Team Fortress 2
steamworkshop


In case you hadn’t heard, the business of creating content for games you didn’t make is booming. People are quitting their regular jobs because building Team Fortress 2 robot skins—along with the hats for said robots—is more profitable. The whole thing seems to be working, and now Valve wants to ensure everyone gets their fair share.

“Creating high quality content for games is rarely a solo endeavor,” Valve said in a statement. "Along the way, item creators often make use of specialized tools and receive help, guidance, and feedback from various communities and individuals. We've heard from a number of item creators that are looking for a formal way of recognizing and rewarding the toolmakers and service providers that have helped them.”

Anyone who's bought from the Humble Bundle will understand how the new tool works. Creators get a pre-approved list of companies and individuals to divvy up a part of their earnings between to show support. All the money comes from Valve’s take, meaning item creators won’t have to cut into their own profits.

As of now, creators can only make money from the TF2 and DOTA 2 workshops, but who's to say that won't change? If community development makes millions of dollars for Valve, it’s not hard to see third parties following suit.
Jun 27, 2013
Team Fortress 2


Since the Steam Workshop launched in October of 2011, over 1,200 items created by the TF2 and now the DOTA community have been made available for sale. That's added up to a whopping $10 million in royalties paid to item creators.


The thing is, nobody creates a TF2 item in a vacuum. Chances are if you've made something for the Workshop, you've probably gotten some amount of help and feedback from various toolmakers, communities and mentors. A lot of these resources have proven to be immensely valuable to item creators. We'd like to give you a chance to show them just how valuable.


What if we were to tell you that you can now compensate the service providers that've helped you by giving them a percentage of the sales from your in-game item? And then what if we were to notice you walking quickly away from us after we said that? So what if we ran after you and told you hold on, you didn't hear the important part: You'll get to compensate those service providers without any actual money coming out of your own pocket. That's right: The contribution will be made from a set percentage that is redirected from Valve to the service provider, not taken from your royalty.


Starting today, item creators like yourself can leaf through a wide variety of communities, toolmakers and individuals, and decide who most deserves a percentage of your item sales (again, not your percentage). Those who'll benefit are completely up to you—from forums to programs to tutorial writers. You can divide the money between as many or as few benefactors as you'd like.


We've posted the list here, and we realize it's far from comprehensive. So be sure to let us know about other helpful resources we might have missed.


If you already have an item in the Team Fortress 2 Workshop, you can add and set Service Allowances by visiting the page for your item in the Workshop. So get out there and pay it forward like Kevin Spacey did in that movie, Superman Returns, when he gave Superman all that kryptonite, and then Superman paid it forward into space.


Half-Life 2
steam trading cards


Just as promised, Steam Trading Cards is now live. The virtual cards can be earned by playing participating games on Steam, trading with other users, or buying on the Steam Marketplace. Complete a set to create a badge, earn rewards and XP, and level up. The user with the highest Steam level at the end of the year gets to high five Gabe Newell while announcing Half-Life 3. In space.

In other true facts, I'm already hearing from users playing the Steam marketplace to profit off the cards' initial popularity. One user I spoke to has been buying low and selling high to pad his Steam wallet, even creating scarcity by buying up low-value cards in quantity. I'll keep an eye on marketplace prices as more users start trading the collectibles.

I was hoping to find a good deal on a 1952 Mickey Mantle card, but unfortunately, baseball isn't a participating game. You can see which of the games you own are participating here.
Team Fortress 2 - Valve
An update to Team Fortress 2 has been released. The update will be applied automatically when you restart Team Fortress 2. The major changes include:

  • Fixing a bug with Description strings getting cut off for the MAC and Linux versions
Team Fortress 2
An update to Team Fortress 2 has been released. The update will be applied automatically when you restart Team Fortress 2. The major changes include:
  • Fixing a bug with Description strings getting cut off for the MAC and Linux versions
Team Fortress 2 - contact@rockpapershotgun.com (Craig Pearson)

Ees Beautiool. Time to keel dragon.I rarely role-play in games. I’d like to believe it’s because I have such a well-defined personality that I simply can’t accept not being myself, but the real reason is that I’m rubbish. I only ever have one well-defined notion of what I want to be: Garrett. Every opportunity to create a character in a game for me means loading up on stealth options, and when I do I don’t really feel the character. I’m just a dude in the dark. But my last Skyrim character was lost to the great platter splatter* of October 2012, and I’m keen to go back the Fus Ro Dah. The question of whether or not I replay as a Garrett lookalike or roll something more adventurous has been answered with this mod that puts Team Fortress 2′s heavy into the dragon’s lair. I can tell I’m not going to be loading up on stealth options with this one. (more…)

Team Fortress 2
Surgeon Simulator TF2 thumb


Earlier in the week, it was announced that the TF2 mercs would be riding motorbikes through the world of Joe Danger. Now, Bossa Studios reveal an update for Surgeon Simulator 2013 that puts the Heavy on the operating table. From bike crash to hospital bed: coincidence? Yeah, probably. Although the idea of a continuing storyline told exclusively through crossovers is appealing. And it's not as if we're short on zombie games for the follow-up.



"Inspired by Valve’s 'Meet The Medic' video, these characters will now take the roles of Nigel and Bob in the game," Bossa write, before announcing that a ridiculous one million Let's Play videos of SS2013 have been uploaded to YouTube. And that's before it featured the open chest of one of gaming's most lovable Russian contract killers.

The update will launch today at 6pm BST (ie, in less than an hour), and will be free to owners of the game.

Do me a favour: savour this news. Enjoy it. Because the Heavy from TF2 is being put into a comedy surgery simulator. Games are brilliant.
Team Fortress 2 - contact@rockpapershotgun.com (Craig Pearson)

Check for doves, MedicLike the world’s most fun STD, Team Fortress 2 really likes to spread itself around. What’s that itch, Joe Danger? Why it’s a just a case of the hats. That’s not a wart on Poker Night at the Inventory, it’s an achievement. And though the one game we all wanted to have a little bit of TF2 in it has remained resistant, there’s a new strain that’s proven to be too much for its immune system. Surgeon Simulator 2013′s rib-cage cracking ridiculousness really did look a lot like the Meet The Medic trailer, and Valve has allowed the characters to appear in Bossa Studio’s scalpel sim. It was inevitable. (more…)

Team Fortress 2 - Valve
An update to Team Fortress 2 has been released. The update will be applied automatically when you restart Team Fortress 2. The major changes include:

  • Fixed a client crash when downloading custom maps for the Mac version
  • Fixed browser cookies not persisting across game restarts
  • Fixed the Festive Frontier Justice using the incorrect skin for the Blue team
  • Fixed the Virus Doctor painting the entire hat instead of just the bands
  • Fixed the shading for the Couvre Corner, Stout Shako, L'Inspecteur , and Full Metal Drill Hat
  • Stopped dropping Mann Co Supply Crate #55 and added Mann Co Supply Crate #59
  • Updated the Pocket Pyro so it can get assists in Pyrovision
  • Updated the Liquidator's Lid so it can be painted
  • Updated VR mode
    • Added support for cloning your desktop display
    • Added support for running the Rift as an extension of your desktop at resolutions other than 1280x800
Team Fortress 2
An update to Team Fortress 2 has been released. The update will be applied automatically when you restart Team Fortress 2. The major changes include:
  • Fixed a client crash when downloading custom maps for the Mac version
  • Fixed browser cookies not persisting across game restarts
  • Fixed the Festive Frontier Justice using the incorrect skin for the Blue team
  • Fixed the Virus Doctor painting the entire hat instead of just the bands
  • Fixed the shading for the Couvre Corner, Stout Shako, L'Inspecteur , and Full Metal Drill Hat
  • Stopped dropping Mann Co Supply Crate #55 and added Mann Co Supply Crate #59
  • Updated the Pocket Pyro so it can get assists in Pyrovision
  • Updated the Liquidator's Lid so it can be painted
  • Updated VR mode
    • Added support for cloning your desktop display
    • Added support for running the Rift as an extension of your desktop at resolutions other than 1280x800
...