Steam evolution
I'm a surprise...
As I have mentioned elsewhere, Steam has come a long way since its initial release, but there’s still swathes of potential to be unlocked if only the development team would make some steps in the right direction. So I’ll get ready to eat a couple of my words when I say that there are some very welcome changes being worked on under the hood.
If anyone’s been brave enough to try it, there’s a new beta UI* that was released a wee while ago, which promises various enhancements to the current look, as well as swapping out the IE-powered browser for a Webkit model (same engine powering Safari and Chrome). Aside from being faster, more standards compliant and generally more up-to-date, the browser engine is safely cross-platform. Along with some files hidden away in the new UI, and some leaked adverts and whatnot, the latest information is that Valve plan to port Steam to Mac OS X to be released some time this year, and that the upcoming Portal 2 will indeed be playable on Mac.
Some pretty decent news all round, in my opinion. There are already a number of titles on Steam that could potentially be played natively on Mac, if the service had supported it on release, and this news can only have a positive impact on the number of games sold and released for the system. And presumably if Portal 2 is released successfully, Valve may make it their policy to release games for both systems in future, just as id once did for ‘coding practise.’ Now the question remains, just how long will we have to wait before Linux compatible binaries are released?
*Quick word of warning, when I tried the new UI my fonts disappeared and I had to re-download some games that somehow went missing.
Source Wars: Day of Defeat vs. The Hidden
As part of their little series pairing off various Source-engine games and mods, machinima.com contributors Xanatos and the Janus Syndicate set up a match between The Hidden and the Wehrmacht from Day of Defeat: Source. The Germans fare about as well as we used to. Watching this actually brings back fond memories of the original Aliens vs. Predator!
Left 16 Dead Server Hack
Ever wondered why Valve restricted Left 4 Dead to just four players? Aside from the fact that they could make a catchy title out of it? This video shows a server hacked to allow a bit of extra support to join. Well, I say a bit, the zombies even find themselves outnumbered at some points. But aside from the worse pings, lack of tension, outnumbered zombies, and the hours waiting for people to enter the safe house, it seems L4D could at least technically cope with it. So if you’re finding the game hard, one of these servers just might be for you!
[Via Hot Blooded Gaming]
Dr. Blu Parody
I’ve heard of sneak teasers, but this is going too far. After combining two of the greatest forms of entertainment, this little video cuts off just before the episode’s about to start! Very well made little parody of Dr. Who. And as someone pointed out on the original thread, nice use of the supply cabinet as Tardis stand-in! How else does all that ammo and health fit in there?
[Via ubercharged.net]
Left 4 Dead: 8-bit
Finally, a version of Left 4 Dead that will run smoothly even on this machine! With today’s release of Left 4 Dead 2 obviously stealing all the limelight, I thought it only fair to spread a little love for this rather amusing creation from Eric Ruth. Just turn the clocks back twenty years and imagine the hype that would’ve surrounded the release of Left 4 Dead in 8-bit fashion, this is what is rather modestly termed a ‘de-make’ of the original. Slated for free release in January, and including all of the maps and monsters of the original, be sure to check it out!
