It seems that not a day goes by without some reference to Steam, and, true to form, today is no exception. Don't worry, you don't need to restart your clients just yet, you don't have to wonder which game's getting an update today, and there's nothing for you to download.

Instead, I'd like you to please congratulate the team at Valve, whose late-2007 multi-platform, multi-game release, The Orange Box has picked up more than 100 individual first place awards, comprised of more than 50 "Game of the Year" medals, and a similar number of craft awards for special achievements in the field.


Half-Life 2: Episode Two, Team Fortress 2, Portal
Of course, some places refer to The Orange Box as one game, while others refer specifically to each of the titles contained therein - Half-Life 2: Episode Two, Team Fortress 2 and Portal. Even considering the big-name status of the first, and the highly-anticipated nature of the second, it should be no real surprise to learn that little single-player puzzler Portal is the one leading the charge in the prize-winning stakes.

Gabe Newell, president of Valve, comments:

"While some have called it the best value in video game history, Valve took a chance with the product mix in The Orange Box, the game design of Portal, and the art style of Team Fortress 2. After earning the top review scores of all time on two platforms, becoming a best seller on multiple platforms, and accumulating over 100 awards, that risk has been rewarded by gamers and game critics around the world. We look forward to following up on the success of The Orange Box later this year with the launch of Left 4 Dead on PC and Xbox 360."

The package recieved enormous commercial and critical success when it was originally released for PC and Xbox 360 in October last year, where it took its rightful place as the highest-scoring PC and Xbox 360 title of all time (tying with both Half-Life and Half-Life 2, as well as taking out number one on sales charts around the world. The ground-breaking collection was also introduced for PS3 in December of 2007, where it continued to perform well in sales.

In case you were curious about the full list of awards, Valve have thoughtfully posted them all on their website, so you can check 'em out.