Joystiq

Valve measures sweat during Left 4 Dead play

Jessica Conditt — Tue, 07 May 2013 23:59:00 EST

Valve tinkers with a lot of things - whatever it feels like, mostly - but has a particular interest in biometrics and direct player feedback within games. At the Neurogaming Conference last week, Valve Experimental Psychologist (seriously, whatever if feels like) Mike Ambinder described a few tests he'd recently run, as reported by Venture Beat.

In one test, Valve measured how much players sweat while playing Left 4 Dead, as correlated to their levels of arousal - just as Valve boss Gabe Newell specified back in March, concerning biometrics in the Steam Box. Another experiment gave players four minutes to shoot 100 enemies, and the game would move more quickly as the player showed signs of nervousness.

Valve also created a successful version of Portal 2 controlled with players' eyeballs, but it was necessary to separate aiming and viewpoint - where your eyes are looking and where your head is facing - for that to work properly.

The Steam Box will host some sort of biometric scheme, Newell said in that March interview.

"What we've found is you can directly measure player state and it turns out to be very useful," Newell said. "You need to be able to directly measure how aroused the player is, what their heart rate is, things like that, in order to continue to offer them a new experience each time they play."

Valve measures sweat during Left 4 Dead play originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 07 May 2013 23:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Steam Holiday Sale, day 9: Assassin's Creed, Prototype, Left 4 Dead franchises and more

Jordan Mallory — Fri, 28 Dec 2012 16:00:00 EST

The majority of mainstream shopping holidays have now reached a complete stop, but the sales live on - especially in the case of Valve's annual Steam Holiday Sale, which today enters its ninth day of dealing out discounted digital sundries.

PC gamers can save 25 to 75 percent on every game in the Assassin's Creed series, 75/50 percent off Prototype and Prototype 2 respectively, get Left 4 Dead and Left 4 Dead 2 for a cold dead $7.49, Limbo for a spooky $2.49, Sins of a Solar Empire: Rebellion for an astronomically low $13.59 and Just Cause 2 for a justified $3.74.

Yesterday's deals also remain active for another 20 hours or so, including LA Noire for $4.99, FTL for $4.99 and 33 percent off XCOM: Enemy Unknown. As always, flash sales and community choice sales change throughout the day.

Steam Holiday Sale, day 9: Assassin's Creed, Prototype, Left 4 Dead franchises and more originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 28 Dec 2012 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Left 4 Dead fan short is 'Seriously' gory

Xav de Matos — Mon, 30 Jul 2012 22:30:00 EST

Seriously Left 4 Dead is a new fan short revolving around three characters that seem to hate each other as much as they do the zombies. Watch this one in the comfort of your own home, unless your office approves of excessive swearing and blood-filled zombie heads popping all over your monitor.

Left 4 Dead fan short is 'Seriously' gory originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 30 Jul 2012 22:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Left 4 Dead running on Vita via PlayStation Mobile is pretty Suite

Jessica Conditt — Thu, 05 Jul 2012 15:15:00 EST

The wizard digitalarts001 has made it possible to run Left 4 Dead with motion controls on the PS Vita, via remote desktop play and PlayStation Mobile (formerly "Suite"). The above video provides a magical demonstration of L4D on Vita, appearing to run smoothly even when motion controls are activated by the player pressing the left trigger and mumbling an incantation in broken Latin, we assume.

A remote desktop application is just one of the homebrew innovations we can expect from PlayStation Mobile, but it may be one of the most important: When players can make their own games suddenly appear on the Vita, Sony won't have to create any of its own titles. Now you're thinking with Portals, Sony. Speaking of....

Left 4 Dead running on Vita via PlayStation Mobile is pretty Suite originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 05 Jul 2012 15:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Cold Stream DLC for L4D2 making waves on July 24

Jessica Conditt — Sat, 30 Jun 2012 13:30:00 EST

Cold Stream, the massive, much-anticipated and acceptably murderous DLC pack for Left 4 Dead 2, is set to launch on PC, Mac and Xbox 360 on July 24. Cold Stream includes a fan-made campaign, and ports of Left 4 Dead's Death Toll, Dead Air, Blood Harvest and Crash Course levels.

Cold Stream first entered beta in March 2011 and is still open for PC and Mac on Steam, making this launch more of an official, polishing update for those platforms. Valve initially said Cold Stream would launch "some time after Portal 2," and really, it's not as if they were wrong about that one. Clever, Valve. Clever.

Cold Stream DLC for L4D2 making waves on July 24 originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 30 Jun 2012 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Payday: The Heist - No Mercy sets the scene for Left 4 Dead [Update: It's 'not canon,' Valve clarifies]

JC Fletcher — Fri, 15 Jun 2012 23:00:00 EST

A trailer posted by Overkill Software (since pulled) revealed the collaboration between Overkill and Valve as Payday: The Heist - No Mercy, a Payday game (either a new standalone release or a DLC expansion, it's unclear which) that crosses Overkill's heist series with Left 4 Dead.

The trailer reveals that the episode will act as a prequel for Valve's zombie shooting series, with a heist in Left 4 Dead's Mercy Hospital. "Have you ever wondered how the Left 4 Dead series began?" the YouTube description asks. "It started with a heist!" So by playing this, you'll very likely trigger the zombie pandemic in those two games. Real nice, butterfingers.

Update: Valve's Chet Faliszek has clarified to Kotaku that the YouTube video isn't a prequel, saying the video description was the work of "some over-excited marketing guys." The map is a Overkill mission "simply set in no mercy hospital," he says. It is not part of the Left 4 Dead narrative in any way.

Payday: The Heist - No Mercy sets the scene for Left 4 Dead [Update: It's 'not canon,' Valve clarifies] originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 15 Jun 2012 23:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Payday dev collaborating with Valve on Left 4 Dead 'co-operative initiative'

Ben Gilbert — Mon, 21 May 2012 09:45:00 EST

Payday: The Heist studio Overkill Software and Valve Software are working on ... something together. What that something is remains to be seen, as Overkill game director Ulf Andersson only described the collaboration as a "co-operative initiative" between the two companies. We do know that it'll involve both Overkill's Payday: The Heist and Valve's Left 4 Dead - two team-focused four-player co-operative romps (enough hyphens for you?).

"We are working on a very cool blend of Payday and Left 4 Dead," Andersson wrote on his company's official site. "I am sure it is so exciting that it will have some players check into the hospital before we are done." Oh, hospital, you say? We see what you're doing there, you crazy Swedes you!

Andersson apparently couldn't help himself, and added one more zombie-themed quip. "Keep an eye out for more on this infectious and developing story." We know at least one guy we won't be letting into the safe house.

Payday dev collaborating with Valve on Left 4 Dead 'co-operative initiative' originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 21 May 2012 09:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Valve games come to Impulse

Alexander Sliwinski — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 20:30:00 EST

Valve, proprietor of Steam -- which is basically the Walmart of PC digital distribution -- now has its games available on Impulse. Your confusion is as great as ours, but here we are.

The Impulse store, owned by GameStop, announced last week that Valve titles would become available on the service. Apparently, the shock of this caused almost everyone in the media not to report this fact for an awkward length of time.

The Valve games available through Impulse right now are Portal 2, Left 4 Dead, Left 4 Dead 2, The Orange Box, and Half-Life Complete. Best part: the games still require Steam to play.

Valve games come to Impulse originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 31 Jan 2012 20:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Full Left 4 Dead fan-film makes it to the safe room

David Hinkle — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 07:45:00 EST

Teased last week, the full Airsoft GI-sponsored Left 4 Dead fan-film has been posted on YouTube and it's well worth a few minutes of your life. The Northern Five Entertainment-produced film follows Zoey, Louis and Francis as they make their way to the boathouse outside of Riverside to board the Slater's fishing vessel.

The acting's pretty solid all around, though Francis is depicted as less of a curmudgeon than we remember. We just need help on one thing: We know it's been a while since we played Left 4 Dead, but Scorpion from Mortal Kombat wasn't, like, an unlockable character, right? We're pretty sure he wasn't in the game.

Full Left 4 Dead fan-film makes it to the safe room originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 20 Dec 2011 07:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Left 4 Dead's Boomer action figure is pretty gnarly

Griffin McElroy — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 18:20:00 EST

You know who we'd like to see featured in the hit television program Dirty Jobs? The guy who's responsible for making this Left 4 Dead Boomer action figure. Just think: Some poor soul at NECA not only had to mold this fully articulated, pustule-covered monster -- they had to paint on his every blemish, scab and scar. There is no amount of money high enough to merit such attention to nastiness.

We won't be able to get our hands on this figure (and others from the zombie-centric hit) until next Spring, but you can be sure that when we do, our hands will be safely enveloped by gloves. Check him out in all his oozing glory after the jump.

Continue reading Left 4 Dead's Boomer action figure is pretty gnarly

Left 4 Dead's Boomer action figure is pretty gnarly originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 16 Dec 2011 18:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Left 4 Dead fan-film teaser brings tears to our eyes, joy to our guts

Jessica Conditt — Sun, 11 Dec 2011 00:30:00 EST

Our modern zombie-centric television dramas have been decidedly not filled with zombies recently and the gore of 28 Days Later, Dawn of the Dead, 28 Weeks Later and Shaun of the Dead is as tired as this cat -- but there is hope on the horizon. The above teaser for a fanmade Left 4 Dead film has some serious potential, and it was filmed in just one weekend. Produced by Northern Five Entertainment and Sponsored by Airsoft GI, the full film will be released "soon," and personally, we can't wait.

You know who can wait? Bill. Bill can stay in one place and wait with the best of them. Cheers, buddy.

Left 4 Dead fan-film teaser brings tears to our eyes, joy to our guts originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 11 Dec 2011 00:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Valve and Xsolla set up more than 450,000 cash kiosks in Russia

Jessica Conditt — Sun, 23 Oct 2011 19:30:00 EST

Valve recently embraced the Russian Ruble to make Steam transactions easier for its Russian customers -- while this may have made it easier for Russian gamers to see how much things cost, that didn't mean it was any easier to buy said things, as much of the country uses cash. Unwilling to block an entire market from spending its money, Valve has teamed with Xsolla, a game-monetization company, to establish more than 450,000 cash kiosks in Russia, where users can add cash directly to their Steam Wallets.

It's nice of companies to make spending money on their products so easy -- it's almost like charity work. Almost.

Valve and Xsolla set up more than 450,000 cash kiosks in Russia originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 23 Oct 2011 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Spooky Savings: Amazon's 'Un-BOO-lievable' Halloween sale

Jordan Mallory — Sun, 23 Oct 2011 11:30:00 EST

Autumnal consumerism is usually linked with holidays based around turkeys and/or trees, but that hasn't stopped Amazon from conjuring up some scary-good deals to celebrate All Hallow's Eve.

The available gambit of creepy-eepy savings is fairly all-inclusive, ranging from Halloweenish gore-fests like Dead Island, Rise of Nightmares and Left 4 Dead, to the more subtle, yet still emotionally horrifying Catherine. There are a few odd-balls in there like Dead or Alive Dimensions and Duke Nukem Forever, although we suppose Duke is terrifying in a more abstract sense of the word.

Spooky Savings: Amazon's 'Un-BOO-lievable' Halloween sale originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 23 Oct 2011 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Left 4 Dead's Death Toll in beta, now playable in Left 4 Dead 2

David Hinkle — Fri, 16 Sep 2011 22:50:00 EST

Valve's unleashed the Death Toll campaign from the original Left 4 Dead on the PC-playing Left 4 Dead 2 crowd today, albeit with some minor tweaks which Valve is being mum about. They want us all to go in with "fresh eyes" they say, so we'll see how that goes. Any feedback you have, you can drop it in the Steam forums. (Or you could leave a comment in this very post!)

Also, Valve's got an update on the launch window of the entire Cold Stream DLC release, of which Death Toll is a part of: It's coming around Halloween. Previously the goal was late summer, but with all of the testing and rigmarole that goes into tuning a game, Valve's gotten a little behind schedule. It's tough to complain, considering how very, very free all this stuff is.

Left 4 Dead's Death Toll in beta, now playable in Left 4 Dead 2 originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 16 Sep 2011 22:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Valve games show up on Origin [update]

Jordan Mallory — Sat, 03 Sep 2011 11:30:00 EST

Update: The Valve titles offered by Origin are, in fact, boxed retail copies, rather than downloadable versions as indicated. Seeing as EA has published Valve titles at retail for years, this is less world-shattering than originally thought.

As sentient, probably-intelligent creatures, we as humans like to think that we have a pretty good understanding of the world around us. Our belief systems, while dynamic and varied across creed and culture, all provide for an interpretation of the world around us. We build order out of chaos, but despite how solid we think our understanding of the universe is, the impossible can still sometimes be possible.

EA's PC gaming distribution service Origin is running a buy-two-get-one-free deal, which defies all logic and human reasoning by including Left 4 Dead GOTY Edition, Left 4 Dead 2, and Counter-Strike: Source among its offerings. This echoes statements made to Eurogamer by EA honcho Jens Uwe earlier this week, who said that EA is in talks with other publishers to release content on Origin. We never doubted that non-EA titles would eventually make their way onto the platform, but we didn't really expect Valve to be first in line, considering that the two companies have a bit of a history. Perhaps Valve is extending an olive branch of sorts?

[Thanks, Stefano!]

[Image credit: TexHex]

Valve games show up on Origin [update] originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 03 Sep 2011 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Left 4 Dead making-of feature recounts Survivor evolution, other odd stuff

David Hinkle — Tue, 30 Aug 2011 06:00:00 EST

Edge has an extensive and rather interesting look back at the development of Left 4 Dead that touches on design philosophy and how people behave while playing.

"Some people would declare themselves the leader and bark instructions, whether they were qualified to or not," said Mike Booth, then CEO of Turtle Rock Studios, where the game originally began development. "Other guys just wanted to help out and make sure everyone had health kits. A few would just wait for the moment to stab you in the back." Other interesting anecdotes include a foursome who decided to just end it all by jumping off the rooftop at the opening of "No Mercy," and the Counter-Strike veterans who protected a gaming-illiterate father.

The article also looks at how Turtle Rock and Valve initially got together, the technology that produces the 30 zombies populating the game world at any given time and, our personal favorite, the evolution of Louis from "a religious nutjob" to the likeable office worker based on Faliszek and Wolpaw's pal from Cleveland. "I remember helping him move house," said Faliszek. "He dropped something, ruined it and still made a joke about it. That's the perfect guy you want in the zombie apocalypse." Who else is going to help you find all those pipe bombs?

Left 4 Dead making-of feature recounts Survivor evolution, other odd stuff originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 30 Aug 2011 06:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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L4D2 to get Blood Harvest if 60,000 players unlock Achievement

Richard Mitchell — Fri, 05 Aug 2011 20:20:00 EST

The slow and steady march (undead, you might say) to release all of Left 4 Dead 1's maps into Left 4 Dead 2 continues, with Valve offering fans a chance to unlock the beta version of Blood Harvest early. So, how does it work? Simple: To unlock Blood Harvest, PC players simply have to help test a new version of Dead Air.

Specifically, players will be awarded an Achievement for completing an entire Versus game in Dead Air. Once sixty-thousand (60,000) players unlock the Achievement, Valve will unlock Blood Harvest on the following weekday. Be warned though, it must be a complete game, as Valve notes "you can't rage quit and you need to work together."

Remember that the next time you willingly allow a Jockey to ride off on your friend.

L4D2 to get Blood Harvest if 60,000 players unlock Achievement originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 05 Aug 2011 20:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Mine 4 Dead is exactly what you're hoping it is

Justin McElroy — Thu, 04 Aug 2011 00:45:00 EST

Traveling into the late 80s? Want to take a game that features modern gameplay conceits but an era-appropriate graphical style back with you? Of course, we've all been there. Next time you rev up to 88 mph, you should plan on sliding this custom Minecraft adventure map, Mine 4 Dead, into your DeLorean glove box.

The first episode, Blockhawk Down, has got all the zombie killing and pill gobbling of undead redeadening simulator Left 4 Dead, but with a retro look that won't completely terrify the pre-90s, Debbie Gibson-loving cro-magnons you'll encounter during your chrono-vacation. This brainchild of Chicago artist Kate Ouwenga is available for free right here, but you can see it in action in the video above.

Mine 4 Dead is exactly what you're hoping it is originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 04 Aug 2011 00:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Dark Horse compiles Valve comics

Alexander Sliwinski — Tue, 12 Jul 2011 00:10:00 EST

Dark Horse Comics has revealed Valve Presents: The Sacrifice and Other Steam-Powered Stories. According to the listing on Comic Book Resources, the 304-page book contains Left 4 Dead's The Sacrifice comic, along with stories from the worlds of Team Fortress 2 and Portal.

The comic book compilation will launch on November 16 for $29.99. Although there are no further details regarding the Portal and TF2 comics, we'd guess they are Valve's online comics in physical form.

Dark Horse compiles Valve comics originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 12 Jul 2011 00:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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THQ publishing re-formed Turtle Rock Studios' next FPS

Griffin McElroy — Thu, 26 May 2011 12:08:00 EST

Left 4 Dead developer Turtle Rock Studios has had an odd career trajectory, having been acquired and absorbed wholesale by Valve after gaining no small amount of attention for its zombie-slaying multiplayer title. The studio re-materialized last March under the supervision of original CEO Michael Booth, and presumably started work on something big -- as evidenced by a hiring push this past February, and their opening of a shiny new studio space. Today, one big detail about said project came to light: It's going to be published by THQ, and released in 2013.

In a press release announcing the partnership, Turtle Rock COO Phil Robb said, "This project is the most ambitious thing we've ever attempted," later adding, "We're going to take the first person shooter experience to a whole new level, and we can't wait to show the game for the first time in the months ahead." The announcement lines up with a client list released by talent representation firm Verve (as discovered by supererogatory), which says GI Joe: The Rise of Cobra and Four Brothers writers David Elliot and Paul Lovett are working with Turtle Rock on a brand new IP for a "top-tier publisher."

No more specific window was given for the game's proper announcement, though the press release explains that the title will not be shown off at E3. Or is that just to throw us off the scent? Nice try, you crafty press release, you. As for any complications this might cause concerning Valve's current relationship with the studio remains to be seen -- a THQ representative told us, "To clear up any confusion, we are getting clarification on the Turtle Rock/Valve relationship - and should have that info later today." Stay tuned!

THQ publishing re-formed Turtle Rock Studios' next FPS originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 26 May 2011 12:08:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Left 4 Dead Hunter & Tank plushes shipping December 27

James Ransom-Wiley — Sun, 19 Dec 2010 21:00:00 EST

The Left 4 Dead 2-themed Hunter and Tank plushes will just make their planned "late December" arrival on the Valve Store. The new additions to this line of frighteningly inappropriate stuffed "animals" will begin shipping to pre-purchasers on Monday, December 27, ensuring that Christmas will not be ruined for any young recipients of these special ... Infected.

Sold separately and currently available for pre-order at a 10-percent discount, the Hunter Plush ($26.95) and Tank Plush ($31.45) both feature ten likely terrifying sound samples that should never, ever be played in a child's bedroom when the lights are off. Thankfully, the pair looks decidedly cuddlier than its sibling, the Boomer Plush.

But, you know? That isn't saying much.

Left 4 Dead Hunter & Tank plushes shipping December 27 originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 19 Dec 2010 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Valve Store offering deals on merchandise, adding new Left 4 Dead plushes

Griffin McElroy — Sun, 28 Nov 2010 15:00:00 EST

Today's batch of daily Steam weekend deals is pretty radical, decimating the prices of jams like The Ball, World of Goo and The Orange Box -- however, you shouldn't ignore the other big sale Valve is currently hosting. Dozens of shirts, hats and other pieces of merchandise from the company's titles are currently on sale through The Valve Store. Many pieces of apparel are temporarily marked down to just five bucks; that's some cheap holiday shopping for your more game-savvy acquaintances.

If you can hold off from capitalizing on these offers, you might be interested in two new items which will soon arrive on the Valve Store's virtual shelves -- plushes modeled after Left 4 Dead's gnarliest foes, the Hunter and Tank. You'll be able to place these bad boys next to your equally squeezable (and upsetting) Boomer plush when they go on sale in late December.

Valve Store offering deals on merchandise, adding new Left 4 Dead plushes originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 28 Nov 2010 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We're doing our best to make this Steam Halloween sale scary

JC Fletcher — Fri, 29 Oct 2010 00:03:00 EST

"Did ... did you hear that? That creepy noise, coming from the direction of Steam. What is that? It sounds like ... Left 4 Dead and Left 4 Dead 2 for $15."

Steam's Halloween sale is upon us, and you can't hide from these terrifying deals. Actually, we suppose you can, since they're just going to sit there on the site until November 1. The inanimate, inert, pleasant, but also totally spooky deals include Worms: Reloaded and Team Fortress 2 for $9.99 each, and the Overlord pack for $7.49.

With prices this good, the only scary thing is missing out on this sale. Although there are Steam sales all the time, so it's really just slightly inconvenient if you don't get anything this time. Um, boooooooo! Ghosts!

We're doing our best to make this Steam Halloween sale scary originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 29 Oct 2010 00:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Left 4 Dead finally shambles onto Mac, goes on sale

Randy Nelson — Wed, 27 Oct 2010 23:30:00 EST

Although its sequel broke down a boarded-up door and burst onto Steam for Mac back on October 5, the original Left 4 Dead was expected sometime before Halloween. Well, that "sometime" equals "today" and it's on sale for $9.99. (Or, be a savvy survivor, and opt for the $14.99 L4D plus L4D2 pack!)

Left 4 Dead finally shambles onto Mac, goes on sale originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 27 Oct 2010 23:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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New StarCraft 2 scenarios reference L4D, DoTA, Bejeweled

Justin McElroy — Fri, 22 Oct 2010 15:07:00 EST

We thought StarCraft 2 was a little confusing before, but imagine how perplexed we were to look inside the BlizzCon program and see descriptions of upcoming maps for the game that include references to Bejeweled, Defense of the Ancients and ... Iron Chef? Here's the text from Shacknews:

Aiur Chef takes you to a remote area of the planet Aiur, where aspiring zealot chefs skilled in the arts of cooking and killing compete for the title of Executor Chef. Test your wits in the puzzler StarJeweled, which challenges you to match jewels according to color to gain energy, train troops and crush your enemy's base. You'll also be able to team up with a friend to fend off a new strain of zerg infestation in Left 2 Die (a new co-op take on the StarCraft II campaign mission "Outbreak"), as well as wage war with the most powerful heroes in the universe in Blizzard All-Stars, an explosive new multiplayer scenario.

First Professor Layton and Phoenix Wright team up, and now this? Apologies to Powerman 5000, but this is what it is indeed like when worlds collide.

New StarCraft 2 scenarios reference L4D, DoTA, Bejeweled originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 22 Oct 2010 15:07:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Left 4 Dead 1 and 2 on sale for $10.19 on Steam for a limited time

Griffin McElroy — Tue, 05 Oct 2010 16:22:00 EST

Valve has extended a whole mess of offers for Left 4 Dead and its sequel on its Steam platform in honor of the release of "The Sacrifice" -- both titles (the latter of which just launched on Mac) are available for $6.79 each, or $10.19 together for "a limited time."

Continue reading Left 4 Dead 1 and 2 on sale for $10.19 on Steam for a limited time

Left 4 Dead 1 and 2 on sale for $10.19 on Steam for a limited time originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 05 Oct 2010 16:22:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Give up a few minutes for Left 4 Dead's 'The Sacrifice' trailer

JC Fletcher — Fri, 01 Oct 2010 12:10:00 EST

Filed under: Weird But True, Opinions, New In Pop Culture

"The Sacrifice" DLC for Left 4 Dead and Left 4 Dead 2 arrives October 5 on Xbox 360 and PC. The expansion will add a new campaign to both games, the L4D1 "No Mercy" game type to L4D2 and a new mechanic in which players can choose to sacrifice themselves for the team. While free for PC players, the add-on will cost 560 Microsoft Points ($7) on Xbox.

To help you avoid confusing this with "My Sacrifice," the 2001 hit single by Creed, we've included some visual aids in the form of a trailer after the break and screens in the gallery below.

Gallery: Left 4 Dead ("The Sacrifice" DLC)

Continue reading Give up a few minutes for Left 4 Dead's 'The Sacrifice' trailer

Give up a few minutes for Left 4 Dead's 'The Sacrifice' trailer originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 01 Oct 2010 12:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Left 4 Dead born from Valve's killed 'flying fairy' game

James Ransom-Wiley — Fri, 27 Aug 2010 16:40:00 EST

Filed under: Weird But True, Opinions, New In Pop Culture

"We stabbed it," Valve project manager Erik Johnson tells PC Gamer of the studio's apparent "flying fairy game," as Gabe Newell puts it. The conversation with Valve, which includes marketing director Doug Lombardi, provides revealing insight into the creative process of one of the most respected developers in the industry.

Described as an "action fantasy sort of role playing game" featuring fairies, the project went as far as a working prototype (with spells cast by mouse gesturing) and "it was so bad," says Newell. Still, it was "a useful failure," adds the Valve co-founder, "because It was so clearly dumb that it made us say, 'Okay, what are we actually good at that we can do instead?'" Cue the Zombie Apocalypse!

[Image credit: PC Gamer]

Left 4 Dead born from Valve's killed 'flying fairy' game originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 27 Aug 2010 16:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Left 4 Dead's 'Tank' figure unveiled, busting through bank accounts

Ben Gilbert — Sat, 31 Jul 2010 13:30:00 EST

Filed under: Weird But True, Opinions, New In Pop Culture

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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New L4D2 Mutation: Hard Eight (more like 'Just Hard')

Richard Mitchell — Sat, 17 Jul 2010 08:00:00 EST

Filed under: Weird But True, Opinions, New In Pop Culture

At first, we really liked the idea of Left 4 Dead 2 "mutations." They promised fun tweaks to the gameplay to keep it interesting and fresh. In practice, however, they seem more like an excuse for Valve to make the game even harder. For instance, this week's mutation is "Hard Eight," which doubles the maximum number of active special Infected from four to eight. Eight.

What's that? You just killed a Boomer? Well, don't worry, because there are seven more standing right behind you.

New L4D2 Mutation: Hard Eight (more like 'Just Hard') originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 17 Jul 2010 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We don't hate 'I Hate Mountains,' a fan-made Left 4 Dead campaign

Griffin McElroy — Sat, 05 Jun 2010 17:30:00 EST

Filed under: Weird But True, Opinions, New In Pop Culture

We've seen the Left 4 Dead SDK be used to create some truly impressive, zombie-infested levels, but this one might just take the cake. Three modders recently published a full-length, five-chapter campaign for Valve's original Zombocalypse survival sim, titled "I Hate Mountains" -- a quote from the game's lovable, vested contrarian, Francis.

The campaign, which took over one year to develop, takes players through a number of eerie, lovingly crafted environments, such as a lumber yard and a (likely structurally unsound) mansion. You can check out a trailer for I Hate Mountains after the jump, or download it from the mod's official website.

Download: I Hate Mountains (266MB)

[Via Shacknews]

Continue reading We don't hate 'I Hate Mountains,' a fan-made Left 4 Dead campaign

We don't hate 'I Hate Mountains,' a fan-made Left 4 Dead campaign originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 05 Jun 2010 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Latest Left 4 Dead 2 mutation: more like Left 1 Dead

JC Fletcher — Fri, 28 May 2010 23:00:00 EST

Valve's latest "mutation" gametype for the Left 4 Dead 2 "The Passing" DLC takes three survivors out of the equation. "Last Man on Earth" is a single-player mode in which the player is the only Survivor left in the world, and must face nothing but Special Infected without the help of other players or even bots. In other words, it might has well have been called "The Player is Murdered Immediately."

Instead of an opportunity to play with developers (since, you know, it's single-player), Valve is encouraging players to record sixty-second clips of gameplay and upload them to YouTube with the tag "L4D2LastSurvivor." If you want to see lots of footage of player characters being torn apart by Special Infected, now you know where to go.

Latest Left 4 Dead 2 mutation: more like Left 1 Dead originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 28 May 2010 23:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Latest L4D2 mutation is for gnome lovers

Richard Mitchell — Fri, 14 May 2010 19:30:00 EST

Valve has announced the latest mutation game mode in Left 4 Dead 2: Last Gnome on Earth. In order to win, the survivors simply have to carry the garden gnome through any of the single-player campaigns. There's a catch though: the Infected will immediately swarm on anyone carrying the gnome. Valve also warns players to be careful setting the gnome down as "a boomer explosion will send him flying." The mutation is only available in campaign mode.

Valve also added that Realism Vs mode, as promised, will become permanent starting next week for everyone that owns "The Passing" DLC. Furthermore, one of the mutations released so far will make a comeback next week, with Valve noting that the mutation will be voted in by players. The candidates include Follow the Liter, Bleed Out and this week's mutation, Last Gnome on Earth. Finally, Valve will be playing Left 4 Dead 2 with the community this weekend. Check out a list of Steam and Xbox Live gamertags the team will be using after the break.

Continue reading Latest L4D2 mutation is for gnome lovers

Latest L4D2 mutation is for gnome lovers originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 14 May 2010 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Left 4 Dead 2 gets permanent Realism Vs mode, new weekly Mutation

David Hinkle — Fri, 07 May 2010 18:32:00 EST

You guys really liked that Realism Vs mode in Left 4 Dead 2, huh? Lucky for you, Valve's Left 4 Dead Blog passes along word that it's been made into a permanent game type. Valve reports the final results of the in-game poll show 68 percent of those voting wanted it to be permanent, while only 21 percent of those voting didn't want it hanging around -- the final 11 percent really had no opinion. Apathy doesn't help kill zombies, people.

And because it's past Thursday, there's now a new Mutation to enjoy: Follow the Liter. In this Scavenger variant, the gas spawning is limited to a solitary can in one location known to both the Survivors and the Infected. Sounds like Mad Max -- you know, but with zombies.

The Left 4 Dead Blog offers more details and teases us with next week's Mutation title: Last Gnome on Earth. You think that's a The World of David the Gnome reference?

Left 4 Dead 2 gets permanent Realism Vs mode, new weekly Mutation originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 07 May 2010 18:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Adorable, nightmarish Left 4 Dead Boomer plush toy on sale

Griffin McElroy — Mon, 03 May 2010 09:30:00 EST

If you're attempting to ween your teenage offspring off their collection of stuffed animals, we suggest investing in a line of plushies which are capable of scaring them out of their adorable addiction. Valve is releasing a set of five Left 4 Dead plush toys which should suit your needs quite well, the first of which -- based on the digestivally challenged "Boomer" special infected -- is currently available on Valve's online store for $49.99.

That price is a tad steep, though each toy comes with a sound chip that can emit ten of the Boomer's in-game grunts and belches. Just think of it like a premium you're paying to really place your child's psyche deep within the nightmare zone.

[Via Big Download]

Adorable, nightmarish Left 4 Dead Boomer plush toy on sale originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 03 May 2010 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Gaming Heads to create lineup of collectibles based on Valve properties

David Hinkle — Fri, 30 Apr 2010 20:30:00 EST

It's as if millions of wallets cried out and were suddenly silenced, stripped of their precious cash money and left hollowed out and dead. We imagine that ringing in our ears has something to do with Valve and Gaming Heads, who just inked a deal to produce a line-up of collectibles based on hit Valve franchises. Pictured above is The Heavy, which will be the first in its Team Fortress 2 series -- available in Red and Blue varieties, of course.

Gaming Heads will also produce statues based on other popular Valve properties, such as Half-Life 2 and Left 4 Dead 2. And if some decorative shelf or desk items aren't really your thing, there's the promise of "life-sized props," meaning there's a possibility you could actually own a Portal gun without having to make it yourself sometime in the future. Just imagine: you'll be the hit of the Halloween party!

The Heavy will be available for pre-order on Monday, May 3.

[Via Team Fortress 2 Blog]

Gaming Heads to create lineup of collectibles based on Valve properties originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 30 Apr 2010 20:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Dead Rising's Frank West passively in Left 4 Dead 2's 'The Passing' [update]

Griffin McElroy — Thu, 22 Apr 2010 16:57:00 EST

Left 4 Dead's eerie atmosphere was made exponentially more engrossing by the warnings scrawled on the walls of each safe house by other survivors. Left 4 Dead 2's downloadable chapter "The Passing," released earlier today, features the above note, apparently written by another down-on-his-luck Zombocalypse veteran. Located by the sharp-eyed bloggers of Destroyed Controller, It reads: "Otis, Out of film, no helicopter. Zombies are too fast. Not going to make it. - Frank West."

It's a real shame that West's had to suffer such misfortune. We doubt he'd be in such an unfavorable position if he possessed the ingenuity of his spiritual successor.

Update: We snapped some pics of our own, like the one above. Head past the break for a few more.

Continue reading Dead Rising's Frank West passively in Left 4 Dead 2's 'The Passing' [update]

Dead Rising's Frank West passively in Left 4 Dead 2's 'The Passing' [update] originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 22 Apr 2010 16:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Left 4 Dead 2's new Mutations explained; Francis and Rochelle find a common interest

David Hinkle — Thu, 22 Apr 2010 13:20:00 EST

You don't just stumble upon a kindred spirit every day. In a new promo video for The Passing -- Left 4 Dead 2's new chapter available today on the Xbox 360 and PC -- it takes an apocalypse to bring Francis and Rochelle together. Well, that and their shared "glass is half empty" outlook on life.

The Passing also kicks off a brand new weekly event in Left 4 Dead 2: Mutations. These are one-off custom game types created by Valve, with a different game type available each Thursday. Today introduces Realism Versus: a match of Versus with Realism enabled, making it much tougher to play as a Survivor and a heck of a lot easier to play as an Infected. In this mode, Valve anticipates the Jockey will be one of the most effective Specials.

Gallery: Left 4 Dead 2: The Passing

Left 4 Dead 2's new Mutations explained; Francis and Rochelle find a common interest originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 22 Apr 2010 13:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Left 4 Dead's 'The Passing' Achievements unveiled, spoilery

Griffin McElroy — Tue, 20 Apr 2010 13:00:00 EST

We've had to walk on eggshells to avoid spoiling the twists and turns of Left 4 Dead 2's imminent content expansion, "The Passing," due out this Thursday on PC and 360. This post is ... well, it's no different at all. Posted after the jump is the list of Achievements included in the DLC, a handful of which may ruin certain plot points you might want to avoid until you get your hands on the new chapter. You've been warned!

Continue reading Left 4 Dead's 'The Passing' Achievements unveiled, spoilery

Left 4 Dead's 'The Passing' Achievements unveiled, spoilery originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 20 Apr 2010 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Left 4 Dead 2's 'The Passing' rolls into town next week

JC Fletcher — Fri, 16 Apr 2010 20:55:00 EST

All right, so the Left 4 Dead/Left 4 Dead 2 crossover DLC "The Passing" passed March by. Valve just announced it'll be available for download next week! We're sure the content will still be fresh, and the zombies still putrid, in April! Valve promised to update the official blog next week with more details.

Additionally, in the spirit of crossover ... ing ... ness ... the Left 4 Dead blog announced that two songs by the fictional Midnight Riders band have been added to the Rock Band Network. For just one dollar each, you can play "Midnight Ride" and "One Bad Man!" It would be appropriate to gather three friends to play the songs with.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in!]

Left 4 Dead 2's 'The Passing' rolls into town next week originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 16 Apr 2010 20:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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