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Joe Danger, Joe Danger 2: The Movie somersaulting onto PC

Sinan Kubba — Fri, 24 May 2013 07:00:00 EST

Joe Danger's latest daredevil stunt is to ride both his games, Joe Danger and Joe Danger 2: The Movie, onto PCs via Steam. UK indie studio Hello Games told us a number of tweaks are coming to the PC versions, including Big Picture Mode and Steamworks support. The latter is for the games' level editors. which on PC feature "all the secret controls" Hello Games used to build both tricksters.

Both games will support gamepad, mouse and keyboard controls. Other tweaks and additions include ghost records of other players for both games, and new levels. Prices and release dates are still to come.

"It's weird, PC is actually Joe Danger's birthplace," Hello Games' Sean Murray told us. "We couldn't get hold of devkits when we started out, so I coded my first ever PC engine for the original Joe Danger, and we ended up developing the entire game on PC. I feel like the PC version has been brewing forever - but only played by four of us here in the office."

We expect a few more people will be playing it when it comes to Steam. We gave the XBLA version of Joe Danger 2: The Movie a wheelie good four stars in our review, saying that it does the two things puzzle-racers should do: " tug at your need to beat them, and then tug at your need to beat them better."

Joe Danger, Joe Danger 2: The Movie somersaulting onto PC originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 24 May 2013 07:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Adult Swim's Super Puzzle Platformer Deluxe hitting Steam soon

Mike Schramm — Fri, 24 May 2013 03:00:00 EST

Super Puzzle Platformer Deluxe, a crazy mix of Tetris and Mega Man created by developer Andrew Morrish and published by Adult Swim, comes to Steam later today. The project started as a Flash game (playable for free) in which you shoot groups of blocks that fall from above.

The "Deluxe" part is new, with the game having evolved to include eight different characters, six worlds, and local head-to-head multiplayer. Full controller support is also included, so you can play SPPD through Steam's Big Picture mode.

Super Puzzle Platformer Deluxe is regularly priced at $7.99, though it'll be 25 percent off at launch. To celebrate, Adult Swim's also having a half-off sale on its first Steam release, Super House of Dead Ninjas, next Tuesday, May 28.

Adult Swim's Super Puzzle Platformer Deluxe hitting Steam soon originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 24 May 2013 03:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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BioShock Infinite's PC specs revealed

Jordan Mallory — Tue, 15 Jan 2013 16:30:00 EST

BioShock Infinite's PC requirements have surfaced from the depths of the development sea, and the minimum specs aren't as tremendously demanding as one might imagine. We'd even wager that most modern-ish non-gaming laptops will be able to run Infinite, albeit at "Low" settings, provided that they run Vista (at least), rock an Intel Core 2 Duo/AMD Athlon X2 processor and have DirectX10 compatible on-board graphics.

Irrational Games also dropped news that the PC version of Infinite will include controller support and is compatible with Steam's Big Picture Mode, in addition to supporting multiple monitors for those who really exceed the minimum system requirements. The game also spans three DVDs, due to the size of its textures. The full list of both Minimum and Recommended specifications can be found after the break.

Continue reading BioShock Infinite's PC specs revealed

BioShock Infinite's PC specs revealed originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 15 Jan 2013 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Valve engineer: No plans to announce 'Steam Box' in 2013

Richard Mitchell — Tue, 08 Jan 2013 19:00:00 EST

Ben Krasnow, Valve electrical engineer and mad genius, has told Engadget that Valve will not be announcing plans for a consumer-friendly "Steam Box" PC this year. The news comes after German site Golem.de reported that Klasnow himself claimed Valve would make such an announcement. The alleged comments would have been made during a talk at the EHSM conference in Berlin last month, which Klasnow attended.

"With regards to the Steam Box news - there has been a lot of things stated in the media which I didn't say," Krasnow tells Engadget, "For example, it's true that we are working on getting Steam into the living room, and are planning for a hardware box, but we have no current plans to announce anything in 2013." Yesterday's report also stated that the device would run on Linux, though Krasnow says may or may not happen in the end. Still, even if Valve's official Steam Box won't be revealed this year, he says the company has many other hardware projects in the works that likely will be.

Valve itself, meanwhile, tells Engadget that "Many PCs optimized for Steam and Big Picture will be shipping later this year," and that the company will brings some of these to its CES meetings, along with its own in-house prototypes. Indeed, smaller PCs designed for Steam and Big Picture mode are already being announced, specifically Xi3's diminutive "Piston" models revealed earlier this week. As if to drive the point home, Xi3's new PC was partially funded by Valve and will be featured in the company's booth at CES.

Valve engineer: No plans to announce 'Steam Box' in 2013 originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 08 Jan 2013 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Rumor: Valve to unveil Steam Box this year, will use Linux

Richard Mitchell — Mon, 07 Jan 2013 10:30:00 EST

Valve's rumored "Steam Box," a compact PC designed to easily connect to televisions and leverage Steam's Big Picture Mode, will debut this year according to a report from German site Golem.de. Furthermore, the Steam Box will supposedly run on Linux. That wouldn't be too surprising given Valve head Gabe Newell's distaste for Windows 8 and the company's recent Linux push. The 2013 release also gels with Newell's recent comments predicting a spate of TV- and Steam-friendly hardware launching in 2013 from various companies, including Valve.

The news was supposedly confirmed by Valve electrical engineer Ben Krasnow during the EHSM conference in Berlin last month. Krasnow, incidentally, was there to show off his homemade X-ray scanner. Given that his personal projects also include, among other things, a DIY rocket engine, we'd say he's probably qualified to help build a little computer.

Valve has plenty of opportunities to announce the hardware this year, including GDC in March, E3 in June, Gamescom in August, or even CES, which takes place this week. For what it's worth, Valve chose to announce Big Picture Mode at GDC 2011. Of course, given this is Valve we're talking about, the company could just hold an event of its own.

Rumor: Valve to unveil Steam Box this year, will use Linux originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 07 Jan 2013 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Valve's Gabe Newell talks 'turnkey' living room hardware

Mike Suszek — Sat, 08 Dec 2012 18:00:00 EST

With the recent launch of Steam Big Picture, it hasn't taken long for the words "Steam Box" to enter the collective gaming community's brain space. Valve boss Gabe Newell reignited that discussion when speaking on the red carpet at last night's Video Game Awards ceremony about the company's plans to enter the hardware business.

Newell told Kotaku that he sees multiple companies entering the hardware space, and that "most customers and most developers are gonna find that [the PC is] a better environment for them." His reasoning is that consumers "won't have to split the world into thinking about 'why are my friends in the living room, why are my video sources in the living room different from everyone else?' So in a sense we hopefully are gonna unify those environments."

The Valve boss suggested that companies would launch PC bundles in 2013 designed to run Steam in the living room and compete with next gen consoles. Newell added that Valve is one of those companies, and its efforts may not be as open-source as some might expect:

"Well certainly our hardware will be a very controlled environment. If you want more flexibility, you can always buy a more general purpose PC. For people who want a more turnkey solution, that's what some people are really gonna want for their living room. The nice thing about a PC is a lot of different people can try out different solutions, and customers can find the ones that work best for them."

Valve's Gabe Newell talks 'turnkey' living room hardware originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 08 Dec 2012 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Steam Big Picture is live, weeklong sale on controller-friendly games

Jessica Conditt — Mon, 03 Dec 2012 13:45:00 EST

Steam Big Picture, the mode that transforms Steam into a big-screen service easily controllable with a gamepad, is officially live now, following a beta that began in September. To celebrate, a range of games that fully support controllers are on sale through December 10 at 10 a.m. PT, some for up to 75 percent off.

A few games on sale are Tiny and Big: Grandpa's Leftovers, Castle Crashers, Portal 2 (now with split-screen), Left 4 Dead 2, A Virus Named Tom and Mark of the Ninja. There are more than 30 games on sale, all of them featuring full controller support.

Steam breaks down games into full and partial controller support: There are 41 games with full support and 387 with partial, though on the Big Picture sale page Steam lists 70 with full and 851 with partial, so there may be some hiding in the rafters. All games are accessible in Big Picture mode, though not all support gamepads, of course.

Continue reading Steam Big Picture is live, weeklong sale on controller-friendly games

Steam Big Picture is live, weeklong sale on controller-friendly games originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 03 Dec 2012 13:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Portal 2 gets split-screen and Big Picture support on Steam

Sinan Kubba — Wed, 21 Nov 2012 10:15:00 EST

Steam's Portal 2 now supports split-screen and Big Picture mode, meaning PC and Mac players can enjoy inter-spatial robo-cooperation on their TV sets. Valve's patch notes say split-screen co-op is accessed by pressing X on the second controller in the first co-op menu.

The patch also fixed a couple of minor errors, including not being able to exit the Robot Enrichment or Create Test Chambers menus with the controller. We at the Joystiq Enrichment Center would like to remind you that any inability to exit Joystiq is perfectly regular, and your enforced presence on our website is most appreciated.

Portal 2 gets split-screen and Big Picture support on Steam originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 21 Nov 2012 10:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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First Valve hardware to go into beta next year

JC Fletcher — Wed, 19 Sep 2012 11:30:00 EST

Valve in-house hardware hacker Jeri Ellsworth told Engadget that she hopes to hold an external beta test, tied to Steam, for the company's first hardware product next year. Internal beta tests within Valve are already ongoing.

She wasn't clear on what the device would be, but the stated goal is "to make Steam games more fun to play in your living room." The new hardware is some kind of input method to improve playability of PC games using Big Picture Mode. It could be a controller, or it could be some kind of keyboard/mouse combination.

Or it could be maracas. Maracas have proven perfect for every game we've tried them with, including Samba De Amigo, and ...

First Valve hardware to go into beta next year originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 19 Sep 2012 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Details on Steam's Big Picture Mode before this afternoon's beta [update: You can now opt in]

JC Fletcher — Mon, 10 Sep 2012 09:30:00 EST

Steam's Big Picture Mode, the new menu designed for use on TVs, will be available in beta today, as reported over the weekend. More information, including screenshots of the menu, was released today, including the look at the on-screen keyboard.

The "lotus" style keyboard (as in the flower, not the software company) has users tilt an analog stick in one of eight directions to highlight a cluster of letters, then hit a colored button to specify the letter. It's a weird-looking solution to the problem of on-screen typing, but a Valve staffer told Kotaku that when people try it, "they're almost instantly faster than [when using] QWERTY."

Big Picture also includes a web browser, which can be used simultaneously with a game through a multitasking feature. You can switch back and forth, Kotaku reports, without going back to your PC's desktop.

This isn't necessarily a first step toward the legendary "Steam Box" console. "What we really want is to ship [Big Picture mode] and then learn," Big Picture Mode team leader Greg Coomer said. "So we want to find out what people value about that. How they make use of it. When they make use of it. Whether it's even a good idea for the broadest set of customers or not. And then decide what to do next."

Update: A trailer for Big Picture Mode, above, shows the keyboard in motion, along with other features.

Update 2: Steam users can now opt in to the beta for Big Picture Mode! Go into settings, select "Steam Beta Update" and restart the Steam client. Once you've completed that, you'll see the Big Picture button in the top right-hand corner.

Continue reading Details on Steam's Big Picture Mode before this afternoon's beta [update: You can now opt in]

Details on Steam's Big Picture Mode before this afternoon's beta [update: You can now opt in] originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 10 Sep 2012 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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New York Times: Steam Big Picture public beta starts Monday

Jordan Mallory — Sat, 08 Sep 2012 21:00:00 EST

Last August, we found out that Steam's Big Picture interface would be moving into its beta phase "soon," but we never expected it would be, like, soon. It is Valve after all, and we never figured that Big Picture's public beta would happen in our lifetimes, let alone on Monday, September 10, like the New York Times says.

For those of you who haven't been following this song's bouncing ball, allow us to refresh your memory: Steam's Big Picture interface is a custom UI designed specifically to make Valve's all-encompassing digital storefront more user-friendly on televisions. It's being designed with controller-based navigation in mind and would represent Valve's first formal step into the living room. Whether Monday's testing is truly public or invitation based like its Community beta remains to be seen.

New York Times: Steam Big Picture public beta starts Monday originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 08 Sep 2012 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Steam 'Big Picture' beta coming soon

David Hinkle — Fri, 17 Aug 2012 01:33:00 EST

On tonight's episode of GTTV, Valve's Gabe Newell revealed that a beta for Big Picture mode would launch "soon." Big Picture mode, first announced in early 2011, will allow gamers to hook up their PC or Mac to their living room television - well, okay, it doesn't have to be in your living room, just wherever you've got a TV. Valve aims to offer "simple, easy-to-read navigation designed specifically for TV" and controller support with Big Picture mode.

Tonight's episode of GTTV isn't available online yet (it's still technically on Spike TV on the east coast, if you want to catch the last few minutes) so we're going off host Geoff Keighley's Twitter account right now. We'll be sure to update as more information is made available. In the meanwhile, go grab a rag and dust off that moldy old television set!

Steam 'Big Picture' beta coming soon originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 17 Aug 2012 01:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Steam sales increase 100 percent for the seventh straight year

Jessica Conditt — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 13:15:00 EST

Steam now hosts more than 40 million accounts and 1,800 games, and its 2011 year-over-year sales increased 100 percent for the seventh year in a row, Valve announced today with a ridiculously smug grin on its face (we assume). During the Holiday Sale, Steam clocked more than 5 million simultaneous users -- in perspective, that's easily more people than the entire population of Norway, all on Steam at the same time.

Steam served over 780 petabytes of data to gamers in 2011, more than doubling the amount delivered in 2010, Valve reported. More than 19 million items were traded in-game, Valve president Gabe Newell said, and he promised that more free-to-play titles will be launched in 2012 to supplement the 18 Steam already hosts.

Newell hasn't forgotten about Big Picture Mode, Valve's attempt to infiltrate living rooms with a top-boxy device that will offer Steam via controller navigation on "more screens throughout the house." Newell said Valve is "preparing for the launch" of Big Picture Mode, so we're guessing we can expect to see something concrete by 2015.

Continue reading Steam sales increase 100 percent for the seventh straight year

Steam sales increase 100 percent for the seventh straight year originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 06 Jan 2012 13:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Steam gaining 'big picture' mode on PC and Mac, living room ahoy!

Christopher Grant — Mon, 28 Feb 2011 14:00:00 EST

Valve took the opportunity of GDC today to announce its latest enhancement for Steam: "big picture" mode. What's "big picture" mode, you ask?

"With big picture mode, gaming opportunities for Steam partners and customers become possible via PCs and Macs on any TV or computer display in the house," Valve marketing veep Doug Lombardi said in a press release. Valve will be sharing details of "big picture" mode with devs and pubs at GDC, showing off "controller support and navigation designed for television interaction." It sounds like you home theater PC owners may be in for a treat.

Continue reading Steam gaining 'big picture' mode on PC and Mac, living room ahoy!

Steam gaining 'big picture' mode on PC and Mac, living room ahoy! originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 28 Feb 2011 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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