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Portal 2 Bringing Steam To the PS3, Possible Early Release 156

Posted by Soulskill from the i'm-making-a-note-here dept.
itwbennett writes "Portal 2 is breaking some new ground – at least the PlayStation 3 version is. 'Portal 2 marks the first time that Valve's social gaming network (and digital distribution system), Steam, will appear on consoles,' writes blogger Peter Smith. What this means is that once you link your Playstation Network [PSN] and Steam accounts 'you'll be able to keep tabs on what your Steam friends are up to from within a game of Portal 2 on the PS3,' says Smith. And, you'll be able to play Portal 2 with friends playing on PC or Mac. 'I can think of at least one other example of cross-platform gaming (Shadowrun supported both PC and Xbox players in the same game servers),' says Smith, 'but it's still very rare.'" This afternoon Valve launched a countdown to Portal 2 which can be accelerated by playing any of a group of indie games.
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Portal 2 Bringing Steam To the PS3, Possible Early Release More

Portal 2 Bringing Steam To the PS3, Possible Early Release

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  • Portal 2 (Score:3, Funny)

    by arun84h ( 1454607 ) on Friday April 15, 2011 @03:10PM (#35832592)

    Now you're thinking with cross-platform gaming portals!

    • FTA: "In this case Xbox 360 gamers are still left out in the cold so we're still waiting for a truly platform-agnostic online game."

      And whose fault is that? I'm sure Valve would have put Xbox into the cross-platform mix if it were possible, but it's not. Xbox Live is a closed environment.

  • Crafty, I guess (Score:5, Insightful)

    by RogueyWon ( 735973 ) * on Friday April 15, 2011 @03:14PM (#35832654) Journal

    I think this is actually a pretty crafty (and aggressive) move by Valve. One of the frustrations of gaming on the PC is seeing consoles get exclusive content in many games, paid for by the console manufacturer. Usually, the PC is left to languish and pick up the scraps - and sometimes doesn't get the extra content at all (for example, Dead Space 2). Now, an early release (and likely only a very slightly early one) isn't exactly the same as extra content, but it's still a perk for PC players - and various forums today illustrate that this has upset a lot of console gamers.

    Why should Valve do this? Because they now have a huge vested interest in the PC as a gaming platform. They're taking a cut on every PC game sold via Steam - which is a large proportion of PC games these days. So for the first time in many years, the PC actually has somebody fighting its corner as a platform in a vaguely effective way. And by dangling a (largely neutered) version of Steam in front of PS3 gamers, they're getting free advertising for their own service and platform.

    And if anybody wants to call them evil and scheming, then they have the counter-argument that they're doing all this by getting people to play indie games.

    Me? I like gaming on the PC... and on the 360 and PS3. But the PC does have unique features as a platform and I'm glad that there are people out there with actual industry clout who are promoting it.

    • Well, it's probably more like "we can flip the download switch early even if we can't magic the disks into the stores before we'd planned".

      The rest of it too, I suppose... but Steam gives them the logistical flexibility to do this kind of thing. They can't just say "oh it's out now, go to Gamestop!" when they feel like it for a PS3 disk.

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by dstyle5 ( 702493 )

      IWhy should Valve do this?

      Probably the main reason they are doing it is because they can now update games at their desired frequency. Currently on consoles game updates have to be tested/vetted by the console companies, which takes a long time and costs developers/publishers money and time. With Steam on PS3 they can quickly and cheaply fix bugs, security issues, etc. The 360 version of L4D2 is always far behind the PC version in updates and by time they actually get released as a bundle of updates on the 360 the PC version has a

      • That's true in as far as it goes, but I think there's more to it than that.

        The money Valve will be raking in from Steam must surely dwarf the money they get from the sales of one of their in-house games. So even if it's not the ideal way to manage one of their game properties in its own right, the incentive for them is to do whatever they can to get people onto the PC and using Steam. And if that means screwing over the console versions a bit, then so be it.

        As I said in the original post, I like my 360 and

        • Re: (Score:2)

          by h4rr4r ( 612664 )

          I would put money on the Wii2 being the next Dreamcast

          An awesome console killed by stupid management decisions?

    • Re: (Score:3)

      by dave562 ( 969951 )

      But the PC does have unique features as a platform

      Like aimbots, and wall hacks. I like the idea of cross platform gaming, but I hope they resist the urge to merge the two platforms (consoles and PCs) on FPS titles. I can deal with people who think their mouse / keyboard are a superior interface (and in most instances I'd agree). I can't deal with cheaters. They ruin the games for everyone.

      • Console games have cheaters, too.

        • Re: (Score:1)

          by dave562 ( 969951 )

          [Citation needed]

          • Re:Crafty, I guess (Score:4, Informative)

            by bigstrat2003 ( 1058574 ) on Friday April 15, 2011 @05:00PM (#35834080)

            Are you serious?

            MW2 [joystiq.com] and the Halo games [wikia.com] are two good examples off the top of my head. Lots of asshats cheat at console games, just like lots of asshats cheat at PC games.

            • Re: (Score:2)

              by dave562 ( 969951 )

              Thanks for the info. I have been playing MoH lately. I skipped out on MW2 when it came out and refused to buy Black Ops because of the way they treated the IW devs. I figured it was only a matter of time, and now I'm pretty bummed out, truth be told.

              We're talking about recent developments though, right? This is all because of that GeoHotz bullshit?

      • The PS3 has had cheaters galore ever since Geohot did his thing with it. I'd just been starting to dip my toe into online multiplayer on the platform, since PS Move support actually made Killzone 3 feel... almost PC once you got used to it. Unfortunately, the wave of cheating that followed the system's protection being broken pretty much killed my interest dead.

        Which is yet another reason why I can't blame Sony for trying to flay the little fucker alive...

        • Re: (Score:2)

          by tlhIngan ( 30335 )

          The PS3 has had cheaters galore ever since Geohot did his thing with it. I'd just been starting to dip my toe into online multiplayer on the platform, since PS Move support actually made Killzone 3 feel... almost PC once you got used to it. Unfortunately, the wave of cheating that followed the system's protection being broken pretty much killed my interest dead.

          Which is yet another reason why I can't blame Sony for trying to flay the little fucker alive...

          MW2 was the problem, not PSN. Infinity Ward did some

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by Tolkien ( 664315 )
      Yeah. I really wish Heavy Rain [wikipedia.org] had been released for PC as it was originally going to be. I definitely would have bought that game. I find it rather stupid how people sign these exclusivity deals thinking they'll make more money when in reality they miss out on tonnes of sales from those who don't want to fork over hundreds of dollars just to buy the console required to play their game.

  • This is the way cross platform should be... (Score:5, Interesting)

    by rbollinger ( 1922546 ) on Friday April 15, 2011 @03:14PM (#35832656)

    As a bonus, purchasers of the Playstation 3 version of Portal 2 will get a code to unlock the PC and Mac version, too.

    Most important thing I found in the article. I'm wondering if it will work the other way around too. I would love if I could eventually play all my steam games on both the PS3 and PC if they are available for both!

    • I doubt it. The beauty of Steam/Steam Play is that there's nothing more than a flag in the account. Type in the key, or get a Mac (or PC), and just download the files you're authorized to. For PS3 they'd have to send out a disk (unless the PSN does 10GB+ downloadable games?), and BDs are still expensive to make, and they'd be shipped, so they wouldn't just eat the cost. I could see them doing some nominal fee ($10), but I don't really think there's the demand.

      • I doubt it. The beauty of Steam/Steam Play is that there's nothing more than a flag in the account. Type in the key, or get a Mac (or PC), and just download the files you're authorized to. For PS3 they'd have to send out a disk (unless the PSN does 10GB+ downloadable games?), and BDs are still expensive to make, and they'd be shipped, so they wouldn't just eat the cost. I could see them doing some nominal fee ($10), but I don't really think there's the demand.

        You missed the headline of the article: "Portal 2 Bringing Steam to the PS3". The PSN store is irrelevant as Valve can now do whatever the hell they want because it's their own store now.

        • It doesn't say they're bringing the steam store to PS3.

          The features it lists are:
          You can bind a PSN account to a steam account.
          Trophies earned in Portal 2 on PS3 also unlock the steam achievements. Achievements earned in Windows or OSX do not unlock PSN Trophies.
          You buy the PS3 version of Portal 2, you get the PC version free. Via a code in the box.
          While playing Portal 2 you can chat to people on steam on either platform.
          You can play Portal 2 multiplayer across-platform.
          Savegames are automatically copies be

    • Well if you are wanting to do that go through Amazon, it is $5 cheaper to buy and comes with a $20 gift card. If I hadn't already preordered it on Steam, I would have picked that up and I don't even own a PS3 because who knows maybe one day I will own one.
    • Valve seems to be the only Game producer that "gets it" and treats their customers as something other than livestock to be harvested in the most efficient way possible. Do you think other developers wonder why 80% of all PC Game sales go through Steam now despite Valve being so un-hostile to their customers?

    • Buy the PS3 version.

      Put in Steam code.

      Sell PS3 version at Vintage Stock (regional Gamestop-like shop) for store credit.

      Buy a $20 PS3 game with store credit.

      Any reason I can't do this? Is the PC version going to be $20 cheaper so it's not really worth it?

      • Re: (Score:2)

        by h4rr4r ( 612664 )

        Nope, but your PS3 used game will not be worth that much since you used the code which is surely once per disk.

    • >>Most important thing I found in the article. I'm wondering if it will work the other way around too. I would love if I could eventually play all my steam games on both the PS3 and PC if they are available for both!

      The question I have is: if I buy the PS3 version and I already have the PC version, do I get a gift copy of the PC version?

      My wife is only a console gamer, whereas I'd go crazy trying to play Portal (which requires precision aiming) on a controller. But it would be pretty darn cool to be a

    • Oddly, it's actually cheaper (in a way) to pre-order the PS3 version from Amazon than the PC one, even if you plan to play it on PC, due to the fact that they're offering a $20 credit on the PS3 version. If you're planning to buy more games from Amazon anytime soon, it'll work out as a better deal for you to buy the PS3 one than the straight Mac/PC copy, despite the fact that it starts with the typical $10 console markup over the Mac/PC version.

  • awesome plan (Score:3, Interesting)

    by demonbug ( 309515 ) on Friday April 15, 2011 @03:14PM (#35832658) Journal

    Buy more stuff from us, and we'll sell other things to you faster.

    I can't help thinking that Portal 2 must be a dud, with all the advertising and marketing gimmicks surrounding it.

    Still hoping, though.

    • Re:awesome plan (Score:5, Insightful)

      by Anonymous Coward on Friday April 15, 2011 @03:21PM (#35832744)

      So what do you look for in a game? Is there some mystical amount of advertising that is "just right"?

      • So what do you look for in a game? Is there some mystical amount of advertising that is "just right"?

        I'm genuinely baffled as to how this comment got modded up. You and three other dudes have never seen shit products that are over-advertised to make up for their shortcomings? Isn't that about 25% of what we bitch about around here?

    • Sure, Valve makes money off of the sales, but so do the indie dev companies. I think that Valve and the indie groups have outdone themselves with the promotion of this game. I really think it's a win for everybody involved: Valve makes more money, the indie devs get a lot of exposure(and probably increased sales), and gamers get the game early. Plus, I'm still geeking out about the ARG. It's good marketing that helps to further define the universe that Portal and Half Life live in. And I give it two t

    • Re: (Score:3)

      by _xeno_ ( 155264 )

      I'm hoping that the advertising is to try and get the word out to a larger non-gaming audience.

      No "serious gamer" doesn't already know about Portal 2, and I expect most already have the game pre-loaded. But remember that the surprising thing about Portal was that it reached an audience of non-gamers as well as the core FPS crowd.

      The advertising is presumably an attempt to let this new audience know about the sequel.

      Is it a bit much? Well, yes. I'm not sure why there were Portal 2 ads on every single bus in

      • Re: (Score:2)

        by h4rr4r ( 612664 )

        As a sort of serious gamer I would have bought it but I need to build a new PC. I agree this is to reach the non-hardcore market.Hopefully it works in wine as well as Portal does.

      • after PAX East. (Portal 2 was playable there, but I didn't even bother trying.)

        No it wasn't, they just showed a video and you got an Aperture Science Salt Asbestos Curtain(t-shirt).

        • Re: (Score:2)

          by _xeno_ ( 155264 )

          Ah well - I just saw the unreasonably long lines, and stayed away entirely. :)

          I could have sworn I read some article about someone who played Portal 2 at PAX East, but either that was a media-only thing or I misread it.

    • Something's bad if it's advertised? Sure, advertising makes bad things more successful than they "should" be, but plenty of awesome things are heavily advertised.

      I saw the ads as more of a "let's show the world this gameplay". The people who bought Portal the first time around, like myself, were already FPS fans. We loved that it wasn't a shoot-em-up, but the exposure was pretty limited outside of that circle.

      Meanwhile, something like 40% of Portal players are female. I imagine it took a long time for the r

    • Valve has gone on record saying Portal 2 is the best single-player experience they have ever crafted (and multiplayer is on par with L4D).

      Valve is not known for making empty boasts, so I'm inclined to believe them until proven otherwise. In other words, STOKED!

      • Re: (Score:2)

        by h4rr4r ( 612664 )

        I have gone on record saying "WHERE THE FUCK IS HL:EP3?"
        I loved portal, but DAMMIT WHERE THE FUCK IS HL:EP3?

  • Here's a countdown that gives current percentage, as well as a countdown based on people's gaming patterns thus far: hasportal2launchedyet.com
    • THIS is a much more useful gauge. So thank you for showing this to me. I'm picking it up for the PS3 myself, but I like what Valve is doing and if I had money/a more significant interest in the games being offered in the Potato Sack Bundle, I'd probably be helping a bit more myself. As it stands, it's clever, and fun, and it's supporting a good/interesting cause in indie game development, and an opportunity for Valve/Steam to experiment with a new concept. Go them!

    • Interesting link, but it tells me: "Current predicted release time (Your Timezone): Wednesday, 31st December 1969 @ 19:00 GMT-5"

      Wow! They must be doing portals through time in the new version! ;)

  • I doubt you will be able to play cross platform any games really. PC players would destroy their lowly console brethren.

    See who is online and buy stuff maybe.

    • Re:PC VS PS3 Pwonage! (Score:4, Informative)

      by odin84gk ( 1162545 ) on Friday April 15, 2011 @03:39PM (#35833014)

      It is a co-op game, not a competitive game. It doesn't matter if the PC gamer has an advantage, since you are still working together to reach the same goal.

      • Re:PC VS PS3 Pwonage! (Score:5, Funny)

        by MrHanky ( 141717 ) on Friday April 15, 2011 @03:52PM (#35833206) Homepage Journal

        Bah! As a 1337 PC gamer, I'd pwn you, even in a co-op.

      • Sure there is a cognitive element, however there are plenty of tricky parts that require some fast reflexes or a steady hand, usually while falling to hit a particular spot with your portal gun in quick succession.

        Yes it is coop. However how fun will it be when trying to coordinate with your "friend" a complex puzzle only to get your part complete, and to sit there and watch your partner fail and fail over and over again to move, fall, and hit some moving target with his portal gun for you or him to fall th

    • Except in games where having a keyboard and a mouse doesn't really give you an upper hand, like Portal 2.

      • Did you even play Portal?

        Sure there is a cognitive element, however there are plenty of tricky parts that require some fast reflexes or a steady hand, usually while falling to hit a particular spot with your portal gun in quick succession.

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by Tolkien ( 664315 )
      Absolutely, provided the aiming aids built into console titles are disabled. People claim to kick ass at console titles with huge kill counts and so forth. I've even personally heard people say they believe they do better at consoles than on PC (bullshit). All those console games have code specifically geared around correcting the player's aim. Let's disable that code in those games and see just how awesome those players think they are when they fire at their feet or straight up into the sky instead of dire

      • Auto-aim on some games can be really obnoxious actually, and turn you away from where you wanted to point (Call of Duty Black Ops does this on PS3). Most games are subtle, though. You don't really notice it at all in Bad Company 2 for example; in fact I'm just assuming that it does anything at all (I know it's there because there's an option in the menu - yep, you can turn it off).

        For a good, balanced game, a subtle bit of help with aiming is a good thing to have. Otherwise it would be near-impossible, exce

      • Yeah I know many games used to have Autoaim for FPS on the PC. Most consider it cheating, and insist it be disabled. On multiplayer most servers have it turned off.

  • The real loser is Microsoft (Score:4, Insightful)

    by elrous0 ( 869638 ) * on Friday April 15, 2011 @03:41PM (#35833054)

    They refuse to open up their Live network to MMO's, Steam, or anyone else. And they have the audacity to charge their users $60 a year for the privilege. So PS3 users get DC Universe online and a Steam enabled Portal 2. Xbox users just get a bill for $5 a month--and jackshit to show for it.

    Between shit like this and all the exclusives that they've lost in the last two years, sometimes I wonder if MS even has anyone working in their Xbox division anymore. If there is anyone, it doesn't look like they're doing anything.

    • Depends on how you define loser I suppose. They're providing similar services as the ps3, except they're raking in subscription cash while doing it.

    • Do people actually care about this stuff? Who cares what achievements a total stranger has gotten? The whole concept is just foreign to me.

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by Mashiki ( 184564 )

      Live is a terrible service. Anyone advocating it should be dipped in sheep it.

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by Xarius ( 691264 )

      Final Fantasy XIV is also on its way to the PS3, albeit delayed!

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by brkello ( 642429 )

      -1 Fanboi. 360 is doing quite well right now...largely due to the Kinect...which I am sure they are not losing any exclusives from.

  • Some of the cross platform features sound nice, but it is a big change from the way that online play has worked on the PS3. It sounds like you are going to have to link your PSN account to Steam to play online instead of just playing through PSN. That means that other accounts on your PS3 will need their own copy if they want to play online.

    I can't think of any other game on the PS3 that does this - for example I have Killzone 2, CoD, Motorstorm, and more. My PS3 has 3 PSN accounts on it, myself and my

  • Portal 2 Bringing Steam To the PS3

    Something needs to bring some steam to the smoldering heap that is the PS3.

  • I don't understand why we are working to try to reboot an evil robot AI. This sounds like the kind of thing that you do not do.
  • Been watching this one for awhile, following the odd links and i'd have to say, valve is the shit.
    This potato sack frenzy would have to be of viral status for the 4 something million+ potatoes..
    I'm playing because i bought the pack anyhow, and enjoy the games.
    And day early would be better.

  • I got excited when I thought that I would be able to play Postal2 on my PS3. Portal2, not so much.

  • Per Steam support article [steampowered.com] the saves won't be compatible, which kills primary advantage of linking your PSN and Steam accounts. Yes, you will be able to play on PC/Mac and PSN. No, your progress won't be tracked, so you'd have to play them independently, not just picking up where you left off on PS3. Hopefully with time they will resolve this problem (or make some sort of PC/Mac utility that will convert the save data).

    Some other Steam games (i.e. Torchlight) also have this limitation when you go from Mac to

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