Once heralded as the future of gaming, the Steam Machine was supposed to break PC gaming into the same mainstream space as the PlayStation and Xbox. Now in the year 2018, six years after the introduction of the project, Steam has quietly removed the link to the page from their Steam storefront.

While the page still exists, any links to it have been removed. All of the fractured steam machines in total are said to have sold less than half a million units, seven months after they released. Many of the machines advertised have been out of stock perpetually for quite a while as well. This is in pretty stark contrast to other pieces of hardware that Valve is still working on, including the Steam Link and Steam Controller.

The Steam OS that launched with the Steam Machine is still being actively updated, having received a huge overhaul as recent as late January, where new graphics drivers and support for AMD graphics cards was added. Do you miss the Steam Machine? Let us know in the comments below.

Tripwire Interactive’s upcoming zombie based first person shooter is due for a launch for the PlayStation 4 sometime later this year. GamingBolt recently spoke with Alan Wilson who is the VP of Tripwire Interactive to check out how the PS4 version is shaping up.

Given that Killing Floor 2 is being developed with only one GPU specification, how did this helped the development team in optimization and performance?  “Well, having only one target does make things much simpler. We only have to test on one machine. On the PC, we build multiple min-spec machines and test on them. And on mid-range machines, with all flavors of CPU and GPU mixes. Makes testing MUCH more complex!,” Wilson said to GamingBolt.

“The base issue was getting Unreal  Engine 3 running on the platform. A lot of the base work had been done before, that we could pick up – but we’ve had to do a lot of engine-level work to get it all functioning. Once we get past all of that, its “just” shifting from CP with mouse and keyboard, to a console with controller – and all the design changes that drives for the new platform.”

Killing Floor 2 is shaping up to be a solid entry. We recently went hands on with the game. You can read our full impressions here.

I was able to play an online matchmaking version of the game, that doesn’t have any real story interspersed. I jumped into the mode and was immediately put into the middle of a level with other players who were all looking to kill as many Zeds as possible. It appears as though there may be some other modes that will put into Killing Floor 2 when the game goes live and one of those modes is an offline single player. Because I wasn’t able to actually check this mode out, it’s hard to know exactly what it might bring, but it’s possible a story mode is going to be inserted there.

"Considering how crazy the action can get at times, it shouldn’t surprise anyone if they go down fast and hard the first couple of times they play, especially if they are located near the entrance points for the Zeds."

What I was able to see was a game that certainly wasn’t all that different from the original Killing Floor. Of course, the designers of the game were very forthcoming in the fact that they weren’t offering something that different. What this game has that the original lacked was a more detailed and gruesome ways you can take care of your enemies. If you put one of these monsters in your crosshairs, the game will slow down so that you can see as you blow off their head or a limb.

Before each wave of Zeds comes on the attack there is a period of time when players can run to the a special portal where they can turn in their points and money to buy new weapons, all the better to kill monsters with. Obviously the more waves you play and the more zombies you take down, the better weapons you can grab while looking to suit up. If there is one place where the game seems to fall a little flat, it’s that the weapons that are offered don’t seem all that special. I’d love to see some guns that just take out an enemy in one shot or stand out among other FPS games. Perhaps this is something that’s coming in the finished product of Killing Floor 2 but it isn’t here just yet.

What is here is the ability to help your teammates in a way that makes actually having teammates worthwhile. The game in this regard kind of reminded me of something like Left 4 Dead in that you can go off on your own and fight whatever Zeds you can find. The better option is going to be to stay within eyesight of the other players in the game, so that if you go down, they can come in and help you heal.

Considering how crazy the action can get at times, it shouldn’t surprise anyone if they go down fast and hard the first couple of times they play, especially if they are located near the entrance points for the Zeds. There were a couple of times I tried to withdraw, after realizing I was way too close to the wave as it moved in. The nice thing about the AI of Killing Floor 2, is the Zeds actually seemed to see me and decide I was who they wanted to go after first. Once I got swarmed, there wasn’t much I could do except shoot as much as possible and hope a teammate was going to swoop in at some point.

"The build that I managed to play through was fun enough, and shooting the Zeds was entertaining enough."

One of the funniest parts of Killing Floor 2 is selecting who you are going to play a. There are a number of different characters to choose from; you can also change a little detail here or a little detail there to make your character stand out. There are still going to be some times when players find that everyone on their team is the same guy wearing the same gas mask, but at least there’s enough editing available that someone will be wearing a regular old gas mask and another will be wearing a mask that has the colors and design of a country’s flag.

All in all, the sneak peek I got of Killing Floor 2 didn’t allow me a long lingering look at what the game might be when it’s finished. At least I hope it didn’t because that would mean there isn’t a lot of there. The build that I managed to play through was fun enough, and shooting the Zeds was entertaining enough. The game has some serious replay ability, but there was also enough repetitive aspects that make me put down the controller and not pick up for quite a while. Perhaps that’s where the offline single player mode could come in handy. If there is even the semblance of a story mode there, it might be enough to intersperse with with the online multiplayer to make the game more attractive.

Killing Floor 2 is an upcoming first person shooter that can be played alone or cooperatively with up to six players. Players will fight against waves of  zombie like specimens, known as Zeds. The game is currently set for a launch on PC and PlayStation 4. GamingBolt recently got the chance to speak to Alan Wilson who is the VP of Tripwire Interactive, the developers behind the game.

Alan confirmed that they are targeting 1080p and 60 frames per second on the PS4 version but he is not sure whether they will be able to achieve it. “Its a TARGET. Will we achieve it? Don’t know – but we’ve already got the game running on a pretty broad spectrum of hardware on the PC,” he said.

He also revealed that a Xbox One version will probably come along sometime in the future. “Oh, it most likely will. Just that Sony were far easier to work with, had been on the ball for a long time, helping us along. And Microsoft didn’t. So it goes to PS4 first (and exclusively).” He termed the possibility of an Xbox One version as highly probable.

So it seems that Killing Floor 2 will will be a timed console exclusive for the PS4 and we will see a Xbox One version sometime in the future.

Stay tuned for our full interview with Alan Wilson in the coming days.

Valve has been conspicuously silent for about a year now, which has had some people fuming- you see, Valve announced their entry into the hardware market, which would be Linux based living room PCs, the Steam Machines, as well as the Steam Controller, the Steam OS, and a variety of other such initiatives to lead their assault into the living room. But then, in typical Valve fashion, all of this was delayed, and Valve itself disappeared behind the curtains, and we haven’t heard a peep from them since.

That may be all about to change, as it appears Valve is finally ready to show its hand again- they have just announced and confirmed that they will be showing a variety of hardware at GDC this year; said hardware ill include, they have confirmed, Steam Machines, the final form of the Steam Controller (which has undergone multiple revisions at this point), as well as a hitherto unannounced Steam VR headset that they have been working on all this while.

That’s not even all- capitalizing on their breaking the silence, Valve also seized this chance to trumpet some numbers. Such as the fact that the active Steam userbase now consists of 125 million users (active userbase indicating that these users logged in at least once within the last 30 days), while the service now has 4,500 games on offer- in both these metrics, Valve is offering far more than any of the consoles currently on the market.

Stay tuned to GamingBolt, because we will keep you posted on Valve’s endeavors.

Like their other works before this, Killing Floor 2, which is running on a modified build of Unreal Engine 3, is also going to be published by Tripware Interactive and it is expected to launch in March of 2015 when it is released on PC, the Steam OS and PlayStation 4.

• 1. Development
• 2. Story
• 3. Gameplay
• 4. Characters

Development

Following the release of their popular, well reviewed and multi award winning first person shooter, Red Orchestra 2 in 2011, Tripwire Interactive has been focusing heavily on developing the squeal to their 2009 hit game, Killing Floor.

Bill Munk, one of Tripwire Interactive founders as well as being the games creative director and senior animator has said that “Red Orchestra is realism. Killing floor is coolism”. The developers are working on making the game as gory as they can by making each and every wound inflicted upon your enemies unique and gruesome. He goes on to say, “Killing Floor is a simple game,” says Munk. “You have weapons. You see something that looks messed up. And you kill it. You get money for doing it and you buy better weapons. Rinse and repeat. The more enjoyable that small little loop is, the more successful the game is.”

To this end, Tripwire are developing a system dedicated to making the game as visceral as possible. The “gore system” is called MEAT, which stands for the “Massive Evisceration And Trauma” system. This is made all the more impressive when you consider that each enemy has 95 death animations that are divided into specific bodily kill zones, the head, neck, chest, stomach and appendages.

While details remain sparse, Munk has said that there is “mocap for everything”. This includes motion captured weapons, movements and even melee combat for both first and third person views.

Unlike Killing Floor, which was first developed and released as a mod for Unreal Tournament 2004, Killing Floor 2 is a game that has been built and developed from the ground up. John Gibson, president and co-founder of Tripwire has said, “[Killing Floor 2] is the first time we’ve been able to develop a game from start to finish with what I would call a reasonable size staff and a reasonable size budget.”

Whilst Killing Floor’s staff was known to be lower, Killing Floor 2’s development team is now comprised of 50 staff members and their readying the game for Steam Early Access.

Story

Killing Floor 2 takes place in Europe (Paris, France is a confirmed locale) during a time when a viral outbreak has began to spread and carries with it an “unstoppable momentum”. The player is dropped into this world where society has fallen into chaos, government has dissolved and armed forces are missing.

Gameplay

The game is played predominantly from a first person perspective, but with the game being motion captured for both a first and third person view it’s possible that the player can swap between the two.

The game is largely a shooter but contains elements of melee combat, both of which are used to combat the oncoming hordes of “zeds”. Infected humans and creatures that will attack you relentlessly.

Some Zeds are more “class” based, similar to the way Left 4 Dead enemies are. An example of this would be the “bloat” and the “fleshpound” that reflect Left 4 Dead’s “boomers” and “tanks” respectively.

Weapons all have perks and upgrades that can be applied which will aid you in your fight for survival against the Zeds, the weapons confirmed thus far are pistols, rifles and shotguns.

Characters

At this time, a character roster hasn’t been published.

Note: This wiki will be updated once we have more information about the game.

The community funded and rather fun looking racing sim, Project CARS (which stands for Community Assisted Racing Simulator) that is currently in development by the folks over at Slightly Mad Studios has some absolutely glorious looking 4K footage online for all to see. It’s uncommon to see video game footage online at 108op, even more uncommon to see 1440p. But when it hits the staggering 4K mark, you best sit down and pay attention.

The Project CARS footage shows a race between various Ford Focus RS’s (there’s a Renault in there too somewhere) on what is presumably a course called Azure Coast. We get to see some nice panning shots of the action unfolding, a perfect inside line overtake at around the 1:04 mark and an awesome cockpit view scene where we get rammed. Given that Project Cars will support the Oculus Rift VR headset, this game has the potential to be something truly special indeed.

You can get your hands on Project Cars on Microsoft Windows,PlayStation 4, Xbox One in November 2014 and on Wii U and the Steam OS at some time in 2015.

We all expect mind numbing stories and gameplays so immersive that we know not when to stop, particularly nowadays courtesy the fact that so many game ideas have been subjected to the ‘rinse repeat’ formula. Nonetheless, every once a while we all need a little something to let our eyes feast upon. So the following list of the upcoming games of 2014 is just for those of you folk who stop playing the game for a bit and go nuts over how ravishing those dust particles floating about in the sunlight streaming through the tiny crack in the dark room look while your character takes brutal blows from an Ogre’s cudgel, or how amazingly intricate the huge fissure on the mountain 700 feet away from you looks while you’re falling down to your death.

25. Project CARS

Coming out in late 2014, this title from Slightly Mad Studios is to be released on a number of platforms including the Steam OS. Project CARS promises a beautiful and enriching racing simulation experience. This game is at par with the graphical standards being set with every passing day.

In our on going coverage of Project CARS, GamingBolt recently had a chance to speak to Slightly Mad Studios, developer behind the stunning racer which was recently announced to be releasing on the PS4 and Xbox One in late 2014. A lot has changed for the studio since that announcement, with the visuals of the game being compared to the likes of Forza Motorsport 5 and Drive Club. Creative Director Andy Tudor has his own thoughts on what to do with all that power though, specifically with the PS4.

On being asked if there was a challenge in development due to different CPU threads and GPU compute units in the PS4, Tudor stated that, “It’s been challenging splitting the renderer further across threads in an even more fine-grained manner – even splitting already-small tasks into 2-3ms chunks. The single-core speed is quite slow compared to a high-end PC though so splitting across cores is essential.

“The bottlenecks are mainly in command list building – we now have this split-up of up to four cores in parallel. There are still some bottlenecks to work out with memory flushing to garlic, even after changing to LCUE, the memory copying is still significant.”

As for the console’s other features, such as the Share button, Tudor confirmed that the studio has plans for the same. “As you’ll have seen from our YouTube presence, the gameplay videos and trailers people have been making so far are getting millions of views so being able to share or stream your proudest moments direct from the game either via Twitch or Upload Studio are pretty engaging features.”

Project CARS will arrive for PC, SteamOS, Wii U, Xbox One and PS4 in Q3/Q4 2014.

When Valve announced their plans for their own take on the console concept with their Steam Machines powered by the Steam OS, there was some confusion: Steam OS was a variant of Linux, and while a fair few PC games now get Linux ports (or well, more of them do than they used to before), mostly every PC game is not on the OS. So how was Valve planning on making their Steam OS and Steam Machine credible?

There answer was Steam Streaming, which would allow your Steam Machine to stream games from your local Windows PC, letting it do all the heavy lifting, and now they have explained the concept a bit more.

“Any two computers in a home can be used to stream a gameplay session and this can enable playing games on systems that would not traditionally be able to run those games. For example, a Windows only game could be streamed from a Windows PC to a Steam Machine running Linux in the living room. A graphically intensive game could be streamed from a beefy gaming rig in the office to your low powered laptop that you are using in bed. You could even start a game on one computer and move to a more comfortable location and continue playing it there.”

So that sounds good, but later on in this Q&A, they also reveal that while the client PC is being used to stream the game to the Steam Machine, you can’t use it for anything else, which… basically means you are using two machines to play a game when you could just use one.

I don’t know, I’m not sold yet. The whole concept doesn’t seem to be really well thought out to me. Perhaps Valve should instead have worked on creating a set of cheap APIs that would allow for easy porting to Linux?

[PC Gamer]