May 19, 2010

Team Fortress 2 and Counter-Strike: Source Beta Update Released

Team Fortress 2 - Valve

Updates to Team Fortress 2 and Counter-Strike: Source Beta have been released. The updates will be applied automatically when your Steam client is restarted. The major changes include:

Engine

Improved crash reporting system to enable more detailed crash reports
Fixed a client crash caused by a buffer overflow while processing temp entities

Counter-Strike: Source Beta

Fixed not being able to add bots to the game using the Create Server dialog
Fixed some movement ConVars to match the current Counter-Strike: Source settings for default values and flags
Fixed several rubberbanding/stuttering issues with objects and players
Fixed several ConVars (sv_accelerate, maxspeed, etc.) being hidden
Fixed bloom problems
Fixed a server crash caused by malformed client autobuy string
Fixed developer console output being on by default
Fixed "Report Bug" in the main menu not working
Fixed the missing icon for the desktop shortcut
Fixed the "rebuy" command not buying the correct items depending on the order they were purchased in
Fixed the clock image in the spectator HUD being clipped

Team Fortress 2

Fixed a case where the Spy could start taunting and cloak at the same time
Flamethrower changes
- Increased base damage 10%
- Afterburn duration increased (from 6 to 10)
- Flares that hit a burning player at mid-to-long range will crit
- Reduced Backburner damage bonus from 20% to 15%

May 19, 2010

New Mac Games, Hardware Survey, and Portal

Steam Blog - Valve

According to the accounts of many happy Mac gamers, last week's launch of Steam on the Mac has been a huge success. Those of us on the Steam team were especially pleased to be able to include Portal as a free download to celebrate the launch, and it appears that many of you agree it was a good idea - there have been approximately 1.5 million downloads so far. Aperture Science, we've heard, is pleased. Be sure to pick it up today - the offer ends on the 24th of this month.

As we've mentioned, Steam is going to be adding a new set of Mac games every Wednesday for a few weeks. Here is today's dozen new Mac titles:

Madballs in Babo: Invasion
Killing Floor
Altitude
Europa Universalis 3
Hearts of Iron 3
Sam & Max Season 2
Sam & Max Season 3 - Ep. 2
Chains
Simplz Zoo
Caster
Eschalon Book 1
Windosill

All of these titles support Steam Play, meaning that you'll be able to play each title on both Windows and the Mac from any computer with just a single purchase. Several of the titles also support cross-platform multiplayer action - a first for games on Steam.

In other Mac news, we're getting ready to add Mac numbers to our hardware survey. As longtime Steam customers are aware, our Steam Hardware Survey has become an industry benchmark for gauging what kinds of computers gamers are running around the world. We are in the process of updating this monthly report with Mac information and other new aggregate data. Here's a sneak peak at some of the preliminary findings we've gathered about Mac hardware since we launched on that platform just over a week ago:

- Roughly two thirds of all Steam Mac users are running on a laptop.
- Portal (with the same code base across platforms) is one fifth as likely to crash on a Mac than on Windows.
- And one week after launch, already more than eleven percent of all Steam purchases are for the Mac.

You'll be able to dig deeper into those numbers sometime next month, which is when we're planning to ship the complete report. After that it will be automatically updated each month with new survey data.

May 19, 2010

Booster Trooper Update Released

Booster Trooper - Valve

Updates to Booster Trooper have been released. The updates will be applied automatically when your Steam client is restarted. The major changes include:

Booster Trooper

Added: Dedicated Servers
Added: new map - Molten Rock
Added: "Bots Free" leaderboards only for games human vs human with no bots
Fixed: infinite join sound in hardcore mode
Fixed: several achievement detections
Added: Hz setting for resolutions
Added: password protected hosts
Added: sfx for spawn protect duration
Fixed: added missing low-textures on scrapyard
Improved: if reload was interrupted by grenade usage or weaponchange it will restart automatically
Improved: no shooting during respawn protection
Improved: gfx detail option now affects physics details as well
Fixed: duck down accuracy check

May 19, 2010

Steam For Mac Launch Continues

Press Release - Valve

Cross-Platform Multiplayer Titles Available Now

May 19, 2010 - The second round of Steam for the Mac launch titles are available now. This week's collection features a dozen games headlined by the first cross-platform multiplayer games offered via Steam.

This first set of titles that allow for PC vs. Mac cross-platform gaming include the co-op zombie hit Killing Floor, Altitude, and Madballs in Babo: Invasion.

"We were thrilled when we learned that Steam was coming to the Mac platform and started working on a native Mac version of Killing Floor immediately," said John Gibson, President of Tripwire Interactive, creators of Killing Floor. "Steam's advanced multiplayer support on both the PC and Mac has enabled us to bring Killing Floor to a whole new audience on the Mac and introduce them to the existing PC player community."

To celebrate the launch of these titles, Killing Floor will be offered at 33% off its regular price (for a limited time). An Altitude Free Weekend promotion is available now on Steam, and those who wish to purchase the game and play beyond the weekend may pick it up at 50% off its regular price. And Madballs in Babo: Invasion is also available at 50% off its regular price.

More single player games are also available today including Sam and Max: The Devils Playhouse Episode 2, Hearts of Iron 3, and more. Click here to see all Mac titles new to Steam.

An additional collection of Mac titles will launch next week via Steam.

For more information on Steam, please visit www.steamgames.com.

May 18, 2010

Lead and Gold: Gangs of the Wild West Update Released

Lead and Gold: Gangs of the Wild West - Valve

Updates to Lead and Gold: Gangs of the Wild West have been released. The updates will be applied automatically when your Steam client is restarted. The major changes include:

Lead and Gold: Gangs of the Wild West

New map: Jacob's Bridge. Set in the northern reaches of the Wild West this map features an entirely new art set and support for several game modes Greed, Conquest, Shootout and the new game mode Demolition.
New game mode: Demolition pits the two gangs against each other in this Powder Keg spin off. Just as in our much appreciated Powder Keg game mode, the objective is to blow stuff up. This time both gangs play simultaneously as both attackers and defenders in a frantic battle to achieve the goal of destroying the opposing gangâ€™s objectives.
Added Robbery to Deadwater Ranch and Prospectors Peak
Fixed bugs letting players reach the spawns in Fort Turnbull, Sinner's Gulch, Prospectors Peak and Deadwater Ranch
Added red outlines to the charge meter on the Buffalo Rifle when it is reloading.
Added a new options panel (F2) for the in game help menu including: Switch teams, Change Profession and Vote-kick.
Added option to Change Profession at any time in the game. This will kill the character currently played.
Added option to Vote-kick players on your own team
Added chat to scoreboard (also displays at the end of the round/match)
Added additional wanted posters for top three on Most Wanted: CHAOS.BY.DESIGN and DN*ZUGZWANGGROO|P
Fixed a bug with SSAO (Screen Space Ambient Occlusion)
Fixed a bug with ingame key mapping