Weekly Steam News - June 1, 2007

[CSN NewsBot]

Another awesome week has gone by with some awesome updates for CS: Source! Whoo! Whoo-hoo even! Alright, so I'm full of crap. So what else is new?

Earlier this week, we reset the Steam Hardware Survey so we can keep on top of what kind of hardware everyone out there is running. So far, we've received over 200,000 responses. Thanks to everyone for sharing your information. Some of the highlights so far:

Just over 1% of respondents can run a DX10 path for graphics.

About 78% of you have microphones plugged in for voice communication. This will help you out a lot in TF2.

A little under 5% of you have upgraded to Vista.

Around 20% of your PCs are running multiple CPU cores.



Check out the rest of the survey data here. Note: Results are added as they are received.



Big news for Red Orchestra this week. Tripwire released a major free update, including 10 new maps, increased player limits, and tons of new content. To usher in the extensive update, Red Orchestra is 20% off list price for a limited time, plus new and current owners can hand out two Steam Guest Passes that enable 10 days of free play for friends. Be sure to check out the new game trailer.



Finally, if you've installed an ATI Radeon card in your PC and haven’t played Half-Life 2 Deathmatch or Half-Life 2: Lost Coast, grab free copies now.

Just proud(?) to see I'm one of the few running Vista. Also glad to see I'm not alone in my crappy single core CPU experience! Whoo-hoo!



I've got two (I assume) guest passes to distribute for Red Orchestra. If you want one, leave a comment. I won't be able to distribute them until Sunday, but post now. I dare you. Side note: Indiana is flat. Too flat.

[-:Nighthawk:-]

Dibs!



Well, so long as I can wait a couple days to redeem it, don't have any time for gaming right now...



Fortunately Indiana Jones is very flat, but Lara Croft is no, so choose your style. Yes, I was making a joke, and yes, it fell flat. About as flat as Indiana.



How you liking Vista anyway? I've heard a lot of horror stories, so I'm curious how much stock I should take in them.

[videege]

On a mildly related note, I finally decided to purchase RO and I have to say I'm loving it.

[HACKER HELL STORM]

videege wrote..

On a mildly related note, I finally decided to purchase RO and I have to say I'm loving it.

glad to hear it! tell your friends!

[omgomgz]

About 78% of you have microphones plugged in for voice communication. This will help you out a lot in TF2.

Voice Communication will be helpful in TF2?



No. Way.

[woah]

Not surprising. Not many of these new techs/software are really at all useful (Vista) or worth the money (DX10 cards).

[DevgruSeal H.E]

I agree with woah (#5).



While Vista has the -capability- to do well, it isn't doing it well yet. Perhaps when the technology becomes cheaper and more support is brought to it, but it's too early and too buggy to become anything superior. I say buggy for lack of a better term. While it isn't the "bug" you would think of with, say CS Source, it's still got things that make it fairly unusable.



Having said that, I'll probably include it in my next gaming computer, provided DX10 cards come down a lot in price from now until Episode 2 comes out.



Relating to the Steam Hardware, I always get confused when they ask for my "Internet connection speed." Do they want my upload speed? Or download speed? Because it provides options that are quite similar. 2>Mbps DSL compared to 768>Kbps, I have both. Download and upload, respectfully.

[acidsnow]

i have a deul kore!!

[Gpig]

If someone has Vista and they didn't get it for free via the student edition or some other reason than they're idiots.



In other news, someone sent me a guest pass for Red Orchestra and I just finished downloading it last night over my terrible connection. I'll definitely be trying that shit out this weekend. I hope it's fun.

[HEAD NOOB]

if anyone has a spare guest pass, my email is fzreira[at]gmail.com ;]

I can give u my css pass for it if u want

[m4elite]

Gpig wrote..

If someone has Vista and they didn't get it for free via the student edition or some other reason than they're idiots.



In other news, someone sent me a guest pass for Red Orchestra and I just finished downloading it last night over my terrible connection. I'll definitely be trying that shit out this weekend. I hope it's fun.

BE PREPARED FOR THIS MOST FUN YOU WILL NEVER HAVE

[Merc4hire]

I call one of those guest passes if there is any left

[omgomgz]

Hi i ned a guist pass for half-life 3?? email needgestpas@hotmail.com

[Haklin]

I won't be touching vista for at least another 1-2 years

[Gpig]

m4elite wrote..

BE PREPARED FOR THIS MOST FUN YOU WILL NEVER HAVE

Yeah pretty much. I'll give it another go tomorrow though. It improved my cs aim for some reason despite RO having no aim required.