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Steam Greenlight adds non-gaming category for your consideration
Indie game makers have been lobbing titles over Gabe Newell's fence for a short while, but now his company is inviting everyone else to join in as well. Valve has widened Steam Greenlight's crowdsourced approval process to include non-gaming software, with the community voting the most popular and useful apps onto Steam's virtual shelves. We're thinking of submitting a program ourselves, that calculates the time required for three quantities of a decaying substance to fall to half their value, just so we can see everyone's faces when Half-Life Three appears on the list.
Your Portal gun isn't as cool as Hack-a-Day's Portal gun (which actually levitates a companion cube)
There you were, thinking your NECA-produced Portal gun replica was super neat all on its own. Well, okay -- it is -- but wouldn't it be even cooler if you could use it to make a baby companion cube levitate in mid-air with it? That question is exactly what lead to Hack a Day's creation of just such a device, as seen in the video below the break. By reappropriating a magnetic floating globe's parts and attaching said parts to both the gun and a homemade companion cube, Hack a Day were able to recreate at least part of the magic Chell experiences in her Aperture Science adventures. Of course, if you move the gun too much, the companion cube will fall out. Just think what that does to its psyche! You monster. [Image credit: Caleb Kraft, Hack a Day]
Valve is ready for you to test its hardware prototypes, has a handy survey
In what is assuredly the inauspicious beginnings of an alternate reality Aperture Science, Valve Software is asking interested parties to take a brief survey which may result in being the first people outside of the company to get hands-on time with Valve's hardware prototypes. Additionally, participants will get a chance to playtest "both released and unreleased versions of our games." Putting the two together, it sounds an awful lot like you'll be trying existing Valve games with new means of input. For now, Valve's only seeking folks in the Seattle/Bellevue, Washington region of the US, but that may expand remotely "in the future." Perhaps in an upcoming hardware beta? We can't be sure! It's unclear when the survey sign-up period will end, but we've asked Valve for more info. Let's just say we'd suggest not putting it off. Click here to take the survey.
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!
Left 4 Dead series sells more than 12 million
The Left 4 Dead series has sold more than 12 million copies, Valve writer Chet Faliszek noted in an interview with VG24/7. Faliszek talked about the company's approach to promoting its games, saying Valve doesn't rely much on marketing because "when a game does really well at pre-release, they're going to know that you're not just talking a bunch of PR crap.""We just let the game speak for itself because the internet has made this thing where you can't pull the wool over people's eyes any more. They're going to know you're hyping," he said. Either the zombie apocalypse creates some high-quality wool, or Left 4 Dead must be a pretty great series.
Counter-Strike Global Offensive getting 'major update' Monday
Counter-Strike: Global Offensive will receive a sizable update on Monday, according to a recent developer blog. The update will include a revised matchmaking system for Classic Competitive mode and number of bug fixes.Valve will also release two new maps for the game with the update: Monastery and Vertigo, the latter seen in the above image recently tweeted by the Counter-Strike team. Valve has not specified which platforms the update pertains to, but we're guessing the Steam version is on that list.
Rumor: Nexon and NCsoft eye Valve buyout
A South Korean newspaper is reporting that MMO companies Nexon and NCsoft are joining forces to consider buying Valve. The two companies have been gathering together funds via stock sales and real estate deals. A meeting between the three companies supposedly happened in Hawaii on September 26th to haggle on a $893 million-plus deal. The three companies are already entangled in various business dealings. Nexon is NCsoft's biggest shareholder, and both companies have titles represented on Valve's Steam service. Additionally, Nexon licenses Counterstrike in Asia and announced that Counterstrike 2 was on the way. NCsoft said that "there is no truth to this rumor" while Nexon refused to comment. Valve has been the subject of other attempted buyouts, including a reportedly $1 billion-plus deal from EA. Valve CEO Gabe Newell has gone on record saying that it would be more likely for Valve to disband than the company selling out.
Left 4 Dead 2 almost got 'Cabin in the Woods' DLC
The Cabin in the Woods, the brilliant kitsch horror film from director Drew Goddard, features a lineup of classic horror monsters, hidden in the background or dismembering members in the fore. One scene even shows a glimpse of infected from Left 4 Dead, and in a Reddit AmA Goddard says this isn't an accident.Read on for The Cabin in the Woods spoilers:"We actually were going to do a downloadable L4D2 expansion pack, where you'd fight in the Cabin world, but then MGM went bankrupt so the delay squashed it," Goddard writes. "But the people at Valve were still cool enough to let us use some of their monsters to fill the cubes in the background (I had a lot of cubes to fill)."The Left 4 Dead zombies populate some of the monster holding cells shown as the elevator descends into the bowels of the facility. Goddard was excited for the tie-in DLC and is upset it never happened."By the way – the game was gonna be amazing. You were gonna be able to play in both the upstairs Cabin in the Woods world and the downstairs "facility" world with all the monsters. Believe me, I HATE all video games based on movies, they always suck, but porting Cabin into Left For Dead felt like the right fit. It pains me that it didn't happen."Us too, Goddard. Us too.
Steam Workshop support coming to Left 4 Dead 2
Left 4 Dead 2 will receive Steam Workshop support starting in the middle of October, according to a recent developer blog. The system will allow players to rate and install community-created add-ons, including new maps, weapons, items and mutations thanks to an "expanded scripting tool."Steam Workshop will roll out for PC, Mac and Linux versions of Left 4 Dead 2 next month, though no specific release schedule has been announced yet by Valve.
Steam Greenlight approving ten new games on Oct. 15
Valve will add at least ten more games to the "Greenlit" section of Steam Greenlight on October 15, according to a community update issued today. Ten games were already picked by the community for distribution on the Steam platform earlier this week. Additionally, Valve has improved conversation sections and tweaked the ranking system for the service, allowing developers to see their numerical ranking and progress to being approved.According to a tweet by indie dev Going Loud Studios, DLC Quest is currently ranked at #18 on Steam Greenlight, though voters aren't able to view games by their rankings.
Valve's first hardware beta starting by next year, wearable computing still far off
Valve Software's hardware division is still in its infancy. Despite having existed for over a year, recruitment is still its primary concern -- "prototyping is almost secondary," longtime inventor/hacker/now Valve employee Jeri Ellsworth told us in an interview this week. As the team ramps up, production becomes more and more prolific, of course; Ellsworth lights up when she talks about the work her team is doing now. She gets verbose when asked about corporate culture at Valve, about how she's never worked at a company where risk and failure are so acceptable -- even encouraged. She's visibly excited about the prototypes she's creating at Valve's new prototyping facility, but manages to contain herself enough to not let slip exactly what her and her team are working on. When asked what the team's immediate goals are, she obliquely states, "To make Steam games more fun to play in your living room." That's the team's one-year goal, at least. The challenge is making games that require a mouse and keyboard palatable to people who are used to a controller, or to people who just don't want to migrate PC controls to the comfort of their living room. Working in tandem with Steam's newly beta'd "Big Picture Mode," Ellsworth's team is creating a hardware solution to the control barriers found in many Steam games. She wouldn't give any hints as to what that solution is exactly, but she left no options off the table -- from Phantom Lapboard-esque solutions to hybrid controllers. Regardless, it sounds like gamers will have a chance to give feedback on those designs, as Valve's hardware team is planning a beta for its various products. Ellsworth is hoping to have one for the team's first product in the coming year -- we'll of course know much more about the product by then, she says. Internal beta tests are already underway, and a variety of the team's prototypes are available in the office for other Valve employees to tool around with. The next step is getting prototypes into gamers hands -- she says Valve already has a production line for short runs, making a beta possible -- and iterating on design before launch. As for how the beta will be handled, she posits it'll be tied to Steam in some way, but no logistics are anywhere near nailed down.
Valve taunts us with prospect of official Portal 2 sentry turret replica (video)
A Holy Grail of gamer memorabilia is the Portal turret replica -- as much a tech toy as proof that you can sing "Want You Gone" from memory. It's already been coveted when made in small batches by fans, so you can imagine the hysteria when Valve Software itself posts a teaser video (found after the break) at its store's Facebook page showing what looks to be a near life-size, computer-linked version of Aperture Science's typical sentry from Portal 2, minus the laser targeting and live machine guns. After that, however, we're left to guess whether or not it's just a decoration for Valve's offices or a commercial product to buy alongside a Companion Cube plushie. We've asked Valve about providing more details in the near future and will let you know if the developer is any more talkative than its robot guards.
Steam Big Picture beta hands-on
Been keeping up with Steam's Big Picture interface? Then you probably know it's already in beta. The 10-foot UI hopes to help Valve's content distribution portal get comfortable in front of your couch, offering gamers access to their favorite PC titles from a gamepad-friendly interface. We piped the beta out to our own living room to take a look, and weren't surprised to find a sleek attractive UI with a heap of polish. That said, we were glad we didn't leave our mouse and keyboard at the office.
Valve launching Steam Big Picture Mode later today, look at its snappy UI right now (update: it's live!)
As rumored, Valve's bringing its digital distribution gaming portal to televisions today with Steam "Big Picture Mode." Kotaku confirms the news this morning that the TV-friendly version of Steam will launch "later today," alongside a slurry of screenshots and impressions. Beyond what we already know about the service -- it's the full Steam we already know and love, albeit with controller-based input -- a variety of new details abound. A built-in web browser, for one, and a new form of text input for controllers which seems to massively trump the usually QWERTY setup. The entire store is apparently navigable via controller (though mouse and keyboard still work, if that's your kinda thing), and you can even prioritize games based on what's workable with a gamepad. Does this mean that the long-rumored "Steambox" is headed to living rooms soon? Not so fast, says Valve. "We really don't have a road map. And we think we're going to learn a tremendous amount through this first release." Big Picture Mode's beta is PC-only for now, but a Mac version is promised as coming "soon." Update: Users can now opt-in to test the mode and download a beta version of Steam. Hit the second source link below to get started. [Thanks, Yannick]
NYT: Steam's Big Picture public beta begins Monday
Can't wait to use Steam's forthcoming Big Picture mode to game from the comfort of your couch? Well, you're in luck, because it might be ready for a test drive tomorrow. According to The New York Times, the living room-friendly user interface is getting the public beta treatment starting Monday. Gabe Newell let loose last month that both the TV-geared view and Steam for Linux betas would be "out there fairly quickly," but there's still no word on when the Ubuntu-bound preview will land. In the meantime, we'll keep busy by gawking at Valve's augmented reality headset, which the NYT got a glimpse of during a trip to the firm's headquarters, at the source link below.
New York Times: Steam Big Picture public beta starts Monday
Last August, we found out that Steam's Big Picture interface would be moving into its beta phase "soon," but we never expected it would be, like, soon. It is Valve after all, and we never figured that Big Picture's public beta would happen in our lifetimes, let alone on Monday, September 10, like the New York Times says.For those of you who haven't been following this song's bouncing ball, allow us to refresh your memory: Steam's Big Picture interface is a custom UI designed specifically to make Valve's all-encompassing digital storefront more user-friendly on televisions. It's being designed with controller-based navigation in mind and would represent Valve's first formal step into the living room. Whether Monday's testing is truly public or invitation based like its Community beta remains to be seen.
Valve launches Steam Greenlight to pick cream of indie game crop
Steam has developed a reputation as a haven for indie games like Super Meat Boy, so it's only fitting that store owner Valve has just launched a section to welcome more of those games into its tent. Greenlight lets small developers submit titles and have gamers vote as to whether or not the candidates should get space on Steam's virtual shelf. Pickier players don't have to see every game in contention; they can filter the list down to specific game types and platforms, and collections can narrow the selection to categories hand-picked by fans or publishers. No games have cleared Greenlight just yet, but it won't be long before the logjam becomes a flood -- between this and general apps, Steam is about to get a lot more crowded.
Valve's film project is a DOTA 2 documentary
During tonight's Valve-centric episode of GTTV, head honcho Gabe Newell revealed information on an upcoming documentary that Valve is producing. This documentary will focus on Dota 2 and several players on the pro circuit as they attempt to win The International tournament going on later this month during PAX Prime.The teaser trailer above focuses on three different individuals from different parts of the world, and not only what it takes for them to pursue excellence in competition, but also their families and how they're dealing with it all.
Steam 'Big Picture' beta coming soon
On tonight's episode of GTTV, Valve's Gabe Newell revealed that a beta for Big Picture mode would launch "soon." Big Picture mode, first announced in early 2011, will allow gamers to hook up their PC or Mac to their living room television – well, okay, it doesn't have to be in your living room, just wherever you've got a TV. Valve aims to offer "simple, easy-to-read navigation designed specifically for TV" and controller support with Big Picture mode.Tonight's episode of GTTV isn't available online yet (it's still technically on Spike TV on the east coast, if you want to catch the last few minutes) so we're going off host Geoff Keighley's Twitter account right now. We'll be sure to update as more information is made available. In the meanwhile, go grab a rag and dust off that moldy old television set!
'Half-Life 3' pops up on Gamescom product listing
Is Valve showing Half-Life 3 at Gamescom 2012? One product list from the event's official page certainly thinks so, but ... well, come on now. We've been hearing about (or, rather, not hearing about) Half-Life 3 in some form or another for a few years now, all the while Valve Software stayed silent. As it stands, we're not sure what to make of this, but its place on an official product list from the gigantic gaming convention we're at makes it pretty hard to ignore.Has the official Gamescom site been hacked, and a fake PDF uploaded? We sure hope not, but boy are we wary of anything Half-Life 3.Also of note, Dragon Age 3 appears on the list, as do lots of other (known) titles. We've reached out to both Valve and the Gamescom folks to see what's up, and we'll let you know as soon as we hear more.Update: Valve's VP of marketing Doug Lombardi told Lambda Generation in July, "We will have the Steam team there to meet with developers and publishers. No game showing planned." Sorry, folks! We'll be sure to take a look around Valve's booth as soon as Gamescom opens officially tomorrow.Update 2: Gamescom organizers characterized the listings for both Half-Life 3 and Dragon Age 3 as "a mistake," but wouldn't explain to Eurogamer why the listings appeared. The plot thickens!Update 3: Valve rep Doug Lombardi reconfirmed with us that, "We are not showing any games in Cologne this year." Welp, that's that, folks. Unless it's not, of course.Update 4: Gamescom's organizers tell us, "We can not officially announce it. Please check our list for further changes. Please see the legend for information about the sources."[Thanks Roelosaurus]
