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Team Fortress 2 may unite 360 and PC gamers
In an interview with IGN, Valve's own Doug Lombardi and Robin Walker talk specifics about that Orange Box game Team Fortress 2. The interview shines new light on how gameplay works, graphics changes, and delves into Valve's experience on gaming consoles. When talking about console coding, Walker says that "we did the Xbox port of Half-Life internally, and we did that because we wanted to have the expertise from doing that" and says "the same guys that did that are working on TF2". With all the Xbox coding experience under their belts they also revealed that the team's work on cross platform play has been implemented into the game. Right now, TF2 allows Xbox 360 and PC gamers to duke it out and is running swimmingly, but hasn't been officially confirmed because it still may be pulled before release. We'll just have to wait until this Fall to see if TF2 can live up to its older bro and also include some cross platform play.
Team Fortress 2 has a lot of class(es)
Game Informer recently got some hands on time with the upcoming Team Fortress 2, a new twist on a classic game, set to be included in the Half-Life 2 Orange Box along with Portal. Team Fortress 2 will include multiple player classes, ranging from the sneaky spy to the more-bullets-than-brains heavy weapons guy, and it looks like each class will actually play very differently. For instance, the Pryo, with his short range flame thrower, is perfect for tight quarters. The super speedy Scout, on the other hand, is the best choice for lightning fast recon and flag captures. Team Fortress 2 features several game types involving territorial control and, of course, capture the flag. On a slightly disappointing note, the game is set to ship with only 6 different maps. Also worth noting, only one map is set up for capture the flag at this point. Of course, this could change with the release of downloadable content, but it's still disappointing. All in all, the game looks like a great deal of fun. What's more, with so many character classes from which to choose, anyone should be able to find a niche that's actually fun to play (yes, even the Medic). Hit the "read" link to check out the full preview, including a breakdown of every character class and their respective loadouts.
Possibility of some Valve action on the Wii
Looks like the folks at Valve are a little late to the Wii party. We can forgive them; after all, they've been busy crafting some of the best games ever. But in this new interview with GameTrailers, Valve's Director of Marketing, Doug Lombardi admits that they didn't really get the console's potential. "I'm just going to be blunt with you -- we missed the Wii," he said. Well, at least he's honest. While Lombardi said they have no plans at the moment to develop anything for the Wii, he did add that he "wouldn't be surprised" if someone came up with an idea they just had to pursue. Well. At least now we have a candidate for today's most vaguely optimistic news award.He did assure us that they are all "super big fans" of Nintendo over there at Valve. We're certainly reassured. Now get in the studio and build us some games! We've included the video after the jump, though the Wii-relevant information is all the way at the end.
Valve interview from GameTrailers
GameTrailers has posted an interview with Valve's Doug Lombardi discussing the upcoming Orange Box for Xbox 360. The Orange Box, for those who don't know, contains Half-life 2, HL2 episode 1 and 2, Team Fortress 2, and Portal. Lombardi talks about the revisions to the source engine since Half-Life 2 first launched and what is possible with multiple core processors. He discusses some of Gabe Newell's comments about the PS3 and Valve's current opinion of the Wii as well. Also, sprinkled throughout the video are some very pretty snippets of the games included in the Orange Box. For fans of Half-Life, it's definitely worth a look. Give it a watch and tell us what you think.
Valve questions Microsoft's PC gaming initiative
Valve marketing manager Doug Lombardi has questioned Microsoft's new commitment to PC gaming during a recent interview with GamesIndustry.biz. "Right now it seems like [Games for Windows is] part of the marketing push to help Vista," criticized Lombardi, adding, "To really back a platform is a sustained effort over years and years, so we'll see if in two years Microsoft is still spending money to put Games for Windows sections in retail, and having PR people preach that message that the PC isn't dying".But this isn't a desperate call for loyalty. Lombardi appears confident that the PC gaming industry will continue to flourish with or without Games for Windows. "If you took World of Warcraft, Steam, PopCap and added it to the PC pool, all these huge revenues -- just WoW by itself, right? If you took WoW's 2006 revenues and the 360's revenues and compared them, even then you would say I don't think the PC's really dead."Lombardi's remarks are a reminder to Microsoft that PC gaming has apparently thrived without a "team" name. While not quite threatening, there's an aggressive overtone in Lombardi's words; a "check yo'self" sorta vibe. Valve's marketing manager is certainly not alone in his skepticism of Microsoft's motives. There's no denying that Games for Windows is being used to promote the launch of Vista -- but will the commitment last beyond the initial push? The answer to that seems obvious: As long as the money is good.
Valve's Kim Swift talks about designing Portal
At the Experimental Game Design lecture (where, among others, we heard from Crush's Alex Butterfield), Valve's Kim Swift, one of the designers of Portal, talked about the challenges of creating a first-person mind-screw puzzler, which is packaged with the oft-delayed Half-Life: :Episode 2, Black, and Orange sets, and concluded with a video demonstration solving one of Portal's crazy door-opening puzzles."Doing something new can be a really big risk and adding something innovative to something already exists can often disrupt and create new games," she said. Swift told the crowd that she and the team approached Portal problems as small gamelets in isolated environments. To her, trying to innovate too much at one time can lead to failure. Jurassic Park: Tresspasser, she quipped, is an example of a title that "tries a lot, and fails at all." Swift's mantra is to try one thing and polish it to the best of your ability.Following her talk, Swift started a video of one level of portal to explain the depth of the puzzle. In Portal, you can make a blue and orange-rimmed portal that interact with one another. You can attach a portal to most surfaces, although reflective and glass surfaces will not take a portal, "just to make your life more difficult," Swift notes.
Digital distribution panel: Retail and downloads work together
Newsweek's N'Gai Croal hosted a GDC discussion about digital distribution, featuring panelists from Bioware, Valve, Microsoft, Telltale Games, and GameTap. The session interested us most for its comments on how retail and digital distribution work together and thoughts on the media's lack of digital-only games coverage.Valve's Jason Holtman said, "The myth of digital distribution cannibalizing retail sales isn't true. ... The first couple times we ran [free weekends for games], we found out they increased retail sales as well [as digital sales.]"Holtman later said, "We love selling our boxed products. We like selling our digital products, too. ... Retail is going to be here to stay. It's a great channel for games. Digital is also a great channel for games."Ray Muzka of Bioware said, "They're incredibly complimentary. ... You can get research, you can get data from your digital distribution to make better games."Dan Connors of Telltale Games described how his company's games benefit from initial digital distribution. He said, "By the time it gets to retail, it's a known quantity. ... It was thought of from the ground up that we're going to launch online and [move to retail.] ... I think we've managed to take revenues from a range of places."Near the end of the session, Croal asked if he and other journalists had covered digital distribution enough. Rick Sanchez of GameTap vehemently said that the press hadn't and that they don't know how to treat his game-download service. The other panelists thought their projects were getting enough coverage, although they echoed the slow recognition of their digital projects.Other than Microsoft's Xbox Live games, GameTap represented the only company with a digital-only distribution method. Could that affect GameTap's recognition, because the public -- and journalists -- still need a boxed copy to take notice?
The Crossing coming to Xbox 360; innovative FPS going cross-platform
Alright, wrap your head around this one. Arkane Studios latest FPS, previewed in the latest Games for Windows Magazine, isn't your average first person shooter ... in fact, they're calling it a "crossplayer" FPS. In short, the single- and multi-player elements of the game are merged, so those heretofore mindless enemies -- yup, they're your fellow carbon-based mammals. It's all a little confusing (watch the videos embedded after the break to get a better idea) but the good news is it'll be confusing on both the Windows and Xbox 360 platforms!According to a job offer on Arkane's site, the Lyon, France-based developer is looking for a programmer to "handle porting, maintaining, and optimizing the codebase for the Xbox 360 version of [The Crossing]." "Crossplayer" game called The Crossing (with knights from the Crusades) going cross-platform ... if ever there was a game that needed some Xbox Live Anywhere integration. Get on it, Arkane![Thanks, Justin]
Valve unleashes Half-Life 2: Orange screenshots
Half-Life 2: Orange, as we now call it, has been forever delayed and will only show up much later this year. But what are eager Half Life fanboys supposed to do until that time comes ... wait? Yes, you will have to wait, but Valve understands your pain by offering some screenshot love. They just released a massive amount of screens from the Half-Life 2: Orange bundle including Portal and Team Fortress 2. All the games are looking pretty good, but Portal and Team Fortress 2 lack visual goodness that Half-Life 2 offers, which is probably intended. Check out the nifty gallery Joystiq put up and come back to post your thoughts on what is sure to be one great compilation.
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!
Shadow of the Counter-Strike
We don't typically cover custom-made Counter-Strike maps, but this one is unique in its high level of detail and its tribute to one of our favorite games of the PlayStation 2's golden years. Meet de_wanda and its giant reference to Shadow of the Colossus. Weighing in at 160 MB, this map is one you're going to have to require everyone to download in advance if you plan on playing online. The creator, Soenke C. "Warby" Seidel, has an impressive collection of artwork and maps, including some 3D Shadow of the Colossus-inspired scenes, if you would like to peruse the artist's portfolio. Color us impressed. Very impressed. [Via bit-tech]
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]
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?
This Half-Life 2 Xbox 360 case mod is way early
Dr. Gordon Freeman would be proud. This "first ever" case mod sure looks professional to us but, then again, we're not the case modding experts around here. We suspect the mod's builder may have been anticipating an '06 release for Half-Life 2 on the Xbox 360, before the series' second episodic installment was delayed until early 2007 ... and then again until Summer 2007. Now every gaming session will have a brief, but painful, reminder of the title's absence. It'll be okay, just don't make a Duke Nukem Forever case mod ...[Thanks, Macca; via Xbox 360 Fanboy]
Combine fear the Half-Life 2 case mod
360 Fanboy reader, PiNPOiNT, sent us some pictures of his newly finished Half-Life 2 case mod. We have to say, it's flippin' sweet. Even the lighting in the photograph is topnotch. The left side of the case (at right) features a cut away window with the HL2 logo in the corner. The right side features another logo which is raised off the surface of the case. All in all, it's some very impressive work. There is no denying that the Half-Life 2 megapackage coming to the 360 is worth celebrating, but we hope we won't upset PiNPOiNT when we remind him that the game was delayed. Hopefully, his spiffy mod will brighten his days until the game releases this summer. Check out bigger, beefier images after the break.
HL2: Episode Two delayed until Summer 2007
Speaking to CVG, Valve's Doug Lombardi confirmed that Half-Life 2: Episode Two -- which includes Portal and Team Fortress 2 -- has been pushed back from early 2007 to Summer 2007. As the title was already expected to miss the holiday season, it shouldn't be too much of a financial burden for Valve to hold off and fine tune the titles.Seeing Portal delayed is a bummer, but Team Fortress 2 has been in development since 1999; to see a game so close to escaping the vaporware stigma is agonizing.
Postal 3 announced for Xbox 360, PC
Mindless everyman violence news now, with the coming of Postal 3 being officially announced by high-lariously satirical and edgy game developer, Running With Scissors. Utilizing the Valve-developed Source engine, the game and soon to be Uwe Boll anti-masterpiece will reportedly (and repeatedly) hit the Xbox 360 and PC sometime in 2008. The developer told Firing Squad that the sequel would be made and published in conjunction with Russian software company, Akella, and that it would feature an open world design similar to that of the previous Postal.Running With Scissors also noted that fan feedback (helpful summary: bleurgh) from Postal 2 would be noted as they work on the sequel. Those looking forward to having their next run-in with a polygonal Gary Coleman will be pleased to learn that a Postal collection with new extras is on the way, as is a CD filled with music "inspired by" the series. We imagine Shirley Manson features heavily on it.See also: Joystiq interviews Doug Lombardi about Xbox 360 Source
More in-game commentary coming next-gen?
MTV News takes a look at one of Half-Life 2: Episode One's best secrets: the in-game commentary track. Much like the DVD format's popular director's commentary feature, Valve stuck in audio commentary from the game's developers. Hit the little floating text bubble and be treated to commentary on everything from design conceits (like apologizing for artificial barriers) to eye-candy techniques (yup, that's HDR lighting).The problem is, according to Valve's own statistics, only 15% of the gamers who've played Episode One have activated the feature. Regardless of its popularity, Valve project manager Erik Johnson says, "There isn't really any chance of us leaving it out in our future titles." That's good news for those of us interested in the commentary feature. Unfortunately, not every game developer is going to keep it in, even if they got there first.Factor 5 included developer commentary on their Star Wars: Battle for Naboo title on the N64, an impressive feat for a cartridge system. They've included commentary on every title since then, so a commentary track on the PlayStation 3's Lair (with its copious amounts of Blu-ray space) would seem to be a perfect touch. Insomniac Games has commentary plans for their next game (following PS3 launch title Resistance), but that 15% number may make them nervous. Insomniac's Ted Price said, "If gamers want audio commentary, they have to let it be known." Okay, Ted. So, gamers, were you amongst Valve's 15% and if not, why?
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?
