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PS3's Orange Box confirmed for US and Europe Dec. 11
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 Orange Box: the slideshow version
It appears that, for some reason or another, the PS3 offering of Half-Life 2: Orange Box might not be up to par with that of its PC and Xbox 360 counterparts, according to 1UP. After previewing the near final build of the game, they were met with framerate inconsistencies during the Half-Life series that made the game look more like a "slideshow" and thusly rendered it nearly unplayable.However, Portal perfectly played fine, but they weren't able to play much of Team Fortress 2 because of server connection issues.At this point, you're probably wondering what the deal is and why can't such a great development company like Valve get one of their shining jewels up to snuff, right? Well, one reason is probably because Valve isn't behind the PS3 port like it was for the other versions. Yeah, we're being serious. An unspecified internal EA development team is responsible for the PS3 version. With a Dec. 11 release date, we suppose there is still time for this issue to be rectified, but how many time have we, as gamers, told ourselves that in hope of getting a decent game? Probably way too many.[Thanks for the tip, Conor!]
Readers pick best webcomic: parental guidance is advised
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!
Europe can open the Orange Box in December
Are you European? Are you worried about not being able to get your hands on The Orange Box until 2008? If so, then fear not - VideoGamer.com have received word from Valve that the game will indeed be in stores in December. An exact date has yet to be given, but it will definitely be out this year There have been rumours and plenty of speculation that the bundle of five games (Half Life 2, Half Life 2: Episode One, Half Life 2: Episode 2, Team Fortress 2 and, most importantly, Portal) wouldn't be out in Europe-land until January at the earliest seeing as retailers have continued to push the date back for a number of months now. These fears can now, finally, be put to rest.
Half-Life in 60 seconds by cheeky Germans
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.
Cinemassively: I'm So Sick
There's definitely a hierarchy in the Machinima world. For example, I personally get all fangirl over people that do community-related activities, like Hugh Hancock or Phil Rice. They, however, rave about guys like Baron Soosdon.Baron created this music video based on a song, of the same name, by Flyleaf and Legion of Doom. He used Unreal Tournament 2004, Half-Life 2, and World of Warcraft for the backgrounds, but the characters themselves are from WoW. The editing in this video is absolutely superb. The visuals are top notch, showing off stunning scenery and little tricks like depth of field.Did I mention that it's just one of a ton of outstanding movies he's made in WoW and other mediums? Yep, he's just that good. You can read more about how he made it on his blog.
Dude, where's my Portal?
var digg_url = 'http://www.digg.com/nintendo_wii/Portal_On_Wii'; We don't know where this rumor came from, but there have been whisperings of a version of Valve's cake-pushing (it's a lie, we hear), environmental puzzlefest involving some kind of weird gun making its way onto the Wii. In true baby-punching* fashion, Valve has shot down rumors of the title's release on the Wii, as rep Doug Lombardi stated that it's "an extremely interesting idea, but there's nothing in product." Of course, as with most of these gaming rumors, it just won't be taken out back and shot like a certain yellow dog. Doug added "not yet, anyway," at the end of his quote there, leaving us all wondering if this could happen. And, if it did, wouldn't it be the perfect Wii Ware download?*Nobody at Valve punched a baby, to our knowledge. What they do on their own time is their business.
The best thing you'll see today: Portal gun in Half-Life 2
We'll be honest. We've got it bad. Portal, we're addicted to it. What started off as a fling with the perceived one-night floozy of the Orange Box lineup has turned into a serious long-term relationship. We find ourselves going through the other Orange Box offerings – and real life, we'll be honest – thinking, "Gee, I wish I had the Portal gun here."Thanks to hard work and years of studying (stay in school, kids) the alchemists at Primotech have transformed blood and sweat into an incredible hack that lets you create portals all over the lovely, quasi-European walls of Half-Life 2's City 17. Some notes: you'll obviously need the PC version, you'll need to follow some dozen steps full of words like "hosing," and you'll want to keep a fresh pair of pants nearby. But before you get to all that, peep the video which is safely contained after the break.
The Orange Box is here and it's good times
As many of you know, Valve's compilation of Half-Life 2, Team Fortress 2 and Portal all bundled together and marketed as the Orange Box released today (yes, Wednesday) and the reviews are looking on the up.According to the Orange Box metacritic page, the game is pulling in an average rating of 97 with perfect 100 scores coming from Yahoo! Games, EuroGamer, GameTap and GamePro. Yes, yes, we know there are only six reviews currently posted and the law of averages tends to predict that the game will fall a bit from its 97 perch, but seriously, the Orange Box is looking like an Xbox 360 winner. Then again, it's not like we ever doubted Valve's little color coded box-o-fantastic greatness. It's just that we now have metacritic proof and that gives us warm fuzzies.
The Joystiq Weekend: October 6 - 8, 2007
For Halloween, Valve forum poster janvitos is going as the Heavy Weapons guy from Team Fortress 2 -- and judging by the pictures, he couldn't be happier! According to the post, he's got friends working on Pyro, Scout and Engineer (hopefully with a turret). Help us keep track of the other costume pictures he posts, and check out the highlights for the weekend:JoystiqueryJoystiq hands-on: Crysis (PC)Joystiq hands-on: Medal of Honor Heroes 2Joystiq interview: Spider-Man: Friend or Foe producer Jamie BafusJoystiq Podcast Roundtable: Bungie jumpsJoyswag: Win a brand-new Darth Vader PSP-2000 (Day 1)New games this week: Orange Box editionPodcast Rodeo for Oct. 7: EarheadPS Fanboy Week in Review: 10/1 - 10/7Today's resold meme video: WoW Toyota commercialToday's shredingest video: Guitar Hero III victorWeekly Webcomic Wrapup: ninja, pirate scenario editionWhy the PS3's lack of backwards compatibility is upsetting NewsWriter drops details about Gears of War movieHalf-Life 2 on the Mac? Give Valve one million dollars!Puzzle Quest this Wednesday on XBLATurbine gets new CEO, but what happened to the old one?Insomniac 'flattered' by Mario Galaxy conceptChurch of England offended by Resistance BAFTA nominationManhunt 2 still not OK for UK, says British ratings boardNeo Geo games arrive on Virtual Console todaySimpsons, Conan on Xbox Live Monday, Monday, MondayNew Xbox 360 bundles arriving end OctoberSpeedball II on XBLA next weekAssassin's Creed comic provides more questions, few answersNew Wii UPC linked to Play N' Learn productSCEE: No plans to offer PS2 backwards compatibility later as DLC for 40GB PS3Too Human clip gives us best idea of game in yearsRockstar to appeal second British Manhunt 2 banOrange Box unlocking 'just after' midnight WednesdayThis Wednesday: Puzzle Quest and Toyota advergame hit XBLAAtari board axed, CEO believes Atari name means something goodUbisoft looking for Jam Sessions musiciansNintendo dethrones EA from Game Developer's 'top publishers' listViva Piñata toys are latest spawn from Microsoft, BK love inTori-Emaki: Better known as 'that Okami-lookin' PS3 screensaver'Everquest movie moving forward (directly to video we presume)Rumors & SpeculationRumor: 40GB PS3 releases in US on Nov. 2 -- same issues as Euro modelCulture & CommunityRed vs. Blue crew discusses their roles in Halo 3Religion of Halo helps churches find young congregantsWii tops Amazon wedding gift registryFrag Dolls, Seagate collaborate for game competitions, mall tourXbox 360 gets left on stove, melts, still worksWorld's oldest Halo 3 player found[Thanks, Einhanderkiller]
Orange Box unlocking 'just after' midnight Wednesday
Sure, Valve's Orange Box releases this week, and many gamers might be heading down to the local big box, sitting in traffic, listening to some sports radio (nerd option: Zelda tunes, Halo soundtrack), dreading the march though the incandescently lit store to the game section only to find ... an empty slot where the object of your desire should be, but isn't! Fortunately, if you pre-loaded or purchased Orange Box on Steam, you won't have to worry about that scenario, get the game just after midnight on Wednesday, and save some gas to boot.Valve has announced they'll be unlocking Orange Box "just after midnight Pacific time ... on October 10th," giving Steam purchasers the chance enjoy some release (late) night gaming. That means you might be stumbling into work as a raccoon-eyed, sleep deprived zombie, but hey, you were the MVP in TFC2! Totally worth it.[Via ars technica]
Half-Life 2 on the Mac? Give Valve one million dollars!
So, Orange Box drops this Tuesday on PC and Xbox 360 (the PS3 release isn't until November). Despite being published by EA, who are suddenly excited by the Mac platform, there's no Mac OS release planned. Sure, no one plays games on a Mac, we get it ... but this is Half-Life 2 we're talking about. It's sorta a big deal. In a recent Kikizo interview, Valve's Gabe Newell plants the blame for the absence of a Mac release of Half-Life 2 – and, indeed, most games – squarely on Apple's shoulders. On the other hand, Inside Mac Games' Tuncer wants you to know that it's never that simple; he explains that while it's true Apple met with Newell and nothing ever came it, it isn't because Apple couldn't stay focused (although we don't doubt that for a minute) but rather because of "Valve's insistence that anyone who wanted to port Half-Life 2 to the Mac had to advance $1 million to Valve." In the scrappy world of Mac OS X porting, a meeeeelyun bucks is understandably hard to come by ... up front.That said, Apple's lack of focus on gaming remains a fundamental weak spot in their consumer strategy (let's not even talk Apple gaming consoles), but we're hopeful that as companies continue to adopt new technologies like Cider, Mac users will at least be able to enjoy smash hits like Half-Life 2 (if nothing else). Ah well, thank Freeman for Boot Camp. Read – One Million Reasons Why Half-Life 2 Isn't on the Mac (IMG)Read – Gabe Newell on the Mac platform and Apple (Kikizo)
Get $5 off with an Orange Box pre-order
If you already have decided on purchasing the Orange Box this coming Tuesday you can save $5 on your purchase if you're willing to pre-order the game at Gamestop. From now through October 9th (the game's release date) Gamestop is willing to chop $5 off the game's price if you plop down a few bucks on an Orange Box pre-order. True, $5 isn't all that much of a savings, but if you're already purchasing the game then why not save a few bucks and treat yourself to a McFlurry or a few lottery tickets with your cash savings. There's no need to thank us, we're always looking out for ways to keep your wallet from becoming empty. That's just the kind of bloggers we are.[Thanks, BostonKingB]
The Orange Box gets a new color ... gold
It's official Orange Box fans, yesterday Valve announced that the Orange Box is 100% complete and has gone gold in time for its October 9th release.As a result of the game's gold status, it means that your Half-Life 2, Team Fortress 2 and Portal fun will not be delayed and that you're one step closer to getting in on all the fun it has to offer. It also means that your personal journey of obtaining all 99 achievements is knocking at the door, so clear your calendar because the Orange Box is going to require hours and hours of achievement attention. Rejoice! The Orange Box is near!
The Orange Box gets 99 achievements, 1000 points
Normally we're not that interested in the litany of Xbox 360 achievements uncovered by that community's strange, gaming junkies, but every once in a while something shiny grabs our attention and we become fixated on it. And so it was when we spotted the list of achievements for Valve's The Orange Box, which answered some very obvious questions that (we're frankly embarassed to admit) we actually spent too much time wondrering ourselves. Questions like: If the retail disc has five games on it, how many achievement points can they dole out? 5000? Will the achievements be divided evenly amongst the offerings? Does Gabe Newell read our fan mail? (This one is more of a followup to that last one) Will he ever respond? The list does answer two of those four questions with aplomb: The Orange Box has the standard 1000 gamerscore points available to you spread out across a whopping 99 achievements –the Half-Life titles get the lion's share of those achievements and, therefore, gamerscore points. As for the last two questions, we're guessing one of those eleven secret achievements contains a special message from Gabe just for us.
Orange Box peels away to show actual cover
If you happened to catch the original look for Valve's The Orange Box (which includes Half-Life 2, Episodes 1 and 2, Portal and Team Fortress 2), you'll know it was just a generic Word font on an orange background -- what we have now is much better. TeamXbox says this is the final box featuring Gordon Freeman (who apparently has time to put good product in his hair and keep the goatee trim), the symbol for Portal and Heavy Weapons Guy with Sacha.In case you missed it, the Black Box is no more, so PC gamers will get The Orange Box at $49.99 instead of the PS3 and Xbox 360 console price of $59.99. The individual components will be offered through Steam as well for PC owners to pick and choose. For console owners, there is a lot of stuff packed into The Orange Box, especially if you've missed out on the saga of Half-Life 2. We're going to also take this opportunity to guess that Episode 3 will be a PSN and XBM download. Unless Valve decides to come out with The Orangier Box, which will have six games and an updated version of the original Half-Life ... it could happen.
The Orange Box gets a much needed makeover
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.
TF2 devs play cross-platform, but you won't
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]
Team Fortress will not have cross-platform play, but Valve plays it that way
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.
Half-Life 2: The Orange Box ships in October
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!
