News 
May 1, 2008 - 10:34am PST
Steamworks Development Kit Available Now
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 release of the Steamworks Software Development Kit (SDK).Steamworks is a complete suite of publishing and development tools that offers PC game developers and publishers access to the game features and services available through Steam. These include product key authentication, copy protection, auto-updating, social networking, matchmaking, anti-cheat technology, and more. The features and services available in Steamworks are offered free of charge and may be used for both electronic and tangible versions of games.
The Official Steamworks SDK includes a fully functional API for all the components offered in Steamworks. Available now to developers and publishers worldwide, the SDK also includes a multiplayer game example to demonstrate many of the features in action. In addition, the Steamworks partner web site (http://partner.steamgames.com) has been updated with documentation outlining the ease of use of the API, authoring and editing of achievements, gameplay statistics, and more.
"In working with developers on the pre-release SDK, our focus has been on making it as easy as possible for them to integrate Steamworks into their games," said Jason Holtman, director of business development at Valve. "They get access to these tools and services in a proven, scalable, and simple to work with package that has already been deployed to millions of gamers worldwide."
Steam is a leading platform for the delivery and management of PC games and digital content. With over 15 million active accounts and more than 300 games, plus hundreds of movie files and game demos available, Steam has become a frequent destination for millions of gamers around the world.
April 29, 2008 - 5:59pm PST
Team Fortress 2: Gold Rush Update Available Now
The Team Fortress 2: Gold Rush Update is now available, free to owners of Team Fortress 2 via Steam. The Gold Rush Update introduces the new Gold Rush map and Payload gameplay style, the first set of unlockable weapons, and a new set of achievements for the Medic.In other TF2 news, a worldwide Team Fortress 2 Free Weekend will begin Friday at noon PDT, and will include access to the new content released today in the TF2: Gold Rush Update. Using the functionality made available through Steam and Steamworks, all of the files needed to join the Free Weekend are available for pre-loading now.
The Free Weekend is open to players around the world, and there is no obligation to purchase to participate; all that is needed is a Steam account to join.
To start pre-loading everything you need to play on Friday and learn more about Team Fortress 2, please visit www.steamgames.com/goldrush
March 13, 2008 - 1:02pm PST
PC Games From The Orange Box Flying Solo Into Retail April 9 and 11
March 13, 2008 - Valve, creators of Half-Life® 2 and Counter-Strike®, today announce the retail launch dates for the stand-alone, PC versions of Team Fortress® 2, PortalTM, and the Half-Life 2: Episode Pack are April 9th in North America and April 11th around the globe.Portal - the unique single player game that mixes puzzle, adventure and first-person action - is expected to retail for approximately $19.99. Portal has been named Game of the Year by over 30 publications worldwide and earned 40 more awards for special achievements in game design, writing, and music ("Still Alive" by GLaDOS and Jonathon Coulton).
Team Fortress 2 (TF2), the sequel to the game that put team-based, multiplayer gaming on the map, is expected to retail for approximately $29.99. TF2 has been named Multiplayer Game of the Year by Gamespy.com, PC Gamer magazine, and other leading media outlets. This retail version, like all PC versions of TF2, includes the recently released Badlands map and the ability to receive auto updates via Steam® including the upcoming release of Goldrush, a new gameplay mode and map that combines the escort style gameplay of Hunted with the timed attack and defend gameplay of Dustbowl.
The Half-Life 2 Episode Pack - which includes both of the award winning new episodes for the highest rated and best selling first-person action franchise of all time, plus Half-Life 2 Deathmatch for online play - is expected to retail for just $29.99. As was the case with The Orange Box, customers who already own one of these titles will have the ability to conveniently "gift" the game via Steam to a friend.
"Given the unique nature and length of the games inside The Orange Box, the compilation approach was the right vehicle for the debut of these titles at retail," said Doug Lombardi, vice president of marketing at Valve. "With the flexibility of having different pricing and packaging options via Steam, we were able to test the market viability of the individual products. The results show an overwhelming demand for these stand-alone offerings as well as The Orange Box. This gives us tremendous confidence as we bring gamers more ways to get these titles at retail."
All three packages include support for Steamworks achievements, automatic updates and more, and do not require Half-Life 2 to play.
January 29, 2008 - 2:43pm PST
Valve Unveils Steamworks
Complete Suite of Publishing Tools Available Free of ChargeJanuary 29, 2008 – Valve, creators of best-selling game franchises (such as Half-Life and Counter-Strike) and leading technologies (such as Steam and Source), today announce Steamworks, a complete suite of publishing and development tools – ranging from copy protection to social networking services to server browsing – is now available free of charge to developers and publishers worldwide.
Steamworks, the same suite of tools used in best-selling PC titles Half-Life 2 and The Orange Box, is available for all PC games distributed via retail and leading online platforms such as Steam. The services included in Steamworks may be used a la carte or in any combination.
Specifically, Steamworks offers:
• Real-time stats on sales, gameplay, and product activation: Know exactly how well your title is selling before the charts are released. Find out how much of your game is being played. Login into your Steamworks account pages and view up to the hour information regarding worldwide product activations and player data.
• State of the art encryption system: Stop paying to have your game pirated before it’s released. Steamworks takes anti-piracy to a new level with strong encryption that keeps your game locked until the moment it is released.
• Territory/version control: The key-based authentication provided in Steamworks also provides territory/version controls to help curb gray market importing and deliver territory-specific content to any given country or region.
• Auto updating: Ensures all customers are playing the latest and greatest version of your games.
• Voice chat: Available for use both in and out of game.
• Multiplayer matchmaking: Steamworks offers you all the multiplayer backend and matchmaking services that have been created to support Counter-Strike and Team Fortress 2, the most played action games in the world.
• Social networking services: With support for achievements, leaderboards, and avatars, Steamworks allows you to give your gamers as many rewards as you would like, plus support for tracking the world’s best professional and amateur players of your game.
• Development tools: Steamworks allows you to administer private betas which can be updated multiple times each day. Also includes data collection tools for QA, play testing, and usability studies.
“Developers and publishers are spending more and more time and money cobbling together all the tools and backend systems needed to build and launch a successful title in today’s market,” said Gabe Newell, president of Valve. “Steamworks puts all those tools and systems together in one free package, liberating publishers and developers to concentrate on the game instead of the plumbing.”
“As more developers and publishers have embraced Steam as a leading digital distribution channel, we’ve heard a growing number of inquiries regarding the availability of the platform’s services and tools,” said Jason Holtman, director business development at Valve. “Offering Steamworks is part of our ongoing efforts to support the needs of game developers and our publishing partners.”
Steam is a leading platform for the delivery and management of PC games and digital content. With over 13 million active accounts and more than 250 games, plus hundreds of movie files and game demos available, Steam has become a frequent destination for millions of gamers around the world.
Click here for more information regarding Steamworks. To find out about more about Steamworks contact jasonh@valvesoftware.com
January 10, 2008 - 8:30am PST
Valve Acquires Turtle Rock Studios
Leading Content and Technology Company Adds California StudioFresh off the success of The Orange Box, the 2007 game of the year award-winning collection of new games heralded as "the best value in gaming history," Valve Corporation announces the acquisition of Turtle Rock Studios, the Orange County-based development house behind one of 2008's most anticipated games, Left 4 Dead.
Valve was founded in 1996 and has grown to become one of the game industry's leading technology and content creators, with a portfolio of over 20 million games sold worldwide. The merger of the two companies extends Valve's development team and provides the company with a new studio in southern California.
Turtle Rock Studios' Left 4 Dead joins a growing list of Valve's game properties which includes the Half-Life, Counter-Strike, Team Fortress and Day of Defeat series of games as well as Portal, introduced as part of The Orange Box.
"We have been seeing very strong growth with Steam and Source, our content distribution and development platforms, up over 150% over the last 12 months. Given our expectations for Left 4 Dead and our long-standing relationships with members of the Turtle Rock team, this was an easy decision. It also gives us a base from which to expand our development activities in the Los Angeles area," said Gabe Newell, president of Valve.
"Left 4 Dead fills a long-standing demand gamers have had for a co-op first-person action experience, and it will also help Valve's expansion into the console market," added Doug Lombardi, Valve's VP of marketing.
"Valve has had great success bringing in projects and teams such as Team Fortress and Portal. As I spent time working and talking with the creators of those products over the past several years, it became clear that this was the right next step for myself, my colleagues at Turtle Rock, our customers, and our products," said Michael Booth, founder and CEO of Turtle Rock Studios. "We are excited to be a part of such a visionary and forward-thinking company."
read more ...
January 9, 2008 - 11:52am PST
Valve and NVIDIA Offer Portal: First Slice Free to GeForce Users
The most recent Steam Hardware Survey shows more Steam gamers play on NVIDIA GeForce hardware than any other graphics platform. In an effort to further support this popular PC gaming configuration - Steam games plus NVIDIA hardware - Valve and NVIDIA have entered into an agreement to collaborate on development, distribution, events, and more.Effective immediately, all NVIDIA gamers may receive a free copy of PortalTM: First Slice, a special version of the award-winning new game from Valve, by visiting www.steamgames.com/nvidia1 and "Taking the Test." Steam will then auto-detect the presence of NVIDIA hardware and make Portal: First Slice available immediately, free of charge. To make it easy for all NVIDIA customers to redeem this offer, a link to the Steam offer will also be included in all NVIDIA drivers.
"More Steam gamers, including myself, play on NVIDIA hardware than any other GPU," said Doug Lombardi, vice president of marketing at Valve. "That's a testament to the company's long history of innovation and quality. By working together with NVIDIA to expand our development, distribution, and marketing efforts, we're increasing our ability to serve the millions of NVIDIA customers logging onto Steam and help us prepare for our next generation of content."
Throughout the coming year, the companies will also be working together to support competitive gaming events for Counter-Strike® and Team Fortress® 2 and will continue to work together to define and support the breakthrough features of tomorrow's games and graphics hardware.
"Valve's endorsement of our technology and tools is yet another example of how the world's leading gaming companies are working with NVIDIA," said Roy Taylor, vice president of content relations at NVIDIA. "Portal is the hottest new, award-winning title from Valve, and we're delighted that Valve will offer First Slice exclusively to GeForce customers."
Portal: First Slice is now available to all NVIDIA customers. For more information about the offer or to take the test, please click here.
November 21, 2007 - 3:00pm PST
The Orange Box 360 Demo Available Thursday, November 22
HALF-LIFE 2: EPISODE TWO FEATURED IN FIRST ORANGE BOX DEMOThe first public demo for The Orange Box - the unique new multiplatform, multi-game offering from Valve, creators of Half-Life 2 and Counter-Strike - is targeted for release on Xbox 360 tomorrow, November 22.
This first demo for The Orange Box is dedicated to Half-Life 2: Episode Two, the latest installment in the award-winning Half-Life 2 series and one of five games included in The Orange Box.
Released on October 10th and met with incredible critical and commercial success, The Orange Box is one of the top rated games of all time among PC and 360 games.
Coming soon for the Playstation® 3, The Orange Box includes Half-Life® 2: Episode Two, the second installment in the Half-Life 2 episodic trilogy; Team Fortress® 2, the sequel to the game that put class-based, multiplayer team warfare on the map; and Portal, the game that blends puzzles, first person action, and adventure gaming to produce an experience like no other.
To bring gamers up to date with the Half-Life 2 universe, The Orange Box also includes Half-Life 2 and Half-Life® 2: Episode One.
The Orange Box has a suggested retail price of $49.95 on the PC and $59.95 on the Xbox® 360. In the coming weeks, The Orange Box will also be available for the Playstation® 3 console systems.
June 20, 2007 - 10:27am PST
Valve Announces Major Update for Steam
Free Update Offers New Community Features for Connecting GamersJune 20, 2007 -- This summer Valve will ship a major update to its online gaming platform Steam, introducing an advanced set of community features to more than 13 million gamers around the world.
Beginning in July, Steam users can set up their own personal Steam pages and profiles, create and join groups, schedule games with friends, review who they've played with, see how well everyone played, chat with groups, chat via voice, and more. These new community services and features can be used with all Steam games, which include new releases and classic titles from leading publishers and independent developers.
Free of charge, the new community features will be accessible via the Steam desktop client and via the web.
"Our community has given us great direction on the ways they want to see Steam evolve," said Gabe Newell, co-founder and president of Valve. "Adding these new community features to make it easier to connect with other gamers is something we've wanted to see on Steam for a long time and this latest update is just the start. We've got a long list of items that we're working on to make it easier for gamers to connect and play games on Steam."
This upgrade marks the largest extension to the Steam platform since its first commercial release in March 2004. In its three year history, Steam has defined the next generation online gaming platform delivering hundreds of games to millions of users with services such as Guest Passes, Automatic Updates, Free Weekends, and allowing gamers to access their games from any PC.
May 23, 2007 - 11:00am PST
Steam Surpasses 13 Million Accounts
Becomes a Leading Destination for Millions of Gamers WorldwideValve® today announced that Steam, the Bellevue, WA based company's pioneering PC platform for digital content, has surpassed 13 million active accounts. With over 150 games in a broad selection of genres and dozens of other PC applications, movies, and demos available, Steam has become a leading destination for millions of gamers around the world.
The activity of online gameplay via Steam averages over 7 billion player minutes per month. And, staying true to its roots of offering automatic updates for PC games and applications, Steam has served its growing audience a total of over 2,500 updates since its first release.
What began just a few years ago as a solution for auto-updating Valve's multiplayer games has evolved into a platform used by many of today's leading publishers and developers. This summer, more major publishers will announce that they are bringing their games to Valve's platform, using it for electronic distribution and including it in their retail product releases in order to take advantage of features such as anti-piracy, server browsing, marketing promotions and more.
"We've approached the development of Steam the same way we treat our online games; we release something we've tested, we internalize the feedback, and then we release new features and functionality based upon the feedback received," says Gabe Newell, president and co-founder of Valve. "In Steam's case, we have millions of customers who are gamers and dozens of customers who are developers and publishers. In the past year, we've added over 100 new titles from third parties, grown to over 13 million active accounts, and introduced new features such as Guest Passes and Free Weekends. This growth has taught us a lot and inspired many additional features and services that we'll be releasing later this year."
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April 10, 2007 - 4:27pm PST
Left 4 Dead In The News
We invited the webmasters of Left4Dead411 to give the game a try, and they posted their impressions.- "Left 4 Dead is absolute chaos. It is intense, fast-paced, thrilling, exhilarating, and exhausting. It is everything you could ever hope for a game to be and more - every single expectation I had for the game was blown away entirely."
Read the preview here.
David Craddock, at ShackNews, also interviewed Michael Booth, revealing more details about the game.
- "Your sweaty palms quiver as they grip your pistol--a pistol with only one bullet remaining in the chamber. You whirl at the sound of feet that shamble at first, then pick up speed upon recognizing you, the Survivor. The rest of your team is dead. They're the lucky ones."
Read the interview here.