Joystiq http://www.joystiq.com Joystiq http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/http://www.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif Joystiq http://www.joystiq.com en-us Copyright 2013 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[Team Fortress 2 'Robotic Boogaloo' update tangos with Steam]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/17/team-fortress-2-robotic-boogaloo-update-tangos-with-steam/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/17/team-fortress-2-robotic-boogaloo-update-tangos-with-steam/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/17/team-fortress-2-robotic-boogaloo-update-tangos-with-steam/#comments
The first community-created updated for Team Fortress 2 has rolled out: 'Robotic Boogaloo.' Continuing the robot theme of previous Team Fortress 2 updates, Robotic Boogaloo adds 57 new artisanal hats, helmets, bonnets, turbans, crowns, toppers and other headgear - all created by the community.

Robotic Boogaloo isn't all hats but, naturally, it's mostly hats. Each new Team Fortress 2 item can be found within RoboCrates - rare drops after June 3 - that can be opened with a key from the Mann Co. store, each costing $2.50. The revenue from these items will then be shared amongst all creators responsible for Robotic Boogaloo content.

JoystiqTeam Fortress 2 'Robotic Boogaloo' update tangos with Steam originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 17 May 2013 23:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>communitymacpcrobotic-boogaloosteamTeam-Fortress-2updatevalveFri, 17 May 2013 23:59:00 EST<![CDATA[Valve now selling a Balloonicorn plushie, with in-game code]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/07/valve-now-selling-a-balloonicorn-plushie-with-in-game-code/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/07/valve-now-selling-a-balloonicorn-plushie-with-in-game-code/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/07/valve-now-selling-a-balloonicorn-plushie-with-in-game-code/#commentsValve now selling a Balloonicorn plushie You can now buy a Balloonicorn Plushie straight from Valve's official Team Fortress 2 store. The cute pink union of a balloon and a unicorn is 14.5 inches from horntip to tail and comes with a code for a genuine Balloonicorn in-game item, for $24.99.

The Balloonicorn serves as the "Municipal Ombudsman" of Pyroland, which is the cute and creepy world as seen through the Pyro's eyes. Like the best things in life, it's adorable yet horrifying.

JoystiqValve now selling a Balloonicorn plushie, with in-game code originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 07 May 2013 03:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>balloonicorncollectiblefunmeet-the-pyropcplushieTeam-Fortress-2toyvalveTue, 07 May 2013 03:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Source Filmmaker strikes again with fan-created Futurama fun times]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/05/source-filmmaker-strikes-again-with-fan-created-futurama-fun-tim/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/05/source-filmmaker-strikes-again-with-fan-created-futurama-fun-tim/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/05/source-filmmaker-strikes-again-with-fan-created-futurama-fun-tim/#comments

Stop us if you've seen this one before. YouTuber MisterMulluc took the song from "Hell is Other Robots," the ninth episode ever of Futurama, and gave it a Source Filmmaker twist. Mr. MisterMulluc has some serious skills, even one week after the video was posted.

JoystiqSource Filmmaker strikes again with fan-created Futurama fun times originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 05 May 2013 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>futuramamacpcrobot-hellsfmsource-filmmakerTeam-Fortress-2tf2valveSun, 05 May 2013 18:30:00 EST<![CDATA[This is what playing TF2 with an Oculus Rift and an omni-directional treadmill looks like]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2013/04/20/this-is-what-playing-tf2-with-an-oculus-rift-and-an-omni-directi/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/04/20/this-is-what-playing-tf2-with-an-oculus-rift-and-an-omni-directi/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/04/20/this-is-what-playing-tf2-with-an-oculus-rift-and-an-omni-directi/#comments
In order to demonstrate the functionality of its "Omni" prototype treadmill, which the company calls a "natural motion interface for virtual reality applications," technology start-up Virtuix has released the above video of the contraption being used in conjunction with an Oculus Rift and Team Fortress 2.

The setup essentially works like this: The Oculus Rift handles head tracking and display duties, while a Kinect tracks how the player walks/runs on the the Omni, and then converts that input into in-game commands. The Kinect is an in-development solution, however, and Virtuix says the Omni will include its own sensor when/if it ships to consumers.

The company plans to launch a Kickstarter campaign in May, with final production units costing somewhere between $400 and $600, sans shipping. A second example video, this time showing a better look at a prototype of the device while in use, has been tucked away beyond the veil.

Continue reading This is what playing TF2 with an Oculus Rift and an omni-directional treadmill looks like

JoystiqThis is what playing TF2 with an Oculus Rift and an omni-directional treadmill looks like originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 20 Apr 2013 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Oculus-RiftOmniomni-directional-treadmillOmni-VirtuixpcTeam-Fortress-2Valvevirtual-realityVirtuixVRSat, 20 Apr 2013 19:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Brutal Legend items now available in Team Fortress 2]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2013/04/18/brutal-legend-items-now-available-in-team-fortress-2/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/04/18/brutal-legend-items-now-available-in-team-fortress-2/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/04/18/brutal-legend-items-now-available-in-team-fortress-2/#comments Brtal Legend items now available for purchase in Team Fortress 2Double Fine's heavy metal adventure RTS, Brütal Legend, made its way to Steam earlier this year, and those who pre-ordered it were able to grab a few special items for use in Team Fortress 2. Those pieces are no longer exclusive: You can now purchase the Brütal Bouffant headgear (sideburns and mullets included) and the Shred Alert taunt from Double Fine's Steam Workshop stall.

Only the pre-order bonuses are of "Genuine" quality, however, so those who participated during the promotional period still have a way to distinguish themselves in Double Fine fandom.

JoystiqBrutal Legend items now available in Team Fortress 2 originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 18 Apr 2013 02:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>brutal-bouffantBrutal-Legenddouble-finepcpreordershred-alertsteamsteam-workshoptauntteam-fortress-2Thu, 18 Apr 2013 02:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Thirty minutes of Team Fortress 2 in virtual reality caught on camera]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2013/04/08/thirty-minutes-of-team-fortress-2-in-virtual-reality-caught-on-c/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/04/08/thirty-minutes-of-team-fortress-2-in-virtual-reality-caught-on-c/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/04/08/thirty-minutes-of-team-fortress-2-in-virtual-reality-caught-on-c/#comments

The team at Tested got a chance play around with Team Fortress 2 using the upcoming Oculus Rift headset, and they recorded half an hour of gameplay for us to virtually enjoy. Not "virtually" as in we'll "almost" enjoy it, but "virtually" as in "virtual reality"-based enjoyment. Just watch the video.

Kickstarter backers should receive their Oculus Rift dev kits by mid-April, with pre-orders hitting a little later in the month. For those expecting a kit, check out Valve's list of handy tricks for setting up VR in TF2.

JoystiqThirty minutes of Team Fortress 2 in virtual reality caught on camera originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 08 Apr 2013 22:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>oculus-riftpcTeam-Fortress-2TestedvalveVirtual-RealityvrMon, 08 Apr 2013 22:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Valve offers Team Fortress 2 'VR mode' tips and tricks]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2013/03/20/valve-offers-team-fortress-2-vr-mode-tips-and-tricks/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/03/20/valve-offers-team-fortress-2-vr-mode-tips-and-tricks/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/03/20/valve-offers-team-fortress-2-vr-mode-tips-and-tricks/#comments Team Fortress 2 turns on VR mode, not that you can use it yetIn anticipation of VR mode in Team Fortress 2, Valve has put together some resources on how to activate VR mode.

Before you boot up Team Fortress 2, hook up your Oculus Rift, add "-vr" to your command line options in Steam and you should be good to go. You can save shortcuts to your desktop with or without the modified command line for quick-launching in VR or vanilla modes.

You can find all of the above and more on Valve's Oculus Rift user guide. The Oculus Rift will have its first dev kits shipped this month; Kickstarter backers should expect theirs around mid-April. Pre-orders are currently open on the Oculus site, though these folks are last in line to receive their goggles sometime near the end of April.

JoystiqValve offers Team Fortress 2 'VR mode' tips and tricks originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 20 Mar 2013 04:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>macoculus-riftpcsteamTeam-Fortress-2valvevirtual-realityvr-modeWed, 20 Mar 2013 04:55:00 EST<![CDATA[Valve experimented with VR in other games, Team Fortress 2 'obvious choice' for Oculus Rift]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2013/03/18/valve-experimented-vr-other-games-team-fortress-2-oculus-rift/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/03/18/valve-experimented-vr-other-games-team-fortress-2-oculus-rift/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/03/18/valve-experimented-vr-other-games-team-fortress-2-oculus-rift/#comments Valve revealed that Team Fortress 2 will be the official first game to support Oculus Rift's VR headset, something Valve programmer Joe Ludwig told Engadget was an "obvious choice" for Valve - not only because of the size of the community, but because of how rapidly Valve is updating the game, meaning the community is used to being sort of a test group for new concepts.

"Team Fortress was sort of the obvious choice for this," Ludwig said. "The Team Fortress community is large and healthy. There are millions of people playing TF every week, but they're also used to us shipping a lot of updates." Team Fortress 2 receives updates nearly on a weekly basis, but it's not uncommon for players to see multiple updates to the free-to-play shooter in one week.

Ludwig said Valve is currently experimenting with VR in its other games, but is hardly committing to anything beyond testing at this point. "We've played a bit in Left 4 Dead; we've played a bit in Half-Life 2. We haven't taken any of those other games to the point where they're anywhere close to being ready to be shipped; we've just sort of experimented with head tracking a little bit."

Valve chose to partner with Oculus as opposed to creating its own display simply because it made more sense to go that way - the two companies each had something the other wanted. "We've done a bunch of experiments with various bits of hardware, but we don't have a display that we can ship. Oculus is actually out there doing this, and so we're partnering with them because they have the hardware and we have the software and we can help each other out. And we can both learn a lot in the process."

"We don't know how strongly people will react to VR," Ludwig concluded. "We don't know how popular it will be, what people wanna see. It might be that we need to learn a lot more from TF before we move on to other titles. We just don't know what's gonna happen."

JoystiqValve experimented with VR in other games, Team Fortress 2 'obvious choice' for Oculus Rift originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 18 Mar 2013 14:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>joe-ludwigoculus-riftpcTeam-Fortress-2valvevirtual-realityvrMon, 18 Mar 2013 14:45:00 EST<![CDATA[Team Fortress 2 is Oculus Rift's first official game]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2013/03/18/team-fortress-2-is-oculus-rifts-first-official-game/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/03/18/team-fortress-2-is-oculus-rifts-first-official-game/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/03/18/team-fortress-2-is-oculus-rifts-first-official-game/#comments
Our pals at Engadget toured the Valve offices last week to check out virtual reality support in Team Fortress 2, something Valve programmer Joe Ludwig has been working on for quite a while now. Ludwig reveals that Team Fortress 2 will be Oculus Rift's first official game and that Valve will push a VR mode update to players "sometime within the next couple of weeks."

"This is a mode that everybody who has a Rift dev kit and access to Team Fortress 2 will be able to play, just on public and in the same servers that everybody else is playing in," Ludwig told Engadget. Initially, VR mode will be available to only Windows PC players - Mac OS X and Linux platforms are a possibility down the line, after Valve gets access to SDKs for those platforms. "We don't have a Mac or Linux SDK from Oculus quite yet, but once we get those, we'll get it ported over to those other platforms."

Ludwig will provide a talk on Valve's hurdles porting the free-to-play shooter over to virtual reality at GDC in San Francisco in two weeks. The Oculus Rift is an upcoming VR headset that was successfully funded through Kickstarter and ships to backers in April. Oculus Rift's 40 "pilot" dev kit prototypes will begin shipping this month and pre-orders are currently open through Oculus Rift's website.

JoystiqTeam Fortress 2 is Oculus Rift's first official game originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 18 Mar 2013 13:43:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>joe-ludwigoculus-riftpcTeam-Fortress-2valvevirtual-realityvr-modeMon, 18 Mar 2013 13:43:00 EST<![CDATA[Pre-order BioShock Infinite on Steam for TF2 hats, free games; Amazon offers $30]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2013/02/22/pre-order-bioshock-infinite-on-steam-for-tf2-hats-free-games-a/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/02/22/pre-order-bioshock-infinite-on-steam-for-tf2-hats-free-games-a/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/02/22/pre-order-bioshock-infinite-on-steam-for-tf2-hats-free-games-a/#comments Of course there are BioShock Infinite TF2 preorder hatsPre-order BioShock Infinite on Steam, and you might get free copies of BioShock and XCOM: Enemy Unknown. In a Ninostarter-type drive, rewards are unlocked as the number of pre-orders goes up.

The first tier is a free copy of BioShock for everyone; next is a set of BioShock Infinite-themed hats, because it is a game on Steam. Finally, if pre-orders reach a high enough number, free copies of XCOM will be rewarded to everyone.

Amazon offers $30 in "2K Games Credit" with pre-orders of the PC download. You could always fold up some dollar bills into a hat.

JoystiqPre-order BioShock Infinite on Steam for TF2 hats, free games; Amazon offers $30 originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 22 Feb 2013 16:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>amazonbioshock-infinitepcpre-ordersteamTeam-Fortress-2Fri, 22 Feb 2013 16:15:00 EST<![CDATA[Monkey Island 'I wanna be a pirate' scene done up in Source Filmmaker]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2013/01/31/monkey-island-i-wanna-be-a-pirate-scene-done-up-in-source-film/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/01/31/monkey-island-i-wanna-be-a-pirate-scene-done-up-in-source-film/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/01/31/monkey-island-i-wanna-be-a-pirate-scene-done-up-in-source-film/#comments

When it comes to making movies with Valve's Source Filmmaker, there aren't many rules. If The Secret of Monkey Island taught us anything, however, it's that becoming a pirate involves involves an unusual number of rules. YouTuber Callegos Yavolitak decided to combine Source Filmmaker's anarchic ways with the classic "pirate rules" scene from The Secret of Monkey Island, now starring Team Fortress 2 characters.

And hey, the universe didn't implode. See? We can all get along, you guys.

JoystiqMonkey Island 'I wanna be a pirate' scene done up in Source Filmmaker originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 31 Jan 2013 20:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Secret-of-Monkey-Island-Special-Editionsource-filmmakerSTEAMTeam-Fortress-2The-Secret-of-Monkey-Island-Special-EditionvalveThu, 31 Jan 2013 20:35:00 EST<![CDATA[Team Fortress 2 Demo and Pyro action figures now available]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2013/01/30/team-fortress-2-demo-and-pyro-action-figures-now-available/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/01/30/team-fortress-2-demo-and-pyro-action-figures-now-available/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/01/30/team-fortress-2-demo-and-pyro-action-figures-now-available/#comments Team Fortress 2 Demo and Pyro action figures now availableIf your childhood was/is anything like our own, a good majority of it was probably spent blowing up and/or incinerating action figures that totally had it coming, on account of being found guilty of being the bad guy or belonging to one of our siblings. Valve and NECA's shiny new Team Fortress 2 figures follow a somewhat similar theme, though they typically prefer to be on the giving end, rather than the receiving.

Available at Toys 'R' Us, Amazon or directly from Valve's own store, both Demo and Pyro figures measure 7 inches tall, feature 25 points of articulation, include codes for in-game goodies, are individually numbered (1 to 10,000) and cost about $22.

Gallery: Team Fortress 2 (Demo & Pyro figures)

JoystiqTeam Fortress 2 Demo and Pyro action figures now available originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 30 Jan 2013 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>action-figuresdemofigurinesNECApyroTeam-Fortress-2toysvalveWed, 30 Jan 2013 08:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Team Fortress 2 characters join Sonic & All-Stars on PC]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2013/01/19/team-fortress-2-characters-join-sonic-and-all-stars-on-pc/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/01/19/team-fortress-2-characters-join-sonic-and-all-stars-on-pc/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/01/19/team-fortress-2-characters-join-sonic-and-all-stars-on-pc/#comments
While the console version has been out for a number of months, Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed is stuck at the starting line on PC until January 31. Luckily for Sonic and friends, they will be joined by Pyro, Heavy and the Spy from Team Fortress 2 as PC-exclusive racers.

As seen in the video above, the manager from Sports Interactive's Football Manager series and the Shogun from the Total War series are also playable characters in the PC version of the game. Add in the recent 10% off deal when buying the game through Steam, and we're pretty sure Sega wants you to play Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed on PC.

JoystiqTeam Fortress 2 characters join Sonic & All-Stars on PC originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 19 Jan 2013 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>creative-assemblyFootball-ManagerpcSegashogunSonicsonic-and-allstars-racing-transformedsports-interactiveTeam-Fortress-2total-warvalveSat, 19 Jan 2013 12:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Valve's two talks at GDC 2013: VR is hard, Team Fortress 2 in your head]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2013/01/15/valves-two-talks-at-gdc-2013-vr-is-hard-team-fortress-2-in-yo/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/01/15/valves-two-talks-at-gdc-2013-vr-is-hard-team-fortress-2-in-yo/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/01/15/valves-two-talks-at-gdc-2013-vr-is-hard-team-fortress-2-in-yo/#comments Valve to talk HMDs, VRTF2 at GDCValve will be giving two talks at GDC 2013, one to discuss porting Team Fortress 2 to virtual reality goggles, and the other focused on hurdles in developing for virtual and augmented reality.

Valve programmer Joe Ludwig will lead the TF2 talk, titled "What We Learned Porting Team Fortress 2 to Virtual Reality," and Valve research and development man Michael Abrash leads the second talk, called "Why Virtual Reality is Hard (And Where it Might be Going)." Abrash will focus on head-mounted displays. Not "displaying mounted heads" - that's at the Big-Game Developers Conference.

GDC 2013 is at San Francisco's Moscone Center from March 25 - 29. Other notable talks include a postmortem on FTL: Faster than Light, a talk from Capy on paid apps, one on The Walking Dead's art, and talks on mainstream games such as XCOM: Enemy Unknown, Assassin's Creed 3, Spec Ops: The Line, Hitman: Absolution, Mass Effect 3 and more. Peruse the list here.

JoystiqValve's two talks at GDC 2013: VR is hard, Team Fortress 2 in your head originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 15 Jan 2013 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>augmented-realityGDC-2013hmdpcTeam-Fortress-2valvevalve-softwareVirtual-RealityTue, 15 Jan 2013 19:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Team Fortress 2 greets the season with the 'Mecha Update']]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/12/21/team-fortress-2-greets-the-season-with-the-mecha-update/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/12/21/team-fortress-2-greets-the-season-with-the-mecha-update/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/12/21/team-fortress-2-greets-the-season-with-the-mecha-update/#comments Team Fortress 2 says Season's Greetings with the 'Mecha Update'Even though December's quota for robot slaughter isn't any lower than the other 11 months out of the year, Team Fortress 2 still encourages us all to pause and reflect on the importance of the season. The Mecha Update is designed to foster introspection during spirited rounds of Mann vs Machine in Team Fortress 2 - oh, and to provide a new robot to destroy. Because robots have to be destroyed.

The new robot in question is the Mecha-Engineer, pictured above - he's able to teleport ahead in the map and even bring other robots with him. On top of dealing with a new robot class, players will enter a place they've never been: Big Rock. The map is one long path leading to a Mann Co. base where players must defend.

The festive Naughty and Nice crates return this year in Team Fortress 2, until January 3, 2013. The Naughty crates will include limited edition weapons introduced in the Mecha Update, while the Nice crates will drop winter apparel designed by the community.

JoystiqTeam Fortress 2 greets the season with the 'Mecha Update' originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 21 Dec 2012 01:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>macmann-vs-machinemecha-engineermecha-updatepcTeam-Fortress-2valveFri, 21 Dec 2012 01:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Team Fortress 2 gets some Adult Swim costumes (where's our Space Ghost?)]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/12/20/team-fortress-2-gets-some-adult-swim-costumes-wheres-our-space/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/12/20/team-fortress-2-gets-some-adult-swim-costumes-wheres-our-space/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/12/20/team-fortress-2-gets-some-adult-swim-costumes-wheres-our-space/#comments Team Fortress 2 gets some Adult Swimthemed costumesAdult Swim-themed Team Fortress 2 skins are now available for purchase. You can make your Heavy look like Aqua Teen Hunger Force's Carl or The Venture Bros' Brock, or dress your Pyro up like a Metalocalypse's Dr. Rockzo.

There's no sign of Sealab 2021, Home Movies, or even some Space Ghost. Still, you can purchase any or all of these new items in the Team Fortress 2 Mann Co. store now.

JoystiqTeam Fortress 2 gets some Adult Swim costumes (where's our Space Ghost?) originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 20 Dec 2012 03:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>adult-swimaqua-teen-hunger-forcebrockcarlcartoon-networkmetalocalypsepcsealab-2021Team-Fortress-2valveventure-brosThu, 20 Dec 2012 03:01:00 EST<![CDATA[Team Fortress 2 14-inch Sniper statue sure is a 'beaut]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/12/12/team-fortress-2-14-inch-sniper-statue-sure-is-a-beaut/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/12/12/team-fortress-2-14-inch-sniper-statue-sure-is-a-beaut/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/12/12/team-fortress-2-14-inch-sniper-statue-sure-is-a-beaut/#comments Team Fortress 2 blue sniper statue is looking flyThe fourth mega TF2 statue from Gaming Heads is the BLU Sniper Exclusive, and boy is she pretty. The BLU Sniper Exclusive is 14 inches from the base to the top of its arrows, and since it's the exclusive version, it comes with the Razorback battery-powered tribal shield. There are only 350 of these bad boys, and they cost $235 each. They'll be available in Q3 2013, though pre-orders start today.

Gaming Heads also has the Medic, Soldier and Heavy in standard and exclusive versions. If you haven't already started saving up, maybe do that now.

JoystiqTeam Fortress 2 14-inch Sniper statue sure is a 'beaut originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 12 Dec 2012 21:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>blublu-snipergaming-headsmacmicrosoftpcplaystationps3sniperStatueTeam-Fortress-2valvexboxWed, 12 Dec 2012 21:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Steam Community Market enables buying and selling with Steam Wallet]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/12/12/steam-community-market-enables-buying-and-selling-with-steam-wal/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/12/12/steam-community-market-enables-buying-and-selling-with-steam-wal/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/12/12/steam-community-market-enables-buying-and-selling-with-steam-wal/#comments Steam Community Market enables buying and selling with Steam WalletThe Steam Community Market, currently in beta with Team Fortress 2, is designed to allow members to buy and sell items using their Steam Wallet funds. This is an expansion of Steam's previous trading policy and its surprisingly complex TF2 economy. The beta is only available for TF2 at the moment, but more games will be added in the new year.

"With over a half million trades made every week, the trading system has been very successful," Valve's Tony Paloma says. "Extending game economies beyond trades and giving players a way to turn gameplay into funds for new items and games is a key component for moving that success forward."

All consumable TF2 goods and tools are up for selling and purchasing, including paints, keys and crates; all compatible items are now labeled as "Marketable" in Steam inventories. During the beta, Steam takes 5 percent of each transaction amount to cover the cost of development and to prevent fraud. for more in-depth questions, consult the Steam Community Market FAQ or the discussion group.

But before you go asking, yes, this does mean that playing TF2 is a more legitimate career move than ever before.

Continue reading Steam Community Market enables buying and selling with Steam Wallet

JoystiqSteam Community Market enables buying and selling with Steam Wallet originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 12 Dec 2012 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>economymacpcSTEAMsteam-community-marketsteam-economyTeam-Fortress-2tradingvalveWed, 12 Dec 2012 14:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Binding of Isaac in a 3D, first-person Team Fortress 2 mod]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/12/06/binding-of-isaac-in-a-3d-first-person-team-fortress-2-mod/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/12/06/binding-of-isaac-in-a-3d-first-person-team-fortress-2-mod/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/12/06/binding-of-isaac-in-a-3d-first-person-team-fortress-2-mod/#comments

This is a busy season for video games. Not for the developers, necessarily, but for the players. All the big, end-of-the-year games are out, we're marathoning AAA titles and indie darlings alike, and our backlogs are on the verge of becoming sentient. It's about time you take a break, while simultaneously knocking out two games at once: Team Fortress 2 and The Binding of Isaac.

If you haven't spotted this mod that creates a 3D, first-person Binding of Isaac world within Team Fortress 2, give it a look now in the video above. It's even Edmund McMillen-approved.

The mod comes from YouTube user lampenpam, and while it isn't complete, US players can log into the Super Zombie Fortress server, where the Isaac map is in rotation. The server is run by Jonas "Mecha the Slag" Kærlev, the creator of Wind Waker-inspired indie game A Hat in Time.

Technically, with that final link, we've just given you three games to observe while letting your batteries recharge. Literally, we assume - the convenience of those wireless controllers can be such a pain.

JoystiqBinding of Isaac in a 3D, first-person Team Fortress 2 mod originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 06 Dec 2012 02:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>modpcTeam-Fortress-2the-binding-of-isaacThu, 06 Dec 2012 02:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Robot Chicken introduces the 'Nerd' class in Team Fortress 2]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/11/06/robot-chicken-introduces-the-nerd-class-in-team-fortress-2/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/11/06/robot-chicken-introduces-the-nerd-class-in-team-fortress-2/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/11/06/robot-chicken-introduces-the-nerd-class-in-team-fortress-2/#comments
Sure, his resolve in battle may not be the best, but the Nerd in Team Fortress 2 has to have one of the most calculating minds we've ever seen.

JoystiqRobot Chicken introduces the 'Nerd' class in Team Fortress 2 originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 06 Nov 2012 23:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>adult-swimmacnerdpcrobot-chickensteamTeam-Fortress-2valveTue, 06 Nov 2012 23:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Steam Linux closed beta begins today, boot up that Ubuntu, baby]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/11/06/steam-linux-closed-beta-begins-today-boot-up-that-ubuntu-baby/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/11/06/steam-linux-closed-beta-begins-today-boot-up-that-ubuntu-baby/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/11/06/steam-linux-closed-beta-begins-today-boot-up-that-ubuntu-baby/#comments Steam Linux closed beta begins todayThe Steam Linux closed beta, which called for applications late last month, is now live. The Linux beta is available for installation on Ubuntu 12.04, since an "overwhelming majority" of experienced Linux applicants use Ubuntu, Steam says.

The Steam for Linux beta supports Team Fortress 2, though Steam has 25 games in total that run on Linux. Despite reports to the contrary in September, the beta includes Steam's controller-friendly Big Picture mode, which is also still in beta.

"This is a huge milestone in the development of PC gaming," Valve president Gabe Newell says. "Steam users have been asking us to support gaming on Linux. We're happy to bring rich forms of entertainment and our community of users to this open, customer-friendly platform."

Valve received more than 60,000 applications for the beta, and all beta rounds will come from this pool.

Continue reading Steam Linux closed beta begins today, boot up that Ubuntu, baby

JoystiqSteam Linux closed beta begins today, boot up that Ubuntu, baby originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 06 Nov 2012 15:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>betaLinuxpcSTEAMsteam-linuxTeam-Fortress-2valveTue, 06 Nov 2012 15:20:00 EST<![CDATA[Team Fortress 2 becomes 'Scream Fortress' once again, adds zombies and potions]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/10/27/team-fortress-2-becomes-scream-fortress-once-again-adds-zombi/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/10/27/team-fortress-2-becomes-scream-fortress-once-again-adds-zombi/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/10/27/team-fortress-2-becomes-scream-fortress-once-again-adds-zombi/#comments Team Fortress 2 becomes 'Scream Fortress' once again, adds zombies and potionsTeam Fortress 2's fourth-annual "Scream Fortress" festivities have begun, bringing with them the usual blend of spooky items and ghastly baddies. This year's event, which runs until November 8, is also accompanied by a now-customary comic book, which explains how such terrifying circumstances came to be.

Said circumstances include haunted King of the Hill matches, during which players must battle the powerful ghost/wizard Merasmus and his book of bomb magic, the Bombinomicon. Additionally, control points have been booby trapped and now trigger the "Wheel of Fate" with each change in power, which has as much potential to harm as it does to help.

Item-wise, the ghoulish update adds magic spells in the form of potion bottles that can be applied to other inventory items; changing their colors, summoning ghosts or performing any number of other possible magical happenings. "One of the spells might even give you Glenn Danzig's eldritch phone number," Valve's announcement reads.

Mann vs Machine isn't left out of the fun either, gaining a brand-new mission called "Wave 666," which replaces the usual robotic enemies with those of an undead variety.

JoystiqTeam Fortress 2 becomes 'Scream Fortress' once again, adds zombies and potions originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 27 Oct 2012 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>halloweenmacpcScream-Fortressscream-fortress-2Team-Fortress-2TF2ValveSat, 27 Oct 2012 13:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Team Fortress 2's '2nd Annual Manniversary' sale begins]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/10/19/team-fortress-2s-2nd-annual-manniversary-sale-begins/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/10/19/team-fortress-2s-2nd-annual-manniversary-sale-begins/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/10/19/team-fortress-2s-2nd-annual-manniversary-sale-begins/#comments Team Fortress 2's '2nd Annual Manniversary' sale beginsToday marks the second anniversary of Valve's introduction of the Team Fortress 2 Mann Co. Store into the hearts and minds of Steam users everywhere. To celebrate the occasion, Valve is doing what it does best: hold a massive sale.

While not all encompassing, the sale does drop discount bombs on a large portion of Team Fortress 2's microtransaction-based hat/weapon/sundry shop ecosystem, reducing prices on fan-designed fedoras and other miscellany by 25 to 75 percent. Let's be honest, this is probably the best deal you're going to see on pretend hats for a while. Also, we know a guy that can get you an incredible deal on a bridge, if you'd be interested.

JoystiqTeam Fortress 2's '2nd Annual Manniversary' sale begins originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 19 Oct 2012 22:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>hatsmacmann-comann-co-storemanniversarypcsalesteamTeam-Fortress-2TF2valveFri, 19 Oct 2012 22:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Mann vs Machine update adds new difficulty settings and matchmaking options]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/10/11/mann-vs-machine-update-adds-new-difficulty-settings-and-matchmak/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/10/11/mann-vs-machine-update-adds-new-difficulty-settings-and-matchmak/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/10/11/mann-vs-machine-update-adds-new-difficulty-settings-and-matchmak/#comments Mann vs Machine update adds new difficulty settings and matchmaking optionsValve has released a big update to Team Fortress 2's 'Mann vs. Machine' game mode this week, which of course pits human players against an army of invading robots. The update adds two new difficulty settings called tours, one tougher and one easier than the current mode, along with some new loot found throughout the two tours.

Players will also be able to search for multiple missions or tours at a time. Matchmaking updates should make it easier to find and keep groups while playing: once you find a team and defeat a mission, teams will stay together. Good thing, too - those robot hordes aren't going to destroy themselves.

JoystiqMann vs Machine update adds new difficulty settings and matchmaking options originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 11 Oct 2012 04:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>difficultyfree-to-playlootmann-vs-machinematchmakingpcsettingsshooterTeam-Fortress-2toursupdatevalveThu, 11 Oct 2012 04:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Team Fortress 2 needs your spooky Halloween designs]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/09/12/team-fortress-2-needs-your-spooky-halloween-designs/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/09/12/team-fortress-2-needs-your-spooky-halloween-designs/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/09/12/team-fortress-2-needs-your-spooky-halloween-designs/#comments Team Fortress 2 needs your spooky Halloween designsValve has issued a call to arms for all amateur Team Fortress 2 item designers, charging them with the responsibility of filling the game's Steam Workshop with as many spooky, gross or otherwise Halloween-y items as possible before the scaring season officially begins on October 1.

Incidentally, this means that there are already a whole bunch of adorable/icky new items floating around the Workshop, such as this cute lil owl or the Cortex Command exposed-brain Pyro mask seen above. We're especially fond of Sir Spooky, a rather fancy ghost who actually seems quite friendly, rather than terrifyingly macabre. He reminds us of another "friendly ghost," in fact.

Yes, you know who we're talking about - The Ghost of King Hamlet.

JoystiqTeam Fortress 2 needs your spooky Halloween designs originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 12 Sep 2012 15:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>ghostshalloweenmacpcspookysteamsteam-workshopTeam-Fortress-2this-post-is-hauntedvalveWed, 12 Sep 2012 15:45:00 EST<![CDATA[Valve invites 50,000 into Steam Community update beta]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/08/16/valve-invites-50-000-into-steam-community-update-beta/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/08/16/valve-invites-50-000-into-steam-community-update-beta/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/08/16/valve-invites-50-000-into-steam-community-update-beta/#comments Beta for Steam Community update now liveValve has been gradually introducing new features coming in the big Steam Community update, including Game Hubs and Groups. Today, a beta version of the update launched, and the first game to show off its new game page is Team Fortress 2.

In order to gain access to the beta of Steam Community, interested parties will need to have unlocked the 'Pillar of the Steam Community' badge. The first 50,000 to do so will gain entry and another invite to share with a friend. Valve says beta access "will increase incrementally until the public launch."

Continue reading Valve invites 50,000 into Steam Community update beta

JoystiqValve invites 50,000 into Steam Community update beta originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 16 Aug 2012 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>macpcsteamsteam-communityTeam-Fortress-2valveThu, 16 Aug 2012 15:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Team Fortress 2 update adds new 'Coal Town' map, upgrades]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/08/15/team-fortress-2-update-adds-new-coal-town-map-upgrades/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/08/15/team-fortress-2-update-adds-new-coal-town-map-upgrades/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/08/15/team-fortress-2-update-adds-new-coal-town-map-upgrades/#comments TF2 update adds new 'Coal Town' map, other stuffThe battle between Mann and Machine continues with the launch of 'Coal Town,' a museum-themed map for Team Fortress 2. Featuring "many informative placards about the fascinating details of life in a turn-of-the-century mining community," Coal Town is the second piece of content added as part of TF2's new co-op mode.

The recent update also includes upgrade stations, allowing players who collect money from downed robots to boost stats and skills of weapons, items, and abilities.

Each class in the free-to-play shooter has their own upgrades available, such as the Soldier's ability to empower his entire team. More details on the upgrades are available on the official TF2 blog.

JoystiqTeam Fortress 2 update adds new 'Coal Town' map, upgrades originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 15 Aug 2012 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Free-to-PlaymacpcTeam-Fortress-2ValveWed, 15 Aug 2012 16:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Team Fortress 2 pits Mann vs. Machine on August 15]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/08/13/team-fortress-2-pits-mann-vs-machine-on-august-15/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/08/13/team-fortress-2-pits-mann-vs-machine-on-august-15/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/08/13/team-fortress-2-pits-mann-vs-machine-on-august-15/#comments Team Fortress 2 pits Mann vs Machine on August 15
It seems Red and Blu finally got over their differences and decided to unite against a common enemy: the machines. Team Fortress 2 is getting a new co-op mode on August 15 called Mann vs. Machine, pitting six players against waves of robotic dopplegangers.

The players must defend Mann Co. as the robots attempt to plant a bomb, their only respite during the onslaught the "opportunity to upgrade abilities and weapons" as the waves progress. If the players do make it to the end, they can look forward to unlocking new achievements and earning "incredible loot."

This Horde mode variant will include new maps and content, bit by bit of which will be showcased daily leading up to Mann vs. Machine's launch on August 15.

JoystiqTeam Fortress 2 pits Mann vs. Machine on August 15 originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 13 Aug 2012 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>mann-comann-vs-machinepcsteamTeam-Fortress-2valveMon, 13 Aug 2012 21:00:00 EST<![CDATA['Kong King' map added to Team Fortress 2, inspired by Sleeping Dogs]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/08/10/kong-king-map-added-to-team-fortress-2-inspired-by-sleeping-d/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/08/10/kong-king-map-added-to-team-fortress-2-inspired-by-sleeping-d/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/08/10/kong-king-map-added-to-team-fortress-2-inspired-by-sleeping-d/#comments 'King Kong' map added to Team Fortress 2Have dreams of a promotional Team Fortress 2 'King of the Hill' map set in a Chinese cityscape been keeping you up nights since the free-to-play shooter's launch in 2007? "Well, your oddly specific and scarily prescient dreams have come true," the official TF2 blog has revealed.

Dubbed 'Kong King,' the new map brings Team Fortress 2 into the urban environment created in collaboration with "Sleeping Dogs and community member Valentin Levillain," the blog added.

This is the second cross-promotional effort between Valve's Team Fortress 2 and the upcoming United Front Games open-world undercover drama Sleeping Dogs, with pre-order customers of the game getting special Triad-inspired items in TF2.

For more on Sleeping Dogs, check out the replay of our recent live stream of the game with senior producer Jeff O'Connell, and don't forget to giggle at my terrible mouse/keyboard driving skills.

Joystiq'Kong King' map added to Team Fortress 2, inspired by Sleeping Dogs originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 10 Aug 2012 20:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>free-to-playpcSleeping-DogsSquare-EnixTeam-Fortress-2United-Front-GamesValveFri, 10 Aug 2012 20:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Hero Academy's Team Fortress 2 team sounds pretty powerful]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/07/18/hero-academys-team-fortress-2-team-sounds-pretty-powerful/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/07/18/hero-academys-team-fortress-2-team-sounds-pretty-powerful/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/07/18/hero-academys-team-fortress-2-team-sounds-pretty-powerful/#comments Hero Academy's Team Fortress 2 team sounds pretty powerfulAfter announcing that Hero Academy would soon be making its way to Steam, developer Robot Entertainment has now revealed details surrounding the PC version's special Team Fortress 2 team. One thing Hero Academy players will notice right away is that there are a lot of different units. The Team Fortress 2 team has a whopping 9 units, as compared to every other team's 5.

All the Team Fortress 2 classes are represented, each with different special abilities. The Spy, for example, is a cloaked unit that can't be targeted at range. Meanwhile the Engineer can upgrade other units' weapons, the Demoman lobs area-of-effect grenades and the Sniper can target any unit in the same row. As if all that weren't enough, the team's bonus allows them to gain an extra action point every time they stomp an enemy unit (remove it from the board).

Honestly, it sounds like the team will be pretty powerful, although, in fairness, Robot hasn't announced how many of each unit will be available and the team description makes no mention of consumable items.

In other news, the PC version of Hero Academy will include a map based on "Well" from Team Fortress 2. Oh, and of course purchasing other heroic teams will unlock cosmetic items in Team Fortress 2. See some new screens in the gallery below and check out the full team description after the break.

Gallery: Hero Academy (Team Fortress 2 Heroic Team)

Continue reading Hero Academy's Team Fortress 2 team sounds pretty powerful

JoystiqHero Academy's Team Fortress 2 team sounds pretty powerful originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 18 Jul 2012 11:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>hero-academypcrobot-entertainmentsteamTeam-Fortress-2Wed, 18 Jul 2012 11:20:00 EST<![CDATA[Breathe life into Team Fortress 2's Balloonicorn]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/06/29/breathe-life-into-team-fortress-2s-balloonicorn/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/06/29/breathe-life-into-team-fortress-2s-balloonicorn/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/06/29/breathe-life-into-team-fortress-2s-balloonicorn/#comments Breathe life into Team Fortress 2's BalloonicornHaving shared the Pyro's saccharine worldview with us, Valve has now plucked a cute inhabitant from the firebug's demented mind to render (for legal tender) in reality. The pleasantly portmanteau'd Balloonicorn comes with a Team Fortress 2 item code, a 3-foot stature, plenty of poise and - once inflated - a light counterpart to the $30 price tag.

Note: The Balloonicorn is sustained by human exhalation, and has no respiratory system / internal organs of its own.

JoystiqBreathe life into Team Fortress 2's Balloonicorn originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 29 Jun 2012 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>macpcTeam-Fortress-2valveFri, 29 Jun 2012 15:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Adult Swim and Valve teamed up to give us... yep, a hat]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/06/27/adult-swim-and-valve-teamed-up-to-give-us-yep-a-hat/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/06/27/adult-swim-and-valve-teamed-up-to-give-us-yep-a-hat/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/06/27/adult-swim-and-valve-teamed-up-to-give-us-yep-a-hat/#comments Adult Swim and Valve teamed up to give us yep, a hatWhen Valve and Adult Swim announced a partnership involving the Team Fortress 2 universe, we winked at each other, throwing out the tired joke that it would probably just be a bunch of hats. Today, we're not sure if we should be laughing or weeping silently into our keyboards: Adult Swim has revealed a free, limited-edition Robot Chicken hat for any class in TF2, as the first iteration in a series of new stuff coming from Valve and Adult Swim.

To get the Robot Chicken hat, just sign up for the Adult Swim newsletter by July 4.

In related, not-completely-predictable news, the FAQ for redeeming the Robot Chicken hat asks and answers an intriguing question:
Q. Are you making a Team Fortress cartoon?
A. Go ask your mother.
As long as it's not called "The Hatsure Brothers" or any variation thereof, an Adult Swim Team Fortress 2 cartoon sounds like something we could get behind.

In still-related, by-now-old news, Valve launched the "Meet the Pyro" video and announced the Source Filmmaker movie-creating tool today.

JoystiqAdult Swim and Valve teamed up to give us... yep, a hat originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 27 Jun 2012 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>adult-swimcartoonHathatsmacpcpyrorobot-chickenSTEAMTeam-Fortress-2valveWed, 27 Jun 2012 16:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Make in-game movies with the Valve Source Filmmaker]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/06/27/make-in-game-movies-with-the-valve-source-filmmaker-beta-today/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/06/27/make-in-game-movies-with-the-valve-source-filmmaker-beta-today/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/06/27/make-in-game-movies-with-the-valve-source-filmmaker-beta-today/#comments
Valve's Source Filmmaker
Valve's in-house movie-making machine, the Source Filmmaker, is now available to the public in beta form. Source Filmmaker is the tool Valve uses to create its own films, including the "Meet the" series for Team Fortress 2: Valve teased the Source Filmmaker at the end of today's long-awaited, disturbingly depressing "Meet the Pyro" video.

The Source Filmmaker can make a movie out of any game running on the Source engine, Valve writes in the tool's introductory post.

"Because the SFM uses the same assets as the game, anything that exists in the game can be used in the movie, and vice versa. By utilizing the hardware rendering power of a modern gaming PC, the SFM allows storytellers to work in a what-you-see-is-what-you-get environment so they can iterate in the context of what it will feel like for the final audience."

Interested amateur directors can sign up for the Source Filmmaker beta right here and "start shooting your movie on location inside the world of TF2 today."

JoystiqMake in-game movies with the Valve Source Filmmaker originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 27 Jun 2012 14:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>macpcsource-filmmakerSTEAMTeam-Fortress-2valveWed, 27 Jun 2012 14:55:00 EST<![CDATA[Finally, you can officially meet Team Fortress 2's Pyro]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/06/27/finally-you-can-officially-meet-team-fortress-2s-pyro/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/06/27/finally-you-can-officially-meet-team-fortress-2s-pyro/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/06/27/finally-you-can-officially-meet-team-fortress-2s-pyro/#comments Day 2 of Pyromania update adds new weapons, city on fire
The final introductory video for Team Fortress 2 has been released; watch above as the other classes guess what kind of motivation lies beneath the Pyro's stoic demeanor. It turns out he's just a misunderstood psychotic killer!

Today is the third and final day in Valve's Pyromania promotion, culminating in the video above but also bringing new content to the free-to-play shooter. Yesterday saw the addition of several new weapons: the Scout gets a new pistol and shotgun, the Sniper gets a new SMG and sniper rifle, the Soldier has a new bazooka and the Pyro gets himself a flare gun, which "knocks back target on hit and ignites enemies in a small radius."

JoystiqFinally, you can officially meet Team Fortress 2's Pyro originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 27 Jun 2012 14:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>f2pfree-to-playpcpyromaniasteamTeam-Fortress-2valveWed, 27 Jun 2012 14:20:00 EST<![CDATA[Valve economist examines TF2's 'sophisticated' barter system]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/06/25/valve-economist-examines-tf2s-sophisticated-barter-system/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/06/25/valve-economist-examines-tf2s-sophisticated-barter-system/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/06/25/valve-economist-examines-tf2s-sophisticated-barter-system/#comments Valve economist publishes first post on TF2's complex barter systemWe're not sure why Valve's economist is concerned with the finances of prestigious Covenant Elites in Halo, but the first publication from Yanis Varoufakis on Valve Economics is about exactly that. Only he spelled "Arbiter" wrong like 20 times.

Oh, he's talking about "Arbitrage," the practice of capitalizing on the price difference between two or more markets, and its place in the Team Fortress 2 economy. That makes more sense, barely, but between the specialized equations and graphs Varoufakis offers some plain insight into the world of digital economies.

For example, Varoufakis calls the TF2 barter economy "peculiarly sophisticated," noting that Steam's support system allows players to side-step the introduction of currency, operating solely on a "double coincidence of wants." This is something that civilizations for centuries have not been able to support for any protracted period of time, and its complexity is the reason we now have money, rather than things to trade with.

The isolated nature of digital economies lends itself to intriguing happenings such as that one, as Varoufakis explains in great detail, we assume because he's thrilled to be able to calculate the exchange rates of laser guns and hats rather than boring old dollars and cents.

JoystiqValve economist examines TF2's 'sophisticated' barter system originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 25 Jun 2012 23:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>barterEconomicshatsmacmoneypcSTEAMTeam-Fortress-2valvevalve-economicsyanis-varoufakisMon, 25 Jun 2012 23:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Team Fortress 2 'Pyromania' update is three days of new content]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/06/25/team-fortress-2-pyromania-update-is-three-days-of-new-content/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/06/25/team-fortress-2-pyromania-update-is-three-days-of-new-content/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/06/25/team-fortress-2-pyromania-update-is-three-days-of-new-content/#comments Team Fortress 2 'Pyromania' update is three days of Pyro in the spotlightThe Pyro is finally getting his own "Meet the Team" short on Wednesday, and to celebrate Valve is trickling out three days of update goodies for Team Fortress 2. Valve is calling it the Pyromania update.

First up today is Doomsday, a new map and corresponding game mode where one team attempts to deliver a suitcase nuke to a waiting rocket, while the other team attempts to stop them. This new map and game mode brings a whole slew of new achievements to unlock. We'll learn more about this Pyromania update as Valve unlocks even more new content in Team Fortress 2 over the next two days.

JoystiqTeam Fortress 2 'Pyromania' update is three days of new content originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 25 Jun 2012 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>doomsdaydoomsday-modefree-to-playmacpcpyromaniapyromania-updatesteamTeam-Fortress-2updatevalveMon, 25 Jun 2012 13:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Valve and Adult Swim are planning big things together]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/06/22/valve-and-adult-swim-are-planning-big-things-together/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/06/22/valve-and-adult-swim-are-planning-big-things-together/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/06/22/valve-and-adult-swim-are-planning-big-things-together/#comments Hit Firstish Valve and Adult Swim are planning things big thingsValve and Adult Swim have come together in a glorious union of witticism, snark and something else that they're not telling us until next week. Adult Swim has a promo page decked out in Team Fortress 2 images and hashtags, and it promises this partnership will beget "something that you'll probably enjoy."

The surprise is "coming next week," with more information to be disseminated in the newsletter, apparently. Clicking "Sign Up" leads to a registration page with this image of TF2's Pyro, who is due for a "Meet the" feature from Valve any time now.

Valve is running a summer ARG at the moment that may be connected to this Adult Swim deal, or it might just be another thing that Valve may never finish.

JoystiqValve and Adult Swim are planning big things together originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 22 Jun 2012 20:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>adult-swimargmacmeet-the-pyropcTeam-Fortress-2valveFri, 22 Jun 2012 20:15:00 EST<![CDATA[Valve has an economist now]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/06/15/valve-has-an-economist-now/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/06/15/valve-has-an-economist-now/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/06/15/valve-has-an-economist-now/#comments Valve now has its own economist yes, reallyEconomist Yanis Varoufakis was analyzing the financial crisis in Europe, focusing on Greece, when he got a proposal seemingly out of nowhere. Valve co-founder Gabe Newell saw similarities between the situation in Europe and Valve's troubles with its own virtual economies (for DOTA 2 and Team Fortress 2, presumably.)

"Here at my company we were discussing an issue of linking economies in two virtual environments (creating a shared currency), and wrestling with some of the thornier problems of balance of payments," Newell said in an email to Varoufakis, "when it occurred to me 'this is Germany and Greece', a thought that wouldn't have occurred to me without having followed your blog. Rather than continuing to run an emulator of you in my head, I thought I'd check to see if we couldn't get the real you interested in what we are doing."

Varoufakis stopped by Valve HQ during a speaking tour and became excited about the possibility of researching a digital, fully recordable economy. "Think of it," he said, "An economy where every action leaves a digital trail, every transaction is recorded; indeed, an economy where we do not need statistics since we have all the data!" And now he's writing a weekly blog called Valve Economics. Unless, of course, he decides to do something else.

JoystiqValve has an economist now originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 15 Jun 2012 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>dota-2economicseconomistteam-fortress-2valvevalve-economicsyanis-varoufakisFri, 15 Jun 2012 13:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Steam Trading comes to Super Monday Night Combat, hats and costumes in tow]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/05/12/steam-trading-comes-to-super-monday-night-combat-hats-and-costu/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/05/12/steam-trading-comes-to-super-monday-night-combat-hats-and-costu/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/05/12/steam-trading-comes-to-super-monday-night-combat-hats-and-costu/#comments Image
If you were home schooled through Kindergarten, or grew up as a single child, the concept of sharing may be foreign and difficult to understand, but allow us to break it down for you: By giving someone something they want, there's a good chance you'll receive something you want in return, either immediately or down the road!

It's a system that's worked well for millennia, and now it comes to Uber Entertainment's Super Monday Night Combat in the form of Steam Trading support, which allows Steam users to trade in-game items. To celebrate, two Super MNC hats ("Gunslinger Hat" and "Assassin Helmet") are now available in Team Fortress 2, earned by achieving levels five and 20 (respectively) in Super MNC. Conversely, TF2 costumes have been added to Super MNC: An Engineer's uniform for CombatGirl and a Soldier uniform (plus rocket launcher skin!) for Megabeth, unlocked at levels 10 and 15.

JoystiqSteam Trading comes to Super Monday Night Combat, hats and costumes in tow originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 12 May 2012 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>CombatGirlmegabethpcsteamsteam-tradingsuper-mncsuper-monday-night-combatTeam-Fortress-2uber-entertainmentSat, 12 May 2012 13:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Portal 2 Perpetual Testing Initiative success leads to Workshop sale]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/05/11/portal-2-perpetual-testing-initiative-success-leads-to-workshop/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/05/11/portal-2-perpetual-testing-initiative-success-leads-to-workshop/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/05/11/portal-2-perpetual-testing-initiative-success-leads-to-workshop/#comments ImageValve's "Perpetual Testing Initiative" has already been yielding results, and they provide evidence for the hypothesis that people still like playing Portal 2. Since the DLC's release on May 8, the company reports that over 35,000 user-created maps have been uploaded, which have been downloaded over 1.3 million times.

To celebrate this successful experiment, Valve has discounted several items on Steam, including, of course, Portal 2, which costs just $6.79 right now! Fellow Steam Workshop title Skyrim is on sale for $40.19, and several Workshop items within Team Fortress 2 can be found for 50 percent off.

Continue reading Portal 2 Perpetual Testing Initiative success leads to Workshop sale

JoystiqPortal 2 Perpetual Testing Initiative success leads to Workshop sale originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 11 May 2012 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>macpcperpetual-testing-initiativeportal-2salesskyrimTeam-Fortress-2Fri, 11 May 2012 10:00:00 EST