Valve’s return to releasing games kicks off November 28 with ‘Artifact’
Artifact, Valve's Dota 2 trading card game, arrives on November 28 on PC, Mac, and Linux for $20. At launch, the game will have 280 cards which can be bought and sold over the Steam Community Marketplace. Artifact is Valve's first game in five years, marking a return to Valve's commitment to making games.
Valve bans Steam game that was installing cryptocurrency mining malware
A cheap Steam game called Abstractism appeared to be infecting users' computers with a program that mines cryptocurrency. Valve has since removed it from Steam and banned the developer for shipping unauthorized code and intentionally tricking players into buying fake in-game items.
Steam’s revamped chat client makes it easier to game with friends
Steam's overhauled chat client has exited beta and is available now for all users. The client adds group chat, channels, encrypted voice chat, and sharing of inline GIFs and videos. The overall user interface is drastically improved and resembles Discord, the leading gaming chat app.
New Steam chat system adds group chats, video, and GIF support
Valve has made its first major update to the Steam chat client in a long time and has taken big strides in modernizing the experience. New encrypted voice chat and group chat functions are welcome, but with stiff competition from the likes of Discord, you have to wonder whether it's too little too late.
Slay creatures at high resolutions when ‘Monster Hunter World’ hits PC in August
Capcom will be releasing Monster Hunter World for PC through Steam on August 9, and those who pre-order the game will receive a few free bonus items. The Steam version will make use of the controversial Denuvo DRM software, which has caused performance issues in some other PC games.
Tear it up on Mars in ‘Red Rover,’ the driving sim built on NASA data
During the festive holiday season in 2016, Alan Chan spent his week’s vacation time off work exploring Mars. In virtual reality, at least. And thanks to his hard work, now you can too. Here's how one intrepid developer turned space images into our most immersive look at the Red Planet yet.
Ready your credit cards: The Steam Summer Sale has arrived
The Steam Summer Sale has fittingly arrived on the first day of summer, bringing deals on hundreds upon hundreds of games both old and new. The sale runs until July 5, so don't be too terribly concerned with the load times on the site right now. We've highlighted a handful of great games on sale.
Valve will stop regulating Steam, save for illegal content, straight up trolling
Valve Software said it will stop regulating Steam save for policing illegal content and "straight up trolling." Steam is going back to its roots, allowing customer choice and the ability to filter out games they don't want to see. Developers will have the freedom to sell mostly anything.
E3 Giveaway: Enter to win a new gaming PC, PlayStation 4, or $100 Steam gift card
This year's E3 officially kicks off in Los Angeles on Tuesday, June 12, and to celebrate the festivities, Digital Trends is giving its readers a chance to win one of three awesome prizes. Enter now for a chance to win a new gaming PC, PlayStation 4, or $100 Steam gift card.
Apple rejection means you can’t play Steam games on your iPhone after all
Apple has rejected Valve's Steam Link game streaming application as part of its approval process for App Store inclusion. That means that for the time being, if you want to stream your Steam library to your mobile handset or tablet, you will have to have an Android device, as the Steam Link app is not available on iOS.
Gamers aren’t convinced by Windows Mixed Reality headsets
Steam gamers aren't convinced that Windows Mixed Reality headsets are a viable alternative to the more established Oculus Rift and HTC Vive headsets. After months on sale, just 5 percent of all VR users are wearing WMR hardware, and those numbers have been falling over the past few months.
You can soon stream your Steam PC games to Android, iPhone, Apple TV
Valve Software plans to launch its Steam Link app later this month for Android, iOS, and tvOS. It allows PC gamers to stream their library of Steam games over the local network to smartphones, tablets, set-top-boxes, and Android-powered TVs. Valve is also releasing a Steam Video app this summer.
Start saving up: Steam’s Summer Sale will reportedly begin June 21
The start date for Steam's annual Summer Sale appears to have been leaked. If correct, the sale will begin on June 21 and run until July 5. It typically offers steep discounts on a wide selection of games, including indie titles, as well as AAA releases from several different publishers.
‘Beat Saber’ becomes highest-rated Steam game on Star Wars Day
Beat Saber, a new VR title for Oculus Rift and HTC Vive, has become the highest rated Steam game of all-time a few days after launch. Although not affiliated with the Star Wars franchise, the inspiration is clear, and Beat Saber just so happened to accomplish this mighty feat on Star Wars day.
‘PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds’ disables key feature to stop re-sellers
PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds has temporarily disabled personal item trading after it was discovered that third-party re-selling sites were abusing the system. No date has been given for its return, but developer PUBG Corporation is hoping to develop a new system that can't be abused the same way.
Steam beta adds support for the Nintendo Switch Pro Controller
Digital game platform Steam added support for the Nintendo Switch Pro Controller to the beta version of its client, allowing players to use the gamepad with their library of PC games. The controller is fully configurable and preset layouts made by community members are also available.
Blockchain-based GLN hopes to challenge Steam and Apple gaming platforms
Over the years, there have been many challenges seeking to take Steam's throne as the leader in PC gaming distribution. Now, a blockchain-based startup is hoping it can use the new technology to provide an alternative to Steam.
Ryo Hazuki returns as ‘Shenmue I & II’ launches on PS4, Xbox One, and PC in 2018
The beloved martial arts adventure series Shenmue is being re-released on Playstation 4, Xbox One, and PC in 2018. The original games were released on the Sega Dreamcast console in 1999 and 2001, where they gained a passionate following. Watch as martial artist Ryo Hazuki avenges the death of his father.
Steam privacy changes make purchase-tracking service Steam Spy useless
Changes to privacy settings for Steam users have automatically hidden their game libraries from the public by default, effectively putting an end to the purchase-tracking service Steam Spy. Previously, this data was available to the public and could be used for calculating a game's sales.
Robot Cache’s blockchain-based service could change how you buy games
Robot Cache, an upcoming game distribution platform based on blockchain, has partnered with game publishers including THQ Nordic.
Get your zSilver ready: Razer now has it’s own online game store
Razer introduced the Razer Game Store, a new digital distribution platform selling keys for Steam and Uplay.
Gabe Newell says Valve currently has multiple games in development
Valve has spent years focusing on hardware and Steam, but co-founder Gabe Newell says the studio now has several games in development including the Dota 2-themed card game Artifact.
‘Bitcoin Tycoon’ lets anyone experience the joyless grind of crypto mining
Remember Rollercoaster Tycoon? Imagine a game like that, but instead of building a theme park full of thrilling rollercoasters, you decorate a basement and fill it with Bitcoin mining equipment.
Free Pluto VR chat and messaging app for gamers enters Early Access on Steam
A new virtual reality application called Pluto hopes to become the Discourse of VR, letting gamers chat and communicate across a variety of games and experiences.
The creator of ‘Diablo’ is developing an indie dungeon crawler by himself
David Brevik, the creator of Diablo, has revealed It Lurks Below, a rogue-like action RPG developed entirely by himself.
Hunt demons with us as we live-stream the ‘Hunt: Showdown’ closed alpha
Join Digital Trends as we check out the Hunt: Showdown closed alpha and try to hunt demons, claim bounties, sling guns, and not get killed by other players who will try to steal our prize.
The best demos, betas, and free-to-play games you can try this weekend
Here are all of the exciting demos, betas, and free games coming up this weekend, offering hours of entertainment on a budget.
The big bad banhammer is about to drop on more than 100,000 ‘PUBG’ cheaters
After analyzing millions of players' data, the PUBG team has identified more than 100,000 cheaters who will be banned permanently from the game.
Steam saw more than 7,500 titles added to its library throughout 2017
Steam Spy reports that more than 7,500 games published to Steam during 2017, up from 4,207 games added during the previous year.
The official YouTube VR app is here … with mixed results
Google has launched the official YouTube VR app into Steam Early Access, but a number of early testers are not happy.
We know when ‘PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds’ will exit early access
PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds coming out of Early Access soon, and the new desert map is playable on the game's test server.
‘SoulCalibur VI’ will blaze onto Steam, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One in 2018
During the 2017 Game Awards, Bandai Namco revealed the next installment in the Soulcalibur series: Soulcalibur VI. It's slated for 2018.
New THQ Nordic horror game ‘Fade to Silence’ hits Steam ahead of The Game Awards
Just before the 2017 Game Awards, THQ Nordic launched a new survival game on Steam's Early Access platform called Fade to Silence.
You’ll need to sell your Bitcoin if you want to buy games with it on Steam
Valve has cut off Bitcoin as a payment method for Steam, meaning you'll need to sell your coins if you want to use them on the platform.