left-4-dead posts (Subscribe to this feed)

Valve selling Team Fortress 2, Left 4 Dead-themed greeting cards

by Ben Gilbert { Nov 22nd 2009 at 11:59PM }

We know how boring most holly jolly holiday cards can be, so we were glad to see that a handful of Valve-ified greeting cards are now available for purchase at the game maker's online store. Featuring characters from Left 4 Dead, Left 4 Dead 2, and Team Fortress 2 in compromising holiday situations, there's no doubt that we'll actually – finally – send out greeting cards this year to everyone in our little black book. We're quite partial to the handful of TF2-themed images you see above (just look at The Spy, back with The Scout's mother!), but we're sure there's something for everyone in your list of Source Engine-loving holiday card receivers.

[Via Big Download]

Left 4 Dead 2 gets patched on PC

by Griffin McElroy { Nov 22nd 2009 at 6:30PM }

A few minor glitches which Left 4 Dead 2 players on Steam were experiencing have been squashed by a recent patch. The update includes fixes for an error which impeded matchmaking for players looking for higher difficulty games, for a bug which allowed special infected to team up on players who are being pummeled by a Charger, and for performance problems which cropped up when the game rendered too many decals, "notably when fighting Tanks with shotguns."

Well, thank goodness for that. If there's a better way to kill a Tank than with a few well-placed shotgun blasts, we've yet to find it. Check out the full list of changes after the jump!

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Modders pump L4D1 maps into L4D2

by Richard Mitchell { Nov 20th 2009 at 10:30PM }

There's some good news for the PC players of Left 4 Dead 2. You no longer have to worry about whether Valve will be bringing the original Left 4 Dead campaigns into the sequel. You see, crafty modders over at l4dmods.com have already implemented the original maps into Left 4 Dead 2. Valve hasn't actually released an SDK for Left 4 Dead 2 yet, so making this mod work will require users to change some files in the original game (and yes, you do have to own both games to make it work). There are some known issues and bugs and, needless to say, it's not the most user-friendly mod out there, but it's probably a small price to pay for the dedicated users.

So, if you want to see a Spitter on the roof of Mercy Hospital (and we know you do), you can. Watch a video of the mod in action after the break.

[Via Kotaku]

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Left 4 Dead 2's Midnight Riders get a gloriously bearded teaser page

by Griffin McElroy { Nov 19th 2009 at 7:30PM }

Zombie obliterators who've managed to survive Left 4 Dead 2's "Dark Carnival" campaign are probably familiar with the Southern rock outfit known as the Midnight Riders. While they're not exactly an enormous focus in the game's overarching story, a teaser page featuring the heavily bearded band (and a cryptic "Coming Soon") is leading some folks to believe that the Riders will soon play a much larger role in the game's proceedings.

Given the number of facial hair-sporting members of the band (see: four), we're really hoping to get some form of DLC that turns them into playable characters. Perhaps even a new campaign, in which they cure the global zombie infection using nothing but the power of their rock music. How about it, Valve?

Valve: Short-term Steam deals don't hurt long-term performance

by Richard Mitchell { Nov 18th 2009 at 6:15AM }

Speaking to GI.biz, Valve's head of Steam, Jason Holtman, had some interesting things to say about the company's frequent deals and their effect on long-term game sales. According to Holtman, Steam's quick game sales -- offering Team Fortress 2 for $2.49 for only a few hours last month, for example -- don't have a negative impact on a game's long-term performance. Holtman notes that once a brick-and-mortar retailer reduces a game's price, people are reticent to ever pay a higher price again, but downloadable games are different. "You can have sales that are dramatically low and bring the price back up and people don't care," said Holtman, "They don't care at all."

Regarding the $2.49 Team Fortress 2 sale last month, Holtman said that sales actually increased the following weekend -- after it went back to full price. He also mentioned Steam's previous half-off sale of Left 4 Dead, noting that it didn't hurt retail sales at all (readers will recall that Valve claimed that it actually boosted retail sales). Holtman stated that it's possible to run several promotions without "sacrificing" either downloadable or retail sales, and added, "You don't have to hurt somebody to win."

Left 4 Dead 2 delayed in UK, due 'by Friday morning'

by Randy Nelson { Nov 17th 2009 at 4:32PM }

We'd usually say it's a good thing when a zombie invasion gets postponed, but not when we're talking about Left 4 Dead 2 releasing in the UK a couple days after the rest of the world. According to Valve's own L4D2 blog, "copies of the game are still arriving" across the pond, with assurances from the developer that it will "have everyone in the UK playing Left 4 Dead 2 by Friday morning." Wait -- everyone in the UK? Whoa now guys!

While Xbox 360 owners and PC gamers who still buy physical copies of software are out of luck, Valve says that everyone in the region who pre-ordered L4D2 via Steam can play it right now. Of course, those left waiting can pretend they're fighting to survive the scariest of all Left 4 Dead campaigns: "Delay of Game" (tagline: "Patience never killed anyone -- until now!").

8-bit Left 4 Dead leaves modernity behind

by Alexander Sliwinski { Nov 16th 2009 at 5:30PM }

Thanks to Eric Ruth and his PixelForce NES "de-make" of Left 4 Dead, we now have an idea of what the zombie apocalypse simulator would have been like had it released in the '80s. Valve is apparently aware of the project and finds the concept "hilarious." Ruth reveals that he plans to release the full game as a free download in early January 2010 for PC. It features all the campaigns from the original game, including 8-bit incarnations of the special infected, for two players to play through -- it is a NES game after all, fancy four-player wasn't standard.

Check out a video of the game after the break. The only thing we'd wish this "de-make" had was a sprite flickering zombie rush, so all the youngins could experience the glory of NES flicker when there were too many things on the screen at once for the system's 2KB of RAM.

Update 2: Check out Eric Ruth's interview with sister site Big Download

Update: Changed "didn't exist" to "wasn't standard." Nintendo released the NES Four Score adapter in 1990. Remember the one for the original Game Boy?

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Left 4 Dead 2 clothing is surprisingly unprotective

by Richard Mitchell { Nov 11th 2009 at 7:00PM }

Honestly, you'd think licensed Left 4 Dead 2 clothing would provide at least some semblance of undead protection. Alas, it looks like the best that Glitch Gaming Apparel could provide is simple T-shirts. Sure, the 100 percent cotton shirts provide ample breathability, but they provide next to zero zombie bite protection. Even worse, they're short-sleeved, leaving hapless survivors with plump, juicy and completely visible arms.

Still, the Ellis and Coach tees at least have a picture of a medical kit on the back, which might be enough to fool a zombie into thinking you're prepared. Let's hope that buys enough time to find yourself a Molotov.

Valve adds 4 vs 4 competitive matchmaking to Left 4 Dead on Steam

by David Hinkle { Nov 10th 2009 at 4:00PM }

With the release of Left 4 Dead 2 just on the horizon, Valve is making good on its promise to keep up support for the first game ... on Steam, anyway. Valve has flipped the switch on a new update, which adds Team Versus 4 on 4 competitive matchmaking to the mix -- something Valve has been promising was in the works since April of this year.

The update also fixes a pair of bugs in the game, dealing with a nasty game-crashing glitch that would occur as a result of a certain 'Crash Course' achievement (there's a joke in there) being unlocked and an issue where bots and computer-controlled special infected were being reported in the 'View Game Info' screen.

[Via Big Download]

Reminder: Left 4 Dead demo now available 4 all

by Richard Mitchell { Nov 10th 2009 at 12:00PM }

For those who have yet to face the shambling, undead hordes of the south in the Left 4 Dead 2 demo, now's your chance. Previously available only for pre-order customers and Xbox Live Gold members, the demo is now open to all Xbox Live members. That means everyone can enjoy the hacking, slashing, shooting, shuffling goodness of Left 4 Dead 2 ... well, two sections of it, anyway.

You might as well give it a try. It's not like there's anything else going on, right?

Add the Left 4 Dead 2 demo to your Xbox download queue

Left 4 Dead 2 pre-loading now available through Steam

by Griffin McElroy { Nov 7th 2009 at 8:30PM }

It was bad enough when Valve enabled pre-loading of the Left 4 Dead 2 demo, forcing potential zombicidal maniacs to stare at the game they have and yet don't for an entire madness-inspiring weekend. Now, the developer has begun allowing pre-loading of the full version of Left 4 Dead 2 through Steam. If you've pre-purchased the game through Valve's digital distribution platform (which still nets you a 10 percent discount off the price of the title), you can now put it on your computer, and just ... let it sit there until it finally unlocks on November 17.

In the immortal words of Tom Petty, the waiting truly is the hardest part. Except for the zombie apocalypse. We suppose that part is pretty difficult as well.

[Via Big Download]

New Left 4 Dead 2 TV spot, Scavenge mode walkthrough

by Richard Mitchell { Nov 4th 2009 at 4:20PM }

Just in case GameStop's Left 4 Dead 2 commercial was a little too slow-paced for you, Valve has released a new TV spot that's nothing but action. Of course, that action is culled entirely from the CG trailer that was leaked last month, so you won't see anything new here. You will hear something new, however, as the commercial has been injected with a thumping blues-rock soundtrack, making the whole thing feel like a big, sprawling, undead bar fight.

Come to think of it, it sounds like Joystiq Publishing just found its next game. No one has the rights to Undead Bar Fight, right? While we go do a little research, watch the trailer above and, after the break, watch G4's walkthroughs of the Scavenge and Survival modes.

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L4D mod 'Dead Before Dawn' recreates Dawn of the Dead remake

by David Hinkle { Nov 3rd 2009 at 10:30PM }

The Left 4 Dead modding community is really kicking decomposing zombie butt lately. We've seen Raccoon City, some of our favorite Super Mario 64 spots, and even Shaun of the Dead's Winchester pub all realized in the game's zombie apocalypse framework. Now we bring you another mod that pays homage to a zombie film: 'Dead Before Dawn,' a mod based on the 2004 remake of George A. Romero's classic, Dawn of the Dead.

The new mod opened to public beta this Halloween and features a variety of locales stripped from the movie, along with its own snazzy campaign poster. The folks behind the mod even went so far as to create their own title sequence (though their version features far less Johnny Cash than the movie's). You can shamble on past the break to check it out.

[Thanks, Gutfree!]

Gallery: Dead Before Dawn

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Chet Faliszek crushes Left 4 Dead 2 DLC rumors

by Griffin McElroy { Nov 1st 2009 at 11:30AM }

Remember those pair of error messages that a few folks found in the demo for Left 4 Dead 2, referecing "Miracle" and "Apocalypse" DLC? Yeah, those ain't no thing. At least, not according to Valve's Chet Faliszek, who recently addressed the error messages while speaking at the Eurogamer Expo. "What, those error messages?" he reportedly said, "Why, those ain't no thing."

Of course, Kotaku's slightly more accurate transcription of this quote had Faliszek saying, "if you're reading in the forums and you're reading about the 'Miracle' DLC or whatever, that's test code." He added, "to get tested through Microsoft certification we had to do test scenarios with DLC. We haven't actually come out internally with what we're going to do yet." Hmph. We liked our version better.

Video: Left 4 Dead 2's Realism Mode

by Richard Mitchell { Oct 29th 2009 at 5:20PM }

When we first heard that Left 4 Dead 2 would feature a "Realism Mode," our first reaction was to hide in the closet, swaddled in the comfort of old coats and dust bunnies. Left 4 Dead wasn't exactly an easy game to begin with, so hearing that there would be an even more realistic, more punishing difficulty mode was a bit difficult to swallow. Now, G4TV has been kind enough to assemble a brief walkthrough of one level played in Realism Mode and ... it really doesn't look all that bad.

X-Play's Abbie Heppe explains there are a few major differences. One, dead players will stay dead unless revived with a defibrillator -- keep in mind that each player can carry a defibrillator or a med kit, not both. Second, zombies must be killed with headshots, though it's hard to tell how strict this rule is in the video. Third, players have to be much closer to items in order to pick them up. Finally, there are many, many more witches. See it for yourself after the break.

[Via Evil Avatar]

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