It's what we've been waiting for! Valve has finally dropped word of how it plans to expand the awesome world of Left 4 Dead in 2009. Here's official confirmation from Valve.
"The first L4D DLC - called the L4D Survival Pack -- is due for release this spring and introduces a new multiplayer game mode entitled, Survival, plus two complete campaigns for Versus Mode," says the firm. "A Critic's Choice Edition of the game will be heading to retail stores this spring and will include access to all the content introduced in the L4D: Survival Pack."
It doesn't, however, specify gameplay details for the Survival mode (although you can have a good guess), or determine whether the two new campaigns for Versus will be the two current single-player levels that aren't selectable, or entirely new creations (we suspect the former).
But there's more if you're a PC gamer: "The first Left 4 Dead release for the Source Software Development Kit (Source SDK) will allow the creation of custom Left 4 Dead campaigns that will be discoverable via L4D's matchmaking system." The SDK update is also due this spring and will be free of charge to all owners of the full PC game.
"Since Half-Life launched in 1998, Valve has made continuous efforts to expand the offering of its products beyond what's included on the day of launch," said big boss Gabe Newell. "With Half-Life and Counter-Strike, and more recently Team Fortress 2, we've learned that we're no longer making stand-alone games but creating entertainment services.
"With Left 4 Dead we're extending that tradition by creating additional gameplay and releasing our internal tools to aspiring developers so they may also create and distribute new Left 4 Dead experiences."
Well yesterday HMV have placed Left 4 Dead on order for the PS3... 5th June 2009 and this post says there releasing L4D: Survival Pack aswell in spring... Spring is around June time right... Need I say no more
dude valve will not charge pc users for dlc, they never have done and they never will. we are their love children and they will hug us forever, while turning their head every now and then to snarl at console gamer rejects. pc gamers deserve the best, and valve will serve us the best.
I believe I read somewhere that Valve doesn't have a choice when it comes to updates for the Xbox 360. Microsoft is the one that makes the gamers pay, not Valve, which is why Valve decided to bundle all the updates together so that players will get more bang for their buck. Valve initially wanted updates and DLC to be free for all their games, which is why it is free on the PC.
They have no reason to charge xbox360 users and not PC users, baring the obvious idiot tax. MS has been in control of the patching of the game so far so its hardly a stretch to assume they will be in charge of any DLC.
PS3 will take a longer time than June. Their cell CPU system is very different from XBOX360/PC which are very similar to code for (The XBOX is just a mini, low powered PC).
PS3 will take a longer time than June. Their cell CPU system is very different from XBOX360/PC which are very similar to code for (The XBOX is just a mini, low powered PC).
But they have already developed the Source engine for the PS3 in the form of the Orange Box - so it's not hard to believe it'll be out on the PS3 shortly.
PS3 will take a longer time than June. Their cell CPU system is very different from XBOX360/PC which are very similar to code for (The XBOX is just a mini, low powered PC).
well tbh, if that new book is anything to go buy both ps3 and 360 processors are more similar than we think, the 360 is a tweaked Cell processor.
i think its more to do with how the two machines are set up.
Not entirely sure how it works but the 360 works pretty much identically to a pc. It loads everything in one big whack, Pretty much tried and tested way of processing stuff making it easier to develop for.
I think the PS3 does lots of little jobs at the same time. In theory its a really good idea but in practice its a nightmare to code games for. Really good for video streaming and audio though.
I agree with various other posters taht Microsoft are the ones making Xbox users pay for DLC. As someone else said Valve has always wanted DLC to be free. They did not add the other content because they probably did not know how the Versus mode would take off. Plus this way the game gets to stay more fresh for longer. If the DLC was free (blame Microsoft's Xobx division for it not being so) then people would not be complaining that they had so called left content out of the game to make money later.
PS3 will take a longer time than June. Their cell CPU system is very different from XBOX360/PC which are very similar to code for (The XBOX is just a mini, low powered PC).
well tbh, if that new book is anything to go buy both ps3 and 360 processors are more similar than we think, the 360 is a tweaked Cell processor.
is it really? i thought the 360 cpu has no spu's (CELL has 7 or 8 i think) just 3 powerpc cores that can execute 2 threads simultaneously. i could be wrong but you are right with respect to the 360 cpu being different to PC's but the 360 runs some version of Windows.
They didn't add the versus content because they didn't know how it would take off???
Uh? Sorry but that just doesn't make any sense. Okay so Microsoft is in charge of payment for DLC, we all know that, all the more reason to put the missing maps on in the first place.
I may just be a whining old git, but I can't believe I'm the only one with a problem for this.
This DLC malarkey needs to be more closely scrutinised by the watchdogs, because I'm not getting ripped off again.
For the same price I just got Beyond Good And Evil, which I finally found after 4 years of looking.
They didn't add the versus content because they didn't know how it would take off???
Uh? Sorry but that just doesn't make any sense. Okay so Microsoft is in charge of payment for DLC, we all know that, all the more reason to put the missing maps on in the first place.
I may just be a whining old git, but I can't believe I'm the only one with a problem for this.
This DLC malarkey needs to be more closely scrutinised by the watchdogs, because I'm not getting ripped off again.
For the same price I just got Beyond Good And Evil, which I finally found after 4 years of looking.
Valve are entirely blameless I'm afraid. It's M$ alone that have put the Con in Downloadable Content. Problem is there's a lot of docile mugs out there that just lap it up so they continue to get away with it.
Damn you MS trying to be a business i thought that gaming was run by charities. Curse you...
Come on guys Valve have to pay to have it hosted on live. Its simple as that. However, I don't entirely understand why Valve don't just include some of this content in title updates and small dlc packs for free.
I think its a little bit of smoke and mirrors from both parties as Square have been releaseing a steady stream of extra challenges for Last remanant for free and the older map packs for halo 3 and gears are now also free.
Valve make great games butb they've still got to pay the bills. If you want it, then buy it. If not than don't. simple as.
I thought knothole island was worth 800pts btw. It took my about 4 hours to finish and gave me a load of cool new stuff for my character and my 'best friend' returned.
Damn you MS trying to be a business i thought that gaming was run by charities. Curse you...
Come on guys Valve have to pay to have it hosted on live. Its simple as that. However, I don't entirely understand why Valve don't just include some of this content in title updates and small dlc packs for free.
I think its a little bit of smoke and mirrors from both parties as Square have been releaseing a steady stream of extra challenges for Last remanant for free and the older map packs for halo 3 and gears are now also free.
Valve make great games butb they've still got to pay the bills. If you want it, then buy it. If not than don't. simple as.
I thought knothole island was worth 800pts btw. It took my about 4 hours to finish and gave me a load of cool new stuff for my character and my 'best friend' returned.
You sucker. Buy into M$'s propaganda hook, line & sinker.
The fact that it actually has a name, 'The Survival Pack' means that it will probably cost money rather than just being a free update. A real shame if it just adds a game mode and allows versus on Death Toll and Dead Air, with no extra campaigns.
LOL how did this thread turn into an MS bashing session?
I'm surprised no one has baulked at the fact this DLC is utter crap.
The game came with only 4 scenario's to begin with, which was lean but the game was so sweet we still lapped it up. Now the DLC announcement tells us there is a new mode, and PC owners get the obligatory level editor.
Where are the new scenario's? Where are the new weapons? Hell, a couple new boss infected? This is a total rip, even more so for 360 owners.
Bleat all you like about MS's pricing, Valve were the ones who only gave us 4 scenario's in the first place, and are now giving us some tatty DLC that doesn't really give us anything new. Price or no price, it doesn't even sound like it's worth a download.
There should be a new campaign where you have to fight your way through North London, culminating in a stand-off in a pub awaiting the arrival of the military.
The moaning about DLC is as pointless and puerile as the "My Xbox is better than your Playstation" row. If you don't like it then exercise your ultimate right as a consumer and DON'T BUY IT! Rather than thinking your opinion actually matters by putting it on here. One day hoepfully, these comment forums will become a place of well thought out comments and not the sewer of willy-waving fan boys that it has become.
A lot of people here need to take a deep breath and think about what they are getting so worked up about. I think if you look at it, and yourself, for a few minutes you'll realise how stupid you can sound sometimes.
It's all very well taking the moral high ground but that's what these forum threads are for: to respond to the aforementioned news.
No I will not be buying it and yes I'm fully entitled to moan about something I see as not acceptable business practice.
As someone stated above, the game was lean on content in the first place and to charge for a game mode and missing content that would've been on the disc last gen is totally unacceptable. It's Microsoft's fault for charging for these content light DLC but it's Valve's idea in the first place to do the download when they could've easily put it on the disc. We all know that DLC is produced hand in hand with the main game now and we can't do anything about it.
I know, why don't I just not buy anything and not moan and let it all wash over me like an ignorant drone? That's what everyone else does isn't it....silly me.
I won't buy it but there are many retards that will keep getting it cos the new dashboard tells them to.
We all know that DLC is produced hand in hand with the main game now and we can't do anything about it.
With some developers (especially those owned by publishers) that is often the case. I very much doubt it with Valve. They don't stop working on the games just because they've been shipped. They continuously develop & release updates - if they waited for everything to be in the game from day 1 it would never be released.
And the fact that you compare this to fanboyism shows how much of a grasp you have on the situation.
One is a pathetic flame war between people that have to convince people they have the best console. It spawned in the playground and has just got nastier with the advent of forums.
The other is a genuine concern on the way the games industry is going. May I also refer you to the Streetfighter 4 costume downloads?
Aren't we forgetting that Microsoft has nothing to do with the distribution of Left 4 Dead over Steam? If it's Microsoft's fault, then why is this something that's happening on both the 360 and the PC?
We all know that DLC is produced hand in hand with the main game now and we can't do anything about it.
With some developers (especially those owned by publishers) that is often the case. I very much doubt it with Valve. They don't stop working on the games just because they've been shipped. They continuously develop & release updates - if they waited for everything to be in the game from day 1 it would never be released.
Okay I would usually agree with you there about Valve but they also usually take their sweet time on all updates and content post release. This was supposed to be due right after L4D came out which suggests to me that it was either made in tandem or the end of production.
I am a big fan of Valve and but they dropped the ball here, they obviously knew straight away they were going to do DLC and they're playing the same game willingly.
Aren't we forgetting that Microsoft has nothing to do with the distribution of Left 4 Dead over Steam? If it's Microsoft's fault, then why is this something that's happening on both the 360 and the PC?
Aren't we forgetting that Microsoft has nothing to do with the distribution of Left 4 Dead over Steam? If it's Microsoft's fault, then why is this something that's happening on both the 360 and the PC?
It will be free on PC - big difference.
True, but surely the delay of the release didn't have anything to do with Microsoft. Otherwise, like I say, we would have seen it on the PC first.
We all know that DLC is produced hand in hand with the main game now and we can't do anything about it.
With some developers (especially those owned by publishers) that is often the case. I very much doubt it with Valve. They don't stop working on the games just because they've been shipped. They continuously develop & release updates - if they waited for everything to be in the game from day 1 it would never be released.
Okay I would usually agree with you there about Valve but they also usually take their sweet time on all updates and content post release. This was supposed to be due right after L4D came out which suggests to me that it was either made in tandem or the end of production.
I am a big fan of Valve and but they dropped the ball here, they obviously knew straight away they were going to do DLC and they're playing the same game willingly.
The versus campaigns will just be modified versions of Dead Air & Death Toll which wouldn't take long as they're essentially finished already. As for the survival mode, I can only guess what that is.
Of course they were planning to do DLC, dunno what the point your making is there. If MS didn't insist on forcing customers to pay superfluous charges for trivial content updates, then this wouldn't even be an issue. I suppose Valve could have delayed the initial release of the 360 version by several months/years so that all updates could be included from day one, but that would have made console owners whine even louder surely?
So although Microsoft set the prices, you mean to tell me that Valve gets none of the pie? Yeah, of course they do
Perhaps they do get a small slice, but it's MS's decision at the end of the day. Valve have publically said they want to release this stuff for free but MS won't let them. IT WILL BE FREE ON PC!
Valve really just doesn't do the types of DLC that we see in Fallout 3 and Fable. Valve just does minor updates, as seen with TF2 and now L4D. That is why I don't think they are to blame for what is happening, and why people are bashing MS for making people pay for updates that really aren't worth as much as the DLC we are accustomed to.
This is a forum mate. For the uninitiated, this is somewhere where people post their views, pleasure or displeasure and news and announcements. That means if I or anyone else think something is either acceptable, not acceptable, good, bad or indifferent, those views are posted as part of an ongoing discussion. A FORUM if you will.
The ultimate irony? What you posted was your opinion, which you clearly think matters, but dennouce everyone else from doing the exact same thing.
Therefore I would suggest YOU should, and I quote:
"look at it, and yourself, for a few minutes you'll realise how stupid you can sound sometimes"
If you are going to be so inflammatory, at least think about what you are writing. Jeez.
Copyright 2006 - 2009 Future Publishing Limited, Beauford Court, 30 Monmouth Street, Bath, UK BA1 2BW England and Wales company registration number 2008885
Well yesterday HMV have placed Left 4 Dead on order for the PS3... 5th June 2009 and this post says there releasing L4D: Survival Pack aswell in spring... Spring is around June time right... Need I say no more 
