Storytelling tool available free to everyone

July 10, 2012 – Valve, creator 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 announced the open beta release of Source Filmmaker (SFM), for free, to everyone.

The SFM is a storytelling tool Valve developed inside the Source Engine to create all its animated short films, including those in the “Meet the Team” series of Team Fortress 2 shorts. The SFM condenses the production pipeline of an animation studio down onto a single gaming PC. To help the community get started, the SFM includes all assets from Team Fortress 2 along with assets from two of the “Meet the Team” short films.

To see the newest and top-rated work being done by the community in the SFM, please visit www.steamcommunity.com/sfm.

Click here for more information and to download the SFM.

Enlisting the community to help select new titles

July 9, 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 announced Steam Greenlight, a new platform feature that enlists the community’s help in selecting some of the next games to be released on Steam.

Steam Greenlight will allow developers and publishers to post information and media about their game in an effort to convince the Community that their game should be released on Steam. Greenlight piggybacks on Steam Workshop’s flexible system that organizes content and lets customers rate and leave feedback.

As well as serving as a clearing house for game submissions, Greenlight will provide an incredible level of added exposure for new games and an opportunity to connect directly with potential customers and fans.

“Making the call to publish or not publish a title isn’t fun,” said Anna Sweet, at Valve. “Many times opinions vary and our internal jury is hung on a decision. But with the introduction of the Steam Workshop we realized an opportunity to enlist the community's help as we review certain titles and, hopefully, increase the volume and quality of creative submissions.”

Steam Greenlight will be released August 30.

For more information, please visit www.steampowered.com/greenlight

Valve, creators of best-selling game franchises (such as Half-Life and Counter-Strike) and leading technologies (such as Steam and Source), today announced the free Portal 2 DLC titled "Perpetual Testing Initiative" will be available for the PC and Mac on May 8th.

The "Perpetual Testing Initiative" allows players to easily create, share, and play Portal 2 puzzles. The Initiative comes with a simplified puzzle maker that allows that creation of mind-bending puzzles without ever leaving the game.

The puzzle maker can directly publish maps to the Steam Workshop where users can browse, vote on, and select to play them. Selected puzzles will automatically be downloaded and installed inside Portal 2.

Portal 2 holds a Metacritic score of 95% and has been awarded numerous Game of Year awards. It features expansive single and cooperative multiplayer game modes.

For more information on Portal 2 and its downloadable content, please visit http://www.thinkwithportals.com.

Closed Beta Available Now For iOS and Android Devices

January 26, 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 announced the beta release of the Steam application for iOS and Android devices.

With the Steam app, gamers around the world may chat with Steam friends, browse community groups and user profiles, view screenshots and user-generated content for their favorite games, read the latest gaming news, stay up to date on unbeatable Steam sales, and more.

“The Steam app comes from many direct requests from our customers,” said Gabe Newell, co-founder and president of Valve. “Seeing which of your friends are online and playing a game, sending quick messages, looking at screenshots for an upcoming game, or catching a sale -- these are all features customers have requested. Mobile is changing way people interact, play games and consume media, and the Steam app is part of our commitment to meet customer demands and expand the service functionality of Steam to make it richer and more accessible for everyone.”

Those who wish to join the beta just need to download the Steam app (free of charge) and log in to their Steam account via the mobile app to express interest in the beta. Gamers will be added to the Closed Beta as the service ramps up.

Steam is a leading platform for the delivery and management of PC and Mac games with over 40 million accounts around the world and over 1,800 titles offered.

For more information, please visit http://store.steampowered.com/mobile

Gamers Rejoice! Available immediately, over 38 million players in the Russian Federation can add value directly to their Steam Account Wallet via their local cash kiosk.

LOS ANGELES, CA- October 20, 2011

Xsolla, creators of the world’s largest payment network, and 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 cash payments to Steam from kiosks throughout Russia.

Over 450,000 cash kiosks throughout Russia now offer gamers the ability to add value to their account’s Steam Wallet, enabling millions of gamers to purchase, download and play their favorite games using Steam, the world’s largest social entertainment platform.

Valve chose Xsolla, the leader in game monetization solutions in Russia, to help them make Steam more accessible to gamers in the Russian market.

“We are thrilled to make Steam more accessible to the Russian market, and we believe Xsolla is an ideal partner to help make this happen,” stated Jason Holtman of Valve (Steam).

Albert Donahue, Vice-President & Co-Founder of Xsolla commented: “Xsolla's partnership with Valve (creator of Steam) will enable millions of gamers in the Russian Federation to enjoy Steam. Steam revolutionized the way games are distributed and experienced- Not only are players able to enjoy over 1500 games through Steam, but they are also able to enjoy the experience with friends and other gamers via the Steam Community, which has over 30 million players. We are excited to partner with Valve to bring Steam to Russia.”

About Xsolla
Xsolla specializes in online games, providing localized in-game payment solutions for global reach. Xsolla has been developing monetization tools for MMO, Social, Mobile and Casual Games for 6 years. Xsolla's headquarters are in Los Angeles, California with offices in Russia, Ukraine, and Belarus. Xsolla partners with over 200 payment service providers offering credit and pre-paid cards, mobile payments, premium SMS, E-wallets, cash and e-cash, payment kiosks and offers — all within one platform- with no installation, currency exchange or chargeback fees.

Xsolla works with more than 300 publishers worldwide, including Gameforge, Bigpoint, Wargaming, Aeria Games, InnoGames, Travian Games and more. For more information, visit Xsolla online at www.xsolla.com.

About Steam
Steam, created by Valve Corporation, is the leading platform for PC and Mac games and digital entertainment, serving over 1500 games to over 30 million active users worldwide. For more information, please visit www.steamgames.com.

June 23, 2011—Valve, creators of bestselling game franchises (such as Half-Life, Portal, Left 4 Dead, and Counter-Strike) and leading technologies (such as Steam and Source), announced today that after four years and over 200 updates, its popular and critically-acclaimed online action game Team Fortress 2 (TF2) is now Free To Play (F2P).
The F2P announcement comes as part of the "Über Update". Released today, it is the largest content pack delivered to TF2 since it shipped in 2007.

New players interested in experiencing what PC Gamer calls "the most fun you can have online" will have access to training and offline practice modes, so they can hone their skills before jumping into the ever-expanding TF2 universe.
To celebrate the launch of the Über Update, Valve has released "Meet the Medic," the latest in its series of TF2 animated shorts.

TF2 is now Free to Play for PC & Mac players via Steam.

For more information on Free to Play, please visit http://www.teamfortress.com/freetoplay.

For more information on the "Über Update" and "Meet the Medic", please visit http://www.teamfortress.com/uberupdate.

Five F2P Launch Titles Offering Exclusive Content to Celebrate Launch

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 support for Free to Play (F2P) Games on Steam with the launch of five F2P games.

Available immediately, the launch titles are Spiral Knights, Forsaken Worlds, Champions Online: Free for All, Global Agenda: Free Agent, and Alliance of Valliant Arms (AVA).

Beginning tomorrow (Weds) with Spiral Knights and concluding Sunday with AVA, each of the five launch titles will offer exclusive in-game content to those who try the "F2P game of the day" on Steam. In game transactions in all of the titles will be supported by Steam's micro-transaction backend system that is available to Steamworks partners and currently used in Valve's Team Fortress 2.

"The introduction of Free to Play games is another example of the constant evolution of Steam," said Jason Holtman, director of business development at Valve. "Free to Play games offer new game genres and game experiences for customers, while offering developers and publishers new revenue opportunities and the ability to reach customers in areas of the world where the traditional packaged goods model is less popular than F2P."

Specific details on the F2P games of the day and their exclusive in-game content will be made available in the coming days.

Steam is a leading platform for PC & Mac games and digital entertainment serving over 1,500 games to over 30 million active accounts worldwide. For more information, please visit www.steamgames.com

Capture Your Game, Then Share it on Steam

Valve today announces the introduction of Replays within Team Fortress 2, the multiplayer classic which has received over 200 updates since its initial release. The Replay system enables players to retrace their game lives, make movies of them, and then share them with friends via YouTube™ and the Steam Community. The Replay system is available immediately in the most recent update of the game.

Gameplay rounds are recorded by Replay-enabled servers, allowing players to make and save movies of their recent lives while in-game. Players can then use the Replay Editor to direct custom movies. The editor supports the selection and positioning of cameras from multiple viewpoints, edits and cuts between shots, motion blur, and anti-aliasing, resulting in unique and memorable creations to be shared among friends.

Players can upload their replays to YouTube™ right from within the game. They can then link their YouTube™ and Steam accounts to share them with Friends in the Steam Community, where others can watch replays and post comments.

In celebration of the release of Replays within Team Fortress 2, Valve is hosting the first-ever "Saxxy Awards," a two-week event featuring twenty categories. Players may nominate themselves by submitting replays online by midnight, May 20th GMT. Winners of each category will receive a Saxxy of their very own.

To create and share your replays, simply launch today's updated version of TF2. For Saxxy Awards contest details and rules, and to learn more about this latest update, visit: http://www.teamfortress.com/replayupdate.

Valve's Highly-Anticipated Title Prepares for Launch On PS3™

Valve, creator of best-selling game franchises (such as Half-Life, Portal, Left 4 Dead, and Counter-Strike) and leading technologies (such as Steam and Source), today disclosed details regarding the Steam experience designed for the PlayStation®3, which is set to debut next week with the release of Portal 2.

The first title to support Steam on a console, Portal 2 offers cross-platform matchmaking, gameplay, friends, chat, and achievements, all powered by Steam. Steam on the PS3 also saves co-op game progress and single player saved games to the Steam Cloud, enabling players to pick up where they left off on any PlayStation®3.

The Steam overlay for PS3™ provides access to Steam friends, displaying their in-game or online status and providing a quick pathway to text chats, player profiles, friend requests, and game invites. Steam Achievements are earned in lockstep with PSN Trophies and are also accessible within the Steam overlay.

Steam on the PS3™ provides access to all of these features once the player has linked their PlayStation®Network account with a Steam account, which is done right within the game. A Steam user can login to an existing account, and anyone new to Steam can create an account with the click of a button.

In the spirit of Steam Play, linked players of the PS3™ version of Portal 2 can also access and play their copy of Portal 2 on any PC or Mac by redeeming an in-box access code on their computer. The Steam client verifies the linked customer and then lists Portal 2 among their library of Steam games for PC and Mac.

For more information regarding Steam on the PS3™, visit the Steam Support knowledge base. For more information regarding Portal 2, visit www.thinkwithportals.com.

Briefing Development Partners on New Features for 2011

February 28, 2011 - Valve, creator of best-selling game franchises (such as Half-Life, Portal, Left 4 Dead, and Counter-Strike) and leading technologies (such as Steam and Source), today disclosed its plans for a new "big picture" mode of Steam which will offer controller support and navigation designed for television interaction. Big picture mode will enable gamers to enjoy Steam and their library of Steam games on more screens throughout the house.
"Our partners and customers have asked us to make Steam available in more places. With the introduction of Steam on the Mac, and soon in Portal 2 on the PS3™, we've done just that," said Doug Lombardi, VP of marketing for Valve. "With big picture mode, gaming opportunities for Steam partners and customers become possible via PCs and Macs on any TV or computer display in the house."

Details regarding big picture mode are among the highlights Valve plans to share with developers and publishers in its partner meetings during GDC this week in San Francisco, Ca.

Coming off the heels of Steam's biggest year, Valve will also share with partners the data it gathered during the hugely successful launch of Steam Microtransactions late last year within its own multiplayer classic, Team Fortress 2. An in-game economy can now be readily created by partners using the microtransactions system within the Steamworks SDK."We've come to understand what type of content sells well in TF2's in-game store, and the various price points at which players value this content," said Robin Walker, game designer at Valve. "Our players are continually teaching us what works and what doesn't. Much of this feedback can be generalized to other titles on Steam, so we're looking forward to sharing what we've learned with partners at GDC. We're also interested in seeing partners get up and running with their own in-game economies, so they can collect game-specific data to inform their design decisions."

Following the 2010 introduction of Steam for Mac, Valve will also discuss the integration of Steam features in its own titles, including its first day-and-date release for Mac, Portal 2. The upcoming Portal 2 release will also be the first to feature Steam on the PlayStation®3, enabling even broader cross-platform interaction and play between PC, Mac and PS3™.

"Steam continues to define itself as more than a digital distribution service by regularly adding new features for developers and customers," said Jason Holtman, director of business development at Valve. "GDC is a great venue for us to share what we're up to, and what's on the horizon for Steamworks. Plus, it's a great opportunity for us to gather feedback from partners, to help inform our plans."

Steam is a leading platform for the delivery and management of games and digital content with over 30 million accounts worldwide. For more information, please visit www.steamgames.com.