Doug Lombardi of Valve Software informs us that the three Half-Life 2 packages are now available to be purchased directly from Valve, through their Steam network platform.

"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," Lombardi said earlier. This means you can already play the released version of Counter-Strike: Source, the highly anticipated re-innovation of the most popular online first-person shooter. Also, the beta for the Source Engine will be coming to a close for those who participated.


Here are the packages and prices:

• "Bronze" -- $49.95
• Half-Life 2*
  
• Counter-Strike: Source
• "Silver" -- $59.95
• Half-Life 2*
• Counter-Strike: Source
• Half-Life 1: Source*
• Day of Defeat: Source*
• Valve's back catalog currently available on Steam * (To be made available upon
  products' release.)
• "Gold" -- $89.95
• Half-Life 2*
• Counter-Strike: Source
• Half-Life 1: Source*
• Day of Defeat: Source*
• Valve's back catalog currently available on Steam
• Complete Half-Life 2 Strategy Guide from Prima Games
• 3 different Half-Life 2 posters
• Half-Life Collector's box
• Half-Life 2 hat
• Half-Life 2 postcard
• Half-Life 2 stickers
• Half-Life 2 Soundtrack CD
• Chance to win a trip to Valve! (1 trip offered for every 5000 Gold packages
  purchased).
  

*Available upon product release

"ATI/Half-Life 2 bundle owners may redeem their product key for the Bronze offer
or apply their key toward the purchase of either the Silver or Gold offers,
receiving a credit equal to the price of the Bronze offer," Lombardi stated.

Vivendi Universal's tactic of wait and see may not work out as planned. With the advent of HL2 being available for purchase, even though it is not released, through the Steam network platform may just cost Vivendi more money than releasing it last month on schedule.

Bypassing Vivendi completely, Valve will take in the sales through their Steam platform without the need of a publisher, something very viable for broadband Cable and DSL users. This pushing back of the retail version may mean more people will turn to Valve (and Steam) to get their copy of HL2. This is made even more viable by the release of the popular Counter-Strike: Source in it's full form, a title that was not a part of the agreement with Vivendi Universal.

Vivendi may end up rethinking their position and the November 23 release date (give or take a day or two) will only seem more viable for release.

whew. That's good news that VU will have to rethink.
Thanks RedTiger.

I notice the prices listed above. I thought those prices were for retail purchase. Do you know if these prices are also for the Steam purchase? surely they can't charge us the same amount for something we downloaded.

Finally.... I know you wrote it, but I gotta confirm it... I can download through steam and start playing CS: Source now?

It was my understanding those prices are for online purchase through the Steam platform, however they _may_ also be for retail...

If that doesn't boggle your mind, then this well - the EB Games offer (see link) is for Half-Life 2 Collector's Edition...so what is the Bronze, Silver, and Gold versions mean if there is also a collector's edition? It means someone needs to figure out which version is truely for collectors...

I asked Valve about the EB offer, $80.00 for the Collector's Edition, which is both cheaper than Gold AND a different package (T-shirt instead of hat, posters, etc.) and I was told it was true, that is the actual box from the game and that it is indeed the Collector's Edition.

So what does this mean? Who knows, with all the miscommunication between Valve and Vivendi, they may be trying to outdo one another (retail v. steam) by offering the shirt retail and the hat and other items through Steam. I'm just fresh out of ideas, I have no clue what they're doing (possible they don't at this point either!)

Oh and this was on the eb site, Ship date and price are estimates and subject to change. If the actual release price is lower than what we have listed, you will be charged the lower price.

Oh nice one, everyone may end up finding out their CE is the Gold version later or something and get stuck an extra $10 without knowing, :0