Ex-Valve, Italian Game Designer Talks To Us About Funding His IndieGoGo, Chaos-Inspired Game “Riot”
Thursday, 28th February 2013Posted in Gaming
Tags: android, designer, director, famous, Leonard Menchiari, mobile, riot, valve
Written by: Jeff Nau
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Leonard Menchiari’s made a name for himself in the gaming world: helping VALVE create some of its most famous titles; directing a popular gaming short (“Half Life: Singularity Collapse”); and now, alongside fellow designer Mattia Traverso, working on a mysterious Indiegogo-funded mobile game that has a lot to do with riots. Suffice it to say, the guy’s been busy lately.
Yesterday, Menchiari tweeted that his new Indiegogo-funded game ‘Riot’ had met its official goal of $15,000. We touched base with the game designer and director from his home in Italy — which is currently in the midst of more turmoil than almost any other nation in the EU, and Menchiari claims has been his chief inspiration — about what his game entailed, and what had inspired it. Continue reading “Ex-Valve, Italian Game Designer Talks To Us About Funding His IndieGoGo, Chaos-Inspired Game “Riot”” »
Valve Quietly Releases The Original Half-Life for Mac and Linux
Friday, 25th January 2013Posted in Industry
Tags: 15, according, cult, half, life, mac, valve, windows
Written by: Craig Hunter
Half -Life was released nearly 15 years ago and was one of the main contributors to Valve achieving worldwide notoriety.
The cult hit shooter Half-Life appeared as a Mac and Linux download today on Steam, according to Cult of Mac via Polygon.
While no official statement has been made from Valve, the quiet release on Mac and Linux has been confirmed by several media outlets.
Continue reading “Valve Quietly Releases The Original Half-Life for Mac and Linux” »
Take a Look at the First Steambox from Valve and Xi3
Tuesday, 8th January 2013Posted in Preview
Tags: ces, development, mini, new, piston, polygon, ports, Steambox, valve, xi3
Written by: Craig Hunter
Yesterday we reported to you regarding some new details about the rumored SteamBox. Today we have an announcement out of CES that gives us a look at the first SteamBox. Valve has invested in a company called Xi3 specifically pertaining to hardware development.
Xi3 has debuted a high end mini gaming computer, codenamed “Piston” that will be on display at both Valve’s and Xi3′s booth’s at CES (image below). The mini gaming PC is a “new development stage computer system,” Valve has invested in that is designed specifically to support Steam and Big Picture Mode for use on large, high-definition displays. Check out the image gallery below courtesy of Polygon.
Continue reading “Take a Look at the First Steambox from Valve and Xi3” »
Putting the Heat On: Valve Steam Box Coming In 2013, Reported To Run On Linux
Monday, 7th January 2013Posted in Preview
Tags: golem, hardware, krasnow, linux, steam, Steam Box, valve
Written by: Craig Hunter
Rumors have been surfacing all over the internet regarding Valve’s Steam Box as of late and according to a report from the German tech blog Golem.de, it looks as though it will be running Linux. Said to feature Valve’s Big Picture Mode, we also learned that the compact PC gaming device will be debuting later this year (via GameSpot).
It is no surprise that the Steam Box will be running on Linux after Valve head Gabe Newell publicly expressed his distaste with Windows 8 calling it a complete “catastrophe.”
Continue reading “Putting the Heat On: Valve Steam Box Coming In 2013, Reported To Run On Linux” »
Valve Offers MAJOR INCENTIVE for Aspiring Indie Game Designers
Friday, 7th December 2012Posted in Preview
Tags: deal, development, independent games festival, indie, valve
Written by: Jeff Nau
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In anticipation of the fast-approaching Independent Games Festival, which will be held in San Francisco from March 25-29, Valve has a special deal for ambitious game developers.
The company has stated that they will offer an exclusive Steam distribution deal for each of the competition finalists, to be announced this January.
Continue reading “Valve Offers MAJOR INCENTIVE for Aspiring Indie Game Designers” »
Steam Greenlight Launches 13 More Titles and 6 Non-Gaming Apps
Friday, 30th November 2012Posted in Blog Archive
Tags: batch, games, greenlight, new, non, software, steam, titles, valve
Written by: Craig Hunter
Today we have news from Steam about some new titles making their way through Greenlight as well as the first batch of non-gaming titles on the service. Valve is bringing 13 more games and 6 non-gaming apps to the service, the company announced today. We previously reported to about non-gaming apps coming to Greenlight back in August.
“Valve today revealed the third set of games and first set of Software titles to advance through Steam Greenlight and be offered worldwide distribution via the popular platform for games and software”
Continue reading “Steam Greenlight Launches 13 More Titles and 6 Non-Gaming Apps” »
Daily Gaming: The Steam ‘Big Picture’ Mode Beta Starts Today
Monday, 10th September 2012Posted in Blog Archive, Gaming
Tags: Big Picture, Game Hubs, Greg Coomer, Lotus, multitasking, steam, valve, web browser
Written by: Craig Hunter
As we previously reported Valve is releasing its ‘Big Picture Mode’ and today it went into beta. In order to make Steam’s digital store more user friendly, Big Picture Mode is a UI designed for use in the living room on your TV.
Valve has just a released a trailer for Big Picture Mode that you can check out below.
Two of the main features we see in the trailer among other things is web browsing and a new look at what on-screen typing will look like. Continue reading “Daily Gaming: The Steam ‘Big Picture’ Mode Beta Starts Today” »
Daily Gaming: Valve Says It’s “Jumping In” To The Hardware Business
Tuesday, 4th September 2012Posted in Blog Archive, Gaming
Tags: gabe newell, hardware, Industrial Designer, steam, Steambox, valve, wearable computing
Written by: Craig Hunter
There have rumors floating around for quite a while now regarding Valve stepping into the hardware business. A recent job posting on Valve’s official site (via Eurogamer) lists ‘Industrial Designer’ saying that the company is “frustrated by the lack of innovation in the computer hardware space.”
The job posting goes on to explain both Valve’s position and frustration with innovation in computer hardware:
“Valve is traditionally a software company,” read the job posting, continuing with, “Open platforms like the PC and Mac are important to us, as they enable us and our partners to have a robust and direct relationship with customers.” Continue reading “Daily Gaming: Valve Says It’s “Jumping In” To The Hardware Business” »
Daily Gaming: Half-Life 3,’ ‘Dragon Age 3′ on Gamescom New Release List
Tuesday, 14th August 2012Posted in Blog Archive, Gaming
Tags: Chet Faliszek, Dragon Age 3, ea, GamesCom, Germany, Half Life 3, Sony, The Verge, valve
Written by: Craig Hunter
With Gamescom kicking off in Germany tomorrow many are expecting at least a few interesting announcements. Half Life 3 and Dragon Age 3 have both been included in the Gamescom 2012 official site listings.
Although the show doesn’t start officially until tomorrow both Sony and EA have their respective press conferences slated for today. EA was scheduled for this morning at 10 am ET for its announcements with Sony making its appearance slightly later at 1pm ET. It is certainly believed that if indeed Dragon Age 3 were to be announced it would happen during EA’s press conference, it didn’t. Continue reading “Daily Gaming: Half-Life 3,’ ‘Dragon Age 3′ on Gamescom New Release List” »
DAILY GAMING: New Features Coming to Steam Community, ‘Game Hubs’
Monday, 13th August 2012Posted in Blog Archive, Gaming
Tags: 89 million, Game Hubs, screenshots, steam, Steam Greenlight, Steam Workshop, user content, valve
Written by: Craig Hunter
All part of the major overhaul of the Steam Community, major updates have been announced to better focus the various content. Every title will now have it’s own “Game Hub” where all the related media for that game will be easily and accessibly housed.
The content will be available in one centralized location and based on user ratings from the community itself. The Game Hub’s will include user-created content like screenshots, videos, and Steam Workshop items. On top of that the Game Hub’s will also have the latest news, comments, discussions and friend info.
According to IGN the news comes as part of the lead up to the already announced overhaul of the Steam community which includes some new stats on the community’s user generated content: Continue reading “DAILY GAMING: New Features Coming to Steam Community, ‘Game Hubs’” »
DAILY TECH: Valve Unveiling Non-Game Apps on Steam in September
Wednesday, 8th August 2012Posted in Blog Archive, Gaming
Tags: catastrophe, gabe newell, productivity, steam, Steam Greenlight, valve, Windows 8
Written by: Craig Hunter
There will be a new online store for us to buy our software come September. Rumors have been all over the internet recently about Valve offering more than just games with its popular delivery service, Steam.
According to Forbes, Valve is set to jump into the non-gaming app business come September 5, 2012.
Apparently there is a growing demand among Steam users to be able to have more of their software available through the service. On top of the huge array of games, Steam will start off offering apps that range from “creativity to productivity”. Continue reading “DAILY TECH: Valve Unveiling Non-Game Apps on Steam in September” »
DAILY TECH: Valve Chief Calls Windows 8 an Epic Fail, “Catastrophe” That Will Drive Away Game Makers
Thursday, 26th July 2012Posted in Blog Archive, Gaming, Technology
Tags: catastrophe, fragmentation, gave newell, intel, market, PC, ui, valve, Windows 8
Written by: Jeff Nau
If there’s someone I least expected to come out hating on Windows so adamantly, it’s Valve‘s software chief.
I dunno why — it has nothing to do with him pocketing about $13 million working for them, which in turn enabled him to start up Valve. But man, he really blasted them on the whole Windows 8.
Yet that’s exactly what Gabe Newell has already labeled the new Windows: “(It’s) a catastrophe for everyone in the PC space,” to be exact.
He also believes Continue reading “DAILY TECH: Valve Chief Calls Windows 8 an Epic Fail, “Catastrophe” That Will Drive Away Game Makers” »
DAILY GAMING: Portal Beaten in 8 Minutes – World Record Set
Thursday, 26th July 2012Posted in Blog Archive, Gaming
Tags: glitch, Inexistence, portal, Sourceruns, Speed Run, valve, World Record, Z1mb0bw4y
Written by: Craig Hunter
A new Portal speed run world record has been set–8:31.93
It took only 8 minutes 31 seconds for players Nick “Z1mb0bw4y” Roth, Josh “Inexistence” Peaker, Nick “Gocnak” Kerns, and Sebastian “Xebaz” Dressler to finish Portal. The new time is a world record that shaved off nearly 50 seconds from the previous record set in 2010. Watch the Sourceruns members rip through the Valve classic in the video below.
The world record was set initially by Continue reading “DAILY GAMING: Portal Beaten in 8 Minutes – World Record Set” »
Valve Comes to the Classroom: Your Substitute Teacher Will Be GLaDOS
Monday, 25th June 2012Posted in Blog Archive, Gaming
Tags: game design, glados, math, physics, portal, portal 2, Puzzle Maker, Teach With Portals, teacher, teachers, valve
Written by: Jeff Nau
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Valve will be entering schools across America soon. Teach With Portals, Valve’s first step into the teaching market, makes me wonder why they didn’t think of this before: utilizing lessons, designed by teachers themselves, you get educational versions of Portal 2 and Puzzle Maker, 2 Valve-crafted video games.
All you have to do is be a real teacher (in a very GLaDOS way, they have methods of finding out whether you’re actually an educator) and sign up for free for the Education Beta on the Steam for Schools website — and soon, you’ll be getting the values of the Portal world to your students. Continue reading “Valve Comes to the Classroom: Your Substitute Teacher Will Be GLaDOS” »
Payday: The Heist And Valve’s Left 4 Dead Devs Team Up On New Project
Monday, 21st May 2012Posted in Blog Archive, Gaming
Tags: collaboration, director, hints, left 4 dead, Overkill, Payday: The Heist, Ulf Andersson, valve
Written by: Craig Hunter
Follow @jordankahn
Various rumors buried inside of Payday: The Heist have pointed at some kind of collaboration between the game’s developer Overkill and Valve. Today we get official word from Overkill game director Ulf Andersson on the company’s blog that the Payday team will team up with Valve and the Left 4 Dead developers on a new project.
Andersson writes, “As perceptive gamers will have noticed, several hints have recently been dropped into PAYDAY The Heist, which has led to various rumors”. He goes on to say that the new project is an “in-depth collaboration between” the two companies and that it is “currently in production.” Continue reading “Payday: The Heist And Valve’s Left 4 Dead Devs Team Up On New Project” »
Portal 2 Perpetual Testing Initiative Launches May 8
Thursday, 26th April 2012Posted in Blog Archive, Gaming
Tags: chambers, May, perpetual, portal, steam, test, testing, valve
Written by: Craig Hunter
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An announcement from Valve today puts a release date on the next add-on for Portal 2. The new add-on will allow players to make there own test chambers with the use of an in game-editor. The add-on is called the the Perpetual Testing Initiative and it will be available to Mac and PC users through Steam on May 8 next month.
“The Perpetual Testing Initiative lets us create, share, and play Portal 2 levels with a simplified puzzle maker,” said Valve, continuing by saying that it allows for the “creation of mind-bending puzzles without ever leaving the game.”
Continue reading “Portal 2 Perpetual Testing Initiative Launches May 8” »
Valve Gets in The Wearable Computing Game
Monday, 16th April 2012Posted in Blog Archive, Gaming
Tags: abrash, google, Michael Abrash, microsoft, valve, wearable computing
Written by: Jeff Nau
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After Google announced it was making some interactive glasses that would enable wearers with ‘eye controlled’ Internet functions and the ability to have face-to-face conversations while walking around, Valve seems to have upped the ante a bit, announcing research and development of their own brand of wearable computing.
After two tours at Microsoft, programmer Michael Abrash joined the company behind gaming hits like Portal and Left 4 Dead, and all to begin groundwork Continue reading “Valve Gets in The Wearable Computing Game” »
What was Apple CEO Tim Cook doing at Valve?
Friday, 13th April 2012Posted in Apple, Blog Archive, Gaming
Tags: apple, Bellevue, ceo, gabe newell, game center, HQ, iOS, portal, steam, Tim Cook, valve, Washington
Written by: Craig Hunter
Follow @jordankahn
If you haven’t heard by now, reports that seem to originate from the sometimes reliable AppleInsider claim Apple CEO Tim Cook was spotted at Valve’s headquarters in Bellevue, Washington this morning.
The report didn’t provide any information about what Cook might have been doing there or cite any sources for the story, but the rumor has of course set off a storm of speculation regarding what the two companies might have been discussing. Continue reading “What was Apple CEO Tim Cook doing at Valve?” »
Valve Shoots Down Steam Box Console Rumors
Friday, 9th March 2012Posted in Blog Archive, Gaming
Tags: Big Picture Mode, console, Doug Lombardi, gabe newell, rumors, steam, valve
Written by: Craig Hunter
Follow @jordankahn
For everyone who thought they would be getting their hands on a new Steam console, sorry, according to Valve it wont be happening anytime soon.
Rumours have been swirling around the internet as of late regarding what was being dubbed the “Steam Box”, potentially linking Valve to the home hardware console market. Valve has now officially made a statement saying that it does intend to get into the hardware business in the near future.
Valve is, although, hard at work on Steam Continue reading “Valve Shoots Down Steam Box Console Rumors” »
Skyrim and Portal 2 Big Winners At 12th Annual GDC Awards
Thursday, 8th March 2012Posted in Blog Archive, Gaming
Tags: Game Developers Choice, Game of the Year, GDC Awards, nominees, portal 2, skyrim, valve, winners
Written by: Craig Hunter
Follow @jordankahn
Last night in San Francisco the 12th Annual GDC Awards took place. Front runners Bethesda and Valve were expected to be the big winners having received the most nominations of the night. Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, with five nominations, only took home one award, which just so happened to be Game Of The Year.
Valve Corporation’s Portal 2 celebrated just as much, winning three of its five nominations.
Bastion from Supergiant Games also received five nods, winning two. Continue reading “Skyrim and Portal 2 Big Winners At 12th Annual GDC Awards” »
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