Valve told Left 4 Dead 2 fans that if enough people completed the Cold Stream beta campaign, they’d go ahead and put out the Left 4 Dead 2 version of Dead Air out early. Well, Valve has made good on their promise, and the campaign is now available over on Steam.

As Valve notes on the Left 4 Dead Blog, they’ve made some changes to the final few chapters of the game, so you can expect something new when you play through the new version of Dead Air – beyond the obvious, of course.

You can also expect something new from Dead Air’s Scavenge map. Valve hinted that players will find something very different in the Scavenge map. They weren’t willing to share just what is so different with the map, but color me interested to find out.

The Cold Stream DLC, along with the remainder of the Left 4 Dead campaign ports, is due out on PC and Xbox 360 later this summer.

Left 4 Dead 2 Dead Air DLC now available on Steam is a post from: The Inquisitr

Three days ago, Valve put out a request for users to test out Left 4 Dead 2‘s latest campaign, Cold Stream. If 20,000 people completed the campaign by this Sunday, they would push to release Dead Air by July 22. Only seven hours after the contest began, the community had already hit 30,000 – and 24 hours later, the count was at 60,000.

As promised, Valve stated on the Left 4 Dead blog that Dead Air will be released no later than July 22. They’re still working on the finishing touches, but they’re working on getting it up and ready as soon as possible.

Additionally, Valve touched on some of what else is being worked on with Left 4 Dead 2. According to the post, the team is working on a “new version” of the Dark Carnivale finale, as well as “some gameplay changes for finales in general.”

Left 4 Dead 2 users unlock Dead Air campaign early is a post from: The Inquisitr

Valve updated the official Left 4 Dead blog today with a special request for the community. Valve’s in the process of finishing up the Cold Stream campaign, and so they’ve called on the community to pitch in by playing through the campaign and reporting any bugs they may find along the way.

As an incentive to help out, Valve has promised that if 20,000 players complete the campaign (and earn the achievement for doing so) by the end of this Sunday, they’ll go ahead and release the Left 4 Dead 2 conversion of Dead Air early – on July 22, to be specific.

To do your part, simply boot up Left 4 Dead 2 on Steam, select the campaign and play through it alone or with friends. As it happens, Left 4 Dead 2 is on sale today for $4.99. If you haven’t picked it up already, now you have even more incentive to do so.

Help Valve test Left 4 Dead 2′s latest campaign, unlock Dead Air is a post from: The Inquisitr

If you enjoy some serious mulit-player zombie killing action today is the day to save yourself some serious money ion one of the best zombie killing games out there – Left 4 Dead 2.

Valve, through their Steam store, is having a sale right now on the game and for $6.79 you not only get the original game but you also get the new DLC “The Sacrifice”. Not to mention the fact that for $20 you can also share the money saving zombie killing love with three of your friends.

So I only have one question for you … what are you waiting for?

Get yourself, and 3 friends, some zombie killing love – for $7 is a post from: The Inquisitr

Last month, Valve confirmed that its hugely successful Steam downloadable games service would be coming to Macs. That’s pretty big news, especially if you’re a Mac gamer who’s spent years enviously eyeing up the PC’s superior line-up.

The service was supposed to kick off in April, but to everybody’s amazement, Valve has delayed something. Fortunately, we’re not talking Half-Life 2: Episode Three-style delays here: instead, the public release of Steam for the Mac will launch on May 12.

What games will Steam on Mac launch with? Valve’s not saying, though we do know that Left 4 Dead 2, Team Fortress 2, Counter-Strike, Portal and the Half-Life series will appear at some point.

On a related note, if you played through Portal and didn’t love it more than your own firstborn, then congratulations, you are officially a drooling simpleton of the highest order.

Actually, sorry, that isn’t related at all. But my god, it needed saying.

See also: Valve’s ‘Steam on Mac’ teaser adverts

Steam for Mac delayed until May 12 is a post from: The Inquisitr

After a slew of suspicious adverts appeared last week, Valve has confirmed its not-exactly-top-secret plot to bring its Steam game platform to Macs.

Starting from this April, several of Valve’s games will be available on the Apple platform, including Counter-Strike, the Half-Life series, Left 4 Dead 2, Portal and Team Fortress 2. Future games will make it as well, including Portal 2 later this year.

Neatly enough, with a feature called “Steam Play,” players will be able to buy a game on either Windows or Mac, and play it on the other – so if you’ve already bought one of Valve’s games on a Windows machine, you effectively own it on Mac. Say what you like about Valve, but they treat their customers pretty well. And there’s more Windows/Mac crossover:

“Furthermore, Mac and Windows players will be part of the same multiplayer universe, sharing servers, lobbies, and so forth. We fully support a heterogeneous mix of servers and clients. The first Mac Steam client will be the new generation currently in beta testing on Windows.”

Exciting times for Mac owners, and this is looking a little less true all the time:

[Via press release]

Valve bringing Steam game store to Macs is a post from: The Inquisitr

Man, you guys freaking hate zombies. In the first two months since Left 4 Dead 2 launched, players of Valve’s undead-filled first-person shooter have shotgun blasted, cricket batted and frying panned a grand total of 28,981,249,043 zombies.

Yes, it may seem like an ultimately pointless stat to you, but it gives me an excuse to show off screens from “The Passing,” a brand new Left 4 Dead 2 campaign coming in March. No price revealed for this downloadable campaign yet, but we do know that it will involve the L4D2 cast (played by you) meeting up with the survivors (as non-playable characters) from the first game. Bill shall return!

There’s also a new uncommon common infected, the Fallen Survivor, who will occasionally shed a useful item, like a badly needed health kit, for example. Oh, and the first Left 4 Dead game will get an add-on about a month later.

All clear? Good. Now have some “The Passing” screens:

[Via press release]

Left 4 Dead 2 players have killed 28 billion zombies is a post from: The Inquisitr

Just a reminder for you lovely people: online play in Left 4 Dead 2 on the Xbox 360 is completely free this weekend, even if you’re not an Xbox Live Gold member. Yes, Silver Member peasants, I’m talking to you: if you’re sitting on a copy of Valve’s awesome zombie shooter, get trying that sucker out now!

You can play it from right this second, with the period of free online play coming to an end on Monday, January 18 at 12:00pm EST. The game is a blast and a half on the internetz, so owning Left 4 Dead 2 and not playing it online makes you very, very stupid.

Obviously, players of the PC version get it free all the time. PC players, you have permission to look even smugger than usual.

[Via, uhm, me]

REMINDER: Play Left 4 Dead 2 online for free this weekend is a post from: The Inquisitr

To me, playing Left 4 Dead 2 offline is the first sign of a deep and terrifying madness. Shockingly, however, Microsoft says half of the two million copies sold are never used to play the title’s dazzling online mode.

Microsoft intends to fix this, which is why the game is getting a free Xbox Live weekend of its own, when all Left 4 Dead 2 owners can fight off the zombie apocalypse with total strangers at their side. Usually, online play is only possible for Xbox Live Gold members, while Silver members are fenced out.

That will all change between Friday, January 15 at 12:00pm EST and Monday, January 18 at the same time. If you do have the game yet are still too damn cheap to fork out for Gold membership, now’s the chance to see what you’ve been missing. I think you’ll find it’s rather marvellous.

[Via CVG]

Left 4 Dead 2 has free online play for all next weekend is a post from: The Inquisitr

Valve has revealed that Left 4 Dead 2‘s first downloadable content, known simply as “The Passing,” will be released on Xbox 360 and PC early next year.

In something of a twist, it will see the return of the four Survivors from the original Left 4 Dead – Zoey, Louis, Francis, and the incomparable living legend that is Bill. The old cast will meet up with the new Survivors in the game, though how they’ll be threaded into the narrative of the series wasn’t mentioned.

What we do know is that The Passing will bring us fresh arenas for Survival, Versus and Scavenge modes, and there’ll be a new co-op challenge mode. There’ll also be a new melee weapon, firearm, and “uncommon common” zombie class. Sounds like quite the package.

Will it cost, though? The press release doesn’t say, so I’m going to totally speculate that the same rule will apply here as with previous Left 4 Dead downloadable content: PC owners will get it free, Xbox 360 owners will be required to pay. That’s just a guess, mind, so we’ll see how things pan out.

Here’s the full press release:

LEFT 4 DEAD 2 GAME ADD-ON #1 ANNOUNCED

“The Passing” Brings L4D1 Survivors Down South

December 14, 2009 – 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 the first game add-on for its co-operative zombie thriller, Left 4 Dead 2 (L4D2), is in development and targeted for release in early 2010.

Dubbed “The Passing,” the first game add-on for L4D2 brings the original Left 4 Dead (L4D1) Survivors down south for a meeting with the L4D2 cast, while delivering new single-player, multiplayer and co-operative gameplay for the PC and Xbox 360.

Targeted for release in early spring, “The Passing” takes place just after the Dead Center campaign of L4D2. Set in a small town in rural Georgia, players assume the role of the L4D2 Survivors as they meet with the L4D1 characters.

In addition to the new co-operative campaign and associated narrative, “The Passing” will include new arenas for Survival, Versus and Scavenge mode and introduce a new co-operative challenge mode of play. The Passing will also include a new “uncommon common” zombie class, melee weapon, and firearm.

“The Passing will become the most important campaign in the Left 4 Dead story, as all the Survivors are being called together in one campaign,” said Doug Lombardi, VP of marketing at Valve. “It will also be a huge offering of new gameplay content, with something new for every game mode plus a new uncommon common and weaponry.”

Exclusively available for the Xbox 360 and PC, L4D2 sets a new benchmark for co-operative action games. The title adds melee combat to enable deeper co-operative gameplay, with items such as a chainsaws, frying pans, axes, baseball bats, and more.

With the AI Director 2.0, L4D’s dynamic gameplay is taken to the next level by giving the Director the ability to procedurally change weather effects, world objects, and pathways in addition to tailoring the enemy population, effects, and sounds to match the players’ performance. The result is a unique game session custom fitted to provide a satisfying and uniquely challenging experience each time the game is played.

Finally, with new Survivors, boss zombies, weapons, and items, Left 4 Dead 2 offers a much larger game than the original, featuring more co-operative campaigns, more Versus campaigns, new Survival maps, and the new competitive game mode, Scavenge.

Left 4 Dead 2: The Passing is targeted for release in early spring for the PC and Xbox 360. Pricing will be announced closer to launch.

For more information, please visit www.l4d.com

First Left 4 Dead 2 add-on announced, original survivors are back! is a post from: The Inquisitr

Since Left 4 Dead 2 got released, its performance in Xbox 360 online matches has been … let’s say it’s been variable.

Indeed, my own experiences reflect this. On my second night of playing the game online with friends, I encountered lag that left the game an unplayable mess (and we tried both dedicated and local servers). The very next night, online play was buttery-smooth.

Fortunately, developer Valve has already responded, whipping out its laser-sighted shotgun to shoot lag dead forever.

Writing on the Left 4 Dead Blog today, the company revealed it had “upgraded its network infrastructure to better accommodate the huge response to L4D2,” adding, “360 players will now have lag-free servers. We’ve also added more dedicated servers.”

As usual, Valve pretty much rocks.

[Left 4 Dead Blog, via VG247]

Valve upgrades Left 4 Dead 2 servers, blasts lag away is a post from: The Inquisitr

Well, this sucks. As I’m in the UK, I’m yet to receive my copy of Left 4 Dead 2 (hurrrry up, Royal Mail), but already people are complaining about an enemy feared by every gamer: lag. BOYCOTT!!

Specifically, it seems to be happening in the Xbox 360 version of the game. Has Valve underestimated how many people want to try and survive the zombie apocalypse?

Played online, the first Left 4 Dead ran with nary a hitch, but MTV’s Locke Webster reckons the 4v4 versus campaign is truly lagalicious:

“Every single person in the room displayed the lowest possible latency rating, and we were all jumping about and shooting rather aimlessly. We quickly exited and started up a new match, and that worked just fine.”

Yikes. Webster went on to reveal that he encountered seriously bad lag while playing a campaign alone: “I’m talking about at least a second between my input and response on screen.” Valve has apparently already released a patch for the game – possibly to deal with poor latency, nobody knows for sure – but here’s hoping it continues to address this issue.

Like, before I play, please.

[Via MTV Multiplayer]

Left 4 Dead 2 more like Lag 4 Dead 2, amirite is a post from: The Inquisitr

A recent CVG interview with Valve produced an interesting comment regarding online gaming etiquette: apparently, British gamers are “notorious non-talkers.”

Valve’s Chet Faliszek has urged British gamers to “[...] communicate. Don’t be scared of a microphone. You guys are notorious non-talkers on both 360 and PC. Americans are just chattering away, working together as a team. If you want to work together as a team you’ve got to talk!”

Faliszek’s comments come just two weeks before the global launch of Left 4 Dead 2, a game where success often depends on good communication between players.

But is he right?

As a Brit and a regular Left 4 Dead player, I feel I should stick up for my fellow British gamers. While I agree that Americans are more vocal while gaming online, American players often spout less … well, let’s say less useful conversation. When Brits do speak, it’s usually for a good reason.

That’s just my own personal experience speaking, by the way. Put simply, I find Brits to be more unassuming. I’m not sure it’s a “courage” thing, Chet. Being reserved is a part of our national psyche.

[Via CVG]

Valve: Brits are too quiet in online games is a post from: The Inquisitr

Left 4 Dead 2 will become only the second Xbox 360 game to feature Avatar Awards when it launches later this month. You remember those, right?

Avatar Awards are essentially Achievements, except you get a piece of clothing or a prop that can be used with your Xbox 360 Avatar. It’s a neat idea, a novel way of showing off your achievements in a game, so I’m amazed more developers haven’t included these in their games. They were revealed months ago, after all.

Maybe Left 4 Dead 2 will turn the tide and we’ll see more of these virtual trinkets? Valve’s Chet Faliszek told Eurogamer:

“Yeah, so, in Left 4 Dead 2 on the 360 you can actually win – it’s called Awards. It’s this weird thing that we thought people had done already, and we started working on it and then, once we started talking about it, realised that no one knew what we were talking about.”

In Valve’s shooter, players will be able to win a Depeche Mode t-shirt (as worn by in-game Survivor Rochelle – see above), a Left 4 Dead 2 t-shirt, one of the semi-iconic health kits you can get in the game, or “other cool stuff.”

The only exception? You won’t be able to win weapons for your little Avatar man. A wise decision, given how certain people jump all over that stuff.

[Via Eurogamer]

Valve reveals Left 4 Dead 2 Avatar Awards is a post from: The Inquisitr

The rough most definitely came with smooth today for Left 4 Dead 2 fans.

We’ll start with the bad news first: if you’re Australian, you won’t be playing the Left 4 Dead 2 Valve wanted you to play. The original build of the game was recently refused classification by the OFLC, the body that grants age ratings to all of Australia’s games and films. An appeal was lodged against the decision, but was shot down today.

Fortunately, Valve saw this coming, and has already prepared a version with less gore and more kittens that does fit within OFLC requirements. Hence, that’s the game Australians will be playing.

And now here’s the good news, in the form of the MOST AWESOME VIDEOGAME CINEMATIC EVAR (NSFW, obviously):

Beautiful (though you can kind of see why the notoriously fussy OFLC wasn’t too keen on this).

[Via Kotaku and Joystiq]

Left 4 Dead 2 appeal rejected in Australia, but awesome new trailer leaked is a post from: The Inquisitr

Valve today announced release plans for the Left 4 Dead 2 demo, revealing that those who pre-order the game from retailers or Steam will get it first, on October 27. Looks like the Left 4 Dead 2 boycotters ended their lil’ foot-stomping session just in time.

It’s due to be set in “The Parish” campaign, and will even support four players online or via local play. That’s how you do a demo.

If you forget to pre-order the game, then you’ll be able to try your hand at zombie-slaughterin’ a week later on November 3, so long as you’re a Xbox Live Gold member. Impoverished non-Gold subscribers will be left waiting until November 10, with the full game due on November 17.

And I can’t bloody wait.

[Via press release]

Pre-order Left 4 Dead 2 now and get the demo early is a post from: The Inquisitr

And hurray for that. Yes, the most pointless boycott in history is over.

Back in June, a group of Left 4 Dead fans announced plans to boycott Left 4 Dead 2, on the grounds that developer Valve was abandoning the first game, and the sequel was releasing too soon. Valve subsequently flew two of the boycotters out to its Seattle HQ, and continued to support the game with updates and bug fixes.

Now, however, it’s all over. The boycotters have decided to call it a day. Not that their organized hissy fit had much effect, obviously, because pre-orders for the sequel are through the roof. Anyhow, here’s boycott leader Agent of Chaos:

“The recently released Crash Course was just the start. Future updates will continue to roll in, and 4v4 matchmaking is first in line. Valve has confirmed to us that it’ll be available before the release of L4D2. Also don’t forget, we have another DLC pack confirmed for sometime in the near future and of course, there will be bug fixes. This is as good as it can get people.”

And here’s my translation:

“Look guys, I hate to say it, but Left 4 Dead 2 looks like the cat’s pajamas, and if you think I’m seriously ignoring it, think again. I’ve got my free tour of Valve and, despite our claims, Valve defied my expectations by supporting Left 4 Dead after all. Oops!”

[Via Steam]

Left 4 Dead 2 boycott officially brought to an end is a post from: The Inquisitr

If ever a screenshot could be called prescient …

A few weeks back, Australian censorship body the OFLC (here represented by the chap smacking Australia in the gob) refused to classify Left 4 Dead 2, banning the game from being sold anywhere in the country. In the OFLC’s view, the zombie shooter “contains violence that is high in impact and is therefore unsuitable for persons aged under 18 to play.”

Publisher EA and developer Valve are still in the process of appealing this decision, but if that falls through (a verdict is due on October 22), Valve has a solution: censor the hell out of its game.

Valve’s Gabe Newell has revealed that a heavily edited version of Left 4 Dead 2 has now been submitted, and has passed the OFLC test gaining an MA15+ rating. Says Newell:

“We think Left 4 Dead 2 is a lot of fun. It’s a game for adults. But we’re aware that different countries have different restrictions, and we want to make the choices that make the game the most fun for that country.”

As it turns out, some big cuts have been made in this sanitized version. News.com.au reports that the OFLC found “the game no longer contains depictions of decapitation, dismemberment, wound detail or piles of dead bodies lying about the environment.”

So Left 4 Dead 2 WILL be coming out in Oz now, though it’s likely to be a nicer, less gory version, with more kittens or something. The original build could still make it out, but we won’t know until a decision is made on EA and Valve’s appeal. It’s plain which version Valve want to see released, and Newell was quite clear about this:

“Our goal is not to ship this second version. The goal, of course, is to get the original version through the Board via the appeal process. If that fails, then the edited version is the back-up plan.”

Obviously, the elephant in the room is the OFLC’s inefficient rating system. Australia desperately needs an R18 classification for games, and until that happens, expect this story to be repeated again and again.

[News.com.au, via VG247]

Less gory Left 4 Dead 2 cleared for release in Australia is a post from: The Inquisitr

Is anybody out there still boycotting Left 4 Dead 2? If so, two things:

1. You’re ridiculous.
2. Valve intends to test your resistance with the mother of all marketing campaigns.

That’s right: Valve has announced it’ll be spending a cool $25 million pushing the sequel to its utterly brilliant zombie co-op shooter.

That means billboards, banner ads on gaming sites, and televised advertisements that run during Monday Night Football and UFC events. Noice. Over in Europe, there’ll be more of everything, with extra print, television, and website ads. In Australia, that means … oh.

Anyway, I guess we can put all of this down to the wild success of the first game, which is fast approaching 3 million sales on all formats, largely thanks to a glowing critical reception and word-of-mouth recommendations.

Left 4 Dead 1‘s ad budget of $10 million is dwarfed by the campaign for the follow-up, and I for one am glad to see the game getting the big push it deserves.

[Via press release]

You WILL buy Left 4 Dead 2, dammit is a post from: The Inquisitr

If you live in Australia and desperately wish to play Left 4 Dead 2, prepare for some bad news.*

The OFLC, the notoriously hard-to-please censorship body that classifies all of Australia’s films and videogames, has given Valve’s shooter the banhammer. Officially, the game has been granted a “Refused Classification” rating, meaning it cannot be sold anywhere in Oz. Publisher EA had this to say in response:

“[We] are still working through the submission process with OFLC and want to explore all opportunities before making any comment.”

Sucks to be Australia then, but maybe this is for the good. After all, Aussies can easily import a copy from other PAL regions, and this news could reignite the debate about how badly Australia needs an R18 classification for games. Because seriously, it does.

* If you live in Australia and desperately wish to boycott Left 4 Dead 2, you’ll now have to find something else to whine about pointlessly on the Internet.

[OFLC, via PALGN]

Left 4 Dead 2 banned in Australia is a post from: The Inquisitr