Team Fortress 2 Heavy Video

“Some people think they can outsmart me… I have yet to see one outsmart bullet…”

No, really, it’s actually pretty funny. Check out the press release over at SteamGames.com. There’s actually a good deal of entertainment packed into the minute clip, and some exciting information in the press release.

See, I’m one of the “old gamers” who played the original Team Fortress back in the day, and I can tell you this is a really awesome development.

What is the most important thing consoles need if they want to really matter? According to Doug Lombardi, Marketing Director for Valve Software, it’s user-created content.

“Half-Life 1 was okay as a multiplayer game and Team Fortress Classic was really good, but Counter-Strike kicked both their asses no question.” Lombardi goes on to praise the PC’s open multiplayer channels, saying,” The PC has that great advantage; has had that great advantage, and it comes from multiplayer and modding starting in the early ’90s and [online] multiplayer only showing up on consoles in 2000 or 2001. You’ve got a good 10-to-15-year lead there and you still have broken pathways on both consoles, so the PC has the advantage of time and a clear pathway.”

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This week’s Valve / Steam Update brings some good news for Half-Life 2 fans: Episode 2 is nearing completion. While the update is sparse on details, it does feature three pieces of concept art (one can be seen to the right) that are said to be part of the finished product we’ll see soon.

In addition, Steam added to its catalog. Some of the new additions include Sid Meier’s Railroads, Railroad Tycoon II and III, and even XCom: Terror From the Deep! If you’re hooked on Steam, you must have XCom. Not getting that one is tantamount to not being a gamer.

For all the Perfect Dark fans out there, your day has finally arrived. The Perfect Dark mod for Half-Life 2’s source engine has been released, at least in beta.

So far, it looks great. So, if you’re a Perfect Dark fan, head over to the FileFront Network to download and try out this mod.

In a recent press release, Tournament.com announced they have struck a deal, becoming the only site officially licensed to host Half-Life 2: Deathmatch and Counter-Strike: Source matches with cash prizes. Players will be able to compete against others and even place small stakes on their own skills. Users’ skills can be viewed and monitored thanks to a ranking and handicap system, and to ensure responsible gambling, err…gaming, players are only allowed to stake $10 per match and can only deposit a maximum of $150 per month. That means you’ll just have to lose the rest of your money in Vegas.

Everyone has heard of MaddoxX, the hacker who has stated that he hacked the Steam servers, gaining access to Valve financial information, user information, and even credit card numbers. However, in an interview at 1up.com, Doug Lombardi, director of marketing at Valve, says, “There has been no security breach of Steam. The alleged hacker gained access to a third-party site that Valve uses to manage the commercial partners in its Cyber Café program. This Cyber Café billing system is not connected to Steam. We are working with law enforcement agencies on this matter, and encourage anyone with more information to e-mail us at Catch_A_Thief@valvesoftware.com.” The hacker continues to states that he has credit card information, and even posted photos of credit card info from game sales dated March 12, 2007. Valve maintains that Steam is secure, but what do the consumers think? You’ll have to tell us that.