Week 23

September 24, 2010 - L4D Team

Survival Versus, What Form?, What the what?

Versus Survival
Can you survive against your friends?

The first Survivor team sets the time. The second team tries to beat it. Then the first team tries to beat the second team's time. Then the second team tries to beat the first team's time. And then the... you get the idea. Rounds keep switching until someone fails to beat the previous time.

This is a great way to try Versus. Rounds are only as long as you can keep beating each other’s times. There are no rushing Survivors. Infected spawns get quicker as the time increases. It is mayhem filled with all the weapon perks and items. What’s not to like? Give it a try.

What Form?
We are onto part 2 of the comic, part 3 is coming out on Tuesday. Besides being released on the web, are there other formats you would like to see?

Our first localized version (Russian) will be coming out soon. We are also releasing versions of the comic to help with localization. Make sure to check it out in its current form and we will be announcing other formats in the future.

Here are your votes by platform.

Xbox 360
45% All
30% Television
10% Just Web
7% Mobile Device
7% Print


PC
33% All
25% Just Web
24% Television
10% Print
9% Mobile Device


What the What?
Sorry no poll this week and no new mutation next week. With the release of the new DLC October 5th we want to be able to make some changes to our infrastructure leading to that release. On the 5th we will have a new Mutation and we mean NEW!

The DLC “The Sacrifice” will be available for the XBOX 360, PC, and Mac on October 5th. It will include the new Campaign “The Sacrifice” and the Left 4 Dead 1 campaign, “No Mercy”. In both campaigns you will be able to play as the Left 4 Dead 1 Survivors but you will be using Left 4 Dead 2 weapons and items against Left 4 Dead 2 monsters!

Don’t forget, the Midnight Rider’s Save Me Some Sugar video contest. Submissions are due by October 1st. Make sure to promote your video online using the Steam forums or our facebook pages! For more information visit http://www.midnight-riders.com/videocontest/.

The Sacrifice Comic Part Two

September 21, 2010 - L4D Team

Thanks to the overwhelming worldwide response to the comic, we are going to make more versions of the comic available on the web. This will include the current version in jpg form, a pdf version , a jpg version with no text and a jpg version with no text, speech bubbles or sound effects. This should help get the comic localized and give people the raw panels to play with and make their own comic. We will make sure to link to the best ones!

We will have more info shortly on when this will happen and any other media the comic will be released on.



Here is Part 2 of The Sacrifice.

Next week we will jump into Francis’s back story and see if he always hated things or if the Zombie Apocalypse changed him.

Week 22

September 17, 2010 - L4D Team

Healthpackalypse, This or That?, The Comic should come in what form?

Healthpackalypse!
No health in this versus game.

Grind down the Survivors and don’t worry about them bouncing back. With no Health kits in Versus, their permanent health is on a one way ride to zero.

This or That?
For the new DLC for Left 4 Dead 1 and Left 4 Dead 2, “The Sacrifice” we have a Comic, Teaser movie and of course the game. Do you prefer to get a more in depth preview through the comic? Watch the teaser? Wait for the game? Or All of the above?

Here are the votes by platform.

Xbox 360
38% All of the above
33% Watch the Teaser
21% Wait for the game
8% Read the Comic

PC
31% Watch the Teaser
30% All of the above
25% Wait for the game
14% Read the Comic

What Form?
We released the Comic on the web last week. Another issues is coming out on Monday. Besides being released on the web, are there other formats you would like to see?

Next week's mutation: Developer’s Choice!

Déjà vu Causes Death

September 15, 2010 - Chet Faliszek

The new featured campaign is City 17. If it seems familiar, it should, it is based on Half-Life 2: Episode 1. While it is may be lacking Gordon, Alyx, and Barney it’s not lacking zombies. And no, they aren't your head-crab induced zombies, these are full on Left 4 Dead 2 zombies.

This 5 map campaign offers great Coop and Versus gameplay.

To download and play City 17 please visit our friends at L4DMaps.com

Double clicking the vpk should install it but you can also copy the vpk to \Steam\steamapps\common\left 4 dead 2\left4dead2\addons Either way that is where the vpks need to end up.

Start up Left 4 Dead 2.

Choose to play online and any available game/lobby in your area will show up. Or you can create your own game and choose addons and select City 17 for the campaign.

Since we have the servers up, you can choose Official Dedicated for server type.

We recently released the covers for all four parts of “The Sacrifice” comic. As soon as we did, we started getting requests for the unadorned artwork for desktop wallpaper. So here they are:









The first part of the comic just came out yesterday and is available here.

Left 4 Dead comics are here!

September 14, 2010 - L4D Team

Left 4 Dead comics are here!

Welcome to the first chapter in our four-part Left 4 Dead comic, the Sacrifice! Find out what happens after the military rescued Francis, Louis, Zoey, and Bill at the end of the original Left 4 Dead in four weekly installments, each a whopping 40-plus pages of story and art. Then, download the new DLC “The Sacrifice”, where we put the story’s conclusion into your hands.



Read Part One here.

“The Sacrifice” DLC will be available for both Left 4 Dead 1 and Left 4 Dead 2 on October 5th for PC, Xbox 360 and Mac.