Andy, Genexi:
Extra $60? Orange box is $45 on steam.
(You save 10% if you prepurchase, so it'll be $50 when it's released.)
Plus, black box was never slated to cost $20 like Episode 1 was: http://pc.ign.com/articles/755/755915p1.html
See? MSRP: $39.99. So at most you would have saved yourself $5 if it were coming out. It's pretty clear that Valve never intended to give away TF2, and bundling it with Episode 2 was a way to allow them to get people who wouldn't have otherwise tried it to get it, and vice versa for people who haven't bought HL2 yet.
When you think about it, it's worth the money. $45 isn't a lot for a game these days, and TF2 is a game all by itself.
Also, you know you can gift your extra copy of HL2 and Episode 1 to someone right?
Taumel:
It's not a free beta. You get access if you buy the Orange Box which comes with Half Life 2, HL2 Episode 1, HL2 Episode 2, TF2, and Portal (A small 3D single player game where you solve puzzles by shooting holes in space at walls and floors and ceilings.)
When the game comes out though they'll probably give you the ability like they do for Counterstrike to let someone else play for free for a week, since they don't have demos.
Extra $60? Orange box is $45 on steam.
(You save 10% if you prepurchase, so it'll be $50 when it's released.)
Plus, black box was never slated to cost $20 like Episode 1 was: http://pc.ign.com/articles/755/755915p1.html
See? MSRP: $39.99. So at most you would have saved yourself $5 if it were coming out. It's pretty clear that Valve never intended to give away TF2, and bundling it with Episode 2 was a way to allow them to get people who wouldn't have otherwise tried it to get it, and vice versa for people who haven't bought HL2 yet.
When you think about it, it's worth the money. $45 isn't a lot for a game these days, and TF2 is a game all by itself.
Also, you know you can gift your extra copy of HL2 and Episode 1 to someone right?
Taumel:
It's not a free beta. You get access if you buy the Orange Box which comes with Half Life 2, HL2 Episode 1, HL2 Episode 2, TF2, and Portal (A small 3D single player game where you solve puzzles by shooting holes in space at walls and floors and ceilings.)
When the game comes out though they'll probably give you the ability like they do for Counterstrike to let someone else play for free for a week, since they don't have demos.