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Posts Tagged ‘Steamworks’

Kane & Lynch 2 Dog Days moves from Games for Windows Live to Steamworks

June 22nd, 2010

Cliff Riseborough

The first game was infamous for two reasons…the Jeff Gerstmann ratings scandal, and the fact that the Games for Windows Live implementation rendered the multiplayer an absolute mess.

The second game is already looking to perhaps avoid at least part of that, moving away from Games for Windows Live and towards implementation of Steamworks for multiplayer and DRM.

From PC Gamer :

The mode was the best part of K&L 1, but it was nearly impossible to play online due to GFWL’s crappiness. I asked IO Interactive game director Kim Krogh if I’d have the same experience this time around.

“No, for that reason. We’re using Steamworks,” he said.

Steamworks integration means that K&L 2 will gain access to that program’s multiplayer matchmaking and Steam Cloud features. It also means that the game will have to be run through the Steam client.

Posted in Games

Tags: Eidos, Games for Windows Live, Kane & Lynch 2, Steamworks

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Valve bringing Portal 2 cross platform co-op for PS3, PC and Mac

June 18th, 2010

Cliff Riseborough

It’s something many companies have talked about doing. The original concept for Games for Windows Live was to allow play vs. Xbox gamers using Xbox Live. And the latest to step up to the plate and give console/PC/Mac cross-platform gaming a try are Valve.

With the announcement at E3 that Valve was bringing Portal 2 with Steamworks integration to the PS3, the rumours immediately started appearing on gaming sites that this meant cross-platform play would be part of the game as well. According to gaming site TheKartel, Valve has confirmed those rumours.

While co-op gameplay wasn’t shown, Valve developer Erik Johnson did reveal one new bit of info. Valve is planning to allow PS3 players play with PC/Mac players.

When questioned on the cross-compatibility between Steamworks and Steam, specifically playing co-op on a computer with someone on a PS3, he said it was "something the team is gunning for." We also confirmed with Valve developer Mike Dunkle who said "The plan is you will be able to play between console and PC."

If this first step ends with good results, it increases the chance that Valve (and perhaps other developers) will be more open to cross-platform options in the future.

For Xbox 360 owners, we did inquire whether this was a possibility as well. Johnson commented that there are no current plans to bring Steamworks over to the Xbox 360, as ultimately the ball is in Microsoft’s court.

Again, success here will probably increase Microsoft’s willingness to reconsider their position at a later date.

Posted in Games

Tags: cross platform play, Macintosh, PC, Portal 2, PS3, Steamworks, Valve

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PS3 version of Portal 2 includes Steamworks support

June 15th, 2010

Cliff Riseborough

Considering the hard words that both he and Valve have had for the PS3 in the past, it was a bit surprising to see Gabe Newell walk out on stage during Sony’s E3 press event.

It was more surprising to hear him announce a PS3 version of next year’s Portal 2. He also described it as the best console version of the game, because it will have full Steamworks support.

This is the first time that Steamworks has been extended beyond the computer realm and in to console gaming. Maybe it’s a one off, maybe it’s a test bed, and maybe the console marker is the next direction Valve is planning on taking Steam.

Steamworks support means that the PS3 version of the game will get automatic updates, DLC access and Steam community features.

Posted in Games

Tags: Playstation Network, Portal 2, PS3 Portal 2 Steamworks, Steam, Steamworks

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Fallout New Vegas will use Steamworks

June 8th, 2010

Cliff Riseborough

Bethesda and Obsidian’s upcoming Fallout 3 sequel Fallout : New Vegas will be switching DRM systems. Rather than using the SecuROM & Games for Windows Live combo that the 2008 release used (with GfWL essentially regionalizing the PC version to those countries the service supports), the PC version of New Vegas will be using Steamworks. That means that all versions of the game will require installation of Steam and a one time activation through the Steam client.

The switch was announced during a fan question interview on the Bethesda forums.

Will the PC retail game be able to be activated via Steam?
From @litrock via Twitter

Jason Bergman, Senior Producer at Bethesda Softworks: Yes. Fallout: New Vegas will fully utilize the Steamworks SDK. This means that retail PC copies will activate via Steam. We are also using Steam for achievements and other features (but not multiplayer, of course. FNV remains a single player only game).

Bergman went in to a bit more detail in a follow up posting just after the interview (all emphasis already in place in the original).

What does Steamworks mean to you? Senior producer Jason Bergman explains:

“Fallout: New Vegas uses Steamworks for achievements and other features (such as friends lists, cloud storage of user preferences and so on). Use of Steam will be mandatory at retail. So what does that mean? We’ve implemented Steamworks in as light and unobtrusive a way as possible. Yes, you will have to install Steam when you install Fallout: New Vegas if you don’t already have it. And yes, you will have to be online at the time of that initial install. However you can install the game on as many systems as you want (with no restrictions!), and you do not have to be online to play the game after your initial activation. Not only that, but once the game has activated on Steam, you can throw out the game DVD entirely and just download the game over Steam. If you don’t even have a DVD drive, you can just take the CD-Key from the box, enter it into Steam, and download it without ever using the disc at all.

For those concerned, this will have no affect on mod development whatsoever. Modders will still be able to create and distribute their plugins the same way they have in the past.

We made the decision to use Steam after looking at all the various options out there and decided that it provided the best, least intrusive experience for PC gamers. We think you’ll agree.”

Posted in Games

Tags: Bethesda Softworks, Fallout New Vegas, Obsidian Entertainment, Steamworks

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Shogun Total War 2 appears to use Steamworks

June 3rd, 2010

Cliff Riseborough

It was just announced yesterday, and it doesn’t come out until next year, but it seems we already know the system Sega’s next Total War title will be using.

The Steam logo front and center at the bottom of this advertisement for the game definitely looks like an indication that Shogun Total War 2 will be following in the footsteps of the Empire and Napoleon Total War games. Both of those titles used Steamworks for DRM protection and auto updates. While it generally seemed to work quite well, it of course does serve to lock the games to the Steam platform as well.

Posted in Games

Tags: Creative Assembly, SEGA, Shogun Total War 2, Steamworks

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Kings and Castles will be using Steamworks

May 22nd, 2010

Cliff Riseborough

Chris Taylor of Gas Powered Games has been doing a series of video blogs during the making of their upcoming medieval strategy game, Kings and Castles.

It’s the sort of usual stuff in game video blogs…sophomoric nuts jokes, a super high five resulting in what appears to be an explosion of energy, and answering reader mail about whether or not chickens will be in the game or not. Okay, maybe they aren’t the standard video blogs…

Anyway, one of the other viewer questions for the mailbag segment this time around asked about the game’s DRM. Taylor’s answer…Steamworks, the same system he used on Supreme Commander 2.

You can catch the video blog in question here.

Posted in Games

Tags: Gas Powered Games, Kings and Castles, Steamworks

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PC version of Lara Croft using Steamworks

May 20th, 2010

Cliff Riseborough

When Crystal Dynamics rolls out what they hope will be a rebirth of the Tomb Raider franchise with the release of Lara Croft : Guardian of Light later this year, the PC version will do so with Steamworks as part of the deal.

Global brand manager Karl Stewart had the following to say to CVG :

"We’ve gone down the road of implementing Steam DRM where we’ve committed to the US being an exclusive and we’re going to make a decision as to whether or not we’ll use different distribution channels," he said.

"But I think for now, because it’s online and it’s got leader boards, Steam offers us the best opportunity to hit a broad audience with that type of game."

"Tomb Raider’s got a huge following, when you look at Tomb Raider games in the past and how many times they’ve been pirated. I go on some BitTorrent sites and within the first 48 hours there’s like four hundred thousand downloads, it’s crazy," he said.

"Given that Tomb Raider has traditionally been a single player game we have the risk of people saying, ‘I never really wanted to play the online mode, I just want to play as a single player’ You don’t have to do the leader boards, you don’t have to go online. We had to mitigate those risks by doing things like DRM."

This new Tomb Raider game will be download only, and is more of a co-op adventure title with an isometric camera view.

Steamworks implementation means that the game must be downloaded, installed and run through Steam.

Posted in Games

Tags: Lara Croft : Guardian of Light, Steamworks

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Civilization V will use Steamworks

May 6th, 2010

Cliff Riseborough

It has been announced in a press release from 2K Games that Civilization 5 will ship with Steamworks when it releases later this year.

That means that any version of the game purchased from any venue will require the installation of Steam to run. It also means that it makes use of Steam services like achievements, multiplayer matchmaking and auto-updates. So depending on what side of the fence you come down on, you’re either dancing for joy or smashing your furniture right now.

Those purchasing from Steam can also buy a Digital Deluxe version featuring an exclusive Babylonian civilization, as well as the game’s soundtrack and behind the scenes video. All versions purchased directly from Steam will come with a Cradle of Civilization : Mesopotamia map pack.

Posted in Games

Tags: 2K Games, Civilization, Firaxis, Steamworks

3 Comments »

Epic and Valve join forces; Steamworks made available for all using Unreal Engine 3

March 14th, 2010

Cliff Riseborough

Epic’s Unreal Engine 3 has been widely used in games ranging from their own Unreal Tournament 3 to Batman : Arkham Asylum to BioShock. Valve’s Steamworks suite has been used on their own developed titles, as well as games ranging from Empire : Total War to Audiosurf. And now they’re somewhat combined.

As explained in a press release available on Epic’s site, an agreement has been reached whereby Valve will be offering full use of Steamworks to any developer using Unreal Engine 3 for no extra cost.

Unreal Engine 3 is a complete game development framework for next-generation consoles and PCs, providing the vast array of core technologies, content creation tools, and support infrastructure required by top game developers. Every aspect of the Unreal Engine has been designed with ease of content creation and programming in mind, with the goal of putting as much power as possible in the hands of artists and designers to develop assets and game play in a visual environment with minimal programmer assistance; and to give programmers a highly modular, scalable and extensible framework for building, testing, and shipping games in a wide range of genres.

Steamworks is a complete suite of publishing and development tools that offers PC game developers and publishers access to the game features and services available through Steam. These include product key authentication, copy protection, auto-updating, social networking, matchmaking, anti-cheat technology and more. The features and services available in Steamworks are offered free of charge and may be used for both electronic and tangible versions of games.

Now, no developer is forced to implement Steamworks in to their game, and it will be interesting to see how many do, ‘tethering’ their title to the Steam application in the process. Also, this is an interesting move on the part of Valve, seeing as their own Source engine is a competitor to Unreal Engine 3.

Posted in Games

Tags: Epic Games, Steamworks, Unreal Engine 3, Valve

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Just Cause 2 to use Steamworks

March 1st, 2010

Cliff Riseborough

Square Enix has announced that upcoming title Just Cause 2 will use Steamworks on the PC. The announcement was made via Twitter in a response to a question :

Just Cause 2 uses Steamworks all the way.

So, you get all the perks that come along with Steamworks, but it means you will also have to run the game through Steam to play it. Decide for yourselves if that makes you more interested/not interested in grappling on to passing helicopters and riding them to your next target.

Posted in Games

Tags: Just Cause 2, Steamworks

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