Tweaks include improved stability, better online support, and the resolution of an issue that prevented players from signing online if they had over 30 friends. North American players will be prompted to download the patch when they sign into the online PlayStation Network within the game--a European update expected shortly.

Released on PC, PS3, and Xbox 360 last fall, The Orange Box packs Valve's story-driven shooters Half-Life 2, Half-Life 2: Episode One, and Half-Life 2: Episode Two along with its colorful class-based multiplayer title Team Fortress 2 and the wit-driven puzzle effort Portal.

While the PC and Xbox 360 editions were developed internally at Valve, EA UK handled the PlayStation 3 port. A complete list of the patch notes follows:... Read more

Portal and Team Fortress 2, which had previously not been available individually at retail outlets, will be sold for $19.99 and $29.99, respectively. Valve is also planning the Half-Life 2 Episode Pack, which will include both Episode One and Two in addition to Half-Life 2 Deathmatch for online play, priced at $29.99.

All three games will be identical to their Orange Box and Steam counterparts. The individual titles will be available in North America on April 9, and worldwide on April 11.

The move is not one of desperation. While The Orange Box has done well on consoles, with well over a million copies sold between the Xbox 360 and PS3 versions, Valve's Doug Lombardi characterized the PC release as "significantly stronger," citing a two-digit percentage increase over the console editions.

No official prices have been announced for the individual packages.

"The maps will come to the console versions," Lombardi informed Eurogamer. "There's a bit of work that makes sense for us to bundle them up and release them as packs."

Recent additions to the PC edition of the game include numerous balance changes and two maps, Badlands and CTF_Well. Upcoming content includes class-specific achievements, unlockable weapons, and the Goldrush map, which adds a new gameplay mode.

Though available for individual purchase on the PC, the console editions of Team Fortress 2 are only contained within Valve's mega-compilation The Orange Box.

While that content is free on PC, what about consoles? "Oh, for free, definitely, as much as we can," Lombardi answered. "You know, we don't have full say over that, but we have some say over how that works."

Speaking of Team Fortress 2 on Xbox 360, Valve has released a new... Read more

The Orange Box, which includes Team Fortress 2, Portal, and Half Life: Episode Two, is currently only available on retail shelves in bundled form for the PC and console alike. The games were available on Valve's digital distribution platform Steam from day one. The plan comes as part of EA's strategy for the current fiscal quarter.

Distributor EA is quite pleased with the Orange Box's performance, noting in the conference call that the title "exceeded expectations." The move to break up the Orange Box may be a result of the difficulties marketing a bundle that contains three radically different games featuring unique themes, graphical styles and gameplay schemes.

No mention of pricing for the individual games was mentioned during the conference call, but the retail versions will likely be made available at prices comparable to Steam: Portal at $19.95, and Team Fortress 2 and Half Life: Episode Two for $29.95 each.

From the moment you start playing, the game's immersive, self-contained story unfolds without a break in the action, in signature Valve style. A feminine robotic voice greets you when you awake in a sterile, gray observation room and guides you from one test chamber to the next.

Planned to have been published by Sony Online Entertainment, Gods & Heroes had already entered a closed beta testing phase, and was said to be set for completion in early 2008.

"Recently, we took a step back to evaluate the competitive landscape, the game's current state, and the overall goals for our organization," reads the announcement. "And while we are truly proud of and pleased with what we have created in Gods & Heroes, we also realize that achieving the level of quality and polish that we are committed to will take a significant investment."

According to word from Shacknews' sources close to Perpetual, the game had long played second fiddle internally to the currently self-published... Read more