NeoGAF

Shamrock · (12-11-2007, 09:45 PM)

So valve doesn't do a very good job keeping the 360 community updated on the steam forums about patches or maps coming etc... so I shot a email over to Gabe Newell asking him if he took my Orange box money and skipped town on my ass.:lol

Got a response back today.

Quote:

Hello Shamrock,

I am part of the Xbox 360 development team here at Valve, so Gabe
forwarded your message to me. I'm very sorry to hear that you feel we
have "skipped town" and deserted our customers on the 360 - I personally
visit several Orange Box forums and try to post when I have time, but
it's clear from your experience that we aren't reaching enough of the
community. That said, I'd be happy to answer your questions here.

We do have a new update coming out - in fact, it's going to Microsoft
for certification today. There's about a 10-14 day certification time,
so you should be seeing it before Christmas. The update fixes several
game-play exploits, improves bandwidth usage, improves stats reporting,
and fixes some menu bugs. Most of the fixes that are in this update are
in response to forum posts from both the PC and 360, and from direct
in-game feedback from players. (Yes, we actually have several people who
regularly play TF2 on the 360 and collect feedback from the players.
It's a tough job, but someone has to do it.)

We are currently working on new maps, and we are planning to release
them as downloadable content for the 360. I don't know what the
schedule will be for that - new maps will likely be released
individually on the PC as they're ready, and then we'll offer them as a
single pack on the 360. We're currently testing a new map that's
extremely fun, and we can't wait for our customers to try it out.

We are always interested in what the community has to say, and will
continue to support TF2 on all platforms. I personally work with the
360 version on a daily basis, and will continue to do so until we feel
that the product is the best it can be.

Best,

Kerry Davis
Software Engineer
Valve

DevelopmentArrested · (12-11-2007, 09:46 PM)

Pretty shitty that it takes 2 goddamn months to put out a patch.
Most if not all players have moved onto CoD4 by now.

CajoleJuice · (12-11-2007, 09:47 PM)

Good to see 360 owners of the Orange Box not getting completely shafted.

epmode · (12-11-2007, 09:48 PM)

Yayay new maps!

Visualante · (12-11-2007, 09:48 PM)

Props to Valve. They're pros so it will probably glide through Microsoft's minefield of certification.

SpudBud · (12-11-2007, 09:48 PM)

Good news!

BenjaminBirdie · (12-11-2007, 09:48 PM)

Originally Posted by DevelopmentArrested:

Pretty shitty that it takes 2 goddamn months to put out a patch.
Most if not all players have moved onto CoD4 by now.

I think anyone who feels that CoD4 can replace TF2 isn't really worth playing TF2 with. Just because they both have guns doesn't make them even remotely similar experiences.

MrNyarlathotep · (12-11-2007, 09:48 PM)

Quote:

There's about a 10-14 day certification time,
so you should be seeing it before Christmas

That's an 'optimistic best case scenario timeframe' for certification, from what I've heard about MS certification.

Not that them being thorough about bug testing is a bad thing, but in other examples of content being sent for certification its been 3-4 weeks turnaround.

BeeDog · (12-11-2007, 09:49 PM)

So I gather the maps will be free for PC and released when they're done (like DoD:S), and priced DLC for 360?

Dr. Kitty Muffins · (12-11-2007, 09:49 PM)

I just bought my brother (shaowebb at GAF) Orange Box for the 360 and gave it to him today for his birthday.

He mainly wanted the game for Portal.

CajoleJuice · (12-11-2007, 09:49 PM)

Originally Posted by BenjaminBirdie:

I think anyone who feels that CoD4 can replace TF2 isn't really worth playing TF2 with. Just because they both have guns doesn't make them even remotely similar experiences.

I'm pretty sure DA thinks COD4 can replace anything and everything.

Shamrock · (12-11-2007, 09:50 PM)

Originally Posted by MrNyarlathotep:

That's an 'optimistic best case scenario timeframe' for certification, from what I've heard about MS certification.

Not that them being thorough about bug testing is a bad thing, but in other examples of content being sent for certification its been 3-4 weeks turnaround.

I think whats most important here is that at least now we know they are supporting the game. For whatever reason they have not released any info and have ignored these type of questions on their forums. At least now I know something is coming and don't have to trade in the game.

Herpes Reasons · (12-11-2007, 09:50 PM)

please please let it be as good as dustbowl. i hate attack and defend.

Hunter D · (12-11-2007, 09:51 PM)

Good work Shamrock. Hope they make it easier to rocket jump on the 360.

BrettBullet · (12-11-2007, 09:52 PM)

Oh....good news! Thanks for the update.

It is a long time coming, however....especially considering how unbearably laggy online play usually is.

DevelopmentArrested · (12-11-2007, 09:53 PM)

Originally Posted by CajoleJuice:

I'm pretty sure DA thinks COD4 can replace anything and everything.

Including YOU!

Hey TF2 is great but people move onto other experiences when the game is such an utter lag fest. Hell, I put 25 hours into TF2 in the first week.

New Maps will help too.

Dartastic · (12-11-2007, 09:54 PM)

Maybe this would matter if anyone was actually playing the thing. I jumped online today, and there were less than 50 people playing, total. I really want to play it too. I'm probably going to wind up picking up TF2 for PC, which sucks because that's another 30 bucks, gone. =(

h3ro · (12-11-2007, 09:56 PM)

So bascially PS3 gets nothing... sad face...

chase · (12-11-2007, 09:56 PM)

Glad to hear about the menu bugs being fixed and netcode improvements.

Hopefully there'll be a new CTF map.

Masta_Killah · (12-11-2007, 09:57 PM)

Originally Posted by DevelopmentArrested:

Pretty shitty that it takes 2 goddamn months to put out a patch.
Most if not all players have moved onto CoD4 by now.

A sad truth. I'll go back to tf2 though if it gets more maps and support. TF2 is really well balanced and I like the faster, arcadey gameplay.

Imperial Hot · (12-11-2007, 09:58 PM)

Did anyone expect Valve to NOT support a game they made?

If there is any company that you can trust when it comes to supporting their games, it is Valve.

Shamrock · (12-11-2007, 10:02 PM)

Originally Posted by snack:

Did anyone expect Valve to NOT support a game they made?

If there is any company that you can trust when it comes to supporting their games, it is Valve.

I always believed valve was going to support their game. However they do a really bad job of letting people know that. 1000's of people already traded the game because it was kind of a mess online. Had Valve reacted quicker and got a message like this out to the community then maybe more people hold off trading it in and wait for the patch.

It's kind of obvious valve is not used to the console market because they should know if a game is buggy and no one gives any answers about it being fixed then the community trades the game in for store credit. PC gamers don't really have that option where a purchase is more permanent.

Kingpen · (12-11-2007, 10:03 PM)

wow, holy shit is this good timing.... I've been really down on team fortress 2 so much the past few days from dealing with the lag that I was contemplating selling the game. Glad they are patching it again, as I think when it is lag free, it is one of the funnest multiplayer FPS out there...

I'll just wait it out for the patch...

Slavik81 · (12-11-2007, 10:05 PM)

Originally Posted by BeeDog:

So I gather the maps will be free for PC and released when they're done (like DoD:S), and priced DLC for 360?

Microsoft cannot charge for DLC that is free on other platforms. They made that policy themselves.

No_Style · (12-11-2007, 10:08 PM)

Excellent news about the new maps! :D

C'mon make it happen around X-mas time for PC, Valve.

Shamrock · (12-11-2007, 10:09 PM)

Originally Posted by Slavik81:

Microsoft cannot charge for DLC that is free on other platforms. They made that policy themselves.

Well I wonder if that policy was in place before BattleStation Midway came out, because I sure as hell paid for their maps when the PC version got the same content for free.

derder · (12-11-2007, 10:09 PM)

Originally Posted by BenjaminBirdie:

I think anyone who feels that CoD4 can replace TF2 isn't really worth playing TF2 with. Just because they both have guns doesn't make them even remotely similar experiences.

I think the only people who could see them as the same game are 360 owners. Bit of a pickle, I'd say.

D3VI0US · (12-11-2007, 10:15 PM)

Good news if the price is right...

h3ro · (12-11-2007, 10:23 PM)

Originally Posted by snack:

Did anyone expect Valve to NOT support a game they made?

If there is any company that you can trust when it comes to supporting their games, it is Valve.

Who is going to be doing support for the PS3 version?

chubigans · (12-11-2007, 10:24 PM)

Originally Posted by h3ro:

Who is going to be doing support for the PS3 version?

Someone email Gabe. But don't put PS3 in the header, or it'll get junked before he even reads it.

Edag Plata · (12-11-2007, 10:25 PM)

Originally Posted by CajoleJuice:

Good to see 360 owners of the Orange Box not getting completely shafted.

I don't think 360 owners have to worry about being the ones who are shafted.

SnakeXs · (12-11-2007, 10:26 PM)

Originally Posted by Edag Plata:

I don't think 360 owners have to worry about being the ones who are shafted.

Getting a little less shafted than someone else doesn't mean you're not being shafted too.

Mashing · (12-11-2007, 10:28 PM)

Patches. I never thought I'd see the day console games have to be patched to fix bugs.

I suppose you could argue that it's better than not fixing the bugs, but then I would say to that: fix them during development and QA.

Dark FaZe · (12-11-2007, 10:30 PM)

Sounds good although i've given up hope for a decent TF2 experience on the 360. The fanbase has played it, and there was a time where everyone was hopping on to give it a try. A lot of the guys just saw the lag, said holy shit and just went on to enjoy the other parts of The Orange Box and played other multiplayer games. Hopefully this fixes it though. I've never understood how devs could release a game with such horrific lag. It seems like it would be so easy to test.

chubigans · (12-11-2007, 10:30 PM)