QuakeCon Links and a new preview - 8/8/07

Haven't been keeping up with the barrage of information from QuakeCon? Let's get the bad out of the way first: Left 4 Dead will be released in early 2008. Take your time, let it all out. Take deep breaths. I know it hurts, but suck it up, soldier! It's not all bad - on top of having more time to make the most kick-ass game possible, Turtle Rock Studios is aiming for a simultaneous XBox 360 and PC launch which would be very cool. We can hope for some cross-platform play (which we've heard nothing about). Here's what was released:

• Gametrailers.com Videos
  These awesome videos available in HD show Chris "MacMan" Ashton (Turtle Rock Studios' environmental artist, zombie killer and Viper driver extraordinaire) playing through the first two maps of the Hospital mission. If you're going to spend your time downloading videos, these are the ones to get. Make sure you start at the beginning (the one farthest down the page, 'City Survival').
• Game Informer Videos
  Broken doors and sewers, go watch them now. Description above.
• Eurogamer Interview with Chet Faliszek
  Tom Bradwell talks with Chet Faliszek about many things, from where they are in development, the Xbox 360 version, questions of future success, Steam Community, post-release content, hints of a pre-release free weekend and more. Definitely worth reading.
• Gamevideos.com Video and 1UP Wrap-up
  The Wrap-up shows infected-side footage (explained above), and the video is a good 9 minutes of the Survivors getting pounded.
• IGN Hands-on/Booth Pictures/Videos
  IGN is excited for it. The booth pictures are nice and the 4 videos are the first to show what the inside of the hospital looks like, along with some Tank flaming goodness and finale Horde. Also you can see the three strikes state (where the screen turns black and white and you hear your heart beating).
• GameSpot Hands-on/Chet Video Interview/Videos
  GameSpot is excited too. The gameplay videos take place after where the Gametrailers.com videos leave off. We get to see a cool gasoline station explosion and the outside/part of the inside of the warehouse. In the video interview Chet is sporting an L4D shirt that many attendees were unable to get as a big "HAHA!" to them. Only kidding of course - they unfortunately ran out of shirts and did all they could to appease the angry masses. They brought 800 shirts and ran out early Saturday morning!
• Shacknews HD Footage
  If you want to see what Left 4 Dead would play like if you've never handled a PC FPS before, check these 6 minutes out. Shows what the Gametrailers.com videos do, only this time it'll give you a headache.
• GameSpy Preview
  They liked what they saw, saying the lighting and facial animations are much improved from the first time they played.
• Gaming Today Q&A with Chet Faliszek
  Honestly, I had to go reread it to remember if anything important was said. My memory was right - besides being the first official early 2008 announcement, if you know anything about L4D there's nothing new here.

Also, Jeff Buckland over at atomicgamer.com has put up a two-page preview of the game from his experience at QuakeCon.

I'm not sure which of the enemies we confronted were actually played by Turtle Rock developers and which were AI controlled. The developers are working on an AI system that tries to make the two indistinguishable from each other - at least in the context of Left 4 Dead - and I have to say that they have done a great job so far.

That's some pretty impressive AI when you can't tell if it's human or not. He has some cool stories about his play experience and has lots of good things to say about the game, so check it out.