Self-professed "virtual photographer" Robert Overweg has a portfolio up on his site, showcasing a series of shots he calls "The End of the Virtual World".

They don't show the last minutes of a dying game world; instead, Overweg journeys to the end of a game's maps, shooting the desolate, lonely places that exist on the periphery of your favourite video games.

Four titles are features: Left 4 Dead 2, Half-Life 2, Counter-Strike and Modern Warfare 2. You won't find any men running around. Or aliens. Or tanks. Or ammo, or crates, or health packs. There's just...a road. A road to nowhere.

The End Of The Virtual World [via Gizmodo]

Week seven of Left 4 Dead 2's Mutation mode brings "Chainsaw Massacre" to the game's campaign. Four Survivors, four chainsaws, four zillion zombies. Next week: "Room For One."

Zombie enthusiasts go it alone this week with the latest Left 4 Dead 2 Mutation, "Last Man On Earth." No splitscreen, no Survivor bots, and no Common Infected—it's just you and some Special Infected in single-player mode.

Valve's weekly update to Left 4 Dead 2's gameplay altering Mutations brings us "Follow the Liter," a new spin on the gas guzzling Scavenge mode. The better news? The game's debut Mutation is going to be a permanent fixture.

Voting for the regular institution of Realism Versus mode was an resounding "Yes!" according to the latest Left 4 Dead blog update. The timing of that permanent change is still TBD, but factor in the usual amount of Valve Time. It remains to be seen whether this week's Mutation, which spawns only one set of gas cans at a time during Scavenge mode, will be as popular. Let's find out together, shall we?

Up next, "The Last Gnome on Earth." I'm guessing the Gnome has succumbed to the zombie infection. Keep in mind I'm awful at guessing.

Week 3 [L4D]

With Valve offering up weekly "Mutations" in its zombie apocalypse shooter Left 4 Dead 2, the gameplay variety will flow as thick as Boomer bile. But will Valve go this far out, adding Jockey races to the game?

Jockey Riders is a fan made variation on Left 4 Dead 2's sprint to the safe room with a rare Zombie and Survivor cooperative twist. The goal is to make your way to the safe room as a team, one Jockey special infected, one human. Players must control the Jockey-ridden Survivor in tandem, which may not be as easy as it sounds.

Valve, what do you think? Worth a Mutation?

This weekend, things are going to get even harder for the poor Survivors from Left 4 Dead 2, thanks to the game's latest rule-changing "Mutation." And one Mutation is up for permanent, not weekly, contention.

"Bleed Out" the second gameplay variation added to the rotation to those who have upgraded to Left 4 Dead 2's first expansion, The Passing, will afflict the Survivors with "no permanent health, only temporary health that is continuously ticking away." This time, it affects the game's Campaign mode. Next week? "Follow the Liter." Sounds like cola escort to me.

Valve notes on the official L4D blog that the Left 4 Dead 2 in-game poll poses an important question: "Should we make Realism Versus a permanent game mode?" Sure. Why not? Why not make them all permanent?

Puking and Bleeding Out [L4D Blog]

It never rains Valve merchandise, it pours. Hot on the heels of the news the company will be releasing statues and props based on its favourite franchises comes word a line of Left 4 Dead plushies are also on sale.

There'll be five in total, with the first available being everyone's favourite undead fatty, the Boomer. He'll cost $50, and in a nice touch, was designed not by some nameless company in China, but by Alexandria "beavotron" Neonakis, creator of the amazing Valve Christmas cards.

$50 sounds like a lot for a plush, but he's not just for cuddles, as when squeezed he'll emit one of ten pre-recorded sounds. Presumably eight of them are some kind of gurgling noise.

Some of the other plushies in the pipeline include the Witch and Tank.

L4D2 Boomer [Valve]

Valve sent word five minutes ago that the public release of Steam for the Mac will be on May 12. No other details were included in the statement.

Originally due for release sometime in April, there was, of course, less than two days left to make that deadline. Valve gave no reason for the delay.

Steam for the Mac will bring with it Left 4 Dead 2, Team Fortress 2, Counter-Strike, Portal and the Half-Life series.

We knew that Left 4 Dead 2's new expansion, "The Passing," paid a graffiti tribute to Dead Rising's Frank West. It looks like the game's creators admire Plants vs. Zombies as well.

Reader Stephen H. sent in this grab - we're trying to get a bigger image - but evidently Crazy Dave is the guy to see if you need an M60. Crazy Dave, of course, is your neighbor (and the armorer/store owner) in PopCap's Plants vs. Zombies.

This too is in the room with a pool table on the second level of "The Passing." Just scan the wall, you'll hit it and many other zombie genre in-jokes.

We're only into week one of the rotating list of 'Mutations' coming to Left 4 Dead 2, but the code-burrowing Steam forum goers may have already dug up a good portion of the 20-plus game variations coming.

We know that "Realism Versus" is legit, as is "Chainsaw [Massacre]," but the list is full of placeholders, so set your expectations accordingly. "No Health Versus" and "Vip Target" sound like the kind of tension-filled fun that we're hoping for from Left 4 Dead 2's new expansion, of which we already identified Mutations as one of the add-on's highlights.

Here's the full list.

Chainsaws
First Man Out
Four Swords Men
Hardcore
Head Shots Only
Last Man On Earth
Linear Scavenge
M60s
Max Specials
No Health Versus
Realism Versus
Temporary Health
Ultra Realism
Versus Survival
Vip Target

List of all Mutations (Found in the VScripts) [Steam Forums via Dtoid]