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• Steam Weekend Sales Will Save Us All (Money)

  Some incredible numbers came out of the mouth of Valve co-founder Gabe Newell last night regarding those lovely Steam weekend sales that I spend way too much money on. What he shared could mean a lot for how we buy games in the future. In other words, how digital distribution will make gamer makers rich and gamers richer. His key example was last weekend’s 50% discount on Left 4 Dead. I was apparently not the only human who bought the game at that price point—Newell revealed that sales of the game rose 3000 percent, bringing in more dollars for the game through the service than at any point in the game’s history—including launch. And it didn’t cannibalize retail, either. Another unnamed game that was recently offered in a Steam sale saw its sales numbers jump 36000%. That’s a lot of percent! Has Valve stumbled on some kind of magical spell where everyone makes more money by charging less? Read More... Posted Feb 19 2009, 12:00 PM by Joe Keiser with | with no comments Filed under: valve, steam, joe keiser, team fortress 2, left 4 dead, money

• Gordon Freeman's Prank Call

  As gamers, we possess a relentless amount of trivia and information about the hobby we've invested so, so many hours into; and to those uninitiated with the world of video games, said knowledge is baffling and mysterious at best. So what, exactly, are we supposed to do with these brainfulls of data--aside from alienate our poor family members who wonder just what the hell we do with our free time? Strangely enough, it turns out our vast wisdom on the topic of video games can be best put to use through the lost art of the prank phone call. And if you're still skeptical, all you need to do is listen to one of the greatest video game-related prank calls in recent history.  Allow me to set the stage: the following events take place on the syndicated radio show Coast to Coast, where host George Norry entertains the delusions of his clearly insane callers--and they range from stories of bottomless pits to tales of secret garden gnome societies.  But what happens when a savvy gamer calls in and recounts the story of Half-Life as the game's protagonist, Gordon Freeman? The answer, of course, is hilarity. Comedy gold after the cut. Read More... Posted Jan 29 2009, 04:00 PM by Bob Mackey with | with no comments Filed under: valve, half-life, comedy, humor, bob mackey, gordon freeman

• Whatcha Playing?: Left 4 Dead

  I finally got around to playing Left 4 Dead this weekend, a game that my 61FPS colleagues and I have largely slept on during the holiday rush. I'm pleased to report that I found the cooperation-focused shooter to be one of the most clever games I've played in a while, and the most important FPS since Valve's last game.  Read More... Posted Jan 26 2009, 05:30 PM by Cole Stryker with | with no comments Filed under: valve, cole stryker, left4dead, ai, half-life 2, source engine

• Black Mesa: Source: Oh Right, That Still Exists

  In honor of the first Half-Life's 10th anniversary, I've been thinking of replaying the original over my long-awaited Christmas break.  But now, I may hold off a bit longer after seeing the trailer for the Black Mesa: Source mod and nearly pooping myself.  I just gave you fair warning. If you've been anticipating this mod as much as I have, then you'll know that seeing this much content is pretty big news. I'm no programming genius, but I imagine it takes quite a bit of work to remake an entire game--and a pretty big one, at that--in an entirely new and more powerful engine.  The Source engine may be beginning to show its age a bit, but there's no denying this is a major step up from Valve's previous attempt to give Half-Life a minor graphical upgrade with their own Half-Life: Source.  For now, this entire production is fan-made and free, but it wouldn't be too strange for Valve to pull another Willy Wonka (as they did with the Portal team) and invite the Black Mesa: Source folks onto their team.  As of now, this thing legitimately looks like it's worth money. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go chug a bottle of NyQuil. When I wake up months from now, I should be greeted by both Black Mesa: Source and the Policenauts fan translation. Cheers!  (Tell my friends and family it was an accident.) Related Links: Now At Your Local Dollar Store: Half-Life Entitled PC Gamers Whine about Rights GOG is Great Read More... Posted Dec 01 2008, 08:00 PM by Bob Mackey with | with 2 comment(s) Filed under: valve, half-life, fps, bob mackey, pc games, mods, black mesa: source

• Left4Dead: The Most Important Training Simulation You Will Ever Play

  I am not embarrassed by many things. For example, when I invite a delightful young woman over to my apartment for a romantic liaison, I know full well that one of the first things she is going to see is a gigantic vinyl Godzilla. It sits on a mantle over a television surrounded by seven videogame consoles. The fridge is empty save for countless individual packets of soy sauce, a pitcher of water, and a lonesome bottle of Miracle Whip that may or may not have been there when I moved in. There is a framed map of Zebes from Super Metroid hanging in my bedroom. These are not things that label me “a catch.” I am also not embarrassed to admit what a terrible cliché I am. Like countless other men of my generation, raised with a nigh on religious devotion to media, I too have a Zombie Plan. The plan details what I will do during the initial weeks of the zombie apocalypse, that is to say, when my urban home is overrun with the brain-hungry undead. The plan is multi-tiered and incredibly thorough. I have this plan because it is important to be prepared for zombies. I also have it because I enjoy daydreaming about the zombie apocalypse. I am not embarrassed by this, and apparently neither is Valve, makers of Half-Life, Portal, Team Fortress, and this fall’s Left4Dead. Read More... Posted Oct 15 2008, 09:00 PM by John Constantine with | with 1 comment(s) Filed under: john constantine, ea, valve, portal, half-life, team fortress, zombies need to be planned for, left4dead, john romero, 28 days later

• Google to Buy Valve?

  Still a rumor, but what does this mean? Mashable's Stan Schroeder thinks its an odd choice, but the value of Steam would make it a worthwhile purchase. With Steam, Valve has managed to do what no one else has: they’ve made it so easy and simple to download games that users are actually willing to pay for it even when they have a choice of pirating the same content for free. Read More... Posted Sep 17 2008, 11:00 AM by Cole Stryker with | with no comments Filed under: valve, half-life, cole stryker, google lively, google, steam, game developer's conference

• Game Designers: Rockstars, Auteurs, Dweebs?

  One crummy thing about living here in the good ol’ U.S. of A. is that we don’t get issues of Britain’s Edge Magazine for a full month after they hit stands in Britain. Yes, I know, it’s a hard life. We’ve been at war with two separate nations for close to a decade, the economy is disintegrating, and our health care system is an atrocity but all that pales in comparison to not getting pretty videogame rags in a timely manner. But I digress. Yesterday, while flipping through their July issue, something stuck out about their Platinum Games cover story: the photo spread of Atsushi Inaba, Hideki Kamiya, Shigenori Nishikawa, Hifumi Kouno, and Tatsuya Minami made them look like a god damn boy band. Read More... Posted Jul 03 2008, 11:00 AM by John Constantine with | with 4 comment(s) Filed under: john constantine, platinum games, valve, shigeru miyamoto, cliffy b, edge, david jaffe, gabe newell

• The Ten Greatest Opening Levels in Gaming History, Part 3

  Sonic the Hedgehog - Green Hill Zone By the time the original Sonic the Hedgehog came out, Super Mario World had been out for six months in Japan. In almost every way, Mario had the edge on Sonic — more levels, more power-ups, more variety, more gaming. But there was one thing you couldn't take away from Sonic, and that was the sheer dazzle of starting up the game and entering Green Hill Zone. To this day, Green Hill Zone looks spectacular, with its sparkling ocean, lush vegetation and abstract geometry — not to mention Masato Nakamura's unforgettable music. Mario had a lot to offer, but in terms of pure physicality, most of Dinosaur Land seems awfully drab next to Green Hill Zone. (Plus, it was 1991 — "zones" were just cooler than "lands", for Chrissakes.) — PS Read More... Posted Jun 12 2008, 09:45 PM by John Constantine with | with 6 comment(s) Filed under: john constantine, peter smith, metroid, nintendo, capcom, final fantasy, top ten, prince of persia, konami, valve, half-life, shadow of the colossus, sega, zelda, sonic the hedgehog, square-enix, god of war, einhander, final fantast vii, metal gear, the ten greatest opening levels in gaming history, mega man x, strider

• The Ten Greatest Opening Levels in Gaming History, Part 2

  Metal Gear Solid 2 – The U.S.S. Discovery The opening level of Metal Gear Solid 2 is the finest Metal Gear game ever made in-and-of itself. Forget Hideo Kojima’s cinematic pretensions for just a moment and think about the raw play available in this self-contained prologue scenario. The tools of MGS’ trade may not be available to Snake in their totality here, but every inch of the tanker acts as a playground for the series' most fundamental mechanics. You can sneak through without ever being seen or you can kill every Russian soldier you come across. There is an expertly paced boss fight. There is skin-mag related humor. It’s all here. Now layer Kojima’s cinematic pretensions back on top of all that considering they are at their best (read: most restrained) here and you have a beginning that is, arguably, superior to anything the follows or precedes it in the entire series. — JC Read More... Posted Jun 12 2008, 09:30 PM by John Constantine with | with no comments Filed under: john constantine, peter smith, metroid, nintendo, capcom, final fantasy, top ten, prince of persia, konami, valve, half-life, shadow of the colossus, sega, zelda, sonic the hedgehog, square-enix, god of war, einhander, final fantast vii, metal gear, the ten greatest opening levels in gaming history, mega man x, strider

• The Ten Greatest Opening Levels in Gaming History, Part 1

  First impressions are important, in videogames as they are in life. The first moments you spend with any art can define your experience of it. They compel you to dig deeper, to more carefully consider the work or the hand that crafted it. Other times, they can be so startling that everything that follows is diminished. This week, 61 Frames Per Second looks at the ten greatest opening levels in gaming history. Stick with us past the first one though. They’re all great. — John Constantine Prince of Persia 2 - Rooftop Chase The original Prince of Persia was a unique and wonderful game, but it wasn't much for setting. Half the game takes place in a monochromatic dungeon, and the other in a monochromatic palace. 2 quickly makes up for it; about to be executed by the Vizier's goons, the Prince leaps through a window, and from there it's up to you to guide him across the palace rooftops, into the marketplace below, down a long pier, finally leaping into the hold of a departing merchant ship — all with those guards on your tail. The stage is a real nail-biter, and all the more memorable because the rest of the game is comparatively subdued. — Peter Smith Read More... Posted Jun 12 2008, 09:15 PM by John Constantine with | with no comments Filed under: john constantine, peter smith, metroid, nintendo, capcom, final fantasy, top ten, prince of persia, konami, valve, half-life, shadow of the colossus, sega, zelda, sonic the hedgehog, square-enix, god of war, einhander, final fantast vii, metal gear, the ten greatest opening levels in gaming history, mega man x, strider

• Whatcha Playing: Another Slice of Cake

  Having never been much of a PC or Mac gamer, I’ve come into Valve’s games far later than most. I experienced the original Half-Life second hand through my college roommate and only played through it myself last summer, on the PS2 of all things, in anticipation of the Orange Box’s fall release on consoles. When I finally did play through Half-Life 2 and its subsequent episodes, I was more than impressed. Valve’s reputation as peerless storytellers is more than deserved and despite being four years-old at this point, Half-Life 2 remains a high-water mark for game making free of the language and tools of film narrative. Writer Eric Wolpaw’s most impressive work in the Orange Box, however, is the widely lauded Portal, a perfect mix of Half-Life’s menace with the humor of his work on Psychonauts. Up until last Sunday, I’d been waiting for a chance to race through Portal a second time for months. This wasn’t possible since my copy of the Orange Box had ended up in Korea. Damn roommates. Portal is a strange experience when you return to it. Read More... Posted May 16 2008, 10:00 AM by John Constantine with | with no comments Filed under: john constantine, whatcha playing, valve, portal, PC, fallout 3, orange box, half-life, mac, still alive