Source: Steam

An update to the Steam client and HLDS update tool has just been released. Steam will update itself automatically when you restart. Here is a list of the changes:

STEAM CLIENT CHANGES / ADDITIONS:
Improved error messages when Steam system is busy
Improved error messages when login fails
Improved ability to monitor system performance
Improved startup times
Improved cache loading behavior for single-player games
Added features for CyberCafes
Improved use of large cache files
Keep local account information more up-to-date
Improved response to ContentServer connection loss
Improved server communication
Improved command-line handling
Added opt-out options for marketing messages via the Settings dialog
Changed monitor to show games instead of caches
Smoothed out monitor bandwidth usage display
Added "browse games" button -- opens storefront

HLDS UPDATE TOOL:

Improved handling of encrypted files
Added "-command list" option to list the valid "-game" flags you can specify

Source: The CPL

The CPL launched today the online registration for The Cyberathlete® Winter Extreme Championships, to be held at the Hyatt Regency Dallas from December 15 through December 19, 2004.
The CPL opened registration for two tournaments: a $100,000 Counter-Strike team tournament sponsored by Hitachi Global Storage Technologies and a $50,000 Doom III one-versus-one tournament sponsored by NVIDIA.

Admission for competitors and/or BYOC is $80 and spectator passes are $20. Spots are available on a first-come first-served basis only and admission is non-transferable and non-refundable.

The Hyatt Regency in downtown Dallas is now also accepting room reservations for this event.

Source: Half-Life 2
Just got back from vacation. Saw these 3 new images on the HL2 website. Check them out.

Source: Half-Life Radio

Big show tonight on Half-Life Radio! First off, we have new Windows Media servers for those that want both VIDEO and AUDIO quality. Requirements:

New Windows Media Servers

- You must have Windows Media Player version 9 installed.
- You must use Microsoft Internet Explorer browser.
- You must have broadband to connect.
- Click HERE to connect to the NEW Audio & Video servers!!

If you can't connect, use the old servers on the www.GameSHOUT.com page.

Tonight's Live Show begins at 8pm EST / 1am GMT

- Why was CS:Source delayed and what does this mean for Half-Life 2? We will be talking more about that on Saturday Night's Show.
- News From Around The World
- Fact of the Day
- PC Game Reviews: Joint Ops: Typhon Rising, Star Wars Galaxies - An Empire Divided
- Game preview will be The Matrix Online
- Demo of the Week - Gooka: Mystery Of Janatris
- Movie Previews: Alien vs. Predator, Thunderbirds, and Exorcist: The Beginning.
- Movie Review: The Village

Lots of stuff happening tonight. We will be in the #Radio channel on GamesNET. If you don't have an IRC client, click the chat botton.

Source: Steam

NAMCO NAMED VALVE'S OFFICIAL CYBER CAFE RESELLER IN JAPAN

Tokyo, Japan -- August 3, 2004 - Valve(tm) Corporation, one of the world's largest developers of online computer games, has selected Japan-based Namco, Ltd. as its representative to distribute its already famous games, including Half-Life(r), Counter-Strike(TM), and Day of Defeat(TM), to the cyber cafe community in Japan. Namco is currently the only authorized cyber cafe reseller in Japan for Valve games.

Valve's Cyber Café program is the only way to legally obtain Valve's current and coming titles for commercial use in cyber cafes. Valve licensed cyber cafe operators also receive the benefits of Steam, an online network that insures licensed cybercafe operators have the most up to date versions of Valve games for their customers.

Additionally, Valve recently revealed a series of new games and features being added to the Valve Cyber Café Program over the coming months. Counter-Strike: Source and Half-Life 2 will be added to the program for active subscribers in the Valve Cyber Cafe Program. These new games will be included as part of the regular subscription fee as soon as they are released. Valve is also readying a Cyber Cafe License Server. Among other features, the Cyber Cafe License Server will allow cafe's to manage their licenses on a concurrent user basis, locally update individual computers on a cafe's local area network (reducing bandwidth needs for updates), and allow individual users with personal Steam accounts to access their account on any computer station located at a cyber cafe site.

"We are delighted by the success we've experienced working with Namco," said Gabe Newell, president and founder of Valve, "And we look forward to extending that relationship as we work to meet the growing demand for action games in Japan."

"Namco has a long tradition in the development of location based entertainment businesses," said Tetsuo Tsuchiya, Namco's Manager. "We are eager to extend that tradition to the Japan cyber cafe community by working with Valve to develop this business in Japan. We are hoping to hear feedback from the cyber cafes so we can continue to improve the program and better understand how we can best support our customers."

About Valve
Founded in 1996, Valve creates entertainment software titles, including Half-Life®, Counter-Strike(tm), and Team Fortress®. Valve's portfolio accounts for over 11 million retail units sold worldwide, and over 88% of the online action market. More information about Valve is available through the company's Web site at www.valvesoftware.com.

About Namco
Established in 1955. Namco has a long tradition in a field of Coin-Operated Game Machines in Japan. In addition, we carry famous game titles such as the Pac-Man game, a massive hit in the 80s, and Soul Caliber, a worldwide famous game. More information about us is available at www.namco.co.jp/english/.

Simon Hill from The Ship says

Hello,

Just wanted to let you know that we have released a new version of The Ship mod.

Scottish-based Games Developer Outerlight would like to announce the release of a new version of their Half-Life 1 mod - The Ship. The first release of this unique first-person stalk and murder game has been well received and several significant improvements have been made for the second release.

The new version can be downloaded from - http://www.theshiponline.com/

. The game now functions properly using Valve's Steam system.
. With the shutdown of WON all servers will now run on Steam.
. Includes two new maps - Aurora and Argo.
. Many issues with the old maps fixed - Daedalus and HMS Redrum.
. Quarry assignment system has been altered to prevent constant quarry changes.
. Many exploits have been fixed, for example it is no longer possible to avoid jail time or cash penalties by quitting the game and rejoining.

Source: IGN

IGN reports that Half-Life 2 has been featured in yet another Awards Show, this time at the Second Annual G-Phoria Awards Show in Southern California. Here's a snippit:

I found that most of the objects that were placed throughout the depot, such as bottles, crates or other items could be picked up or interacted with, although I had to be careful about carrying or throwing some things around. For instance, I accidentally bounced a bottle off of a table and it careened towards a Combine soldier, who immediately switched on his shock stick.

Be sure to stop by and read the full article Here.

Source: BlueWolf72 Network

Our friends over at the BlueWolf72 Network (as well as my other boss, when MJCS-gTFC- isn't making me scrub his floors) have put up a little teaser, a new splash screen! Come this August 6th, the new (and greatly improved) web design will be unvailed for all to see!

Check out the new splash screen, it's just a touch of the quality that the site is, hold on to your seats, because it's some wild shiznit!

Source: HL: Earthbound

Well HLEB has just released a new Inteam so I thought I'd post some screens. I hope once all of the team gets a hold of it that we can get some more screenshots. Anyways, here they are:

In other news, we have a new modeler: Mr. Victor. So give him a warm HLEB welcome! So far he has produced a Stun Gun for us!

Other than that, DD has kept up with his usual coding tasks, TheGrimace is animating Paula and Poo and I have been finalizing some of the maps.

That's all folks!

Source: Admin Op

I've released new versions of Hook Mod, Ent Mod, Radio Mod, and AdminOP 3.0 Beta. AdminOP 3.0 Beta is, like before, an upgrade from 2.0 -- not a separate installer. You can get AdminOP 3.0 Beta here. The other mods can be found in the download section. Included in the zip files for Hook Mod and Ent Mod are help files that should explain most things in detail. The Radio Mod help file will be ready hopefully not long from now.
In the new version of Hook Mod is the option for a swinging hook. This idea and the math behind it comes from the generous permission of SpaceDude who made an amx plugin like it. Also, Ent Mod's admin bug has been fixed. All the mods have been made compatible for Steam and the newest Metamod.

Note: If you won't be using Steam for AdminOP and would like to run it on a LAN server on the old Half-Life TFC make sure to put DF_steam2 0 in either server.cfg or AdminOP.cfg.