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Welcome to our newly designed
website created by our very own Yorick.
There's been a big reshuffle and lots of
new content added so check it all out! |
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Archive for October, 2008
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X3: Terran Conflict Is Now Available on Steam
Posted @ 4:43 PM, October 16 2008, By: DigiQ8 In Steam, Steam Games
X3: Terran Conflict is now available for $39.99 on Steam Client near you.
It is the year 2938. The long wished-for encounter of the X Universe and the Earth holds both joy and sorrow for the people. Despite flourishing trade, the clash of the diverse races, cultures and life forms creates new tensions, mistrust and open conflict that need to be overcome!
Experience the brilliant climax of the legendary X-Trilogy , and take your place in the history of the X Universe.
Or you can buy X3 Pack which includes: X3: Reunion, X3: Terran Conflict, for $54.99. Click here for more info.
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Left 4 Dead Infected Shacknews
Posted @ 3:32 PM, October 16 2008, By: DigiQ8 In Left 4 Dead
Shacknews have a new preview for the infected side in Valve's Left 4 Dead along with some new footage for the game.
As a zombie, you begin the round--and every subsequent spawn--directly on top of the humans. Unfortunately, you can't hit them yet--your first objective is to reach a place on the map where no human can see you. You are basically invisible in this preparatory mode, able to walk through doorways and quickly position yourself for an optimal spawn. Later on, as the humans venture further into the level, the fact that you "spawn" directly on top of them allows for a very quick turn-around, keeping the action flowing despite the 20-30 second respawn timer.
The moment of education came as I spotted my teammate in trouble, an enemy Tank zombie wailing away at him. I clearly didn't have the time to take him out with my rifle, and more zombies were charging in the distance. I pulled out a Molotov cocktail in desperation, hesitating for a moment before hurling it at the Tank--and directly on the face of my friend.
Read more here.
Thanks Kami for the heads up.
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No Team Fortress 2 Updates Until Next Year
Posted @ 11:20 PM, October 15 2008, By: DigiQ8 In Team Fortress 2
Yup, Valve are not planning on releasing any new class update for Team Fortress 2 this year, marketing VP Doug Lombardi has informed Shacknews.
Well, it won't be this year," said Lombardi when asked about the next update. "But we're going to keep evolving TF2. Once Left 4 Dead wraps, you'll hear us clamoring more about [Team Fortress 2].
Lombardi partially attributed the prolonged wait to the impending release of Left 4 Dead, which saw contributions from numerous Team Fortress 2 team members as development of Left 4 Dead entered the final stages. Oh well, I'm sure Left 4 Dead gonna keep us busy for a long long time.
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Left 4 Dead Demo Near Halloween
Posted @ 11:00 PM, October 15 2008, By: DigiQ8 In Left 4 Dead
Doug Lombardi informed Shacknews today that Left 4 Dead demo is likely to debut just after Halloween.
We're going to announce a date before Halloween, and the demo will come out in early November,
The demo will feature the first two missions of the Survivor campaign, set in the Hospital map, and will support cooperative online play for up to four players.
Doug also mentioned that the XBox 360 version is done and is now only awaiting certification by Microsoft. Remember that Left 4 Dead is now available on Steam for Pre-Order, Pre-purchase now and save 10%.
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Left 4 Dead IGN Preview Includes Plenty of Direct-Feed Footage
Posted @ 9:56 PM, October 15 2008, By: DigiQ8 In Left 4 Dead
IGN played the 360 version of Left 4 Dead in versus mode and they have plenty of direct feed footage for the game including infected footage. judging from the footage the game looks solid on the 360 and the visuals looks very sharp. The split screen mode is a blast.
The modes split the screen only two ways, and you can choose between vertical and horizontal orientations. For our play session with the Xbox 360 version of the game, we chose for the screen to be split from top to bottom, and found it worked pretty well. We were playing on an HDTV, so any owners of sets with 4:3 aspect ratios may have a different experience, but it felt as though all that was important was contained within the viewable area.
As far as the visuals go, the Xbox 360 version looks really sharp, particularly the lighting effects as we ran through abandoned farm fields and dilapidated railway tracks near sunset. More importantly, the game ran smoothly, even with 20 or so screaming, flailing infected onscreen, Molotov cocktail fires raging, in an online session with Valve employees and members of another gaming publication. The game also uses an onscreen icon notification system to let you know about item pickups or game events that seems to work well without stealing attention away from the action onscreen.
Read the full preview and watch the new videos here.
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Left 4 Dead Now Available for Pre-purchase via Steam
Posted @ 5:29 PM, October 15 2008, By: DigiQ8 In Left 4 Dead, News
 October 15, 2008 - Valve, creators of best-selling game franchises (such as Half-Life, Portal, Team Fortress and Counter-Strike) and leading technologies (such as Steam and Source), today announced the PC version of its highly anticipated new survival co-op game, Left 4 Dead, is available for pre-purchase worldwide via Steam, a leading online platform for the distribution and management of PC games with over 15 million accounts worldwide.
Left 4 Dead is a new franchise from Valve, and has earned numerous awards it march to launch this holiday, including "Best of E3" Awards from Game Infomer and Maximum PC magazines. Like the pre-purchase promotions happening at retail for the PC and Xbox 360 versions, those who pre-purchase via Steam will save 10% off the regular price. The pre-order promotions are part of a $10 million marketing campaign that includes television, outdoor, online and print advertising.
"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," said Doug Lombardi, VP of marketing at Valve. "Our pre-sell numbers at retail have jumped to over 65% greater than Orange Box at the same proximity to launch, and we're seeing tremendous enthusiasm for the product in what promises to be another great year for gaming on both platforms."
Set in the immediate aftermath of the highly-anticipated zombie apocalypse, Left 4 Dead features single player, multiplayer and co-operative gameplay modes. Next-generation artificial intelligence tailors the pacing and difficulty ensuring a different experience every time the game is played.
Left 4 Dead is due for release on PC and Xbox 360 on November 18 in North America and November 21 in Europe. The worldwide Steam release will happen November 18. For more information and to pre-order see here
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Half-Life vs Half-Life 2
Posted @ 1:00 PM, October 14 2008, By: Evo In Half-Life, Half-Life 2
Over on Rock, Paper, Shotgun Alec Meer has written an interesting little piece explaining why he prefers Half-Life to Half-Life 2. It is a very interesting piece, read this little snippet:
Oddly, I find HL a much more convincing journey too. Being trapped underground excuses the linearity, while HL2’s more open topography requires more uncomfortable compromises such as being unable to smash through the thin wooden fences throughout Ravenhom. (For all its spooky atmosphere, Ravenholm was the one element of HL2 I actively disliked. It was shooting for the sort of setpiece-based diversity HL1 does so well, but it felt so ghost train-contrived, especially in the maze-like layout of the level).
Personally I am with Alec, while Half-Life 2 was great from a critical perspective I much preferred the original game to play. Check out what he has to say and tell us what you think about this highly controversial issue.
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Galactic Bowling: Coming to Steam
Posted @ 8:11 PM, October 13 2008, By: DigiQ8 In Steam, Steam Games
Perpetual FX Creative announces Galactic Bowling is now available for pre-purchase via Steam. Galactic bowlers who pre-purchase the game can take-10% off the regular price of $19.99. In addition, pre-purchasers will have immediate access to the game on Galactic launch day, October 20th.
Galactic Bowling is an exaggerated and stylized bowling game with an intergalactic twist. Players will engage in fast-paced single and multi-player competition while being submerged in a unique new universe filled with over-the-top humor, wild characters, unique levels, and addictive game play. The title is aimed at players of all ages and skill sets. Through accessible and intuitive controls and game-play, Galactic Bowling allows you to jump right into the action. A single-player campaign and online play allow you to work your way up the ranks of the Galactic Bowling League! Whether you have hours to play or only a few minutes, Galactic Bowling is a fast paced and entertaining experience that will leave you wanting more!
You can find more info here.
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Lombardi: We may show Episode Three at the very end of the year
Posted @ 6:21 PM, October 13 2008, By: DigiQ8 In HL2: Episode 3
In a recent interview with Kikizo, Doug Lombardi revealed that Valve may show Half-Life 2: Episode Three at the very end of the year, he also talked about Left 4 Dead and the acquisition of Turtle Rock.
Kikizo: Won't you announce or show anything on Episode 3 this year?
Lombardi: We may at the very end of the year.
You can find the full interview here.
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World of Goo – Out Now
Posted @ 1:17 PM, October 13 2008, By: Evo In News, Steam Games
I professed my undying love for this game in my previous news post about World of Goo coming to Steam. Well this is the time and the day when the game is now available on Steam for the princely sum of $20.
The Steam version of the game comes with a bunch of lovely achievements, though if you pre-ordered the game then you can activate your copy on Steam using your Magic Key. For those who are wondering a Demo won't be released anytime in the immediate future, however the system requirements are found below:
Minimum:
- Supported OS: Windows® XP or Vista
- Processor: 1GHz or faster
- Memory: 512+MB RAM
- Video: Any 3D graphics accelerator less than 5 years old
- DirectX® Version: 9.0c
- Hard Drive: 100MB
Remember that you can always buy it from the developer's themselves at the same price.
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World of Steamed Goo
Posted @ 2:56 PM, October 10 2008, By: Evo In Steam Games
2D Boy's World of Goo is on its way to Steam on Monday the 13th October in all territories. For any readers of my blog, Rock, Paper, Shotgun or the 2D Boy forums you will know that the game has a rabid fan base already and is considered to be one of the finest indie games on the verge of a full-blown release. I have been playing it non-stop since I got the preview first chapter back in February and since I got my hands on the game (thanks to having pre-ordered it) back at the beginning of the week. I can say, and many others will that this is a fantastic game. The game has already won the IGF Design Innovation and Technical Excellence Awards, a spectacular achievement for a game developed by two people working out of various San Francisco coffee shops. It is a physics heavy puzzle game with an engrossing story and a massive number of Goo. You build structures by stretching the Goo all over the place and forming some truly beautiful creations. Before I ramble away about my unending love of the game here is the low-down. The game is being released via Steam and several other places including 2D Boy's site for $20. The game features no-DRM when purchased from the 2D Boy site, but the Steam version includes achievements enabled via use of Steamworks. If you pre-ordered the game then you will be able to use your Magic Key to use it on Steam. Wait for Monday and buy this game, you won't regret it.
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Left 4 Dead Pre-Orders 60% Up on Orange Box
Posted @ 7:04 AM, October 10 2008, By: Evo In Left 4 Dead, News, Steam
According to this Edge Online report pre-orders of Valve's upcoming survival-horror-co-operative-shooter-extravaganza are 60% higher than those for the Orange Box.
Valve managing director Gabe Newell has this to say regarding the pre-orders:
"People had really strong reactions to Left 4 Dead when we started showing it. Our pre-orders are running 60 percent ahead of Orange Box. This in combination with the fact that it is a new IP made us think that an extensive marketing program made a lot of sense."
Valve have launched a massive promotional campaign for the game costing $10 million and covering television, online, print and outdoor advertising. The promotional posters for the game (as seen below) feature the logo of the game, the disfigured hand that is now synonymous with the game.
These advertisements will run hand in hand with a massive television campaign with 30-second adverts appearing on a wide variety of US TV networks from November 9th to the 28th. The ads will be mixing humour and horror, and I assume with bear classic Valve stylings.
The Xbox 360 and PC demo of the game is slated to be released in early November and will feature 1-4 player gameplay from the game's "No Mercy" campaign. Newell is also positive regarding the future success of the game.
"Well, Left 4 Dead has a long way to go to beat Half-Life and Counter-Strike, but our fans' excitement when they play the game has certainly infected us. It will be a top five title for the year, but beyond that we'll have to see how big it gets."
Pre-orders up 60% on the Orange Box, a $10 million advertising campaign? I am sure that Left 4 Dead will be a hugely successful game.
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New Steam Community Features Available
Posted @ 3:31 PM, October 9 2008, By: Munro In Steam
You may find your steam client losing connection for a while. It would appear Valve are adding additional Community features. So far the list includes:
- Redesigned Steam Community pages
- Official groups
- Blotter
- User groups on separate page
- Improved search
- Events time is showed in your timezone
- Profile status is changeable from home page
- Games on profile page are counted
Thanks to our AciD for the heads up.
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