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If you have strong writing skills, basic HTML and image editing abilities, and of course a love for the game, then head on over to our Help Wanted section for more information and instructions on how to apply.
Project Valkyrie Mod Get this new Half-Life 2 mod on Fileplanet!
Spotlight: Fistful of Frags Our latest deserving mod is Fistful of Frags, a multi-player total conversion.
Zombie Panic: Source Review With more zombie-related games and modifications coming out, how does the latest "Zombie Panic: Source" stack up against the others? Why not take a look!
Eternal Silence Media Update[ Comment ] 18:08 PST | Pablo Dopico | Print News | Category: Half-Life 2Eternal Silence, the Half Life 2 mod focused on multiplayer space combat, has released some nice images of their new models, the UTF Corvettes. Corvettes are intended for the initial phase of a battle, as the first line of defense and to provide support for other units. The team has also announced that their internal build has seen some major bug fixes that will provide a much more satisfying experience when they release the version 3.0 of their mod.
You can find a lot of interesting information about this mod at their website. Don't forget to read its background story if you are a science-fiction fan!
Orange Box is Being Opened[ 17 Comments ] 13:36 PST | John Phillips | Print News | Category: Half-Life 2 - Team Fortress 2For those of you who refused to buy The Orange Box package and were waiting for individual boxed versions, your day is fast approaching. During a conference call to investors, Electronic Arts announced that the games in The Orange Box will be packaged and shipped individually.
No date has been given, although it's expected that the titles will be released by the end of March. No prices were given either, although it's probable that the games will be released comparable to their Steam prices (Portal: $19.95, Half-Life 2 Episode 2: $29.95, Team Fortress 2: $29.95).
Not only there's a new map, Revenge, but also larger and more polished versions of Eliminator and Peligro, new sound effects, explosions, gameplay changes and even a new game mode!
Changes:
New game mode: "Few Dollars More"
Improved stability
New Maps: Revenge, and improved existing maps
New sound FX's, explosions, props & textures
Gameplay changes: weapon balancing, movement speed
Fixed several bugs
There are tons of other changes, so don't forget to check the full list at the Fistful of Frags website.
Tuesday, 29 January, 2008 – Planet Half-Life News
Introducing Steamworks[ 11 Comments ] 17:29 PST | Pablo Dopico | Print News | Category: Half-Life 2Valve has announced Steamworks, a way for publishers and developers to benefit from the features available at the Steam platform, whether they have chosen to publish their games on Steam or not. Steamworks is not engine-specific, and will help save development time and eliminate technology licensing fees.
Some of the features include:
Auto-updating
Game stats collection and display
Multiplayer Matchmaking
Key-based authentication and anti-piracy protection
Rapid and secure build distribution
Testing & usability data collection
You can read all about it here, and remember to keep an eye on the Steamworks website for updates!
Project Valkyrie shows that, with a little dedication, talent, and the right development plan, any team - regardless of size - can release a stable client in a short period of time. The client will be released at 3:00PM Pacific Standard Time (6:00PM Eastern). Project Valkyrie is based off of the latest SDK, so you will need to own and have installed The Orange Box.
While you wait, feel free to join the release party in the Project Valkyrie Steam Group chat room. Keep your eyes peeled to this post for the installer link in only a few hours! See what three months of development and ten developers with a handful of contributors can do.
Update: The client installer has now been released. You can download the installer right here. Enjoy!
What's even more exciting is that Pwnage.tv will provide live play-by-play video coverage of this truly unique match. Head on over to the site to find out how you can watch and enjoy the match with the rest of us.
Added new option to auto-save a scoreboard screenshot at the end of a map to the Multiplayer->Advanced dialog
Added more particle optimizations for mid range and low end hardware
Updated CP_GravelPit to fix all known exploits and changed the scoring method to score per capture rather than per round
Updated "nextlevel" CVAR to trigger a changelevel at the end of the current round (not mini-round)
Fixed SourceTV demo recording problem
Fixed mp_stalemate_enable not preventing Sudden Death mode on some maps
Fixed a couple cases where player stats were not being recorded correctly
Fixed some log entries being truncated
Fixed crash caused by trying to import a custom player spray
Removed the "Reset Stats" button from the Player Stats screen
The updates will be applied automatically when your Steam client is restarted or you launch TF2.
Source SDK Beta Released[ Comment ] 4:35 PST | John Phillips | Print News | Category: Half-Life 2Source developers have been waiting since The Orange Box was released to begin modding the advanced engine, and for those of you willing to face potential bugs, that time is now in a beta form. There are a few known issues still, such as the inability to create shortcuts to Hammer, Faceposer, and Model Viewer and the absence of the particle editor.
To participate in the beta, add -beta srcsdk0122 to your Steam desktop shortcut's command line. Remember, this is still a beta, so if you happen upon bugs, please report them. For more information on the beta, click here.
"Steam has introduced S.T.A.L.K.E.R. to many thousands of new fans all over the world," said GSC Game World's CEO Sergiy Grygorovych. "We chose to deliver the digital version of the game exclusively on Steam because of its proven success not only as the leading global digital distribution platform for games, but because it allows us to directly reach its integrated and active community of gamers."
"It's great to see a forward-thinking game maker like GCS Game World launching simultaneously in digital and traditional retail channels," said Gabe Newell, co-founder and president of Valve. "By launching S.T.A.L.K.E.R.:Clear Sky on Steam on the same day that it's available in stores worldwide, GCS Game World ensures that gamers can get their hands on this highly-anticipated game in the way that's most convenient for them."
For more information and new media on this upcoming S.T.A.L.K.E.R. title, click here.
Team Fortress 2, New Weapons, New Maps, New Game[ 17 Comments ] 16:23 PST | markcocjin | Print News | Category: Team Fortress 2Tom Francis of PC Gamer UK talks about his visit to Valve's Bellevue, Washington office in his blog. There he details on what the games company has to offer in this much awaited Team Fortress 2 update. It turns out that the changes soon to be implemented will be bigger than what was first perceived. Aside from the medic's additional achievements, he will be the first of the group to receive, upon completion of a certain amount of achievements, a new weapon loadout. The first of two new healing gun variations, the Overhealer permanently doubles the maximum health of the recipient at a cost to the Ubercharge. Now if you think that will change a lot to TF2, imagine what it's like when all classes have been updated. Valve's strategy of gradually adding world changing elements lends to a more evolutionary way of giving back to their customers. It also helps in figuring out what works with what and what doesn't instead of throwing every idea in at one time and hope everything turns out right.
Starting with just two new items for the Medic, Valve are going to be gradually rolling out new, unlockable weapons for every class. These will be alternative versions of their current loadouts that, once unlocked by earning a certain number of achievements, you can pick and choose from on a new 'Loadout' menu.
We could also look forward to two upcoming maps like the remake of Badlands and another one called Gold Rush which promises to add another level or hilarity and desperation into our hours long marathon of cartoon murder. Valve is also answering to the clamor for more capture the flag maps and will provide in a few days, a CTF version of Well.
The new game mode is showcased in Goldrush - the map that will ship alongside cp_badlands in a little over a month from now. One team must escort a small mining cart through a series of Dustbowl-like map segments. The cart moves faster the more Blue players are near it, but stops entirely if even one Red player is in range. Blue have to escort the cart all the way to Red's headquarters within a certain timelimit.
To read up on these developments, look to the full article here.
EVE Online Comes to Steam[ 1 Comment ] 7:25 PST | John Phillips | Print News | Category: SteamThe Steam library of games again expands, and this time into the MMO world of gaming, and to celebrate its entrance onto Steam, CCP Games is offering a 21-day (3 full week) trial of EVE Online, and you will also save $5 off of your first month's fee.
"Launching EVE on Steam means the addition of another fantastic PC game and the introduction of MMOs on Steam," said Jason Holtman, director of business development at Valve. "The team at CCP continues to expand EVE's universe and gameplay for the legions logging in to play each month, just as we continue to expand Steam's consumer and developer features."
"We are immensely excited and honored that EVE Online will be the first MMO on Steam," said Magnus Bergsson, VP of Sales at CCP. "Steam has been the leading online distribution platform for a long time and home to some of the most dedicated gamers around, so we couldn´t think of a better fit for EVE Online."
To learn more about this largely popular sci-fi MMO, click here or visit the official EVE Online website.
SiwtchBlade Controller Software Coming to Source[ 8 Comments ] 7:15 PST | John Phillips | Print News | Category: Half-Life 2Some of you World of Warcraft fans may already be familiar with Switch Blade, an in-depth program used to completely configure your Xbox 360 controllers to your World of Warcraft experience. Blue Orb, the developers of Switch Blade, has announced that development has begun on individual profiles for Half-Life 2, Hellgate: London, and Guild Wars, allowing you PC Half-Lifers who wish they bought the Xbox version of The Orange Box to play in your native mode.
Switch Blade is a 100% free program, and will shortly be available for Half-Life 2 players, and all you'll need is a wired or wireless Xbox 360 controller, your PC, and of course the game itself. For more information, or if you're a WoW player and want to give it a shot, check out the official website.
Zombie Panic: Source Review[ 5 Comments ] 6:38 PST | John Phillips | Print News | Category: Half-Life 2 - Content UpdatesWith so many zombie mods coming out today, it's hard to tell what deserves to be played and what deserves to be left on the back burner. The latest addition to the zombie family, Zombie Panic: Source, has some work to be done yet, but still offers a decent all-around experience in a graphically pleasing atmosphere.
Out in the world of computer games, there is no shortage of the classic zombie game. Something terrible happens and the world as we know it is being eaten alive by the undead and you and a band of friends team up to survive the onslaught of grotesque hoard. Zombie Panic has just made its debut on the Source engine and has made the transition well, along with the latest patch fixing a wide series of bugs as well. But will the new coat of polish shine all areas of this zombie game?
If zombies are your thing, then check it out. Be sure to stop by the official Zombie Panic: Source for more information, media, and to stop by the forums as well.
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