Half-Life 2 Black Box gone, only Orange Box remains
by Alexander Sliwinski 
{ May 19th 2007 at 2:00AM }
The PC's Black Box bundle of Half-Life 2: Episode 2, which was to include HL2:Episode 2, Portal and Team Fortress 2 had a head crab dropped on it today and is no more. The $49.99 Orange Box is the only thing that will be offered to PC gamers and it will include the original Half-Life 2 and HL2: Episode 1, along with everything else that was to be in the Black Box. Xbox 360 and PS3 owners will be charged $10 more than that for the same thing as PC gamers, swallowing the standard "next-gen" price of $59.99.Valve's Doug Lombardi says it's not so bad, "Those who purchase the PC version of The Orange Box will get three separate Steam product codes: One for the three new games, one for HL2, and one for Episode One. This way a PC Orange Box owner can give away their Half-Life 2 or Episode One unused Steam product codes if they don't need a copy of those games. We are excited to deliver the highest value of new gaming content ever offered in one box."
Now that's some slick spin. PC Half-Life gamers have to spend $10 on top of the deceased Black Box price ($39.99) to buy this thing they probably don't need... so they can give it away. We're sorry, what? Can people just take Half-Life 2 and HL2: Episode 1 out of the box if they don't need it and take $10 off the top? If you're a believer in digital distribution, none of this will affect you because everything will be downloadable through Steam, which if you already own Half-Life 2, you've already got. It's just such a strange thing to remove the choice for retail shoppers and leave them the more expensive package.
See also: Team Fortress 2 gets cheeky
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
RaZZoR @ May 19th 2007 2:13AM
This is fantastic news for a PC gamer such as myself as well as Console gamers. To get all those games for that price even though console gamers are paying $10 more is still an unbeatable price.At least Valve actually understands what gamers want and goes out of their way to do it. I commend Valve for stepping up and having the guts to do that no other game developer has done.
Azerael @ May 19th 2007 2:15AM
You can't be fucking serious.
CakeOrDeath @ May 19th 2007 2:16AM
The black box was supposed to be given away with ATI newest graphics card.
Kerber @ May 19th 2007 2:27AM
Wait wait wait. So, if I already have Steam and I already own HL2 and Ep1, I will get to pay less to download Ep2 alone? Please tell me this is an accurate interpretation...please.
paralipsis @ May 19th 2007 2:35AM
I was was really looking forward to this release. Now I find that for no apparent reason it is going to cost me more. I am seriously disappointed. Bitter even.
syco @ May 19th 2007 2:43AM
Does this mean I will be able to buy Portal or Team Fortress 2 seperately on Steam?
AndrewNeo @ May 19th 2007 3:10AM
This is just the Black Box / Orange Box for retail shelves. This shouldn't affect Steam purchases (and is probably a part of the reason behind it)
Poisoned Al @ May 19th 2007 3:59AM
WHAT? Oh why to go pissing away all the good will Valve! Very fucking slick
Mac Aoidh @ May 19th 2007 4:07AM
You can still get the Black Box like normal on Steam, I was getting it there anyway. I had no trouble getting Episode 1, Day of Defeat or Jade Empire...
It's really a smart move, I know loads of people who were mixed up and confused by the two boxes.
LordPaul @ May 19th 2007 4:09AM
"Xbox 360 and PS3 owners will be charged $10 more than that for the same thing as PC gamers, swallowing the standard "next-gen" price of $59.99."
"PC Half-Life gamers have to spend $10 extra to buy this thing they probably don't need so they can give it away."
What?
Cabcru @ May 19th 2007 8:15AM
You had the choice of 39.99 (for just the three new titles), or 49.99 (for the same package but with HL2 and HL2:Ep1 included). Now they've gotten rid of the cheap one and are forcing you to buy something you don't need.
But hey, don't worry, you can throw the codes to HL2 and HL2:Ep1 away and cry about it. Doug Lombardi says it's okay.
*mumble*moneygrabbingshits*mumble*
Patrick @ May 19th 2007 8:43AM
"It's just such a strange thing to remove the choice for retail shoppers and leave them the more expensive package."
You mean like the PS3? ZING! .......sorry
Autocrawler @ May 19th 2007 9:12AM
Just buy it on Steam. I'm rather sure it'll affect only retail, it sure does seem impractical making TWO sorts of the retail release of the same product for a single platform.
Steam is, however, nigh-guaranteed to have the "Black Box" edition.
thecactusman17 @ May 19th 2007 10:58AM
You al keep saying "Buy it on steam." But you forget that unlike retail stores, steam doesn't do discounts. Half Life 2 Ep1 was cut in price by half in under a month last time, I was hoping I'd get a deal this time (bought it on steam day 1 last time, won't do that again.)
Alex @ May 19th 2007 10:20AM
Yeah, um, pretty sure they just want to encourage you buying it on Steam, which you people should be less afraid of.
Ted @ May 19th 2007 10:31AM
They're just trying to encourage people to buy directly from steam rather than through retailers.
Neebs @ May 19th 2007 11:02AM
Utter crap.
Ajguy @ May 19th 2007 11:26AM
Didn't they just release a trailer for Black Box a few days ago? That's an almost Sony style blunder there.
Doug should have made it much more clear that Black Box will still be available on Steam (if that is the case). We all know that Valve has screwed up episodic content pretty badly, but to remove the ability to by the individual episodes is pretty asinine. Now what I hope is not the reality (as the announcement can be interpretted this way) is that HL2:Ep2, TF2, and Portal are all going to be seperate purchases on Steam and not bundled, meaning they're total cost will match the Orange Box anyway.
aylera @ May 19th 2007 11:55AM
"You al keep saying "Buy it on steam." But you forget that unlike retail stores, steam doesn't do discounts. Half Life 2 Ep1 was cut in price by half in under a month last time, I was hoping I'd get a deal this time (bought it on steam day 1 last time, won't do that again.)"
So, looking at the Steam front page, I see at least 3 or 4 games that are on sale, including the original HL2.
Besides, Episode 1 was $20 to begin with, what more of a discount do you want ? Oh, well, if you pre-ordered it on steam, you also got another 15% off.
Seriously, people will scream the end of the world with any bit of news these days -_-
Just buy the episode 2/TF2 set on Steam, you'll end up spending somewhere around $35, revel in the fact that you spent almost half of what 360 owners are paying, and be happy.
Ryan @ May 19th 2007 12:40PM
@19 (aylera)
Actually, Steam DOES do discounts. I downloaded Episode 1 yesterday for 10 dollars.
rDr4g0n @ May 19th 2007 12:41PM
im confused.
eoghancampion @ May 19th 2007 12:44PM
Well, that's the most retarded thing I've heard all day. Well done Valve, you've done it again. I expect to hear it will be delayed by months and months soon, yes?
PoliticalGamer @ May 19th 2007 1:01PM
I will say having one package for retail is a problem. It wouldn't have been much of a problem if they canceled the Black Box (the one with HL2, Episode 1 and 2, ect.), since we can already buy the previous games for fairly cheap as it is.
But what I see this as a problem is that it seems more like phasing out the retail market. I don't mind digital distribution as an alternative, but it becomes a problem when you can only get the games you want from Valve.
I got the collector's edition of HL2 for $50 at Gamestop (of all places), back when the standard package was at a $55 msrp. Then a week or two after Episode 1 was released, I got that at Circuit City for $8, more than half off (even today's) price.
Having competition is good, and not just for those creating a product.
polly @ May 19th 2007 2:54PM
that is fuckin bullshit
DREW @ May 19th 2007 3:12PM
Well...if you guys were smart, buy the box with the extra keys in it and then just flip the keys on ebay....then it would make the cost of the game cheaper...comon guys this is the new age you need to be on top of things...
Danny @ May 19th 2007 3:33PM
Basically, i hate valve and steam. having to have an internet connection to play the single player campaign of a game I purchased at the store is ridiculous.
Oh yea, and all you people talking about how "steam" is so great, have you forgotten about how it was hacked a few months back?? Watch those credit card #'s...
Trace @ May 19th 2007 5:48PM
@26: You don't need an internet connection to play single player, you just need one to ACTIVATE the single player game, then you can play in your dark, dis-connected hole all you want.
And I much prefer Steam over every other online pay & download game services out there. The part of Steam that got hacked was their CyberCafe system, and not the general consumer credit cards.
My only concern is someone might hack and change my password, but not only does that apply to just about every other online service, but it can also be remedied with a simple phone call.
BrotherEstapol @ May 19th 2007 11:53PM
I am not impressed...I really don't want to be forced to buy HL2 and Episode 1 again...
I'm going to look for an online petition against this, cause I really don't want to be forced to buy software I already have...it's a fucking waste.
matt @ May 20th 2007 2:31AM
are you fucking kidding me?
I have to pay for ep1 again?
Not only did it take far too long to come out, but I have to pay for shit I already bought in order to get HL2: ep2?
Can you encourage legit buyers to steal the game any more?
d33f @ May 20th 2007 10:53AM
Steam does do discounts... when you pay in euro's >:) bwhahaha
vze @ May 20th 2007 1:01PM
i'll just buy tf2/portal/ep:2 through steam.
and save another 10$ IN GAS.
ZippyDSMlee @ May 20th 2007 11:59PM
Hail! steam hail! the new nazi pub! hail!
>>
As if playign with big brother is not bad enoguh they now have to paly with the prices?
And they wonder why people do not "buy" "some" games.....
jduke @ May 21st 2007 8:41AM
How about some news on a release date.
Kizzle @ May 21st 2007 10:22AM
Yeah, buy it on Steam, so people can then work their way into Valve's paper-thin security (two near-legendary breaches in, what, 3 or 4 years? Way to go!) and get your account information.
Fuck Steam, and fuck Valve for creating it. And fuck the people who think digital distribution is anything more than a different way of screwing the consumer.
Grey Fox @ May 22nd 2007 1:20AM
They release a Black Box trailer last week and then they suddenly tell us its not coming? On top of that they don't think its that bad to force people who have already bought HL2 & Episode 1 to buy it AGAIN. Fuck that.
Ben Tremblay @ May 22nd 2007 10:12AM
You're just a bunch of whiny bitches.
Last time I checked, 50$ is a great value for 3 new games. Especially when you still have the option of paying less when you buy them from STEAM.
You guys should be ashamed of yourselves.
XzaR @ May 23rd 2007 11:36AM
I think we should be happy we get 4 games in one box. Remember you can sell the cd-key codes on ebay or to any friends too.
shady @ Jul 7th 2007 9:07AM
For those not having HL2 and Ep1 the deal is great. For those who just want the content of the now-gone Black Box this sucks. But it's a clever move, many will go buy on Steam and I would too if I had the chance. I do not own a credit card and therefore I'm bound to buy it from retailers and spend 10 Dollars (or Euro) more on stuff I already own. Seems to me as they do not care about long time fans such as I am. I got HL2 and Ep1 as soon as they were released. I was really looking forward to the Black Box and never cared about the Orange Box.
Seriously, Valve lost so much respect from me these last months. They are clever but you can't be too progressive in a world that progresses slowly. Digital distribution is NOT an option for the very huge majority of gamers and no one likes to be screwed with. Especially not fans.
shady @ Jul 7th 2007 9:10AM
"Remember you can sell the cd-key codes on ebay or to any friends too."
Do you really think anyone would go through the trouble of buying a key for less than 5$. Everyone will see HL2 and Ep1 as those 10$. So what do you think the value of those games will be? Also, eBay will be swamped with those keys and those who want them will probably just buy the Orange Box.
And what kind of a friend are you if you sell something to them. Especially something of so little value.