Posted by Ben Huber on Jun 2, 2014 in
Fandom,
Videogames 
Smash Bros. is a great game because Nintendo has such a huge catalog of iconic characters to pull from, but not many other companies could pull off a similar feat. YouTube user crazyhalo definitely thinks Valve could do it, as they have created a video that remakes the intro film from Super Smash Bros. Melee with all of Valve’s characters. Gordon Freeman, the Heavy, Dog, every Dota character, Chell, and more are featured in this. If you’ve played Melee, this video will probably bring up a lot of memories, as it’s a pitch-perfect reproduction. Check out the video below! Read more…
Tags: Dota 2, Half-Life, Portal 2, Super Smash Bros., Team Fortress, Valve
Posted by Ben Huber on May 11, 2014 in
Videogames 
Last year, in the lead-up to the Dota 2 International (the championship game tournament for Dota 2), Valve revealed the Compendium, a way for Dota players and fans to get new items and unlocks for their game while also contributing to the overall prize pool, increasing the winnings available for the matches. Already they’ve blown past previous records and are shooting up the Kickstarter-esque stretch goals Valve has set up. Some of them look pretty high, but given how fast Dota 2 has been growing, I definitely wouldn’t be surprised if they hit them all. They already beat their record for most concurrent Dota players yesterday! Check out the full page here. Read more…
Tags: Dota 2, Valve
Posted by Ben Huber on Mar 23, 2014 in
Videogames 
We’d been hearing for a while about Valve’s long in-production documentary about the first Dota 2 tournament, called The International. They had beta-tested the film (yes, really) by screening it early to people and using their feedback to fix it up. Now, it’s finally available to watch, and it is of course free. To play. Yup. You can watch it on Steam or YouTube, and it runs about an hour and 15 minutes. It’s impressive to watch all the effort these players put into the game, and also the rise of esports in general. I’m really interested in taking the time to watch it later. Check it out! Read more…
Tags: documentary, Dota 2, esports, Valve
Posted by Ben Huber on Dec 16, 2012 in
Videogames 
Ever had a virtual gun you wanted to sell? Perhaps a virtual hat you no longer need? Well Valve is taking the first steps into establishing a legit digital market within Steam, starting with Team Fortress 2, their eternal guinea pig, and Dota 2. Currently, you’re now able to sell and buy “Tool” items for real money, and eventually Valve plans to add weapons and cosmetic items into the mix as well. While this sort of market has existed for a while, it required third-party websites or middlemen to make the transaction happen (because you better not be PayPal-ing money to random people for virtual hats by yourself – that’s scam city). Now, with a solid trading system backing it, Valve will be able to monitor and foster their virtual economy even more. It’s pretty fascinating stuff! Read more…
Tags: Dota 2, Steam, Team Fortress, Valve
Posted by Ben Huber on Aug 18, 2012 in
Videogames 
Dota 2 (Defense of the Ancients) is hugely popular online. The action real-time strategy game genre is a massive industry with an enormous player-bases, and Dota 2, despite still being in beta, is already a major force and one of the most-played games on Steam. Valve, after picking up the creators of the original mod, made it into a polished, full-fledged game and now they want to document it. Not the game development, though – the players themselves. The doc will follow the lives of 5 professional gamers, their struggles and triumphs. Watch the full trailer after the break! Read more…
Tags: documentary, Dota 2, Valve
