Dec 12, 2012
Counter-Strike: Global Offensive Update Released
Counter-Strike 2 - Valve
Release Notes for 12/12/2012

[ GAMEPLAY ]
 -Merged elements of Volcano's DE_NUKE_VE map into standard DE_NUKE.
 -In the main menus, replaced mapgroup carousel with a map picker. Players can now select which maps they want to match-make into.
 -Maps in map picker show expected wait time.

[ MISC ]
 -Improved performance in CPU-bound cases.
 -Fixed missing ladder sound when moving at full speed on ladders.
 -Added support for muting microphone in play with friends lobby.
 -Fixed cases where spectator UI wouldn't appear during GOTV demo playback.
 -Fix for crash caused by extinguished fire.
 -ESC key now closes Server Browser dialog.
 -Made CHudMenu have input priority over Scaleform.
 -Reduced default vgui font size for resolutions >1600.
 -Whitelisted mp_match_restart_delay.
 -Limiting physics timestep to 64 to eliminate high tickrate physics bugs, such as bouncing guns.
 -Server no longer creates physics objects for players to reduce server cpu load. To re-enable, set cs_enable_player_physics_box to '1'.
Dec 12, 2012
Spiral Knights Update Released
Spiral Knights - Valve

Winterfest Has Arrived!

As snow begins to fall on Haven once more the Strangers and snipes have begun to celebrate Winterfest! This year the holiday festivities include a new Coliseum map, a special Prestige Mission, exclusive prizes and more!


Mission: Save Winterfest!

Impostoclaus has come to town but unfortunately not every child will be receiving a present from him. In the gremlin outcast town of Emberlight, a faction of fiendish, green-furred gremlins called 'grinchlins' have begun an attack on Emberlight. These grinchlins seek to rob the orphans of Emberlight of their presents and even destroy Impostoclaus!


It's up to you to accept the new Prestige Mission, 'Save Winterfest!' and help Impostoclaus deliver presents through a monster infested back alley of Emberlight. Knights have only a limited time to run presents to safety, avoiding monsters who mean to steal the presents as well as defending Impostoclaus from grinchlin attacks!


'Save Winterfest!' is a unique Prestige Mission as it can be completed as often as you like while available. Delivering presents successfully rewards the party with Winter Wish tokens.


New Lockdown Map: Avenue

Battle over a snow-swept cityscape where the snow is not just for shoveling, but great for throwing at other knights!

Features:

- A 3 CP map where the combat is fast and frigid - watch out for those snowballs!

- Open up even faster routes to your CP via a back door button

- The Slush Puppy in the central square guards plenty of snowballs, but it won't be happy if you try to take them!


Winterfest Rewards

Participation in the 'Save Winterfest!' Prestige Mission and Coliseum events will earn you Winterfest rewards in the Haven Town Square. Visit Impostoclaus and his little helper, Randolph to cash in Krogmo Coins and Winter Wishes for the following:

- Frosty Prize Box featuring Frosty costume armors and accessories

- Various Santy Hats

- Snowballs you can throw anywhere

And more!


The Hunter's Lodge and Boss Trophies

Guild Halls with both 3F expansions can now install the Hunter's Lodge. The Hunter's Lodge is a monster hunting lodge curated by the great hunter, Armero. It contains a guild alchemy machine containing monster trophy recipes. Guild alchemy machines use resources from the Guild Treasury and deposit results into the Guild Treasury.


Boss trophies require special materials available from Brinks in the Haven Bazaar for boss tokens. Materials include:

- Snarbostuffing

- Jelly Glue

- Schemer Scrap

- Dark Ember


Boss trophies list:

- Frumious Fang

- Replica Natural Snarbolax

- Replica Shadowy Snarbolax

- Jelly Gem

- Royal Jelly Crown

- Replica Royal Jelly

- Roarmulus Blueprints

- Small Replica Roarmulus Twin

- Large Replica Roarmulus Twin

- Almirian Seal

- Lord Vanaduke's Mask

- Lord Vanaduke's Finery


Guild Hall Doors

Guild Hall rooms can now have doors that restrict access to guild members of specific ranks. Doors can be installed via the room console. Like rooms, they must be re-installed if they are ever removed.

Doors include:

- Member Door

- Veteran Door

- Officer Door

- Guild Master Door


UI Changes

- Hall of Heroes has new loading screen art.

- Loading screen and end of level report headers have had their art adjusted.

- Acquisition of Arsenal items now plays an interface effect.

- Guild Records can now be filtered by knight name.


Bugfixes

- When directed to a specific mission in the Mission Interface, players will no longer be directed to a closed mission if an open version of the same mission is available.



Dec 12, 2012
The Secret World - New Update
Secret World Legends - Valve
Pay Once and Play Forever in a new update to The Secret World. The game no longer requires a separate subscription to play!

Hidden within our own modern-day world is a secret world. A world where every myth, legend, and conspiracy theory is true. And now, dark forces are on the move and secrets that should have remained forever buried have finally been uncovered. The world is about to discover that the terrors that have plagued our nightmares are all very real.

Dec 12, 2012
Team Fortress 2, Day of Defeat: Source and Half-Life 2: Deathmatch Updates Released
Day of Defeat: Source - Valve
Updates to Team Fortress 2, Day of Defeat: Source and Half-Life 2: Deathmatch have been released. The updates will be applied automatically when your Steam client is restarted. The major changes include:


Source Engine Changes (TF2, DoD:S, HL2:DM)
  • Fixed a hang on start-up with non-scalable bitmap fonts
  • Fixed crash on start-up when joysticks are attached

Team Fortress 2
  • Added a prompt to turn on controller mode when using Big Picture
  • Increased console font size for the Linux version
  • Fixed some problems caused by disabling controller mode
  • Fixed missing HUD sounds for Engineer building status panel
  • Fixed the Spy version of the tf_zombie entity not using the correct skin
  • Fixed international keyboard chat and console input for the Linux version
Dec 12, 2012
Steam Community Market Now In Beta
Press Release - Valve
Service Expansion Allows Players to Buy and Sell In-Game Items Via Steam

December 12, 2012 -- Valve, creators of best-selling game franchises (such as Counter-Strike, Half-Life, Left 4 Dead, Portal, and Team Fortress) and leading technologies (such as Steam and Source), today introduced the Steam Community Market, now in Beta with Team Fortress 2.

The Community Market is designed to expand the Steam Economy beyond trading. Players are now enabled to buy and sell in-game items with other players for Steam Wallet funds.
"With over a half million trades made every week, the trading system has been very successful," said Tony Paloma of Valve. "Extending game economies beyond trades and giving players a way to turn gameplay into funds for new items and games is a key component for moving that success forward."

The Steam Community Market, now in beta with Valve's Team Fortress 2, will be available to other titles on Steam in the New Year. Games that participate enable users to show off their items on the Steam Community and sell or trade their items to others.

Items purchased are subject to transaction fees, please see FAQ for more http://www.steamcommunity.com/market/faq
Dec 12, 2012
Now Available - Ace of Spades
Ace of Spades: Battle Builder - Valve
Ace of Spades is Now Available on Steam!

Say hello to the creative shooter. Ace of Spades is the first-person shooter that lets you create your battleground, destroy it, then create it again. Up to 32 players choose from 4 unique classes and jump into team-based, multiplayer mayhem across an endlessly evolving battlefield, to construct, destruct and take out the opposition. It’s like war, only better.

Dec 12, 2012
Daily Deal - Shad'O, 50% off!
Shad'O - Valve
Today's Deal: Save 50% off Shad'O!

Look for the deals each day on the front page of Steam. Or follow us on twitter or Facebook for instant notifications wherever you are!

Dec 12, 2012
Iron Front: Liberation 1944 Update Released
Iron Front: Digital War Edition - Valve
Version 1.05 Changelog
---------------------------
*New: New and fixed sounds for all the weapons
*New: Tiger 1 E (late version) added as a Christmass present.

*Fixed: StuG 40 was not carrying infantry
*Fixed: Errors of armor damage systems
*Fixed: Errors with the mines
*Fixed: Crews were undead if there was no infantry on map
*Fixed: Maxim machine-gun fire rate.
*Fixed: Infantry errors with equipment.
*Fixed: Errors with Sdkfz 7
*Fixed: Russians and germans were screaming pain on english

Dec 11, 2012
Steam Client Update Released
Client Update - Valve
Changes:
- Added Language support for the Daisy Wheel control under Mac OS X
- Changed Big Picture hotkey to Command+'/' under Mac OS X
- Delete old temporary folders created by CEF left around due to previous crashes
- Fixed Back behavior in several pieces of the UI
- Fixed Big Picture displaying only a blank screen after startup if the intro movie was cancelled quickly
- Friends sounds are now muted when running Big Picture and you choose mute in the audio settings
- Fixed URLs in the Web Browser showing the end, not the start, of the current URL
- Fixed Big Picture login screen not using your chosen UI language
- Fixed activation fail sounds playing when clicking on some areas of a html page
- Fixed password field in login UI not drawing entered characters properly under Mac OS X
- Fixed right stick zoom in the html control jumping on zoom commit
- Fixed scroll bars on HTML pages not updating when dragged via the mouse
- Fixed some friends list font clipping due to small line heights
- Removed default bind for Big Picture text console as it is no longer needed
- Fixed crash on exit when doing a forced shutdown of the client
Dec 11, 2012
Now Available on Mac - Hero Academy
Hero Academy - Valve
Hero Academy is now available on the Mac!

Test your skills in this light-hearted battle between friends! Heroic teams have gathered to engage in friendly contests on the Academy playfields. Will your team emerge triumphant?

...