14 DAY TRIAL // Valve is a shrewd, shrewd company. First they create one of the defining games of the '90s with Half Life. Then, they create a digital distribution channel that threatens traditional disk-in-a-case games with extinction, codenamed Steam. And then, they release The Orange Box, a compendium of titles packaged together with the sole purpose of ruling the soul of every gamer.
Featuring the highly anticipated Episode 2 of Half Life 2, the innovative and multiple award winning Portal and the light yet impressive multiplayer oriented effort that is Team Fortress 2, the Orange Box was a real success, as it offered both incredible value for money and extremely anticipated titles. And if Valve hasn't received your soul in the mail yet, they have three new weapons.
The individual games in the box are currently only available separately on Steam, the Valve-run digital download service. Valve motived its decision to only launch the titles bundled together by saying that they placed customer satisfaction at the front of their business model and that buyers would be more satisfied with the collection of games featuring different genres and gameplay modes than with only receiving individual titles.
After the initial rush to get The Orange Box has subsided, Valve is not saying that it plans to launch the games as separate retails products available from all major games stores. Portal will be $19.99, Team Fortress 2, which will include new map content and the option to download further content via Steam, will sell for $ 29.99 while the newly-renamed Half Life 2: Episode Pack, featuring Episode 1, Episode 2 and Deathmatch will be available for the price of $29.99.
Vice-president of marketing Doug Lombardi says: "Given the unique nature and length of the games inside The Orange Box, the compilation approach was the right vehicle for the debut of these titles at retail. With the flexibility of having different pricing and packaging options via Steam, we were able to test the market viability of the individual products. The results show an overwhelming demand for these stand-alone offerings as well as The Orange Box. This gives us tremendous confidence as we bring gamers more ways to get these titles at retail."
In other words, with the milk of the cash cow labeled The Orange Box running out, Valve is preparing three new smaller cows, Half Life 2, Portal and Team Fortress 2. Prepare to start drinking their sweet gaming milk on April 9, if you're North American, and on April 11, if you're everywhere that isn't North America.