SourceFilmmaker
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First non-game titles now available on Steam, game dev tools lead the charge
Valve Software -- maker of the iconic Half-Life series and proprietor of digital storefront Steam -- today released Steam's first non-video game software (originally scheduled to launch in early September). ArtRage Studio Pro, CameraBag 2, GameMaker: Studio, 3D-Coat, 3DMark Vantage, and 3DMark 11 join Valve's own Source Filmmaker in the newly minted software section of the Steam store. All non-Valve software is PC-only for now -- we imagine Mac software will also show up at some point, but nothing's available just yet. Like Steam's games, software titles will receive streamlined updates via the Steam client, and consumers will enjoy similar discount offers to the games section -- the first such sale is already on, with launch day software getting a 10 percent discount until week's end. Bizarrely, the software titles also have Steam achievements. Finally, developers get rewarded for porting their games to Android by something other than crushing piracy!
Valve reportedly preparing second-generation Source engine, kinda explains the Episode Three delay
ValveTime has dug through the Source Filmmaker code to reveal references to "Source 2," reportedly a next-generation revamp of Valve's famous game engine. Given that the three major consoles are all due a refresh, it's unsurprising to see preparations being made. That said, however, the second (and major) launch title for the original Source was Half Life 2, so we're gonna be getting a complaint letter ready if we don't get some more time with Gordon, Alyx and Dog in a beautifully rendered future dystopia.
Valve Source Filmmaker makes a movie out of any Source game, now you're directing with Portals (video)
Creating machinima with a video game engine usually requires accepting one of two truths: either that it will require a lot of fudging or that it will have all the sophistication of playing with action figures. Valve Software isn't very happy with that dichotomy, which is why it's posting its very own movie-making tool, Source Filmmaker, as a public beta. Any game that runs on the Source engine, whether it's Left 4 Dead 2, Portal 2 or another in the family, can have gameplay run-throughs edited and dissected right down to custom facial expressions. As Valve expounds in the video after the break, throwing a gaming-grade PC at the task gives directors the advantage of seeing exactly how any changes will look in the final scene; there's no rough wireframes or pre-rendering here. Budding Francis Ford Coppolas can sign up for an invitation to the Filmmaker beta at the project page. If you'd just like to see how far someone can go with the end results, we've also included the latest Team Fortress 2 character profile video, Meet the Pyro, after the jump.
