Steam News Update - July 13, 2007

[CSN NewsBot]

E3 was this week, and Valve was busy showing off their Orange Box to the masses. Let's just hop right into this week's news update!

We're now in the home stretch on getting everything finished off with the Orange Box games. Just this week, we've finished recording and placing all of the developer commentary for the three new games. Episode Two, Team Fortress 2, and Portal together will include over two and a half hours of new commentary that should help shed some light into the thinking and challenges behind these three new games. This is all in addition to the hour or so of commentary included in Episode One. Commentary will be included on all three platforms (PC, XBOX 360, and PS3). Here's Merle Dandridge, the voice of Alyx, talking about Alyx.



Two of our artists were recently honored by being selected as part of the Into the Pixel art collection. The collection will be publicly shown at the E for All exhibition at the LA Convention Center from October 18-21, 2007. Here are the two pieces of concept art from Jeff Ballinger (Farm from TF2) and Jeremy Bennett (City 17 from EP2). (Picture 1, Picture 2)

There's a chance I'll be on my way to visit Valve early next month! So, if you have any questions you want me to ask, start thinking of them now. Once I know for sure what's going on, I'll toss up a news post to accept user submitted questions.

[DevgruSeal H.E]

Why is it when I look at a picture of Merle Dandridge, and listen to that commentary clip, the voice sounds like it doesn't match?



Hehe.

[zazenXhagakure]

I google image searched her name as soon as I saw that too! haha I'm so used to putting that voice to Alyx's face that it doesn't fit anywhere else. Too bad the audio clips not longer, I could listen to that voice for hours.

[Thortok2000]

Voice sounds like it matches to me...



Could you link the picture that you think doesn't match?

[Que_?]

Zip,



Can you ask them about EP2 price only. If I can get it for $17.95, like I did for EP1.

[slavemonkey]

I'm sure its the last thing for them to think about, but ask them if there is going to be anymore updates, new maps, ...anything for DOD Source. Thanks.

[meowmeow]

I'm just happy we can buy Episode 2 seperately on Steam.

[mr spoon]

Going to Valve? Are you going to finally take the CS2 suggestion bin printouts to them, as Rizzuh never did >

[Que_?]

You need to find Minh Le and save him!

[Zips]

I do plan on asking if CS2 still exists in any form at least.

[Thortok2000]

Here's a few things I'd like to know from Valve.



A) Availability of purchasing JUST EP2, without TF2 and Portal. Even if this is a Steam-only offer, I'd be fine with it (I planned on buying from Steam anyway). And estimated price of it. And, failing that, if it would be possible to get EP2, TF2, and Portal, without HL2 and EP1, again, even if that's a Steam-only offer, it'd be better than buying games I already own.



B) What is the probability of ads being added to a game AFTER the game has been released and many people have bought it? This is what buggered me most about ads being added to CS 1.6. ANY GAME ON STEAM has the capability of having ads shoved into it and we'll just have to take it up the behind, and say "Please sir, may I have another?"



In short, I'd like a quotable guarantee that any game in the future that will have ads in it will have those ads from release and not have them shoved in after everyone's bought the product. I doubt you can get this guarantee, and if you can't, report that, too.



C) What is their intended support of games, especially CS 1.6 and Source, that have already been released. Could it be possible to have some sort of 'Bug Tracker' status page, where concerned citizens can be informed which bugs Valve is aware of, and the status of their removal?



This is one of the subjects on which Valve is way, way under-represented in terms of communicating with the community. Right now, the only way we know they're working on patching bugs is pretty much the patch notes of the bugs they DID fix. Which leaves the bugs they didn't fix kind of up in the air... Are they being worked on? Does Valve even know about them? Do they even care?



That last question, especially, should never have to be asked about a game developer, but it's asked all too often about Valve. In your own words, just try to get something out of them on their future plans to keep the community a little bit more informed about what the community wants to know.

[DevgruSeal H.E]

Yeah, those are some things I'd like to know.



Mostly on the bugs behalf.

[Que_?]

Also take a picture of Alfred. I'd like to see what he looks like. Tell him to find Minh Le and beg him to come back. (If he is really not there anymore)

[Crilix]

Congrats on scoring a visit! I'll be sure to fire a few questions your way to pass on if the trip does indeed go through.

-Cril

[Thortok2000]

For example, here's Blizzard's current 'Known Issues' thread:



http://forums.worldofwarcraft.com/threa...4542580&sid=1



It'd be awesome if Valve did that.