iGame Radio

UPDATE: looks like Dota 2 is going to be pushed to sometime early next year, according to this Shacknews article.

The International, the first tournament of Dota 2 held at Gamescom, has resulted in a champion. Valve has announced that team “Na’Vi” from Ukraine took first place with the $1 million grand prize.

Over five days, this event was viewed by millions through live broadcasts and live audiences. The International featured the 16 best Dota teams in the world competing in the Dota 2 Championships through a group stage, double elimination playoff format over the course of Cologne’s five-day trade show. Teams represented countries from across the world, including Denmark, China, Russia, the Philippines, and Singapore.

In addition to the cash prizes awarded by Valve, Nvidia provided all the hardware for the event plus hardware prizes for the winning team. Valve has confirmed that it will be holding another International tournament next year, and is even discussing upcoming Dota 2 events during its beta phase.

Dota 2 is the stand-alone sequel that Valve is developing to the popular Warcraft III mod map Defense of the Ancients (popularly known as Dota). The game will tentatively be released for Windows and Mac later this year early next year.

Valve today announced The International, a tournament of Dota 2 that will be the first public showing of the game. The tournament will take place August 17th-21st at Gamescom in Cologne, Germany.

The International features the 16 best Dota teams in the world competing in the Dota 2 Championships through a group stage, double elimination playoff format over the course of Cologne’s five-day trade show. The winning team will receive $1 million. In addition to the cash prizes awarded by Valve, NVidia is providing all hardware for the event.

“The International is the first public Dota 2 event and will give the tens of millions of gamers playing Dota around the world their first look at the new game,” said Gabe Newell, president and founder of Valve. “I have had the good fortune to watch the competitors as they prepare for the tournament, and the level of play is extraordinary.”

Dota 2 is the stand-alone sequel that Valve is developing to the popular Warcraft III mod map Defense of the Ancients (popularly known as Dota). The game will tentatively be released for Windows and Mac later this year.

Teams represent countries from across the world, including Denmark, China, Russia, the Philippines, and Singapore. Interestingly enough, there are no teams from the US listed on the site, or indeed from either of the Americas (North or South). The tournament will be broadcast in four languages (Chinese, German, Russian, and English) free of charge. We’ll keep you up to date regarding the tournament as information is released.

Riding the wave of free to play fever, Valve has decided they are not done yet. They announced that Team Fortress 2 has gone F2P…part of the “Über Update” released yesterday.

After 200 updates, this team co-op shooter released in 2007 will now sport a hybrid membership model. Anyone who downloads the game will be able to play for free. This includes access to every map in the game, but a limited amount of items, slots, trading rights, etc. Those who have or will spend any money at all on the game, whether it be having purchased the game (download or retail) or purchasing anything in the Mann Co store, are considered premium members. Premiums get access to the whole shebang.

In addition, current players who are converted to Premium members automatically will also get special Proof of Purchase hats to wear that will only be available those who purchase the retail version. Valve has also already implemented some measures to prevent F2Pers from using this method to cheat the game by creating multiple accounts. You can get more information in the TF2 FAQ.

Also included in the Über Update is the new Medic. Valve has released an animated short, “Meet the Medic,” to help the community become more familiar with this cleric-gone-fighter character.

TF2 is F2P for Windows and Mac players via Steam. For more information, visit the Team Fortress free to play site.

Valve has announced immediate support for Free to Play (F2P) games on Steam, launching five F2P games: Spiral Knights, Forsaken Worlds, Champions Online: Free for All, Global Agenda: Free Agent, and Alliance of Valiant Arms (AVA).

Starting last Wednesday and concluding Sunday, each of the five launch titles will offer exclusive in-game content to those who try the “F2P game of the day” on Steam. In game transactions in all of the titles will be supported by Steam’s micro-transaction backend system that is available to Steamworks partners and currently used in Valve’s Team Fortress 2.

“Free to Play games offer new game genres and game experiences for customers,” said Jason Holtman, director of business development at Valve, “while offering developers and publishers new revenue opportunities and the ability to reach customers in areas of the world where the traditional packaged goods model is less popular than F2P.”

Valve views this introduction as part of the constant evolution of Steam. Specific details on the F2P games of the day and their exclusive in-game content will be made available in the coming days.

Want to win an autographed guitar and Portal 2 swag? Like creating videos? Here’s your chance to satisfy both.

Valve Software and recording artist The National are sponsoring a contest. Starting today and running until midnight July 15th, the contest asks the community to make a music video for the song “Exile Vilify”, the Portal 2 piece that The National composed, using whatever visuals they choose.

Once aspiring video directors have completed their work, they may submit their videos on YouTube using the tag PORTAL2NATIONALEXILE. After the deadline, Valve, The National, and the community will select the winner who will win a prize package including a guitar autographed by The National plus a collection of Portal 2 merchandise.

For more information regarding the Portal 2 Music Video Contest, please visit thinkwithportals.com.

Valve Software has released Portal 2: The Final Hours, a “digital book” that takes you behind the scenes within Valve for an unvarnished look at the creative process behind Portal 2.

Journalist Geoff Keighley was granted unprecedented “fly on the wall” access to Valve to create a 15,000 word multimedia experience, including exclusive photos, videos, interviews, interactive experiences, and more. The Final Hours includes a lot of previously unknown information, such as the fact that Portal 2 actually began as a prequel to the first game without portals or GLaDOS. A video of a never-before-disclosed project, Two Bots, One Wrench, shows examples of Directed Design Experiments created after Half-Life 2: Episode 2. You’ll also see images and read details regarding the evolution of the Portal 2 story as the game was developed.

Interactive highlights include:

• Play with portals in an interactive diagram where you learn how portals work.
• 360 degree panorama photos of the Valve office and design labs.
• Listen to the songs that inspired the Portal 2 development team.
• Hear Jonathan Coulton’s Portal 2 song in various stages of development.
• Puppet Wheatley in an interactive experience.
• Destroy Aperture Science by wiping your fingers over the screen.
• Interact with fans and voice your opinion via polls and a feedback form.

The cost for his multimedia experience is $1.99, and SteamPlay is required.

iGame Radio received an email from Valve this week that stated that they would not be showing anything at E3 this year:

Lots of folks have mailed asking about appointment times, etc., with Valve.

Well, we are not showing any titles at this year’s show. So no appointment is needed.

This has set tongues wagging, as we know of at least one title that Valve is actively working on (DOTA 2), and the hopes have been with many that they are also working on Half-life 2: Episode 3, though there is no absolute evidence of that. But that statement leaves many to wonder whether DOTA 2 is further off than many thought, or whether Valve does not want to show any work at E3.

A disappointment indeed, as we all would have liked to see more of DOTA 2 and any other Valve work.

Valve announced last week that Portal 2 will receive new DLC come this summer. The additional content will be offered free of charge to all current owners of Portal 2.

Valve has stated that this DLC for Portal 2 will offer new test chambers for players, leaderboards, challenge mode for single and multiplayer modes, and more. The DLC was labeled as #1, thus solidifying it as the first of several DLC for the hugely popular puzzle game sequel available for the Mac, PC, Xbox 360, and PS3. Very little other information has been released about the coming DLC.

Portal 2 can be purchased on the Steam site, Valve’s downloadable game channel, and further information about Portal 2 can be found on ThinkWithPortals.

Right now, Portal 2 is sitting in our hot little hands…well, actually, on our hot little harddrives. We must work, then there will be lunch, and there will be cake. Yes, Portal 2 has arrived.

The sequel to Valve’s epic game about jumping through portals and eating cake can now be ordered through numerous retail outlets, as well as ordered and downloaded through Steam. Play the single-player game as Chell, the lab rat turned rogue determined to get out of the trap and away from GLaDOS, the lethal computer. Or jump into co-op multiplayer mode with Atlas and P-Body and run through the portal trenches together. There’s even an in-game store to make purchases…but watch out.

Portal 2 is available for the Playstation 3, Xbox 360, Windows, and, of course, the Mac, Portal 2 was released last night and is available today for $49.99 US.

System requirements include:

• OS: MAC OS X 10.6.7 or higher
• Processor: Intel Core Duo Processor (2GHz or better)
• Memory: 2GB
• Hard Disk Space: At least 7.6 GB of Space
• Video: ATI Radeon 2400 or higher / NVIDIA 8600M or higher / Intel HD Graphics 3000

 

What’s inside this episode:

• Host Omaha Sternberg is solo this week talking about the week’s news in Mac and iOS gaming. She talks about the new Humble Bundle…the Humble Frozenbyte Bundle. Three full games from developer Frozenbyte, plus a canceled prototype and a pre-order. In less than two days they’ve topped $500,000 and 100,000 units.
• Are you ready for Portal 2? The excitement is in the air on the Internet, with the ARG, and in Seattle too.
• The Webby Awards have decided to include handheld and tablet games this year. Take a look at the expected, and not so expected, choices for the categories.
• Atari released their Greatest Hits from the arcade era onto the App Store, but gamers have given it two stars. Find out why everyone is poo-pooing Atari’s release.
• A little birdie tweeted in Omaha’s ear that Feral Interactive may be announcing a LEGO game soon…if they are, which one do you think it will be? Omaha gives you her guesses.
• Omaha talks about games that she’s played in the past week.
• Do you think iGame Radio should get a new theme song, or stick with the one its got? Weigh in on the new poll, or send in your thoughts to be part of the decision.

Music Notes:

• Digital Droo produced our theme music here at iGame Radio.
• Michael Hu-wong for featuring music from Fizzball.
• Steven Johnson for featuring music from Escort Wing.