ValveTime.net | Valve News, Forums, Steam

A new Steam update released earlier today has finally introduced the promised Steam Music desktop interface, allowing users to access their favourite albums and songs using Steam without having to access Big Picture. Originally released into a Steam Client Beta in early February 2014, Steam Music allows users to interact with their music collection without having to alt-tab to an external program or having to exit a game.


The Steam Music interface can now be accessed via the new "Music" Library tab or the Steam Overlay, something previously only possible while using the controller-friendly Big Picture Mode. Music can then be shuffled, skipped, paused, or changed all together. It's been a long time coming, and it definitely brings Steam one step closer to becoming a fully fledged multi-media platform. Steam Music is currently still in a closed invite-only beta, but the announcement page has revealed beta invitations will soon be made available for all Steam users, meaning a full release is likely right around the corner.

Today's Steam Client Beta update also introduced several other neat improvements, including changes to the Game Library interface (games can now be assigned to more than one category and multiple games can now be selected at the same time using Shift+Click and Ctrl+Click), increased performance for Steam's embedded web browser, and a variety of fixes for In-Home Streaming and the Big Picture Mode. This update has also concluded support for the Mac OS X 10.5 operating system, so make sure you upgrade if you haven't already.

While not officially mentioned, a new design for the Steam Controller has also been found within the updated files (Steam\tenfoot\resource\images\library folder). As shown below, the new design appears to feature a new analog stick beside the two track pads the Steam Controller has become known for. It's likely Valve aren't quite ready to talk about this latest prototype right now, but it would definitely explain why the controller's release has been pushed back until at least 2015.


For a more detailed look at the changes introduced with this new Steam Client Beta update, check out the official changelog or the desktop interface announcement post over on the Steam Music community group. If you want a closer look at the Big Picture version of the Steam Music interface, be sure to head on over to our now-slightly-outdated ValveTime Spotlight episode on the subject!

After months of build-up and some extremely unpredictable Playoffs, The International 2014 tournament concluded earlier today after a Best-Of-5 grand final between NewBee and Vici Gaming. NewBee rose to dominance throughout Phase Three of the Playoffs, joining Vici in the Upper Bracket at the start of the main event.

During the grand final, NewBee continued to dominate the competition to head straight into the grand final before beating Vici Gaming 3-1 in the Best-Of-5 series. Winning The International 2014 has secured NewBee $5,028,308, while runner-ups Vici Gaming will be taking home 1,475,699. While this year's final wasn't quite as exciting as The International 2013 finals, it was still one hell of a tournament, and we're already looking forward to next year. The result of the tournament results can be found here.

Congratulations NewBee!

Even with The International 2014 well underway, Dota 2 hasn't quite managed to fully steal the spotlight away from Team Fortress 2 and Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, both of which still received substantial updates this past week!

Don't forget to subscribe to our YouTube channel, to follow us on Facebook and Twitter, and to rate our Dota 2 Announcer Pack positively over on the Steam Workshop. Thanks for watching!

We're heading back in time further than we've ever gone before for Episode 3 of ValveTime Database, as we use never-before-seen screenshots and insight from Valve employees to take an in-depth look at Valve's first cancelled title, the fabled "Prospero".

If you're looking to check out the Prospero screenshots for yourself, check out the album at the bottom of this post. Don't forget to subscribe to our YouTube channel, to follow us on Facebook and Twitter, and to check out previous episodes of ValveTime Database! Thanks for watching!

Today, Valve announced a new partnership with sports network ESPN which will see The International 2014 tournament broadcast live on the company's multi-screen sports network, ESPN3. Additional content will be available on ESPN2 on Sunday evening as the grand finale moves closer.

All four days of the main event will be broadcast live on ESPN3, a channel accessible online via WatchESPN.com, the WatchESPN tablet app, and television streaming services such as Apple TV, Xbox Live, Chromecast, and Amazon Fire TV. On Sunday evening at 8:30pm PDT, a special broadcast on ESPN2 will feature a preview of the tournament's grand final, special player interviews, and an exclusive talk with Gabe Newell.

While ESPN as a sports network is usually more focused on Major League Baseball, the NFL, and the NBA, Valve's Erik Johnson believes this new shift comes as a response to eSports, such as Dota 2, becoming more widely recognised as "traditional" sports with true mainstream appeal.
As the event with the biggest prize pool in history, it feels fitting that The International will become one of the few eSporting events to be broadcast live on a mainstream sporting network, and it's definitely a step in the right direction for the eSporting scene as a whole. Don't forget, you can also spectate the entire event live within the DotaTV client or via Valve's livestreams on TwitchTV and the Dota 2 website.