Valve Cancels Black Box Plans

According to IGN, Valve has ditched plans to release its Black Box collection for Half-Life 2, putting all its support behind the Orange Box collection instead. The Black Box was supposed to simply contain three new titles:* Half-Life 2: Episode 2*, Portal, and Team Fortress 2, making it the better choice for PC owners who had already purchased Half-Life 2 and Half-Life 2: Episode 1.

The Orange Box, which costs ten bucks more than the Black Box was meant to, will have everything, which makes it great for anyone who's a bit late to the Half-Life 2 party (or who has a 360), but somewhat screws anyone who only wanted the new stuff. But Valve's Doug Lombardi has a suggestion:

Those who purchase the PC version of The Orange Box will get three separate Steam product codes: One for the three new games, one for HL2, and one Episode One. This way a PC Orange Box owner can give away their Half-Life 2 or Episode One unused Steam product codes if they don't need a copy of those games.

Black Box in a Pine Box [IGN]