15 minutes tech Demo. (Score 1)

There seem to be a lot of people confused by the fact that Valve is releasing two seperate things for HL2 this fall.

The first is Lost Coast - a 15 minute playable tech demo that includes some side story for the HL universe based in the HL2 timeframe. It is free and targeted for high-end systems. If you don't ever play it you won't miss much as it's not insanely important to the overall story - HL3 will still make sense.

The second is Aftermath - a full expansion. My guess is that this will take about 1/2 to 3/4 the time of the original HL2. It will probably cost about $15-$20 from Steam, and eventually may get a boxed release (from interviews it sounds like probably coupled with whatever the next expansion they do will be which sounds like maybe something with vehicles) for $20-$40 depending on what comes with it. This is an integral part of the HL universe and takes place (from the sounds of it) almost immediately after the original. It will incorperate HDR technology, as will every expansion and HL add-on from Valve from here on out. It will also expand the AI capabilities of the engine, again updateing the Source engine for future content.