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[Zzoram]

They've said the game sold over 2 million, haven't they? Was that just retail?

We have ~750k from last NPD, around 40k from japan, and unknown from Europe for the 360 version.

Also, this:

More than 1 million Gold Live subs have now played the shooter.
http://www.giantbomb.com/left-4-dea...2-million-retail-copies-in-2-weeks/35-274255/

We know that this game would be LIVE oriented, but there are a lot of Xbox 360 owners who don't play on LIVE and buy games like L4D2.

 

[Zzoram]

It's the Source engine. I'm sure they can squeeze more out of it.

On PC, yes. On 360? Doubling players might break the game.

In all likelihood, you'll play as the original 4 survivors and merely stumble across the new survivors as NPCs, then go their separate ways, hence "The Passing". Why they wouldn't team up is unclear though.

 

[sflufan]

Yeah, I remember that 2 million at retail figure from the press release and I honestly don't believe a word of it.

It's very difficult for me to believe that 1.25 million retail copies of the game were sold outside of North America.

Now, in regard to Steam concurrent users, that's a somewhat inexact means of determining the total sales of a game. For example, you never see more than about 90,000 people playing MW2 on Steam at one time, but we know that's not the total population that bought the game.

 

[Zzoram]

Yeah, I remember that 2 million at retail figure from the press release and I honestly don't believe a word of it.

It's very difficult for me to believe that 1.25 million retail copies of the game were sold outside of North America.

Now, in regard to Steam concurrent users, that's a somewhat inexact means of determining the total sales of a game. For example, you never see more than about 90,000 people playing MW2 on Steam at one time, but we know that's not the total population that bought the game.

Yes, but L4D2 is more of a "sit and play for hours" game while MW2 and CS are more "drop-in for a couple of rounds", so concurrent on L4D2 theoretically should represent a higher proportion of total population, since there would be more overlapping play time. Also, NPD says MW2 sold 170K on PC according to Gamasutra, and all of those are linked to Steam, and it has 3x more concurrent players than L4D2 at all times.

Also, until Valve releases real Steam numbers, there is no reason to assume that Steam has ever sold more than 100,000 copies of a new release AAA game. Valve said previously that retail sales surpass Steam sales (I think in relation to HL2/Orange Box and possibly L4D1) and we know retail PC game sales aren't that hot.

 

[syllogism]

That's a lot of random assumptions, none of them being very convincing

I doubt it will be 8v8 as they optimized the engine for a max of 8 players... would run really sluggish on some PCs / 360 with 16 players on the screen at once

I agree it's very unlikely it will be 8v8, but 8v8 and even 10v10 servers work fine on PC

e: by the way, I recall them saying the first game sold about the same on both platforms

 

[sflufan]

Just as a point of reference, but I believe that earlier this year, Valve stated that the Steam sales of its PC games had finally overtaken the retail sales (note this is for Valve games)

However, I can't find the link to support this.

 

[1-D_FTW]

That's a lot of random assumptions, none of them being very convincing

Yeah. I don't find them very convincing either. I suppose it could theoretically be possible, but none of that's evidence that convinces me of anything.

 

[Caesar III]

I was thinking about how they could do this last week, and I came up with the idea of creating two different "teams" during the campaign comprised of a mix of the two original groups, like Zoey, Louis, Ellis and Nick in one group and Bill, Francis, Coach and Rochelle in the other. You switch off between the two teams on each chapter as you progress through the campaign simultaneously.

I thought about something else:

Each team (old and new) starts in a different area on the map and progresses trought itsown safe room. Every now and then they can see the other team and vice versa and have to interact with them with some power switches or doors or something.

Infected are strictly divided in 4 for each team because of imba. (eight infected would be too much for 4 guys)

Just the finale is where they meet each other for real and stuff and have to work together in a 8 team.

 

[ahoyhoy]

4 map campaign 2 from eithers perspective? Almost hard rain, tracking the same ground under different circumstances.

I was thinking more along the lines of something like Resident Evil 0, when you have to split up Billy and Rebbecca and switch between the two while they open up doors or get keys for each other. When one team runs into a barricade, the other team finds a rocket launcher or something to open it up for them.

 

[MNC]

I really don't think 8v8 would make it sluggish. The game has been run with 8v8 often with server mods and the slow PCs had the same speed. It's just the way the source engine works. For the 360 I have no idea though. 8v8 sounds... I dunno. It seems too obvious. And it might be too arcade-y and wouldn't work correct. Wouldn't it seem too crowded?

I really like this news though. But if this takes place after Dead Center, they better make it fit properly for Dark Carnival ie. they get back to the Gibs Jr. car.

 

[Stallion Free]

8v8 would retarded as we already struggle to get 8 gaffers for a regular VS round and thats in L4D2.

Also, stop making sales assumptions based on concurrent players.

 

[ClovingWestbrook]

I am going to be very curious to see how Valve handles the cost factor of this new add on. If it costs anything on the PC, wow, the backlash they will receive. Whether it is worth the cost isn't the issue when it comes to Valve as they have never charged for DLC (please don't bring up the L4D2 as DLC). However, the content looks magnificent. Now, I just have to figure out how to combine this new content with the OP. I should have reserved another post, arghh...

 

[Teknoman]

Either way, this will be awesome.

 

[Stallion Free]

However, the content looks magnificent.

They haven't shown anything so how do you know it looks magnificent?

 

[ClovingWestbrook]

They haven't shown anything so how do you know it looks magnificent?

My apologies, it SEEMS to that it will be awesome.

 

[Red Scarlet]

He likes how it sounds. You are starting to sound like Nick when you post.

 

[MNC]

He likes how it sounds. You are starting to sound like Nick when you post.

Avatar quote imminent?

 

[Firestorm]

omgomgomg louis, zoey, and bill omgomgomgomg

 

[RocketDarkness]

It is a good day.

 

[InsaneZero]

omgomgomg louis, zoey, and bill omgomgomgomg

But yeah, can't wait for this to come out.

 

[vazel]

wtf steam is down. And I just beat Dead Center on expert. That better have been recorded in my achievements so far it hasn't. Oh well it was easier than I thought anyway. Hard Rain now there's a bitch on expert.

 

[Red Scarlet]

wtf steam is down. And I just beat Dead Center on expert. That better have been recorded in my achievements so far it hasn't. Oh well it was easier than I thought anyway. Hard Rain now there's a bitch on expert.

I think smash88 wanted to do some expert tonight if you want to try some later.

 

[snack]

Yes! Louis is back. I always liked using him over the others because he could jump higher than everyone else.

 

[Tempy]

I'll reiterate that I think 8 player co-op would be awesome. I play with a bunch of people, and if we have uneven numbers on a given day, versus would be unbalanced, and normal campaign only has a max of 4 players.

Making it challenging enough for 8 survivors would be a problem. You can't increase the number of infected by a lot since that affects performance (more so on 360 than pc, but there are still a lot of pc owners who would be pissed). What they could do is increase the number of special infected at a time though. You usually face what, 2-3 SIs at a time? Make that 8 and there's your challenge.

I'm also thinking they might do a 4 survivors against 4 survivors mode, where they could be competing for gas canisters. But I'm not sure if that'll be as fun as just straight 8 survivor co-op.

 

[kai3345]

Yes! Louis is back. I always liked using him over the others because he could jump higher than everyone else.

 

[Red Scarlet]

Louis had the best taunts, imo. I never liked using Bill since I had no good binds for him.

 

[Red Scarlet]

Does anyone have that map that showed where the campaigns probably take place? I remember there being 4 squares, so there was some speculation where carnival/swamp/rain took place. Hard Rain has Louisiana license plates, so now I kind of want to see if carnival and swamp have license plates to try to see where they all occur.

 

[Sibylus]

Does anyone have that map that showed where the campaigns probably take place? I remember there being 4 squares, so there was some speculation where carnival/swamp/rain took place. Hard Rain has Louisiana license plates, so now I kind of want to see if carnival and swamp have license plates to try to see where they all occur.

This is one I made a while ago:

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&sou...97&sspn=5.724338,11.634521&num=10&ie=UTF8&z=6

Has Dead Center, Dark Carnival, and The Parish, but omits Swamp Fever and Hard Rain because nobody really knows where those places are (I couldn't find a Ducatel in Louisiana, last time I tried).

 

[Proven]

Does anyone have that map that showed where the campaigns probably take place? I remember there being 4 squares, so there was some speculation where carnival/swamp/rain took place. Hard Rain has Louisiana license plates, so now I kind of want to see if carnival and swamp have license plates to try to see where they all occur.

Carnival definitely has license plates at the beginning. I don't recall there being cars anywhere in Swamp Fever though. Perhaps at the beginning as well? Or you can look up where there might be a swamp and rumors of swamp men in the area between the other two campaigns.

 

[Volcynika]

Chargers wreckin' me up during Hard Rain!

 

[Red Scarlet]

This is one I made a while ago:

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&sou...97&sspn=5.724338,11.634521&num=10&ie=UTF8&z=6

Has Dead Center, Dark Carnival, and The Parish, but omits Swamp Fever and Hard Rain because nobody really knows where those places are (I couldn't find a Ducatel in Louisiana, last time I tried).

The bronco or whatever with the melee weapons at the start/end of Hard Rain has a Louisiana license plate. That's the only one I've looked at though, but now I kind of want to look at each campaign. Shouldn't have shot it with a shotgun first, but it's LA.

The hell? The in-game one is 1 letter off?

There's definitely cars in SF.

 

[Sibylus]

Interesting. So the chopper probably flew further west before it crashed, the survivors then travelled to a local river and were picked up. From there Virgil probably sailed South, stopped somewhere along the river and then continued on to The Parish.

 

[BuddhaRockstar]

Ellis: "Did I ever tell you guys about the time Keith and I..."
Francis: "I hate stories!"
Ellis: "Okay."

I can't wait!

 

[Red Scarlet]

Ellis: "Did I ever tell you guys about the time Keith and I..."
Francis: "I hate stories!"
Ellis: "Okay."

I can't wait!

Then Louis starts some trivia!

 

[Daigoro]

new content, sounds bought.

MAN i have been having the wort luck and have made ZERO progress over the last week. still trying to beat the Parish on Expert (only tried about 2 or 3 times in the last week though) and beat an Expert Realism campaign. last two achievements to get...

ive been to about the half way point on almost every campaign on Realism, but just hit a wall that cant be passed. the teams i have been paired up with have been mostly crap though, so thats not helping.

still having lots of fun though even though i havent gotten anywhere. not really frustrated, but it'd be nice to fiind a good team after this drought ive been going through.

also something slightly odd. has anyone else experienced the Director throwing 2 of the same type of infected at you at the same time?

i was helping a friend to Dead Center on expert the other day and on stage three we would get 2 smokers and 2 chargers spawn right next to each other over and over. twins!

hadnt really noticed that before, but it was painfully obvious during this run. happened quite a few times in a row.

 

[Red Scarlet]

Are you ever going to get it for the computer?

 

[xero273]

also something slightly odd. has anyone else experienced the Director throwing 2 of the same type of infected at you at the same time?

Had two chargers and two hunter spawn on dead center expert run.

 

[Red Scarlet]

Hell, last night, we had 3 Smokers!

2 at once, a 3rd about two seconds later in a corner.

I think I recorded it, lemme see.

 

[Daigoro]

yeah ill pick it up soon. i really wanted to upgrade my GPU before hand, but ill probably just get it soon and upgrade later. cant wait to play it on PC. the 360 version has been great though.

give me a shout it you see it on sale any time soon. ill hopefully get it before the end of the year.

 

[Mr Cola]

ive had 3 smokers and 3 hunters on two different occasions at the DK 4 crescendo on expert

 

[drizzle]

I doubt it will be 8v8 as they optimized the engine for a max of 8 players... would run really sluggish on some PCs / 360 with 16 players on the screen at once

That's stupid. I play 8v8 maps every single day on modded servers (on the PC). They somehow managed to fit 16 people on the regular vs maps, and it's a blast.

It's much more enjoyable (at least for me) than regular 4v4 matches. The chance that there are good people in both teams is much bigger, and if somebody ragequits, it's not such a big deal. And i'm playing mostly pugs along with one friend of mine, for gods sake.

It's a great idea for valve to officially patch it in.

 

[Sibylus]

http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?f=d&...30.718227,-87.95105&spn=2.781259,5.817261&z=8

Tinkered around with the google map some more, moved the path further into Louisiana to account for Swamp Fever and both Hard Rain being there, it roughly runs along a river near the eastern border of the state, a river that looks like it empties into the lakes surrounding New Orleans.

 

[Red Scarlet]

Well, there's an in-game map with 4 little squares going from Savannah to New Orleans, that's what I was talking about.

 

[xero273]

Well, there's an in-game map with 4 little squares going from Savannah to New Orleans, that's what I was talking about.

Is it that map in the beginning of dead center? I haven't really looked at that one.

 

[Red Scarlet]

This one:

There's 4 squares, but who knows if either of the middle two represent any of the 3 middle campaigns. But it could be the route they started to take.

 

[Sibylus]

Well, there's an in-game map with 4 little squares going from Savannah to New Orleans, that's what I was talking about.

The CEDA map with the safe zone markings? I am confuse.

Edit: Yea, that map.

 

[dragonlife]

The bronco or whatever with the melee weapons at the start/end of Hard Rain has a Louisiana license plate. That's the only one I've looked at though, but now I kind of want to look at each campaign. Shouldn't have shot it with a shotgun first, but it's LA.
http://redscarlet.paragonsigma.com/L4D/c4m5_milltown_escape0002.jpg[/im]

[/QUOTE]OMG, the guy that's playing Coach...

Best screen name ever :lol

 

[dLMN8R]

The Xbox 360 version sold 750K in the US in the first 2 weeks. Valve said they sold 2 million retail copies worldwide in 2 weeks. There were never more than 35K people playing on Steam concurrently even during the first week.

You think that 35,000 concurrent users can't possibly make up that number? Do some math.

If 50% of the customers who purchased the game play on average 1 hour per day, 20,000 average concurrent players = 20,000 * 24 * 2 customers.

That's 960,000 customers right there. And 50% at 1 hour per day is probably pushing it by an insane amount too.

 

[Feindflug]

Yesterday me and other 2 friends finally started the game (360 version) planning to beat the first campaign on advanced, the first two chapters were somewhat easy and dare to say far easier than the advanced mode in the first game but at the third chapter the difficulty got really brutal suddenly - almost no breaks between the zombie hordes and a lot of special infected acting and co-operating like I was playing against a super team at Versus..we spent almost an hour and a half trying to get to the safe house which I assume it will be after you close the alarm?! and when we got there after all this frustration in a solid state the host disconnected...yeah I know.

Is L4D2's advanced mode more difficult than the first game or is it just me? because what we played last night felt somewhat frustrating and nowhere as fun as the advanced mode in the first game.

 

[Red Scarlet]

Damage-wise it's the same, but there's all the new factors that make it feel tougher; ie the new types of infected, the combo attacks with them, not really knowing the maps inside and out, and stuff like that. Hordes on Dead Center 3 are almost constant, yeah. The new weapons and stuff help but it's got a lot to do with a lot of the new things you have to get accustomed to.

I mean, I think the first time I beat expert with people it took about 4.5 hours, and the other day some of us beat expert realism in about 1:15, and just now the expert I played was 3:40 or so. Everyone is still learning in this or that way, and I felt like the game was a lot tougher than 1, still do really.