Joystiq

Portal 'First Slice' extended demo free for NVIDIA customers only

Scott Jon Siegel — Thu, 10 Jan 2008 09:00:00 EST

Filed under: PC, First Person Shooters, Puzzle

Have any NVIDIA hardware installed on your machine? If so, you're entitled to a free extended demo of Portal, the best game of 2007. Entitled Portal: First Slice, the demo features more content than the normal demo, and is available free to all NVIDIA customers through a new partnership between Valve and the hardware manufacturer.

The offer is accessible through Steam, which will scan your computer to confirm the presence of NVIDIA hardware before making the offer available (creepy). Game|Life also reports that in addition to the Portal: First Slice, demo, NVIDIA customers can also download Peggle Extreme, Half-Life 2 Deathmatch, and Half-Life 2: The Lost Coast for free through the same offer. Not too shabby.

Portal 'First Slice' extended demo free for NVIDIA customers only originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 10 Jan 2008 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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PS3's Orange Box confirmed for US and Europe Dec. 11

Ludwig Kietzmann — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 13:25:00 EST

Filed under: Sony PlayStation 3, First Person Shooters

December is looking to be a most excellent month for PlayStation 3 owners keen on shooting things from a first-person perspective, with both Unreal Tournament III (shipping December 10th) and The Orange Box stepping onto the platform, albeit a bit later than expected. An EA press release politely reminds us that the latter will be released on December 11th in both the US and Europe, with French and German versions following in 2008.

In the unlikely case that you've not been exposed to Valve's Orange Box and currently envision it as a crate full of citrus fruit, allow us to point out that it contains Half-Life 2, Half-Life 2: Episode One, Half-Life 2: Episode Two, Team Fortress 2 and Portal... too. One can only hope the tech people at EA used their 11th hour to rid the port of its alleged framerate issues.

PS3's Orange Box confirmed for US and Europe Dec. 11 originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 04 Dec 2007 13:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Rumor: New achievements coming to older Valve games

Justin McElroy — Mon, 26 Nov 2007 10:30:00 EST

Filed under: PC, First Person Shooters

Aside from, you know, things that will actually make your life any better, there's little more satisfying than achievements. Some of the Steam achievements from Orange Box were especially gratifying, like the one that required blasting a lawn gnome into space. Now, if some posters on Valve's official forums can be believed, achievements are going to be rolled out to some older games on the Steam service before year's end.

Forum poster "slugz" (not his real name) says he received the following note from Valve staffer Erik Johnson in response to a fan letter: "We're planning on adding achievements to all of our games you touched on in your mail [Half-Life 2, Half-Life 2: Episode 1, Day of Defeat: Source and Counter-Strike: Source]. We're just now coming out of the post-shipping haze, so these should start showing up on Steam pretty quick here. We're also planning on adding a bunch more to TF2, starting with an achievement pack for the Medic in the next week or so." Another poster says they got a similar email later in the thread. We've emailed Valve for verification, but it certainly seems plausible enough. What achievements would you like to see in those Valve games?

[Via CVG]

Rumor: New achievements coming to older Valve games originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 26 Nov 2007 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Readers pick best webcomic: parental guidance is advised

Ross Miller — Tue, 20 Nov 2007 07:00:00 EST

Filed under: Culture, PC, Sony PlayStation 3, Microsoft Xbox 360, First Person Shooters, Online, Polls, Rhythm

By quite a large margin, Scott Ramsoomair's VG Cats took the top spot in the webcomic wrapup this week -- but is it a love for Valve's amazing game Portal or a fascination with endangered infants that drove our readers en masse to vote?

Second and third place go to Penny Arcade and 2P Start, respectively. Thanks to everyone who voted; be sure to let us know of any game-related webcomics you stumble upon this week!

Continue reading Readers pick best webcomic: parental guidance is advised

Readers pick best webcomic: parental guidance is advised originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 20 Nov 2007 07:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Half-Life in 60 seconds by cheeky Germans

Alexander Sliwinski — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 20:01:00 EST

Filed under: Culture

Are you the type of person that could care less about narrative? Did you skip Half-Life, pick up The Orange Box, skip Half-Life 2, and go straight for the episodes? Still want to know what happened in the non-episodic games? If so, and you just can't be bothered to go and actually play them, above we have a 60-second version of everything you need to know about the series.

Created by Simon Krãtschmer and Jakob Rompkowski, the little vignette seems to sum up Half-Life quite nicely. We know it's really nothing special, but the sprinkles of German are what really make it pop. We actually wouldn't mind seeing more by Krãtschmer and Rompkowski in the future -- plus, those two names strung together sound cool.

Half-Life in 60 seconds by cheeky Germans originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 07 Nov 2007 20:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Zero Punctuation likes Orange Box, but loves Portal

Alexander Sliwinski — Wed, 17 Oct 2007 16:24:00 EST

Filed under: PC, Microsoft Xbox 360

We've gotten used to the saucy Brit named Yahtzee hating whatever he reviews in his Zero Punctuation pieces for the Escapist; so imagine our surprise when a little ray of sunshine crept into the latest video (found after the break). This week Yahtzee tackles The Orange Box and generally seems dismissive of the whole thing -- except for Portal, which he loves. Yes, even ornery Yahtzee has sold out and is having a love-fest with the game, just like many on the Joystiq staff.

Regarding Portal, the typically acid tongued Yahtzee says, "[Portal is] the most fun you'll have with your PC until they invent a force feedback codpiece." The Orange Box seems to have a little something for everyone, even for people like Yahtzee. Now how long will it be before the Portal theme song becomes a spontaneous geek sing-along anthem at every gaming convention?

Continue reading Zero Punctuation likes Orange Box, but loves Portal

Zero Punctuation likes Orange Box, but loves Portal originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 17 Oct 2007 16:24:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Metareview: The Orange Box (PC, Xbox 360)

Alexander Sliwinski — Wed, 10 Oct 2007 18:28:00 EST

Filed under: PC, Sony PlayStation 3, Microsoft Xbox 360, Action, Adventure, Online

Valve may have the most deficient understanding of episodic gaming EVAR(!), but they are masters of smoke and mirrors marketing. Valve made us completely lose focus on Half-Life 2: Episode 2 being in The Orange Box (YAY!) by bundling so much gaming goodness in the package, that instead of us cracking jokes about their episodic incompetence, we end up calling The Orange Box the gaming value of the year -- 'cause it is with Half-Life 2, Episodes 1 and 2, Portal and Team Fortress 2. Sure, if you've played Half-Life 2 on your PC it might not be such a fantastic value, but for console owners (minus those that played Half-Life 2 on the original Xbox) this is their first go at HL2 and its episodes.

GameTap (100/100): "If your PC isn't quite up to snuff, the Xbox 360 version is a good substitute. Occasional framerate hitches, plus one minor gaffe with the gamepad (weapon selection) are the only things dragging down the 360 version. That, and it has freaking 99 Achievements spread across all five games. Due to the delay of the PS3 version, we haven't played it yet, but we'll update you when we do."
Team Xbox (96/100): "So, is The Orange Box the best bargain in gaming? While there might be longer games (Oblivion, for example) or games that pack more titles onto a single disc (any of the 'classic' compilations), this is a near-perfect blend of varied games. ... Although this is undeniably one of the must-own games for the Xbox 360, we have a few questions. Will we be getting Episode Three over Xbox Live? And where's our Counter-Strike: Source?"
IGN (95/100): "There's nothing else available on any console like The Orange Box. Though you could argue that Half-Life 2 is old news by now, there are still four components of the Box brand new to consoles. That so much great content is offered at the standard single-game price is astonishing ... And all on one disc. While Portal and TF2 may not be strong enough to stand on their own, coupled with the Half-Life titles, The Orange Box really is one of the best games ever released."

Metareview: The Orange Box (PC, Xbox 360) originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 10 Oct 2007 18:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Joystiq hands-on: Team Fortress 2

Justin McElroy — Tue, 09 Oct 2007 11:15:00 EST

Filed under: Features, PC, Microsoft Xbox 360

We know that a lot of you who pre-ordered the game through Steam have already been playing around with the beta version of Team Fortress 2. We just wanted to put this message out to those of you who may still be on the fence. We've been enjoying the beta version of the game for a while now and, to put it mildly, we're extremely impressed.

Let us give you the quick version, if you're a complete TFC noob. Two teams, each competing for one objective. Each team is populated by very different classes of characters, each with their own special abilities. Team Fortress Classic is one of the all-time favorite multiplayer shooters, and as 1/3 (or 1/5, depending on your view) of the Orange Box, TF2 is looking to reinvent the game.

Gallery: Half-Life 2: Orange Box

Continue reading Joystiq hands-on: Team Fortress 2

Joystiq hands-on: Team Fortress 2 originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 09 Oct 2007 11:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Orange Box includes single by geek troubadour Jonathan Coulton

Christopher Grant — Thu, 04 Oct 2007 18:56:00 EST

Filed under: PC, Sony PlayStation 3, Microsoft Xbox 360, First Person Shooters

As if the inclusion of Half-Life 2, HL2: Episode One, HL2: Episode Two, Portal, and Team Fortress 2 in Valve's Orange Box didn't already represent one of the most incredible values in video games ever, they've just announced geek troubadour Jonathan Coulton (he of "Baby Got Back" and "Code Monkey" fame - WARNING: MySpace link) has recorded a "surprise" track to be included in that massive package.

But Coulton didn't go it alone. No, he had the help of the Valve design team (who are apparently fans, go figure) so we can surely expect something about Zombines eating your brains. At this point, with less than a week to go before the game's (games'? gameses'?) release, we're surprised the track hasn't already made its way to the seedy, illicit , peer-to-peer underbelly of the internet. Hey record industry, you should take notes!

Orange Box includes single by geek troubadour Jonathan Coulton originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 04 Oct 2007 18:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Engineer tells his tale in Team Fortress 2 trailer

Alexander Sliwinski — Tue, 11 Sep 2007 18:50:00 EST

Filed under: PC, Sony PlayStation 3, Microsoft Xbox 360, First Person Shooters

The Engineer tells how he solves "practical problems" in the continuing series of trailers about the psychopathic characters from Team Fortress 2. If for some strange reason you've missed The Heavy and The Soldier trailers, we've gone ahead and added their videos again after the break for your easy viewing pleasure.

Now's a good a time as any to remind people that if you really need to play Team Fortress 2 (and you're a PC owner), all you need to do is pre-purchase The Orange Box on Steam and you can start playing the TF2 beta next week. Although we don't exactly know how, but we hope some of the humor from these trailers translates to the gameplay. Then again, we've gotten used to the possibility of well-designed trailers being more interesting than the games they are for.

Continue reading The Engineer tells his tale in Team Fortress 2 trailer

The Engineer tells his tale in Team Fortress 2 trailer originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 11 Sep 2007 18:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Pre-purchase Orange Box on Steam, play TF2 beta next week

Alexander Sliwinski — Tue, 11 Sep 2007 16:52:00 EST

Filed under: PC, Microsoft Xbox 360

Valve announced today that those who pre-purchase this holiday's über-value The Orange Box on Steam will be invited to the Team Fortress 2 beta next week. Beginning Sept. 17, those who bought the game can download and activate the TF2 beta. If that's not enough, Valve will also toss in Peggle Extreme, a special edition of the game that'll have themed Half-Life 2, TF2 and Portal content.

Those who purchase The Orange Box before Oct. 10 via Steam also get 10% off the $49.95 price on PC. Meanwhile, the console versions of Orange Box will both be the "next-gen price" of $60 -- although Amazon currently has the Xbox 360 version for $55 as part of a pre-purchase deal. The PS3 version was recently delayed. The PC and Xbox 360 versions of The Orange Box will be ready to peel on Oct. 10.

Pre-purchase Orange Box on Steam, play TF2 beta next week originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 11 Sep 2007 16:52:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Orange Box delayed on PS3

Alexander Sliwinski — Thu, 06 Sep 2007 06:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sony PlayStation 3

Gamespot reports that Valve's Doug Lombardi confirmed to them the PS3 version of über-value The Orange Box will be delayed on PS3 by "a couple weeks." The PC and Xbox 360 versions will move forward with their Oct. 9 release. Wonder if those poor Valve employees still won't be able to play BioShock until the PS3 version is done too. Valve overlords, have a heart and let them play, everyone seems to be getting stuck on these delays -- for real, no joke.

Per the usual of all these PS3 delay announcements, Valve would not identify the reason for the delay, the game is being ported by EA. Lombardi also wouldn't talk about a specific date, he merely let the "couple weeks" quote float out there. Hopefully Sony can craft some message to explain these delays away, maybe it'll be the first memo by Karraker's replacment.

The Orange Box delayed on PS3 originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 06 Sep 2007 06:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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BioShock banned at Valve offices

Justin McElroy — Tue, 28 Aug 2007 11:45:00 EST

Filed under: PC, Microsoft Xbox 360, First Person Shooters

Do you think that the makers of one of the greatest first-person shooters ever are immune to the siren song of one of the other best first-person shooters ever? Valve head honcho Gabe Newell insists to CVG that they are not. "We had to ban BioShock from our offices," Newell said. "Nobody gets to play it until Orange Box is done - that's our reward to ourselves as a company; everyone gets a copy of BioShock."

Newell said he hasn't played it either, but he's "really looking forward to it". We're torn about this news. On one hand, we're sad for the Valve employees, but on the other hand, we really want to play Episode 2. And then, on our third hand, we think they probably should have thought of this game-banning policy before they announced they were making games episodically. Wasn't Episode 2 supposed to be out in the mid 80s? Did the team get addicted to WoW or something?

BioShock banned at Valve offices originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 28 Aug 2007 11:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Soldier talks to the troops in Team Fortress 2 video

Alexander Sliwinski — Wed, 22 Aug 2007 22:56:00 EST

Filed under: PC, Microsoft Xbox 360

Hilarious and slightly disturbing, The Soldier video for Team Fortress 2, the game bundled with The Orange Box, makes us laugh in that uncomfortable way. Not cute like "The Heavy" video, this clip of The Soldier is just a little bit darker. Team Fortress 2 through brilliant marketing is really turning into the game we've become excited about in The Orange Box. Sure it'll probably be just another frag-fest that the average person won't stand a chance in, but it's oozing with dark charm.

The Orange Box continues to be the value bundle of the year. With Half-Life 2, Episodes 1 and 2, Portal and Team Fortress 2 -- that's a lot of value in a little box, especially if you've never played Half-Life 2. We're definitely looking forward to seeing more of these clips, even if we don't think we'll stand a chance in an online match with the actual game.

Gallery: Half-Life 2: Orange Box

The Soldier talks to the troops in Team Fortress 2 video originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 22 Aug 2007 22:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Valve staffer: Modders setting bar too high

Justin McElroy — Wed, 22 Aug 2007 10:40:00 EST

Filed under: Culture, Hacks, PC

There have historically been few companies more supportive of the modding scene than Valve. Now, in a new interview with ShackNews, two Valve designers are giving advice to what many perceive to be an ailing mod community. John Morello, an animate and designer at the company, insists that the problem stems from modders thinking too big.

"Mod developers are setting the bar higher than people require--a fun game is a fun game," he said. "I honestly don't think the community is setting the higher standards as much as the mod developers themselves." While that may be true, when Morello begins talking about the Team Fortress 2 design crew being comprised almost entirely of former modders, one can't help but wonder if the mod scene might in some way also be suffering from its best and brightest being recruited away. What do you think? Have you downloaded a good mod recently? Have you ever tried to make one yourself?

Valve staffer: Modders setting bar too high originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 22 Aug 2007 10:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Orange Box gets a much needed makeover

Dustin Burg — Sat, 30 Jun 2007 10:00:00 EST

Filed under: News

Ever since we laid our eyes on the Half-Life 2: Orange Box cover art we have been a little perplexed by its simplistic design. The cover art featured a mostly orange background with white text explaining the contents and that was about it. We accepted the cover though and never made a fuss. But now it looks like Valve has had a change of heart and design philosophy. TeamXbox is reporting that Valve decided to re-design the Orange Box cover and now it actually features artwork! Indeed, it shows off beautiful Half-Life 2, Team Fortress 2 and Portal artwork! We're glad to see Valve add more art to the cover art and spiffy up the Orange Box, because it really looks good. Check out TeamXbox's supplied Half-Life 2: Orange Box cover viewable after the break.

Continue reading The Orange Box gets a much needed makeover

The Orange Box gets a much needed makeover originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 30 Jun 2007 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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TF2 devs play cross-platform, but you won't

Richard Mitchell — Wed, 20 Jun 2007 09:30:00 EST

Filed under: News

So, Shacknews posted a lengthy preview of Team Fortress 2. At first, everything was normal, no different than what we expected. Multiple classes, fun gametypes, cool maps, protestations that the Medic is fun to play: everything was copacetic. According to the review, Team Fortress 2 will not feature cross-platform play. That's all well and good, except Valve -- developer of the PC and Xbox 360 versions (EA UK is handling the PS3 version) -- "regularly play cross-platform multiplayer games." Why then, are we denied such pleasure? According to Valve's Doug Lombardi, it "introduces more problems than it is worth." He further notes that Valve would only implement cross-platform play in a title that was designed for it from the start.

Ah well, looks like we'll have to be satisfied with fragging fellow 360 fanboys.

[Via Joystiq]

TF2 devs play cross-platform, but you won't originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 20 Jun 2007 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Team Fortress will not have cross-platform play, but Valve plays it that way

Ross Miller — Tue, 19 Jun 2007 17:55:00 EST

Filed under: PC, Microsoft Xbox 360, First Person Shooters, Online, Competitive Gaming

Shacknews has a rather exhaustive preview of Valve's Team Fortress 2, coming to PC, Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 as part of the Half-Life 2: Orange Box collection (also available via Steam, natch).

One interesting note at the end of the article states that the Valve offices, who are working on the Xbox 360 and PC versions (PS3 version is being done by EA UK), "regularly play cross-platform multiplayer games." However, the studio's Doug Lombardi said that the final game will not have cross-platform because it "introduces more problems than it is worth." He continued to say that if Valve were to implement cross-platform that it would be part of the initial game design.

Orange Box, which includes Half-Life 2, Episode One, Two, Portal and Team Fortress 2, is due out October 9.

Team Fortress will not have cross-platform play, but Valve plays it that way originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 19 Jun 2007 17:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Half-Life 2: The Orange Box ships in October

Dustin Burg — Fri, 15 Jun 2007 13:30:00 EST

Filed under: News

Talking with a Valve representative, Shacknews was able to pry a firm release from their lips for a little box set known as Half-Life 2: The Orange Box. The game will hit retailers on October 9th, so we advise circling the date on your calendar with an orange marker so you don't forget. Orange marker, because it's the orange box ... get it? And to refresh your memory, The Orange Box is a bundle that will include Half-Life 2, Episode 1, Episode 2, Team Fortress 2 and Portal for the low, low, next gen price of $59.99. How we see it is that October will be all about carving pumpkins, eating candy corn, and playing a whole lot of Half-Life 2. Cavities be damned!

Half-Life 2: The Orange Box ships in October originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 15 Jun 2007 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Half-Life 2: Episode Two, Portal, Team Fortress 2 shipping October 9th

Ludwig Kietzmann — Fri, 15 Jun 2007 08:15:00 EST

Filed under: PC, Sony PlayStation 3, Microsoft Xbox 360, First Person Shooters

Politely telling naysayers who expected the games to miss their 2007 launch to eat crowbar, Valve has confirmed to Chris Remo of Shacknews that its upcoming Source trio will ship for all intended platforms on October 9th. The suite is comprised of warped puzzler Portal, stylized multiplayer shooter Team Fortress 2, and continued scientist savior sim Half-Life 2: Episode Two. The collection will be sold through Valve's online Steam service as well as in a retail package.

The EA-distributed Half-Life 2: The Orange Box, which also contains Half-Life 2 and Half-Life 2: Episode One, will be available on PS3 and Xbox 360 for $59.99, with the PC version priced at $49.99. There once existed a Black Box (containing the three new titles only) for those PC gamers unwilling to take the digital distribution route, but it was promptly buried in the hope of fostering a strange sort of philanthropy amongst gamers. Still, in featuring five games -- two of them proven classics -- there's little question that the Orange Box offers great value, especially if you're a newcomer to Valve's first-person shooters.

[Thanks, Gogandantis]

Half-Life 2: Episode Two, Portal, Team Fortress 2 shipping October 9th originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 15 Jun 2007 08:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Valve: our downloadable content will be free

Richard Mitchell — Fri, 25 May 2007 15:00:00 EST

Filed under: News

When perusing our comment threads, you may see comments from Team Fortress 2 fans that will be opting for the PC version over the 360 version? Why? Lots of free content. Specifically, lots of free user-made content. While it may be some time before user-made content heads to the 360, we are happy to report that any downloadable content for the Orange Box will be free. Eurogamer reports that Valve will not charge for its DLC. According to Team Fortress 2 designer, Robin Walker, "You buy the product, you get the content," who adds, "We make more money because more people buy it, not because we try and nickel-and-dime the same customers." We imagine that someone at EA -- publisher of the Orange Box -- has just imploded. Free content is always good, especially when you consider that TF2 will ship with only 6 maps.

[Via Joystiq]

Valve: our downloadable content will be free originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 25 May 2007 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Team Fortress 2 classes get broken down

Richard Mitchell — Thu, 24 May 2007 17:30:00 EST

Filed under: News

It seems Team Fortress 2 is fast becoming the best reason to own the Half-Life 2 Orange Box. In every preview of the game, various outlets are describing it as the most outstanding feature of the entertainment-packed package. With some particularly impressive visuals and reportedly rock-solid gameplay to boot, it's easy to see why. IGN recently got their turn to try out Team Fortress 2 and have done us the favor of breaking down every single character class in the game. With 9 classes from which to choose, finding your favorite might be a difficult task, especially considering that the support classes are actually fun to play.

Honestly, we're torn so many ways we don't know what to think. Do we pick the Demoman and his sticky bombs, the Pyro and his flamethrower, or the Engineer and his deadly turrets? What about the chameleon-like Spy, or the cool-as-nails Sniper, or the well-rounded Soldier? Of course, there is the Medic, who's capable of making players and himself briefly invulnerable, and there's the Scout, who can change direction mid-jump. Then again, there's always the Heavy Weapons Guy ... and his beloved Sasha.

Who's your favorite so far?

Team Fortress 2 classes get broken down originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 24 May 2007 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: Team Fortress 2's amazing animation

Richard Mitchell — Tue, 15 May 2007 14:30:00 EST

Filed under: News

The Team Fortress 2 aesthetic has been compared to The Incredibles more than once, and it really shows up in this video, with amazing animation and some decent shtick. This video, to put it simply, is gorgeous. We wish there was more to say about it, but honestly, that's pretty much it. The facial animation is damned near perfect, and the character has real personality. Rather than spoil anything else, we suggest you go ahead and watch it. You'll be glad you did.

The Half-Life 2 Orange Box is starting to look better all the time, isn't it?

Video: Team Fortress 2's amazing animation originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 15 May 2007 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Half Life Episode 2 almost complete, says Valve

David Dreger — Mon, 07 May 2007 18:45:00 EST

In a press release on Friday, Valve announced they are nearing completion of Half Life 2: Episode Two and is on schedule for its third quarter release this year. They go on to say that they spent time early on in the development cycle to get high quality concept art produced on vital areas in the game, so that everyone on the team would be able to share a cohesive vision and be able to bring it to life in the final product. Evidently, upon release we'll be able to make direct comparisons to these pieces with locales in the game. Either way, any news is good news when it comes to Orange Box. Except for delay announcements, which this is not, which is good ... news.

[Via G-Source]

Half Life Episode 2 almost complete, says Valve originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 07 May 2007 18:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Half-Life 2: Episode Two nearing completion, new concept art inside

John Bardinelli — Mon, 07 May 2007 09:59:00 EST

Filed under: PC, Action, Adventure, First Person Shooters

As part of their weekly updates, Valve recently spilled the beans on the status of Half-Life 2: Episode Two: "we're working hard on putting the final parts together." The early part of the development was spent carefully working on concept art of key areas in the game, ensuring everyone on the team could share a vision of what the final product would look like. A few examples are in the gallery below.

While yearly releases doesn't feel very episodic to us (especially compared to the monthly Sam & Max series installments), it's half the time we waited between Half-Life 2 (2004) and Episode One (2006). Does Valve need to get its act together and deliver at a faster pace, or does a game like Half-Life 2 need time for perfection?

Gallery: Half-Life 2: Episode Two concept art

Half-Life 2: Episode Two nearing completion, new concept art inside originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 07 May 2007 09:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Valve interview from GameTrailers

Richard Mitchell — Wed, 14 Mar 2007 15:30:00 EST

Filed under: News

GameTrailers has posted an interview with Valve's Doug Lombardi discussing the upcoming Orange Box for Xbox 360. The Orange Box, for those who don't know, contains Half-life 2, HL2 episode 1 and 2, Team Fortress 2, and Portal. Lombardi talks about the revisions to the source engine since Half-Life 2 first launched and what is possible with multiple core processors. He discusses some of Gabe Newell's comments about the PS3 and Valve's current opinion of the Wii as well. Also, sprinkled throughout the video are some very pretty snippets of the games included in the Orange Box. For fans of Half-Life, it's definitely worth a look. Give it a watch and tell us what you think.

Valve interview from GameTrailers originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 14 Mar 2007 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Portal only open four hours

David Dreger — Wed, 14 Mar 2007 10:15:00 EST

Filed under: News

Kim Swift, Valve's level designer stated that Portal clocks in at around four hours to complete. As a standalone retail game, that would be quite disturbing, but given that it's accompanied by four other titles in the Half Life 2: Orange, we're a little more forgiving. Still, the game promises to be a bit of a mind-frack, though Swift promises that the difficulty curve isn't going to be overwhelming as the game teaches you to "think in portals". So, are you going to put into the better part of an afternoon into this when you pick up Orange later this year, or are you going to stick with Half Life 2 and its episodes with a side of Team Fortress 2?

Portal only open four hours originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 14 Mar 2007 10:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Valve unleashes Half-Life 2: Orange screenshots

Dustin Burg — Wed, 14 Feb 2007 13:30:00 EST

Filed under: News

Half-Life 2: Orange, as we now call it, has been forever delayed and will only show up much later this year. But what are eager Half Life fanboys supposed to do until that time comes ... wait? Yes, you will have to wait, but Valve understands your pain by offering some screenshot love. They just released a massive amount of screens from the Half-Life 2: Orange bundle including Portal and Team Fortress 2. All the games are looking pretty good, but Portal and Team Fortress 2 lack visual goodness that Half-Life 2 offers, which is probably intended. Check out the nifty gallery Joystiq put up and come back to post your thoughts on what is sure to be one great compilation.

Valve unleashes Half-Life 2: Orange screenshots originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 14 Feb 2007 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Half Life 2: Orange Box (Art)

David Dreger — Wed, 07 Feb 2007 13:15:00 EST

Filed under: News, Xbox Live, Multiplayer

Darksaviour69 of dcemu.co.uk got his hands some details for the 5-in-1 Half Life 2 pack, "The Orange Box" and how it compares to its PC conterpart. Xbox 360 owners will get treated to Half Life 2, HL2: Episodes 1 and Episode 2, Team Fortress 2 and Portal. The PC's "Black Box" won't have Half Life 2 or HL2: Episode 1. Given that, it's not a bad deal for a standard priced Xbox 360 game. What we're curious about is how the Achievements will be divided up between the games. Will it be 200 Gamerscore per title, or 1000 each or what? Whatever the case may be, we're looking forward to hearing more as we await the winter 2007 release. While the art on the right doesn't look bad, albeit ordered oddly, we think this one is awesome.

Half Life 2: Orange Box (Art) originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 07 Feb 2007 13:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Run WoW, Steam games on Linux

Kyle Orland — Mon, 29 Jan 2007 12:15:00 EST

Filed under: Hacks, Mac, PC, RPGs, Peripherals, MMO

Having a working Linux box is a point of pride for computer hackers everywhere, but when it comes to gaming on a computer, freeware Linux offerings like Tux Racer don't really hold up to Windows favorites like World of Warcraft and Half-Life 2. A new version of Codeweavers' CrossOver Linux solves this problem by letting Linux users easily run some popular games and other Windows applications from a Linux box.

Running Windows games on Linux has long been possible with free programs like Wine, but the process of getting your favorite game up and running was not always simple. For $40 ($70 for the professional version), CrossOver Linux promises to let you seamlessly run programs "exactly as you would in Windows, but with the full freedom of Linux." A review on Linux.com confirms that demo versions of World Of Warcraft, Half Life, Heroes of Annihilated Empires, and Medieval II Total War worked in Linux without any problems.

Will other games work with the setup? Codeweavers' compatibility list shows most games as untested, but a few big names like Grand Theft Auto: Vice City and Civilization III are confirmed not to work. Knowing the open source movement, though, it's only a matter of time before a new release lets Linux gamers join their Windows brethren in the hallowed halls of gaming nirvana.

[Thanks Dolores]

Run WoW, Steam games on Linux originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 29 Jan 2007 12:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Half-Life 2 is black, orange, and priced

Ross Miller — Wed, 17 Jan 2007 23:25:00 EST

Filed under: PC, Sony PlayStation 3, Microsoft Xbox 360, First Person Shooters, Online

Valve has released some pricing details on their upcoming Half-Life 2 sets, affectionately dubbed Orange and Black. The packages and prices are as follows:

Black, for PC only, is $39.99 and includes only Episode Two, Team Fortress 2, and Portal.
Orange, for PC, Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 is $59.99 and includes all of the above plus Half-Life 2 and Episode One.

With a set like Half-Life 2: Orange being one of the few titles out there we feel merit a $60 price tag, we're eagerly anticipating the sets' release. Now if Valve would finally release them!

Half-Life 2 is black, orange, and priced originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 17 Jan 2007 23:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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What's inside the Half-Life 2 box

Dustin Burg — Wed, 17 Jan 2007 02:05:00 EST

Filed under: News

Soon, Half-Life 2: Episode 2 will be making its way onto the Xbox 360 and will be bundled with a bunch of other goodies. And those guys over at Valve found an easy way to identify the new compilations ... by color.

The Xbox 360 (PC and PS3) will be getting what is known as the Half-Life 2: Orange bundle. Included is the original Half-Life 2, Half-Life 2: Episodes 1 and 2, Team Fortress 2 and Portal. The orange package will set you back a reasonable $59.99. For our PC brethren they have one other option called Half-Life 2: Black. This bundle will include Half-Life 2: Episode 2, Team Fortress 2, Portal and will cost $39.99. The Black bundle is for those PC gamers that already purchased Half-Life 2 and Episode 1. Phew ... there you have it. But is anyone a little turned off by the whole color coding system?

What's inside the Half-Life 2 box originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 17 Jan 2007 02:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Gears of War 360 case mod pwns

Dustin Burg — Tue, 28 Nov 2006 15:00:00 EST

Filed under: News, Fan stuff, Gears of War

Do you remember that Half Life 2 case mod we featured a little while back? Yeah, just forget about that, because there's a new case mod on the block and is much sexier. The Gears of War case mod to the right is not only stylish, sleek, dark, edgy, and friggin' gory (I ran out of adjectives), but makes me want to curb stomp someone. The white ring of light really works, the etching on the side of the case is superb, and overall the craftsmanship rivals that of the HL2 mod. Check out more pictures after the break.

[Via Digg]

Continue reading Gears of War 360 case mod pwns

Gears of War 360 case mod pwns originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 28 Nov 2006 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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This Half-Life 2 Xbox 360 case mod is way early

Christopher Grant — Tue, 21 Nov 2006 11:15:00 EST

Filed under: Hacks, PC, Microsoft Xbox 360, First Person Shooters

Dr. Gordon Freeman would be proud. This "first ever" case mod sure looks professional to us but, then again, we're not the case modding experts around here. We suspect the mod's builder may have been anticipating an '06 release for Half-Life 2 on the Xbox 360, before the series' second episodic installment was delayed until early 2007 ... and then again until Summer 2007. Now every gaming session will have a brief, but painful, reminder of the title's absence. It'll be okay, just don't make a Duke Nukem Forever case mod ...

[Thanks, Macca; via Xbox 360 Fanboy]

This Half-Life 2 Xbox 360 case mod is way early originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 21 Nov 2006 11:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Combine fear the Half-Life 2 case mod

Richard Mitchell — Mon, 20 Nov 2006 19:30:00 EST

Filed under: Hacks / mods, Fan stuff

360 Fanboy reader, PiNPOiNT, sent us some pictures of his newly finished Half-Life 2 case mod. We have to say, it's flippin' sweet. Even the lighting in the photograph is topnotch. The left side of the case (at right) features a cut away window with the HL2 logo in the corner. The right side features another logo which is raised off the surface of the case. All in all, it's some very impressive work. There is no denying that the Half-Life 2 megapackage coming to the 360 is worth celebrating, but we hope we won't upset PiNPOiNT when we remind him that the game was delayed. Hopefully, his spiffy mod will brighten his days until the game releases this summer. Check out bigger, beefier images after the break.

Continue reading Combine fear the Half-Life 2 case mod

Combine fear the Half-Life 2 case mod originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 20 Nov 2006 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Half Life 2 delayed

Dustin Burg — Fri, 10 Nov 2006 22:00:00 EST

Filed under: News

For everyone looking forward to living in Gordon Freeman's world early next year, it looks like you'll have to wait just a little bit longer. Recently Doug Lombardi, Valve's Director of Marketing, told CVG that Half Life 2: Episode 2 will be delayed until Summer 2007. I guess the Xbox version of Half Life 2 could hold you over if you can't bear the wait, but I want my episode 2 now!

Half Life 2 delayed originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 10 Nov 2006 22:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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360 gets Source, developers cheer

Richard Mitchell — Mon, 16 Oct 2006 17:30:00 EST

Filed under: News

Valve announced today that it is now offering the 360 optimized version of its Source engine. The Source engine powers Valve's very successful Half-life 2, as well as the upcoming Portal and Team Fortress 2. Gabe Newell, president of Valve, had this to say:

"The combination of Source and the Xbox 360 provides game designers throughout the industry the chance to create powerful entertainment experiences. Whether they're pursuing a traditional FPS, RTS, RPG or delving into new genres, Source and the Xbox 360 are designed to offer the flexibility and tools to allow designers to pursue any design imaginable."

The availability of this engine to 360 developers means two things. One, developers can make games quickly and more efficiently. Two, Valve will be making oodles of money. At any rate, it looks like the Unreal Engine just got some new competition (maybe more when the Offset Engine shows up). In the end, it's not like it really matters. We just want our Counter-Strike Source, am I right?

[Via OpenXBOX360]

360 gets Source, developers cheer originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 16 Oct 2006 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Duct tape + cardboard = DI? Half-Life 2 costume

Christopher Grant — Wed, 11 Oct 2006 09:27:00 EST

Filed under: Culture, First Person Shooters, Fashion

A Planet Half-Life member, who goes only by the online nom de guerre "Kevin," created this incredible Gordon Freeman costume with nothing but duct tape and cardboard (seriously, that's it). In exchange, he has earned the admiration of nerds and Halloween costume partygoers everywhere. Why do cosplayers always have to dress up as Final Fantasy characters, or Mario anyway?

Joystiq salutes you, Dr. Freeman. Just don't bring any of those headcrabs to our staff party.

[Via Aeropause]

Duct tape + cardboard = DI? Half-Life 2 costume originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 11 Oct 2006 09:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Today's TGS Marketplace content

Richard Mitchell — Wed, 20 Sep 2006 11:15:00 EST

Filed under: News, Xbox Live, Xbox Live Marketplace

The first batch of Marketplace content has (mostly) gone live. For your downloading pleasure, the following is now available.

DOA X2 E3 Trailer (Japan)
Project Sylpheed Trailer (Japan)
Tenchu Senran Trailer
Half-Life 2 - Episode 2 Trailer
TGS Picture Pack
Tenchu Senran Demo (Japan)

There are also map packs available for BFMEII, though one of them -- Aragorn's Journey -- is supposed to be free, it's not working correctly right now. Don't download it or you will be charged. The other pack -- Northern Badlands -- is not supposed to be free so, you can grab it for 350 MS Points if you want. Also, as of this writing, the Half-Life 2 - Episode 2 trailer doesn't seem to be up.

We're not really sure if this counts as TGS content, but several XBLA games have been updated to take advantage of the Vision camera.

360 at the Tokyo Game Show:
HD-DVD for $170, $250 Core w/ Blue Dragon
1080p for 360!

Today's TGS Marketplace content originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 20 Sep 2006 11:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Leipzig Games Convention roundup

Richard Mitchell — Thu, 24 Aug 2006 10:30:00 EST

Filed under: News, Xbox Live, Peripherals, Xbox Live Arcade

In case you've missed it, or if your slavish devotion prevents you from checking other websites, below is a roundup of Microsoft related news from the Leipzig Games Convention. GC is a pretty big deal in Europe so, there's plenty of stuff to see.

Microsoft unveils new peripherals, Vision Camera

Settlers of Catan on Live Arcade? Wha?

Long promised Lost Planet multiplayer vids

Sweet videos of HL2, Team Fortress 2, and Portal.

Microsoft nabs FIFA and Pro Evo 6 exclusivity

A healthy selection indeed. May they help our American friends make it through a tedious workday, and our European friends settle in for the evening.

[Via Joystiq]

Leipzig Games Convention roundup originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 24 Aug 2006 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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