Topic: Left 4 Dead

[MysterD]

So, Valve does basically what they did w/ Nuclear Monkey Software. (makers of Narbacular Drop, who they had work for them and w/ them on Portal).

Yep, Valve acquired another company.

This time, they Turtle Rock, who's been working on Left 4 Dead.

Valve Acquires Turtle Rock Studios [January 10, 2008, 11:43 am ET] - 22 Comments
Valve announces they have acquired Turtle Rock Studios, developers of the upcoming Left 4 Dead:

    January 10, 2008 - Fresh off the success of The Orange Box, the 2007 game of the year award-winning collection of new games heralded as "the best value in gaming history," Valve Corporation announces the acquisition of Turtle Rock Studios, the Orange County-based development house behind one of 2008's most anticipated games, Left 4 Dead.

    Valve was founded in 1996 and has grown to become one of the game industry's leading technology and content creators, with a portfolio of over 20 million games sold worldwide. The merger of the two companies extends Valve's development team and provides the company with a new studio in southern California.

    Turtle Rock Studios' Left 4 Dead joins a growing list of Valve's game properties which includes the Half-Life, Counter-Strike, Team Fortress and Day of Defeat series of games as well as Portal, introduced as part of The Orange Box.

    "We have been seeing very strong growth with Steam and Source, our content distribution and development platforms, up over 150% over the last 12 months. Given our expectations for Left 4 Dead and our long-standing relationships with members of the Turtle Rock team, this was an easy decision. It also gives us a base from which to expand our development activities in the Los Angeles area," said Gabe Newell, president of Valve.

    "Left 4 Dead fills a long-standing demand gamers have had for a coop first-person action experience, and it will also help Valve's expansion into the console market," added Doug Lombardi, Valve's VP of marketing.

    "Valve has had great success bringing in projects and teams such as Team Fortress and Portal. As I spent time working and talking with the creators of those products over the past several years, it became clear that this was the right next step for myself, my colleagues at Turtle Rock, our customers, and our products," said Michael Booth, founder and CEO of Turtle Rock Studios. "We are excited to be a part of such a visionary and forward-thinking company."

    Founded in 2002 by Michael Booth, Turtle Rock Studios is the creator of Left 4 Dead, named one 2008's most wanted titles by many of today's leading game-enthusiast publications and Web sites.

    For more information on Valve, its games, or the Steam platform, please visit www.steamgames.com

[idolminds]

Everything Turtle Rock has ever done was for Valve. This is just making shit official.

[MysterD]

Originally, L4D was planned for Q1 2008.

Well, Valve's back to delaying things -- just like they did w/ HL2 and its Episodes.

Valve's delaying L4D  now until around August-September 2008.

[beo]

OH NO, FUCKING VALVE. STAB THEM IN THEIR STUPID FUCKING HEART.

[Pugnate]

haha Beo

I have a feeling they are delaying it so they can release another Orange Box with ep3. The engine is really showing its age though... Also has episodic content really worked out that well?

[gpw11]

hahaha.  Like Episode 3 will be ready by then.  Anyways, you're right about the engine.  It's at the point where it not only looks  a bit old, but a lot of the things they add to try to bring it up to date really bog it down.   

But you do have to admit that it holds up well all things considered - specifically TF2.

[idolminds]

Kind of strange delaying L4D. According to Shawn Wlliot of GFW mag/podcast, the last time he played the game it was complete and ready to ship already.

[Quemaqua]

Heh.  Beo's facetious comment is probably more apropos than he's aware of.

[gpw11]

I don't know what that means.

[idolminds]

Heh, one guy on shacknews probably figured out the reason for the delay: 360 version. From what I've read Valve did pretty damn well with Orange Box on 360. Makes sense to get L4D on there.

[Pugnate]

Heh.  Beo's facetious comment is probably more apropos than he's aware of.

Couldn't you just say appropriate? Show off.

But Beo just loves how D beats the dead "Valve is teh suck" horse.

Heh, one guy on shacknews probably figured out the reason for the delay: 360 version. From what I've read Valve did pretty damn well with Orange Box on 360. Makes sense to get L4D on there.

Yea that's pretty much why we got The Orange Box so late.

It sucks when a developer delays the launch of a PC game for a console.

hahaha.  Like Episode 3 will be ready by then.  Anyways, you're right about the engine.  It's at the point where it not only looks  a bit old, but a lot of the things they add to try to bring it up to date really bog it down.   

But you do have to admit that it holds up well all things considered - specifically TF2.

Oh yea. TF2 looks really sexy because of the art direction.

But unless Gordon Freeman enters Toon Paradise, I expect Ep3 to really look like ass.

Newton's 4th law: "The level of ass Ep3 will look like is directly proportional to the time it is released after Ep1."

It is already a bit of an odd transition going from Gears of War to Crysis to Ep2. What if Ep3 comes 18 months from now?

[Quemaqua]

Apropos is far from an uncommon word.  Buy a fucking dictionary, people.  Or maybe read... I don't know, a book?  Protip: TV Guide doesn't count.

Now look what you made me do.  I sound like W&C.

[Pugnate]

And here I was thinking I was funny.

[gpw11]

You were.  Que's just one of those guys with a hard on for obscure words.

[MysterD]

Now we all know why Left 4 Dead was delayed on the PC until Sept '08.

An X360 version will be released at the same time as the PC version.

Certain Affinity is heading up the 360 version, which is led by a former Bungie employee -- Max Hoberman

Left 4 Dead Xbox 360 Revealed! - 2/17/08

The March 2008 issue of the Official Xbox Magazine features Left 4 Dead on its cover, revealing the Xbox 360 version for the first time. OXM visited Valve where they played the Hospital and Cornfield scenarios on the PC and they also had the chance to see Cornfield running on Xbox 360 development hardware. This is the first time that the press has been able to see the Xbox 360 version, which still has some ways to go to match the PC: "Valve didn't let us play the 360 edition of Left 4 Dead because it was too early and unbalanced - apparently, the zombies were so overpowered that humans stood no chance." And about the graphics, "'The 360 look is almost to where the PC is, and we'll get it up to the PC look before we ship,' promises Faliszek."

Left 4 Dead Xbox 360 Official Xbox Magazine Cover March 2008

The five page article contains about 8 new screenshots along with some others we've seen before, with some nice lighting going on. The multiplayer capabilities of the Xbox 360 were discussed with Doug Lombardi:

Left 4 Dead will feature four-player co-op and eight-player, 4-on-4 Versus matches via Xbox Live or System Link. What about a split screen mode? "That's the most relevant question that we can't answer for you today," replies Valve's Doug Lombardi with a laugh. "It's a good thing to want. Being able to play two people split-screen ... four player would be even better, but I don't think four- would happen. But for us, the idea of having two people play split-screen, playing co-op on the couch and letting the NPC's fill out the rest ... it's a pretty big feature for us to chase. But right now, we're not ready to say if it's in or it's out."

The other big news from this article is that a separate game company named Certain Affinity is handling the Xbox 360 version. Certain Affinity is a small game developer founded in November 2006 based in Austin, Texas with about 16 employees. Their first product was Halo 2's Blastacular Map Pack for Bungie and Microsoft. Certain Affinity is led by Max Hoberman, a 10-year Bungie veteran who was multiplayer lead for both Halo 2 and Halo 3. OXM explained how the work is divided between the three (now two, since Turtle Rock Studios has been absorbed by Valve):

Left 4 Dead is the work of three companies - Valve Software, Turtle Rock Studios, and Certain Affinity. As the creators of The Orange Box and the Source engine, Valve is handling the games core software functionality. Certain Affinity (the Texas company created by ex-Bungie veteran Max Hoberman) was brought on to handle 360-specific elements like matchmaking, Live support, console customization, and 360 gameplay tweaks. Turtle Rock - developer of Counter-Strike for the original Xbox and the Pc's more recent Counter-Strike: Source - owns Left 4 Dead's design. Monsters, level work, weapons, and especially the game's A.I. all fall to the Turtle Rock crew.

Max Hoberman was in charge of the entire online system for Halo 2 and 3, including matchmaking and the party system. Having that experience behind the Xbox 360 version of Left 4 Dead is very exciting - as I understand it, Halo 2 and 3 did pretty well in the online arena! Some other things of note in the OXM article: The escape vehicle on Cornfield is a "heavily armed flatbed" truck. They played with NPC teammates that "behaved impressively like human players", which is the first time we've seen Survivor AI mentioned.

OXM states the following: "EXCLUSIVE: The PC and 360 versions of Left 4 Dead will ship simultaneously, but there will be no PS3 edition." No quote is given, so until we hear it straight from the mouth of Lombardi or Booth, we're not certain. Thanks to OXM for its great coverage of Left 4 Dead, and we wish luck to Certain Affinity on its task of taming the 360 version of Left 4 Dead!

[idolminds]

Called that shit.

[MysterD]

Idol, you sure did.

[PyroMenace]

Heh, one guy on shacknews probably figured out the reason for the delay: 360 version. From what I've read Valve did pretty damn well with Orange Box on 360. Makes sense to get L4D on there.

Its this magnificent thing called quoting.

[Pugnate]

Heh, one guy on shacknews probably figured out the reason for the delay: 360 version. From what I've read Valve did pretty damn well with Orange Box on 360. Makes sense to get L4D on there.

I've read at several places that it did alright. I was just listening to shacknews podcast (best podcast out there imo), and they said it was reasonable, but could have been even better.

edit:
http://www.thesimexchange.com/stock.php?id=210

It is expected to cap at just over a million, which isn't too bad for an IP pretty alien to consoles.

Also, must consider that most gamers bought it on the PC. I am going to go out on a limb here and say that The Orange Box will sell at least 10 million copies on the PC. Yes that sounds crazy, but Half-Life 1 has sold 8 million.

[PyroMenace]

Here's a new Left 4 Dead interview. I want it now damnit.

[MysterD]

Forget a Aug-Sept 2008 release.

Pushed back to November 2008.

Left 4 Dead Delay [May 23, 2008, 1:19 pm ET] - 25 Comments
Valve Interview Part 2 on Shacknews continues this conversation with Valve's Doug Lombardi on a variety of topics. Along the way Doug mentions their interest in branching out into things like MMOGs and family-friendly games, Steamworks, and Left 4 Dead. Doug admits to another delay for the multiplayer zombie game, which was expected in the summer (story), saying it is now planned for PC and Xbox 360 in November. Doug says he thinks there will be a playable demo (though this may be after the game's release) and that they are kicking around the idea of one of those free Steam weekend deals. He also explains the philosophy that leads to so many of their games suffering such delays:

    So the game is pretty much playable all the way through right now. And as we've done with most of our games, we get to a point where, it's playable all the way through, there are some [minor] issues that we need to work on, and we try to add more time to the schedule to have as many people as possible play the game, to make sure that it's approachable to players of all skills. We want to make sure that all the game that we've built gets played, not just be like, "Okay, it's complete, let's ship it."

[MysterD]

Originally planned for Nov. 4, but now delayed until Nov. 20 to coincide with HL's 10th Anniversary.

Hopefully, they probably want the extra few weeks to polish it up I bet, too -- if needed.

[gpw11]

Is Episode 3 out at the same time?!

[MysterD]

Is Episode 3 out at the same time?!

Good question.
I ain't heard anything about HL3: Ep 3 coming anytime soon...

[Xessive]

Probably end of 2009.

[MysterD]

Probably end of 2009.

More like 2019.

[MysterD]

Expect some difference b/t the PC and X360 version of L4D.

Oh, and there will be L4D DLC coming, too.
And they plan to bank this DLC out quicker than TF2's DLC updates.

Left 4 Dead DLC Promised
Aug 29, 2008 at 10:45 AM - Andrew Burnes - 4 Comments
1UP's Left 4 Dead Xbox 360 preview details some of the differences between it and the PC version, and also mentions DLC:

    Without a doubt the biggest news is that Valve will be running dedicated servers on Microsoft's Live online service. And while they didn't indicate how many exactly they'd have going, they did imply that they'd have everyone covered, as in when you played online, you'd be on a dedicated server, period. That alone should go a long way toward making the game a great online experience, but they haven't stopped there. Splitscreen play will also allow you and a friend to play together on Live from one 360, and you'll be able to slice the screen whichever way you like -- horizontally or vertically.

    Keeping on the online bonanza, writer Chet Faliszek said that Valve plans to get the DLC rolling much more quickly with Left 4 Dead than it has been able to for Team Fortress 2. Plans already in the works call for new campaigns, weapons, and boss infected (the game's zombie enemies). In addition, there were strong hints at a flamethrower coming not long after launch.

    The team has also been conscientious about tuning the game to match the playing environment of the 360. Yes, a subtle amount of aim assist has been added, but it's unobtrusive. You also get a quick turn to flip around at a tap of the right bumper. Even with this, though, they've modified the A.I. some such that zombies are a little less likely to attack you from behind in the 360 version than in the PC version.

[MysterD]

System requirements revealed for Left 4 Dead

   
    * OS: Windows Vista, XP or 2000
    * CPU: 3.0 GHz P4, Dual Core 2.0 or AMD64X2 (or higher)
    * RAM: 1 GB for XP / 2GB for Vista
    * Disc drive: DVD-ROM Drive
    * Hard drive: At least 7.5 GB of free space
    * Video: Direct X 9 compatible video card (Video card must be 256 MB or more and should be a DirectX 9-compatible with support for pixel shader 2.0)
    * Sound: Direct X9.0c compatible sound card

[idolminds]

Oh, so Steam isn't a requirement?

I CAUGHT YOU IN YOUR WEB OF LIES, VALVE!

[MysterD]

Oh, so Steam isn't a requirement?

I CAUGHT YOU IN YOUR WEB OF LIES, VALVE!

Sue them like that girl did EA. 

[Pugnate]

Oh, so Steam isn't a requirement?

I CAUGHT YOU IN YOUR WEB OF LIES, VALVE!

That was such a Keebler moment.

[MysterD]

Here's something Gabe Newell said in the latest Game Informer, in which he takes a nice swing at game publishers.

It seems by and large that gamers are incredibly smart; the average gamer seems to know more about what makes a good game than the average person at a publisher.

[Quemaqua]

I was totally going to make a Valve joke, but it's one that would have pissed off a few people, so I'll abstain.  Still, I don't think the comment is entirely accurate.  Publishers know very well when they've got a good game, they just also know when they've got something that they can sell, even if it's crap.

[Xessive]

I was totally going to make a Valve joke, but it's one that would have pissed off a few people, so I'll abstain.  Still, I don't think the comment is entirely accurate.  Publishers know very well when they've got a good game, they just also know when they've got something that they can sell, even if it's crap.

Offend Valve's people or one of us? Just put it in a spoiler tag so anyone who opens it can only blame their sense of curiosity if they feel offended. I'm very curious hehe Though I'm fairly certain I won't be offended anyway

[MysterD]

Left 4 Dead interview with Chet Faliszek of Valve

[idolminds]

Whatever you do, do NOT watch this trailer. You WILL want the game.

[Quemaqua]

I still hate the fast zombies and the whole concept still seems a little broken to me because if there are ever actually fast zombies in the world, everyone is fucked and there's no hope no matter how much of a badass you are (not to mention it breaks fundamental rules set forth by the Zombie Survival Guide, which as we all know has been endorsed by not only most governments around the world, but also the Pope and the Dalai Lama).  So that sort of breaks the concept for me right there and I've been less excited about it for a while because of that (aside from the fact that it's from Valve, who I grow to hate more with every passing day).

However, that was one of the most badass trialers I've ever seen.  All indications are that this game will be awesome regardless.

[PyroMenace]

Que, you are really starting to worry me.

[gpw11]

Ok, I watched that and then went and watched a "gameplay preview" from 1UP. 


1.) I think I may have gone off about this before, but 1up makes the shittiest videos out there.  Talk about the game, but why the fuck do I need to see your face while you do it?  It's a video; don't tell me shit, show me shit.

2.) The game looks cool, but I'm kind of suprised they're charging full price for it.

[Quemaqua]

I worry you because I like shambly zombies?  I hated 28 Days Later.  I like my zombies to shamble.  SHAMBLE.