Valve Announces Latest "Left 4 Dead 2" Special Infected And Gameplay Updates - 2/8/10

Valve has recently announced that they have issued the latest update for "Left 4 Dead 2" where die-hard gamers who controls the zombies will experience extra AI supports. Special Infected bots will now be able to fill in empty spots so that there are equal numbers of survivors and zombies.

The new patch for Xbox 360 is available now on Steam where major fixes include "improved survivor bot AI, selectable spawn during finales, numerous map updates and a handful of bugs being removed," Dustin of mmomfg.com wrote.

However, there may be some 'negative side-effect' that could occur with the introduction of the new patch. For example, it could potentially cause reduced melee damage to Tanks from 10% to 5%.

Taken from Steam's website, major changes will include:

Gameplay

* Now ghost PZ's can never be staggered * Enabled PZ bots * PZ bots use their more aggressive survival mode behavior in versus and scavenge * Enabled finale manual spawn by default * Fixed human PZ players not getting counted when they were dead, allowing extra PZ bots to spawn * Reduced effectiveness of melee weapons against the Tank ( 5% of max health, from 10% ) * Fixed a case where a player who dies, then is rescued from a rescue closet, and then is revived from a ledge hang receives the secondary weapon that he lost when he was initially killed * Improved SurvivorBot AI in cases where the bots refused to shoot through their teammates and became non-responsive * Fixed issue with witch sometimes taking on uncommon common properties * Fix for cheaters quitting before the vote to kick them would succeed and avoiding ban on server * VAC banned users can now play L4D2 single-player, commentary mode and credits

Map Fixes

* Dark Carnival Fair Ground: added env_player_blocker to keep special infected from getting stuck * Dark Carnival Fair Ground: added navigation area that was missing * Dark Carnival Fair Ground: Disconnected drops that were blocked by the top of a fence * Swamp Fever Plank Country: Deleted 2 nav areas that connected between tree trunks you can't pass through * Swamp Fever Shanty Town: Redrew ladder thinner so special infected could climb up to the roof * The Parish Waterfront: Fixed various navigation areas * Mall: Tuned spawning for difficulty

SDK Content

* Added missing nature/blend tooltextures added * Added missing cs models/textures * Added missing acunit01 model/texture * Added missing ammo_can_02 model/texture * Added missing patio_chair model/texture

"Left 4 Dead 2" Zombie Survival Guide Trailer - 2/2/10

Check out the featured Zombie Survival Guide Trailer below:

Valve Announces New "Left 4 Dead 2" Gameplay Updates - 1/25/10

Valve, the award winning game publisher for the highly acclaimed zombie shooter game "Left 4 Dead 2", has recently announced that they will be launching an update for the game in a few weeks. The update will include: additional "special infected bots" where teams "are balanced in case one or two special infected players drop out," Terminalgamer.com wrote. The update will also include a fix for auto-spawning problems during the map finales in the game. Fans have filed in several complaints suggested that the game spawns "too far from the action." The update will be available for both Windows PC and Microsoft's Xbox 360.

In "Left 4 Dead", infected players had more freedom to choose where they wanted to spawn or hide in dark corners. The second sequel "Left 4 Dead 2" takes away this 'freedom' gamers were used to and made it so infected players would spawn automatically. The update will remove this automatic feature. The bot update will make sure that players always have enough AI bots available for Special Infected players.

"In addition, Valve said it's still working on "The Passing" DLC, which will reunite the original Survivors from Left 4 Dead with the survivors from Left 4 Dead 2 on an all-new map," Terminalgamer.com wrote.

2 Million Copies Of "Left 4 Dead 2" Sold In 2 Weeks Is Also Amazon's Deal Of The Day! - 1/21/10

Valve has announced that "Left 4 Dead 2" has gone Double Platinum in just two weeks. Released about a month ago or so, over 2 million retail copies of the game has been successfully sold worldwide and is "on target to become one of the top selling Xbox and PC titles for the month of November," Andrew Burnes of Ign.com reported. "Sales to date are more than double the original title, which was released exactly one year prior to L4D2. And "Black Friday" promotions during the title's second week of availability in North American resulted in stronger than expected sales in L4D2's bid to become one of this year's best selling releases on both platforms."

Valve's VP of marketing Doug Lombardi said, "Left 4 Dead 2 is off to a great start with strong support at retail and great reviews from the press. Meanwhile the title has already been played by over 1 million Xbox LIVE Gold account holders."

In addition, "Left 4 Dead 2" is Amazon's "Deal of the Day" where you can "scoop Left 4 Dead 2 on PC for $28 or on Xbox 360 for $35," as reported by Paul Sileo of Gamerant.com.

Valve and EA's Leaked Left 4 Dead 2 Zombie Survival Guide Trailer - 1/13/10

"Left 4 Dead 2" Free Online Play This Weekend! - 1/11/10

This is the ultimate hot news of the week!

For just one weekend, those of you who have an Xbox 360 console and a copy of "Left 4 Dead 2" are not required to pay subscription fees online to play! Typically only Xbox Live Gold subscribers have online access.

The great news is that regular silver membership gamers will be able to play online from Friday, January 15 at 17:00pm GMT, until Monday, January 18 17:00pm, GMT. Did you know that only one 1 million out of 2 million people have only played the game online? The reason for this is because there are 1 million gold subscribers who have played it online, leaving the rest of the population out.

A writer on Gamerant.com wrote, "I'm guessing the other million bought it for the 4-player local co-op options and don't need to play with strangers over the internet. That's a hint to all other developers out there to start utilizing the multiple controller functionality of the current gen consoles. (Yes, I'm looking at you Infinity Ward and your 2-player only spec ops mode and lack of co-op in campaign in Modern Warfare 2). Does this deal affect you?"

Valve And Razer Demos Motion Control System In "Left 4 Dead 2" - 1/8/10

Recently game-peripheral maker Razer collaborated with motion-sensing company Sixense to introduce its new 'Razer Sixense Ultra Precise Motion Controller' at the CES. Valve was proud to demonstrate the technology in their highly acclaimed game "Left 4 Dead 2". Chet Faliszek of Valve wrote, "With this controller, Razer and Sixense have created the most immersive way to play our games. For us and for our customers, this release represents motion-enabled gaming that's more integrated and visceral than any platform has so far achieved."

From Escapist Magazine, John Funk provides his report below:

"Think motion control is just for consoles? Think again: On the show floor at CES, Valve demoed how easy it was to chop zombies with the new Razer & Sixense "Ultra Motion Controller" for PCs.

"While the hardest of hardcore are busy gnashing their teeth and wailing about how motion control is a dead-end technology and how game companies should be focusing on delivering supergraphics with even higher resolutions, real-time infra-bumpmaptoasters and polygon shademashers, game developers are busy working out how to potentially evolve the medium in a way that removes one of the biggest barriers to entry for non-gamers (the controller) and doesn't just depend on becoming more prohibitively expensive. Though all three console manufacturers currently have - or are developing - their own motion control technology, the same seemed to be largely absent from the PC gaming field... until now.

"Gaming peripheral maker Razer showed off its 'Razer Sixense Ultra Precise Motion Controller' at the CES show floor, developed in conjunction with motion sensing firm Sixense (y'know, like it says right there in the title). Using electromagnetic sensors, the RSUPMC (as I will be calling it from now on) is reportedly accurate to 1 millimeter of positioning and a single degree of rotation, and "aims to bring 'true-to-life, next-generation motion sensing and gesture recognition controller for PC gaming.'"

"Guess who's on board? None less than fanboy-adored PC titan Valve, who were proud to demonstrate the technology in their (totally awesome) co-op zombie murderthon Left 4 Dead 2, as seen above. "With this controller, Razer and Sixense have created the most immersive way to play our games," said Valve's Chet Faliszek. "For us and for our customers, this release represents motion-enabled gaming that's more integrated and visceral than any platform has so far achieved."

"Engadget calls it a hybrid between the Wiimote and Natal for the PC, which doesn't seem to be all that inaccurate - and looking at the video it does seem to work pretty well for meleeing zombies and (more importantly) shooting them, too. The only weird part is that the katana seems to be floating in midair, not being held like it normally is - but seeing as how this demo was put together in about a week (so we hear), it makes sense that Valve and Razer might not have wanted to display it without the proper animations.

"That's how it feels when you play it, too, says CNet. "[W]hile there was a bit of a learning curve, the motion control was on point and accurate. We were able to rotate and slice a katana blade on screen, successfully decapitating a few zombies in the process. Shooting seemed a bit more intuitive and we were impressed with the satisfying degree of control the device offered."

"Now that Valve is clearly on board the motion control ship, it remains to be seen if its legions of fanboys will follow suit. Almost makes that Half-Life 2 on Natal video seem a tiny bit more genuine, huh?"

Melee Weapon Advantages - 1/5/10

As one of the biggest, popular and most successful Half Life 2 mods, Valve's "Left 4 Dead 2" needs no introduction. One of the biggest advantages of "Left 4 Dead 2" compared to its predecessor is their melee weapons. They certainly seal the deal in zombie apocalypse themed games, and gamers seem to be responding very well to them. For example if a gamer were to run into a zombie Tank on Expert Difficulty "the best weapon against it would be none other than the police nightstick, while the Molotov Cocktail would be the least effective one," Florian Totu for Softpedia.com wrote.

Interestingly enough for gamers, these melee weapons are the best defense anyone could ever have when approaching the Tank. For instance, all melee weapons can bring down the tank in just less than 10 seconds! How does this compare to the M-16 rifle and Combat Shotgun? 24 and 26 seconds respectively.

Totu wrote:

"Aside from the nightstick being more effective than the Assault Rifle or the Chainsaw, the biggest surprise as damage output is the grenade launcher, which takes anything from 30 to 60 seconds to bring down a tank, and that's only if every grenade is a direct hit, and doesn't do just splash damage.

“With these stats in mind, tactics could really change in L4D2. When coming up against Valve's Tank, running backwards from it and shooting like mad seems to be the worst strategy possible. If everyone equips a nightstick and charges at it, the big lummox will be down in just over a second. Of course, that's how the numbers tell it on paper."

Valve Announces "Left 4 Dead 2" SDK Release Before Christmas - 12/24/09

Just a day before Christmas, Valve has decided to release 'Authoring Tool's and 'Add-on Support' today for "Left 4 Dead 2." What does this mean for gamers? In the words of Geoffrey Calver for TerminalGamer.com, "Left 4 Dead 2" is opening up "to a world of community modding."

"Valve has always been highly supportive of the modding community," Calver wrote. "The original Half-Life came with a Self-Development Kit (SDK), allowing gamers to create everything from Counterstrike to Day of Defeat to They Hunger and other classic mods."

Basically the SDK will let gamers design their own L4D2 game maps! The kit will include Gamemode Logic which basically means that maps will have the ability to perform different functions across various modes. It also includes a Scavenger mode support and Director Logic which "allows gamers to base variable paths and other events based upon player's skills and weather conditions in the game," Calver wrote. "Gamers who want to play modded levels but don't want to create their own can install the add-on support package, which is available in Steam's 'Tools' menu."

What are you waiting for? Go ahead and discuss this in our forums! :)

Left 4 Speed 2 ( Left 4 Dead 2 Parody ) - 12/22/09

Left 4 Speed 2: Left 4 Dead 2 Parody Video Taken from YouTube.com

Valve Announces New Fixes for "Left 4 Dead 2" - 12/22/09

Another new update for "Left 4 Dead 2" from Valve! They've recently announced a number of fixes to the game that "deal with backend issues, streamlining the lobby system, and making official dedicated servers preferred when searching for team matches," as reported by Joystiq.com. In addition, "Left 4 Dead 2" also features Russian subtitles.

For curious gamers, here are the full patch notes taken from Joystiq.com:

• Reduced Dedicated Server max search ping to 150 ms
• Teams that prefer listen servers will no longer be matched with teams that prefer dedicated servers
• Official dedicated servers are now preferred when searching for team matches
• More populous lobbies are now preferred over less populous ones when searching for games
• Players who crash or have failed to load are no longer banned if they have been kicked
• Update Russian subtitles
• Fixed not being able to interlink teams in team-on-team mode
• Fixed not being able to properly migrate team lobby after team leader would leave the lobby
• Fixed not being able to invite friends if player was not team leader in a team-on-team game

Valve Announces New "Left 4 Dead 2" DLC Expansion - 12/17/09

Valve has recently (and officially) announced their new "Left 4 Dead 2" DLC expansion, which will incorporate the original survivors from the first game and the survivors from Left 4 Dead 2. Kat Bailey of Gametab.com reported, "Looks like some old favorites will be appearing for the first expansion, and we don't mean the Midnight Riders."

The new expansion, known as "The Passing" will bring survivors from both game and reunite them as a huge cast.

"It will be set just after L4D2's Dead Center Campaign, and will take place in a small town in rural Georgia, with players controlling the sequel's protagonists," Bailey wrote.

Valve's vice president of marketing Doug Lombardi said, "The Passing will become the most important campaign in the Left 4 Dead story, as all the Survivors are being called together in one campaign.

"It will also be a huge offering of new game play content, with something new for every game mode plus a new uncommon common and weaponry."

"The Passing" expansion is currently planning for an early spring release on the PC and Xbox 360. Stay tune for more info on dates and pricing.

"Left 4 Dead 2" New Game Play Elements - 12/11/09

"Left 4 Dead 2" has got some new, lively game play elements. "Four new survivors battle through the South, from Savannah to New Orleans. One section has you fighting down Interstate 16. All of the new levels are well constructed," Jonathan Heeter of Macon.com wrote.

The game features melee weapons such as: crowbars, swords, axes, chainsaws and guitars. In addition, there are also special infected zombies.

"The Charger is like a weaker version of the Tank that shoulder blocks survivors and runs them into objects. The Jockey jumps on the survivors' backs and rides them until he is shot off. The Spitter spits a toxic acid on the group, and he is easily the most powerful new special infected," Heeter wrote.

In other words, "Left 4 Dead 2" is definitely more 'complete' than the original version. In English, we encourage avid Xbox Live gamers to get this game asap, if you haven't already. “Left 4 Dead 2” is now available on Xbox Live and PC.

How does the game compare to the first prequel? Join our forum to discuss with other "Left 4 Dead 2" hard core gamers!

Left 4 Dead 2 sales up to 2 million units in 2 weeks - 12/1/09

Earlier this Tuesday, Valve had announced that 'Left 4 Dead 2' had "shuffled two million units across the Xbox 360 and PC during the last two weeks of November," in a report by Gus Mastrapa of Wired.com. I must say that's pretty darn impressive, since Valve doubled their sales from the original 'Left 4 Dead' game last year.

Even better news for gamers enthusiastic to buy the game this time around. Several Black Friday deals offered some pretty sweet discounts for those looking to buy the game, to as low as $35 a piece.

In addition, stay tune for the "first batch of downloadable content for Left 4 Dead 2" - courtesy of Valve.

Left 4 Dead 2: Scavenge Mode - 11/30/09

In the wake of new multiplayer modes announced by Valve, 'Scavenge' provide the game "quicker, even more frantic gameplay" than the versus mode.

Scavenge is L4D2's new multiplayer mode where it "pits four Survivor against a zombie horde dotted with special class Infected," as reported in an article by Kotaku.com. "But the catch is that the Survivors have to gather as many of 16 cans of gasoline throughout a map to fill up a generator while the zombies do their best to stop them, kill them or destroy the gas cans. The whole thing is timed and each gas can fed to the generator adds 20 seconds to the clock. The mode plays to three rounds with victory going to whoever got more cans total (and if there's a tie, it goes to who got the most in the least amount of time)."

Gamers who are frantic-adrenaline junkies will love this multiplayer mode. Kotaku.com wrote, "Scavenge goes by extremely fast (hence the three-round setup) and it's all the more fun for it. You're still getting all the weapons and desperate give-and-take of switching between Infected and Survivor factions that you would normally have. But at the same time, you're savoring it in an entirely different, gas-soaked way."