Valve looking for Linux testers

Valve are requiring the help of Linux users for the upcoming beta of Steam.  Valve are looking for 1000 testers to help out with their first Linux port of their extremely popular gaming client software.  Steam makes purchasing boxed games off the shelf a thing of the past and allows users to purchase/try games online and download them instantly.  One of the major advantages to this system is that games are updated regularly and there is no waiting period as delivery is simply as long as it takes for the users download to reach their computer.

The concept is nothing new, indeed Desura has had a native Linux application for a while now, however the games available for Linux compared to number for windows leaves users with a bad taste in their mouths.  However steam does offer a range of big name titles that Linux users have sadly been lacking.  That’s not to say that all of the games on Steam will be ported to Linux immediately, but as the early ports are Portal, Team Fortress 2, Serious Sam 3 BFE and Left 4 Dead 2 then this is enough to gain significant interest from the Linux gaming community.

If you would like to try and gain a place on Valve’s testing team then all you need to do is create an account at https://steamcommunity.com (if you don’t already have one) and fill out an online survey here

Valve are requiring the help of Linux users for the upcoming beta of Steam.  Valve are looking for 1000 testers to help out with their first Linux port of their extremely popular gaming client software.  Steam makes purchasing boxed games off the shelf a thing of the past and allows users to purchase/try games online and download them instantly.  One of the major advantages to this system is that games are updated regularly and there is no waiting period as delivery is simply as long as it takes for the users download to reach their computer.

The concept is nothing new, indeed Desura has had a native Linux application for a while now, however the games available for Linux compared to number for windows leaves users with a bad taste in their mouths.  However steam does offer a range of big name titles that Linux users have sadly been lacking.  That’s not to say that all of the games on Steam will be ported to Linux immediately, but as the early ports are Portal, Team Fortress 2, Serious Sam 3 BFE and Left 4 Dead 2 then this is enough to gain significant interest from the Linux gaming community.

If you would like to try and gain a place on Valve’s testing team then all you need to do is create an account at https://steamcommunity.com (if you don’t already have one) and fill out an online survey here

Valve looking for Linux testers

The Humble Bundle continues to expand

The Humble Bundle started back on the 4th of May 2010 and ran for seven days.  It offered five computer games from independent developers and was offered in a 'pay what you want' format. These were also available in cross platform formats, which gained notable excitement in the Linux world due to a lack of available games compared to the selection on offer to windows and mac users.  After the week was over and the money counted the bundle had made $1 million (US).  But this wasn't a venture that was fuelled by corporate greed, instead the proceeds were split between charities, game developers and the organisers (in the form of a 'Humble Tip').

Since then there has been several gaming bundles (including some focused on the Android platform) and on the 26th of July 2012 the first music bundle was launched, whilst not considered as big a success as the gaming bundles it still made over $400,000 during the period of sale.

Now as the organisers continue to expand their potential audience the first Humble eBook Bundle was launched on the 9th October 2012, this bundle is available until the 22nd of October.  The list of ebooks on offer are: Pirate Cinema (Cory Doctorow), Pump Six and Other Stories (Paolo Bacigalupi), Zoo City (Lauren Beukes), Invasion (Mercedes Lackey), Strange Things Happen and Magic for beginners (both by Kelly Link).

A recent 'reward' feature has been included to the bundles, which gives extra to those who pay above the average price.  This bundle is no different and those who donate that little bit extra will also receive Old Man's War (John Scalzi) and Signal to Noise (Neil Gaiman and Dave McKean).

Whether the ebook bundle will become a regular feature or simply a one time venture remains to be seen.  However it is good to see the organisers of the Humble Bundle are continuing to try new things and keep the franchise fresh.

Have you got any ideas for a future bundle? Drop them a line here.

The Humble Bundle started back on the 4th of May 2010 and ran for seven days.  It offered five computer games from independent developers and was offered in a 'pay what you want' format. These were also available in cross platform formats, which gained notable excitement in the Linux world due to a lack of available games compared to the selection on offer to windows and mac users.  After the week was over and the money counted the bundle had made $1 million (US).  But this wasn't a venture that was fuelled by corporate greed, instead the proceeds were split between charities, game developers and the organisers (in the form of a 'Humble Tip').

Since then there has been several gaming bundles (including some focused on the Android platform) and on the 26th of July 2012 the first music bundle was launched, whilst not considered as big a success as the gaming bundles it still made over $400,000 during the period of sale.

Now as the organisers continue to expand their potential audience the first Humble eBook Bundle was launched on the 9th October 2012, this bundle is available until the 22nd of October.  The list of ebooks on offer are: Pirate Cinema (Cory Doctorow), Pump Six and Other Stories (Paolo Bacigalupi), Zoo City (Lauren Beukes), Invasion (Mercedes Lackey), Strange Things Happen and Magic for beginners (both by Kelly Link).

A recent 'reward' feature has been included to the bundles, which gives extra to those who pay above the average price.  This bundle is no different and those who donate that little bit extra will also receive Old Man's War (John Scalzi) and Signal to Noise (Neil Gaiman and Dave McKean).

Whether the ebook bundle will become a regular feature or simply a one time venture remains to be seen.  However it is good to see the organisers of the Humble Bundle are continuing to try new things and keep the franchise fresh.

Have you got any ideas for a future bundle? Drop them a line here.

The Humble Bundle continues to expand