GamesRadar - Left 4 Dead

Latest Left 4 Dead Demo Details (News)

Oct 10, 2008

Kris Graft of EDGE writes:

"Valve Software managing director Gabe Newell confirmed to Edge that there will be an Xbox 360 and PC demo.

That information had already been communicated, but Newell also gave a time window for the demo of "early November."

He also said the demo will be cut from the No Mercy campaign and be playable by one to four players."

Edge: Left 4 Dead's $10M Ad Campaign (News)

Oct 10, 2008

Half-Life house Valve Software is counting on a horde of living dead and tight co-op play to rake in the cash this holiday season with the horror shooter Left 4 Dead.

But the studio is trying to leave as little to chance as possible, as the firm told Edge exclusively on Thursday it will be spending $10 million (£5.9m) on a consumer campaign that will incorporate television, online, print and outdoor advertising across the country. The game is slated to ship on November 17 on Xbox 360 and PC.

"People had really strong reactions to Left 4 Dead when we started showing it," said Valve managing director Gabe Newell in an interview. "Our pre-orders are running 60 percent ahead of Orange Box. This in combination with the fact that it is a new IP made us think that an extensive marketing program made a lot of sense."

That Aussie Game Site: Daily Wrap 8th October, 2008 (News)

Oct 9, 2008

Get your daily wrap-up of Aussie gaming news. Topics include Left 4 Dead PS3 version update, Fable II DLC, creative new Mirror's Edge media and the guys pose a question relating to FPS Legendary and genre addictions.

Left 4 Dead Preorders 40% More Than Orange Box (News)

Oct 2, 2008

dailygamesnews.com - Preorders for Valve's upcoming zombie shooter have exceeded those of Orange Box by more than 40% and VP of marketing, Doug Lombardi attributes some of the popularity to the 10% promotional discount...

Left 4 Dead Demo Details (News)

Sep 30, 2008

Sweedums of De-Frag writes:

"After recently announcing that there will be a demo for Left 4 Dead, we were desperate to get the full story, so while waiting to have another bash at slaying some zombies, we had a quick chat with Chet Faliszek from Valve about what exactly will be in the demo, and when we will see it up on Steam."

UK Retailers List Left 4 Dead For PS3, Valve In Denial (News)

Sep 22, 2008

Kotaku: What on earth is going on with Left 4 Dead? Last week we had the Australian classifications board saying there was to be a Nintendo DS port (dismissed by Doug Lombardi as "Nonsense") and now.. this.

Two readers sent us links to two separate online retailers, both of whom list a PS3 version of Left 4 Dead as being available from November. November the 7th, according to Play.com.

This seemed to confirm the Official PlayStation mag story back in August that EA were working on a port of the Zombie survive-em-up.

TF2 Official Blog: Left 4 Dead Update (News)

Sep 19, 2008

Robin Walker of the official TF2 blog writes: "Well, it's been a couple of weeks since we updated the blog, and we thought it was time to let you know why we've been so quiet. The last couple of weeks we've actually been moonlighting on Left 4 Dead. While the L4D team has been focusing on finishing up the core cooperative gameplay, we've been helping them by working on their Versus mode."

Making of Left 4 Dead Video Presentation (News)

Sep 18, 2008

Doug Lombardi has sent L4D411 an exclusive 10-minute HD video presentation by Gabe Newell on the making of Left 4 Dead along with an extended E3 trailer. This presentation was originally made at E3 2008 for members of the press and E3 awards judges, and contains portions not previously available to us common folk.

Gabe goes into detail on many aspects of the making of Left 4 Dead, including their goals in development, the what and why of the AI Director, all about the monsters including animation, physics and AI, and also all about the world including graphics and lighting technology.

Newell confirms Left 4 Dead demo details (News)

Sep 10, 2008

Gabe Newell, managing director and co-founder of Valve, has confirmed plans for an Xbox 360 and PC demo of hotly anticipated zombie shoot-em-up Left 4 Dead. He confirmed that it will include the first part of one of the four campaign 'movies', probably The Hospital level that has been demonstrated to the press.

Rumor: Left 4 Dead Won't Ask For Your Leg In Order To Play The PC Version (System Requirements) (News)

Sep 9, 2008

GameXtract writes "Rumors are on the rise again, and this time its for Left 4 Dead. According to the system requirements revealed below the game will not cause you to chop off your leg. In fact you won't even need to sell your pet moose for cash. The game will run on a wide range of machines with an incredibly low system requirement."

Get the full list after the jump.

Correction: Left 4 Dead Releasing November 18th and 21st (News)

Sep 1, 2008

Left 4 Dead 411 has received official word from Doug Lombardi that Left 4 Dead will release on November 18th in the U.S. and November 21st in Europe. Doug Lombardi responded to our request for confirmation on Gabe Newell's recent statement on a Nov 20th release.

Good news for those in the U.S., sorry to those in Europe.

Left 4 Dead to be Cut Scene Free (News)

Aug 31, 2008

Kotaku writes:
"Left 4 Dead is very much a zombie apocalypse game, you'll find no deeper meaning here, no Romero-esque political message.

The game opens on the game's four characters at ground zero two weeks after the rise of the zombies. Left 4 Dead will have a short introduction, created by the team behind the Team Fortress 2 cut-scenes, but that will be the only cut scene gamers will see in Left 4 Dead."

Left 4 Dead DLC Details (News)

Aug 30, 2008

Digitalbattle.com writes " Some new details on the downloadable content for Left 4 Dead have been revealed by its writer Chet Faliszek. The writer notes that Valve plans to add new scenarios to the game's initial four, as well as new bosses and weapons. A flamethrower is also hinted at. "

Left 4 Dead To Run On Dedicated XBL Servers (News)

Aug 29, 2008

GamerChip knows the issues Team Fortress 2 has faced with lag, but with the news that Left 4 Dead will be running through XBL on dedicated servers, we should see much better performance and a host of other advantages.

LGC: "50-50" chance of Left 4 Dead PS3 (News)

Aug 22, 2008

Valve doesn't do PS3. The company's co-founder Gabe Newell isn't a fan, and hasn't been afraid to say so. But Valve's Doug Lombardi has told CVG today that PS3 support could be on the cards as the platforms recent success has raised some eyebrows.

Left 4 Dead (Preview)

Aug 19, 2008

Self-shadowed normal mapping. That got you sitting up in your seats didn’t it? Forget zombie hordes for a second, put the intricate and sophisticated animation system to one side, and focus on what’s going to make Left 4 Dead special: self-shadowed normal mapping. What’s self-shadowed normal mapping? We had no idea, so we picked up the phone and asked Valve. ...

Left 4 Dead Making Xbox 360 Debut at PAX (News)

Aug 12, 2008

DailyGame.net is reporting that Left 4 Dead, a Gauntlet-like survival-horror game set to release this November, will make its public debut on Xbox 360 at Penny Arcade Expo (PAX).

Left 4 Dead (Screenshots)

Aug 11, 2008

TGR's Rumor Killers: Left 4 Dead PS3, Xbox Price Cut, and Max Payne 3 (News)

Aug 5, 2008

TGR - "After churning out the great Grand Theft Auto 4 on Xbox 360 and Playstation 3, and with Midnight Club LA coming very soon, what else has infamous developer Rockstar got in store for everyone? According to the Official Playstation Magazine, Rockstar is hard at work on a 'new' IP based on a 'cool license.'"

Xbox Live Marketplace Update: Friday 18th July 2008 (News)

Jul 18, 2008

Console Monster writes: "E3 has come to an end for 2008 and to finish off the week, there are a bunch of new trailers on the Xbox Live Marketplace. Here is the full update for Friday 18th July 2008:

Name: Kung Fu Panda Adventuring Trailer
Price: Free
Availability: All Xbox Live Regions

Name: Prince of Persia The E3 gameplay trailer
Price: Free
Availability: All Xbox Live Regions

Name: Left 4 Dead E3 Trailer
Price: Free
Availability: All Xbox Live Regions..."

E3 08: Resident Evil 5 VS Fallout 3 VS Left 4 Dead (Feature)

Jul 17, 2008

They are three of the most hyped games of E3 – Fallout 3, Resident Evil 5 and the new AAA pretender Left 4 Dead. They are two of the most powerful, influential and deeply hungover games journos on the planet Stephen Pierce, the Global Editorial Director of GamesRadar and George Walter the Editor of GamesRadar UK. We put them all together to see if these highly anticipated games deserve their hype. But with only around 20 minutes with ...

Left 4 Dead Coming in November! (News)

Jul 15, 2008

Kombo Reports: "November 4, to be precise -- straight from EA's press conference. So much for those Orange Box 2 rumors. "

Left 4 Dead Has 2P Split Screen Multiplayer, New Character Designs (News)

Jul 15, 2008

"Valve's multiplayer-focused zombie survival shooter Left 4 Dead (PC, 360) will include two-person split-screen play in addition to four-person online cooperative survival play, co-founder Gabe Newell revealed at EA's E3 press event"

More Proof that Left 4 Dead is coming to PS3? (News)

Jul 13, 2008

In the lastest episode of Game Trailers 'The Bonus round' they have clearly listed upcoming title Left 4 Dead for the PlayStation 3 as well as Xbox 360 and PC. Now this follows on from recently when EA confirmed that it was being released in there winter 2008 release line up and also when valve said a PlayStation 3 version was possible.

Now this for now remains a rumor, however it does look likey that Left 4 Dead will be released on the PlayStation 3 at some point.

Left 4 Dead Never The Same Game Twice (News)

Jun 25, 2008

Founder and CEO of Turtle Rock Studios, Mike Booth, explained in a recent interview that the upcoming horror title Left 4 Dead could not be played the same way twice. One of the most eagerly anticipated titles of 2008 uses a procedural AI system which places enemies differently each play in a structured manner.

Left 4 Dead - Teaser (Video)

Jun 23, 2008

Gabe Newell: Left 4 Dead is All About Directing Action (News)

Jun 23, 2008

Left 4 Dead will live or die by its artificial intelligence. But it won't be the AI driving the undead that make or break the game, it will be the computer intelligence driving the game's direction.

Talking to a gathering of journalists last week, Valve's Gabe Newell talked up the company's upcoming co-op survival horror shooter.

The game is based on four movies each of which gamers play through as survivors trying to escape an army of the undead. The game will also support an infected versus survivor mode and a split-screen cooperative mode.

Left 4 Dead Officially Delayed to November (News)

May 24, 2008

Videogamecentral write:

Valve's Doug Lombardi confirms yet another delay for the multiplayer zombie game Left 4 Dead.

Valve's head honcho and public figure Doug Lombari says that Left 4 Dead will be heading to the PC and Xbox360 this November. The multiplayer zombie title was previously supposed to come out some point this summer.

Valve: no demo of Left 4 Dead before release (News)

May 16, 2008

Valve has confirmed that zombie lovers won't be able to try out its upcoming multiplayer survival horror game before launch.

"We tend to focus on getting the game out and not pausing the release date of the full product so we can create a demo," Doug Lombardi said in an interview with the UK side of Official Xbox Magazine.

"It is something you have to schedule and it is another release, so you have to make the choice there ...

EA: Quality overrides ship time (News)

May 14, 2008

"I would say without hesitation that our quality is going to be up this year versus the prior year," Electronic Arts CEO John Riccitiello said in a Tuesday earnings call.

Riccitiello has made it a very public priority to up the quality of EA's titles. A recent review score average of EA's titles was 77 percent, but Riccitiello said at an analyst meeting in February that he wants EA to exceed 80 percent by fiscal 2011.

He ...

Half-Life creators: "We're not PS3 developers" (News)

May 5, 2008

Valve's main marketer Doug Lombardi was on hand recently to show off the latest version of the awesome looking PC/360 zombie shooter, Left 4 Dead. But PS3 is being left out of the loop.

Lombardi told us, "We're not PS3 developers - we're doing PC and 360 like with Orange Box. EA came to us and said 'Wow, Orange box was an incredible project, can we do a PS3 version?'"

So does that mean if it's a hit someone else (EA again, ...

Left 4 Dead's seven scariest moments (Preview)

May 1, 2008

Left 4 Dead is a very scary game. Scary enough to turn four grown men (alright, four videogame journalists) into yelping, squealing hysterical wrecks, even when surrounded by the hubub and spot-lit, brash environment of a games show event. The following report details our experiences at this frontline of fear - videogaming's scariest moments, all of which come from Left 4 Dead ...

Left 4 Dead presentation – streaming audio and new shots (News)

Apr 25, 2008

VG247: Valve's zombie shooter, Left 4 Dead, was shown off today at EA's spring showcase in London in stellar form and of course VG247 was there to get it all.

For streaming audio of the entire presentation, hit the play button on the site. Loads of info in there on the "AI director", ten new weapons, persistent ranking and more.

New Left 4 Dead shots (News)

Apr 25, 2008

One of the surprise stars of EA's London showcase event this month is Valve's Zombie shooter Left 4 Dead, which is looking like an absolute blast on PC and 360. Check out the new screens.

Valve's multiplayer shooter pits you and three mates against the undead hordes - though it's not quite as simple as it sounds. And one of you is a hot chick.

Our man on the floor won't shut up about how awesome the ...

Left 4 Dead to launch in Russia (News)

Apr 11, 2008

Valve's upcoming zombie shooter, Left 4 Dead, will be released in Russia thanks to a partnership between the US company and local distributor Akella.

"Left 4 Dead is Valve's attempt to fill gamers' desire for a dynamic and engaging co-operative action experience," said Doug Lombardi, VP of marketing at Valve. "This has been validated by the press, who are calling it one of the most anticipated titles of the year. We will be working closely with Akella as we prepare the launch of Left 4 Dead in one of today's fastest growing gaming markets".

Left 4 Dead (Preview)

Mar 17, 2008

Friends, at last: we have a game in which you can kill a man with a medkit. Remember, Left 4 Dead’s hordes aren’t strictly zombies: they’re people with crazy-rabies. One shot will rip a limb clean off, but they can survive a few close-up thwacks. And every weapon and item - including medkits - has a melee attack. Indeed, our latest chance to play four-player co-op led to an emergent minigame we’re calling it Zombie ...

Surfer Girl: Talks about Space Chimps, Left 4 Dead Dev Future Projects, and Road Rash Remake (News)

Mar 1, 2008

Surfer girl writes:

1) The premiere name is licensed interactive entertainment, Brash Entertainment, exponentially progressed the medium yet again, RedTribe's Space Chimps title has taken the crown from Bullwinkle XBLA for the worst thing I have seen this year.

2) In addition to Left 4 Dead, the collective of sixteen or so known as Certain Affinity is working on two unannounced titles, at least one documenting their previously mentioned fascination with lighthearted exploits of swashbuckling, names floating around are Plunder and Pirate's Booty.

3) As previously mentioned, the last crack at a new Road Rash was a PS360 affair over at the now-defunct Warrington studio. Despite no new plans currently existing for another Road Rash, the prospect is being contemplated.

News from GameTrailer TV's Visit to Valve (News)

Mar 1, 2008

* New plush toys are in the works. TF2 characters will soon be your bedside companions, starting with the Heavy.
* There is presently no Counter-Strike 2, however¿
* ¿if they go ahead and start development on a Counter-Strike 2, they are leaning to taking an approach similar to what was done with TF2. Re-evaluate everything but try to stay close to the heart of Counter-Strike.
* That's not to say that CS2 would match TF2's art style.
* Portal 2 is sort of, kind of confirmed (again).
* Kim Swift wishes to explore more of the Aperture Science labs themselves, to provide more of a look at the building.
* Some very impressive Left 4 Dead footage is being shown
* Gabe states that L4D will greatly appeal to fans of Counter-Strike
* A PS3 version of L4D isn't completely ruled out, and may one day be developed.
* Goldrush for TF2 is looking to be a rather massive map, easily the size of Dustbowl with the same texture style.
* Nothing in development for the Wii and that is something Valve really wants to look at.
* Episode 3 is being worked on, in case there was any doubt.

GT TV Goes to Valve - Counter-Strike 2 Rumors Abound (News)

Feb 29, 2008

A promotional video for an upcoming episode of GameTrailers TV seems to indicate they have some exclusive information about a possible Counter-Strike 2 in the works.

In addition, they'll have new footage of Left 4 Dead, a look at a new map for Team Fortress 2 (presumably it will be Goldrush), and an interview with Gabe Newell.

GDC: Valve confirms Left 4 Dead left off PS3, moots Source for Wii (News)

Feb 21, 2008

Speaking to videogaming247 at GDC today, Valve's Doug Lombardi has confirmed that highly anticipated zombie shooter Left 4 Dead will definitely not be making its way to PlayStation 3, and said that if the company were to tool up for a format outside PC and Xbox 360 it would be Wii.

"We were really crappy at bringing games to consoles," he said. He cited the time it took to move the original Half-Life games to console formats as an example of how the company had come "really late" to console development. He said that while the focus had always been on PC, the company had now moved up a gear to produce games simultaneously on Xbox 360 and PC, but that it had limited interest in developing for Playstation 3.

Left 4 Dead 360-exclusive (News)

Feb 19, 2008

The first Xbox 360 details on Valve and Turtle Rock's zombie shooter Left 4 Dead have emerged in the pages of the US Official Xbox Magazine. Apparently, this is the first time the Xbox 360 version has been shown to the press, which is being developed between Valve, PC dev Turtle Rock and newcomer Certain Affinity - who was responsible for the Halo 2 Blastacular map pack. According to OXM US the console version still has a ways to go before ...

Left 4 Dead Xbox 360 Revealed (News)

Feb 19, 2008

The March 2008 issue of the Official Xbox Magazine features Left 4 Dead on its cover, revealing the Xbox 360 version for the first time. OXM visited Valve where they played the Hospital and Cornfield scenarios on the PC and they also had the chance to see Cornfield running on Xbox 360 development hardware. This is the first time that the press has been able to see the Xbox 360 version, which still has some ways to go to match the PC.

The other big news from this article is that a third game company named Certain Affinity (in addition to Valve and Turtle Rock Studios) is also handling the Xbox 360 version. Certain Affinity is a small game developer in Austin, Texas, founded in November 2006 by a 10-year Bungie veteran, Max Hoberman. Their first product was Halo 2's Blastacular Map Pack for Bungie and Microsoft.

Finally, OXM states the following: "EXCLUSIVE: The PC and 360 versions of Left 4 Dead will ship simultaneously, but there will be no PS3 edition."

Rumortoid: Left 4 Dead headed to PS3? Nope not really (Update) (News)

Feb 12, 2008

Nick Chester from Destructoid writes:

"Words can't express how badly I need to be playing Left 4 Dead right now. Turtle Rock Studios' cooperative multiplayer survival-horror first-person shooter not only falls into more genres than you can shake a stick at, but it also looks damned good."

"[Update: Frenzied, we touched base with Valve Doug Lombardi who says "There is no PS3 version of Left 4 Dead announced, nor in development. Not sure how that got started."

His answer seems pretty straight forward, but we're still holding out hope that the game will make its way to the PS3.]"

Left4Dead Hitting the PS3? (News)

Jan 27, 2008

OnAxis reports editor Bryan Irvings of Electronic Gaming Monthly seems to have confirmed Left4Dead on the PS3, which is currently an Xbox 360 and PC exclusive.

He states Ninja Gaiden II will not be coming to the PLAYSTATION 3 as previously suspected. "Like I said on the original post, the PLAYSTATION 3 listing in the magazine was just an editor mistake."
All is not lost though, at the end of his post, he wrote:

"As for Left4Dead: Yes, it will arrive on the PS3, as well."

Left 4 Dead Rising in Late Summer (News)

Jan 11, 2008

The forthcoming co-op zombie shooter Left 4 Dead (PC, X360) will hit in the late summer, Valve has revealed to Shacknews.

Developed in conjunction by Valve and newly-acquired subsidiary Turtle Rock Studios, the game is expected to arrive in August or September.

Left 4 Dead (Preview)

Jan 11, 2008

Jan 11, 2008 Chet Faliszek, Left 4 Dead's writer and one of the funniest parts of the internet since it was all HotBots and AltaVistas, offered advice and information as we played through the new rural map, which culminates in a farmhouse stand-off surrounded by cornfields. Its classic, its cliche, and its five decent-sized stages away from the temporary campsite we started in. Like the other maps, each scenario is broken up into five large stages, punctuated by safe areas where you can ...

Valve buys Left 4 Dead developer (News)

Jan 10, 2008

Valve has acquired Turtle Rock Studios, the developer currently working on the ace-looking, Source-powered zombie shooter Left 4 Dead.

"Left 4 Dead fills a long-standing demand gamers have had for a co-op first-person action experience, and it will also help Valve's expansion into the console market," added Doug Lombardi, Valve's VP of marketing.

Valve buys Left 4 Dead developer (News)

Jan 10, 2008

Jan 10, 2008 Valve has acquired Turtle Rock Studios, the developer currently working on the ace-looking, Source-powered zombie shooter Left 4 Dead. It means that Left 4 Dead, due for release this year, becomes a wholly owned Valve property. "Left 4 Dead fills a long-standing demand gamers have had for a co-op first-person action experience, and it will also help Valve's expansion into the console market," added Doug Lombardi, Valve's VP of marketing. Left 4 Dead was originally announced ...

Left 4 Dead slips to 2008 (News)

Aug 3, 2007

Left 4 Dead won't be released until next year on either PC or Xbox 360, Valve has told Eurogamer.

"We're saying early 08," Valve's Chet Faliszek told Eurogamer at QuakeCon. "Really we just want to make sure that when it's released it's great."

See Left 4 Dead in action (News)

Jul 9, 2007

Our friends at PC Gamer have just unleashed exclusive video footage of Left 4 Dead's first stage and it looks awesome. Don't expect to see any lumbering undead softly pawing at the door in this survival-horror shooter. With some help from Valve, developer, Turtle Rock Studios claims that they're out to top Counter-Strike by injecting four player co-op, mountains of ravenous zombies - that'll make the infected from 28 Days Later seem tame - and buckets of bloody ...

Left 4 Dead 'officially' announced for Xbox 360 (News)

Jun 29, 2007

TeamXbox.com writes:
"We are going to blow your mind Friday night with a massive preview of the Orange Box but while we were at Valve's offices, we asked them if there are plans to bring "Left 4 Dead" to the Xbox 360. Although some previews of the game featured in PC publications mentioned Valve's plans to bring the game to Microsoft's console, there wasn't a formal announcement from Valve that would confirm the Xbox 360 version.

Well, today we can confirm that Left 4 Dead is coming to Xbox 360. Why we are so excited about this game? May be because it smells like Counter-Strike and it has tons of zombies."

Left 4 Dead - hands-on (Preview)

May 18, 2007

Left 4 Dead is not a zombie game. These are sprinting and screaming people you're killing here. They've contracted a mutated strain of rabies, but it hasn't made them slow or stupid, it's just made them murderously angry. They don't shuffle toward you in hordes; they run towards you in crowds, snarling with rage. You've never seen anything quite like it. And the noise - imagine the sound of a riot, but a riot where everyone's in agony and hates you. You hear it faintly at first, a distant ...