Page 1

They Break the News, I Break it Again!

Welcome back to Beatdown. Another week, another couple bucks toward that Porsche Jakub thinks I have. It’s a Chrysler 300M actually, and I bought it with ill-gotten gains, not with game writing money. This week we see a slew of newly announced games, a bit of tech news, and Beatdown addresses a topic he’s harped on many times before. Yes, Baseball. Before we begin this week’s edition, I’d like to thank everyone who wrote me (using the email link at the end of the column and those who participate in the feedback attached to each article). I can safely say that I don’t know half of you half as well as I’d like; and I like half of you half as well as you deserve. Seriously, keep it coming.

Headline: Valve’s Many Games

In a press release Valve Software—creator of Half-Life and publisher of games other people made while using Half-Life—announced that they’re leaving Sierra for the rich green (money) pastures of Activision. Activision gains the rights to publish a retail version of the WWII classic mod, Day of Defeat. The press release doesn’t mention anything about Half-Life 2, Counter-Strike: Condition Zero, or the infamous vapor-ware known generally as Team Fortress 2, so those are probably going to be brought to you by Sierra. (Half-Life 2? Team Fortress 2? Um, don’t hold your breath there Sierra!). Since Sierra is owned by Vivendi-Universal, an evil French company, Beatdown wonders if this announcement has more to do with last week’s Newsmax ban on everything French. Nothing says America like Activision, after all.

“Wherefore are thou Freeman?”