Valve is well known for games like Half-Life and for a small but powerful utility called Steam.

What is Steam? It's a utility that lets you download demos, buy games and keep up to date with the news from Valve. All you need to do is create an account using a valid e-mail address and once you've paid the relevant fee, access games like Half-Life 2, Counter Strike or Sin Episodes.

What's more, Steam will automatically keep all your games up to date meaning that you can enjoy gaming without worrying about having the very latest patch.

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Security is one of the main concerns among computer users. This is why it's important to count on reliable applications that can protect our system and data from potential dangers. Sometimes free security apps are regarded as being less safe but you might change your mind after testing AVG Antivirus.

AVG is one of the handiest antivirus systems I've seen so far (and believe me, I've tested a few). Being a smaller application, AVG may not feature such a wide range of tools or utilities as the other antivirus programs do. However, it makes up for it by offering a neat, effective protection which stays silently minimized in your system tray and only activates when needed.

This is precisely one of the best things about AVG. It works completely in the background, without the need of half the system resources and of course, without constantly bothering you with warning windows or update messages. You can just go on with your work and you won't even notice you have an antivirus application up and running. Being the free version of a complete program, AVG shows the odd nagging notification encouraging you to buy AVG Professional which may annoy the more sensitive users.

AVG features real time system protection, an email scanner (which doesn't prevent spam from coming into your mailbox though – spam filter is a Pro-only feature) and as new features in AVG 8, an anti-spyware tool and the so called LinkScanner technology to protect your web browsing. The whole package should be enough to ensure you're not infected with any virus. Also, it integrates seamlessly with Windows Explorer, thus allowing you to scan files from their context menus. AVG's virus database is automatically updated on a daily basis, so you're always protected even from the most recently discovered threats. The program supports scheduled scans as well.

AVG Antivirus remains a perfect security solution for the average computer user, providing quite a powerful weapon against viruses.

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Defragging your hard drive is one of the easiest and simplest ways to make your system run faster and reduce hard drive wear and tear.

Puran Defrag is a very simple defrag utility which defrags files and optimizes your system, which means it collect all the fragments of a file and puts them back together in a more ordered and logical form. Puran Defrag also moves frequently used files and all directories to a faster disk area which theoretically should speed up your drive.

Puran Defrag can be used while you are working although it doesn't exactly make life easy on slower machines because the reorganising of files will inevitably slow down certain applications - it's highly recommended you allow Puran Defrag to work overnight or while you are not using your PC. To help you in this respect, Puran Defrag allows you to automatically schedule the defragging of your drive every boot, once a week, on a specific day of the month or even every half hour.

Puran Defrag is an extremely simple defragger which should result in some system improvements although you may find that it's painfully slow if you hard drive requires a lot of defragging.

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If you're a copy and paste freak or spend half your life having to cut and paste from one application to another, then Flashpaste could be what you've been looking for.

This is an advanced copy and paste editor which basically gives you far more power to perform the kind of tasks that Windows rudimentary clipboard can't. In fact, if you're a writer or programmer, you really shouldn't be without this program because it makes working with the clipboard a much more rewarding experience than it normally is. There are two main appeals to Flashpaste - template insertion and code repetition. Rather than writing the same old things over and over again While writing e-mails or creating documents, you often have to write the same old phrases and requests. Flashpaste allows you to store predefined greetings, e-mail addresses and URLs so that you need never waste time writing the same old things over and over again. Flashpaste is also a very handy tool for web developers because it has a special cut and paste tool for HTML that makes organising chinks of code much easier than usual. You can see at a glance, what code you have and what it can be used for.

You've got no excuse for tearing your hair out with Windows limited clipboard anymore since Flashpaste takes cutting and pasting to a new level.

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Imagine a huge games arcade where thousands of dedicated game players can gather to do battle. That’s what GameSpy Arcade attempts to offer in a virtual world where game is the name and variety is the aim.

GameSpy started life by simply helping Quake users find a functioning sever to log onto but today, it has developed into a world of gaming in its own right. The developer claims that millions of gamers meet online on GameSpy to play the hundreds of online multiplayer games and free demos it’s linked to. They also claim the all-in-one interface offers the fastest game servers available – up to 60% faster than in-game browsers. Plus, it already features integrated texting, voice chat and instant messaging – eat your heart out SecondLife.

After installation, the program scans your PC for any installed games you have and lists those which are GameSpy compatible. All the major games such as Counter-Strike and Age of Empires are supported. The key feature of GameSpy is the Buddy List, which means you’re almost always guaranteed someone online to play with or against (depending on how many buddies you’ve got of course!) Using an engine called ‘PlayerSpy’, it gathers together all those friends that are online. You can see which chat room they are in and what game they are playing. If you fancy dropping in on their action, just click on their location to be instantly taken there. You can also send an instant message, start a voice conversation or send a game invite.

The other key feature of GameSpy is a searchable server filter (SmartSpy) which enables you to find the right server for the game you want in seconds. Popular dedicated-server games like Half-Life have literally thousands of game servers available and SmartSpy helps you pinpoint the best one for you in a matter of seconds. Just select the type of game you want to play and GameSpy Arcade will download data from and ping only those servers. For those that simply like to keep abreast of the latest games, GameSpy also offers DemoSpy - a daily updated list of the latest releases, supplied to them by FilePlanet which saves you registering with the latter. This also includes a handy patch section to keep your games updated.

The drawbacks can be summarised in two words – advertising and resources. From the minute you open GameSpy you are bombarded with advertising from developers hawking their latest games, which becomes rapidly tiresome. In addition, GameSpy tends to be very heavy on your CPU. If you’re playing on an older machine, forget about running anything else alongside it – it simply hogs your CPU to deal with the heavy graphics.

In summary, if you frequently find yourself without gaming companions, GameSpy Arcade is worth it for that reason alone – it’s a great way to make friends too. If however you’re dedicated to just one or two games and you regularly log on with others, the advertising and resource-hogging mean you can probably do without this.

Download GameSpy Arcade 2.05 RC1 in Softonic

If you like Manga comics and cartoons then you'll love this game which takes Manga style characters and puts them in a never ending fantasy world.

For starters though - there's no Manga style sex and porn involved although there is plenty of Manga style action. Lunia is basically an action-packed arcade game that you can play entirely by keyboard if your fingers can handle it to create all manner of combination attacks as you slice your way through the kingdom of Lunia. The game is split into various sections and stages - Main Stage, Side Dungeon Stage, and Raid Dungeon Stage with Raid Monsters. The game combines 2-D background and 3-D characters which give the game it's distinctive "Manga" feel. This is combined with the "Animatic Cinema System" which make-up an important part of the story along with 10,000 real-life impact sounds for punch and kick. There is no faulting the gameplay or graphics but it is the huge size of the download file that's the biggest download. You'll probably spend the best part of an afternoon just waiting for it to download but some things are worth waiting for.

A superb action game that will have Manga fans addicted from start to finish - a pity about the huge file size.

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Gaming is not only about having fun while playing: it's also about showing off your victory over the final stage boss or your first place in the hardest race.

This is precisely what you can do with WeGame. This application is actually the official software client for the WeGame site, a Youtube-like website where players from all over the world share their most valuable gaming deeds on the Internet. The client only supports a closed list of games, but many of them are real hits such as Call of Duty 4, Hellgate London, Half-Life 2 or World of Warcraft.

WeGame works in a very simple way: set the hotkey to start and stop recording and let it running in the background while playing your favorite game. When the glorious moment arrives, hit your hotkey and WeGame will start recording everything. The program can only record videos in AVI format, but at least you can edit them later on with your favorite video editor.

Once you've finished working on the video, use WeGame to upload it to the Web. You'll need to create a user account in the WeGame website but it only takes a couple of minutes and it's totally free.

Though limited to a short list of games, WeGame is a great tool to record your greatest victories in your favorite videogame and share them online.

Download WeGame Public Beta 1 in Softonic

There are two main kinds of football games: the ones where you actually play the match against your competitor, moving the team players across the field, and the ones where you play as the manager of the team.

Football Manager obviously falls in the latter, as you can tell from its name, and offers gamers a comprehensive simulators that covers every single aspect of football management, from hiring players to game tactics, including training schedule, salaries and of course, dealing with team supporters.

In fact, the game is so complete that it feels just too overwhelming when you run it for the first time. Also, the fact that the tutorial is broken doesn't help either. But after playing it for a while, you can tell that this game is going to get you hooked on your computer for hours. Just one tip: use your own background music because the game doesn't have any.

Football Manager 2008 enables you to make your dream come true and manage your favorite football team with highly realistic detail.

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The Bridge Construction Set will not only cater to wannabe architects but also to anybody curious about the physics of bridges. The game, set in a wireframe 3D environment, allows you to build briges of different sizes and materials. The trick is to make something that will hold, whilst not exceeding your budget. You'll have varying amounts of materials like wire, steel, or decks at hand, each with a specific function. The fun part of the game is that you can simulate your creations and open it up to vehicles to see if it holds.

We weren't really bothered by the weak graphics, as after all this a wireframe simulation. What was a cause for concern was the difficulty of the game. You'll soon see that it's difficult to build something resistant with a limited budget, also considering that there are external elements that you have to deal with, like the wind.

We also felt that the instructions in the game were a bit limited. Although going into Help gives you all details into material weight, strength and costs and all the key functions, more tips on which material to use where would have come in handy.

The Bridge Construction Set is a challenging wireframe 3D building game.

Download The Bridge Construction Set 1.36 in Softonic

The Decimation is an 8 on 8 team based multiplayer game with an assortment of controlled combat objectives. The powerful Revolt Weapon System re-emerges to ensure sighted weapons with pin-point accuracy and rock solid game play.

Every environment is tailored to each objective to ensure balanced competitive play. Power weapons aid in the dynamics of combat. A 100% TC designed strictly for E-sports. Stay alert and cover your ass, Revolt is back - Killing never felt so good.

Download Half-Life 2- Revolt: The Decimation in Softonic

The Island is a single-player mod for Half-Life 2 set in a deserted island where zombies and other scary creatures have taken control of the situation. The story begins with you waking up with a terrible headache, a weapon and a lever. Will you be able to escape?

This mod uses the same graphic engine as Half-Life 2, taking advantage of many of its libraries to display monsters, sounds and weapons from the popular Valve game. The island terrain is also highly detailed and the enemy's stamina level has been raised to make the game more complex.

A truly excellent mod that you must try if you like Half-Life 2, as it takes full advantage of the game's powerful editing tool.

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Dystopia is a cyberpunk themed total conversion of Half Life 2, created by an amature development team and released to the public for free.

Dystopia places the player into tense combat situations in a high tech world spanned by computer networks. As either Punk Mercenaries or Corporate Security Forces the player will fight through the physical world to gain access, via jack-in terminals, to cyberspace.

Cyberspace is a three dimensional representation of the world's network. Inside cyberspace players will launch programs to hack into systems linked to the physical world while fighting off enemy hackers and defending critical systems. Gameplay progresses through inter-linked physical and cyberspace objectives, some are completed in either the physical world or cyberspace, others only by a well timed combination of the two.

Whether the player is a heavily augmented combat mercenary armed to the teeth with the latest in firepower, or a twitch reflex cyberdecker racing to infiltrate a cyberspace node; they'll be immersed in an action packed battle. Only through skillful use of the high tech arsenal we're making available and intelligent team play will players truly jack-in and kick ass.

Download Dystopia v1 in Softonic

Do you play games such as Battlefield 2 or Half-Life 2? Do you have a Creative SoundBlaster Audigy (with external box) or another soundcard that the recording device, when playing these games, is reset to "Microphone" even though you actually use a different line such as Line 2?

With Muvixer, you no longer have to worry. Muvixer© allows you to select the line you always want to use and if Battlefield 2 or any other program changes your recording device, it will automatically be changed back to your specified recording device on a time interval of your own choice.

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By taking the suspense, challenge and visceral charge of the original, and adding startling new realism and responsiveness, Half-Life 2 opens the door to a world where the player's presence affects everything around him, from the physical environment to the behaviors even the emotions of both friends and enemies

The player again picks up the crowbar of research scientist Gordon Freeman, who finds himself on an alien-infested Earth being picked to the bone, its resources depleted, its populace dwindling. Freeman is thrust into the unenviable role of rescuing the world from the wrong he unleashed back at Black Mesa. And a lot of people he cares about are counting on him.

Download Half-Life 2 Demo in Softonic

DoNotDisturb is absolutely free and the program blocking can be used for as long as you like, there are no time restrictions. A great new way to increase your personal productivity by making sure you get your work done. Control the many distractions you now have on your PC with this simple and effective software.

Are you feeling guilty about playing PC Games like Half-Life or Chatting on your PC when you should have been working? If you're like me, then you would have wasted hours on the many distractions on your PC when you really needed to get that important task done or hand in that assignement on time. Your PC is now an entertainment center with Video clips, Audio media, Games, Chat sessions, Voice Over IP Phones, Web Browsing etc etc. All of which is great news and highly enjoyable, but also gives you more distractions when you are sitting at your PC trying to work or study.

Download DoNotDisturb 2.3 in Softonic

This moody wallpaper features the star of Half Life sees Gordon walking through the snow holding nothing but a crow bar to vanquish his enemies. If you're a fan of the classic game then what better way to pay homage to it than with this background image.

Download Half Life 2 wallpaper in Softonic

Half-Life introduced the world to bespectacled young physicist Gordon Freeman, Ph.D. A simple research assistant at the Black Mesa Research Facility, Gordon is thrust into the center of a cosmic war by a teleportation experiment gone badly wrong. Alien creatures from distant alien hellholes scramble through a shattered dimensional barrier and set about butchering the Black Mesa staff as a prelude to exterminating life on Earth.

Government forces quickly arrive to eliminate the alien threat. Unfortunately, their methodical killing spree targets every human witness as well. Thanks to an experimental hazard suit, Gordon is able to navigate this violent confusion of creatures, staff, and homicidal soldiers, finally reaching then destroying what appears to be the monstrous source of the infestation. The victory is short-lived, however. Gordon's heroics catch the attention of a sinister interdimensional bureaucrat. The G-Man, as he's come to be called, seals Gordon in stasis far from Earth, thought, and time itself.

Download Half-Life 2: Episode One Trailer in Softonic

This is a tool that any online gamer will appreciate: a complete game server search system that will incorporate by default your favorite games. Supporting nearly a hundred games, it will search lists of players in one game or globally. Also, using filters you can find the best server through which to play.

Among the games that are supported by default are: Quake, Medal of Honor, Half-Life, Jedi Knight II, Counter-strike, Unreal Tournament, Unreal Tournament 2003, Tactical Ops, Soldier of Fortune, Battletfield 1942, America's Army, etc.

Features:

• Supports all the popular games
• Fast and easy access to game servers
• Keep track of your friends and make new ones
• Find the best game servers with powerful search tools

Download The All-Seeing Eye 2.6 in Softonic

The most anticipated game of the year, The Skins Factory brings the look and feel of Half-Life 2 to desktops across the world in the form of a high-powered Windows Media Player 9 Series skin. The skin is designed to be the sort that lead character Gordon might use if he was walking around the Half-Life 2 universe listening to and viewing his favorite media files.

Complete with a double shutter that you can open and close with a click of the mouse, ripe with introduction animation sound effects and more images than you could shake a crowbar at, The Official Half-Life 2 skin for Windows Media Player 9 Series will keep you primed and ready when this state-of-the-art game hits shelves early next year.

Download Half-Life 2 by The Skins Factory in Softonic