Steam Client Gets Updated

Valve’s Steam client has received a brand new update:

Steam Client

• Fixed not correctly pausing any current downloads when launching a game
• Improved cache mounting checks. This should decrease the startup time when launching Garry’s Mod
• Fixed startup to only request info about apps once
• Fixed rare cache corruption caused by defragging
• Fixed vgui crash when hitting pageup/pagedown in a sectioned list-panel
• Fixed rare crash when downloading
• Fixed -voicerelay steam command line to actually force use of the relay

Steam Client Updated

Valve has released an update for their Steam client. This update adds lots of improvements and adds PtT (Push-to-Talk) function.

Steam Client

• Improved cache defragmenter to both defragment at the OS level and internal files
• Improved defrag progress dialog
• Improved download status reporting in games list
• Increased background update frequency
• Improved voice quality
• Added audio recording device selection for voice chat
• Added push-to-talk support for voice chat
• Fixed apps getting stuck at Updating 0% when downloading
• Fixed possible crash when resuming from Standby mode
• Fixed Steam preventing some PC’s from entering Standby mode
• Fixed overlay sometimes getting stuck up and not responding to hot-keys after server join
• Fixed uninstalled apps becoming installed when viewing their Properties page after Steam restart

Steam Gets Erected with GameCock

Valve’s ever increase Steam titles library will now feature games from Gamecock Media Group. Valve and Gamecock have tied up to provide games such as Legendary, Insecticide, Stronghold: Crusade on Steam.

Gamecock Media Group and Valve today announced an agreement to launch Gamecock titles on Steam. The first Gamecock titles available on Steam will be Firefly Studios’ Stronghold Crusader Extreme and Insecticide Part 1.

Additional Gamecock titles - including Insecticide Parts 2, Velvet Assassin, and Legendary - will be made available via Steam later this year.

Valve defends PC Gaming, Steam sales to overtake retail Valve sales in 3 months

Valve’s Steam sales are doing extremely well as the company announced their digital sales will soon take over retail sales:

Right now we’re seeing close to 200 per cent growth in the alternative ways of connecting with customers.

It will actually pass over in the next three months, how much of our business is coming from retail versus how much is coming from other channels.

Valve also defended PC gaming, it’s kinda long, read it up here.

Steam Down Worldwide [Updated]

Valve’s Steam service is currently down worldwide. Steam forums are currently hammered and you’ll be lucky if you can get this page loading:

http://forums.steampowered.com/forums/showthread.php?t=684843

Update: Everything back to normal.

Steam - New BETA Client Released

Valve has released a new BETA of their Steam client. To acquire the BETA, open your Steam client, go to Settings>BETA participation.

Changelog:

- Enabled ClearType fonts if they are enabled in Windows
- Improved in-game status and play time tracking for games with launcher apps
- Improved in-game overlay input handling in a variety of games that previously did not capture or block keyboard input correctly
- Added D3D10 support to the in-game overlay
- Made voice chat requests ignored if you’ve blocked communications from the caller
- Fixed the original Half-Life not getting to 100% complete downloading when it should
- Improved server selection logic for Friends and VAC server connections
- Improved Steam network connectivity in the face of dropped UDP packets

Steam Client Update Released

Valve has updated their Steam client. To apply the update, check for updates within your Steam client.

Steam Client

• Added the ability to block all communications from another user
  
• Added an option to timestamp friends messages
  
• Added an option to configure taskbar window flashing behavior on friends messages
  
• Added background detection of game updates while Steam is running
  
• Fixed backups failing for certain games, and made other improvements to it

Team Fortress 2 - Mega Update Coming Next Week

Using their Steam news section, VALVe has confirmed the update is due next week.

A major update for TF2 is due next week, adding an all new map, Goldrush, and new achievement-based weapons for the Medic. Pick up TF2 here and get ready.

Team Fortress 2 - Medic Unlocks/Goldrush Update

We reported last month that VALVe plans to release medic unlocks and Goldrush map this month. Ofcourse, with VALVe, you can never be sure of the release dates. Steam forum member sumowski contacted Valve, and got a reply from Robin Walker regarding the update:

And we repeat, with Valve, you can never be sure with the release dates. So take this e-mail with a grain of salt until you’re finally playing Goldrush map with Medic unlocks.