Left 4 Dead 2
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Valve 'up' on idea of PS3 development, waiting to build talented PS3 team
Valve isn't quite as against the idea of developing games for the PS3 as we previously thought. Speaking to Valve's Doug Lombardi at the Left 4 Dead 2 event in London today (look out for the full interview soon), we discovered that the company is still "up on the idea" of developing for the PS3 -- it's just waiting until it has hired some decent PS3 coders. "If you look at The Orange Box -- PC: 96 on Metacritic, 360: 96 on Metacritic, PS3 like... 84 or something. That's not even close to where we are right now with the 360 and PC and the reason is people."Lombardi went on to say that "we have to get people under our roof who are dedicated, talented PS3 guys and then all bets are off. We can take the same sort of strides and get the quality out of the box and offer the same support post-launch on that platform, as well." Sounds like Valve-developed PS3 games are more a case of "when" than "if," nowadays. When asked whether Valve is actively seeking to hire PS3 developers, he noted that "Valve is always looking to hire people. So yeah, definitely." Are you a dedicated PS3 coder who wants to make Left 4 Dead 3 for the system? You know what to do. We look forward to seeing your handiwork in late 2010.
Left 4 Dead DLC announcement by end of summer
Following up on earlier reports that Valve won't leave Left 4 Dead to die an early death, the company stated today that there should be an L4D DLC announcement before the end of summer. A company spokesperson also told CVG that about eight or nine months from now, when L4D2 has released and people see the continued support for L4D, they may finally understand the method to the madness.We're all eagerly awaiting the epiphany.
August OXM comes with exclusive Left 4 Dead NXE theme
CVG reports that the UK version of Official Xbox Magazine will include a free, premium Left 4 Dead theme in its next issue's disc. We contacted OXM's US offices and have confirmed with Senior Editor Dan Amrich that the theme will also be appearing in same issue of the US publication. The theme, incidentally, was actually crafted by Valve. Amrich also mentioned that the disc will have five Left 4 Dead gamerpics as well. The issue should already be arriving in subscriber mailboxes and will hit newsstands next Tuesday.Oh, and the magazine has info about Left 4 Dead 2 in it too, so that's a plus. If you'd like to pick one up for yourself, keep an eye out for the Left 4 Dead 2 cover, which you can check out after the break.
Uncharted 2 crowned Best of E3 in Game Critics Awards
The winners of the annual Best of E3 Game Critics Awards have been announced, with Uncharted 2 taking home the gold as "Best of Show." Not only that, but the game was also awarded "Best Console Game" and "Best Action/Adventure Game," taking the lead with three wins. Check out the trailer above (yes, again) for a good indication of why Uncharted 2 was handed the grand prize. Meanwhile, Scribblenauts also got the recognition it deserved, coming in second with two awards for "Best Original Game" and "Best Handheld Game." No other games received multiple awards, though Valve recaptured the "Best Online Multiplayer" award with Left 4 Dead 2 a year after its predecessor did the same in 2008. While EA's Brütal Legend is nowhere to be seen in the list of winners, EA did take home more wins than any other publisher (three, if you're curious). And while the PS3-exclusive Uncharted 2 took top honors, from a console perspective the Xbox 360 edged out the PS3 by a single win, at eight versus seven. Check out the full list of winners after the break and, for more granular stats, check out the breakdowns at the Game Critics Awards website.
EA official site lists PS3 version of Left 4 Dead 2
It's no secret that Valve isn't a big fan of the PS3. When the company revealed Left 4 Dead 2 as an Xbox 360/PC exclusive, no one acted surprised. However, PS3 may be getting its own version of the multiplayer FPS if the official EA website is to be believed. Not only is PS3 listed in the "Coming Soon" section of the site, but a quick glance of EA's games page reveals placeholder box art for the game as well. This could be a sign that EA is working on a PS3 port; the company did work on the PS3 version of The Orange Box.Or, it could be a database error. A PS3 version of the original Left 4 Dead was rumored after an accidental listing was placed on retailer HMV's website. That, for those of you keeping track, didn't come to fruition.Update: The EA website has since been updated and no longer includes the PS3 listing. Thanks to everyone who sent in the update![Thanks, Patriot!]
Left 4 Dead 2 cover changed to appease ESRB
Poor Valve, it just can't catch a break. At this year's E3, it revealed what should have been one of the more pleasant surprises of the show in Left 4 Dead 2, only to have a bunch of angry folks cry "boycott." Then, it put out box art for the game, only to have the ESRB flip out over something as silly as two chewed-off fingers.As you can see above, Valve had to dial the gore back, with the two offending fingers now bent back. Oddly enough, there were no issues with the thumb, which makes us think the ESRB is composed of a bunch of Steve Oedekerk haters.
Original Left 4 Dead won't be (left for dead, that is)
Much like the zombies on which it is centered, Left 4 Dead will continue to shamble on even after its premature death. Valve's Gabe Newell told Kotaku that, despite the upcoming release of Left 4 Dead 2, support will continue for the original, including "tools for Mod makers, community matchmaking, 4x4 matchmaking, and more new content during the coming months." Newell continued: "We also agree with our customers that there needs to be an interoperability plan for players of L4D1 and L4D2, as multiplayer games are driven by the cohesiveness of their community."Perhaps more notable than the continued support is the fact that numbering the series makes their names indistinguishable from that of Star Wars droids.
E3 2009 highlights: The Xbox roundup
E3 was brütal! If you blinked, for a split/second, you missed something. Even if you were trine to keep up, it was a blur -- staying a.wake like that, you only pushed yourself to the brink of your own dark void. That's where Joystiq comes in; to crackdown on the madness; to reach out ... with conviction -- phew! Crysis averted. We've scoured the dark corners and survived the inferno to piece together this roundup of all things Xbox at E3. Why? Just 'cause we love you. So, draw nier and shift your eyes past the break.
Left 4 Dead 2 will last 'much longer' as a platform
Left 4 Dead 2 ... already? It's a question that Valve's Chet Faliszek has undoubtedly been answering all day. Wary of the negative connotations that come with annual franchises, Faliszek gave us a candid explanation. Put simply, Valve wasn't entirely satisfied with the original game. "Left 4 Dead 1, like I said, had some of those fundamental things that we wanted to change about it, like the changes to the director, which took really long periods of time and a really long period of testing," he said. "And so, those changes fell in line with the long period of time it takes to create characters and everything else. That's why we're doing Left 4 Dead 2, right?"A more refined game will also set the stage for a longer lifespan, with Faliszek having no qualms calling the EA-published Left 4 Dead 2 a platform, one that Valve sees "lasting for a much longer period of time" via updates and DLC. "We haven't decided anything yet, obviously, but we're looking at it and looking at Left 4 Dead 2 as being that platform to build on." There's a caveat, of course: "I would say definitely there's some stuff I think, like world-wise and location-wise, that we're saying, 'No, this isn't going to fit in this one, let's put this aside and maybe come back and revisit it.'"Valve hopes to produce more incentive for revisiting Left 4 Dead 2, with a new gameplay mode -- in addition to the unrevealed one shipping with the game -- already being considered. "There's a lot of ideas that we can start playing around with. But we first need to get this first layer down and settle it." We'll be settling the score with the zombie menace on November 17th.
Left 4 Dead 2 hands-on 4 you
click for larger horde Honestly, Left 4 Dead 2 took Joystiq by surprise. Everyone at Joystiq HQ had rejected the rumors that were swirling before E3. Left 4 Dead wasn't even a year old, after all -- it was too soon for a sequel. This was especially true given Valve's reputation for supporting games like Team Fortress 2 with seemingly constant updates and upgrades. If anything, we were expecting an expansion for Left 4 Dead, some kind of DLC. Why should we have to buy a brand new game after only a year?Thirty seconds into Left 4 Dead 2, I didn't care anymore. There were zombies to kill.%Gallery-64704%
Peek at Left 4 Dead 2's first poster/level: The Parish
click for zombie-sized Check out the first "poster" artwork for one of Left 4 Dead 2's five levels, titled "The Parish." It's good, fitting nicely into the game's New Orleans setting but ... well, we're not sold on the subtitle. "This time it all goes south"?How about "The Parish: Pray for survival" ... or "The Parish: Kneel and slay"? No? Not working for you? %Gallery-64704%
Kill Southern zombies with four new characters in Left 4 Dead 2
The Left 4 Dead 2 announcement at the Microsoft press conference gobsmacked us this morning (didn't they just release Left 4 Dead like last November? What is this, Madden?), but apparently the sneaky folks at Rock Paper Shotgun weren't surprised: they've already seen the game in action. We're hoping to see it this week ourselves, but until then, here's a few juicy zombie tidbits to hold you over: the game takes place in the Southern United States, and the five campaigns will take you on a Southern odyssey from Savannah to New Orleans. There are four new characters also: a rough high school coach who's used to taking charge, a female cable news reporter, a rustic Southern mechanic type, and a Sawyer-style con man. The characters keep the snappy dialogue, and the campaigns will tell an overarching story as you move through them.
Valve details Left 4 Dead 2: melee combat, AI Director 2.0
In conjunction with the Microsoft press conference unveiling, Valve has provided additional Left 4 Dead details. First, the new melee combat options. We saw the chainsaw teased in the trailer, but players will also be able to wield a frying pan, axe, baseball bat, and additional blunt-force objects. Valve has also detailed the new AI Director 2.0, which will not only affect how many of the undead you'll be tackling at any given time, but will also dictate weather effects, world objects, and pathways provided to the players.Left 4 Dead 2 is scheduled for release on November 17 on Xbox 360 and PC, with new co-op campaigns, Versus campaigns and Survival maps.
Left 4 Dead 2 Nov. 17 on Xbox 360, PC
Too soon? Maybe -- but Microsoft just debuted a Left 4 Dead 2 trailer during its E3 Press Conference. The game is dated for release on November 17 (this year!), exclusively for Xbox 360 and PC. So much for the first game getting many more DLC updates ... So what's new in the sequel? Chainsaws.We expect to see more of Left 4 Dead 2 as the week unfolds. Stay tuned.
