Left 4 Dead (multiplat)

[RobertR1]

http://www.shacknews.com/featuredarticle.x?id=874

Haven't heard much about it. It set for PC and 360 release in Nov. Hopefully Valve start taking and showing more of it.

 

[slider]

The multi-player aspect has had me intrigued for a while. Although I can't recall if it forces you to find a buddy? I doubt it. In which case the CPU controlled characters will be crucial.

 

[Rangers]

Source engine looks really aged in this..not sure why website previews seem to rave about it, as terrible as I think it looks graphically.

 

[Tisan]

I'm really hoping Valve will introduce a more dynamic lighting system soon. I imagine that would come with Episode 3 though, *sigh* Valve time...

 

[Scott_Arm]

Somewhat dated graphics aside, this game looks real fun. Co-op rules.

 

[PARANOiA]

All the feedback on this game is very positive on GFW Radio. In fact, they've been saying that every version they've played is worth of release, and are a little frustrated that Valve keep sitting and tweaking this one. Oh well, here's hoping the extra time is worth it.

 

[Need 2 Know]

here are some new pics of the upcoming title by valve - left 4 dead

http://www.actiontrip.com/features/left4dead.phtml

looking very nice

 

[upnorthsox]

Well well well......

Valve doesn't do PS3. The company's co-founder Gabe Newell isn't a fan, and hasn't been afraid to say so. But Valve's Doug Lombardi has told CVG today that PS3 support could be on the cards as the platforms recent success has raised some eyebrows.

"We're always evaluating what's happening in the marketplace and certainly something that's happening in the last couple of months is that Sony's managed to sell some boxes," said Lombardi.

"So whether or not you like developing for that platform, if they've got millions of people connected to that platform and buying their games you have to take it seriously."

He went on: "They're in the race now, so we've got to re-evaluate that for what it is."

PC is still its primary format, reaffirmed Lombardi, explaining that hardware similarities makes 360 its second choice.

But what are the chances of Valve opening its arms to PS3 and showing it some Left 4 Dead love? "50-50 right now," said Lombardi.

"There's zero chance of it happening this year. It's something that's being talked about right now as the game is gaining popularity and looking like it's going to be a hit."

A 50 percent chance one of the most highly respected PC developers will work on PS3? We'll take those odds.

http://www.computerandvideogames.com/article.php?id=195936

 

[DrJay24]

Is this game really released a few days from Gears 2? Is that a wise strategy?

 

[obonicus]

Well, they're releasing it for PC too, it's not like there'll be any competition there.

 

[ShaidarHaran]

Well well well......



http://www.computerandvideogames.com/article.php?id=195936

Glad to hear a PS3 release is not out of the question, sad to see such influential developers still maintaining their bias against the PS3...

 

[Scott_Arm]

Well, they're releasing it for PC too, it's not like there'll be any competition there.

Yeah, they'll do a lot of business on the PC and there's no reason not to release the 360 simultaneously. I'm sure they want to be out before Christmas. Basically any release dates in the October-December timeframe don't matter. It's all "holiday" release.

 

[Fu3lFr3nzy]

Source engine looks really aged in this..not sure why website previews seem to rave about it, as terrible as I think it looks graphically.

Yeah, it certainly isnt the graphical marvel that it was 4 years ago. But I guess Valve is trying to make it accessible to anyone, particularly people with older rigs.

Nonetheless my friends and I are anticipating this game's release for some 4 player zombie slayin (GTFO RE5 *runs*)

 

[Malibu]

First 360 gameplay footage.

Farm Fight
Urban Battleground
Subway
Last Stand

1UP

We've been eagerly anticipating Valve's upcoming multiplayer online zombie survival shooter Left 4 Dead. But so far every time we've gotten to check it out only the PC version has been on hand. Since we were already headed up to the Seattle area for PAX this weekend we dropped by Valve's offices where this time they busted out the 360 version. It sounds funny to say this about a Valve game, but it's definitely shaping up as the top contender for sleeper hit of this fall -- at least on the console where games like Resistance 2 and Call of Duty World at War hog the limelight. All I know is that after checking out the videos I think I agree with Andrew Pfister who took one look and said, "more like Left 4 Awesome."

GameSpy

Both versions of the game will feature a built-in friends list in the main menu that will tell you what sort of matches each of your buddies is currently in. If they have a free slot open in their match, you'll be able to hop right in at any time, replacing whichever character is bot-controlled at the time. You'll also have the option of partying up with your friends and searching for maps, as well as hopping online with a friend who's playing splitscreen with you, regardless of whether or not they have an Xbox Live Gold account.

If you don't see anyone online or don't feel like joining a match that's currently in progress, you can easily and quickly create your own match, setting it up to be available to the public or making it invite-only. You'll also be able to tweak a few other options, including the difficulty level (easy, normal, hard, and impossible are your choices) and the map you'd like to play on. It was explained that, since Valve will be running the servers for both the Xbox 360 and PC versions of the game, they'll be able to track a bunch of different statistics that will make it easier to match similar players together.

 

[Malibu]

Left 4 Dead for Xbox 360 Using Dedicated Servers on Live

After spending a day at Valve's offices playing Left 4 Dead for the premier episode of the next season of the 1UP Show, the 1UP crew came away with a truckload of new info on the Xbox 360 version of the game. 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."

 

[RobertR1]

Looks like Valve has a pledged a 10mil marketing campaign for this:

http://www.edge-online.com/features/left-4-deads-10m-ad-campaign

""People had really strong reactions to Left 4 Dead when we started showing it," said Valve managing director Gabe Newell in an interview. "Our pre-orders are running 60 percent ahead of Orange Box. This in combination with the fact that it is a new IP made us think that an extensive marketing program made a lot of sense."

About half of the campaign's dollars will go towards television advertising. Valve has secured 30-second "high impact, premium placement" spots during USC, Notre Dame, Monday Night and Thanksgiving football broadcasts.

A Valve presentation said the commercials will mix humor and horror and will air November 9 through 28 on ABC, ESPN, Fox, MTV, Comedy Central, USA, Spike TV and other networks.

The studio also plans on substantial spending for environmental ads that involve billboards, buses, train station takeovers, jumbotrons, Go Mobile trucks and other venues.

Valve said it will "saturate" New York, Chicago, Boston, Seattle, Los Angeles and San Francisco with the outdoor ads, along with key placements in Minneapolis and Dallas, peaking throughout the month of November."

The 360 will 2 major exclusive marketing blitz in Nov with Gears 2 and now Left 4 Dead. That's huge!

 

[ban25]

Looks like Valve has a pledged a 10mil marketing campaign for this:

http://www.edge-online.com/features/left-4-deads-10m-ad-campaign

Funny, I don't recall seeing all those ads over Powell station. Maybe they are already gone?

 

[user542745831]

Kikizo: Is there any way you'd be able to get like a PC-like frame rate performance on the Xbox 360 in this release, as this wasn't achieved in Orange Box?

Lombardi: You know, I think once you get up to about 30 frames per second it's darn playable, and the average person doesn't notice it, and I think that's something we as an industry get caught up in, like, "it must be 60 frames per second". I'm sorry but most people can't tell the difference between 30 and 60. You can clearly tell the difference between 20 and 30 though, and that's unacceptable, in our opinion. Beyond a certain point, it's a case of how much time do we want to spend working on performance, versus moving onto the next game. So you're right, at the top end on the PC you're going to have higher frame rates, higher resolution textures, all the usual stuff, but for the average gamer it's going to be virtually identical - the same geometry, the same monsters, the same campaign.

Kikizo: You're not doing a PS3 version of Left 4 Dead. We all know the PS3 version of Orange Box was a bit ropey - did you just decide this time you couldn't be doing with all that again this time?

Lombardi: [laughs] You know, we didn't shop the PS3 Orange Box; EA came to us and said, "you're making this new Half-Life thing, can we make it multi platform?", and we said "sure". If somebody came to us and said, "can we do a platform extension of Left 4 Dead?", then we'd have a conversation with them. I think part of the reason folks came to us on that one [Orange Box for PS3] was because it was a Half-Life property and they knew it was money in the bank. Left 4 Dead is kind of a risky proposition, and it's an unproven IP. So I think if this one hits, you'll probably see someone saying: "Can we quickly put this out on another platform?!", or, "when you guys do a sequel, can we do it on another platform?" You know, people kind of assess the risk of the investment - and anything related to Half-Life or Half-Life 2, the risk is a lot lower than, "hey, new franchise! Trying to do new gameplay!"

http://games.kikizo.com/features/valve-doug-lombardi-left-4-dead-interview-p1.asp

 

[Shifty Geezer]

Lombardi: You know, I think once you get up to about 30 frames per second it's darn playable, and the average person doesn't notice it, and I think that's something we as an industry get caught up in, like, "it must be 60 frames per second".

Strange. I seem to have somehow missed all these 60 fps games the industry is forcing upon itself...

 

[obonicus]

Strange. I seem to have somehow missed all these 60 fps games the industry is forcing upon itself...

Well, it's Doug Lombardi, take whatever he says with a few handfuls of salt.