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Day of Defeat Source For Free! Well only for 3 Days

This Fourth of July holiday weekend we have a new major update for Day of Defeat Source, the WWII multiplayer shooter from Valve. Valve just released the update to the game via their Steam client, adding tons of new content and features.

The new version adds a new map to the game, Palermo, which is based loosely on the real Italian city that was the site of one of US General George S Patton’s victories (it’ also based on a popular community made map Sarleno). The update also adds 51 new achievements to the game, player stats, Steam Community integration and a new freeze cam.

Also if you haven’t played Day of Defeat Source you will be happy to know that from July 4-6 you will be able to play the full game for free.

Lots Of Steam Patches Two TF2 patchs, Portal and Steam Client

Valve announces a Steam client update, a Portal Update, a Team Fortress 2 Update, and another Team Fortress 2 Update, all available from within Steam. Most significant is the first TF2 patch, which includes several fixes and tweaks, including anti-bunny hopping code.

Steam Client

• Fixed case where the Team Fortress 2 statistics could become corrupted
• Improved network connectivity issues

Portal

• Optimized Portal demos to have fewer issues when going through actual Portals

Team Fortress 2

• Fixed problems with 3d sound in surround mode for some Audigy X-Fi users
• Medigun no longer continues to heal enemy Spies who have lost their disguise
• Fixed a weapon switching exploit that allowed Snipers to fire slightly faster than intended
• Tweaked shadow filtering to make shadows look more smooth
• Fixed Server Plugin “StartQueryCVarValue” falsely returning CvarNotFound for cvars that did exist
• Fixed crash in HTML control in IE7 on page load, most often seen in the server Message of the Day
• Fixed small memory leak in HTML controller
• Made HTML output more compatible with new XHTML document styles
• Fixed physics crash involving bad ragdoll friction values
• Fixed detail sprite fading
• Added anti-bunny hopping code

2^nd Team Fortress 2

• Fixed crash when viewing some HTML MOTDs

Half Life 2 : Team Fortress 2 Patch and Pyro Attention

Some Great updates to Valve’s Half Life 2 : Team Fortress 2

Added option to change Field-of-view, between 75 & 90, from the Options->Multiplayer tab

Added option to disable Player sprays

Fixed flamethrower hit detection

Increased flamethrower damage at point blank range

Demoman grenades (not stickybombs) no longer explode on contact after the first bounce

Fixed a startup crash

Fixed a case where players could get stuck in tc_hydro

Fixed player movement prediction errors

Fixed third-person sniper aim animation not matching player’s view exactly

Fixed achievements and stats being awarded when watching other player’s demos

Fixed rare server crash due to data corruption in networking

Fixed a case where some sounds had incorrect volumes

Retail Orange Box Pre-Purchase & TF2 Beta Access At GameStop

Valve announces the pre-purchase program for The Orange Box is underway at GameStop stores, offering a 10% discount, and will offer access to the Team Fortress 2 beta test.

September 24, 2007 - Valve and GameStop today announced that those who pre-purchase the PC edition of The Orange Box at GameStop, the world’s largest video game and entertainment software retailer, before October 10th will save 10% off the regular price and gain access to the beta version of Team Fortress 2 for the PC.

The Orange Box, penned by IGN as “.the package which could legitimately be called the deal of the century,” features three highly-awaited new games by Valve: Half-Life® 2: Episode Two, the second installment in the Half-Life 2 episodic trilogy; Team Fortress® 2, the sequel to the game that put class-based, multiplayer team warfare on the map; and Portal, the game that blends puzzles, first person action, and adventure gaming to produce an experience like no other.

To bring gamers up to date with the Half-Life 2 universe, The Orange Box also includes Half-Life 2, the best-selling and highest-rated action game series of all time, and the episodic debut Half-Life® 2: Episode One-together, more than 30 hours of award-winning gameplay. Customers who already own these titles will have the ability to conveniently “gift” them to a friend upon official release of The Orange Box.

Starting immediately, those who pre-purchase The Orange Box for PC at any GameStop retail store in the US will receive a key-code and instructions to download and activate the beta release of Team Fortress 2 from Steam. The beta will conclude with the release of The Orange Box on October 10th. This year’s most anticipated online action game, Team Fortress 2 delivers new game types, a signature art style powered by Valve’s next generation animation technology, persistent player statistics, and more.

The Orange Box will have a suggested retail price of $49.95 on the PC and $59.95 on the Xbox® 360 and Playstation® 3 console systems. The 10% pre-purchase discount also applies to all three versions at GameStop and participating retail outlets.

For more information about The Orange Box, please visit www.steamgames.com.

Steam Community is out of Beta

Some how I missed this one yesterday. Valve announces the Steam Community is out of beta in preparation for the Team Fortress 2 beta:

September 13, 2007 - After a successful trial period, Valve is proud to announce the public launch of the Steam community features, an expansive set of social networking and online multiplayer features available for free on Steam, as it prepares for the launch of the Team Fortress 2 beta, which is scheduled to begin on Monday, September 17, 2007.

The Steam Community lets gamers create a personal profile-a Steam ID-complete with a photo or avatar, biographical details, favorite lists, and other information. Community members can add peers to a personal Friends List that shows in real-time who’s online and available to chat or play a game. Accessible from within the Steam client or while playing a game, the Friends List makes it easy to invite friends to chat, play a game, or join a group.

Team Fortress 2 is the successor to the grand daddy of class-based multiplayer action games and the multiplayer component of The Orange Box, a unique compilation of new games from Valve. The Orange Box also includes Portal and the full collection of Half-Life 2 games released to date for just $50 on PC and $60 on the next generation consoles.

Starting Monday, September 17, the Team Fortress 2 (TF2) beta opens to those who pre-purchaser The Orange Box via Steam and save 10% of the regular price. The Steam community features will allow TF2 players to track detailed player and team statistics and achievements records.

To explore the Steam community features, install the Steam client available at www.steampowered.com. Click the Community tab within the Steam interface and take a tour of the features and create a profile.

The Borg err Steam / Valve Adds All id Games To the List

Starting today you will find one more notch in the Borg Valve /Steam belt. You may download full versions of the complete DOOM series and QUAKE I - III, including mission packs, as well as id’s pioneering PC side-scroller, Commander Keen and vintage favorites Wolfenstein 3D, Spear of Destiny, Heretic, and HeXen.

The line-up of legendary id games and packages includes:

id GAMES on Steam

• Commander Keen, Episodes 1 through 5
• Wolfenstein 3D
• Spear of Destiny
• Return to Castle Wolfenstein
• Ultimate DOOM
• DOOM II
• Final DOOM
• DOOM3
• DOOM3: Resurrection of Evil
• QUAKE
• QUAKE Mission Pack 1: Scourge of Armagon
• QUAKE Mission Pack 2: Dissolution of Eternity
• QUAKE II
• QUAKE II Mission Pack: The Reckoning
• QUAKE II Mission Pack: Ground Zero
• QUAKE III Arena
• QUAKE III: Team Arena
• Heretic
• Heretic: Shadow of the Serpent Riders
• HeXen
• HeXen: Deathkings of the Dark Citadel
• HeXen II

id PACKAGES on Steam

• DOOM 3 Pack: Includes DOOM 3 and DOOM 3: Resurrection of Evil
• QUAKE III Pack: Includes QUAKE III Arena and QUAKE III: Team Arena
• Wolf Pack: Includes Wolf 3D, Spear of Destiny and Return to Castle Wolfenstein
• DOOM Pack Complete: Includes all DOOM games released by id
• QUAKE Pack: Includes all 8 QUAKE Titles available on Steam
• Heretic\HeXen Pack: Includes Heretic, Heretic: Shadow of the Serpent Riders, HeXen, HeXen: Deathkings of the Dark Citadel, HeXen II
• Id Super Pack: Every id game on Steam

Select packages are 10% off until August 10.

THQ And Sid Meier’s Civilization IV Hook Up With The Devil errr Steam

THQ, Relic Entertainment, Gas Powered Games, and Pandemic has announced that it plans to add its titles to Valve’s Steam Powered (The Devil’s) popular PC game download service.

The following games are now available on Steam with a 10% discount through July 24:
• Company of Heroes (Strategy; developed by Relic Entertainment)
• Titan Quest (Role playing; developed by Lore Entertainment)
• Titan Quest: Immortal Throne (Role playing; developed by Lore Entertainment)
• Full Spectrum Warrior (Action; developed by Pandemic)
• Full Spectrum Warrior: Ten Hammers (Action; developed by Pandemic)

Stay tuned for the launch of additional titles, including:
• Supreme Commander – (Strategy; developed by Gas Powered Games)
• S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl – (Action; developed by GSC Game World)
• Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War Gold Edition – (developed by Strategy; Relic Entertainment)
• Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War: Dark Crusade – (developed by Strategy; Relic Entertainment)

Also Sid Meier’s Civilization IV: Beyond the Sword, the second expansion pack for Civilization IV, is now available for pre-order on Steam.

I have had nothing but problems with steam. Slow downloads, bloated GUI, and buggy friends system (When it Works). I just hate to lump anything under one All mighty thumb for distuption / control.