Left 4 Dead DLC and Critics's Choice Edition

We recently attended a Darksiders II preview event in San Francisco to see what Vigil Games have in store for the next Horseman of the Apocalypse, Death. Check out our preview!

Ghost Recon Future Soldier Preview!

We recently got a sneak peek at the upcoming new Ghost Recon Future Soldier from Ubisoft. Check out our in-depth preview for a closer look at the action!

We Chat with Yager and 2K Games

We got a good sandblasting when getting hands-on with Spec Ops: The Line, so we returned the favour with a full video interview with Yager and 2K Games.

The Old Republic Reviewed!

Read the AusGamers review to find out if importing Star Wars: The Old Republic is worth the hassle, or if you should wait for the local release to get your Force on!

Left 4 Dead DLC and Critics's Choice Edition

Post by trog @ 10:21am 06/02/09 | 30 Comments

Valve have announced the first round of DLC for their zombie shooter Left 4 Dead, as well as a new edition of the game:

The first L4D DLC � dubbed 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. 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.

The press release also includes mention of a new SDK, allowing creation of Left 4 Dead mods (including new campaigns).

Tags: left 4 dead

Link

boba
Posted 10:43am 06/2/09

wru free updates like for tf2

Link

Python
Posted 10:48am 06/2/09

I'm happy and sad at the same time.

Happy with new mode and maps, sad that its going to take a while to get here :(

Link

ravn0s
Posted 10:50am 06/2/09

looks like valve is considering charging us for the update :(

Valve marketing head Doug Lombardi told Edge in an e-mail that there will be a charge for the extra content on both PC and Xbox 360. "Price and exact date will be announced in the coming weeks," he said.

Update: Due to a miscommunication, we had updated the original piece saying that PC and Xbox 360 Survival Packs would be paid. However, Valve has since told Edge that it hasn't ruled out the possibility of the price being "$0.00." Sorry for any confusion.

Link

Tim Tibbetts
Posted 10:53am 06/2/09

Fuck them if they charge you for the PC version.

Link

WetWired
Posted 10:54am 06/2/09

I'm not paying for it if it is, I only bought Left 4 Dead on the assumption that they would continue to offer the same free and constant updates for it as they have done for Team Fortress 2. It wasn't worth the initial price if that's all we get, I considered it an investment at the time.

Link

ravn0s
Posted 10:59am 06/2/09

yer fuck them if they are going to charge for content that should have been available at release

Link

parabol
Posted 11:02am 06/2/09

It wasn't worth the initial price if that's all we get

I'd have to agree with that. For 50USD (~80AUD) it really should have had more campaigns/content. Hell TF2 has WAY more content and was/is significantly cheaper with better replay value.

Haven't played L4D in ages, but I still launch TF2 every couple of days.

Link

Jim
Posted 11:44am 06/2/09

I agree it could definitely use more content, but at the same time I am easily getting my money's worth out of it regardless. I'm fully hooked on it despite playing no mercy and blood harvest ad nauseum

Link

DeePer
Posted 11:55am 06/2/09

Personally I think the entire game was short. That being said they need to add versus campaign to the already existing scenes for free.

Any new campaigns/scenes I'm fine with paying for an xpac.

Link

infi
Posted 12:57pm 06/2/09

I am not paying them more money just to make the game as interesting as it should have been.

Link

Jim
Posted 01:21pm 06/2/09

I'll decide whether you do or not thanks

Link

infi
Posted 01:26pm 06/2/09

well then, what'll it be?

Link

ctd
Posted 02:10pm 06/2/09

I got my monies worth in terms of time spent playing the game. However I always assumed updates would be free.

BS if they charge for what should have been in the original. I am really looking forward to the airport one and the river town one... they were awesome in single player.

the term 'DLC' gets me scared that it wont be free. They usually call them 'updates'

Link

Winston
Posted 02:16pm 06/2/09

Survival mode? Isn't that what we're doing already? Surviving?

If all the 'DLC' does is add the other 2 campaigns to versus (something the community has already done), I will be quite pissed off at the whole situation, considering the price of the game to start with.

That said. I would still buy it :P

Link

Bahamut
Posted 03:12pm 06/2/09

The community just copy/pasted the coop campaigns over though Winston, to make them even remotely approach fair a major overhaul of many areas would be required (hence it not being included at launch) since they're far too open to allow the infected a chance. Dead Air's finale, for example, has several "I win" areas to camp that make it quite difficult to lose, and Blood Toll's finale also has very open areas to camp that would make it difficult to win as infected.

At least with the SDK release we'll be able to get new maps from community authors, even if the majority of them aren't of a useful quality there'll still be some worth playing =)

I find it amusing that PC gamers still rebel against paid downloadable content while console gamers simply roll over and accept it. It seems fairly inevitable to me that PC gamers will just have to deal with it and cough up at some point (or deal with ads); game maintenance isn't cheap.

Link

Jim
Posted 03:22pm 06/2/09

neither is buying games

Link

ViscoS
Posted 03:57pm 06/2/09

This 'DLC' feels like a cop-out in that there is no new campaign. It's more like a big patch.

Survival had better not just be camp till you die as well.

Link

Midda
Posted 04:18pm 06/2/09

If this is just another game mode, plus the two existing campaigns being brought over to Versus, they'll be dickheads to charge for it. I'll give Valve benefit of the doubt, surely they wont be silly enough to charge for this. And, if they do, I wont be paying for it.

Link

d^
Posted 04:19pm 06/2/09

If we have to pay for this i'll be pretty annoyed.

Link

rolo_tomasi
Posted 04:27pm 06/2/09

I wont pay for DLC.

This could be the straw that breaks the camels back for alot of gamers with Valve, but really would they give a rats arse?

The real question is would you vote with your wallet if DLC costs extra, and preclude yourself from another Valve software purchase? They have made megabucks in the last few years, like Gabe gives a shit.

lets face it the glory days of gaming are well and truly over.

Link

Tim Tibbetts
Posted 04:31pm 06/2/09

Lets just hope they realise what creates longevity in a PC game is ongoing support from the developer. Just look at Blizzard for it's RTS games and Valve with TF2, surely they realise that all the class revamps and continued balancing of that game has driven sales.

Link

ViscoS
Posted 04:50pm 06/2/09

At least the modders can really get at it with the SDK...

Yeah, this shit had better still be free.

Link

ctd
Posted 06:28pm 06/2/09

Well it is going to be free apparently.

As soon as I saw the Edge article, I, in what can only be a drunken mistake, sent this sorta hurtful email to Gabe Newell.

Dear Mr Newell,

When I learned the the Left 4 Dead "Survival Pack" would not be free on PC, this is the moment my faith in democracy died.

Living in Australia, the retail version of Left 4 Dead is and always has been AU$100. On Steam, the current price (including conversion rates) tips around AU$80 - AU$90.

So, assuming this "Survival Pack" is around US$10, I (and many other Australian and probably UK fans) will be paying at least twice this price.

So I guess what I'm really saying is, why? Why not give the "Survival Pack" stuff away for free? The SDK is nice 'n' all, but it seems a right and royal kick to the nuts that I should have to spend AU$120 on a game that people in America are getting for $60.

It reminds me a lot of Fallout 3's "Operation Anchorage" expansion. I was lucky enough to have a friend send me the Installer, but for people who have paid the full AU$20 for ONE NEW QUEST... it's just awful, really.

And same with this "Survival Pack". One new game mode? 2 new maps? Valve has always provided Free Updates... Day of Defeat: Source underwent an engine change, practically changing the whole face of the game... for free. Team Fortress 2 has had more the 50 new achievements added... also for free. Left 4 Dead should be continuing this tradition.

Maybe by Spring my mind would have changed on this issue. But for now, I feel I need some consolance... and if you, or Valve's marketing guys, or Doug "Episode 2's ending was My Idea" Lombardi can't do it... then no-one can.

Thanks for your time,
Enraged Fan

And I got this reply from Gabe:

It�s free as it�s always been.

Needless to say, he showed me.

http://img6.imageshack.us/my.php?image=33530180dg5.jpg

source: http://forums.steampowered.com/forums/showthread.php?t=798123

yay. go valve.

Link

infi
Posted 06:38pm 06/2/09

lolzor

Link

Khel
Posted 07:23pm 06/2/09

I was lucky enough to have a friend send me the Installer

Read: I'm a dirty juarez monkey who tries to justify my piracy by making things sound worse than they are.

While I agree the announced stuff for Left 4 dead isn't good enough to be paid DLC, its retarded to say stuff like Operation Anchorage should be free, a fair bit of work would have gone into making that.

Link

ViscoS
Posted 07:58pm 06/2/09

Indeed. Does he expect games designers to work for free?

Link

koopz
Posted 10:06am 07/2/09

I find it amusing that PC gamers still rebel against paid downloadable content while console gamers simply roll over and accept it. It seems fairly inevitable to me that PC gamers will just have to deal with it and cough up at some point (or deal with ads); game maintenance isn't cheap.

agreed.

I just took a look at the update history for L4D.. there's some serious hours being put in there by a team that works for more than min wage.

I wouldn't pay $80 for the addon, though I wouldn't bitch about forking over $50 considering the ongoing work that'll be done

Link

Midda
Posted 10:44am 07/2/09

I just took a look at the update history for L4D.. there's some serious hours being put in there by a team that works for more than min wage.

Yeah, but this is Valve. Don't they take a small cut from every sale made on Steam? That's some huge dosh right there.

Link

ctd
Posted 03:01pm 10/2/09

While they still haven't officially announced the release date or price of this update they have said that the two new versus campaign will be deadair and deathtoll (no shit). Also that the survival mode will have 12 new maps (possibly just cut down versions of the maps already available or a mixture of new and old).

A few details on the Survival Pack DLC for Valve's multiplayer zombie shooter Left 4 Dead have squeaked out following its cryptic announcement last week.

A new Survival mode will see "up to four player set records for the longest time surviving hordes of zombies on over 12 maps," according to word from GameTrailers TV.
It was not specified if those maps will be all-new or culled from existing environments.

As was previously known, the pack will also include Versus Mode versions of the Dead Air and Death Toll campaigns when it is released this spring.

shacknews.

last edited by ctd at 15:01:36 10/Feb/09

Link

ravn0s
Posted 07:27pm 10/2/09

im guessing they will have online leaderboards for the new mode.

Commenting has been locked for this item.

30 Comments

Show