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"We stabbed it," Valve project manager Erik Johnson tells PC Gamer of the studio's apparent "flying fairy game," as Gabe Newell puts it. The conversation with Valve, which includes marketing director Doug Lombardi, provides revealing insight into the creative process of one of the most respected developers in the industry.

Described as an "action fantasy sort of role playing game" featuring fairies, the project went as far as a working prototype (with spells cast by mouse gesturing) and "it was so bad," says Newell. Still, it was "a useful failure," adds the Valve co-founder, "because It was so clearly dumb that it made us say, 'Okay, what are we actually good at that we can do instead?'" Cue the Zombie Apocalypse!

[Image credit: PC Gamer]

#left4dead Before Valve roped the gang at Turtle Rock to come on over and make Left 4 Dead, the Half-Life developer was working on something else. Something with...fairies. More »

#feature My obsessive-compulsive tics suggest less of a "personality" disorder and more of a "She's probably just crazy" disorder. More »

#huh Last week, The Amber Alert network released a truly WTF, fearmongering gun porn PSA tagged, "You don't need a gun to protect your kids." (But it does help). Because it's four people with assault rifles, you know what's next. More »

We've seen the Left 4 Dead SDK be used to create some truly impressive, zombie-infested levels, but this one might just take the cake. Three modders recently published a full-length, five-chapter campaign for Valve's original Zombocalypse survival sim, titled "I Hate Mountains" -- a quote from the game's lovable, vested contrarian, Francis.

The campaign, which took over one year to develop, takes players through a number of eerie, lovingly crafted environments, such as a lumber yard and a (likely structurally unsound) mansion. You can check out a trailer for I Hate Mountains after the jump, or download it from the mod's official website.

[Via Shacknews]

#stickers shysuiko enjoys drawing little Chibi versions of video game characters in her spare time. The style normally isn't my favourite, but when it's applied to Andrew Ryan and a Hunter from Left 4 Dead, I can come around. More »

#screengrab Left 4 Dead meets the Wizard of Oz, as seen at the "Character of the Week" contest at the ConceptArt.org forums via Super Punch. More »

#xbox360 Microsoft has laid out a good portion of the Xbox Live Marketplace release schedule for April, ensuring that no one will buy a copy of The Maw or Borderlands: The Zombie Island of Dr. Ned this week. More »

#screengrab Left 4 Dead Easter Eggs, made by a friend of Kotaku reader Jeff R. When the infected eggs start to rot I bet they smell like authentic zombie, too. Two more pictures on the jump. More »

#art Last year, Briton Ashley Browning gave the world a great set of minimalist video game character faces. Now, Justin Russo gives us minimalist video game...chests. More »

You might remember Turtle Rock Studios for its series of excellent Counter-Strike mods or for its work on Left 4 Dead -- a project the studio started in 2005 and only finished after being acquired and eventually absorbed by Valve. Though a majority of its staff now works for the PC gaming juggernaut, Turtle Rock's original CEO Michael Booth has revived the outfit and has begun to rebuild its team of developers.

Though we're as yet unsure what projects Turtle Rock is planning, we wish the team the best of luck. Not just because we've loved its games so far, but because we feel an immediate fondness for game developers named after dungeons from A Link to the Past.

Xbox.com has listed several new games as Platinum Hits, including Fable II (aka Game of the Year Edition), Halo Wars, Left 4 Dead, The Orange Box, Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts, Ninja Gaiden II, Kung-Fu Panda, Sonic's Ultimate Genesis Collection, Sonic The Hedgehog, and Sonic Unleashed. A Microsoft PR agent couldn't confirm the full list of new Platinum Hits (are we missing any above?), but said that if a game is listed as such on Xbox.com, it's a Platinum Hits title. The changes seem to have taken effect on major retailer sites, as GameStop and Amazon now reflect the discounted Platinum prices (if not always the the Platinum Hits branding), which range from $20-30. With Orange Box requiring only one Jackson ($20), it's now literally a crime to not own it. Conversely, if you're dead-set on committing a crime, buy someone Sonic The Hedgehog or Sonic Unleashed at $20 each. [Thanks, Stephen]

You've salivated over its pixelized undead for long enough, the day has finally come when you can play the retro, 8-bit version of Left 4 Dead that we first told you about in November. The free game is now branded Pixel Force: Left 4 Dead and is apparently the launching pad for a whole Pixel Force franchise forthcoming from creator Eric Ruth. You can feast your fingers on the two-player co-op action right here. [Via Blue's News]

Take a crash course in zombie apocalypse survival

Update: Looks like the issue is resolved as the DLC is now priced correctly. Also of note: 'Crash Course' is also now available on the PC!Rather than coasting onto Xbox Live Marketplace with ease, we regret to inform you that the new Left 4 Dead DLC 'Crash Course' has made an emergency landing. The DLC is currently listed for a more expensive 800 and not the promised 560, Major Nelson informs. If you're anxious to get your hands on the new content, just sit tight and try to relax. We wouldn't want you to lose your mind and do something you'd regret now, would we?

Rather than coasting onto Xbox Live Marketplace with ease, we regret to inform you that the new Left 4 Dead DLC 'Crash Course' has made an emergency landing. The DLC is currently listed for a more expensive 800 and not the promised 560, Major Nelson informs. If you're anxious to get your hands on the new content, just sit tight and try to relax. We wouldn't want you to lose your mind and do something you'd regret now, would we?

DLC over here! Valve has announced that, next Tuesday, fans of Left 4 Dead will get a new campaign to play. "Crash Course" will take place between the events of "No Mercy" and "Death Toll," providing a series of survival maps and a streamlined version of Versus mode on top of the new co-op campaign action. The DLC will be free for PC on September 29 ... and 560 ($7) for the Xbox 360 version. Did you hear: a true sequel will be out just 7 weeks later?

The Xbox 360 version of Left 4 Dead has received a title update. One visible effect of the patch is that total number of Achievements on the Achievement screen has been updated from 50 to 60. (You'll also notice that this blogger's point total was knocked down to zero. It's not that low, I swear.) The Infected HUD has also been improved to include special attack timers for each member of the Infected team. Very handy if you want to know when your best buddy will be able to spew on the hapless victim you've just ensnared. More than likely, the update is being rolled out in preparation for the impending "Crash Course" DLC, which is rumored to release September 23 (a.k.a. "tomorrow"). [Thanks, CJ. Via Hell Descent]

We'd love to have a psychiatrist take a shot at this one. What kinda dude says, "You know, the Mushroom Kingdom from Super Mario 64 is all very nice and whimsical, but what I'd really like to do is murder hordes of the undead in it. Oh, and I'd call it 'Mushroom Massacre'"? We're feigning being troubled by it, but, whatever the diagnosis, we're supremely glad people like DoritoClock, who made this particularly colorful Left 4 Dead map, exist. [Via GoNintendo]

Do the drapes match the carpet?