Status of HL2: According to Gabe, currently they let people play-test the game, to balance the chapters better. They have noticed, that most of the tester spent a lot of time in playing with the physics, so they may increase the number of these little parts. He also said that they are planning to release it in Late summer this year and he apologized for septemer 30. he also said, that the stolen code wasn't the reason for the delay, they had a bad schedueling
The beginning is not the scene we saw in the bink with alyx and kleiner (was the name of the scientist, right?), there's a level before this, where gorden wakes up next to a railway-station like in HL1. he makes his way through city 17 with combine around who don't attack him, but watch ihim susspiciously.
gordon's biggest enemy isn't the G-man, it's another scientist who's called "Dr. Breen". Gabe pointed out in a interview, that he isn't one of the typical bad bad bosses, more like someone who has his own ideas in dealing with a alien invasion
there are a few new screeshots, on one you can see a cemetery which gordon has to cross with an allied priest called Gergory, according to the text. the other interessting screenshot is one, where you can see a new vehicle I think. Looks a bit like a Commanche Gunship, it's definitly not the Combine aircraft from one of the buggy video. Looks more like a Human Chopper
Spoiler:
in the text about the start of the game is also stated, that you are attacked by a combine with some kind of electric shock-stick (after you saw him taken 2 civilians as prisonder), which is also printed on one page in a combine's hand (looks pretty much like an artwork, but if it's stated in the text... maybe some new melee?)
