[Official] Left 4 Dead 2

By Hurmoth
in Gamers' Hangout

 Share

Recommended Posts

Grand Master

Hurmoth

Posted
  • Author
Posted

Are angry fans using Left 4 Dead 2 to unfairly make Valve into a villain?

Welcome to this week’s hump day, folks! It’s Wednesday, and you know what that means…Ghost Hoaxers Hunters on Sci Fi! Wait, no… That isn’t what it means. It means that it’s time for my article this week (and I know you’ve all been biting your nails from Monday to now just dying to read my prose). Since it’s being covered by GamePolitics.com, Kotaku, Videogames Republic, and pretty much everyone else, you had to figure that sooner or later I would give my three cents on the Left 4 Dead 2 protest.

21ltwed.jpg

Well then, here we go.

Below I’ve pasted the list of what the protesters are…protesting…about L4D’s sequel, due out this coming November. I’ll address each of their grievances one-by-one as we go along.

1. Significant content for L4D1 was promised, and never delivered

Well, they have this half right… Valve already released Death Toll (Versus), Dead Air (Versus), and Survival Mode…for free. While I understand that “significant” content is just a code word for “new campaigns for both co-op and Versus,” I think outright disregarding what’s already been delivered is a little unfair. Valve hasn’t completely met this content promise yet, but they haven’t neglected it, either.

I’d also like to point out that one of the levels released for Survival Mode was “Lighthouse,” a map that isn’t from No Mercy, Death Toll, Dead Air, or Blood Harvest, the original four campaigns. There’s a strong possibility that Valve didn’t just develop that map for Survival alone and it could be a preview of a future campaign released as DLC.

2. Valve put little faith in L4D1 since they almost certainly started working on L4D2 right after release

Suggesting this is downright stupid. “Valve was certain that Left 4 Dead would fail, so upon its release they immediately starting working on its sequel.” What? Think about how long it took Beyond Good & Evil to get a sequel…and how much clamoring fans and critics had to do to get it. Saying that Valve knew L4D would do poorly and wanted to continue that trend is just silly.

3. The fact that L4D2 is nearly identical to L4D1 will decimate the community for both games

Once again, I think this is half right. I don’t think the games are “nearly identical.” What changes do you expect to be made that will drastically change the game’s identity, anyway? The addition of aliens? Third-person melee combat with kung-fu? Vehicles? Bullet-time? Isn’t the point of a sequel to make the game nearly identical to the original with slight changes and new content? How different is Halo 3 from Halo 2?

The community split is a valid concern, though. Some people will stay with L4D1 (and some are boycotting the sequel and will stay with the first because of that), and some people will enjoy L4D2 more and stay with that. L4D2 will also have some gameplay adjustments players will have to make, I’m sure, and transitioning between L4D2 and L4D could be problematic for some people. Not to mention that with a split community, it’ll be harder to get games going. So yes, this could certainly be true.

4. The announced date is not nearly enough time to polish content or make significant gameplay changes

This is a pretty bizarre thing to say. How can anyone except for someone working for Valve know how long it will take to polish the game? Only Valve can say how long it will take Valve to polish the game, and anyone else claiming that they will have insufficient time to finish it is kidding themselves. Left 4 Dead is also unique in that, unlike another Valve game like Half-Life, there is no story-driven cinematic cut scene to perfect. There probably won’t even be any major graphical overhauls. Most, if not all of Valve’s time will be devoted to content and gameplay. Saying that they won’t have enough time to polish that is silly. It’s very possible and we just can’t say as outsiders looking in.

5. The new character designs seem bland and unappealing so far

Anybody want some cheese with this whine? Louis, Francis, Zoey, and Bill have zero backstory. None. Louis is “the black guy,” Francis is “the tough guy,” Zoey is “the girl,” and Bill is “the old guy.” That’s it. The new cast of characters has “the gambler,” “the tough black guy,” “the girl,” and “the tough guy.” I think this frankly boils down to people being attached to the current 4some, and while I don’t blame them (I always play as Louis when given a choice), I think it’s far, far, FAR too soon to condemn the new 4…especially considering that they have the exact same level of detail and background as the originals.

6. L4D2 is too bright to fit in with L4D1's visual aesthetic

Who died and appointed anyone other than Valve responsible for deciding what is and isn’t too bright or too dark for L4D’s visual aesthetic? Not to mention this point sort of contradicts itself. How can L4D2 be too bright for L4D1?

7. The fiddle-based horde music is extremely disliked, though the differently orchestrated music is otherwise welcome

What about the people who enjoy fiddle-based music in general? After all, this game is based in the south. Y’know…where people have and play fiddles. This complaint is immediately voided if anyone from the northeast, northwest, east coast, or west coast placed it into the list of reasons to boycott L4D2.

8. L4D2's release will result in a drop in quality and frequency for L4D1 content, even compared to before

The Orange Box released in October 2007, and Valve is still releasing content for Team Fortress 2 on the PC and working on an all-encompassing content package for the Xbox 360 version of the game. This is pretty much unfounded and speculative considering Valve’s penchant for sticking by and constantly updating their games.

9. The community has lost faith in Valve's former reputation for commitment to their games post-release

Based on what, exactly? All of the weapons, achievements, and skins being constantly released for Team Fortress 2 almost two years after its release? The additional content that’s already been released for L4D? Claiming that Valve’s reputation is tarnished by a lack of commitment when they constantly show that commitment is idiotic.

The protesters are further requesting…

1. That Valve honor its commitment to release ongoing periodic content for Left 4 Dead.

Who said they won’t? The game has been out for half a year, and there still half a year left for them to release content before L4D2 hits shelves. Even after L4D2 hits shelves, that doesn’t mean they can’t still release L4D content. Is it unlikely? Yes, but stranger things have happened.

2. That Left 4 Dead 2 not be released as a stand-alone, full-priced sequel but as either a free update to Left 4 Dead or an expansion with full compatibility with basic Left 4 Dead owners.

Hm.

3. That Left 4 Dead owners be given discounts for Left 4 Dead 2, should it be released as premium content.

Hmm.

My Final Take

Would anyone have complained about Resident Evil 5 if it came out a year after Resident Evil 4? Would anyone complain if Resident Evil 6 was announced for May next year? How about if Halo Wars comes out next May, too? If Halo 3 came out a year after Halo 2, would anyone have complained? What about the fact that WWE SmackDown! vs. Raw and NBA/NFL/NHL/MLB games release every year like clockwork with few, if any, changes?

Valve has dedicated fans, and frankly, they deserve to have them with the amazing games they make. At the same time, the fans are spoiled as hell, too. “Give us content for free, and do it now.” EA Games wants to charge you $5 a month for roster updates on NBA Live 09, yet Valve releases Sniper vs. Spy for no charge on TF2 for the PC. Microsoft demanded that when Valve releases the content package for TF2 on the Xbox 360, that Valve charges for it. Otherwise, Valve would be giving it away for free.

Valve’s fanbase is so spoiled and used to getting everything for free that they immediately flip out and throw a fit at the announcement of L4D2. There isn’t even a price tag on the game yet, and nothing, such as L4D compatibility and so forth, has been announced, either. I admit that it does make me feel like I’m not fully getting my money’s worth with L4D, but I enjoy the game so much as it is right now that I’m actually excited to have new content, new characters, new campaigns, and new weapons so soon. I’m eager to see how the game is different in daylight, and I trust Valve’s judgment enough to let them do their thing without throwing a 17,000 signature bitchfest about it.

And you know what? It doesn’t matter if 17,000 or 170,000 people signed a petition to boycott a Square-Enix, Capcom, BioWare, Blizzard, or Nintendo game… You know what any of those companies would say? “Thank you for your concern, we hope you’ll reconsider in November when the game releases.” They would brush you off and not give a damn, and pour a few extra chunks of cash into their advertising and marketing campaign.

Valve, though, will listen to the complaints, and they’ll listen because they’re Valve. That’s just what they do. In the meantime, why don’t we all try to hold off judgment and death wishes until we find out more details?

And one final thing to remember? If you don’t want the game, don’t buy the damn game. Gabe Newell isn’t holding a gun to your head, cheapskates.

Thanks for reading, guys! Until Friday, be well!

fasjkl.gif

Grand Master

Ayepecks

Posted
Posted

That's not the argument. The argument is that we're not going to pay for something we don't think is a good deal. The argument is akin to saying "I'm not going to pay for a new apartment when my current apartment is fine and the only difference is the paint color."

Proficient

Dead_Monkey

Posted
Posted (edited)
That's not the argument. The argument is that we're not going to pay for something we don't think is a good deal. The argument is akin to saying "I'm not going to pay for a new apartment when my current apartment is fine and the only difference is the paint color."
No, I think it's more akin to saying "Gabe Newell, I'm not going to move to the apartment you're offering, but I do like the color of the walls, get over here and paint my apartment. For free. And bring me a sandwich. Also, you've got a purdy mouth."

If you don't want it, don't buy it. The problem here is that people do want it, they just don't want to buy it.

Edited by Dead_Monkey
Grand Master

Hurmoth

Posted
  • Author
Posted
I think it is ok for people to complain. Consumers need to drive the market. We should not have to rely on a corporation to decide what we want.

Yes, but if consumers dictated everything, they'd want everything to be free. This is a clear example of people just whining because they don't want to pay for something that in the past has been free. But we don't know what Valve's financial situation is as they don't have to report it being a private company.

My only point is that people should stopping being a little bitch about this until we get closer to the time of release and we have more detail. Valve is sort of like Apple when it comes to being closed mouth about their products and we know of at least one game mode that hasn't been announced, I'm sure there's more that Valve has up their sleeve.

And it could just be that they need money.

Again, I pose the question: would you rather have the WoW model and pay monthly for the ability to use Steam and play their games or would you rather have it this way?

Grand Master

chrisj1968

Posted
Posted
I think it is ok for people to complain. Consumers need to drive the market. We should not have to rely on a corporation to decide what we want.

the economy is better off as a demand pull not supply pull as it is now.

Quote - (kliu0x52 @ Jun 9 2009, 14:28)

Well, I think that my take-home message is to restore the balance between producers and consumers. And to recognize that the market is demand-pull and not supply-push ("if you build it, they will come" is BS; if you produce something, it's worthless unless you have a market). But many in Washington still think that it's supply-push.

Henry Ford, when asked why he paid his workers so much more than the usual factory worker wage at the time, responded that he needed to build a market for his cars. He understood.

Grand Master

ObiWanToby

Posted
Posted
Yes, but if consumers dictated everything, they'd want everything to be free. This is a clear example of people just whining because they don't want to pay for something that in the past has been free. But we don't know what Valve's financial situation is as they don't have to report it being a private company.

My only point is that people should stopping being a little bitch about this until we get closer to the time of release and we have more detail. Valve is sort of like Apple when it comes to being closed mouth about their products and we know of at least one game mode that hasn't been announced, I'm sure there's more that Valve has up their sleeve.

And it could just be that they need money.

Again, I pose the question: would you rather have the WoW model and pay monthly for the ability to use Steam and play their games or would you rather have it this way?

WoW model and paid content packs are pretty stupid. PC Games have avoided most paid content packs thus far. Content packs for COD 4 and WaW have been free. Unreal 3's huge update was free. Mass Effects added content was free. Not the same for the consoles.

There is no reason it should not be free. 60 bucks is a lot for a game. Consoles have really paved the way for paid updates. Halo maps, now Halo ODST which really isn't that different but is another 60 bucks. Once these standards become norm, they do not stop.

Grand Master

Hurmoth

Posted
  • Author
Posted
WoW model and paid content packs are pretty stupid. PC Games have avoided such things thus far. Content packs for COD 4 and WaW have been free. Unreal 3's huge update was free. Mass Effects added content was free. There is no reason it should not be free. 60 bucks is a lot for a game. Consoles have really paved the way for paid updates. Halo maps, now Halo ODST which really isn't that different but is another 60 bucks. Once these standards become norm, they do not stop.

What is WaW?

WoW's content updates may be free, but you still have to pay a monthly fee to play the game. But thanks for the playing though (Y) You clearly didn't get the point of my post at all.

WHAT?! Who the hell said L4D2 is going to be $60? :blink: The first game wasn't even that much.

Proficient

Dead_Monkey

Posted
Posted
WHAT?! Who the hell said L4D2 is going to be $60? :blink: The first game wasn't even that much.

It was on console. I've been waiting for it to go down to $30 like Orange Box did (bought it at full retail and watched the price plummet) before I pick it up actually. Valve cuts software prices like nobody's business.

Grand Master

Hurmoth

Posted
  • Author
Posted
It was on console. I've been waiting for it to go down to $30 like Orange Box did (bought it at full retail and watched the price plummet) before I pick it up actually. Valve cuts software prices like nobody's business.

No doubt about that. I don't play Valve games on the console, just on PC, so I apologize. Did not know it was that much on the console, but that isn't shocking. One of the reasons why I don't play many console games is because of how expensive the games are :x

Proficient

Dead_Monkey

Posted
Posted
No doubt about that. I don't play Valve games on the console, just on PC, so I apologize. Did not know it was that much on the console, but that isn't shocking. One of the reasons why I don't play many console games is because of how expensive the games are :x
I use Goozex mostly. Other people use gamefly. You deal. The PC guys spend their money on a new video card, and system upgrades, we spend it on a software premium and new HDTV. Probably all comes out about the same in the end.
Grand Master

Hurmoth

Posted
  • Author
Posted
It's not really in the same bracket as steam though is it? Steam is a content delivery programme. MMOs are... MMOs. :|

It is still the same principle though. Why do you pay for WoW on a monthly basis instead of just the one time fee like the current system Valve has setup?

The type of game doesn't really matter here as long as it is an online game that you play vs. other people.

Valve could easily start charging monthly fees for play their online games (DoD, CS, TF2, L4D, etc.) if they wanted to. But instead, they are offering those games as a one time fee and you don't have to purchase the sequel if you don't want to.

If the issue is indeed money that is, Valve could easily start charging $5/month + the cost of the game. That would easily increase their revenue and then they could give us this update for free. That would be an extra $60/year per player.

Or they could just issue an update and charge $30 for it one time and you play all you want forever.

I just don't get why people are complaining about this when Valve could be going other avenues to charge us more money.

Veteran

Athernar

Posted
Posted
There is no reason it should not be free. 60 bucks is a lot for a game. Consoles have really paved the way for paid updates. Halo maps, now Halo ODST which really isn't that different but is another 60 bucks. Once these standards become norm, they do not stop.

There are many reasons it shouldn't be free, I trust Valve when they say there is alot of content in L4D2 that it's passed the realm of "DLC". (Hate that term)

There are however, many reasons why L4D2 should not be a sequel, some of them highlighted in the article on the previous page. I don't know why people have to be so binary when it comes to discussing this whole issue, there are other options, like releasing L4D2 as an expansion pack rather than a sequel, that would satisfy both parties.

Valve could easily start charging monthly fees for play their online games (DoD, CS, TF2, L4D, etc.) if they wanted to. But instead, they are offering those games as a one time fee and you don't have to purchase the sequel if you don't want to.

Pfahahah, force monthly fees onto a one-time purchase game? Hah, not only might that be illegal, but it would kill Valve overnight. Valve depend on the community for the servers they host and pay for, only recently have they started hosting a handful of servers.

I love the irony of your reply to Intelman, when you seem to consistantly miss the point that the main issue of this whole debacle isn't really the fact they're charging money, but the fact that their current method of release is a sequel.

Not to mention, your argument of Monthly-Fees is absurd. If you ever took a look at the CS/CS:S forums after an update you would see there is always resistance to changes made, why force people to pay for content they don't want? They'd just go elsewhere, either back to steam-free CS (Like they always do post-exploit fix for a week or so) or some sort of CS:S "pro mod".

  • 1 month later...
Grand Master

Hurmoth

Posted
  • Author
Posted

Apparently Racism Exists in ... Left 4 Dead 2

Yesterday, from the Houston Chronicle's Game Hacks Blog, Willie Jefferson wrote about how current and soon to be released games are becoming consistently racist. Usually, I don't even pay attention to blogs/articles like this because it's just a blogger. But the article has picked up some speed, and has started to become the new controversial topic (again).

Jefferson writes,

One of the games that comes to mind is "Left 4 Dead 2." Though the game isn't out yet, it's already causing an uproar. Set in New Orleans, players will have to fight their way through hordes of zombies - with several of them who appear to be African-Americans. When I saw the first trailer for the game, all I could think about was Hurricane Katrina and the aftermath. Setting the game in a city that was scene of dead, bloated bodies floating by so soon afterward was a bad call, IMHO. The city has had enough to deal with -- Valve, you should have spared them, even if it's just a video game.

Responses to Jefferson's blog have been mixed, and the blog itself has had the effect of poking a somewhat dead horse. Comments on the Houston blog site have ranged from outraged to apathetic. Some users were even disappointed that no new information about video games was brought up. In any case, only time will tell if Jefferson came late the party or stoked the fire.

Grand Master

ViperAFK

Posted
Posted

I Completely agree with this, I am so sick of these annoying goddamn 'boycotters' to me they are just crying little girls. I think the game looks fun and I greatly enjoyed the first.

This topic is now closed to further replies.
 Share
Go to topic listing

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.

  • Posts

    • Microsoft releases big Windows 11 25H2, 24H2 Release Preview with Recovery, Update features

      By hellowalkman · Posted

      Microsoft releases big Windows 11 25H2, 24H2 Release Preview with Recovery, Update features by Sayan Sen Microsoft has released today new Release Preview channel builds for Windows 11 Insiders. The new builds, 26100.8728 and 26200.8728, are for Windows 11 24H2 and 25H2 flighters, respectively. Meanwhile 26H1 flighters get 28000.2333. The new builds include new features related to Windows Update, Recovery, and more. The full changelogs, which are quite long today, are given below. First up we have for Builds 26200.8728 and 26100.8728: Gradual rollout This section highlights some new features and enhancements for Windows 11 PCs, including AI-powered capabilities, continuous innovation, and performance improvements. [Point-in-time restore for Windows] New! This flexible recovery feature helps you quickly roll back your PC, including apps, settings, and personal files, to a recent automatic restore point. It helps reduce downtime and simplifies troubleshooting when issues occur. To learn more, see Point-in-time restore for Windows. [Windows Update] New! A calendar experience in Windows Update settings (Settings > Windows Update) lets you pause updates by choosing an end date, for up to 35 days. You can extend the pause by selecting a different end date and re-pause updates as needed. For more information, see Pause updates in Windows. [Widgets] New! A quieter, more focused Widgets experience helps reduce interruptions and improves default settings and notification controls: Reduce distractions: Widgets no longer open on hover. Notifications and taskbar badges are minimized by default, and badges use colors that match your Windows accent. Simpler: Open to the Widgets dashboard by default on first use. New users see a simplified experience on lock screen with Weather as the only default widget. Customize: Configure Widgets the way you want by selecting Settings in the navigation bar, then changing any default settings. Stay informed: Dashboard icons show the number of alerts, and badges clear automatically when you leave a dashboard. Adjusted defaults: Some default settings are preserved based on usage, while others adjust to reduce interruptions. Performance improvements: This update provides improved reliability, responsiveness, and visual quality across the Widgets experience. [Accessibility] New! This update makes your screen easier to see and helps you customize your zoom experience: Screen tint: Apply a full-screen color overlay to help reduce eye strain and improve readability. Choose from preset tint options, adjust intensity, or turn it on automatically. Find this feature in Settings > Accessibility. Magnifier: Enter a zoom percentage directly and change it in increments in the Magnifier window for more precise, flexible control. Magnifier settings menu: Modify zoom increments directly from the Magnifier bar instead of navigating to Windows Settings each time. [File Explorer] When you hover over a file in File Explorer Home, commands such as Open file location and Ask Copilot appear as quick actions. This experience is now supported for work and school accounts (Entra ID). This feature isn't available in the European Economic Area. The address bar now supports paths containing double backslashes and quotation marks (for example, C:\Users\user or "C:\Users\user"), improving compatibility with a wider range of inputs. The address bar suggestion dropdown is more reliable and now consistently closes after an item is selected. This update addresses an issue on File Explorer Home where OneDrive files could appear duplicated in the Favorites section. This update includes several refinements to the Rename experience: Addresses an issue where text was repeatedly selected when renaming items in folder views. Addresses an issue where case-only name changes were not immediately reflected in folder views for items stored locally or in the cloud. [Bluetooth] This update improves reliability and performance when connecting to and using Bluetooth devices: New! Windows now keeps the microphone mute state in sync between the audio mixer and the Hands-Free Profile (HFP) for a more consistent experience with Bluetooth headphones with mute buttons or indicators. Device compatibility: Improves compatibility with certain Bluetooth audio devices, helping AirPods appear faster in pairing mode and improving microphone reliability on Beats Studio Pro headphones. Bluetooth audio stability and quality: Improves Bluetooth audio stability with certain PC manufacturer drivers (error code 0x9F). Improves Bluetooth audio quality and reliability for voice calls when using classic audio devices with the Hands-Free Profile (HFP). Improves reliability of LE Audio streaming after a connection is lost and restored. Reduces time for LE Audio accessories to start playing audio while using the microphone. Device management: Bluetooth device removal is now more reliable when the Bluetooth radio is disabled or changed after pairing, reducing occurrences of the "Remove failed" message. Settings experience: Improves stability when using the Bluetooth & devices settings page for a smoother, more consistent experience. Connection reliability and responsiveness: Reduces the time it takes for classic Bluetooth audio devices to reconnect after Windows resumes from hibernation. Improves reliability when LE Audio accessories disconnect, such as when another device (for example, a phone) connects. [Bluetooth and Phone Link] This update improves audio routing for calls made through a connected phone: When an outgoing call is dialed from a paired phone, audio remains on the phone while ringing and transfers to the PC only when the call is answered from the PC. When Do Not Disturb is enabled on Windows, incoming call audio from a paired phone no longer rings on the PC. [Voice access and voice typing] New! You can now use voice access and voice typing in French, German, and Spanish. As you speak, your PC improves your text in real time. It corrects grammar, punctuation, and recognition errors, and helps improve clarity, even in the presence of background noise. This makes dictation smoother and reduces the need for manual edits. Available on Copilot+ PCs. [Audio] This update improves the reliability of the inbox HD Audio driver. [Taskbar] This update improves the reliability of invoking the Start menu when clicking the left edge of the taskbar when icons in the taskbar are left-aligned. [Emoji panel] The emoji panel (Windows key + period (.)) now uses GIPHY as the GIF provider, delivering a smoother GIF browsing and sharing experience following the deprecation of Tenor. [Networking] This update includes networking improvements for virtualized environments. Confidential Virtual Machines (CVMs) now use SR-IOV hardware acceleration by default for improved network throughput, and a configuration issue in nested Hyper-V virtualization network setup has been corrected to ensure reliable VM network provisioning. This update improves the reliability of the Windows networking stack. It reduces bug checks (blue screen errors) related to Wi-Fi power and improves cellular (WWAN) connectivity, including support for IPv6 VPNs. Compatibility with third-party VPN software and SR-IOV configurations on server hardware is also improved. Network adapter settings and bindings are now preserved across OS upgrades. [Printing] New! New printer installations use Internet Printing Protocol (IPP) by default when supported, simplifying setup and improving reliability. For details about third-party driver deprecation, see End of Servicing Plan for Third-Party Printer Drivers on Windows. To control this behavior, use the toggle in Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Printers & scanners > Default install printers using Windows Ready Print. For more information, see Introducing Windows Ready Print and modernized driver selection. [Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL)] This update improves usage of WSL in mirrored networking mode with VPNs. [Display and graphics] Improves reliability of rendering content while scrolling for certain apps spanning across multiple monitors. Improves reliability and persistence of applying color profiles. [Location services] This update changes how some location settings are displayed in Settings > Privacy & Security > Location to help with clarity. When location services are turned off, settings like Default location and Allow location override do not immediately apply, since location information is not given to apps or services. These settings are now greyed out when location services are off to reduce confusion over when they take effect. [Search] This update improves the reliability of setting Search-related group policies. [Input] New! You can now customize the size of the right-click zone in Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Touchpad. Choose from default, small, medium, or large to control how much of the bottom-right corner responds to a single-finger right-click. This setting is only available on touchpads with a pressable surface. If your device manufacturer provides customization through their app, a Custom option appears to reflect those settings. This update also improves recognition of English characters when using Japanese handwriting. [General Reliability] This update makes underlying changes to help improve explorer.exe reliability, including addressing reliability issues on the login and lock screens related to the use of third-party credential providers, reducing the probability of taskbar icons appearing as blank gray placeholders, improving reliability of navigating to File Explorer Home during OneDrive sync, improving explorer.exe reliability when switching between multiple desktops, improving app launch reliability when shell extensions are installed, and addressing reliability issues related to acrylic blur effects in Start menu, Settings, and the lock screen. Normal rollout This non-security update includes quality improvements. The following summary outlines key issues addressed by the KB update after you install it. Also, included are available new features. The bold text within the brackets indicates the item or area of the change. [Secure Boot] With this update, Windows quality updates include additional high confidence device targeting data, increasing coverage of devices eligible to automatically receive new Secure Boot certificates. Devices receive the new certificates only after demonstrating sufficient successful update signals, maintaining a controlled and phased rollout. [Authentication] This update improves Netlogon secure channel connections between domain controllers, enabling successful connections from member servers to domain controllers set up before 2025. [Networking] This update improves how your device connects to shared network resources. Connections used by apps and system features, such as the NetUseAdd function, now work more reliably, including unauthenticated (null session) connections. [Start Menu] This update improves the Start menu experience, allowing newly installed or removed apps to appear without requiring sign-out or restart. This mainly affects apps that create a Start menu folder with multiple shortcuts. [Taskbar] This update improves notification badge display across your apps. Notification counts and badge visuals now update correctly, helping you stay up to date with new activity. Up next we have build 28000.2333: Gradual rollout Windows 11 PC experiences This section highlights some new features and enhancements for Windows 11 PCs, including AI-powered capabilities, continuous innovation, and performance improvements. [Magnifier in Windows] New! Magnifier now provides clearer and more consistent announcements when working with a screen reader. You'll hear helpful announcements when you zoom in or out, switch views, turn color inversion on or off, or turn Magnifier On or Off. This makes it easy to stay oriented while you work. New! Magnifier now supports magnification of permitted protected content. This update improves smoothness when moving Magnifier in lens mode. [Task Manager] New! Task Manager now offers improved visibility into NPU usage on PCs with an NPU. New optional NPU and NPU Engine columns are available on the Processes, Users, and Details pages, along with NPU Dedicated Memory and NPU Shared Memory optional columns on the Details page. Neural engines that are part of a GPU now appear on the Performance page, providing a more complete view of AI-related activity. A new optional Isolation column on the Processes and Details pages shows which apps are running in an AppContainer. You can add any of the new columns by right-clicking a column header in Task Manager and selecting them from the menu. This update improves CPU speed display on the Performance page of Task Manager for VMs, so it doesn't show higher than unexpected numbers after resuming from hibernate. [Camera] New! Windows 11's Multi-App Camera feature allows multiple applications to access your camera stream at the same time. Basic Camera mode in Windows 11 enables simplified camera functionality, useful for troubleshooting or improving stability when your camera is not working correctly. Enterprise admin can now set Multi-App Camera mode or Basic Camera mode through Group Policy, under Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Camera > Configure Camera Options. [Windows Setup] New! You can now choose a custom name for your user folder on the Device Name page during Windows setup. The updated experience makes it easier to select a custom name during setup only. If this step is skipped, Windows uses the default folder name and continues setup as usual. User folder names must follow standard Windows naming requirements. [General Performance] This update accelerates app launch and core shell experiences such as Start menu, Search, and Action Center. [Personalization] This update improves: Color selection accuracy when adjusting your accent color to match your wallpaper when the automatic accent color selection is enabled in Personalization settings. Wallpaper persistence reliability across restarts and upgrades, including better support for large-resolution wallpapers and other scenarios to prevent solid color wallpaper fallback. [Windows Hello] This update improves: This update optimizes the Windows Biometric service (WinBio) to help improve performance when your device resumes from Modern Standby. This update reduces unexpected authentication blocks in Windows Hello Enhanced Sign-in Security by resolving missing secure enrollment metadata. This update improves sign-in behavior on the lock screen and sign-in screen. When Windows Hello face or fingerprint is set up and available, it is now the default sign-in method every time you sign in, even if you used a different method previously. If you need to use your Windows PIN instead and use it three times in a row, Windows will stay with PIN until you switch to another sign-in method. [Windows Search Box] Windows Search will now find and prioritize files with as few as two characters. [Storage] The dialog box for creating a Dev Drive now supports specifying the size in gigabytes (GB) instead of only megabytes (MB). This option is also available when resizing volumes in Settings > System > Storage. In Settings > System > Storage, you now see a User Account Control (UAC) prompt only when you choose to view temporary files, instead of immediately when opening the page. [USB] This update improves reliability for displays attached to USB4 docks and hubs. These displays now light up more consistently, particularly when coming out of standby. The USB3 stack is updated to have additional resiliency and recovery measures in place against certain unexpected hardware faults and conditions. Users will experience higher reliability with USB devices. [Sensors] This update improves resiliency against apps that could keep the sensor hub powered on and drain power, impacting battery life. [Human Interface Device (HID)] This update improves battery life related to the HID and Input stack for failed HID devices. Power hygiene is also improved against applications that might initiate HID transfers during standby. [Input] The update improves: Reliability of the touch keyboard on the sign-in screen, including when entering or changing a password. Reliability of explorer.exe when closing the input switcher. Performance when opening or navigating to clipboard history. [Fonts] The Times New Roman font family is updated to improve the rendering of combining diacritical marks across Greek and Cyrillic scripts. This update provides more accurate and visually consistent text by addressing mark positioning issues. These changes improve readability, reduce rendering inconsistencies, and better support global language users working with Greek and Cyrillic content. [Task Scheduler] Task Scheduler now saves column width adjustments in task list view across sessions. [Desktop icons] This update improves reliability of loading desktop app shortcuts. [Microsoft Store] This update includes underlying changes that improve download performance and bandwidth usage. This update improves error reporting when downloads fail due to Windows Update group policy settings being enabled. [Reliability] This update improves Windows reliability on the sign-in and lock screens, in File Explorer, when using touch gestures on touchscreen devices, and when changing themes in Settings. Normal rollout This non-security update includes quality improvements. The following summary outlines key issues addressed by the KB update after you install it. Also, included are available new features. The bold text within the brackets indicates the item or area of the change. [Authentication] This update improves Netlogon secure channel connections between domain controllers, enabling successful connections from member servers to domain controllers set up before 2025. [BitLocker] This update improves BitLocker testing reliability by ensuring the required files are available for the BitLocker Drive Encryption USB BIOS Logo Test.
    • Google Gemini Outage Tops Six Hours, Errors 1076 and 1099 Worldwide：

      By +Thom Vee · Posted

      Maybe it became sentient and realized how useless it is, and thus shut itself down.
    • Can't access the forum on mobile

      By RaidenX · Posted

      I don't get the cookie consent dialog on the main page. I would have accepted that a couple of years ago when I first got the phone.
    • Microsoft releases new Windows 11 Media Creation Tool with the latest updates

      By xillibit · Posted

      They have rushed to made a fix which is in 26200.8655, the 8653 contains an issue : https://learn.microsoft.com/en...8653-has-the-same-problem-a
    • Windows 11 gets useful new File Explorer features in the latest build

      By TarasBuria · Posted

      Windows 11 gets useful new File Explorer features in the latest build by Taras Buria Friday Windows 11 preview builds are finally here. After skipping one week, Microsoft is back to releasing preview builds for Windows Insiders to try. This time, Insiders in the Experimental Channel can download build 26300.8687. Its changelog does not contain anything major, but there is still useful new stuff, such as some new conveniences for File Explorer, Windows Update improvements, better Windows Search, a new search provider for the built-in GIF library, and more. Here is the changelog: [Windows Update] As announced in the Windows Update announcement blog, we are now bringing a new unified update experience to reduce the number of reboots you see per month. We are starting by coordinating driver, .NET, and firmware updates to align with the monthly quality update, reducing the update experience to a single monthly restart. See the blog for more information. [File Explorer] Middle-click to open a folder in a new tab is now supported in the Address Bar and the Home page for a more consistent and efficient tabbed navigation experience across File Explorer. Improved screen reader announcements for conflict resolution dialog ("Which files do you want to keep?") when moving/copying files. Made some more improvements to how File Explorer responds to increased text scaling. [Search] Finding apps is more forgiving. Search is better at handling typos, dropped letters, extra letters, and partial words for apps. Queries like “utlook” can still find Outlook. Settings results are improving. We’ve made ranking improvements to help more relevant settings appear higher in results. [Taskbar] Improved reliability of loading the system tray area of the taskbar. Fixed an issue where tooltips might unexpectedly appear on top of the Start menu icon in the taskbar when using the taskbar in an alternate position. Also fixed a few other visual polish issues when using the taskbar with small icons. [Windows setup] The digital safety of users and supporting families is central to how we think about the Windows experience. We're improving information on parental controls and their availability during Windows setup, so families can more easily understand available protections and make informed choices from the very beginning. [Input] Update: The emoji panel (Windows key + period (.)) now uses GIPHY as the GIF provider, delivering a smoother GIF browsing and sharing experience following the deprecation of Tenor. Fixed an issue that was causing the mouse cursor to potentially move in the wrong direction in recent Insider builds on secondary monitors when set to portrait mode. [Remote Recovery Management] Adding a recovery remote management plug-in for extending WinRE management capabilities for MDM providers [Audio] Fixed an issue resulting in audio not working for some Insiders after the latest flights. [Settings] Fixed an issue impacting the reliability of Settings > Apps > Installed Apps after the latest flights. [General Reliability] If you were experiencing freezes in the previous flight when interacting with search, Notepad, or certain other scenarios, that should be resolved now. [Other] When using dark mode, if you open "Run new task" from Task Manager, it will now show in dark mode too. As usual, changes above are rolling out gradually. You can find the release notes here in the official documentation.

  • Popular Contributors

    1. 1
      +primortal
      491
    2. 2
      PsYcHoKiLLa
      168
    3. 3
      +Edouard
      163
    4. 4
      Steven P.
      86
    5. 5
      ATLien_0
      76
    Show More

  • Tell a friend

    Love Neowin? Tell a friend!