Someone has figured out a way to host 16-player co-op in Left 4 Dead 2 on the PC, and as this video shows, it is pure mayhem, with survivors outnumbering infected during some parts of the game.

Plus, I mean, god damn, look how long it takes for everyone to get in the safe room.

Here’s another video. I love the beginning, everyone running one after the other to the weapons table. As awesome as this looks, I bet it’s pure hell to play. We’re seeing the reason Valve capped this at four to a side, I think.

This is Why Left 4 Dead 2 is Limited to Four Players [Hot Blooded Gaming]

Industrious Left 4 Dead modders have devised a not-exactly-simple workaround to bring the original game’s four campaigns into the sequel. The very unofficial, multi-step hack requires ownership of Left 4 Dead and Left 4 Dead 2, ample patience and better than basic knowledge of editing PAK files. But, hey, it works.

Well, it mostly works. The list of issues includes numerous crashes, limitations and a dependency on console commands, but if you’re desperate to play No Mercy with Spitters and baseball bats, you now have the option. Will Valve offer a sanctioned version of this? At the risk of pissing off the Left 4 Dead owner further, we sure hope it does.

How to Resurrect the Original Left 4 Dead [L4D Mods]

Here I thought all the flashing corpses meant we were watching the Australian version of Left 4 Dead. I kid, Luke! I kid!!! No, this is a bona fide playable 8-bit “demake” of L4D, available soon for PC.

Now, that’s not to say this is exciting. I kept waiting for a crescendo event and then realised this emulator probably cannot handle that many characters on the screen. But the common infected are a little too sedate, especially considering 8-bit games are remembered for being muuuuuch harder.

There’s also only one special infected — the Boomer — although the creator Eric Ruth says all of the other special infected will be added in later some point. Ruth promises that all maps and campaigns will be represented too when the game is available for free download on PC on Jan. 4.

NES Left 4 Dead Gameplay Video 1 [YouTube, thanks Eric.]

They too may be looking for sunnier weather, the better to enjoy the pungent stench of rotting flesh with, and maybe a little help from CEDA in New Orleans. According to a screen grab sent our way, there may be hope for our Yankee zombie killers yet, a fun little Easter Egg of a cameo that we’re still attempting to confirm for ourselves.

(Click on the above image to Boomer-size it.)

Thanks to Ackers for the heads up.

They’re slam-packed with in-game memes — Pyro’s speechlessness, Demo-Man getting lit on egg nog and Spy romancing Scout’s mum under the mistletoe. Each set is $US15.95 — a steep price to confuse your family, or a bargain to wow your friends. Your choice.

2009 Holiday Card Collection [Steam via VG247]

Says Valve, on the L4D2 blog:

Due to an ongoing debate in the office and online as to whether “12 AM” means noon or midnight (we’re still sticking with midnight), it’s been more challenging than we realised to tell people when exactly our game will be available. Factor in the Earth rotating around the sun, daylight savings time, some of our fans insisting on using the Mayan calendar, and we’re just going to try and make this as specific as possible:

Alright, ready? Get out your pens, flip open your calendars, synchronise your watches, take your index finger and stick it in the middle of your palm to form a sundial, however you keep time. Here’s when Left 4 Dead 2 unlocks:

• Monday, Nov. 16, 9 p.m. Pacific Standard Time
• Monday, Nov. 16, 10 p.m. Mountain Standard Time
• Monday, Nov. 16, 11 p.m. Central Standard Time
• Tuesday, Nov. 17, 12 a.m. (midnight) Eastern Standard Time
• Tuesday, Nov. 17, 5 a.m. Greenwich Mean Time
• Tuesday, Nov. 17, 8 a.m. Moscow Time
• Tuesday, Nov. 17, 2 p.m. Japan Standard Time
• Tuesday, Nov. 17, 4 p.m. Sydney Eastern Daylight Time

As you can see, the US west coast gets a three-hour head start (technically) against the console street-date, London and Moscow will be getting up or on the train to work, and Tokyo’s hosed. Hey, I don’t make the rules.

Now that we’ve cleared that up, you might want to pre-load that six-gigabyte sucker, so that you’re not waiting an additional zillion hours to download the game on unlock day.

A Slight Clarification … [Left 4 Dead Blog via VE3D]

Can’t fault their timing; just as people are about to abandon the first game en masse to pick up the sequel. Ah well. Better late than never, eh?

In related Left 4 Dead news, the Left 4 Dead 2 demo, which was previously restricted to Xbox Live Gold subscribers, is now open to silver subscribers too. Have at it, hoss.

The developer tells CVG that perception about the sequel seems to have changed since the original E3 2009 announcement. “I think people are just excited now,” Valve’s Chet Faliszek says, citing response to the recently released demo and pre-order numbers.

Oh, indeed, Chet. I may not have coughed up the necessary bills to secure an exclusive American baseball bat or Bill’s interdimensional hat, but I’m excited. Where is that UPS man, anyway?

Of course, Left 4 Dead 2 has the benefit of being a known entity, instead of a newly launched intellectual property like the first. We do love our sequels, Valve.

Left 4 Dead 2 pre-orders “four times” that of the original [CVG]

Modder Saul has whipped up a little plugin that allows you to play as the zombies in an online match (PC version only, of course). If you want to host a game, you download the plugin, if you just want to join a game, all you need to do is enter some commands in the console and you’re good to go.

Interested? Full details at the link below.

Play as Infected with the Left 4 Dead 2 Demo [L4dmods]