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Valve: We're not PS3 developers, but Left 4 Dead might be on PS3 ... maybe


Most Valve Software fans would know well enough that the company is primarily a developer for PC games and a bit of Xbox on the side. So, it's not too startling to hear Valve Marketing VP Doug Lombardi say something along the lines of "We're not PS3 developers" -- it's just a great headline. What is interesting, however, is the possibility of Left 4 Dead, currently set only for PC and Xbox 360 release, getting ported to the PS3.

Talking to CVG, Lombardi reconfirmed that Valve still sees Left 4 Dead for PC and 360 only; however, he did leave some glint of hope for a PS3 port in the future. When asked if EA would bring the game over much like what the company did with The Orange Box, Lombardi replied "Left 4 Dead doesn't have that guaranteed appeal yet - it's a new IP. If you mention a new Half-Life, people want to make as many versions of it as possible. If Left 4 Dead is big, then we may see a PS3 version later, or if and when we do a sequel, people may be more interested in that."

In short, it all comes down to financial risk for whoever wants to take on the challenge of porting. As far as Valve is concerned, they're not the ones who will do it; someone else will do it if they want to, that is. Hopefully, Left 4 Dead does well on the other platforms; we could always use a zombie shooter on the PS3.

Valve has no control over Team Fortress 2 DLC pricing

If you've been itching for new maps to annihilate your friends on with the Orange Box's multiplayer title, Team Fortress 2, you know it's just a matter of time until you get your wish. What you don't know is how much it'll cost you. Neither does Valve. Kotaku contacted Valve's VP of Marketing, Doug Lombardi, to see if their wish for free downloadable content was up to them, a result of Electronic Arts meddling, or something else. He said "The platform owner holds the final call." Which means it's up to Sony and Microsoft whether or not to offer the content for free. Anyone care to venture a guess?

Rumor: Orange Box patch might be on the horizon

It's no secret the PS3 version of Orange Box is inferior to the PC and 360 version due to the unforgivable amounts of bugs and bad coding. Many gamers have voiced their displeasure about the game, and one upset gamer, who purchased the game despite the highly publicized problems, posted a thread on Valve's forums. Soon after, a Valve employee responded to address his complaints.

"I hope that we will be able to correct any major issues in the future," wrote Burton before wishing him a "Happy New Years." Now, this can be interpreted numerous ways, however, the most likely scenario is Valve issuing a patch to address these problems.

One thing to keep in mind is that this mess isn't entirely Valve's fault since it handed over reigns to EA London for the PS3 port. However, it's still Valve's baby, and it's most certainly in the developer's best interests to keep the quality of its most-popular franchise as high as possible.

The Orange Box: video side by side [Update]


You've heard the reports that The Orange Box may be downright unplayable on the PS3. Is that true? Well, this well-made comparison video from the 1UP team should clarify a few things. Pay attention, as they highlight the differences between the Xbox 360 and PS3 versions of Valve's critically acclaimed shooter.

We recommend downloading the HD version to really appreciate the differences. While it's true the PS3 version is more sluggish, especially around water -- is it unplayable? That's for you to decide. If the PS3 is the only system you have, hopefully this won't deter you from experiencing one of the best games of the year.

Update: Portal has been added, after the break. Chances are, you won't notice a difference between the two versions in this video.

Continue reading The Orange Box: video side by side [Update]

Gabe Newell calls PS3 'waste of everybody's time'


Gabe Newell really hates the PS3. In a recent interview with Next-Gen, he blasted Sony's system due to its frustrating architecture, calling the system "a waste of everybody's time. Investing in the Cell, investing in the SPE gives you no long-term benefits. There's nothing there that you're going to apply to anything else. You're not going to gain anything except a hatred of the architecture they've created."

Because of his distaste for PS3, the critically acclaimed Orange Box is not being ported to PS3 by Valve. Rather, EA is handling the port and he's confident that "they'll make the PS3 version a good product; EA got the job done in putting a lot of people with PS3 experience on the project." He does note that "it's harder to get it to the same standard as the 360 and PC versions."

Hopefully, EA's treatment of The Orange Box will be better than the sloppy PS3 version of Madden, which was slammed by the gaming media for its sluggish framerate on PS3.

[Via CVG]

Enter the Engineer from Team Fortress 2

We've already met the crazy soldier and heavy artillery guy of Team Fortress 2, now we get to meet the surprisingly resourceful and musically talented Engineer. Solving "practical problems", he seems more interested in pounding back a few brews and sitting by a fire, playing his guitar than running around fighting. That's because he seems more adept at building machinery to do his bidding for him, something we're interested to see translate into actual gameplay. Either way, it's a very fun video, so enjoy!

[via Joystiq]

Gabe Newell trashes PS3's Cell architecture

Holy insufferable insults, Batman! It's yet another personality who wants to belittle the PS3 and its Cell processor. Valve's own Gabe Newell gave a talk at Leipzig the other day and did their share of doling out insults to both the 360 and PS3, while showering compliments on the PC. When asked how development was coming on the PS3, Newell replied with the usual difficult-to-program-for spiel: "I don't think they spent nearly enough time talking to developers when they were developing the PS3. It's less friendly for developers ... It's a hardware architectural problem. I don't think they thought through the Cell architecture. The hardware is only as good as the software it enables."

That's techno-babble for "the PS3 is only as good as its games," which is true. Just like a child, the PS3 will grow and mature, looking better and better with every passing year. The software are only as good as the developers, you could switch it up and say as they familiarize themselves with the architecture, they'll pull more and more out of the console than they initially believed. Even so, Newell thinks Sony should have followed Intel's multi-core approach to expedite this learning process. What are your thoughts on the relation between the PS3, its games, and developers? Who's holding who back?

Half-Life 2 Orange Box -- console owners get a steal [update 1]

For the uninitiated, Valve initially intended to release Half-Life 2 in two different options for the consoles. One was the Black Box that contained HL2: Episode 2, Portal, and Team Fortress 2. The other is the Orange Box that contained the aforementioned plus Half-Life 2 and Episode 1 expansion. Notice our tenses. One was. One is. That's right -- the Black Box is gone.

Doug Lombardi, Valve's marketing director confirmed it. "The Black Box has been cancelled. We're going to have one package, The Orange Box, available on the PC (US$49.99) as well as the 360 and PS3 (US$ 59.99)." While we're sad to see a cheaper alternative go down the garbage disposal, it's for the better. Getting the whole package is always a better alternative to getting a partial package. The only ones who seem to get screwed here are the PC owners. If they've already got the original game, they've got to buy it again if they want to get all three new products. Buying them separate might prove more expensive, anyway. Well, at least the console-lovers get everything at once, right?

[Update: Changed the title of the article to better reflect the idea of the post -- indeed, the Black Box was due out only on PC, as it would be silly to not give console owners the actual game. But console owners get a fantastic deal with the Orange Box, no?]

Half-Life 2: Episode Two delayed 'til Feb 2007 [Update 1]

Doug Lombardi, of Valve fame, announced that Half Life 2: Episode Two, Team Fortress 2, and Portal will all be pushed back to February of next year. The reason? Valve was a bit aggressive with their release date. Too aggressive, they say. As a shift in management practice, Lombardi says: "our thing is always that we're trying to make really good experiences and so we're going to manage to that rather than the schedule." Good for you guys. Really.

Now, about Portal... seems Lombardi is interested in the idea, so much so that he wants to toss it into future episodes. It's that cool and fun to play with. This brings up memories of the gravity gun. You know, that insanely neat tool/weapon/toy used in the main game of Half-Life 2. Just for fun, what was your greatest moment with the gravity gun? Rig up any incredibly complicated traps just to get that one enemy? With that in mind, are you looking forward to playing with the portal gun on your PS3? Or PC, but PS3 eventually.

[update: fixed image... brain farts are not uncommon when portals are involved. Thanks, insane_cobra!]

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