View Full Version : Left 4 Dead DLC Announced
LEFT 4 DEAD CRITIC'S CHOICE EDITION, DLC AND SDK DETAILS REVEALED
Valve's Zombie Thriller Expanding In 2009
February 5, 2008 - Valve, creators of best-selling game franchises (such as Half-Life, Portal, Team Fortress, and Counter-Strike) and leading technologies (such as Steam and Source), today announced a series of content and development releases for its latest title, 2008's best-selling new game property for the PC and Xbox 360, Left 4 Dead (L4D).
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 is also heading to retail stores this spring, and will include access to all the content introduced in the L4D: Survival Pack.
In addition, for PC gamers and aspiring developers, the first Left 4 Dead release for the Source Software Development Kit (Source SDK) will allow the creation of custom Left 4 Dead campaigns that will be discoverable via L4D's matchmaking system. The SDK update is also due for release this spring, and is free of charge to all owners of L4D on the PC.
"Since Half-Life launched in 1998, Valve has made continuous efforts to expand the offering of its products beyond what's included on the day of launch," said Gabe Newell, co-founder and president of Valve. "With Half-Life and Counter-Strike, and more recently Team Fortress 2, we've learned that we're no longer making stand-alone games but creating entertainment services. With Left 4 Dead we're extending that tradition by creating additional gameplay and releasing our internal tools to aspiring developers so they may also create and distribute new Left 4 Dead experiences."
Left 4 Dead is a survival action game from Valve that blends the social entertainment experience of multiplayer games such as Counter-Strike and Team Fortress with the dramatic, narrative experience made popular in single player action game classics such as the Half-Life series of games. Released in November of 2008, L4D has earned over 25 industry awards from outlets around the world.
For more information, please visit www.l4d.com
Sounds like the SDK will be free but the official DLC probably won't be, else I imagine they would have mentioned so... that said, stuff like the updates to TF2 have been free, so we'll see.
edit - though I am hearing rumours they're staying a bit quiet on the topic because PC gamers might get it free and 360 owners will have to pay.
NokkonWud
05-02-2009, 20:14
I know it's getting charged for on Xbox360, so I'd expect it to be similar to the DLC for Fallout 3 in that PC users get charged too. The DLC was officially announced in 2008 though I believe.
The release of the SDK is definitely good news though.
I know it's getting charged for on Xbox360, so I'd expect it to be similar to the DLC for Fallout 3 in that PC users get charged too. The DLC was officially announced in 2008 though I believe.
The release of the SDK is definitely good news though.
They announced there would be some, they'd not said what it would include until now though...
NokkonWud
05-02-2009, 20:22
Are you sure? We definitely knew about them adding the 2 campaigns to versus mode and I'm sure I read about Survival too?
Perhaps this was privvy to Xbox360 users?
Possibly, that was a PR that was sent out today afaik.
I don't think anything had been previously confirmed, just speculated on. The two versus campaigns had been unofficially confirmed in interviews and was fairly obvious anyway seeing as they only did two of the four in the first place.
I'd not heard anything about Survival before though.
edit - quick google is only showing updates from today mentioning Survival mode...
NokkonWud
05-02-2009, 22:46
I thought it was mentioned on one of the XBox Live weekly videos called "SentUAMessage". I know they definitely confirmed the additional Versus mode maps. I'll check later.
I stumbled across this from Newell earlier:
Will this DLC be free, like it is on the PC? I know that Microsoft insist on charging for DLC, but Criterion have managed to release all their DLC for free with Burnout Paradise, using patches. The same method was used for the Gears of War ‘Annex’ mode, so surely it must be possible?
The 360 has a distinction between Title Updates (TUs) and DLC. TUs are limited to 8 MB of code over the life of the product, and we blow through that pretty quickly with the amount of content that we release. DLC releases have to be two charged for each free release.
On the PC, of course, we release everything for free, which is what we prefer to do for our products and our customers.
It'll be very interesting to see how they play the charges, because historically it's something they've never really done, but clearly MS force it.
NokkonWud
06-02-2009, 01:21
Microsoft are notorious for doing it, they really annoyed Epic before when Epic wanted to give Gears of War content away.
Don't understand what "two charged for each free release", makes no sense. I have seen free DLC before though...
Edit: Survival wasn't named, but mentioned as a new scenario. It mentioned the updates to make the other two campaigns into Versus mode.
I know they will annoy a lot of people by charging to add two maps already in the game into Versus mode maps, so that's awkward to say the least as they should have been done before release.
He means for DLC, for MS to allow a free DLC release, they require you to put out 2 charged for ones as well.
'two charged for each free' basically just means every third DLC pack can be free.
That's how it reads to me anyway.
It wouldn't surprise me if Valve make a bit of a fuss to point out Microsoft force them to do it, to try and save face with their own customers. That, or they might try and be crafty and release 2 random skins for like 50p each that no one will bother with and have the proper DLC as the 'free' one.
NokkonWud
06-02-2009, 01:40
But as said, Burnout Paradise has been done for free and the DLC for that is getting close to 1gb now (not the 8mb mentioned) and I don't think it has any paid for DLC (though I may be wrong).
Probably Gabe talking out his arse again.
Quite possibly, he can talk out of his arse with the best of them!
Davey_Pitch
06-02-2009, 09:56
If Valve get their way I'm sure this will be free. I would happily pay for a map pack that was for solo and versus mode, but I don't think I'd pay much for DLC that just lets me play maps I've already got in versus mode (though I'd certainly appreciate more maps to play).
Microsoft are notorious for doing it, they really annoyed Epic before when Epic wanted to give Gears of War content away.
Don't understand what "two charged for each free release", makes no sense. I have seen free DLC before though...
Edit: Survival wasn't named, but mentioned as a new scenario. It mentioned the updates to make the other two campaigns into Versus mode.
I know they will annoy a lot of people by charging to add two maps already in the game into Versus mode maps, so that's awkward to say the least as they should have been done before release.
The difference is MS published Gears and called the shots. If Valve want to not charge, like EA did with Burnout: Paradise then I don't think MS can do anything to stop them.
MS are ultimately the gatekeepers though. I imagine Valve could subsidise the DLC to make it free (like I believe EA did with Burnout), but perhaps dont want to, as it upsets their model a bit. On the PC it's just bandwidth, but on Live MS want some cash for use of their platform.
I'm actually a bit disappointed by the DLC announcement though - I wanted to hear about some new campaigns.
NokkonWud
06-02-2009, 13:59
Many of us were really anticipating the upcoming Left 4 Dead DLC announcement and we kind of wish we hadn't bothered now. It's a bit like waiting for Santa to come at Christmas for him only to bring you a lump of coal and give you a kick in the teeth. Thanks Santa!
The Left 4 Dead Survival Pack is set to touch down in the spring and include two new versus maps (oh gee whizz, I wonder which ones those will be) and a brand new "Survival Mode."
Not much else is said regarding the announcement, but I think it speaks for itself. No matter how addictive the Survival mode is, it will still take place in the same maps we'd have thought.
We don't know about anyone else, but we were kind of hoping for more maps because we've played the 4 to death now. Instead it looks like we'll be playing those 4 long in to 2009. I need to sit down.
Says it all I think. What's most annoying is most people agreed that there should have been more than just the 4 maps included anyway (although they are good maps, particularly the first 3), but to not include any maps in the first update is ridiculous. I've not played it as much as many have here and I'm a little sick of the current maps.
And what's with Survival mode? Isn't the whole game survival anyway? My guess is it's a Horde-esque copy.
The thing is, Valve are usually pretty lazy with maps because they are a PC developer at heart. They know that they can release an SDK and the community will sort itself out nicely from then onwards, it happened with CS, TF, DoD and so on. It's very rare they ever release new maps, I don't think they have at all for TF2 and CS:S only really got updates of old CS maps.
It really doesn't surprise me and makes me glad I have it on the PC, the 360 users could end up getting a bit screwed over IMO with regards new maps. Hopefully it won't be long before things like the DotD and 28DL campaigns appear now.
http://www.l4dmods.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=67:left-4-dead-dlc-is-it-free-answer-inside&catid=2:news
NokkonWud
07-02-2009, 13:18
Personally I think they should charge. Might give them more incentive to actually release larger and superior content.
Matblack
07-02-2009, 13:24
"I've spoken with VALVe employees, the SDK will be free, Official VS maps, are the releases of the unfinished VS modes for Deadair and Deathtoll, this is going to be free for all PC users, XBox Live subscribers will have to pay for the update, in order to continue online play for L4D, it's basically Pay or don't play, regardless of your gold/platinum membership to Live.
That last bit is a bit annoying.
MB
NokkonWud
07-02-2009, 13:28
Especially as it "releases of the unfinished VS modes". :p.
And it's free for all :)
The recently announced Left 4 Dead Survival pack for the Xbox 360 and PC will be free, Valve announced today.
The pack, due this spring, introduces a new multiplayer game mode entitled, Survival, plus two complete campaigns for Versus Mode (Death Toll, Dead Air). 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.
Well played, Valve. Well played.
From: http://kotaku.com/5151646/left-4-dead-survival-pack-will-be-free
You have to wonder why they didn't just say that to begin with :p
Davey_Pitch
11-02-2009, 21:07
Top stuff, hopefully they'll have some more maps soon as well :)
NokkonWud
12-02-2009, 00:21
You have to wonder why they didn't just say that to begin with :p
Because Gabe Newell is funny like that?
If you make yourself look the villain first, then turn on that and change 180 you look like an absolute hero.
Release date is 21st April for the 360 :) So I assume the same for the PC.
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