As noted on the official website, Beta 2 of the Natural Selection v3.0 release is now available. On FileShack we have a client patch as well as a dedicated server patch.

The long awaited version 3.0 release of the Natural Selection mod for Half-Life is out, offering new maps, new upgrades, an improved look and many other new features. We have the 155mb client file mirrored on FileShack.

Sven Co-op for Half-Life has just hit the big v3.0 release and is available via Steam if you're into that or you can just grab the full install from FileShack. There is also a v2.1 to v3.0 update available.

Following last night's client files, Valve has also released dedicated server files for Windows and Linux. The Steam dedicated server package now includes everything you need to run Counter-Strike, Deathmatch Classic, Day of Defeat, Ricochet, Team Fortress Classic and Half-Life Deathmatch servers.

Valve Software has handed out the new Steam cache install files for you guys to grab up via FileShack. Grabbing these files will prevent you from having to download via Steam which is still experiencing a few growing pains.

- Steam Client / Counter-Strike cache
- Steam Client / Deathmatch Classic cache
- Steam Client / Day of Defeat cache
- Steam Client / Half-Life cache
- Steam Client / Opposing Force cache
- Steam Client / Ricochet cache
- Steam Client / Team Fortress Classic cache
- Steam Full Installer

Valve's Steam website has been updated with the latest news on this content delivery / authentication system. As you might've noticed, things didn't go exactly smooth during the weekend, as Valve seriously underestimated bandwidth needs. More servers are being added now. In addition to that, more Steam installers with cache files will be released for Day of Defeat, Team Fortress Classic, etc just like they did for Counter-Strike 1.6.

We know that the conversion process has been anything but smooth for many of our users. We're going to get this fixed. We've done our best to support the Half-Life community over the past 5 years, and we're still committed to doing whatever it takes to make the community happy. We've listened to the response, and we'll be repairing the problems with Steam until it performs the way we all want it to.

Valve Software has decided to have some midnight madness fun and release the official Steam client for everyone to have fun with. With this new official release you'll have to plug in your actual Half-life CDKey now to take advantage of the client.

- Valve Software Steam Client

The water isn't boiling just yet, as the Steam website mentions that the new release of the Valve content delivery system has suffered a delay. While the Steam dedicated server will be released tonight, the client file will now be released tomorrow instead. Thanks Funluvncriminal.

We received a new press release from Valve, announcing the expected end of beta testing of the Steam content delivery platform. When the full version launches next week, you'll need an actual valid CD-Key to continue playing Half-Life and Counter-Strike through the system. Here's the full message

The Steam Beta has delivered several Valve games and popular Half-Life MODs to over 300,000 gamers, and will come to a close Tuesday evening (Pacific Daylight Time). The first full version of Steam, Valve's broadband platform for the delivery and management of digital content, will launch at 11 am PDT on Wednesday. Set up installers for the full version, which will be free of charge to existing Half-Life and Counter-Strike players, will be available from www.steampowered.com and leading game sites. Anyone interested in hosting the installer or becoming a Steam Service Provider, please email biz@steampowered.com.
Valve would like to extend its thanks to everyone who participated in this beta.

Valve's Erik Johnson has posted a Steam status update on the official Steam forums, mentioning that the beta testing period for the content delivery system is coming to an end. This means that soon, the entire Half-Life userbase will be converted to Steam. Here's what that means

This means that we will be resetting the Steam account database from scratch. After this, you will need to have a valid CD-Key to access games via Steam, so you will want to treat your Steam account as permanent. One CD-Key will grant you access to all of the games currently available in the Steam beta. The Friends database will remain intact, so if you create an account with the same name when the beta ends, you will retain your Friends list. The next step will be to release the remaining three Half-Life 2 movies, fix the remaining issues with the Riot Shield in Counter-Strike, and any remaining issues with Steam. This will happen almost immediately after the Steam beta ends.

The long awaited Natural Selection v2.0 for Half-Life client has been released this afternoon. You can grab the 116meg client download from FileShack of course. Here is the zany message included with the release:

The Kharaa presence has been detected. Repeat: the Kharaa presence has been detected. Somewhere onboard the aliens have already begun to breed. We have just received notice that a Frontiersmen response craft will be docking in moments. They represent the height of small squad technology, and the peak of modern military training -- but even so, the outcome cannot be predicted. We expect the fighting to be intense, and the casualties high.

Luck and victory to us all. [download]

There's an update for dedicated Windows and Linux Half-Life servers, taking care of a nasty crash bug that was recently uncovered. Both files are small additions for the full dedicated server files.

HomeLAN Fed notes that Sony Pictures has released the Underworld Half-Life mod which we posted about yesterday. The team based multiplayer mod is a 29.5mb download, and it is mirrored on FileShack.

HomeLAN Fed has posted a news story with info and screenshots from Underworld: Bloodline, a new class based multiplayer mod for Half-Life created by Neil Manke of They Hunger fame among other mods. The mod, which will be released this week, will serve as promotional tool for the vampire/werewolf action movie Underworld.

The Natural Selection team have announced the release date of version 2.0 of their Half-Life RTS/FPS mod, July 31st. Version 2.0 simplifies the resource model, has new alien upgrades, there's improved visuals, four new maps are included, the commander mode has been changed and there's a tournament mode.

Valve has released a new non-beta build of their Half-Life dedicated server files. There are 4.1.1.0/3.1.1.0 to 4.1.1.1/3.1.1.1 updates for Windows and Linux, and the full 4.1.1.1/3.1.1.1 downloads are available for Windows and Linux as well.

Now available on FileShack is a new Day of Defeat trailer, showing a minute of mostly ingame footage from the retail version of the popular World War 2 mod for Half-Life. Quicktime is required to watch the trailer.

GameSpy attended a press event last night where people from Activision, Valve Software and the Day of Defeat team were showing off the retail version of the popular WW2 Half-Life modification. Instead of just taking the current mod and putting that in the box, the retail version of Day of Defeat (out in May) will feature new content.

After several years of success as a modification, Valve Software hired several members of the team in the summer of 2002 to work on the game internally, with other members continuing to work from locations around the globe. The retail version of Day of Defeat will contain nine brand-new maps, as well as revamped versions of 6 current DoD levels. According to Valve's Doug Lombardi and DoD player animator John Morello II, almost everything has been touched, especially in the art department. Other major additions for the retail version: a British team has been added for the Allies, and a particle system has been added to the current Half-Life code base.

Current online players will be able to get the new content, patches will be released to get the mod and retail version in sync. Also mentioned in the article is that "Activision will not only be publishing Day of Defeat as a standalone game, but this will mark the beginning of a partnership with Valve Software spanning several games."

The official Natural Selection website has been updated, offering a version 1.1 changelog which might be interesting for the fans of this Half-Life mod. There's no release date for the new version.

The Frontline Force site now has a trailer for Frontline Force 2, the sequel to their Half-Life mod Frontline Force 1 (omg!). Also check out this interview with the team on HomeLAN.