Weekly Steam News (08/04/04)

[Chris D]

The usual weekly Steam news update has been released and it reads as follows:

On Tuesday we began running an updated version of our hardware survey. So far, we've had over 600,000 unique responses. You can see the current results here.[br]Running surveys like this are extremely useful for us as developers, as it helps us to understand what kinds of technology decisions we can make as we continue to invest in the Source engine. It should also be useful for MOD developers to get an idea of what their audience looks like.[br]Next week we'll be releasing the three HL2DM map contest winners on Steam. The winners of the contest along with some images of the maps were first mentioned here. Also next week, we'll have a small sneak peak for you of the upcoming Half-Life 2 episode "Aftermath".

For those of you still not in the know; last weeks news update was an April Fools joke.[br]If you wish to see the current update then please visit here.[br]Mod developers out there will be happy to know that also an SDK update was released previously as well:

• New hl2mp character model sample
• Fixed some cases of having to run the base game before being able to debug your mod
• Optimized bandwidth usage in mods based upon the hl2mp code base
• Implemented a fix in the lag compensation code that was occasionally preventing players from respawning correctly
• Fixed xwad running vtex incorrectly
• Fixed xwad building into the wrong target directory

• If you don't already have this update then just restart your Steam client.

 

[evil^milk]

cool. i'm hyped all over again

 

[jimbo118]

yeah i posted this too in general hl2,hope you dont mind,i checked here and didnt see anything

 

[ray_MAN]

I said "No." the the survey. I did it before in October, for Pete's sake!

 

[Chris D]

yeah i posted this too in general hl2,hope you dont mind,i checked here and didnt see anything

That's fine. We always expect a duplicate of what's here on another forum. Chances are; you may have beat us though so well done :E

 

[MjM]

I dont have any problem with the surveys as long as the information is made publicly availible. I think it is a useful tool for, like they said, themselves(valve) for engine dev and mod teams alike.

 

[jimbo118]

That's fine. We always expect a duplicate of what's here on another forum. Chances are; you may have beat us though so well done :E

first 4 me at something *sniff* ;(

 

[wilka91]

Excuse me but errr, what was last week's news? Did I miss something funny?

 

[oldagerocker]

I find the surveys fascinating... so many people have old geforce4 mx cards, probably because they got their pc from dell/dixons/pc world etc... I do hope regardless of that, that Valve will up the graphics that little bit more in the expansion. I want to go, wow all over again... as much as i will with the slideshow that will be The Lost Coast on my system

 

[Funky Munky]

Also next week, we'll have a small sneak peak for you of the upcoming Half-Life 2 expansion "Aftermath".

Can anyone shed anymore light on this? Is it like a few new levels based after the original game (based on the title).

 

[DarkStar]

Also next week, we'll have a small sneak peak for you of the upcoming Half-Life 2 episode "Aftermath".

*sniff*
*sniff sniff*

Is that a BINK I smell?

 

[wilka91]

Can anyone shed anymore light on this? Is it like a few new levels based after the original game (based on the title).

It's not HALF-LIFE 3 if that's what you're thinking!

 

[Asuka]

Very VERY VERYYY GOOD INFO!!! CANT WAIT FOR AFTERMATH!!

 

[wlodi]

A Bink? Possible, they've said it will be out "Summer". So excited, waiting for next week update! :-D

 

[nutcrackr]

So they are doing:
Lost Coast
Team Fortress 2
Aftermath
VAC 2 and continual CS:S updates
DOD:S and SDK work

hmmmm

 

[CrimsonGhost]

episode

"Also next week, we'll have a small sneak peak for you of the upcoming Half-Life 2 expansion "Aftermath"."

hmm... my steam updated said Episode, not expansion... is there a difference?

 

[oldagerocker]

A new episode of the story, an expansion of the Half-life Series gamewise.

 

[Lazy_Moron]

So they are doing:
Lost Coast
Team Fortress 2
Aftermath
VAC 2 and continual CS:S updates
DOD:S and SDK work

hmmmm

Yeah I know what you are thinking, Valve cannot possibly do all that work at the same time. There probably finishing the touches on the Load Coast, then going to release VAC 2, and then probably tease us with some more news saying that they are still working on Team Fortess 2, and then release some binks and screenshots of Aftermath. That is my prediction

 

[RaBiD WeAzEL]

Sweet, go Valve.


EDITT>>


Just talked to Valve about Aftermath... Turns out that you play as Kleiner and balance chemical equations the whole time...


Sounds sweet, eh?

 

[zodiak]

Yay for the hl2:dm maps. About time they release those.

 

[DarkStar]

hmm... my steam updated said Episode, not expansion... is there a difference?

Yeah, it seems that somebody changed the wording when they posted it on the front page of HL2.NET.

Strange.

 

[SimonomiS]

More talk about the survey guys.

NVidia GeForce4 MX Series 57,483 8.28 %
I found that quite surprising, and
RDTSC 694,444 100.01 %
eh?

 

[lePobz]

I just noticed that too SimonomiS ... 100.01% ? Must be a valve thing.

edit: I think I know what's going on here .... the numbers are taken per user, yet some users have multi-core systems ... therfore its possible to have one user with more than one counts of having an RDTSC whatever core. Screws with the percentages a bit.

 

[MjM]

Else they have a rounding error somewhere.

 

[Hazar]

Grrrrrreeeeeaaat!