Towns Launched
Towns, the city building RPG has now released, with a Steam version having arrived via Steam Greenlight.
Steam for Linux Beta Now Available
Valve have now launched a limited access beta for the new Steam for Linux client.
The client is initially available for installation on Ubuntu 12.04, as the majority of beta applicants use it; support for other distros will be added in the future, based on user feedback.
The Steam for Linux client supports Team Fortress 2 and a number of other Steam titles; the client also includes the beta for Steam’s Big Picture.
Torchlight II Has A Demo
Action RPG Torchlight II released yesterday in the UK.. and for those who haven’t ordered, or made up their minds yet, there’s a demo available either through Runic Games’ official website, or on Steam!
Steam’s Big Picture Out On Beta
Valve have now released the beta for Steam’s new Big Picture mode!
Big Picture is a reformatted version of Steam for use with your TV and optional game controller.. and in addition to all the usual Steam features, there’s a first person web browser and Daisywheel, a new tool for typing with the controller.
Steam Greenlight – Live Now
Steam Greenlight has now gone live, allowing the community to vote for indie games they’d like to see available on Steam.
Users can browse the games entered into the system, vote for or against an entry, ask questions or leave feedback. To get a game on the system, the developer needs to submit the game information, screenshots and videos; the only requirements at this point are that the game runs on the PC, and does not contain offensive material or violate copyright or intellectual property rights.
Dungeon Defenders – Jester Hero DLC Free!
The Jester Hero DLC for Dungeon Defenders is free on Steam until Weds 22nd August!
The Steam Summer Sale Has Begun!
The Steam Summer Sale is now live, and will be running from July 12th to July 22nd!
Several bundles, including eleven indie bundles, were leaked last week, but each day also brings other heavily-discounted games!
New deals will appear each day. Every eight hours there’s also the Community’s Choice, where you can vote for your favourite of three offers on display, and several Flash Deals, which are available for a much shorter time!
Steam Summer Sale Leaked?
According to various sources, part of Steam’s summer sale has been leaked, with information on the Bundles having been discovered via the Open SteamWorks CDR database.
The Steam Summer Sale will be an eleven-day promotion, with an indie bundle per day as well as bundles from larger publishers and developers.. any individual titles, not part of a bundle, haven’t yet been revealed. (more…)
GAME Over and Other News
GAME has now officially filed for administration, after suspension of their shares this morning. Stores will continue to trade for the time being.
BioWare’s Mass Effect 3 woes continue this week.. gamers complaining about the ending, Amazon allegedly offering refunds on copies of the game, and now Dr Ray Muzyka, the co-founder and GM of BioWare, has released a statement which seems to suggest they may change the ending, or add more endings, at least.
To counter bad news with good.. I was pleased to see that the Chancellor has now announced tax credits for the UK gaming industry, this should hopefully boost the industry and allow the UK to compete with the rest of the world! (more…)
Used Vs New
The Mass Effect Day 1 DLC debate got me thinking about some of the issues in the games industry. Are customers being exploited? Are customers losing out while stuck in the middle of the publishers’ fight against used games? My thoughts on DLC can be found here.
I can see why publishers and developers might not like used games.
New games go into the shops, with the retailer paying a fee for the product and then selling it on, making the initial outlay back plus profits. That in itself, is fair. However, when it comes to used games, the retailer pays the customer a small trade in fee and then re-sells the game, keeping all the income from that sale to themselves. Although multiple customers will buy the game, often exchanging the same copy, the developer only receives payment on the first sale. (more…)