GamesRadar - The Orange Box

The Top 7… Tasteful game heroines (Feature)

Nov 9, 2009

Like comic books and movies, videogames tend to present an exaggerated representation of men and women. Dudes are typically muscle-bound meatheads with powerful jaw lines and a thorough understanding of all forms of combat, while women generally have back-breaking chests and dress like strippers regardless of their profession. ...

Gordon Freeman Wins Gamespot's All Time Greatest Hero Competition (News)

Oct 15, 2009

Gamespot writes:

"That's it. The votes are in and you, the faithful, the fans, the readers of GameSpot, have decided on the single greatest game hero of all time.

You have decided to follow the Free Man.

GameSpot offers its heartiest congratulations to Gordon Freeman, the hero of the Half-Life series, and the winner of this epic competition."

Freeman had a total of 107,581 votes to Mario's 85,280.

Keyboard Cat vs... Half-Life 2: Episode Two! (Video)

Sep 15, 2009

The Orange Box has five big sections - Half-Life 2: Episode Two, Team Fortress 2, Portal, Half-Life 2, and Half-Life 2: Episode One - and they're juicy, delicious, and priced to sell.

TalkRadar UK #6: Gamescom round-up (Feature)

Aug 26, 2009

TalkRadar 6 - 100% more Scottish than last week's edition ...

TalkRadar 61 - NERDS! (Feature)

Jul 24, 2009

On call in this nerdy cast:

The Top 7… Evil Corporations – all those lovely companies that have taken so much from us while giving so little.

Nintendo: Banned in the USA - Nudity, Nazis and the podcast will contain some EXCLUSIVE Child Abuse!

300 Blu-rays

Comic-Con

and much more! ...

The Citizen Kanes of videogames (Feature)

Jul 23, 2009

When talking about the idea of videogames as art, it’s become increasingly popular to lament that the medium doesn’t yet have its “Citizen Kane.” Seemingly everyone, from industry luminary Ian Bogost to film director Guillermo del Toro, has sounded off about how games either need, don’t need, or will soon receive the masterpiece that will force the medium to “grow up” and be accepted as an art form by the mainstream. ...

If video game characters were Pokemon (Feature)

Jul 3, 2009

Ever wondered what it would be like to have video game characters in your Pokemon party? Why choose boring old Bulbasaur when you can choose a beautiful Kasumi? Or a level 50 Sackboy?

We've given 21 game characters the Pokemon treatment, with four moves to choose from and some evolutionary states too.

Who would you choose? ...

Gaming's most facepalm-worthy heroes (Feature)

Jun 26, 2009

When the hero's mistakes end the world instead of saving it. ...

Half-Life 2: Episode Three storyline speculation (Preview)

Jun 16, 2009

Where next for Gordon Freeman? We hazard a few educated guesses. ...

The secretly sinister storylines of your favourite games (Feature)

Jun 12, 2009

You never knew they were so wrong... ...

Half-Life 2/Eve Online Hybrid Machinima Clear Skies 2 Now Available (News)

May 10, 2009

The highly praised Half Life 2/Eve Online hybrid machinima is back with Clear Skies 2, now available for download.

Video game villains who got away with it (Feature)

May 1, 2009

People like to see good triumph over evil. It's the reason Superman always wins despite getting stabbed in the face with shards of Kryptonite. Why John McClane beats a skyscraper full of heavily-armed terrorists with nothing but a string vest. And why those pesky S.T.A.R.S. agents always get the better of the T-virus. Sometimes, though, there are games brave enough to spit in the face of convention and let their no gooders go ...

The world's best game devs in their own words (Feature)

Mar 11, 2009

The secrets of their success in their own words. ...

The fantastic origins of your favorite games (Feature)

Feb 12, 2009

We are all guilty of taking game development for granted. Yes, even you, the guy who plays Call of Duty 4 and wonders why co-op wasn’t implemented. As most of us know, development is less magical and more rigorous – terrible deadlines, limited resources and limited manpower – all factor in to creating what we play for the holiday season. ...

Gaming's big-ass booms! (Video)

Feb 11, 2009

The Orange Box has five big sections - Half-Life 2: Episode Two, Team Fortress 2, Portal, Half-Life 2, and Half-Life 2: Episode One - and they're juicy, delicious, and priced to sell.

The 10 manliest men in videogames (Video)

Jan 30, 2009

The Orange Box has five big sections - Half-Life 2: Episode Two, Team Fortress 2, Portal, Half-Life 2, and Half-Life 2: Episode One - and they're juicy, delicious, and priced to sell.

The 28 Best FPS Games (News)

Jan 3, 2009

From the dystopian corridors of BioShock's subterranean "paradise" to the Strogg-infested space stations found throughout the Quake franchise, First Person Shooters have found countless ways to establish themselves as rich, enjoyable experiences, capturing the hearts and trigger fingers of gamers worldwide.

Even if it's just blasting away wave after wave of demons in Blood, or perhaps saving mankind from itself as you traverse Half-Life 2's City 17, the FPS genre has proven itself time and time again.

Kids in the Hall LOVE Portal (News)

Nov 19, 2008

Classic Canadian comic troupe Kids in the Hall clearly think Portal is the funniest thing in the world. It doesn't look like they make it too far into the game, but if they react like this to the first box-on-a-button puzzle, I can only imagine how crazy they would go for the actual game.

10 things we'd do with a real gravity gun (Feature)

Nov 11, 2008

The gravity gun is a godsend to Gordon Freeman throughout the Orange Box. As adept at creating impromptu platforms, bridges and makeshift shields out of whatever’s laying around City 17 as it is at blowing bits off headcrabs; it’s perhaps the most intuitive and visceral gun in games. ...

Leipzig: The real-life Half-Life 2 (Feature)

Aug 28, 2008

When we went to the Leipzig GC this year, we found ourselves in strangely familiar surroundings. Strangely, disturbingly familiar surroundings. Gravity guns at the ready... ...

Valve Teases 'Team Fortress 2' Update On Consoles (News)

Aug 15, 2008

MTV Multiplayer writes: "Do you ever get jealous at the amount of free updates Valve delivers for "Team Fortress 2? on the PC? You might be a console gamer.

Few people would blame you. "Team Fortress 2? has yet to receive a content update - free or otherwise - from Valve. But that doesn't mean they aren't thinking about it.

In response to the recent reveal of new maps, modes and character tweaks for "Team Fortress 2," I asked the studio if console owners could look forward to this, as well.

Valve's answer to MTV Multiplayer is open to interpretation. "[There is] nothing to announce - yet," said Valve vice president of marketing Doug Lombardi."

Orange Box PS3, it seems, suffers from GHIII Wii syndrome (News)

Jul 31, 2008

Aeropause writes:

"The importance difference being that Activision has fixed Guitar Hero III for Wii."

Full story after the jump!

Did Valve Help Make PS3's Orange Box Suck? (News)

Jul 20, 2008

Ripten's Dan Landis writes:

"In a recent interview at E3, Valve Software's Erik Johnson stated that the PS3 port of The Orange Box was done "mostly" by EA. So if it was only "mostly" done by EA, does that mean that Valve actually had a hand in making a game they consistently denied being a part of? Why does that even matter?

The only reason this could be a big deal is because Gabe Newell has always been down on the PS3, even going so far as to call it "a waste of everyone's time." Valve has always denied having a hand in the PS3 port, placing all of the blame for The Orange Box's issues squarely on EA's shoulders..."

The writer goes on to discuss why he thinks Valve was not actually involved and that this is all the result of angry fanboys.

The Orange Box PS3: Open Letter from Petitioners (News)

Jul 9, 2008

SCRAWL writes:

"Toni T, one of the petitioners for the PLAYSTATION 3 version of The Orange Box has written an open letter to the world and has decided to share it exclusively with SCRAWL. His letter addresses the problems in The Orange Box on the PLAYSTATION 3 as well as the problems they've had in actually getting through to Electronic Arts and Valve. So here it is, for you to read. Hopefully someone will get through and help us Orange Box gamers out a bit."

Hit the jump to read the letter.

Rumor: PS3 Gamers Suing Valve for Bad Orange Box? (News)

Jun 23, 2008

SCRAWL writes:
"One of our readers, Toni T, has sent us in this saying that unhappy Orange Box gamers are going to sue Valve unless they receive a patch for the game before July 1, 2008. I know that is a short time, though when you think about it the game hasn't received any real support in seven months. We post this as a rumor because the thread posted was supposedly deleted and we have no real proof whether gamers will actually pursue the suing. The case is for false advertising and they are bringing it to the US Federal Trade Commission."

Orange Box petition: EA replies and says NO to a patch (News)

Jun 20, 2008

With nearly 2000 signatures and over 15000 visits, the Orange Box petition seems to be coming to an end. Mike Seedon, the guy handling the petition, knows something for sure: EA will never ever bring a patch.

At EA support, employee John D has replied:

"Honestly, EA will not create the patches. EA did not engineer/program the game. Valve did."

For the full reply, hit the jump.

As for the Orange box petition website:
http://www.orangeboxpetition.com/

Gaming PaperCraft (Feature)

Jun 10, 2008

Our origami gurus have designed some pretty sweet papercraft figures for you to decorate your office or gaming lounge. Read more to create your own Companion Cube, Big Daddy, Gordon Freeman and Vault-Boy with our printable cutouts. ...

A new step for the Orange Box petition (News)

Jun 6, 2008

Mike Seedon, the guy handling the Orange Box petition, decided to go one step higher tonight. With nearly 1,700 signatures and over 8,300 visits, he believed it was time to heat things up. Just a while ago, Mike purchased a domain, making his website truly feel like an "official" one.

freewebs.com/aat08 is now orangeboxpetition.com

Serv Source: The Orange Box Petition (For PS3) (News)

Jun 3, 2008

Serv Source reports:

"With the epic release of The Orange Box has come a few flaws. Of course any of the bugs, hacks etc. were and are soon fixed by Valve.

Not so for the PS3 version. The issue is with EA, who claim to have only been involved with distribution of the PS3 version."

Hit the jump for the full story

PSXExtreme: Orange box ps3 gamers "Demand Equal Rights" (News)

Jun 2, 2008

PSXExtreme writes:

"For a brief moment, we return you to the days of developer futility when it comes to the PS3...which wasn't very long ago, and we're hoping isn't still in existence. EA definitely dropped the ball when it came to PS3 development last year, and while The Orange Box turned out fine on Sony's console, some players are still very much annoyed. To be specific, it seems the online functionality just isn't up to snuff."

Hit the jump for the full story

Aeropause: PS3 Orange Box owners rage on for a balance (News)

Jun 2, 2008

Aeropause writes:

"If you bought this product, you may or may not be pleased with your purchase. If you fall into the latter camp, you might find yourself agreeing with the people who are particularly disappointed with EA's handling of the Orange Box port, especially where online play is concerned. It turns out the PS3 version of this package has a lot of the online functionality excisedÂ¿ well, when I say a lot of it, I really mean most of it."

Hit the jump for the full story.

Orange Box petition: VALVe slams EA (News)

Jun 1, 2008

Mike Seedon, the guy handling the Orange Box petition, contacted VALVe asking for some comments regarding the answers he had received from EA.

In case you missed the news [3 days ago], when the petition reached 1,500 signatures, EA contacted Mike and stated they would never work on a patch because "EA Has no Say in Development".

Kerry, working at VALVe, replied:

"Hello,

Valve took the PC codebase and handed it over to EA. An EA development team located in Europe ported it to the PS3. EA then had the final PS3 build replicated, put in boxes, and sent to stores.

Kerry"

Visit the petition website here:
http://www.freewebs.com/aat08/

CVG: Pyro unlockables next for Team Fortress (News)

Jun 1, 2008

The Pyro class is next in line to receive an Achievement and unlockables upgrade in Team Fortress 2, Valve has confirmed.

The last class to receive the upgrade goods was the Medic, whom can now receive unlockable weapons for collecting specific Achievements based on its healing abilities.

Orange Box Petition Reaches 1500, EA Has no Say in Development (News)

May 30, 2008

VALVe says the PS3 version of the Orange Box was farmed out to EA UK, while EA UK reports it has no say in development. Who is telling the truth?

SCRAWL writes:

"Mike Seedon, the guy handling the Orange Box petition e-mailed me today updating me on the status of the petition. It has reached 1,500 signatures, which isn't much but that's 500 more than last week.

He has also informed me that EA UK has responded to his questions."

Hit the jump for all details.

The Orange Box petition continues, website launched (News)

Apr 26, 2008

The Orange Box, which was developed by VALVE for PC and Xbox360, made its way to the PS3 via Electronic Arts. A few days ago, an angry gamer started a petition regarding the numerous issues.

Eventually, the gamer decided to step up by opening a website.
The goal through his site is to provide proof to the gaming community. Indeed, he has decided to provide evidence from the various ongoing problems with screens and videos.

But will all the hard work pay off?

The world's best counterfeit games (Feature)

Mar 27, 2008

Not happy with what the devs are doing with your favourite games? Then let the gamers take over production. ...

The Orange Box Patch In Detail, List Inside (News)

Mar 21, 2008

PSX Extreme writes: "By now, if you're an owner of a PS3 copy of The Orange Box, you may have heard about a patch that was released earlier today. Perhaps you've already downloaded the patch but don't know what it does. Well, Electronic Arts has just issued word on all of the fixes that comes with this update, so take a look at the list below:

* Fixed a graphical issue whereby a player would have the explosion effect left on the end of their Rocket Launcher when attempting to Rocket Jump.

* Fixed a memory leak to improve single player stability."

The Orange Box Patched For PS3 (News)

Mar 20, 2008

Kotaku writes: "PlayStation 3 owners who attempt to play their copies of The Orange Box tonight will be greeted with a required update, bringing the EA published collection to version 1.10. The 128 MB download unfortunately doesn't come with a changelog, nor can we find a shred of information on what's changed on the internet. Digging through Valve's Steam forums, EA's support site and game forums, and the official PlayStation web site have revealed nothing about the download. We're pestering EA to found out what's up.

During my initial play time with the new version, testing out Team Fortress 2, Portal and Half-Life 2: Episode Two, nothing was immediately noticeable, although connecting to a TF2 game did seem to be rather speedy."

Team Fortress DLC Price Is Up To Microsoft And Sony (News)

Mar 14, 2008

Kotaku writes: "Recently, Valve went on record saying that they'd like their upcoming Team Fortress 2 map pack to be free on both PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, but admitted that such a situation might not be possible. Many wondered if this uncertain future was the result of EA meddling or interference from the platform holders themselves.

We contacted Valve to clarify and their VP of marketing Doug Lombardi informed us that, "The platform holder owns the final call." So just as we'd suspected, whether or not we see these maps for free is indeed up to Sony and Microsoft."

The Orange Box: 100 Awards and Counting (News)

Mar 10, 2008

The 2007 award season is coming to a close and The Orange Box - the unique multiplatform, multi-game offering from Valve, creators of Half-Life® 2 and Counter-Strike® - has racked up over 100 first place awards, comprised of more than 50 Game of the Year honors plus over 50 craft awards for special achievements in gaming.

Eurogamer: Valve hopes to keep TF2 content free (News)

Mar 4, 2008

Valve has reiterated that it hopes to release extra maps for Team Fortress 2 as free downloads for PS3 and 360 owners.

"The maps will come to the console versions," VP of marketing Doug Lombardi told Eurogamer at a recent Left 4 Dead event. "There's a bit of work that makes sense for us to bundle them up and release them as packs."

Asked whether that still meant for free, Lombardi said: "Oh, for free, definitely, as much as we can. You know, we don't have full say over that, but we have some say over how that works.

Orange Box 2 takes shape? (News)

Mar 3, 2008

With a game as stupidly popular and successful as Counter-Strike, the question is not 'Will there be a sequel?' but rather: 'When?' Valve Software, the developer housed in a red building entirely comprised of $50 bills (it could happen), knows this too: "We will never abandon Counter-Strike," marketing man Doug Lombardi told Shack News, explaining why the online shooter hasn't received a major update since the release of Counter-Strike ...

Opening The Orange Box: Portal (Feature)

Feb 29, 2008

The games world has gone bat shit over Portal. By the time you read this, there will be around 23,456 more blogs about the Weighted Companion Cube and over 1.2 million references on forums about “cake,” beating the previous record set by “the knights who say ‘Ni’” by 67 percent. Despite Valve’s sci-fi spatial puzzler clocking in at less than three hours, Portal has become a phenomenon, built on a ...

Orange Box (PS3) Patch Coming Soon (News)

Feb 28, 2008

"Our engineers have finally provided details regarding the issue you are experiencing. Currently, this is a known issue and our engineering team are creating a patch which should resolve the issue. Unfortunately, the patch has yet to be tested and will be released sometime in March. Other issues will be addressed but unfortunately we do not have a list at this time. If you have anymore questions please feel free to respond back to this email or please visit our website and review our extensive Self Help Knowledgebase (http://support.ea.com). Have a great day!!!

Thank you for contacting EA Customer Support!"

Opening The Orange Box: Team Fortress 2 (Feature)

Feb 28, 2008

Valve’s devotion to its customers, their unheard of desire to ensure that at every turn we are inescapably pleased with their product, is no more noticeable than with Team Fortress 2. Like doting mothers, they’ve been keeping tabs on how we play. Vast mountains of data stored in underground bunkers keep records of our every action - that time you were sniped on top of the bridge in 2fort? It’s in there. And all in the name of ...

No word on console TF2 updates (News)

Feb 15, 2008

CVG writes:

"Xbox 360 and PS3 versions of Team Fortress 2 continue to be left in the dark when it comes to content updates for the game.

With Valve releasing its "largest update" ever for TF2 on PC yesterday, we dropped the developer a line to find out what the score is with new stuff for the consoles."

Weighted Companion Cube is "still alive" in WoW (News)

Feb 12, 2008

Love is in the Air has started up for Valentine's Day in the World of Warcraft, and there is a familiar-looking heart-adorned cube sitting outside of the major cities.

Valve: Goldrush "within the month"- New TF2 map featuring new game mode creeps closer to release (News)

Feb 5, 2008

CVG is reporting that TF2's new Goldrush map revealed by PC Gamer (UK) last month should be with us shortly.

"We're balancing the map now; look for it within the month", Valve has said.

The new map introduces a new gameplay mode - one team must escort a small mining cart through a series of Dustbowl-like map segments. The cart moves faster the more Blue players are near it, but stops entirely if even one Red player is in range. Blue have to escort the cart all the way to Red's headquarters within a certain time limit.

"More Portal for Sure" - Valve + News on Gordon's Whereabouts (News)

Jan 31, 2008

Eurogamer Said: Valve has said it will definitely be making more Portal, confirming plans to add significantly more than just "a bunch of new puzzles".

Speaking to Eurogamer, spokesperson Doug Lombardi said it was less a matter of if and more a matter of what and when.

"There'll be more Portal, for sure. But the details of that, to be honest, we're still working out," he said.

"The only smart thing we did for Portal was to hire those seven kids and give them the support they needed to make the game."

Unsurprisingly Valve is reluctant to be rushed by a release schedule. It's adopting the same policy for Half-Life 2 finale Episode Three.

"Gordon is our number one guy," said Lombardi. "In Episode One I think we left people with some big questions. After Episode Two people saw it was going somewhere.

"With Episode Three we want to live up to the promise of where we are taking things to; there's a lot of work being done to make sure we deliver on that promise."

He added, "Exact details on what's next for Gordon are a way off; probably months not weeks."

Portal, BioShock Lead Game Developers Choice Awards Nominees (News)

Jan 22, 2008

Valve's Portal and 2K Boston/Australia's BioShock lead the nominees for the eighth annual Game Developers Choice Awards with five nominations each, including the coveted Game of the Year title, organizers have announced.

The Game of the Year category also includes Infinity Ward's Call of Duty 4, which follows with four nominations and, with both games receiving two nominations each, Harmonix's Rock Band and Nintendo's Super Mario Galaxy.

Gordon Freeman: Strongest personality in gaming (Feature)

Jan 18, 2008

18th Jan, 2008 [Warning: Like our Portal article from December, this piece features some pretty heady discourse, and also benefits from a visit from Mr. Narrative Theory. If that stuff makes you run screaming, then feel free to run screaming. Also, if you haven't completed Half-Life 2, leave now. This contains some inhuman spoilers.] Half-Life 2 is widely and rightly regarded as a modern classic. In terms of both gameplay and artistry there have been few, if any, games in the FPS genre which ...

Interview: Half-life 2's David Speyrer (Feature)

Jan 17, 2008

David Speyrer was interviewed for his job at Valve on the day the original Half-Life went gold in late 1998. He started working there soon after, just as Half-Life 2 began its lengthy development. Since then, hes risen through the ranks from programmer to project lead. Now, David talks us through some of the processes that led to Half-Life 2: Episode Two being the remarkable game it is. Warning: if you havent played Episode Two yet, there are spoilers ahead. Has Episode Two taken you anywhere ...

Custom Action Figures: Half-Life, Duke Nukem, MGS, Ninja Gaiden, Killzone 2 (News)

Jan 17, 2008

Jin Saotome's two latest creations are action figures based on Half-Life's Gordon Freeman (from the Half-Life series) and the 8-bit Bionic Commando. He built these two using G.I. Joe Sigma Six figures, but the results look almost worthy of retail. Freeman and the Commando even come with their signature crowbar and grappling arm, respectively. They are now up for auction on eBay via the Gaming Today link below (news.filefront.com).

Jin Saotome's website features additional custom action figures from other video games: Solid Snake (from Metal Gear Solid), Ryu (from Ninja Gaiden), and Helghast Soldier (from Killzone 2). They are currently not for sale.

The pictures of the figures are attached below.

Valve confirms Team Fortress 2 class changes (News)

Jan 16, 2008

CVG is reporting Valve has revealed tweaks in the pipeline for Team Fortress 2 classes in the wake of news that the developer plans "a large scale modification" to the core of the game.

According to Valve's Robin Walker, the Pyro is set to receive an important boost and the developer's tinkering with the Solider too.

"We are indeed investigating Soldier changes, and one of the changes we're trying out is focused on making Soldiers a little more careful firing their rockets at point blank targets. As for the Pyro scoring, we have a minor tweak coming down the pipe. He's going to get a small amount of points for every enemy he ignites."

Earlier this week Valve promised that a "significant gameplay tweak" for the Medic class is on the way too, and that all the game's classes will eventually receive similar treatment.

Tell Valve your PS3 Orange Box wants and woes (News)

Jan 3, 2008

Jan 3, 2008 Valve has opened an official thread on the Steam forums asking for gamers to submit changes and tweaks suggestions for Orange Box on PS3. The move from the developer follows its response to a 547-word rant on Valve's forums about the PS3 version from a livid customer. "I am sorry that you are unsatisfied with your game", a rep for the developer said. "I hope that we will be able to correct any major issues in the future", the rep added; and with the opening of the forum thread ...

More Hints At Orange Box PS3 Patch (News)

Jan 2, 2008

Ripten:

"Yep, Valve has finally broken its silence over the reportedly glitch-ridden Orange Box port to the Playstation 3, which has seen some of the most serene gamers embed their pad in the nearest wall in frustration.

It looks more likely when, in another thread over on Steam about The Orange Box's poor audio, a second Valve rep weighs in."

Rumor: Orange Box patch might be on the horizon (PS3) (News)

Jan 1, 2008

PS3 Fanboy writes: It's no secret the PS3 version of Orange Box is inferior to the PC and 360 version due to the unforgivable amounts of bugs and bad coding. Many gamers have voiced their displeasure about the game, and one upset gamer, who purchased the game despite the highly publicized problems, posted a thread on Valve's forums. Soon after, a Valve employee responded to address his complaints.

Kotaku's Frankenreview: Top 5 Games of the Year Edition (News)

Jan 1, 2008

Kotaku writes:

"2007 has been a crazy awesome year for gamers. While during years gone by we've all fallen prey to too much hype and not enough...what's that word again...fun, the most unexpected part of 2007 was that it lived up to our unreasonably high expectations.

So hit the jump for our Frankenreview, victory lap 2007 edition. We pulled reviewers' top rated games* from Game Rankings to relive some of our best moments from the year.

Note, on repeat games, we picked the higher ranking platform".

The Orange Box and 19 Games Available for $75 on Steam (News)

Dec 31, 2007

As if The Orange Box weren't already the best value in gaming, those who have yet to make the $50 plunge can get an even better deal through Valve's Steam service. For a mere $75 gamers can purchase Orange Box and 19 additional titles.

If you already have The Orange Box then you can still get some more Half-Life goodness by downloading the game's main tune, "Still Alive" by Jonathan Coultan at Amazon.com. The entire album is discounted by about $2, available at Amazon for $7.99.

The winner of Destructoid Game of the Year 2007 (News)

Dec 28, 2007

Picking the Destructoid Game of the Year was no easy task, as evidenced by the overwhelmingly varied community response to yesterday's list of nominees. It seemed like each one of the five finalists garnered an equal amount of support: "Pick Mass Effect!" "Super Mario Galaxy is easily the best!" "COD4 FTW!" "BioShock, hands down!" "No competition. The Orange Box!"

And the winner is...

John Gaudiosi's Top 10 Games of 2007 (News)

Dec 27, 2007

Dec. 26, 2007 - John Gaudiosi is a national journalist who has been covering the video game business for more than a decade. In addition to blogging for WRAL.com, he also writes about gaming for Wired Magazine, The Washington Post, Xbox.com and Yahoo! Games. Here are his picks for the best games of 2007:

Â¿ Mass Effect
Â¿ Halo 3
Â¿ BioShock
Â¿ Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction
Â¿ Unreal Tournament 3
Â¿ Rock Band
Â¿ The Orange Box
Â¿ Call of Duty 4: Modern Combat
Â¿ Super Mario Galaxy
Â¿ Metroid Prime 3: Corruption

Notes: In addition to his credentials already listed above, John Gaudiosi is a senior editor for Variety's Video Business and regularly writes about videogames for Electronic Gaming Monthly, GameDaily, GamePro Magazine, Kotaku, MCV, Prima Games, Business 2.0 Magazine, CBS, Chicago Sun-Times, ESPN, Home Media Magazine, NBC, Reuters, and The Hollywood Reporter. He also works on video game programming for networks like The History Channel, The Discovery Channel, Starz Entertainment and VH1.

Orange Box Soundtrack Can Stuff Someones Stocking (News)

Dec 24, 2007

Valve have released, to their online store, an official Orange Box soundtrack, upon which you'll find all the hits you've grown to know and love from the year's orangest (and bestest) compendium. Like some of the haunting score to Episode 1, for example. An Episode 2. And Portal, with the catchy electronic score joined by two versions of "Still Alive". If you're less of a Half-Life fan and more of a Team Fortress kind of guy/gal, you're also covered, with its "troop-rallying anthems" also making their way onto the CD. The Orange Box Original Soundtrack is available now, and is selling for $9.95.

Los Angeles Times: Best and Worst of the Year (News)

Dec 23, 2007

What makes a good video game? Strong visuals are important. Good controls are essential. A well-crafted concept helps too. These days, most games can boast at least two-thirds of that criteria.

So, then what makes a game great? Feeling. Emotion. Surprise. Interaction. Even addiction. It's a magical feeling when a game offers all these elements.

Here are the titles L.A. Times deemed the best experiences of 2007. Admittedly, they didn't play everything (because that would probably be impossible), but of the titles that did cross their paths, these are the ones that resonated most. Their favorites in order:

Best of the Year:
Â¿ BioShock
Â¿ Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare
Â¿ Assassin's Creed
Â¿ Super Mario Galaxy
Â¿ The Orange Box

Honorable Mention:
Â¿ Halo 3
Â¿ Rock Band
Â¿ Ace Combat 6: Fires of Liberation
Â¿ Cooking Mama: Cook Off
Â¿ Lost Planet

Worst of the Year:
Â¿ Lair

Dishonorable Mention:
Â¿ Fusion Frenzy 2
Â¿ 300: March to Glory
Â¿ Tenchu Z

[ By Pete Metzger, December 21, 2007 ]

Dear criminals... (News)

Dec 20, 2007

Dec 20, 2007 If you park on the streets of a major city like San Francisco, you know there's the risk that a starry-eyed young hooligan with the bold dream of stealing your stereo will smash in your window. GamesRadar US editor Tyler Wilde is well aware of this risk - his car has been broken into three times in the past year. What he didn't know is that not just his stereo is at risk. As an avid gamer and an angry citizen, he felt it was time to send a message to the window/ocarina smashing ...

The Orange Box (Review)

Dec 19, 2007

Dec 17, 2007 [Editor's Note: Some of you may notice that our PS3 and 360 reviews of The Orange Box have identical text, but the PS3 version has scored lower. This is not a typo. The two versions have identical content and both are fantastic. However, the PS3 version sometimes moves at a chuggy, stuttery pace (especially during Episode Two), and has notably longer loading times. These faults have cost it a point.] You can't get much for sixty bucks these days. Dinner and a movie for two? ...

Half-Life To Have Plenty Of Life After Episode 3 (News)

Dec 19, 2007

Kotaku reports:

"In a recent interview with StuffWeLike, Valve's Doug Lombardi confirmed that the wide world of Half-Life won't end after Half-Life 2: Episode 3. There's more on the way: plenty more.

Question: "Are there any current plans after Episode 3 to have a Half Life 3?"
Answer: "We haven't announced anything specific, but Half-Life won't end at Episode Three - hang on to your crowbars!"

"Half-Life 3 or Episode 4? That's fine with me, especially since the sequels haven't stopped Valve from putting out other incredible products with the help of Half-Life technology. If a tried and true franchise allows Valve to experiment with the mechanics you see in Portal or the artistic choices you see in Team Fortress 2, I say bring on the sell-out! I'll be waiting with my Mt. Dew in the ready."

PS3 Fanboy Best of 2007: Best Shooter (News)

Dec 18, 2007

Who doesn't like shooting things? PS3 had more than its fair share of bullets and explosions. Which games made you more of a man this year?

And the nominees for PS3 Fanboy - Best Shooter of 2007 are:

Call of Duty 4
The Orange Box
Unreal Tournament III

Half-Life 3 practically confirmed (News)

Dec 13, 2007

With Half-Life 2: Episode Three planned to be the grand finale' of the Half-Life 2 story arc, you may be forgiven for wondering what's next in the parade of constant interruptions for the long suffering Gordon Freeman.

Worldwide PS3 releases for the week of December 9th (News)

Dec 9, 2007

US Games
*Unreal Tournament III
*Blacksite: Area 51
*The Orange Box

EU Games
*The Orange Box
*Oblivion: Game of the Year edition

Asian Games
*Gran Turismo 5: Prologue

GTA IV trailer dissected (News)

Dec 7, 2007

New issue of the free PlayStation 3 magazine includes the new GTA IV video trailer together with an analysis, plus Little Big Planet preview and Turning Point developer interview.

PS3 'Orange Box' Dated (News)

Dec 3, 2007

G4 The Feed - Monday, December 03, 2007:

"Finally, PlayStation 3 gamers will be able to join the PC and 360 ranks and experience the joy and wonder that is The Orange Box.

The Orange Box for PS3 comes out on December 11th, and G4 feels confident in predicting that its release will end the bickering over which console is superior once and for all. Portal is just good enough to herald a new age of cross-console generosity and brotherhood. Hallelujah!

French and German versions will be available in early 2008."

The 10 best games of 2007 (The Chanticleer Online) (News)

Nov 30, 2007

The Chanticleer's Art & Entertainment editor Toni Merriss picks her ten best games of 2007.

Orange Box PS3 may not be that bad, but reports still say worse than 360 version (News)

Nov 29, 2007

To say that EA's port of Valve's Orange Box on PS3 suffered a bit from 1Up's damning preview is a serious understatement. Now, either EA has really taken 1Up's complaints to heart or the site was lumbered some very early preview code to toy with because fresh impressions are filtering through the interwebs painting a very different picture of the Orange Box's performance. Kotaku, IGN and GameSpy are three big names that have come out in support of the mega-bundle, stating that in final code, frame rate issues were noticeable but negligible and certainly not bad enough to make much of an impact on the gameplay.

If this proves to be the case in the final retail copy, and there's little reason to suspect it won't, then EA should get something short of a clap on the back, but a least a nod of acknowledgement that it has finally pulled its finger out and overcome its PS3 demons. However, one sentiment still remains Â¿ that the Xbox 360 version is superior Â¿ and that isn't going to please PS3's hardcore.

Double blow for The Orange Box PS3 (News)

Nov 22, 2007

Pspsps.tv writes: "All in all, things are looking pretty grim for the PS3 version. 1UP's recent preview is particularly cutting, revealing some staggering consistency problems in the game's framerate, which apparently is only meant to be running at a pathetic 30fps anyway. The blame for this Â¿ possibly unfairly Â¿ is going to fall on EA's shoulders. Valve palmed off the PS3 development to an internal EA team at an early stage so that it could concentrate on the more directly compatible 360 version."

Why are PS3 games always late? (Feature)

Nov 22, 2007

22nd Nov, 2007 Oh PS3, you really must work on this tardiness. Youre a strong student with a lot of brains, and you can produce good work when you put your mind to it, but with this persistent lateness youre not only letting us down, but youre letting yourself down too. We know youve only just joined us and that youve had to take some time to settle in, but youre really going to have to start applying yourself from now on. Nagging teacher-speak aside, just what is it with PS3 release ...

The Orange Box PS3 - Release Date (News)

Nov 16, 2007

Electronic Arts has given Eurogamer a release date for the PS3 version of The Orange Box:

The Orange Box for PS3 due Dec - Rumoured '08 delay or cancellation untrue (News)

Nov 15, 2007

Many PS3 gamers have been anxious for news on the status of The Orange Box for their console, but EA hasn't been too forthcoming. With the Xbox 360 and PC versions doing incredibly well, PS3 gamers have a reason to feel a little left out.

Well, the waiting is almost over. An EA representative has confirmed to VideoGamer.com that the PlayStation 3 version of the Valve compendium will hit European stores in December, although an exact release date is still to be determined.

Valve offering real Companion Cubes (News)

Nov 12, 2007

Nov 12, 2007 Weighted Companion Cubes from Orange Box puzzler Portal will be coming to the Valve store soon. In addition, the plush Cube (which doesn't talk and won't try to stab you) will go on sale alongside a smaller pair of cubes made for hanging in your car's rear-view mirror. We need these to complete the Valve toy collection on our ...

The Orange Box PS3 now pushed back to January 2008 (News)

Nov 10, 2007

EA has just revealed in its latest European release schedule that Half Life 2: The Orange Box on Playstation 3 has been delayed again. The Xbox 360 and PC versions have been in stores since early October, but the Playstation 3 version would release 'a few weeks after that', according to Valve.

In the latest trailers Valve promised that the PS3 version would be in stores in time for the holidays. Apparently Valve ran in to some more trouble with the Playstation 3 as Orange Box on the Playstation 3 is now scheduled for release on January 17, 2008. A specific reason for this delay was not given.

Game Of The Year: BioShock, Halo 3, Mass Effect & Orange Box nominated in Spike's VGA (News)

Nov 9, 2007

Yes, The Game Of The Year (GOTY) discussion is already beginning! Spike is hosting its 5th annual Video Game Awards this December in Las Vegas, and this morning the nominees were released on Spike.com. What's in contention for Game of the Year? Orange Box, Halo 3, BioShock, and Mass Effect.

Current Swedish Best Sellers (News)

Nov 1, 2007

Metroid Prime 3 is followed by The Legend of Zelda Phantom Hourglass, making it a Nintendo top two on the multiplatform chart.

The top twenty includes six football games. Last week's best seller, Football Manager 2008, sits at No3, while three versions of Pro Evolution Soccer 2008 and two versions of FIFA 08 also chart.

01. Metroid Prime 3: Corruption (Wii)
02. The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass (DS)
03. Football Manager 2008 (PC)
04. Pro Evolution Soccer 2008 (PS3)
05. Pro Evolution Soccer 2008 (PS2)
06. Half-Life 2: The Orange Box (PC)
07. Singstar Swedish hits Schlager (PS2)
08. Pro Evolution Soccer 2008 (360)
09. World of Warcraft (PC)
10. World of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade (PC)
11. FIFA 08 (PS2)
12. Counter-Strike 1: Anthology (PC)
13. Half-Life 2: The Orange Box (360)
14. The Sims 2 Bon Voyage (PC)
15. The Witcher (PC)
16. Halo 3 (360)
17. Battlefield 2 (PC)
18. Warcraft III Frozen Throne (PC)
19. FIFA 08 (PS3)
20. World in Conflict (PC)

Gaming Industry Explodes To New Heights, Sales Trump Hollywood's Box Office (News)

Nov 1, 2007

According to NPD's projection, video game sales in the U.S. will reach a record-breaking $18 billion in 2007, surpassing the $10 billion box office sales projected by The Hollywood Reporter. Halo 3 grossed over $170 million on its release day, far bigger than any Hollywood film ever has, making it the highest-grossing premiere in entertainment history.

Game Informer editor-in-chief Andy McNamara gives a partial list of blockbuster games for this fall with brief descriptions.

Orange Box 360 update released! (Again!) (News)

Oct 27, 2007

"The second Orange Box 360 update has been released by Valve! This time, the focus is primarily on Team Fortress 2. What, exactly, have they changed?

- Reduced network bandwidth usage in multiplayer.
- Improved overall game performance.
- Arranged search results to favor preferred host conditions.
- Improved searching for ranked games.
- Addressed a possible false report of too little storage space on larger hard drives". - Gamernode

Valve "Deactivating" Customers Who Bought Orange Box Internationally (News)

Oct 25, 2007

The Consumerist writes:

According to reader Todd, there are quite a few customers are finding their "Orange Box" games have been deactivated by Valve because they bought them from a seller that wasn't authorized to do business with US customers.

The seller made the mistake, but the gamers are paying the price.

EDGE slams Eye of Judgement, Folklore; praises Orange Box (News)

Oct 24, 2007

In this months' issue games like Ratched and Clank, Orange Box, Eye of Judgement, Ace Combat 6 and Folklore all got reviewed and not all games did well. Orange Box received a perfect 10/10, wile Ratched and Clank and Ace Combat 6 both scored 8/10 scores.

The Playstation 3 exclusives Eye of Judgement and Folklore, however, didn't do very well which scored a 4/10 and a 5/10 respectively. Clive Barkers: Jericho didn't do very well either with a 5/10 score. Check out all this months' review scores below.

Orange Box (Xbox 360/PS3, EA): 10
Ratchet & Clank: Tools of Destruction (PS3, Sony): 8
Folklore (PS3, Sony): 5
Eye Of Judgement (PS3, Sony): 4
Wipeout Pulse (PSP, Sony): 7
Jericho (PS3/Xbox 360, Codemasters): 5
Conan (PS3/Xbox 360, THQ): 7
Juiced 2 (PS3/Xbox 360, THQ): 6
Monster Hunters Freedom 2 (PSP, Capcom): 7
Pursuit Force Extreme Justice (PSP, Sony): 6
Ace Combat 6 (Xbox 360, Bandai Namco): 8
Dewy's Adventure (Wii, Konami): 6
MySims (Wii, EA): 6
Freshly Picked: Tingle's Rosy Rupeeland (NDS, Nintendo): 6

UK charts: Football Manager knocks FIFA off the top (News)

Oct 23, 2007

The Orange Box debuts at 3, Phantom Hourglass at 4

Sega's Football Manager 2008 has entered the UK's all-formats chart at number one this week, knocking EA's FIFA 08 off the top spot.

Accounting for 38 per cent of all PC titles sold in the past week, Sports Interactive's management sim is Sega's first multiformat number one title since last year's version of the popular football franchise.

1. Football Manager 2008 (PC)
2. FIFA 08 (Xbox 360, PS3, Wii, PS2, PSP, DS, PC)
3. The Orange Box (Xbox 360, PC)
4. The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass (DS)
5. Halo 3 (Xbox 360)
6. Project Gotham Racing 4 (Xbox 360)
7. Ratatouille (Xbox 360, PS3, Wii, PS2, PSP, DS, PC)
8. Tiger Woods PGA Tour 08 (Xbox 360, PS3, Wii, PS2, PSP, DS, PC)
9. Resistance: Fall of Man (PS3)
10. Crash of the Titans (Wii, Xbox 360, PS2, PSP, DS, GBA)

EGM December 2007 Review Scores Roundup (News)

Oct 23, 2007

The review scores from EGM #222 (December 2007) are revealed:

* Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock: 9, 8.5, 8
* Sega Rally Revo: 7.5, 7, 7
* Conan: 5.5, 5.5, 5.5
* WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2008: 8, 7, 5.5
* Clive Barker's Jericho: 3, 4.5, 4.5 (Shame of the Month)
* The Simpsons Game: 7, 6.5, 7
* Bladestorm: The Hundred Years War: 4, 6, 4
* Folklore: 5.5, 7.5, 8
* The Eye of Judgment: 8, 8, 8
* Ratchet and Clank Future: Tools of Destruction: 8.5, 9.5, 9
* Halo 3: 10, 10, 9
* Ace Combat 6: Fires of Liberation: 6.5, 6.5, 8
* Half-Life 2 Orange Box: 10, 9.5, 10
* Beautiful Katamari: 7, 4.5, 4
* Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Trials and Tribulations: 9, 7, 7.5
* Disgaea: Afternoon of Darkness: 7.5, 7, 7
* Silent Hill: Origins: 7.5, 7, 7

What G-Man keeps in his briefcase... (Feature)

Oct 19, 2007

Oct 19, 2007 Huzzah! The Orange Box is released today (It's already out in the US), bringing what's perhaps the best videogame series ever conceived to Xbox 360 (and PlayStation 3, eventually) bundled along with one of the greatest multiplayer mashups and the world's first perfect game. Given that Gordon Freeman's only made one visit to consoleland, with Half-Life on Xbox and PS2, we thought living-room gamers might need to catch up. Much of the info contained in this article is only gleaned ...

Game Informer rates Halo 3, Mass Effect, PGR4, Orange Box, Syphon Filter and more (News)

Oct 12, 2007

The newest Game Informer has just landed in stores in America and this months' issue contains some very interesting reviews of all the coming and available games. Games like Halo 3, Half Life 2: Orange Box, PGR4, Mass Effect, Syphon Filter, Ace Attorney, DiRT, Ace Combat 6, NBA Live 08, NBA 2K8, NBA 08 have all been reviewed in this months' edition.

Most noticeable scores are for Halo 3, Mass Effect and Orange Box, which have all received reviews of 9.75 given by two different editors. Ace Combat 6 and PGR 4 also did very well with a 9- for Ace Combat and a 9+ for PGR4. Syphon Filter for PSP did very well with a 9-. Two Worlds was slammed again with two disappointing reviews of a 4 and a 2. Check out all this months' reviews below.

Mass Effect (Xbox 360, BioWare): 9.75/9.75
Ace Combat 6 (Xbox 360, Bandai Namco): 8.75/8.75
The Orange Box (Xbox 360, Valve): 9.75/9.75
Halo 3 (Xbox 360, Microsoft): 9.75/9.75 **Game of the month**
Zack and Wiki (Wii, Capcom): 8.25/7.75
NBA Live (PS3/Xbox 360/Wii, EA): 7.5/7.75
NBA 2K8 (PS3/Xbox 360, 2K Games): 8.25/8.5
Conan (PS3/Xbox 360, THQ): 7/7.25
Blazing Angels 2 (Xbox 360, Ubisoft): 7.5/7.75
Crash Of The Titans (Xbox 360/Wii/PS2/PSP/NDS, Sierra): 7.25
Spyro: The Eternal Night (Wii, Sierra): 6.25
Two Worlds (Xbox 360, SouthPeak Interactive): 4/2
Spider-Man: Friend or Foe (Xbox 360/PS2/Wii/PSP/NDS, Activision): 4.5/5.5
Juiced 2: Hot Import Nights (Xbox 360/PS2/PS3): 8.25/8.5
Dirt (Xbox 360/PS3, Codemasters): 8/8.5
NBA 08 (PS3/PSP, Sony): 7/6.25
Carnival Games (Wii, Take-Two): 5.5
The Sims 2: Castaway (Wii/PS2/PSP/NDS, EA): 7.25
Victorious Boxers: Revolution (Wii, Xseed): 6.75
Project Gotham Racing 4 (Xbox 360, Bizarre): 8.75/9.25
FlatOut Ultimate Carnage (Xbox 360, Warner): 7.5/8.5
Syphon Filter: Logan's Shadow (PSP, Sony): 8.75/9 **Handheld game of the month*...

Portal: The Flash Version (News)

Oct 11, 2007

Oct 11, 2007 Want to kill some time without breaking the bank? This excellent free flash game provides a 2D take on Valve's first-person puzzler, Portal. Portal: The Flash Version contains 40 levels of mind-bending puzzles and according to its authors, it has just about everything the real game does (minus the third dimension). Energy balls, cubes, turrets, and the giant crusher from the trailer all make an appearance. Click here to try out Portal: The Flash Version, and find out what we ...

Orange Box beats Bioshock, Halo 3 (News)

Oct 11, 2007

Oct 11, 2007 Valve's Orange Box compilation burst its way onto Steam yesterday, the reviews have begun to go live, and early indications show its average review score of 98 (so far) is going to beat both BioShock and Halo 3. You can read our review of Half-Life: Episode 2 here, Team Fortress 2 here and Portal ...

Gabe Newell: PS3 "a waste of everybody's time" - Edge's interview (News)

Oct 11, 2007

Valve Software boss Gabe Newell has slagged off PS3 calling it "a waste of everybody's time" in a latest attack on the console.

"Investing in the Cell, investing in the SPE gives you no long-term benefits. There's nothing there that you're going to apply to anything else. You're not going to gain anything except a hatred of the architecture they've created", Newell told Edge magazine.

"I don't think they're going to make money off their box. I don't think it's a good solution."

Orange Box beats Bioshock, Halo 3 (News)

Oct 11, 2007

CVG reports: " Valve's Orange Box compilation burst its way onto Steam yesterday, the reviews have begun to go live, and early indications show its average review score of 98 (so far) is going to beat both Bioshock and Halo 3. Could this be the highest scoring game of the year? "

Valve Bets Big on its 'Orange Box': Maker of Half-Life series takes on 'Halo' with five-game package (News)

Oct 10, 2007

MSNBC Reports: A video game company would need a truckload of chutzpah to release a first-person shooter in the wake of "Halo 3."

Such a company would have to be absolutely sure its game had enough fun and value to compete with arguably the biggest title of the holiday season, which launched to first-day sales of $170 million, according to its publisher Microsoft.

Valve, makers of the best-selling "Half-Life" series of PC shooters, is convinced its "Orange Box," launching on the PC, and for the first time, on the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and is such a game.

Team Fortress 2 primer (Feature)

Oct 9, 2007

Oct 9, 2007 The Orange Box goes live at 12:00 am Pacific Time on Oct 10, and 8:00 am in the UK. If you're on the beta now, prepare to own some noobs when the great unwashed come flooding in. And if you haven't preordered, you're going to need a headstart. Either way, it's time to brush up on a few of the lesser-known factors in the TF2 ...

PS3 Orange Box release date still TBA (News)

Oct 8, 2007

Oct 8, 2007 Valve Software's Orange Box launches on PC via Steam this week, with the Xbox 360 - and PC retail - version out October 19. But meanwhile, PS3 gamers are being left to twiddle thumbs while waiting for a confirmed release date. Retailers are suggesting November 16 or November 23, but according to EA a precise release date has yet to be nailed down. The PS3 version is being handled by EA rather than Valve Software; the publisher is still listing the release date as TBA in its ...

The Orange Box to Include Single by Jonathon Coulton (News)

Oct 4, 2007

Valve has revealed that it has tapped the songwriting talents of Jonathon Coulton, computer programmer turned modern day rock star, for a surprise single to be included in its massive multi-platform game offering, The Orange Box.

Eight new Orange Box screens (News)

Oct 2, 2007

Oct 2, 2007 Is it October already? Where did the year go? It means we're only days away from the release of Valve bumper bundle Orange Box; but there's still time for new screenshots to be pumped out onto the interweb. So, take a look at class-based, team-based multiplayer shooter Team Fortress 2 in these eight shots. And keep those eyes peeled for reviews of TF2, Portal and Half-Life 2: Episode Two real soon-like. Courtesy of ...

Half-Life 2: Episode Three Confirmed [Warning: Ep 2 spoilers] (News)

Oct 2, 2007

Translated text; "Magazine PC Gamer of November confirms the development of Half-Life 2: Three episode and brings some information to us on the scenario of this new opus (Attention small spoiler on the end of Half-Life 2: Two Episode). ' A end of Half-Life 2: Episode Two, Gordon and Alyx look at a video recorded by Judith Mossman, a scientist who works at the sides of Eli Vance and resistance. Mossman brings back the discovery of a lost cargo liner, Borealis, which is supposed to transport a new technology developed by a better known mysterious laboratory under the name of Aperture Science and large rival of Black Messa," writes Jeux-France.

Orange Box discount, beta access announced by Valve (News)

Sep 11, 2007

The Orange Box-featuring Half-Life 2: Episode Two, Team Fortress 2, and Portal, as well as the complete Half-Life 2 experience to date-is now available for pre-purchase via Steam, a leading online platform for the distribution of PC games. Those who pre-purchase the PC edition via Steam before October 10th will save 10% off the $49.95 regular price and get exclusive access to the Team Fortress 2 beta.

Available at retail on October 10th in North America and October 12th in the rest of the world, retail copies of The Orange Box will be offered for an estimated price of $49.95 on the PC and $59.95 on the Xbox 360 console systems. The 10% pre-purchase discount also applies to these versions at participating retail outlets.