on how long you might have to wait for the actual game.At least you'll have some upcoming Team Fortress 2 content to keep you busy which, as per Valve's desire for all its additional content, will be free.
Valve confirms more Portal to come
It's a good thing too, because most of you would like to see more Portal. Speaking to Eurogamer, Valve spokesperson Doug Lombardi confirmed that there will be more Portal and, furthermore, it won't simply be "a bunch of new puzzles." When exactly we'll see the next installment of Portal remains a mystery. Also a mystery is exactly what form it will take. At this point, it's unclear if Valve intends to create a full blown sequel or if the company plans to stick to an episodic format in the vein of Half-Life 2. Speaking of Half-Life 2, Lombardi notes that Episode 3 details are still a long way away -- "months not weeks," according to Lombardi. Lombardi also reasserts that Valve wants additional content for its games to be free. That's a good to hear with new Team Fortress 2 content in the pipeline.Now that we know there will be more Portal, allow us to create a subtitle for the sequel: The Quest for Cake. What would you call it?
The world's greatest fan-fic: Half-Life: Full Life Consequences
If you've ever needed concrete proof that children are, indeed, our future, look no further than Half-Life: Full Life Consequences, an awesome piece of classic fan fiction written by a nine-year-old and then animated by a group of evil geniuses.By the way, if you need to win an internet argument any time soon, we're willing to bet that "zombie goasts leave this place!" and "BECAUSE YOU ARE A HEADCRAB ZOMBIE" are pretty much going to be the trump card of choice for the foreseeable future.[Thanks, Cavalorn]
Steam's last-minute Christmas sale: 10-50% off everything
Valve's Steam service is having a last-minute holiday sale from today until January 1, with everything on the online store reportedly 10% to 50% off. While all they have to do is make one game 50% and the rest 10% to make that statement valid, there are some good deals going on. Highlights include: Orange Box - $37.45 (25% off) BioShock - $37.45 (25% off) S.T.A.L.K.E.R. - $22.45 (25% off) id Software Super Pack - $52.45 (25% off) Psychonauts - $9.95 (50% off) There are very few hours until Christmas. On this coast, most stores are closing down. Wouldn't be great if you could find the perfect gift for the ones you love? How about a downloadable copy of Psychonauts (no, we don't shut up about this game) for only $10? And while we're at it, you can afford to purchase Rag Doll Kung Fu ($13.45) and Bookworm Adventures ($17.95).
More Half-Life games confirmed; nobody surprised
In perhaps an over-exaggeration of the term "world exclusive", StuffWeLike.com has revealed that Valve intends on continuing the Half-Life series after Half-Life 2: Episode Three. Big news, we know.When Stuff We Like asked Valve's Doug Lombardi about the possibility of a Half-Life 3, he responded that nothing has been announced, but that Half-Life "won't end at Episode Three." Originally, Stuff We Like reported this news as "OMG WORLD EXCLUSIVE HALF-LIFE 3 CONFIRMED" (we're paraphrasing, of course), but has since recanted, admitting that all this means is that the series will not conclude with the third piece of episodic content.We're curious to see whether Valve intends on continuing to release episodes connected to Half-Life 2, or whether they will in fact move forward with a third title in the series (episodic or otherwise). No release date has yet been confirmed for Episode Three.
The Joystiq Weekend: December 15 - 17, 2007
We had two people over the weekend send us pictures of real-life Portal occurrences - a blue portal and Glados, respectively. We want to remind people that the events of Portal were just dramatizations of real-life, and as such, no one should worry about anything out of the ordinary. Thank you and enjoy your cake. Check out the highlights for the weekend:JoystiqueryJapanese hardware sales, Dec. 3 - Dec. 9: Saturday morning shame editionJoystiq hands-on: echochrome (PSN)Joystiq hands-on: God of War: Chains of OlympusJoystiq hands-on: Patapon (PSP)PS Fanboy Week in Review: 12/9 - 12/16Metareview: Unreal Tournament III (PS3, PC)Weekly Webcomic Wrapup gets introspectiveNewsGuitar Hero III gets rock 'n' roll patchStreet Fighter III: Third Strike on GameTap Dec. 20Extended trailers for Final Fantasy XIII and XIII Versus on Japanese DVDPS2 version of Rock Band lacks online play, world tour modeScript for animated Castlevania film nearly completePSP God of War's boosted clock speed comparisonStrange Xbox 360 signal might affect wireless LANsSony CEO expects expansion in PS3 connectivity, PSNMake like Pelé with Wii Fit soccerNew games this week: NiGHTS: Journey of Dreams editionCybernator, Alien Storm, Monster Lair coming to Virtual Console todayCastle of Shikigami III shoots up Wii next springBBFC seeks to keep Manhunt 2 bannedTake-Two opens 2K Marin, former BioShock devs reportedly on staffPS3 firmware 2.10 coming tomorrow, features DivX supportCrisis Core coming to the U.S. March 25Resident Evil: Degeneration trailerThis Wednesday: Sensible World of Soccer, Tempest come to XBLANew Bionic Commando trailer whips it, whips it goodS.T.A.L.K.E.R. creators 'seriously considering' a MMOGTretton: 'Not appropriate' for publishers to suggest hardware price cutsHuxley returns from the abyss with videoRock Band devs answer for niggling problemsSex Worker Alliance: GTA normalizes violence against sex workersBioShock kindly receives AP's game of the year awardHalo 3 bought by 52% of US Xbox 360 ownersMercury Meltdown pub expands, promises new next-gen IPRumors & SpeculationRumor: Killzone 2 and LittleBigPlanet coming Fall 2008Culture & CommunityFSU student receives misdemeanor charges after making threats on Xbox Live A very Jenga-esque Crysis physics demonstrationWoW Insider interviews Ed Fries on avatar figurinesRock Band bar night in Manhattan tonightLooking back at the PlayStation 2 in 2007Just saw a wooden SNES
Today's most comparative video: Orange Box PS3 vs. Xbox 360
Curious how the two Orange Box versions stack up? GameVideos have put the PS3 and Xbox 360 next to each other side-by-side - literally, it's a pretty impressive split-screen effort - of Portal and Half-Life 2. In fact, the visuals look very similar.The major difference, where one might consider the PS3 version "downright unplayable," is the load times. For video HL2, the loading difference shown is not as great, but Portal's comparative load time shown is rather drastic. See for yourself after the break.
The Orange Box: video side by side [Update]
You've heard the reports that The Orange Box may be downright unplayable on the PS3. Is that true? Well, this well-made comparison video from the 1UP team should clarify a few things. Pay attention, as they highlight the differences between the Xbox 360 and PS3 versions of Valve's critically acclaimed shooter.We recommend downloading the HD version to really appreciate the differences. While it's true the PS3 version is more sluggish, especially around water -- is it unplayable? That's for you to decide. If the PS3 is the only system you have, hopefully this won't deter you from experiencing one of the best games of the year.Update: Portal has been added, after the break. Chances are, you won't notice a difference between the two versions in this video.
PS3 version of Orange Box might be 'downright unplayable'
We feel for you, PlayStation 3 owners. We really do. No, we're not knocking the scrappy, gargantuan console - we literally feel bad about the system's history with game delays. Not just delays on PS3 exclusives, like MGS4, Haze and Home, but the games that other platforms have been enjoying the company of for a while. When we PC and 360 owners sit down to enjoy the frivolous exploits of Gordon Freeman in The Orange Box, we feel pangs of guilt for enjoying the bounties which you have not yet received, like we're eating a 40 oz. rib-eye in the middle of a welfare soup line.To add insult to injury, and then to pour a salt and lemon juice cocktail into said injury, the PS3 version of Orange Box has received the developmental shaft, according to a recent preview on 1UP. While the PC and 360 versions of the game were largely managed by Valve, the PS3 version was apparently the responsibility of a team at EA. This has led to a number of framerate hiccups and other technical issues which "at best merely hinder game play and at worst make the experience downright unplayable." Gabe Newell, Valve's co-founder, has never been a huge fan of the PS3, calling the system "a waste of everybody's time." Let's hope that the issues facing Orange Box are just small oversights, and not the results of a software tycoon's maniacal personal vendetta. (We think it's the first one, for what it's worth.)[Via NextGen]
PS3 Orange Box: the slideshow version
It appears that, for some reason or another, the PS3 offering of Half-Life 2: Orange Box might not be up to par with that of its PC and Xbox 360 counterparts, according to 1UP. After previewing the near final build of the game, they were met with framerate inconsistencies during the Half-Life series that made the game look more like a "slideshow" and thusly rendered it nearly unplayable.However, Portal perfectly played fine, but they weren't able to play much of Team Fortress 2 because of server connection issues.At this point, you're probably wondering what the deal is and why can't such a great development company like Valve get one of their shining jewels up to snuff, right? Well, one reason is probably because Valve isn't behind the PS3 port like it was for the other versions. Yeah, we're being serious. An unspecified internal EA development team is responsible for the PS3 version. With a Dec. 11 release date, we suppose there is still time for this issue to be rectified, but how many time have we, as gamers, told ourselves that in hope of getting a decent game? Probably way too many.[Thanks for the tip, Conor!]
Readers pick best webcomic: parental guidance is advised
By quite a large margin, Scott Ramsoomair's VG Cats took the top spot in the webcomic wrapup this week -- but is it a love for Valve's amazing game Portal or a fascination with endangered infants that drove our readers en masse to vote?Second and third place go to Penny Arcade and 2P Start, respectively. Thanks to everyone who voted; be sure to let us know of any game-related webcomics you stumble upon this week!
Half-Life in 60 seconds by cheeky Germans
Are you the type of person that could care less about narrative? Did you skip Half-Life, pick up The Orange Box, skip Half-Life 2, and go straight for the episodes? Still want to know what happened in the non-episodic games? If so, and you just can't be bothered to go and actually play them, above we have a 60-second version of everything you need to know about the series.Created by Simon Krãtschmer and Jakob Rompkowski, the little vignette seems to sum up Half-Life quite nicely. We know it's really nothing special, but the sprinkles of German are what really make it pop. We actually wouldn't mind seeing more by Krãtschmer and Rompkowski in the future -- plus, those two names strung together sound cool.
Hellgate: London demo impressions
I spent a little time today to download and look at the Hellgate: London demo. Now, bearing in mind that I don't have what anyone might reasonably describe as 'reflexes' and my hardware can only aspire to being as good as lousy compared to the rigs around these days (that Radeon 9200SE has got to go). If you don't want to flip below the fold, and just want the short form, it rocked. Download the demo, run through it, get your credit-card out and preorder. Longer impressions after the jump. %Gallery-9112%
The Joystiq Weekend: October 13 - 15, 2007
Congratulations to Valve on finally getting some cake to eat. Perhaps it had miniature figurines of the Weighted Companion Cube and Big Daddy on top (getting married - okay, we're taking it too far now). Check out the highlights for this weekend:JoystiqueryJapanese hardware sales, Oct. 1 - Oct. 7: Best served cold editionJoystiq hands-on: Advance Wars: Days of Ruin (DS)Joystiq hands-on: Link's Crossbow Training (Wii)Joystiq hands-on: Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games (Wii/DS)Joystiq hands-on: Master of Illusion (DS)Last week in Warcraft: October 6th - Oct 12thPS Fanboy Week in Review: 10/8 - 10/14Second Life Insider Weekly RoundupToday's most horrific video: Final Fantasy Cosplay Lip-synchingToday's most vertigo-inducing video: Portal Lvl. 13 Time ChallengeWeekly Webcomic Wrapup: Stink-O Man editionNewsNew games this week: Tony Hawk's Proving Ground editionMetal Marines, Ninja Gaiden II, Gate of Thunder on Virtual ConsoleRock Band in bundle only until 2008Wii Intercooler blows hot airWright rocks the Enterprise in Spore videoXbox 360 Arcade unboxed (and still unannounced)Lil' Reggie digs Super Mario Galaxy in new trailerThis Wednesday: E4, Speedball II, and discounted LuminesWill Wright honored with BAFTA FellowshipNintendo market cap at $85bln, "almost double" Sony'sNintendo's Kaplan says 'Gamers were bored before Wii'PSN EULA update not affiliated with firmware upgradeMetal Gear Solid 4 has over 200 developersCall of Duty 4 playable at Gamestop this WednesdayKingdom Under Fire: Circle of Doom dated ('08 for most)Capcom reveals Bionic Commando for PS3, Xbox 360, PCRumors & SpeculationRumor: 360's next big thing is Perfect Dark 2Pachter says Xbox 360 will beat Wii in SeptemberAnother analyst: Wii will beat the other things this holidayCulture & CommunityWii vs. Vii: Sincere flatteriiHaloid creator mashes up Final Fantasy and Dead or AliveSony unveils the chocolate PS3
The Joystiq Weekend: October 6 - 8, 2007
For Halloween, Valve forum poster janvitos is going as the Heavy Weapons guy from Team Fortress 2 -- and judging by the pictures, he couldn't be happier! According to the post, he's got friends working on Pyro, Scout and Engineer (hopefully with a turret). Help us keep track of the other costume pictures he posts, and check out the highlights for the weekend:JoystiqueryJoystiq hands-on: Crysis (PC)Joystiq hands-on: Medal of Honor Heroes 2Joystiq interview: Spider-Man: Friend or Foe producer Jamie BafusJoystiq Podcast Roundtable: Bungie jumpsJoyswag: Win a brand-new Darth Vader PSP-2000 (Day 1)New games this week: Orange Box editionPodcast Rodeo for Oct. 7: EarheadPS Fanboy Week in Review: 10/1 - 10/7Today's resold meme video: WoW Toyota commercialToday's shredingest video: Guitar Hero III victorWeekly Webcomic Wrapup: ninja, pirate scenario editionWhy the PS3's lack of backwards compatibility is upsetting NewsWriter drops details about Gears of War movieHalf-Life 2 on the Mac? Give Valve one million dollars!Puzzle Quest this Wednesday on XBLATurbine gets new CEO, but what happened to the old one?Insomniac 'flattered' by Mario Galaxy conceptChurch of England offended by Resistance BAFTA nominationManhunt 2 still not OK for UK, says British ratings boardNeo Geo games arrive on Virtual Console todaySimpsons, Conan on Xbox Live Monday, Monday, MondayNew Xbox 360 bundles arriving end OctoberSpeedball II on XBLA next weekAssassin's Creed comic provides more questions, few answersNew Wii UPC linked to Play N' Learn productSCEE: No plans to offer PS2 backwards compatibility later as DLC for 40GB PS3Too Human clip gives us best idea of game in yearsRockstar to appeal second British Manhunt 2 banOrange Box unlocking 'just after' midnight WednesdayThis Wednesday: Puzzle Quest and Toyota advergame hit XBLAAtari board axed, CEO believes Atari name means something goodUbisoft looking for Jam Sessions musiciansNintendo dethrones EA from Game Developer's 'top publishers' listViva Piñata toys are latest spawn from Microsoft, BK love inTori-Emaki: Better known as 'that Okami-lookin' PS3 screensaver'Everquest movie moving forward (directly to video we presume)Rumors & SpeculationRumor: 40GB PS3 releases in US on Nov. 2 -- same issues as Euro modelCulture & CommunityRed vs. Blue crew discusses their roles in Halo 3Religion of Halo helps churches find young congregantsWii tops Amazon wedding gift registryFrag Dolls, Seagate collaborate for game competitions, mall tourXbox 360 gets left on stove, melts, still worksWorld's oldest Halo 3 player found[Thanks, Einhanderkiller]
CrossOver 6.2 supports Team Fortress 2
The latest version of CrossOver, Codeweavers' Mac and Linux application designed to get Windows games and applications working on those systems, has been released. CrossOver 6.2, now available, features a number of different updates both to increase compatibility and to make Windows applications run faster than ever.And first among these updates is the fact that it will now run Team Fortress 2 right out of Valve's new Orange Box, as seen in the video above (caution: awkward narrative and bad acting ahead-- skip to about 2:09 to see the actual product). They're also saying it features improvements when working with Outlook, and, in the strangest feature description ever, they say it really will work much faster-- when you install Leopard.CrossOver is available as a free trial on their website, and to promote the new release, you can get it for 10% off when you enter "zomg" as a special deal in the shopping cart. Has anyone tried running TF2 in Boot Camp yet? If that doesn't work so well, and you've really got to play Valve's new game, CrossOver might be the way to go.[via IMG]
