Hasta La Gadget!

Attempting to play games on Linux has always been a bit of a chore, with WINE compatibility often hit and miss. Valve has taken to its blog to reveal that a dedicated team has been put in place to try and bring Steam and games such as Left 4 Dead 2 to Linux. The team was first set up in 2011 with three simple goals: get Steam fully working on Linux, make sure Left 4 Dead 2 works at high framerates using OpenGL, and port extra Valve titles.

Currently the team is focused on getting the Steam client fully working on Ubuntu. Valve say that it’s important that the efforts are only focused on one Linux distribution for now to make sure the foundation of the software is solid. After that, more attention can be paid to other builds. Steam reportedly runs well under Ubuntu 12.04 with all the major features working, and Left 4 Dead 2 also runs natively in Linux.

Not much else has been revealed, but the team says the game runs well, and that they’re hoping to bring performance up to speed with the Windows version of the game. The team will be posting regular updates to the Valve blog, so mosey on over there and bookmark it to keep an eye to stay abreast of any developments.

Valve working on Steam for Linux is written by Ben Kersey & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Steam is Valve’s portal where they sell games, let users come together and communicate and play games together. The mobile app allows users to chat and stay connected with their friends, read the latest news and participate in Steam sales as well, but is gaming all Valve has in store for Steam? Perhaps not. Thanks to the folks at The Verge, the Steam app for Android has been snapped and shows a more extensive genre list, such as Accounting, Audio Production, Education, Photo Editing and other non-game related categories. Could Valve be looking at offering non-game apps of their own, or allowing the Steam mobile app to double as an app store of their own as well? There’s no guarantee that such a thing could be happening, but it is interesting to see that Valve could be considering that. There has not been official word from the company yet.

By Ubergizmo. Related articles: Steam Greenlight announced, Steam for Linux Caught on Video [Leak],

This year’s Steam Summer Sale starts with no less than titanic games such as Portal 2, Call of Duty MW3, and pack collections from Bethesda and the masses of creators behind the Star Wars gaming franchise. This Valve-run sale requires that you have a Steam gaming account and that you not hold your wallet closed too tightly – deals are to be had at every turn! Grab the legendary Indie Bundle (version I) for $9.99 instead of $40, get Total War: Shogun 2 for $7.49 instead of $30, and get a collection of games from RockStar for $49.99 instead of a massive $120! Click your mouse as fast as you can and stock up for the year!

This sale is a now-yearly beast of a set of deals in which a massive amount of games are put on sale for digital download for astounding amounts off their original price. There’s a collection of games in the “Pack Deals” section from the development group known as THQ, for example, that is an unbelievable 84% off its original price. Where if you’d have purchased all of the games in this set before today individually you’d have payed $399.85, you’re now paying $49.99. That’s a deal and a half by anyone’s standards.

At the very least, your one must-buy if you do not already own is Portal 2, a game that’s so much fun your head will explode. It normally costs a completely fair $19.99 and will today cost you $4.99, less than a mixed drink at your favorite club you never go to. And you’ll never leave the house again if Steam has anything to say about it!

There’s also a portal through which you’ll be voting on games that will or will not go on sale. Do you want Batman: Arkham City to be on sale for 60% off, or do you want some other game that’s a little bit less well known to go on sale? I think you know the answer to that one!

This is the first day of the giant multi-day sale in which prices change constantly, so get out there to Steam’s online shop and make it happen immediately!

Steam Summer Sale begins with a bang is written by Chris Burns & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

If you have always wanted a say in which games should be released on Steam, you’re in luck. It looks like Valve is turning to the community when it comes to figuring out what games it should be releasing on its video game platform/online store next. According to a press release, Valve has announced Steam Greenlight – a service that will let the community decide what games will go on steam.

Game developers and publishers will post information and media about their games on Steam, while the community will check out them and decide whether they want to see it released on Steam or not. Users rate and leave feedback on games just like what they do to user creations on Steam Workshop. Sounds like a good idea, because this means game developers and publishers will have to work a little harder in convincing the community to greenlight their games if they want to see them distributed via Steam.

Steam Greenlight will be released on August 30. Check out the Greenlight website for more details.

By Ubergizmo. Related articles: Steam for Linux Caught on Video [Leak], April Fool’s Half Life 3 announcement disappoints gamers everywhere,

If an enthusiast-built Portal 2 turret piques your interest, Gaming Heads’ Valve-licensed miniature replica may very well force your wallet open. Modeled using Portal 2‘s in-game assets and cast in “high quality poly-stone,” these mini-turrets aim to intimidate intruders with a motion activated light-up eye. In addition to the stoically silent basic model, the company’s offering an exclusive edition, which plays sounds and voice samples from the game. Only 1,100 of these hand painted facsimiles will be produced (350 with sound, 750 without), but the company notes that other figures based on the adorable death machines are in the works. Pre-orders have already begun, so collectors will want to act fast — provided they’re ready to pony up $300-325, of course.

Licensed Portal 2 turret replica to arrive later this year, leave ammo at home originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 26 Jun 2012 04:58:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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