Busy evening for the people over at Valve as today it disabled more than 30,000 Steam accounts (a few weeks ago Valve already banned 20,000) which had been used to try to illegally gain access to Valve games without a valid purchase. A new Steam update has been released fixing some some stuttering issues with Half-Life 2 and also addressing missing models when running the Counterstrike Source Video Stress Test.

Valve's SteamPowered website has been updated with details regarding yet another Half-Life 2 update which adds a slew of Source SDK tweaks. Read more for details ...

Valve's SteamPowered website has been updated with details regarding yet another update, this time not for HL2 but its multiplayer component, Counterstrike Source, and the Source Engine itself. Most notable is the addition of a new map for CSS, de_prodigy. Read more for details ...

Valve's SteamPowered website has been updated with details regarding yet another Half-Life 2 update that optimizes the Half-Life 2/Steam filesystem to reduce game launch and level transition time, as well as 2 minor Source SDK tweaks and a few fixes to Steam itself. Read more for details ...

Valve's SteamPowered website has been updated with details regarding yet another Half-Life 2 update that addresses a Securom fix (by removing the Securom disc check routine), but also a few changes to the Source Dedicated server and HL2 Deathmatch. As usual, all you have to do is restart steam and the update will happen automagically.

Valve made good on its promise and has unlocked Half-Life 2 for people who pre-ordered it through its online delivery system Steam. "Half-Life 2 is available now for purchase and to play. Those who pre-purchased their copy via Steam may access the game by double-clicking on the Half-Life 2 icon in their Steam Games directory. To purchase your copy via Steam, please visit www.steampowered.com." The Source remake of the original Half-Life is now also available.

The Half-Life 2 Steam offers are now ready for purchase from Valve's Steampowered website. Details and pricing were already revealed yesterday, so check it out and have your pick. Those who purchase via Steam, will receive the final version of Counter-Strike: Source immediately. Half-Life 2 and other games in the Steam offerings will be made available to purchasers upon their release.

Tomorrow at 11 am PST, the Half-Life 2 Steam offers will be ready for purchase. Those who purchase via Steam, will receive the final version of Counter-Strike: Source immediately. Half-Life 2 and other games in the Steam offerings will be made available to purchasers upon their release. Read more for details and pricing for the various offers.

As was announced last week the official 1.2 update for CS:CZ has been released today, and all other Steam games have been updated. Steam will update itself automatically when you restart. If you want to know whats new/updated in the CS:C0 v1.2 then read more for detailed fix list.

Valve sent us very short notice that Day of Defeat version 1.2 will be shipping today via Steam. The release will feature tweaks, map updates, new maps and enhancements stemming from community feedback. Read more for detailed fix list or for more information, please visit www.dayofdefeat.com.

Counter-Strike: Condition Zero Steam pre-orders start today and include a special offer for Counter-Strike players. If you already have Steam and wish to pre-order your copy, just double-click on Counter-Strike: Condition Zero in the "Coming Soon" section of your 'My Games' list. If you don't have Steam, install it today. Those who pre-order their copy on Steam can start playing the minute the game is released. For more information, please visit the SteamPowered website.

Tempe-based Limelight Networks announced today that it has been selected by Valve, the leading entertainment software company responsible for critically acclaimed games such as Half-Life, to host its Steam platform servers and provide services for the distribution of its online content. The partnership provides gamers across the globe with fast, reliable and uninterrupted access -- via Limelight Networks' powerful delivery network -- to Valve's newest offerings and leading games, as well as offerings from others distributing their content via Steam.

Buka has released the English demo for Steamland, their funny and beautiful RTS, set in the fantastic world of lively trains, which fight with each other making their way to victory. This game is easy to play both for children and grown-ups without sacrificing keen gameplay. 3D landscapes, changing weather conditions and shadow effects give us the overview about the fabulous world. Striking variety of fantastic units and weaponry completes this surprising civilization. Read more for download links ...

Fueled by a highly touted lineup of new game titles and the growing popularity of its unified online gaming service, Microsoft Xbox is outpacing the industry as the only next-generation console to continuously demonstrate positive market share growth on a year-over-year basis (August 2002 to August 2003). According to NPD Group Inc., (NPD Funworld TRSTS, August 2003), sales of the Xbox console increased 6 percent from this same period last year, while the Sony's PlayStation 2 dropped 36 percent and Nintendo's GameCube fell 22 percent. Xbox now captures 27 percent of the United States industry market share for next-generation consoles and is on track to capture additional market share this holiday season.

Valve now also released the official Steam client and included the eagerly anticipated Counter-Strike 1.6, all in one package. I guess if Steam is a bit slow then you can just grab this standalone version and be on your merry way... Read more for download links ...

Valve has released the official Steam client which you now need for future Halflife, as well as Counterstrike, update patches and other Valve goodies. No more beta patches, this is the official release (thanks Shacknews). Read more for download links ...

Valve Software has released the Steam update tools for the Half-Life dedicated servers. These updates will allow server admins to upgrade to v1.1.2.0, they are required if you want to keep your Win32/Linux servers in sync. These updates also address a large amount of tweaks, improvements and bug fixes. Read more for details & download links ...

Gamesindustry.biz let us know that the public beta test of broadband games-on-demand service Steam will end on Tuesday evening Pacific time, and the first full version installer will be made available on Wednesday morning at 11am PDT via www.steampowered.com, Valve Software has announced.

With the new release on Wednesday, Valve plans to reset the account database. Any future registrations will have to be allied to a genuine CD-key, drawing to a close the honeymoon period of free Half-Life, CS and mod access - not to mention Half-Life 2 movie releases - for the two or three people still without a copy of the original game.

The Steam Beta has delivered several Valve games and popular Half-Life MODs to over 300,000 gamers, and will come to a close Tuesday evening (Pacific Daylight Time). The first full version of Steam, Valve's broadband platform for the delivery and management of digital content, will launch at 11 am PDT on Wednesday. Set up installers for the full version, which will be free of charge to existing Half-Life and Counter-Strike players, will be available from www.steampowered.com and leading game sites.

Vavle just send over word that the Steam Beta is entering its final phase, and is now open to the public. To enter this beta, simply download and run the 500K installer. Steam, a broadband platform for the deliver and management of digital content, currently features a variety of Valve games including Counter-Strike 1.6, which introduces the new riot shield, the official CS bot and more. Visit the Steam Powered website or read more for details & download links ...

Strategy First Inc. announced today that the Train Collection has shipped to stores nationwide. “The Train Collection gives train buffs the best of all worlds,” explains Steve Milburn, Director of Marketing for Strategy First Inc. “You have a real-time strategy game, a railroad simulator and an add-on all in one box. It is the perfect package for a train enthusiast.”

Steam Beta 2.0 begins today at 3 pm Pacific. The beta is open to the public, anyone can join by downloading and running the 4MB install applet. For the first few days, this beta will include the coming versions of Counter-Strike (v1.6) and Team Fortress Classic. Further updates to these games, as well as additional content, will be made available to participants throughout the beta. Read more for links where to download... UPDATE : Seems the demand was/is overwhelming and they have temp. suspended the streaming...

SteamLand from Buka, developed by Gromada, is the unique real-time strategy game with fast and rich gameplay. This game has some railroad puzzle elements so all action happens in the fantastic world, where the life presents in the form of steam-powered mechanisms, like robots and big armored trains that used as most common transportation vehicle. The game presented in perspective view of 2D. Game art is very uncommon and nice-looking. Maximally real physics is implemented for in game world. Check out some new ingame screens!

Colorful crazy world of a fantastic planet. Bizarre plants, strange landscapes! Under these unusual conditions there arose steam-robots civilization. But there’s no peace there – robots are at war. Day and night, rain and meteor shower, volcano and snow – nothing can stop armored trains which rush towards each other in order to have a cruel fight. You need to develop your economy using given resources and to repulse attacks of various hostile creatures and elemental forces. The task is complicated by the fact that the locomotives can move only by railroad. But your main objective is not just enemy defeating. After your long and difficult journey you’ll get to … what? This will be clear at the end of your mission... Read on for NEW screens and features!