Valve Software has opened the promised "Team Fortress 2" beta to all who have pre-ordered the upcoming Orage Box.

"This year's most anticipated online action game, Team Fortress 2 delivers new gametypes, persistent player statistics, and the most advanced graphics of any Source-based game to date, featuring a signature art style powered by Valve's next generation animation technology. Players choose from a range of unique character classes--such as medic, spy, sniper, or engineer--and must work together to complete a variety of tactical objectives.

 The PC edition of The Orange Box- which also features Half-Life 2: Episode Two, Portal, as well as the complete Half-Life 2 experience to date-is now available for pre-purchase via Steam through October 10th. Those who pre-purchase via Steam will save 10% off the $49.95 regular price and get exclusive access to the Team Fortress 2 beta. As a special bonus, pre-purchasers will receive Peggle Extreme--a special Orange Box-themed edition of the game cited by MSNBC as one of the "Top 5 Most Addicting Games of All Time."

 Available at retail on October 10th in North America and October 12th in the rest of the world, retail copies of The Orange Box will be offered for an estimated price of $49.95 on the PC and $59.95 on the Xbox® 360 console systems. The 10% pre-purchase discount also applies to these versions at participating retail outlets."