Left 4 Dead 1 getting new campaign

By Tom Bramwell Published 4 August, 2009

Next month. Free on PC, 560 MSP on 360.

Valve has announced plans to release a new campaign for the original Left 4 Dead next month, which will be free on PC and cost 560 Microsoft Points (£4.76 / €6.72) on Xbox Live.

Crash Course will work as a traditional co-op campaign, and includes new Survival mode maps, but its "primary goal", according to Valve, is to provide a complete Versus mode experience in just 30 minutes, streamlining the existing approach.

For Versus mode there will be a recharge timer for infected team-mates, and adjusted item-spawn behaviour. It's set in new locations and "bridges the gap between the end of the No Mercy campaign and the beginning of Death Toll", with new locations, new dialogue from the original cast, and an "explosive finale".

Valve had come in for criticism following the announcement of Left 4 Dead 2 at E3, with some fans arguing that it was reneging on its promise to support the first game - and while the announcement may go some way to assuaging their concerns, the fact there's a cost attached on Xbox 360 but not PC will likely raise eyebrows again. We've contacted Valve to ask what's going on with that.

"Since the release of Left 4 Dead last November, the design team has been excited about creating new experiences for this world and allowing players to do the same, by releasing much of our internal toolset, like the Survival Pack and Authoring Tools," Valve boss Gabe Newell said in a statement marking the announcement. "We're working with the fans toward the ongoing entertainment value of the product."

The Crash Course campaign is "targeted for release in September", with Left 4 Dead 2 due out on 17th November.

Picture of Tom.

About Tom Bramwell

Tom is Operations director of Eurogamer Network and Editor-at-Large of Eurogamer.net. He joined the company in February 2000.

Read more articles from Tom by visiting the Tom Bramwell archive page.

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Comments (109) Latest comment 3 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • serpantdarius #1 3 years ago

    Charged for on 360? i cant say that's surprising but its damn annoying, good thing i hate to pay to play games online, might as well just get the pc version.
    Edited by 2 at 04/08/09 @ 18:25

  • ademkermad #2 3 years ago

    560 points... FFFFFUUUUUUUUUUU

  • Vortex808 #3 3 years ago

    Dagnammit, i just sold my copy in readiness for l4d2 thinking there'd be not much happening until then.

    /hangs head in shame........

  • Metalfish #4 3 years ago

    I was told that Microsoft more or less forces developer's hands with regard to charging for DLC, with Valve being the biggest critics of the policy.

    Erm, [citation needed].

  • Diabeu #5 3 years ago

    buahahahahah one campaign for 560msp? maximum of 1 hour of gameplay? thats the support!!!! fuck yeah!!!!

    200msp is a right price, if you ask me

    DFawkes: amen to that

  • Tonka #6 3 years ago

    VALVE YOU FUCKERS!
    /signs petition.


    Wait...

  • DFawkes #7 3 years ago

    That's true enough Metalfish, they had to argue the toss to get the Survival Pack free. Still, I'd have though 400 points for a 30 minute campaign would have been the sweet spot.

  • ChaK #8 3 years ago

    may I say lolbox?

  • serpantdarius #9 3 years ago

    @Chak you MAY say it, doesn't mean anyone wants to hear it

  • bad09 #10 3 years ago

    Nearly a fiver for just one campaign? I'm torn on that TBH, 560 points for one campaign is just plain greed. On the other hand they did give us that free stuff.

    Seeing as it's free on PC though I think I'll pass Valve, sorry.

    /now also plans PC purchase of L4D2 instead of 360.


  • Yossarian #11 3 years ago

    Microsoft charge 800 points for three Halo 3 maps that if you played once would give you half an hour of gameplay.

    Presumably anyone who pays for L4D DLC is going to play the campaign in question more than once...

    *sighs*

  • Kujata #12 3 years ago

    It's quite a random amount of points...

    Mr Microsoft "Look Valve we are fed up with you giving shit away for free. If these idiots will pay to unlock cars in game they already own, then they'll pay for your new campaign!"

    Mr Valve "Ok, if this is the only way to get it released... how about 400msp?"

    Mr Microsoft "No, it will be at least 800msp, or you'll go straight to bed with no dinner"

    Mr Valve "Fine we'll meet you half way, 600msp."

    Mr Microsoft "Don't think i'm falling for that, you little tinker! It'll be 560msp and you'll like it. Not so clever now are you!"

  • psychokitten #13 3 years ago

    Would have liked it to be a little cheaper, but I'll be buying it either way. Especially if it's tailored for Versus, it'll get a lot of playtime.

  • Fat_Pigeon #14 3 years ago

    Yossarian has hit the nail on the head

    i will probably get 20hrs plus out of this campaign...

  • BillyBrush #15 3 years ago

    Valve should just not bother by the looks....anything they do and it's a massive whingefest waiting to happen..

    ...if their games were not absolutely top notch, which they are, they would probably be buried in a sea of whinge a la silicon knights

  • BinaryBob101 #16 3 years ago

    Yep, I'm sold. We'll probably get ten hours playtime minimum, with this before November.

  • Bloodhunter #17 3 years ago

    Most DLC is a free on PC it must be said, although thanks to the "DLC" service on Steam more is becoming paid for.

    I hope CoDMW2's DLC is free on PC as well

  • bad09 #18 3 years ago

    @ BillyBrush

    While the sequel uproar was complete nonsense I think 360 owners are right to be slightly annoyed this time, another platform is getting the same DLC for free. That's not on in my book.

  • BinaryBob101 #19 3 years ago

    Which 360 owners are annoyed?

  • StooMonster #20 3 years ago

    As a PC gamer I simply say "Awesome!"

  • haubitzer #21 3 years ago

    I wonder if the odd price has something to do with a new directive to break up peoples pools of points in order to drive business towards Avatar clothing and such scraps of content. With the new Xbox Dashboard Update coming and all.

    Or is that too much of a stretch?

  • Yossarian #22 3 years ago

    Importantly, it's not Valve's fault. Take it up with Microsoft, who want DLC to have equivalent values across the board. i.e. if Valve charged you nothing for this like they want to, then it makes Bethesda look bad for hawking their awful DLC shit at absurd prices.

    And we can't have Bethesda look bad!

  • DaemonSpawn #23 3 years ago

    2 Diabeu
    "buahahahahah one campaign for 560msp? maximum of 1 hour of gameplay? thats the support!!!! fuck yeah!!!!

    200msp is a right price, if you ask me"

    One campaign in L4D means not one map and not just 30 minutes of gameplay - if you compare map quantity in any Gears Of War 2 DLC and any L4D campaign, you'll see they're the same. And that's just 560 points, not 800! Plus replayability is great, so multiply that time at least 5 times. Personally I'm quite happy with it - new campaign will suffice till L4D 2.
    Edited by 1 at 04/08/09 @ 19:08

  • the_dudefather #24 3 years ago

    Neat! Embarrassingly enough I haven't actually played through all the original campaigns yet (played through some a few times, but haven't tried blood harvest for some reason, should really get on that)

    shame for xbox owners though, but at least it's coming to the 360

  • Diabeu #25 3 years ago

    @DaemonSpawn

    I'm fully aware of that, but, its like 9 months after - first they gave us something that should be already in the box -no wonder that was for free

    now we have some kind of irrational price of 560msp - who is doing the maths in Valve/M$? I mean, come on, why not 420? maybe 680? but that's not the point

    the point is, no matter what this is only one campaign - I've played L4D for days, and I'm sick of all four campaigns (coop and versus)
    I've got that strange feeling that and gonna chew through this campaign in 2-3 days and never gonna come back

    I'm not happy that Valve threw me a bone, for that price I would like a steak
    Edited by 1 at 04/08/09 @ 19:22

  • kinky_mong #26 3 years ago

    Shall I complain about them charging for the content? No, because I don't mind paying a paltry sum for extra content. I'd do anything to not be a *shudder* PC gamer.

  • SomaticSense #27 3 years ago

    560 points for a half hour campaign, after paying nigh on £35 for a game that had (imo) way too little content in the first place? This is the "support"?

    No thanks. Just because the other content was free (content which should've been in the boxed copy in the first place mind) it doesn't in any way whatsoever come anywhere near to justifying this rip-off.

  • Yossarian #28 3 years ago

    This will be the fuel to a few fires, but apparently the reason it is only "30 minutes" is because it only contains two maps.

  • SomaticSense #29 3 years ago

    Yoss wrote: "Importantly, it's not Valve's fault. Take it up with Microsoft, who want DLC to have equivalent values across the board. i.e. if Valve charged you nothing for this like they want to, then it makes Bethesda look bad for hawking their awful DLC shit at absurd prices.

    And we can't have Bethesda look bad!    "

    Difference is, Bethesda's DLC for Fallout 3 for example has lasted minimum (for me personally) 6 hours each, with each one charged at 800. Doing the maths, it's not even comparable.

  • Yossarian #30 3 years ago

    "way too little content"

    ...and given that I have played that "too little content" for hundreds of hours across two platforms, thank the sweet Lord Jesus they didn't include more, or I wouldn't have had time to play any other games, or eat, or sleep.
    Edited by 1 at 04/08/09 @ 19:50

  • TOOTR #31 3 years ago

    As always no-one is forcing anyone to buy anything. Its your choice. The gaming community has largely become a right bunch of moaners the last few years. It went downhill after we used to sit watching tapes load for hours - spoilt and angry we've become. I blame infra-red goggles.

    1) its VALVE - so its great there's new content - shame its not free on the 360 but hey blame Microsoft on that one if you MUST moan.
    2) For the price of a couple pints and a pack of crisps you get content which I know a lot of people here will find a lot more than 30 mins value out of - especially those that love playing vs mode.
    3) If people are still only playing L4D offline - you are missing out on so much its ridiculous
    4) Please stop moaning - sign a petition if you like (its all the rage I hear) or better still vote with your wallet and not buy it. Simple.

    mini rant over

    I concede that the amount of points is a strange number. what can it all meeeeeeeeeeeeeannn???

    Now then whats 'For Versus mode there will be a recharge timer for infected team-mates, and adjusted item-spawn behaviour' going to mean to actual game play eh? Interesting.

    and also - for the 360 owners who will coughing up coin - what achievements will there be?



    Edited by 1 at 04/08/09 @ 19:47

  • Yossarian #32 3 years ago

    I find Fallout 3 to be negative fun (i.e. it is actually an unpleasant chore to play). So if Valve charge me 560 points for lotsa fun, that's a pretty good points to fun ratio. Whereas Bethesda would have to pay me to play their shitty game before I felt like I was getting value.

  • lavalant #33 3 years ago

    Such a cunt, so you essentially need to buy 1000 points, just becuase of that extra 60points! ahh well it could be worse, they could have charged 501 points then it would be really annoying.

    either way I'll be buying it cos I effin love that game and each campaign is worth hundreds of hours cos each playthrough is different.

  • Sharzam #34 3 years ago

    The pricing may be for many reasons. But i think it is because:

    That valve, want to encourage people to move over to pc gaming and using steam as remember that valve entirly own there games on steam and dont have to pay a publisher or micrsoft a penny.

    Or

    They simpley wanted to give it away free as thats what they have done in the past, but microsoft wouldnt let them.

  • thenastypasty #35 3 years ago

    I couldn't really care about all the moaning, all i know is this is a day 1 buy for me.

  • MatteG #36 3 years ago

    Greedy Microsoft is greedy.

  • darkmorgado #37 3 years ago

    Whats the MS Points to real-money ratio at the moment?
    If you work it out in real money it's probably something that makes a bit more sense - some sort of rounded number or something.

  • Katsumoto #38 3 years ago

    "I'd do anything to not be a *shudder* PC gamer."

    ... Sounds like a fairly ridiculous attitude tbh. But hey, whatever floats your boat etc.

    Anyway, great news! Roll on September. The survival patch gave this a fresh burst of life for me and my mates and I expect this will do the same. Then a whole new game only 2 months later? Heaven! I can't understand the complaints, tbh.

  • chessboxer #39 3 years ago

    Day 1 free download for me thanks.

    I just hope that the modders get round to finishing the Left4Winchester campaign (based on Shaun Of The Dead for anyone who doesn't know) sometime soon. I've only seen 2 or 3 completed campaigns from the community, the rest are in alpha or beta.

  • matrim83 #40 3 years ago

    I will just wait for L4D 2.

    I actually have L4D both on the PC and the 360 (long story) and I might have given it a bash on the PC but I will have to download L4D and install it and patch it up and then get the new content. It will take me longer to set it up than it will to play it. And most of my friends are on XBL so its not like I will have a lot of use for the Steam version. :/

    Could have been so much easier if MS and Valve had both tossed it for free on XBL as well. I dont wanna pay for something I will only try for a couple of hours at the very most.

    Eh well, its not a big deal anyway. Bring on L4D 2.

  • HoriZon #41 3 years ago

    @matrim83
    You do realise L4D is a multilayer game and as such has hours and hours of gameplay behind it? this content is like a Halo 3 map pack or a CoD:WaW map pack it adds more maps for the mp experience! If you buy it on the sole bases its a sp romp through a few maps you are deluded!

    As it cost, i expect achievements for the 360 this time!!

  • giant_frying_pan #42 3 years ago

    One hour of gameplay? I'll never understand the people who play through a map *once*, particularly in a game like this where there are a many number of distinct experiences each time (no, not infinite, but far from the same each time like a lot of FPSs), and then throw their hands up proclaiming that the game is finished and that they were ripped off.

    What do you want, 10,000 crap levels?

    The content costs £4.76 not including any reduction gained from discounted points, the campaign works in all three modes and you know it'll be of a very decent quality.

    So many people want the Moon on a stick....but they need all of Saturn's Moons and every other Milky Way Moon too because one isn't enough, oh no...!

  • MrMarbles #43 3 years ago

    Firstly, no one ever plays a Left 4 Dead map just the once, so 560 points for 30 minutes of gameplay doesn't equate.

    Secondly, I'm quite sure that completing Crash Course on Expert will take longer than 30 minutes anyway.

    Thirdly, Survival Mode provides excellent replay value when you have a spare few minutes.

    Fourthly, Versus Mode also provides excellent replay value and is undeniably wicked fun.

    Fifthly, you can get 2,100 points online for 15 notes. That puts this DLC at a price of £4. That's cheaper than two pints. It's cheaper than a cinema ticket. It's cheaper than a lot of things.

  • matrim83 #44 3 years ago

    You do realise L4D is a multilayer game and as such has hours and hours of gameplay behind it? this content is like a Halo 3 map pack or a CoD:WaW map pack it adds more maps for the mp experience! If you buy it on the sole bases its a sp romp through a few maps you are deluded!

    Why do people keep saying that? I have played Halo 3 MP for about 200 hours. L4D for about 20 hours. To me both contents have differant replay value. It might have the same value for money for you but it clearly doesnt for me.

  • UberFrog #45 3 years ago

    haha! paybox360 is paybox360

  • UncleLou #46 3 years ago

    "I'd do anything to not be a *shudder* PC gamer."

    Cool. I respect it when the retarded make a virtue out of necessity.

  • Nephirion #47 3 years ago

    PC version? Oh no sir, theres no charge ... puts away credit card...

  • dudefella #48 3 years ago

    I wish people would remember Microsoft MAKES developers charge for content! Poor form Eurogamer, should've known.

    Regardless it does suck.

  • Tomo #49 3 years ago

    Hmm. Only just read this. 560 points for a campaign is pretty smelly if you ask me. I'm still going to by it and play it for hours, but then I'm an L4D crackwhore. Doesn't represent great value for normal folk imo.

  • VandelayIndustries #50 3 years ago

    Clearly this is more to do with Microsoft than Valve,

    I can't help but feel that had Valve deemed the PS3 audience worthy of its talent then this pack would be free on 360. If Valve want's the extra content out for free they could do so on PSN, just look at that massive pack EPIC released for UT3 as an example.

    Also, look at all that free content released for Burnout Paradise. No way in hell were Microsoft going to enforce a charge on that if it was going to the rival console for the princely sum of nowt.

    Edit: Drunken spelling hiccup :(
    Edited by 1 at 04/08/09 @ 23:22

  • TheBozBoz #51 3 years ago

    Ok, so its only 1 campaign since the L4D2 shitstorm but still, I'd like to see a formal apology from all commenters that doubted Valve would deliver... ;)

  • organica #52 3 years ago

    Shame about the cost, but my complaints were muffled when I realised that I will undoubtedly download this for 360 as soon as it's available and proceed to play it to death until November.

  • Gl3n #53 3 years ago

    Shame they're charging for the Xbox stuff, as i own both versions though it's all good.

    As great as Versus is, it could have done with a revamp for Left 4 Dead 2. I rarely have two hours to sink into a single match in one go these days. Additional online modes mayhap?
    Edited by 1 at 04/08/09 @ 23:42

  • Yossarian #54 3 years ago

    Destructoid preview, containing spoilers.

  • roz123 #55 3 years ago

    Good news all round. Free for me but i would happily pay that price

  • Synthesis #56 3 years ago

    Exactly how it should be.

    If people are stupid enough to play an FPS game on a console then they are stupid enough to pay for content that's free on the superior FPS gaming platform: the PC.

  • Sunyavadin #57 3 years ago

    Eh. At least MS have the decency to lube me up when they bend me over, I'm happy to pay less than my lunch today at KFC cost, rather than get the jagged metal dildo of Steam rammed up there.

  • chudders #58 3 years ago

    Yeah the FREE Steam is terrible. The way it delivers the FREE L4D content is inferior in every way to the NOT FREE IN ANY WAY Live service.

  • giant_frying_pan #59 3 years ago

    You're not going to get it, BozBoz. Valve could release 50 full campaigns for free and the boycotters would still think they're in the right (and expect more content on top of that).

  • Freek #60 3 years ago

    You can only do free DLC if you are a multiplatform title, see Burnout Paradise (free on PS3 means it can be free on 360).
    When you go exclusive on consoles, MS has you by the balls.

  • Darren #61 3 years ago

    I have the PC version of L4D. It's not a game I play that much though as one of my main grumbles with it was the lack of content (which meant it got dull rather quickly) so it's nice to see some free content at last. It's long overdue IMO.

  • Darren #62 3 years ago

    @MrMarbles - "You can get 2,100 points online for 15 notes. That puts this DLC at a price of £4. That's cheaper than two pints. It's cheaper than a cinema ticket. It's cheaper than a lot of things.hat puts this DLC at a price of £4. That's cheaper than two pints. It's cheaper than a cinema ticket. It's cheaper than a lot of things."

    It's still not cheaper than the PC version though, which is FREE. I'd imagine that's the real reason people are complaining.

  • Tomo #63 3 years ago

    It's all comparative. The last piece of DLC was free and included 2 updated maps for Versus. This 4 quid with one new map that's over half as large.

  • Ste105 #64 3 years ago

    well with 360 you dont have to pay for servers, with the PC you do. Clans buy the servers you play on for the PC so someone is paying for it...may not be you

    Our Clan are paying for our own server, between use we pay 5 quid a month to keep a few servers running for different games. notting is free.

  • MrMarbles #65 3 years ago

    @Darren "It's still not cheaper than the PC version though, which is FREE. I'd imagine that's the real reason people are complaining."

    You mean the people doing the complaining needed a reason?

    If it was free, people would complain that a Versus match could be completed in "just" 30 minutes.

    People would complain that there were no new weapons.

    People would complain that there were only two chapters.

    People would complain that there were no new Special Infected.

    Certain gamers complain about everything because, for some reason, they think they're owed the moon on a stick. For free.

  • BadDevotions #66 3 years ago

    awesome i am sold. they probably have to charge for it as there will be achievements attached. Might even see a few for the survival modes.

  • chris_ace #67 3 years ago

    Post deleted at 11:55:13 13-12-2011

  • Gurrah #68 3 years ago

    I'm laughing so much right now. Not at Valve. I love Valve. I am laughing at the fucking idiots that had to sign a petition because Valve wanted to rip them off with a second standalone installment of l4d. I say it again: FUCKING IDIOTS.

  • Buztafen #69 3 years ago

    £4.76!!!!

    /checks down back of sofa
    finds sweet wrapper
    finds mcdonalds french fries
    finds remote
    finds £5 note!

    Cheers Valve! \o/

  • patchbox360 #70 3 years ago

    this is hilarious right now but playing for online will crack me up forever hahaha

  • bioreit #71 3 years ago

    Definitely purchase this - been holding off on L4D for a while, as we're waiting for a third mate to get it so we can have more regular games with more than just two of us!

    Interesting to note how Penhalion isn't showing his face around here, after ripping into Valve for 'betraying' and 'lying' to their customers about new content for L4D.

    Maybe because he has now been proven to have been totally and utterly wrong on every point he made...

  • kinky_mong #72 3 years ago

    @Uncle Lou:
    Cool. I respect it when the retarded make a virtue out of necessity.

    Thanks for proving why I never want to be a PC gamer with that perfect example of the pompous self importance that qualifies 90% of the PC gaming community.

    Well that and the fact that if I want to play anything that isn't a FPS or RTS I don't have to wait at least 4 months for a shoddy port riddled with DRM because PC gamers can't be trusted to actually pay for entertainment.

  • Yossarian #73 3 years ago

    "It's all comparative. The last piece of DLC was free and included 2 updated maps for Versus. This 4 quid with one new map that's over half as large."

    The last piece of DLC also included a hefty patch ("title update";), which Microsoft accepts are necessary and should always be free. Burnout Paradise pulled the same stunt for free stuff, and there are one or two other examples. It is likely either that Valve could not justify any changes this time as significant enough to be considered a real title update, or that Microsoft simply said "that's your lot".

    Either way, it's not up to Valve.

  • kangarootoo #74 3 years ago

    @Diabeu

    "maximum of 1 hour of gameplay?"

    You have clearly never played Left 4 Dead.


    And you must realise how starting a post with "buahahahaha" makes you look?

  • andywilkie35 #75 3 years ago

    @kinky_mong

    +1

  • kangarootoo #76 3 years ago

    @SomaticSense

    "Difference is, Bethesda's DLC for Fallout 3 for example has lasted minimum (for me personally) 6 hours each, with each one charged at 800. Doing the maths, it's not even comparable."

    Well no, I suppose its not comparable. As the DLC for FO3 has mostly been a bit rubbish (or at the very least, below expectations). Hours of gameplay isn't the only measure of quality, surely.

  • kangarootoo #77 3 years ago

    The only console/PC relevant issue here is the price difference. Aside from that, there is no reason to be comparing. All this talk of "PC gamers" and "console gamers" is childish nonsense (which UncleLou didn't start, incidentally).

    You are all gamers, who gives a crap what sort of hardware you use (they are all computers on the inside anyway). Grow up.

  • UncleLou #78 3 years ago

    Thanks for proving why I never want to be a PC gamer with that perfect example of the pompous self importance that qualifies 90% of the PC gaming community

    I just called you a retard because you behaved like one, don't read too much into it. If I had the preconceptions you assume I have (and stressed in my reply for comedy effect) against console gamers in general, you'd do a sterling job of proving them, too. As it is, I just think you're an individual idiot who happens to prefer consoles, trolls on internet sites and then whines when people bite.

  • Kikizosan #79 3 years ago

    I thought all XBLA DLC pricing is down to Microsoft - Valve prolly wanted it to be free on Xbox too, no?

  • monkeywithnoeyes #80 3 years ago

    so easy to give valve a get out of free card and blame Microsofts greed. Dont let them fool you. Valve wanted to charge for this.. they want to make money (hard to believe huh). If they were fair then they would of put it out for free just as they put out survival mode for free. If they could of got arround the "charge" of xbox live for that then why not this? And why set it at 560 points? why not set it as enough to cover the charge alone?

    They wouldnt dare pull this shit on PC gamers.. why should they expect 360 owners to settle for it?

  • geeza2020 #81 3 years ago

    screw all this pc/console/price/playing time rubbish. I just want an exact date i can go and kill more zombies!!! The original line up of levels had gotten a bit stale for me so i stopped playing L4D about a month or so ago. Hopefully this will give the whole game a new lease of life until the sequel shows up.

  • kangarootoo #82 3 years ago

    @monkeywithnoeyes

    None of us know what rules MS put in place. It could be to do with data sixe costs for all we know. The Survival game mode update was tiny, whereas a whole new campaign will need more storage and take up more bandwidth to delivery to gamers.

    What is wrong with just saying you don't really know for sure why there is a cost discrepancy? That would be the truth, which seems like a good place to start from.

  • spudsbuckley #83 3 years ago

    Yay, free content!

    I love PC gaming :D

  • kangarootoo #84 3 years ago

    "Yay, free content!

    I love PC gaming :D"

    YAWN

  • spudsbuckley #85 3 years ago

    @kangarootoo

    Aww. Did the poor babby pay for the gimped console version where you have to pay to play and use an inferior control system?

    Of course they're looking for money for the 360 version. 360 fanatics have no problem buying multiple replacement consoles and paying for their online gaming when no one else does. It's very easy to get money off most of them.

    /has never bought any content besides XBLA games
    Edited by 1 at 05/08/09 @ 14:53

  • kangarootoo #86 3 years ago

    @spudsbuckley

    Well if you are going to predictable AND boring, what do you want... a pat on the back? And if you think that acting like even more of a fanboy child is going to upset me, you are sorely mistaken. It just makes things twice as amusing as before.

    I own a PC, and a PS3, and a 360, and I would own a Wii if there were enough decent games on the thing. At any given time I choose whichever system give me the game experience I want. I don't make any distinction between any of the systems other than the game experience they give me at any given time (and depending on my varying needs, any one of them can be the favourite for a time).

    You obviously have some other sort of tribal allegiance agenda (leading you to assume that everyone else is as fanatical as yourself about unimportant tosh), which clearly involves flinging your own poo at "rival" systems.

    Each to their own I suppose.

  • spudsbuckley #87 3 years ago

    I own all three consoles, a PC and both of the handhelds.

    Suck it bitch.

    Oh, and an Iphone if we're counting that as a gaming platform now. I always but multiformat stuff on the PC if i can because of mod-ability and knowing that it's highly unlikely i'll be charged for DLC.
    Edited by 1 at 05/08/09 @ 15:12

  • kangarootoo #88 3 years ago

    "I own all three consoles, a PC and both of the handhelds.

    Suck it bitch."


    Oh christ, that is funny. Keep going, please do. Are you going to start showing me the contents of your piggy bank next?

    Edit: Oh, and you added the iPhone too. We really are comparing piggy banks aren't we :)

    Top marks young man. Clearly you must be a millionaire to own so many gadgets.

    This reminds me of something.

    /goes hunting

    Here we go.

    http://www .theonion.com/content/node/33490
    Edited by 2 at 05/08/09 @ 15:18

  • spudsbuckley #89 3 years ago

    You're the one that started listing platforms, chief.

    Also, nice going using someone elses work to illustrate your rather bewildering point.

  • kangarootoo #90 3 years ago

    I listed platforms to make a point about how pointless and childish smug fanboy platform loyalty is and how the games are all that (should) matter, and to ensure you didn't think I was a console fanboy the way you are a PC fanboy. I didn't do it to wave my finances in your face. If I had known that was how it might be read I wouldn't have bothered.

    And as for referring to the work of others, I'm nothing if not humble (obviously).

  • thenastypasty #91 3 years ago

    I don't want to get in to a row with PC gamers ,but you seem to forget how much your gaming rigs cost,you can get an xbox for under a £100 that will play the same game.

  • spudsbuckley #92 3 years ago

    Badly.

  • kangarootoo #93 3 years ago

    "Badly"

    You see, this is where I would write YAWN again. You just can't help yourself can you.

    Consoles clearly don't play games badly, or people wouldn't buy them. And yet people are buying them, in greater volumes than PCs as it happens.

    So how do you explain this phenomenon (without falling back on the usual reserve of the fanboy, which is that everybody is a stupid sheep except your good self and a handful of your friends)?

  • Katsumoto #94 3 years ago

    I still can't believe someone who had the arrogance to type " I'd do anything to not be a *shudder* PC gamer." is getting positively rated whilst Unclelou is getting buried. Tragic.

  • monkeywithnoeyes #95 3 years ago

    @kangarootoo
    Ok we dont know what Microsoft charge to place dlc on live true.. but what we do know is that A) its VERY doubtful it costs Valve $7 per download worth to keep it on there.. so why 560point if not in aim to make them a profit? B) survival mode wasnt a huge download true..neither was the added chapters to V's (which should of been on the disc from the start), but both were offered free. And then theres the free dlc from other less selling games.. such as the 1GB+ Midnight club LA dlc. But regardless of size the fact is they were offered for free..so obviously Microsoft arent insisting that valve charge us for it - which is simply a fact.

    Also, Valve are obviously aware that they're charging 360 gamers for something they're offering for free so why not add something exclusive to the 360 download? why not offer something additional thats not in the PC download? Microsoft arent preventing them from doing that are they?
    Had valve also been charging for the pc version..even at slightly less of a cost to make up for the charge MS place on dlc, then it wouldnt be so bad. But it leaves a sour taste knowing that the only reason why they're allowing the charge for console gamers is because they know they can get away with such. They're already on shakey ground with the PC community..and steams worth alot more to them than their 360 install base.
    Edited by 1 at 05/08/09 @ 16:59

  • kangarootoo #96 3 years ago

    @monkeywithnoeyes

    I'm not saying that MS charge Valve a cost rate and make no profit. MS will be making a profit from every bit of content on XBLive. Otherwise, why would they bother doing it?

    I don't know all the answers, but that is kind of my point. The 1GB Midnight Club DLC that you refer to is a point well made. Maybe my supposition that MS are charging Valve based on data size is rubbish, maybe MS charged Midnight Club too, but they ate up the cost themselves? I dunno.

    As I see it, Valve aren't charging gamers for content delivered through their own system (Steam), but users ARE being charged for the same content delivered through a 3rd party system (XBLM). On that basis it just seems reasonable to me that the cost is a result (one way or another) of the presence of said 3rd party system. If it were down to Valve, why would they not charge PC users to (the suggestion that PC gamers won't pay for extra content is patently nonsense - there are no shortage of examples out there).

  • skillian #97 3 years ago

    [link url=http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/valve-wont-charge-f or-dlc
    ]http://ww w.eurogamer.net/articles/valve-...[/link]

    "Valve has told Eurogamer that it has no intention of charging customers who download additional content for games like Counter-Strike and Team Fortress 2, despite the widely spread increase of paid-for updates in the PC and console world."

    [link url=http://g4tv.com/thefeed /blog/post/696431/Opening-The-Valve-The-Gabe-Newell-Intervie w.html
    ]http://g4 tv.com/thefeed/blog/post/696431...[/link]

    "So what we’d really like to do on the Xbox is work with Microsoft so that we can do exactly the same thing that we do with PC users and say hey, everything’s free and everybody always has that."

    [link url=http://kotaku.com/368047/team-fortre ss-dlc-price-is-up-to-microsoft-and-sony
    ]http://ko taku.com/368047/team-fortress-d...[/link]

    "We contacted Valve to clarify and their VP of marketing Doug Lombardi informed us that, "The platform holder owns the final call." So just as we'd suspected, whether or not we see these maps for free is indeed up to Sony and Microsoft."
    Edited by 2 at 05/08/09 @ 17:15

  • monkeywithnoeyes #98 3 years ago

    @kangarootoo
    Never said a developer wouldnt ever charge for PC content i dont believe?
    What i did say was that Valve are on shakey ground with their PC install base at the moment over L4D2, and that steam is worth more to them than the 360 install base - both of which are true. You alienate the PC install base from this game by charging for content whilst everyones vocally pissed at you, you then also risk alienating them from other software on steam.
    Not that they'll never charge PC players for DLC, or that its THE reason why its free on the pc.

    The whole size= cost is proven to be rubbish. MS place a small charge on all dlc for server space/advertising. Which in itself shouldnt be the case seeing as all gold subs fund the live servers as it is. Sony also charge publishers btw... you may of read Capcom complaining about such as reason why some demo's werent hitting the ps3.

    I think the most valid point is that Valve have a reputation for being fair, theres also no denieing that having delt with MS in the past on this very issue of wanting to offer dlc for free (to which they did so why not now?) they're in full knowledge that they will be charging 360 owners. So why then not offer something extra in that download? theres no limits placed on them there.

  • kangarootoo #99 3 years ago

    @monkeywithnoeyes

    Hey man, I didn't mean you had said PC games wouldn't charge. Others have said it, but I should have included a (not talking about you here) caveat.


    "What i did say was that Valve are on shakey ground with their PC install base at the moment over L4D2"

    I'm honestly not sure that is the case. You can never trust the vocal minority to represent the whole market, and didn't the L4D2 pre-order numbers show that barely anybody cared as much as the boycotters suggested?


    "The whole size= cost is proven to be rubbish"

    I'm sure it is. I was just throwing that idea into the air (much like a clay pigeon) :)


    @skillian

    All of that does seem to suggest that MS made the call.

  • monkeywithnoeyes #100 3 years ago

    end of the day its a shame they're charging us for it...and i really think they should offer us something extra for the charge. Theres no denieing that MS will charge Valve.. but they do not force Valve to charge us, and they've not made Valve set the price at 560points

  • bioreit #101 3 years ago

    @ katsumoto

    Seriously, where is this comment. You quote it, but I can't find it on the page - searching for the phrase you quoted only brings up your post. It might have been deleted, but I couldn't find it when the comments were only just over the first page, yet you still seem to be referring to it.

    Genuinely perplexed.

    /aha! Unless it's from someone I'm ignoring? Who is it? Tell me!

  • Katsumoto #102 3 years ago

    Bioreit - I was quoting kinky_mong on the first page of comments. It's still there, so maybe you have him ignored! :)

  • DAN.E.B #103 3 years ago

    i think the only bad news here is the length of it not the £4 price tag.
    its a shame its nearly a year later and this is what we finally end up with,paying for it isnt the issue for me im just gutted that we didnt get more,as i play this game daily it would have been great if valve had come good on there promises.
    there will probably be another campain released soon seeing as this is a link between No Mercy and Deathtoll the next will probably be a link between Dead Air and Blood Harvest either way keep it coming valve just try and release a full campain eh?
    L4D2 is a must buy for me!,lets just hope valve put more effort on delivering DLC for this one.

  • kangarootoo #104 3 years ago

    @monkeywithnoeyes

    "Theres no denieing that MS will charge Valve.. but they do not force Valve to charge us"

    Well, its sort of an issue of semantics. If MS charge Vale, Valve have to decide whether to pass the cost on to us or absorb it themselves. If they decide their business plan can't absorb the cost, then they are being forced to charge us in a way.

    I just don't think it is reasonable for us to demand that Valve should invest money in making this extra content and THEN get charged to give it to us for free!

    "and they've not made Valve set the price at 560points"

    Again we simply don't know that for a fact. And there is nothing wrong with saying so.

  • bioreit #105 3 years ago

    @ Katsumoto

    Ah, cheers! Oddly, he's not ignored by me and if I go to Eurogamer on a completely fresh machine (and I'm talking just had XP installed, here!) and don't sign in, I can't see his comment!

    Is there some kind of automatic blocking thing going on in my brain, or is this a new Psychic service from EG? If so, I wish to complain that it's still letting me see idiotic comments on the Games On Demand page, so may still need tweaking!

  • SomaticSense #106 3 years ago

    @Kangarootoo

    "Well no, I suppose its not comparable. As the DLC for FO3 has mostly been a bit rubbish (or at the very least, below expectations). Hours of gameplay isn't the only measure of quality, surely. "

    Well, that's subjective isn't it regarding quality. I got all of them except for Anchorage and Zeta and loved them all.

    At the end of the day, I more than got my money's worth with all the F3 DLC, and didn't from the £35 odd I spent on L4D. It remains the only full priced game of this generation that've genuinely felt short-changed by. And before you say it, I did play MP almost exclusively, so being limited to SP only just isn't the source of my opinions.
    Call it a low boredom threshold or whatever, but the environments got samey very quickly, the gameplay unbearably repetitive after just a couple of days, and the AI director not really giving me much incentive to replay the campaigns endlessly like some others did. They still felt like I was playing the same game over and over again, with the illusion of being 'different' on each playthrough not being that huge to me. It needed about 2 or 3 more full campaigns for me to feel like I got my money's worth.

    Opinions opinions, but for me 560 points (around a fiver) is too expensive based on my experience of the content in the rest of the game.
    Edited by 2 at 06/08/09 @ 11:57

  • kangarootoo #107 3 years ago

    @SomaticSense

    Yes its subjective. I realise that AND I was just being a bit cheeky about it.

    I haven't played competetive mp in L4D, I've only played the co-op campaigns, but I've played an awful lot of those and comparings hours of fun with other games I'd say I've gotten my money's worth. I also found that upping the difficulty added more to the game's longevity. It was potentially quite short, and I'm not making excuses for it, but I just enjoyed it an awful lot.

    It is a shame that we have to pay if we want this expansion, but thats just how it is I guess. And as has been discussed in this thread, it may not have been down to Valve to make that choice.

  • RedSparrows #108 3 years ago

    Agree with Yoss on the principle of the thing (after just reading first 50 comments) - I've payed..ooo, 2400 in total for 9 H3 maps. Given I have played each for probably 10+ hours each, no problem. A L4D campaign is surely the same.

    Funnily enough, I felt more cheated by downloading Broken Steel than by getting a map pack. I enjoyed BS and getting the level cap up was nice, but once you've done it, that's *it*. Done, gone. Replayability is my key quality for getting DLC, fo'sho. Unless the DLC is *huge*.
    Edited by 1 at 06/08/09 @ 15:12

  • DAN.E.B #109 3 years ago

    @ Kangarootoo
    give VS a try its amazingly good!
    the campains good but pales in comparsion too VS
    for me VS is what this game was made for and what makes it one of the best online games ever made.