A couple of days ago, Valve announced that it was developing an 'improved submission process' that was meant to make it easier for the community to make, share, track and rate items. The amazing thing is, we didn't have to wait forever to see what Valve is cooking up. The Steam Workshop is now out in the wild, and it's a hub designed to facilitate all things community-item related.
This is a part of the Mann Co update, which celebrates the Mann Co's one year anniversary. The update also includes the release of a few new items, taunts and more, as well as a store-wide sale going on from now till October 17th.
Perhaps the most interesting development in this update is Valve's new "Item Tryout" system, which does, well, exactly what it sounds like. Players will be able to 'try-before-they buy' items, and purchasing the item after a trial period will net you a 25% off discount. It sounds insane, and it totally is, but my bet is that it'll work wonders.