Half-Life Movie Would Come Direct From ValvePosted by Mitch on August 29th, 2010

The transition from a video game to a movie is a tricky one, a notion that we have explored in the past on our sweet podcast. It seems that the only people who are capable of making a movie based on games are the developers themselves, but they lack either the necessary components or the capital to make a feature film. Valve Software, who we all know as the studio behind Half-Life, Team Fortress 2 and Left 4 Dead, has stated that they’d like to try their own hand at making a Half-Life movie, saying that they were approached by a bunch of Hollywood types with horrible interpretations of the Half-Life saga. Here’s part of the quote given by the man himself, Valve’s CEO Gabe Newell, on what happened with the Half-Life movie:

Where we got into this direction was after Half-Life 1 had shipped. There was a whole bunch of meetings with people from Hollywood. Directors down there wanted to make a Half-Life movie and stuff, so they’d bring in a writer or some talent agency would bring in writers, and they would pitch us on their story. And their stories were just so bad. I mean, brutally, the worst. Not understanding what made the game a good game, or what made the property an interesting thing for people to be a fan of.

Sound like typical Hollywood, doesn’t it? So, if Valve didn’t want Half-Life handed off to a big studio, they would just have to do it themselves. Gabe also explained that the Team Fortress 2 “Meet the Team” shorts were a small part of the build-up to a full-fledged film.

That’s when we started saying ‘Wow, the best thing we could ever do is to just not do this as a movie, or we’d have to make it ourselves.’ And I was like, ‘Make it ourselves? Well that’s impossible.’ But the Team Fortress 2 thing, the Meet The Team shorts, is us trying to explore that

Valve has been stating for a while that they would like to get into the business of comic books and movies, and recently they’re been taking a lot of steps in that directions. The Meet the Team shorts are getting longer and bolder, and almost every Team Fortress 2 update has had a comic associated with it. What’s your opinion on Valve’s stance towards the Half-Life movie? Do you think they could pull it off? What sort of stuff would you like to see come from Valve in the future?

Source: PC Gamer

Portal 2 Co-Op Trailer Shows Robot BuddiesPosted by Eddy on August 21st, 2010

Well, I hate to bombard everyone with so much Portal 2 news, but I doubt anyone really minds. The follow-up to Valve’s critically acclaimed title hits in February 2011, and in addition to having a more robust and lengthy campaign, it’s also going to add a new layer of replay value with co-op missions.

Honestly, I’ve been wondering how a co-op Portal game would work for several months now, as I’m sure many of you have. Well, wonder no longer, because Valve has provided a (very) brief trailer for Portal 2 co-op to give a glimpse of how it’s all going to work.

Also, I call the short fat robot buddy. I’ll fight you for him.

Team Fortress 2 Players Destroy Rare Item for CharityPosted by Mitch on August 6th, 2010

Child’s Play, started by the Penny-Arcade guys way back in 2003 to not only give toys to sick kids in the hospital but to also dispel the negative image of gamers created by mainstream media, has been a runaway success since its inception, raising over six and a half million dollars in seven years. While every year more and more great fundraisers step up to plate to donate to the foundation, I’ve never seen one that actively encourages item destruction.

For those who are unaware, the last Team Fortress 2 class update came out a short while back with the Engineer as its focus. To celebrate the new content, Valve release 100 golden-colored wrenches to the community to use in game. Now, given the large player base and the rarity of the item, almost all of the lucky 100 have been faced with in-game harassment for simply having good fortune. Well, one user named “WiNG” decided to do something unusual with his wrench. Instead of simply destroying it to be rid of it, he started a fundraiser for Child’s Play, pledging to delete his golden wrench on August 23 and donate all of the proceeds. So far, ten more wrench owners have joined him, and the donations have crested over twenty thousand dollars.

I think this is a really inspiring bit of gaming news, showing that we gamers do have a heart, albeit deep, deep down for some of us. Although the wrenches are worth nothing, and were simply made by Valve to reward a few of their players, WiNG and his ten followers have turned a bit of code into a hefty amount of cash, all with the aim of better the lives of children in the hospital. If you want to check out more on this charity, click the following words.

Valve Dishing Out Alien Swarm Free Today on SteamPosted by Eddy on July 19th, 2010

Today, Valve is releasing something special that many PC gamers are sure to freak out over. I have to admit, I am not one of the rabid denizens of the Unreal 2004 community that played the junk out of the now famous mod known as Alien Swarm, but I’ve heard all about it from friends of mine who swear that it is one of the most fun multiplayer co-op games that they have ever experienced.

If you don’t know of the history behind it, Alien Swarm was a top-down mod for UT 2004 that allowed 4 players to battle it out, Diablo style, against legions of aliens with totally awesome weapons. Valve then hired the team behind its inception to help them build Left 4 Dead. Apparently the team has had some free time on its hands these days, and have produced a good and proper Source engine version of their beloved classic, which releases today on Steam.

The best part? It’s absolutely free. I’m going to be playing this tonight for sure. Who’s with me?

Did any of you guys play the original? Go!

Portal 2 Gameplay VideosPosted by Eddy on June 23rd, 2010

As cool as the reveal of Portal 2 was at the Sony E3 press conference, I’ve been looking forward to seeing something more than the brief teaser trailer we got. From the sounds of things, the story is going to be a much bigger deal this time around, and there are going to be lots of new gameplay elements as well.

That’s why I’m excited that these two new Portal 2 gameplay videos have hit the Web, with Valve showcasing what the next game has to offer for all of the franchise’s many adoring fans. In the first video, we get to see a bit about the set up of the game, which apparently takes place many years after the first. The second video highlights some of the new gameplay additions we’ll be seeing. Personally, I think these awesome. I’m assuming you will agree.

Hit the jump to see the second video! More »

Today’s WTF: Valve Canceling E3 Event?Posted by Eddy on June 13th, 2010

Well, file this one under “kind of freaking weird”, I guess. Not even our GameCop feature could have predicted this kind of psycho madness.

So, remember all that E3 Valve commotion that started last week? In case you didn’t remember here’s a brief recap. First, Valve said that it was going to have a “special surprise” at E3. Then, images circulated about a supposed “Gordon Freeman” thing that had to do with the surprise. Then Valve said that no, it wasn’t Half-Life 2 Episode 3. After that, there were rumors that this was going to be a reveal of a new Source Engine. Even farther still, Valve then announced that Portal 2 had been delayed to 2011.

Crazy, right? Well, now Valve has reportedly canceled its E3 2010 event completely. Here’s the note from Valve’s Doug Lombardi regarding the cancellation.

“Just a quick note to clarify the Monday Press Event at the Regal Theater is completely cancelled. Please do not head over there expecting to see us.”

What a strange, sordid tell. So what do you guys think? More Valve tomfoolery, or did this “special surprise” thing blow up in their faces once they realized that what people really wanted was Half-Life 2 Episode 3, and perhaps they didn’t have that for them. Thoughts?

Source- VG247

GameCop Vs LameCop Vs PsychoCop: E3 Edition!Posted by Eddy on June 9th, 2010

It’s been a couple of months, and many of you left feedback that you love the GameCop vs LameCop vs PsychoCop feature, so we thought we’d do an honorary E3 rumor edition!

If you’re unfamiliar with this feature, we discuss gaming issues and we switch roles each time. The GameCop is looking out for you, the gamer, while the LameCop is just what he sounds like: kind of a lamewad. Meanwhile, PsychoCop is a troll in every sense of the word, and completely bat poop insane.

In honor of next week’s E3, we have a completely intellectual debate regarding the status of several E3 rumors, including Hulu coming to the XBox 360, Rockstar pulling out of E3, and Valve’s special showing.

Enjoy!
More »

April Fools: Valve Does Some Backtracking, Announces New DRM MeasuresPosted by Mitch on April 1st, 2010

While Steam, Valve Software’s online store, has typically been a haven for Digital Right Management – or DRM – free titles, recent events have forced the company to take a different stand on their policies.

While similar moves by UbiSoft have been largely decried by gamers world-wide, Valve Software sees the merit in maintaining a tighter hold over their products. This update, set to be released with the service’s next patch, will introduce Valve-Net, the program that will regulate users and ensure that only registered members with legitimate copies will have access to the network.

Valve-Net works just like UbiSoft’s service where an internet connection must be constantly maintained in order to play your games. While the move is sure to make the developer unpopular, Valve’s head of Steam Community Management, Ryan Hayworth, assures fans that this change is for the best.

“We just want to make sure that only paying customers our games. We’re not a fan of piracy, and Gabe [Newell, CEO of Valve Software] agrees that only the most stringent of protection methods will ensure the success of PC gaming. We currently have no plans for a refund for anyone who is unhappy with Valve-Net, and we thank our faithful player-base for their patience.”

What do you guys think about this sudden reversal from Valve? Will this change your perception of the company? Will you continue to use Steam? Will we ever see Episode Three?! Let us know!

Source: CVG

Valve’s Going ViralPosted by Eddy on March 4th, 2010

If you haven’t been paying attention, or if you’ve somehow wandered away from the Internet this week, you may have missed the fact that Valve is going bat poop loco with some new viral marketing regarding Portal. They’ve updated the puzzle FPS classic with some mysterious radio codes as well as a new achievement in the last week, and have sent their fans into a rabid frenzy: here is an active Steam thread where they are decoding some new images.

As if that wasn’t all enough, Valve has let loose with some not so subtle teases about its Steam platform seeing a potential future release on the Mac OS. They’ve put together images from several different Mac ad campaigns and incorporated Half Life 2 and Source characters in them. Say what you will about them, these guys are damn clever.

And on top of all that, people have discovered that Portal has been sneakily updated this week with a new ending… Yes, you read that right. If you don’t feel like playing the game to see, check out this video of it below.

So what do you guys think this is leading up to? It seems that Valve is really laying it on thick about a Portal 2 announcement, but there seems to be some Episode 3 imagery in the coded messages as well. Could we be getting both of these bundled in one awesome box? I certainly hope so. Theorize away!

Source- Kotaku and Shacknews

GamerSushi Asks: What Are You Playing?Posted by Eddy on January 24th, 2010

This Spring is going to be an usual one for us gamers. Heck, even this January is going to be odd. With some well-reviewed games like Bayonetta and Darksiders already hitting the shelves, as well as Mass Effect 2 dropping this week, it seems that we’re going to have our hands full with more than our Christmas gaming purchases. And that’s not even considering that Heavy Rain, Bioshock 2, Splinter Cell, Final Fantasy XIII and Crackdown are all on the way before the summer.

So, before (yet another) flood of good gaming options, what are you guys sinking your time into? Are you still working on the games you just got, have you purchased new ones, or have you returned to the old favorites?

Right now, I’ve been playing Left 4 Dead 2 on the XBox 360 and really enjoying the enhancements to the game. As much as people griped about its release, I’m impressed with just now how much content there is, and how well some of the new mechanics have been implemented. Really, kudos to Valve on proving some people wrong. In addition, I plan on starting some Brutal Legend tonight or tomorrow while I wait for Mass Effect 2 to be in my sweaty and anxious hands.

So, what are you guys playing? Go!