Details on Half-Life 2 - Orange and Black Editions

A post at Game|Life lays out details on the upcoming Half-Life 2 releases. Instead of an unwieldy name (Half-Life 2 : Episode Two and a bunch of other stuff) they've given the PC and console releases color-coded names. The PC release, containing Episode Two, Portal, and Team Fortress 2 will be available as Half-Life 2: Orange. Half-Life 2: Black will be the 360/PS3 release, and will contain all of the above plus Episode One and the original campaign. Both boxes are expected in 'late summer' of this year.

Comments

Corrections

[Thansal]

FTFOA

The Black Box is only available on PC and includes Half-Life 2: Episode Two, Portal and Team Fortress 2. It retails for $39.99.

The Orange Box is available for PC, PS3 and Xbox 360 and includes Half-Life 2, Half-Life 2: Episodes One and Two, Portal and Team Fortress. It retails for a modest $59.99.

Re:Corrections

[Dr. Eggman]

Also

Both boxes are expected in 'late summer' of this year.
Should read "Both boxes are expected to be delayed in 'late summer' of this year."

Re:Corrections

[eln]

We already had the delay? I admire your optimism. But remember: this package contains TF2, which has been DNF-esque in its delays. Packaging a product with TF2 is like throwing it into a black hole from which no release date can escape. Valve is packaging HL2:Ep2 with TF2 because they don't think they'll be able to finish it within the next 10 years, so they package it with their favorite missed-deadlines whipping boy.

This product will be available just as soon as they get the email server integrated into it.

Re:Corrections

[Ford Prefect]

In all honesty, I think we already hit the delay, and now we are just waiting for the final release. We will probably hear more precise rumours as the date goes by, then we will hear the giant WHOOOSH as they go flying by, and eventualy we will have out precious HL2:EP2, TF2, and Portal (time to wipe up the drool again), at the very, very end of summer.

Yep, it's quite easy to decipher Valve's release date announcements - so long as you have the right glossary...

You need to work on your reading, Zonk.

[Canthros]

The PC release, containing Episode Two, Portal, and Team Fortress 2 will be available as Half-Life 2: Orange. Half-Life 2: Black will be the 360/PS3 release, and will contain all of the above plus Episode One and the original campaign.

That's the exact opposite of what the article says. The Black box is a PC-only edition containing Half-Life 2: Episode 2, Portal, and Team Fortress 2. The Orange Box is multiplatform and will contain the aforementioned, and Half-Life 2 and Half-Life 2: Episode 1. This is stated at Game|Life, and at IGN, which Game|Life is sourcing. Thanks for the heads-up, though. I don't read either, so I wouldn't have noted it myself.

Late summer's kinda vague as release dates go, and a ways off for something that was supposed to have shipped last year. I hope the package details are a sign that they're on-target with the stated time frame. I don't want to wait any longer.

Question

[Anonymous Coward]

If I play Half-Life and Second-Life at the same time, will I get a life?

Re:Games without freedom zero == no sale for me

[josteos]

I've never had problems with Valve hammering my Steam games. The Steam forums are good reading... lots of people posting about how Valve banned their acct and how they were gunna sue, but then a Valve guy shows up and explains that buying the game with a credit card then doing a chargeback doesn't sit well with Valve. Or trying with 19 different credit cards (with diff names) doesn't sound like they are legitimate customers, and BTW Valve forwarded their info to the police. Good stuff!

Not too long ago someone commented that they understood Valve had 'unlock' patches ready to go for their Steam games in case they ended up folding. Seems like a fair way to do it.

Re:But...

[grammar fascist]

What if you're color blind?!?

I knew a bloke what was orange/black color-blind. Could never take him camping - he kept wandering into the fire.