Garry’s Mod - Nice Updates!

Another update for the sandbox game; Garry’s Mod.

Garry’s Mod

• Sped up startup times (by up to 15 seconds)
• Slightly reduced ’sandbox’ loadtimes
• Reverted to older version of ‘FindInSphere’ function
• Reverted gravgun hold to pre-orange box style
• Fixed ‘PrintMessage’ not working on dedicated server
• Fixed cs_fix.mdl server crashing exploit
• Fixed exploit in RunConsoleCommand allowing any console command to be run

Source SDK Updated

Valve’s Source SDK has gotten an update:
Enhancements

• Particle Editor, Material Editor, and Commentary Editor are now included in the Source SDK
• Updated SDK source code for Orange Box mods
• Added example particle system files to SDK content

Bug Fixes

• Updated Linux binaries and makefiles for dedicated servers and server plugins
• The Faceposer phoneme editor now pops up a warning message when a phoneme cannot be saved
• Fixed crash in ’splitskybox.exe’
• Day of Defeat: Source now appears in the list of Orange Box games

Source SDK Update Released

Updates to Source SDK have been released. The updates will be applied automatically when your Steam client is restarted. The specific changes include:

Enhancements

• Added a drop-down list in the SDK Launcher that allows the user to switch between The Orange Box engine and the Half-Life 2: Episode One engine
• Two new lighting preview modes are available in Hammer
• Models are automatically centered when loaded in Faceposer

Bug Fixes

• Fixed crash and corrupt configurations for users that don’t own any Orange Box games
• Resolved issues with building models for any games that that use the Half-Life 2:Episode 1 engine
• Fixed crashes in Hammer and Faceposer when HL2 is set to the active game

Known Issues

• Cannot create shortcuts to Hammer, Faceposer, and Model Viewer
• Linux makefiles for the Orange Box source code are incomplete and will be updated in the next release
• The Particle Editor is not presently included in the Source SDK
• SDK shader code only included with mods built to use Half-Life 2:Episode 1

Top 20 Best Selling PC Games For February 2008

The NPD Group has released the list of the top 20 best selling PC games for the month of February 2008. Check them out after the jump. Read more

The Orange Box - More Info on Separate Titles, Plus Boxshots

EA decided to slice the Orange Box up and sell Team Fortress 2, Half Life 2: Episode 2 and Portal as separate titles. Today, The official press release from Valve confirms all of that. Including previously reported pricing ($19.99 for Portal, $29.99 for HL2:EP2 and Team Fortress 2) another interesting thing to note is that Half Life 2: Episode 2 won’t be a separate title. Instead, it will include Half Life 2 : Episode One as well as Half Life 2: Deathmatch and will be called Half Life 2: Episode Pack. In case you already own these titles, you can gift them to others via Steam. Full press release and official boxshots after the jump. Read more

The Orange Box - Over 100 Awards

According to the official website, Valve’s Orange Box has won over 100 awards across platforms. See what Gabe Newell has to say about it after the break. “While some have called it the best value in video game history, Valve took a chance with the product mix in The Orange Box, the game design of Portal, and the art style of Team Fortress 2,” said Gabe Newell, president of Valve.
Read more

Orange Box Games To Be Released Separately

Valve’s Orange Box, A Compilation of five different games (Half Life 2, Half Life 2: Episode One, Half Life 2: Episode Two, Team Fortress 2, Portal) will now have it’s three games (Half Life 2: Episode 2, Team Fortress 2 and Portal) released as separate titles on April 9th. Half Life 2: Episode Two and Team Fortress 2 will be priced at $29.95 while Portal will be $19.95. Why anyone would buy 3 games for $80 when they can get 5 games for $50 ? beats us. It should be noted however, that you can already purchase these games individually via Steam.

Audiosurf: Steam’s Best Selling Title in February

Audiosurf: Ride your Music, Invisible Handlebar’s puzzle-racing-music hybrid, was the highest selling game on Steam in the month of February. Outselling the likes of The Orange Box and Counter Strike. Audiosurf is developed by Dylan Fitterer, who came up with the design for Audiosurf after six months of running BestGameEver.com, where Fitterer released a new game every Friday. Fitterer’s favorite design produced during this period was Tune Racer, which was iterated and evolved into Audiosurf. Audiosurf is also the first title that use Valve’s SteamWorks distribution technology. Full press release after the jump. Read more

Top 10 Best Selling PC Games in US - Jan 17-Feb 23

The NPD Group has released the latest list of the top 10 best selling PC games in the US, this time for the week ending Feb. 23. Read more