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Left 4 Dead has gone golden
Today, Valve announced that their highly anticipated cooperative zombie game-o-fun (Left 4 Dead) has gone gold and is being copied to discs as you read this.Its gold status also means that Valve was able to get all their development work done on time and ready for the game's November 18th release. Also, if you haven't already, give the Left 4 Dead demo a download off the Marketplace to get a feel for what the zombie experience is all about.
XBLA in Brief: Portal: Still Alive
This week on XBLA in Brief, we take a look at Portal: Still Alive. Sure, it seems like an easy choice for those wanting to try Portal without paying for The Orange Box. 15 bucks for the original Portal and 14 new challenge maps? Sounds pretty good to us. The only real question is whether or not the 14 additional maps are worth it to Portal fanatics. At a buck a map, we're inclined to say yes. Check out the latest installment of XBLA in Brief to see what's new in Still Alive.[iTunes] Subscribe to X3F TV directly in iTunes.[Zune] Subscribe to the X3F TV directly (Zune Marketplace link coming soon).[RSS] Add the X3F TV feed to your RSS aggregator and have the show delivered automatically.[M4V] Download the M4V directly.
Left 4 Dead pre-orders topping Orange Box
If you've pre-ordered Left 4 Dead -- and we wouldn't blame you -- consider yourself part of a new sales phenomenon. Valve's Doug Lombardi made it known yesterday that Left 4 Dead pre-orders at retail are already outpacing those of The Orange Box during the same time frame by 65%. Said Lombardi, "With just over four weeks until launch, Left 4 Dead is showing every sign of topping The Orange Box on both the PC and Xbox 360, at retail as well as on Steam." The upshot of all this? Evidently people like shooting zombies, and apparently they love shooting them with friends.[Via Joystiq]
Video: Left 4 Dead playable zombie details
GameTrailers has released an extended version of its interview with Chet Faliszek, writer for Left 4 Dead. The interview focuses on the game's playable zombies, who do their best to do in the opposing team of human survivors. Competitive play has players switching between the human survivors and the zombie Infected each round. After each team plays as both sides, the score is tallied based on which team of survivors made it the farthest. Those controlling the Infected will utilze the special abilities of the more unique zombies such as the Smoker, who can reel humans in with a very long tongue. Working together, the Infected can create unique strategies to bring the humans down. An example given in the video is to reel in a player with a Smoker, and then use a Boomer character's vomit to attract more zombies to the area.Oh yeah, did we mention that players controlling a Boomer get to use vomit as a weapon? Yeah, they do.
A Left 4 Dead demo beheaded to 360
Valve's Gabe Newell has confirmed to VideoGamer.com that a Left 4 Dead demo is on its way to the Xbox Live Marketplace. Trust us when we tell you that this is very good news. The demo is set to include single-player and online co-op (!) and will feature "the first part of one of the campaigns," which Newell suggest will "probably" be the Hospital level that has been shown to the press (though the final decision rests with Doug Lombardi). Unfortunately, there is no concrete release date set for the demo just yet. Here's hoping we get it before the game's November 21 release. Sooner would be better than later, because our zombie shooting trigger finger is itchy.[Thanks, Rob] After taking Left 4 Dead for a survival horror test drive during E3 2008, we came away quite impressed! Read our E3 Left 4 Dead impressions to learn why Valve's latest zombie masterpiece will have you screaming with bloody enjoyment.
Age of Conan direct download available on Steam
Age of Conan is now available for purchase and download on Steam, the direct download service run by Half-Life 2 publisher/developer Valve Software. It joins EVE Online in representing the genre in the massive digital store. To celebrate the game's launch, Funcom and Valve are selling the game for 10% off -- at $45 instead of $50. We doubt that $5 are the difference between you buying this game and not, but if you've been planning to do it anyway this is a good way to go. Not only is it cheaper, but Steam will let you download it at any time, so you won't have to worry about losing the discs.Then again, a complete installation of AoC is more than 20 gigabytes. Maybe that's more than you want to download. Up to you![Thanks, Ted!] Having fun in Conan's homeland? Make sure to check out all of our previous Age of Conan coverage, and stick with Massively for more news from the Hyborian Age!
Newell says Wrath will save PC gamers (as if they needed it)
Gabe Newell, co-founder of Valve (bringer of Half-Life 2), says that the PC gaming industry is waiting excitedly for the release of Wrath of the Lich King to rescue its market.But, even though I breathlessly await Wrath, I beg to differ with Mr. Newell's comments. I don't think PC gaming is anywhere close to leaving the building, as some so-called experts in the field would have us believe. (Call me cynical, but I'm guessing a lot of those experts came from console manufacturers or optimistic mobile gaming companies.) The trouble with making these kinds of predictions is that there are currently no completely accurate ways of tracking the success of a game except to take press releases on faith. And in that case, you might as well believe the fox's promise to guard the hen-house. (Did you hear clucking? I thought I heard clucking.) Another problem with estimating market share for various games is that you're comparing Mana to Rage: each company can define "sales" and "subscribers" any way they please, making it nearly impossible to come up with clean comparisons of market share.Blizzard makes approximately $120 million dollars a month. Compare that to Iron Man's opening weekend gross of $109 million. Blizzard beats that number every month, not just with one summer blockbuster per year. Also consider that most PC retailers have devoted entire sections of their hardware floors to gaming PCs. This devotion goes all the way up to the hardware manufacturers themselves. When I worked at Toshiba, we had a product manager whose sole job was to create and improve gaming laptops. (Oh, how I envied that guy!) Yes, Blizzard's release of the Wrath expansion will juice the market, but it's more like an injection of steroids, not administration of last rites.
Team Fortress 2 DLC coming to Xbox 360, maybe not PS3
While PC owners have been gushing over the new Medic achievements and weapons upgrades in Team Fortress 2, patrons of the Xbox 360 or PlayStation 3 Orange Box have gone without any non-technical updates. Valve Software marketing director Doug Lombardi told Shacknews that information on the downloadable content for Xbox 360 is forthcoming."How and when is still sort of being determined, on pricing and that kind of stuff. On the PC it's sort of wide open, you can release stuff whenever you want. On the console there's a little bit more of a pathway," he said, later adding, "Unfortunately I don't know that any of that will make it to the PS3." Valve did not port Orange Box to the PS3 in-house, instead giving it to EA UK – trust us, that's a good story to read up on.%Gallery-20705%
Valve: our downloadable content will be free
When perusing our comment threads, you may see comments from Team Fortress 2 fans that will be opting for the PC version over the 360 version? Why? Lots of free content. Specifically, lots of free user-made content. While it may be some time before user-made content heads to the 360, we are happy to report that any downloadable content for the Orange Box will be free. Eurogamer reports that Valve will not charge for its DLC. According to Team Fortress 2 designer, Robin Walker, "You buy the product, you get the content," who adds, "We make more money because more people buy it, not because we try and nickel-and-dime the same customers." We imagine that someone at EA -- publisher of the Orange Box -- has just imploded. Free content is always good, especially when you consider that TF2 will ship with only 6 maps.[Via Joystiq]
Team Fortress 2 shaping up nicely
Eurogamer got to try their hand at Valve's upcoming Team Fortress 2, and they came away impressed. In particular, Eurogamer notes that the developers of Team Fortress 2 have gone a long way towards solving problems with good art direction. For example, when using a spy to infiltrate the enemy base, you can physically change your appearance to look like any enemy class. Rather than have your own team see an icon over your head representing this, they will see a spy wearing the appropriate mask. This is both visually interesting and solves the problem accordingly.Also mentioned in the preview, each class has several defining characteristics that make them fun to play. For instance, wrench kills with the Engineer give bonuses to build speed, though they also put you in harm's way. Like Snipers? If you stay zoomed in for a few seconds before you make the shot, you cause more damage, but you also risk someone sneaking up on you. Each class has these trade-offs that increase tension and entertainment.Honestly, with the campy art style and seemingly endless variety, Team Fortress 2 just may sway a few players from the juggernaut that is Halo 3. Hit the "read" link for the full preview.[Via Evil Avatar]
Half-Life 2: Episode Two boxes dropping this Fall
It's all a big misunderstanding. When Valve declared that the Half-Life franchise would adopt an episodic distribution model, the world mistakenly assumed that the familiar television format served as the inspiration. However, with the announcement of a Fall 2007 worldwide release for Half-Life 2: Episode Two (previously scheduled for Christmas 2006 and then Summer 2007), Valve has made it abundantly clear that their idea of episodic content is actually based on the Star Wars episodes, which saw six episodes released in the span of about 30 years. Ah, we jest to hide the inherent bitterness left by a further delay to the EA-published Half-Life 2 packages, The Black Box (PC) and The Orange Box (Xbox 360, PS3). Both sets include Episode Two, Portal and Team Fortress 2, while the latter adds a lot of bang for the lowly buck in the form of Episode One and a graphically enhanced Half-Life 2. You know, like the Star Wars special edition trilogy. Remember: Gordon shoots first!
Joystiq gets the dope on 360 Source
Sure, we all know that Valve announced the release of it's 360 Source engine to 360 developers. But that wasn't enough for Joystiq. No, they had to go and ask questions. They needed answers straight from the proverbial horse's mouth. As if they were journalists or something. The short but sweet interview covers the differences between the 360 middleware engine and the free PC version, the ease of cross-platform portability, and integrated networking possibilities (i.e. Live). Check it out if you're so inclined. Anybody have any pet source projects they'd like to bring to the 360?
HL2: Episode Two delayed till 2007
Valve Software has been one of the main proponents in the push for episodic gaming, a fact which quickly comes to mind in light of Half-Life 2: Episode Two getting its own push into the future. Releasing Half-Life 2 expansion episodes in lieu of Half-Life 3 was supposed to curb development time, something which Valve is always struggling to keep on a leash before it wrecks the office and eats all the calendars. Alas, it has run amok once again, causing Episode Two to slip to February 2007. In other words, the release gap between the first and second "episodes" has now grown to 8 months. Valve's Doug Lombardi tells Eurogamer that the delay is simply "classic Valve being overly aggressive on our dates" and that the title will likely end up being a "little longer" than the first title. A further point of consideration is that Episode Two is being developed in conjunction with several other included games (Portal, Team Fortress 2) and console versions. Lombardi also states that the extra games will result in a slightly higher price than that of the single Episode One release ($19.99), with the all-inclusive console releases expected to retail at full price. With any luck, this will be the last delay in store for Valve's upcoming release -- otherwise, we'll have to start questioning just how far the word "episodic" can stretch.
Half-Life 2 confirmed for Xbox 360, PS3
Speaking at EA's annual summer press event, Valve's Gabe Newell revealed that Half-Life 2 would be headed to the Xbox 360 and PS3, bolstered with extra content and presumably, plenty of opportunities to kill people with high velocity toilets. The full console package will be comprised of Half-Life 2, Episode One, Episode Two, Team Fortress 2 (it still exists!) and an entirely new title, Portal. According to Gamespot, Team Fortress 2 now sports a cartoonish art style and a 60's spy feel akin to that of Monolith's No One Lives Forever -- certainly a description you'd never expect to be about a game from Valve. The developer is also trying new things with Portal, which incorporates a rather imaginative gun and encourages you to blast Prey-like portals into floors and walls for all manner of object shifting, puzzle solving hijinx. The console versions of Half-Life 2 (along with all the extra goodies) are expected to launch alongside the PC game's second episodic expansion. Barring unforeseen code thefts and other delays, that means they'll be out by the end of the year. [Thanks Easy_G and icemorebutts!] Previously: Internet survey lists Half-Life 2 for Xbox 360
Half-Life 2: Episodes Two and Three confirmed
As we wait patiently for next week's release of Half-Life 2: Episode One, Valve has confirmed that Episode Two will ship by the end of the year, and will be the subject of a sneak peek included with the first expansion. Meanwhile, Episode Three is already in development and has been confirmed for a late 2007 release. How many of you have purchased SiN Episodes: Emergence, or BioWare's Neverwinter Nights premium modules? What other franchises would you like to see deliver episodic content? See also: HL2: Episode One site is up, with plot details, Half-Life 2 storyline cheat sheet
Valve planning something for Xbox 360...episodic?
Valve announced today development of future game releases for Microsoft's Xbox 360 console, with the first (unnamed) title "coming soon." Valve's Gabe Newell said, "The combination of Source and the 360 provides game designers the chance to create powerful entertainment experiences...Whether developing a traditional FPS, RTS, RPG or delving into new genres, the Xbox 360 is a great platform for expanding Source and our game experiences.”Of course there is no mention of what this mystery title is, as they're undoubtedly saving the big reveal for E3. But what could it be? We know Microsoft is interested in episodic distribution (Peter Moore told me so himself) and that Ritual is interested in bringing their Source-based SiN Episodes to the 360 (they've said so), so it seems a reasonable assumption that Valve could be bringing the episodic efforts of SiN and Half-Life 2 to the 360 platform, with Microsoft making the big announcement at E3. What say you Joystiqers?[Thanks, Nate, Jeremy, and Crimson]
Half-Life 2: Episode Two confirmed by Valve
You didn't think it would end with Aftermath, did you? As a follow-up to Aftermath (now entitled Episode One), Valve has confirmed that Episode Two has been in development for quite some time ("about as long as Episode One," according to IGN). No other details are available right now, but it's safe to say that Episode One/Aftermath (whatever you wish to call it) will not be answering all of the questions left open by the Half-Life 2 ending. According to CVG, who will soon post an interview with Episode One designer Robin Walker, the initial release will offer around 5 hours of gameplay and will give more details as to the G-Man's involvement and the fates of the Breen and the Citadels. [Thanks, Jon D and the "almighty" Ludwig]
Valve does a little two-step
Gamers don't like to be dicked around. When thieves stole the source code for Half-Life 2 a number of fans set out to find those responsible. If the guys in custody are actually guilty then it's fair to say hell hath no fury like a gamer scorned. But perhaps Valve should watch their step, as well. The game company keeps a tight hold on their properties which includes keeping their games out of cybercafes. Turns out a cybercafe that offers Counter-Strike has been informed they are to pay Valve for use of the license. No warning from Valve that the cafe should stop offering the game. No courtesy call. Nothing. You could call that hardball or you could call it thin skin, but it definitely reeks of a bad taste. Is that any way to thank the gaming community?
