May have heard about this alraedy, the new super-secret-mystery chase started by Valve, starting with the 'potato bag' sale where each of the games in it was updated with some clues, which then lead to more clues, etc etc.

News on the developments:

http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2011/04 ... /#comments

I'm starting to think it's got to do with Episode 3 (or HL3). As you may recall, the portal and HL universes are supposed to be the 'same'. Aperture Science is mentioned in Episode 2, and Judith Mossman is actually on the Borealis (or has found it, i forgot), related to the Borealis ship.

http://half-life.wikia.com/wiki/Borealis

To be continued.

Do you ever get the feeling like some things are just too damned geeky to be healthy?

For me? Or for the people who are busy deciphering that stuff?

Yes.

http://www.aperturescience.com/a/b/c/d/g/h/abcdgh/

Valve timer...2 hours and a half (more or less) from the end right now

yea, lame marketing stunt. Buy the 'potato sack" game bundle and maybe help unlock portal 2 a little earlier. Pffft.

While I was obviously hoping for something a bit more spectacular (WHERE IS EPISODE 3 VALVE), the scope of it all is pretty amazing and cool. Started a long time ago with Valve (slightly) changing the ending of the original Portal and inserting a few 'hidden messages' into the game (pictures sent through seemingly white noise sound etc). Then the potato bundle comes along some 2 weeks ago, with strange potato-related clues tied to the games in the bundle appearing in the real world and hidden messages appearing across all potato sack games. It was all way, way more convoluted and cross-over than it sounds here but I want to keep it relatively short.

Then, a day or two ago those games are actually filled with Portal-related content, even special levels in some cases. Most of which lead to the Aperture Science homepage login if you found or beat them. Then the countdown is found and the OTHER countdown is revealed where Portal 2 may be released early if enough players play the potato sack games.



Although I wouldn't recommend anyone getting the potato sack just to help release Portal 2 earlier (I mean jeez, you can wait a week longer), I think it's a pretty cool stunt. Only Valve could pull something like this off. In the end, no harm is done. The only thing that may happen is that Portal 2 may appear earlier than announced, which for Valve is pretty atypical.

Regardless of the ultimate goal, a few indie games I own (and like) that are part of the potate sack were expanded with quite a bit of free content, either in the form of non-portal related DLC (Amnesia) or portal-inspired challenge levels (Toki Tori). Super Meat Boy was updated too, but I'm not touching that POS anymore.

http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2011/04 ... /#comments

There were a few cryptic hints to (possibly) HL3 during the AGR so far but now this popped up, which clearly references the Borealis (ship Dr. Mossman is on at the end of Episode 2) and Black Mesa. Suggests there is more to it than just the early release of Portal 2.

You gonna buy it in a 2-pack together with Shiny Satis? If at all.

So the ARG has ended and Portal 2 has been released early. Coolio. From initial reviews it seems like a brilliant game, I don't think I really expected anything less of Valve tbh. Of course, the forums are alight with a shitstorm of self-entitled whiners who feel they have been "cheated" or "conned". Hahahaha. I bet Gabe is smoking a big fat cigar while reading the reviews as those petty children actually make themselves believe anyone made them do anything. If you feel like you HAVE to buy a 30 euro deal for 13 indie games with new content (incredible deal in itself tbh) to get Portal 2 a day or a week earlier, then you're a fucking retard and shouldn't be allowed near a PC to begin with. I'm glad Valve got their moron money.

lol. I think the marketing stunt was kinda lame, but whatever, I didn't waste any time or money on it. Go Valve. :p I will buy Portal 2 eventually, but not yet. Rift is really my main focus, with Magicka coming in a distant second. Once I start running out of games to play, I'll give Portal 2 an eyeball. Since it's co-op, I'll have to count on Shiny needing to get it as well.

Yeah I'm gonna wait and see if I can get a deal on Portal 2 somewhere, like through a mail order company. Also, I have decided that I will go through my Steam log alphabetically, starting with Alpha Protocol. I have so many games in there that I picked up for cheap and that I still need to play that I can never decide which one to play first.

I'll wait on the smaller/older games though, those will make for good laptop gaming one day. And I'll keep playing my 'regular' games in between too of course.

yea, the other day I was looking through my list of games that weren't installed and was like... wtf? I bought that? I didn't know I had that... etc etc. So yea, I have some gaming to do before I drop 50 bones on a new game.