We've got some mixed emotions about the
just revealed Tank mini-statue (statuette just doesn't seem fitting for a giant terrifying zombie),
created by Gaming Heads for Valve. Sure, its detail is marvelous and it comes with a
totally sweet, albeit miniature, pump-action shotgun, but it's also
325 real-life actual dollars for the "exclusive edition".
At 15 inches tall, you'd better have a real special place in your heart (and in your house, preferably a cage) to shell out that kind of cash. If you'd like to save yourself a bit of money, there's a
less-exclusive version (limited to a run of 750) for $300, but unfortunately it comes with no mini pump-action shotgun. And frankly, we both know that's completely unacceptable. How else will you fight off the little monster when he goes after your throat?
Hmmm? Interested parties will be glad to know that orders appear to be open as of right now, though the statue won't be set free until "Q1 2011."
Left 4 Dead's 'Tank' figure unveiled, busting through bank accounts originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 31 Jul 2010 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Valve has singlehandedly reinvigorated the Mac gaming world by making its Steam content delivery service
compatible with the Mac. It has been steadily populating the service with Mac-friendly versions of its mega-popular games; however, apparently that isn't enough. Now Valve is going to help
other developers make Mac games, by releasing elements of its graphics code.
Business development director Jason Holtman told GamesIndustry.biz that Valve will release some code to developers signed on with the company's Steamworks infrastructure, in order to expedite the development of Mac games (and thus speed up the population of Steam). "So our Steamworks partners will have access to some of the hard work that we do to get our games up on Mac," Holtman said, "and they'll be able to incorporate that into their games -- and our hope is it gets them there faster."
Holtman also provided clues as to the success of Steam's Mac edition, stating that "we're seeing between a 15 and 20 percent increase in games that have a Mac version on Steam." It turns out that Mac owners
will buy games if they're available!
Valve offering parts of its Mac graphics code to Steamworks devs originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 30 Jul 2010 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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"Well, you found me. Congratulations. Was it worth it? Because despite your violent behavior, the only thing you've managed to break so far ...
is my heart. Maybe you could settle for that and we'll just call it a day? I guess we both know that isn't going to happen."
Continue reading These talking GlaDOS Curiosity Spheres probably want to kill you
These talking GlaDOS Curiosity Spheres probably want to kill you originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 29 Jul 2010 06:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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The anti-cheating software embedded in Valve's Steamworks platform recently took on a mind of its own, banning over 12,000 non-cheating
Modern Warfare 2 players over the past two weeks. The cause for its insatiable ban lust? Valve president Gabe Newell
explained in an email to those affected, "the problem was that Steam would fail a signature check between the disk version of a DLL and a latent memory version." See, we were
just thinking that that had something to do with it.
Newell begged pardon for the erroneous bans, adding "this was our mistake, and I apologize for any frustration or angst it may have caused you." An apology and a swift reversal of the ban aren't all that these users will receive -- Newell promised a giftable copy of
Left 4 Dead 2 to all those affected, as well as one copy for themselves, provided they don't already have it.
[Thanks to everyone who sent this in!]
Valve apologizes for banning over 12,000 legit Modern Warfare 2 players originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 27 Jul 2010 13:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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As many as 12,000 "Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2" players found themselves on the wrong end of a ban hammer recently via Steam. Unlike Blizzard's 320,000-account Battle.net ban spree in April, however, Valve's software targeted "MW2" players wrongly, which the company freely admits. In fact, they're restoring the banned accounts and even offering complimentary copies of "Left 4 Dead 2" as tokens of their regret.
"The problem was that Steam would fail a signature check between the disk version of a DLL and a latent memory version," Valve president Gabe Newell wrote in an email that was sent out to users in response. "This was caused by a combination of conditions occurring while Steam was updating the disk image of a game. This wasn't a game-specific mistake. Steam allows us to manage and reverse these erroneous bans (about 12,000 erroneous bans over two weeks)."
If those who were banned are willing to come back to Steam, Valve hopes they will accept "Left 4 Dead 2" copies and even give some to their friends.
"We have reversed the ban, restoring your access to the game," he stated in the email. "In addition, we have given you a free copy of 'Left 4 Dead 2' to give as a gift on Steam, plus a free copy for yourself if you didn’t already own the game."
Valve may have lost the software glitch battle that allowed this whole scenario to occur, but they may at least win the PR war in the end thanks their action.
Did you find yourself banned from "MW2" in the last couple of weeks? What do you think of Valve's response? Share your opinions in the comment section below.
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We're getting closer and closer to a PC launch of
Burn Zombie Burn, the dual-stick shooter from Doublesix. Currently available on PSN, the game will be available for download on
Steam in early August, according to the developer.
Burn Zombie Burn places players in the shoes of Bruce, whose date with sweetheart Daisy is ruined one night by a pack of hungry undead. The PC version of the game adds a new Extreme difficulty and Survival mode, the latter of which pits Bruce against relentless waves of the undead.
Continue reading Burn Zombie Burn sets the PC ablaze in early August
Burn Zombie Burn sets the PC ablaze in early August originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 24 Jul 2010 05:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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"Mafia 2" will join "Fallout: New Vegas" among new Steamworks-supported titles on the horizon, as Valve and 2K Games co-announced plans to include such features in the sequel's PC edition and throw in an extra digital pre-order bonus in the form of the original "Mafia."
"'Mafia 2' is joining 'Sid Meier's Civilization 5' as the next title to use Steamworks from 2K Games," Valve president Gabe Newell said in a press release. "Our focus for Steam is on building services that create value for our customers and for creators, and 'Mafia 2,' with its all-new game engine and inclusion of Steamworks, is a great example of that."
Standard and "Digital Deluxe" editions of "Mafia 2" will both include the pre-order bonus, as well as access to the standard assortment of auto-updating, achievements, stats and DLC that you would expect to see with a Steamworks game.
Free full games are nothing to scoff at, and "Mafia" is no throw-away offering. It will be interesting, however, to see if the PC DLC eventually includes that recently-announced PlayStation 3 exclusive "The Betrayal of Jimmy." Pretty soon multiple-system owners are going to start needing calculus, Venn diagrams and inside sources to navigate which exclusives and incentives make for the best edition of a game.
Do you expect to buy "Mafia 2"? Which platform are your considering? Share your thoughts in thoughts in the comment section below.
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Through the destruction of a coveted item, one man is hoping to create something good for some children in need. That's the goal of
Golden Charity, an initiative that will see one
Team Fortress 2 player sacrifice his
Golden Wrench in the name of
Child's Play. If that ain't the utmost spirit of charity, then we're not sure what is.
WiNG,
lucky recipient number 31 of Valve's gaudy gift, is soliciting donations until August 23, with the top 20 contributors receiving a front-row seat to the wrench's demise on August 31. When you think about it that way, it almost seems barbaric; all of these folks, sitting around, watching something perish. But it's in the name of charity, so we guess it all balances out in the end.
[Thanks, Anonymous]
Golden Charity will destroy Team Fortress 2 Golden Wrench for Child's Play originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 20 Jul 2010 21:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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A few years ago, some industrious fans of the Unreal engine came together and released a total conversion mod called "Alien Swarm." It was basically a top-down arcade shooter set in an infested alien base, reminiscent of Team17's "Alien Breed." Valve was so impressed with the team's work that they hired them to work on games like "Left 4 Dead 2," among other projects. But that wasn't all. They also had the team complete a redux of "Alien Swarm" using the Source engine. It's that very game that you'll be able to download, for free, today.
Despite being a free release, Valve's including all the Steam trimmings. Here's a rundown of the game's features:
* Tactical, 4 player co-op action game with a top-down perspective
* Complete game code and mod tools
* Unlock persistent items by gaining levels
* Over 40 weapons and equipment with countless load-out configurations
* 4 unique classes and 8 unique characters
* Matchmaking, Steam Cloud, Steam Stats
* 64 achievements
* Tile-based map generation tool
* Powered by Source and Steam
So yeah, download it. Unless you have a Mac. Sadly it's not Mac friendly, but we're hoping that'll change sometime in the near future.
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In
an announcement perhaps meant to obliterate the definition of "Valve Time," the publisher announced that
Alien Swarm has been rebuilt in Source Engine and will be released -- for free, no less -- tomorrow, Monday, July 19. The team that originally built the mod for
UT2004 has since been hired on by Valve for work on the
Left 4 Dead series and
Portal 2, but luckily found enough time to move their game over to Valve's game engine between bouts of working on those
other two games.
If you're so inclined, you can pre-load
Alien Swarm starting
right now before it goes live tomorrow. Oh! And when it does go live, Valve will also release the full SDK for the game, allowing users to get a more thorough look at what makes the game tick. Us? We're just excited to blast swarms of aliens with the totally insane looking flamethrower seen above. Hit the break for a trailer of the game in action.
[Thanks, Morey]
Continue reading Alien Swarm and Source-based SDK launching for free this Monday
Alien Swarm and Source-based SDK launching for free this Monday originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 18 Jul 2010 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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