Steam Big Picture Mode beta coming today, trailer released

Remember that time Valve almost-kind-of-sort-of quietly entered the console market with a new service called Steam Big Picture Mode which would directly compete with consoles in the living room? Yeah, that was crazy. We haven't heard much about it since then, but now Valve has released a new video explaining the service as they get ready to launch a beta.

All around the world, PC gamers who work on computers all day are quietly jumping with glee that they'll finally get to come home from work and play PC games from the couch. It remains to be seen how many players will be willing to run cables from their desktop to their television (or buy a dedicated PC for their TV,) but we're definitely looking forward to giving this a spin when the public beta launches later today.

Source : gamesradar[dot]com

Indies angry about Steam Greenlight fees, Valve says its a work in progress

Independent developers were none too pleased to learn that Valve is now charging a $100 fee to list games on Steam Greenlight, a new service which allows users to vote on which games will be offered for sale on Steam.

The fee came into being because lots of fake games and porn titles began clogging the service, and making it difficult to find genuine titles. Valve felt that the $100 fee would discourage trolls, and vowed to offer all the extra revenue to Child's Play to show they're not trying to make a quick buck.

However, some have fired back saying that it amounts to putting an economic stranglehold on the service, ensuring that struggling game designers or poorer people wouldn't be able to list their games. 

Valve has now issued a statement that somewhat addresses the outcry.

"We always try to build quick iteration into our process for development of new features, and Greenlight will be no different. We have a huge list of suggestions from customers and the lessons we've learned from shipping, so Greenlight will definitely continue to evolve over the next weeks and months as we tune the system and add valuable features."

While it's certainly not an admission of wrongdoing, this comment reads like they're saying "whoa whoa, don't everybody get angry just yet. This might not be permanent, we're still evaluating things." We'll be following this story and will update this space if Valve offers any further comment.

Source : gamesradar[dot]com

NBCU Shows Coming to Amazon Instant Video

More good news with regard to streaming video for members of Amazon's $79/year Prime service: a deal announced today with NBC Universal is bringing back-episodes of NBCU-owned shows like Battlestar Galactica, Parks and Recreation, Heroes and Friday Night Lights to Prime Instant Videos.

Prime Instant, Amazon's streaming video service, has been free for Amazon Prime members since it was introduced in February, 2011, and its library of available content has grown steadily in that time. "We continue to invest heavily in our content selection," said a spokesman for Amazon.

Amazon designed Prime Instant Video to compete directly with Netflix Instant, so while none of the content Amazon acquired today is exclusive (compared with several shows it recently optioned from Warner), playing catch-up with Netflix is a logical step for the service.

Prime members can check out all the new content here. Let us know what you're most excited about in the comments.

Jon Fox is a Seattle hipster who loves polar bears and climbing trees. You can follow him on Twitter and IGN.

Source : feeds[dot]ign[dot]com

Wilfred: "Service" Review

Warning: Full spoilers from the episode to follow.

After last week's incredibly depressing (albeit engaging) episode, it was nice to see "Service" work to get Wilfred and Ryan back to the basics again. Of course, this couldn't happen without the spectacular finish to Ryan's working life. I have to say, of all the ways for Ryan to lose his job, I did not foresee his boss's public suicide pinning the last nail in the coffin. Hats off to Steven Weber, whose inspiring monologue offset his final moment perfectly.

And just like that, Ryan was off the hook once more to smoke pot in his basement full-time, freeing him from all ties both romantic and professional. However, there was still the matter of Kristen and her unborn baby, as well as Ryan and Kristen's mentally unstable mother (reprised by Mary Steenburgen). Following the death of her kitten, it was up to Ryan to raise his mother's spirits.

While it was great to see Steenburgen's return to the show, the whole road trip aspect didn't really ebb with the rest of the episode. There were a handful of funny moments -- the policeman encounter at the forefront -- but it was really Wilfred's own antics before and after the journey that delivered the lion's share of the laughs. His bloody-teethed interactions with Ryan and his passive-aggressive paw-over-hand bit were easily among the story's greatest bits.

I think it was the ending with Kristen going into labor that really elevated the arc to new heights. Some of the best moments between Wilfred and Ryan are when Wilfred lucidly convinces Ryan to achieve his unspoken goals. The final painting scene with Ryan and his mom was also a pleasant way to close out the episode -- a far cry from last week's melancholy conclusion.

In a way, it was kind of nice to see the show hit the reset button on a lot of the events that transpired this season, especially considering Ryan's breakup with Amanda last week. Wilfred's time at the office was also beginning to reach the end of its schtick, anyway. However, it will be interesting to see where this takes Ryan next, if anywhere.

Max Nicholson is a writer for IGN, and he desperately seeks your approval. Show him some love on Twitter and IGN.

Source : feeds[dot]ign[dot]com