steam
Latest
Valve's Steam service hacked, credit card information obtained
Valve's Steam content distribution system has apparently been hacked. The culprit allegedly got deep enough into the system to steal credit card information and financial information on Valve. DailyTech reports the hacker known as "MaddoxX" broke in and obtained: Screenshots of internal Valve web pages A portion of Valve's Cafe directory Error logs Credit card information of customers Financial information on Valve MaddoxX posted the information he obtained on an anti-Steam website. He has also threatened to release a spreadsheet of the credit card information. We've contacted Valve for a statement on this alleged breach in security. Update: Doug Lombardi, director of marketing for Steam, tells 1UP, "There has been no security breach of Steam ... The alleged hacker gained access to a third-party site that Valve uses to manage the commercial partners in its Cyber Cafe program. This Cyber Cafe billing system is not connected to Steam. We are working with law enforcement agencies on this matter, and encourage anyone with more information to e-mail us at Catch_A_Thief [at] ValveSoftware [dot] com." [Thanks SteveZ]
Steam Walker steampunk walking robot
There's definitely a good deal of steampunk gear out there, but this little dude can also keep you company -- kinda. Steam Walker, a steam-powered walking robot of Japanese origin, looks as if it walked (at an unbearably slow pace) out from the pages of a romanticized steam-bot storybook, complete with a makeshift exoskeletal hot bod and loud-as-all-hell engine. The site doesn't offer up much info, but we can tell you that Steam Walker operates via a series of components including the head as a boiler / combustion chamber, an engine, steam pipe, gear box, and yes, a funny little water-drawing bucket. [Via Boing Boing]Read - Steam WalkerRead - Video of steampunk bot in "action"
Richard Branson touts revolutionary PC game download service
"This is a really exciting development for us, as it gives us the opportunity to do for PC games what iTunes has done for music," says Virgin mega boss, Richard Branson. We've all heard that one before, but Branson promises that his take on digitally distributed PC games will rely on top-notch technology to push it into the mainstream market. MCV reports that Virgin Games and Game Domain International have unveiled plans for a distribution platform called A World of My Own (AWOMO).A woah mow? The service is described as a 3D virtual world (likely the interface) built upon several key features, including quick download speeds -- supposedly you'll get your games in minutes, not hours -- and better security. Branson even goes as far as to say that the proposed technology will "revolutionise how the mass market will play games, and will give them more choice for less money." Koch Media has already pledged its support.Though it will be interesting to see just how the technology gets around download speeds (barring an artificial size limit, as was present in Xbox Live Arcade until a while ago), that factor alone won't be enough to break into a mass market already targeted by the likes of Gametap and Steam. Content is, as always, key. Until Virgin and GDI unveil a library of games and real specifics, their revolutionary proposition remains nebulous at best.
Run WoW, Steam games on Linux
Having a working Linux box is a point of pride for computer hackers everywhere, but when it comes to gaming on a computer, freeware Linux offerings like Tux Racer don't really hold up to Windows favorites like World of Warcraft and Half-Life 2. A new version of Codeweavers' CrossOver Linux solves this problem by letting Linux users easily run some popular games and other Windows applications from a Linux box. Running Windows games on Linux has long been possible with free programs like Wine, but the process of getting your favorite game up and running was not always simple. For $40 ($70 for the professional version), CrossOver Linux promises to let you seamlessly run programs "exactly as you would in Windows, but with the full freedom of Linux." A review on Linux.com confirms that demo versions of World Of Warcraft, Half Life, Heroes of Annihilated Empires, and Medieval II Total War worked in Linux without any problems. Will other games work with the setup? Codeweavers' compatibility list shows most games as untested, but a few big names like Grand Theft Auto: Vice City and Civilization III are confirmed not to work. Knowing the open source movement, though, it's only a matter of time before a new release lets Linux gamers join their Windows brethren in the hallowed halls of gaming nirvana. [Thanks Dolores]
Inventor patents automatic, no-look cooking
In a patent filing that appears to belong to Philips, an inventor is attempting to lock down the secret to no-look cooking, giving hope to clueless culinarians everywhere. The patent focuses on a method for determining the very moment during the cooking process in which the food "has reached a ready state," and seeks to use precise scales in an oven to determine exactly how much water has left the foodstuff and converted into steam in order to determine just how dry, crisp, and / or ready to devour it is. Of course, this fellow isn't the first bloke to iron out the details of automatic cooking, and interestingly enough, it seems this idea itself may have already been in the works, so we'd highly recommend consulting the folks behind Daewoo's autonomous microwave (and the subsequent technology) before boasting too proudly.[Via NewScientistTech]
Steam to be streamlined, offer Guest Passes with new update
Steam's winter update -- due next week -- will roll out a few significant changes for Valve's digital distribution service. At the top of the list are 'Guest Passes,' essentially free trials that Steam game owners can extend to their friends (or strangers). Unfortunately, Guest Passes will be limited to select games, the first being Day of Defeat: Source.The update will also see improvements to the user interface, including a 'Favorites' tab for easy access to your choice games. In addition, support for background client updates will be added. Oh, and now the GUI will be viewable in five different colors! Now that's an update worth mentioning.[Via press release]
Engineuity developing hydrogen-creating, emission free vehicle
Just in case there weren't enough alternate fuel developments going on around the world, it looks like we've got yet another vying for business over in Israel. Engineuity, a company started by Amnon Yogev, has reportedly developed a method for vehicles to "produce their own fuel" using metals such as magnesium and aluminum to create hydrogen and steam. Similar to a solar-powered "zinc-to-hydrogen" approach that gained attention in 2005, this method utilizes a "long metal coil" which would be inserted into a metal-steam combustor that stands to "separate hydrogen out of heated water." After intense heating, the metal atoms would purportedly bond to the oxygen from the water, creating metal oxide; the result would free up hydrogen molecules to be sent to the engine alongside the steam to provide the juice. The firm also insinuates that "refueling" the vehicle would be "remarkably simply," and construction could be completed on current production lines without requiring entirely new infrastructures. According to Yogev, the "running cost of the system should be equal to that of conventional cars today," and hopes to have a full scale prototype ready to rumble in "around three years."[Thanks, Mike]
Defcon dev announces new game: Subversion
Introversion, creator of indie darlings Darwinia and DEFCON, have announced their next project will be called Subversion. Company co-founder Chris Delay made the announcement earlier last week, noting that the project is early in production and the development will be blogged.Understanding that many developers fall into the trap where hype leads to disappointment, Delay assures that he will make no promises as to final features and game play details. As another point, Delay points out that the attached images, including the one to the right, is not a representation of the game and anyone who treats the screenshots as such are mistaken. You've been warned.[Via videogames blogger]
Goldeneye: Source beta released
The 22-man team working to modernize Goldeneye 64 with the Source Engine have given everyone the perfect Christmas gift: a public beta showing off the fruits of their labor. (It's just a step above last year's present, the alpha version.)The mod, which requires a Source-based game to work, has already garnered much attention over the years for the level of detail in its stage design and weaponry. All information, including known bugs, can be found on the developer Wiki. Here are some suggestions, via the mod's main website, on how to stabilize the game: Check for and download latest video card drivers A server with 10 people seems to work better Have the Base SDK installed Download the mod again on another mirror and reinstall the mod. Turn HDR off Turn shadow detail on low A patch is being planned but no date has been determined.[Thanks to everyone who sent this in!]
3D Realms discusses Steam, episodic games
Gamasutra interviews Scott Miller, the head of 3D Realms, about PC game download services, episodic content, and other current industry issues. Miller wants Valve to spin Steam off into its own company, because he wants to work with a download-only service instead of a competitor. He thinks that an independent service will take Steam's place because he -- and we assume other developers -- don't like giving Valve a cut of the profits and a glimpse into private sales numbers.Miller also thinks episodic games could work, but they're not yet succeeding because of delays between releases. He prefers spending the time to ship a single game with an ending instead of three short cliffhanger episodes staggered over a year or two.We think he's spot-on in these assessments. Steam seems to be succeeding because Valve's great games have carried the service. Sure, other developers have signed on -- especially recently -- but Miller makes a simple argument why Valve's company can't dominate the whole download industry.We're also excited about the potential of episodic games, but few have been released on a regular schedule. And even then, how long can gamers wait between episodes? Sam and Max episodes will be released each month -- is that the right length, or still spaced too far apart?
Call of Duty 2, other Activision games on Steam
Just after our keyboards cooled from typing the Psychonauts-on-Steam story, we learned that four Activision titles -- Call of Duty, Call of Duty 2, Call of Duty: United Offensive, and Gun -- are on the way to Valve's game download service. Oh, we'll play your game, Activision/Valve PR, and give you another post now. But you're on thin ice.Despite the PR play, we're interested in a big publisher putting somewhat-recent, top-tier games on Steam. We're not convinced that all games will shift to download-only sales -- brick-and-mortar is still magical to us -- but we expect most games to be offered as a physical/virtual choice. (And we don't think downloading in a physical store is the answer.)However, we expect to save money downloading a game, and these releases will cost about the same as the ones with glossy boxes and printed manuals. Where's the value? We never have to leave home? Call of Duty 2 will be $39.95, and all of the others will cost $19.95. All four will be 10%-off for their initial two weeks, but Valve couldn't tell us the exact launch schedule other than that it will happen this month. Maybe the company is saving the date for another press release.See also:Psychonauts and Valve make steamy, Steam-y loveRoboBlitz hitting SteamEB-Gamestop launches download service, "largely garbage" declares 1UP
The new economics of Counter-Strike
In an effort to ensure a more diverse usage of armaments, Valve is implementing a Dynamic Weapon Pricing system into Counter-Strike: Source. Essentially, all guns are divided into two categories: pistols and everything else. Within each category, data is collected from the servers as to how much money is spent on each gun. Every Monday, the price of guns will be adjusted to correlate with its popularity from the previous week -- the higher its demand, the higher its price.With this system, Counter-Strike users will be able to balance the game through their habits. Players will continue to have a starting bank of $800, but each week will be forced to tweak their strategy in order to accommodate for market trends. The MAC-10, for example, is on a downward trend and the price is falling. As soon as the gun becomes viable for its respective price range, the demand will increase. Eventually, we foresee, an equilibrium will be reached where the change in price from week to week will be marginal.The projected value of each gun and piece of equipment can be tracked on the DWP market page, where Valve has also provided a more in-depth explanation of their price-adjusting algorithm.[Via Pro-G]
Psychonauts and Valve make steamy, Steam-y love
Last night, reading about RoboBlitz coming to Steam, we knew we weren't alone in wondering where our promised Psychonauts was. The BAFTA award winning (congrats, guys!) critics darling may not have been the belle of the retail ball, but she was always beautiful to us ... and now, Steam subscribers everywhere can take her out dancing for the digitally distributed price of $19.99 starting tonight!If you're hearing the sweet, sweet sound of romance in the air, you may wanna turn down the Barry White and listen up, cause Psychonauts developer Tim Schafer has something he wants to say you ... and only you ... in his low, deep, gravelly baritone:"So for the press release. uh. man, it's tough because every single 'steam' related play on words has already been done," said Schafer. "Double Fine and Valve: With a love this hot, you know there's gotta be STEAM! How about that?"Ooooh! We like that, and we know you do as well, dear reader. Just when you thought we'd already beaten that equine to death, sawed its head off, and tucked it gently into Doug Lombardi's comfy bed, here comes the ever dependable Schafer, pitching in with one. final. sawing. thrust! Phew!That's hawt. The comic Psychonauts art director Scott Campbell made commemorating the tryst is even hawter.
RoboBlitz hitting Steam
The proficient program plumbers at Valve have issued a press release announcing the imminent arrival of RoboBlitz on their digital distribution network, Steam. Developed by Naked Sky Entertainment and powered by Unreal Engine 3, the action game is largely comprised of physics, explosions, robots and maladjusted space pirates (it says here). Tian Mu, CEO of Naked Sky, explains that after realizing how hot Steam was, he simply needed to have his game all over it."Steam is an attractive platform for the release of RoboBlitz. We're looking forward to being able to release to Steam's huge PC audience. Additionally, we have long-term plans to expand RoboBlitz with new content. Through Steam, we have a great avenue for delivering the game and updates directly to over 10 million gamers' PCs."RoboBlitz will see release in the "coming weeks," most likely alongside the previously announced Xbox Live Arcade version. The game is priced at $14.99 on Steam -- that roughly translates to 1200 MS Points on the Xbox 360, should the price remain the same on both platforms. Check out the (fairly old) trailer after the break.
Ubisoft shares Dark Messiah of M&M with Steam
Valve has been busy piling up games with hearts of gold in their increasingly popular, and increasingly cramped, Steam bordello. With the recent additions of Introversion's DEFCON and seventeen members of the burgeoning PopCap clan, Steam is really (steaming up/under pressure/on fire). Sure, a little service called Xbox Live ain't doing so poorly, but they're not delivering highly anticipated AAA retail titles yet, so there. Today, Valve announced a deal with Ubisoft to distribute their Source-based, first-person RPG, Dark Messiah of Might and Magic over Steam. More importantly, the release will be simultaneous with the retail release this October. Unlike Half-Life 2, which is distributed digitally over Steam and in stores by EA, Valve does not own this property, they're just the messengers. Ubisoft is acknowledging the demand for digitally distributed AAA content and using the largest platform they can find to promote it. We're still waiting on governement-distributed protein pills and personal submarines, but the third pillar of our future vision is now realized.Check out a video of Dark Messiah, and today's press release, after the break.
Five days of free Red Orchestra: Ostfront 41-45
We figured we'd hold onto this until you could actually get your hands on it ... so now, after 1:00PM PST on Wednesday, August 2nd, you can open up your Steam client, download Red Orchestra: Ostfront 41-45, and play the entire dubya-dubya-aye-aye squad-based multiplayer shooter for five whole days and spend exactly nothing! Idea being, once those five days are up, you're going to have a serious hankering to leave the files on your system and pony up the $24.95 asking price to unlock the thing and keep on playing. Anyone whose been playing this want to offer their feedback to the class?
Geek out with SiN Episodes: Statistics
Poor Ritual, they get out the door with their (admittedly pretty decent) episodic title first, only to get shown up by the superlative Half Life 2: Episode One a short while later. It's a little early to be declaring victors, especially when Ritual and Valve are allies in the fight for episodic content, but if you're eager to compare the two, now you can do so ... empirically.Following the 1.4 patch, SiN Episodes is collecting data automatically (but anonymously of course) so they're able to analyze this stuff and (purportedly) create a better game. So, using the recently released data from SiN Episodes: Emergence and the data released for Valve's HL2:E1, we can determine that, in fact, HL2: E1 is the longer game on average clocking in at 5h 23m versus SiN's 4h 49m. The other metrics don't match up as nicely, but there's plenty to geek out over. Hardest level: se1_highrise03. Killingest weapon: Magnum. You get the idea.
The steam powered internet machine
Ok, so we're not exactly certain how Apple will incorporate this feat into their next batch of "I'm a Mac, and I'm a PC" ads, but running an internet connected iMac off a steam engine is impressive, for lack of better words. Two Brits struggling for an artistic concept to connect the "industrial revolution to the digital revolution" somehow settled on this contraption, and have garnered a good bit of attention. The demand for the spectacle has become so large that the creators, Jeremy Deller and Alan Kane, are touring through Kent and Margate over the next month to show off their machine; it can also be seen at the Turner Contemporary. Be sure to stop by if you can, because who knows when you'll next get to see a steam engine facilitate Engadget access.[Via Guardian]
More maps and modes for your Sin Episodes
Ritual Entertainment is about to release four extra maps and a new gameplay mode for Sin Episodes, at no extra charge for auto-download via Steam (the "no charge" bit will no doubt make many console owners jealous). The four new maps will be dedicated to the new mode called "Arena"--which is a single player experience akin to many games' survival modes--and will be designed around typically generic first person shooter situations like an office, a turbine room and a processing plant. Shawn, the lead game designer of Sin lays it down on his blog; "It's an infinitely repayable single player mode where you continually try and beat your high score". Our translation: "shoot loads of people and then obsess over the number of enemies you shot in the groin".Other bits mentioned on Shawn's blog include a comprehensive stat tracking system, enabling yourself and other players to compare their groinshot score, the mention of the impending release of a Software Development Kit (SDK) and a Sin development Wiki, and absolutely no news about when Episode 2 is going to hit Steam; Shawn got a little excited and forgot to give us any information beyond saying that he'd "be on the look out for some Episode 2 media in the near future" if he was you. We want dates dammit![Via EuroGamer]
Valve gets all Big Brother with HL2:E1 stats
Valve has been using their episodic superstar, Half-Life 2: Episode 1, to pry into the private lives of gamers everywhere. Hey, 19.05% of gamers who played through HL2:E1 on Easy! Yeah, Valve's got your number, n00b. All that 5 hours to beat it stuff? Bzzzt! Looks like most of us (especially the aforementioned 19.05%) are breezing through it in the 3-1/2 to 4-1/2 hour range. (Note: the "Average completion time" is 5 hours exact due to some stragglers beefing that number up ... c'mon, 10 hours?)Actually, according to Valve, "Episode 1 ... includes a reporting mechanism which tells us details about how people are playing the game. We're sharing the data we collect because we think people will find it interesting, and because we expect to spot emergent problems earlier, and ultimately build better products and experiences as a result."Pretty cool stuff that supports one of the foundational tenets of the episodic manifesto: that they're already working on tweaking future episodes based on feedback, both automated and submitted. So, you've already played through Episode 1, what say ye, episodic gamer?[Update: corrected the percentages; apparently, nearly one out of five Episode One'rs did the deed on Easy while 6.69% played through on Hard -- some didn't even know it! Thanks for the numbers, Jon.]
