“Ayuh, there’s money in hats,” my grandpappy tol’ me. He didn’t, actually, but he should have.<\/p>\n
According to Valve, Team Fortress 2’s user-generated content (hats mostly) has cashed in over $2 million through the in-game Mann Co. Store in the last year.<\/p>\n
“The Mann Co. Store represents an important new direction for games and game makers,” said Valve overlord Gabe Newell.<\/p>\n
“By leveraging and extending the platform features of Steam, Team Fortress 2 has enabled a viable marketplace for independent content creators and significantly extended the gameplay experience in an incredibly short amount of time.”<\/p>\n
It’s true! In just four years, the game’s come a long way from a quirky, clever, class-based FPS to a hat simulator with guns.<\/p>\n
To celebrate the Mann Co. Store’s one-year anniversary, Valve has launched a “Manniversary” (chortle, chortle) game update, including:<\/p>\n
• A bunch of new shop items
• A “try before you buy” system
• Loadout presets
• Multiple miscellaneous items slots
• Improved game performance
• A new taunt
• The new Steam Workshop, and
• An “improved item submission system that allows community item-creators to test, share and track the status of their creations”.<\/p>\n