valve bits
HDR in the original Half-Life 2 (PC) - There was nothing concrete stated about the possibility of seeing the old Half-Life 2 maps updated with HDR effects. However, it could just be a “matter of time” before the maps are released for the PC version. Due to the programming similarities between the PC and 360 versions, it would actually be relatively easy to bring the 360’s HDR maps to the PC environment.
The problem lies in the size of the download. The addition of HDR would more than triple the size of each individual map, making for quite the hefty download. As it stands, Valve is currently evaluating their options and considering what might be the best method to allow persons to download the HDR enabled maps if they want them, and allows those who do not want them the option not to download the sizable content. That is, of course, if the HDR maps for Half-Life 2 do come to the PC.
64-bit Support - Essentially, the answer here is much along the same lines as the answer for why there are no significant DirectX 10 features in use. There just aren’t enough users to warrant a substantial investment of time and resources into creating a strong 64-bit option. This isn’t to say that 64-bit support is completely dead, but if the demand is there, and the number of persons using 64-bit continues to grow, Valve will invest more time into this area of development.
Dropping DirectX 7 Support - Again, much along the same lines as the 64-bit support and DirectX 10 support, only on the opposite end of the spectrum. At present, less than 5% of the Steam users run their game with DirectX 7 and the decision was made to cut DX7 support for future Source titles developed by Valve (Source). It’s just another example of how Valve is trying to focus on the majority of what their users are running, while still making strides to slowly advance their engine to keep up with the increases in graphical quality.
Linux Support - They have nothing official to state at this time about the support for Linux either with Steam or any Steam title.
Current Source Titles
Counter-Strike 2 - Officially, there is no Counter-Strike 2. That’s not to say there won’t be a CS2 at some point, but with the release of Team Fortress 2, the multiplayer cabals at Valve will try to strike a balance of work efforts between CS: Source, DoD: Source, Team Fortress 2, and their other current MP offerings.
While there may not officially be a Counter-Strike 2 in the works, brief glimmers of hope did emerge. If, a Counter-Strike 2 were to be created in the future, the team would like to take the same approach with it as they did with Team Fortress 2. The methods that I speak of deal with creation process of the game, not the art direction. They tried to keep the fundamental gameplay mechanics the same from TF2, but changed just enough that it felt fresh and new. If CS2 ever came to be, this is the approach they would use to create it. Keep things relatively familiar but offer up enough changes, enough additions that it would warrant the title of being called the sequel to the most popular online FPS ever.
HDR for Old CS: Source Maps - The HDR remakes of the CS: Source maps were put on the back burner given the activity surrounding the Orange Box development. Again, we may still yet see all of the past maps given the HDR treatment if things pick back up on the CS: Source development front now that attentions can be focused elsewhere for a bit.
I need to stress though, nothing has been confirmed for the HDR updates, or for the new maps for CS: Source, or for any bug fixes. Just keep those fingers crossed for new updates to hit in the coming months.
Steam and the Steam Community
”Light” Version of Steam - A number of people asked me to find out if there would ever be a “light” version of Steam. It would essentially be a stripped down version of Steam with absolutely no frills at all.
To those that asked about this, the answer is that Valve has no plans to offer up a “light” version of Steam. They firmly stand behind their work, and are constantly trying to improve upon it. The integration with Friends, the Steam community, and future titles almost tends to make it impossible to separate the components. Each area integrates with the other, and stripping out one feature would cause more harm than good over the long run.
They see great potential in the features being included with Steam, especially with the recent addition of the Steam Community. A few staff members stated that they don’t even use the game browser any more. They simply look to see if a friend is playing and opt to quickly connect to their server. That is the type of tight-knit community the developers are wishing to achieve across the board.
 |  |
