Print
Valve recently kicked-off one of the most creative alternate reality games we’ve ever encountered. Yesterday, the developer updated its time-and-space-continuum-defying puzzler Portal with a single achievement and a bunch of hidden radio transmissions – some of which were encoded in Morse Code and one of which was, we kid you not, encoded in double Morse Code, and turned out to be the Morse Code for the Morse Code for “LOL.” Oh, Valve.
Anyway, eager fans have been working ‘round the clock to get to the bottom of Valve’s creative caper, and have uncovered – among other things – a few ASCII pictures and some dialogue from Aperture Science founder Cave Johnson. He seems like a great guy, too, as evidenced by nuggets like this one:
"Plus, in the event of your death, I personally guarantee that, thanks to the form you were required to sign this morning, your family will not suffer the indignities of a prolonged and costly legal battle against Aperture Science. Trust me, I am rich, and it is a burden I would not wish on anyone."
So, when will we find out more? Nothing’s set in stone, but the running theory is that something’s happening on March 11, as a version of GlaDOS that’s shown up in the ARG is marked “3.11,” which is also the date Gabe Newell’s set to receive the Pioneer Award at this year’s Game Developer’s Conference.
So, yeah. Mark your calendars, folks. Portal 2’s on the way, we hope. And if it’s not? Well then, this ARG might just take the cake for biggest letdown of all time. (We apologize for that one. Sincerely.)
Comments are closed on this article
truk007
March 05, 2010 at 1:28am
... I am really amazed at the amount of time the forum members have put into this viral marketing event. Valve kicks ass! They make it fun to play the game even without the PC.
The analysis of the update and its concomitant secrets by the community is incredibly in depth. I would place some links here, but I am at work and Steam is blocked. :(
Caboose
March 05, 2010 at 8:55am
I remember something very similar when Metroid Prime 2 Echoes was in the works. Retro Studios had this entire big hunting party, etc. Complete with a fully functional website for a company developing tech used in Samus' suit, etc. Complete with "Never send a man to do a woman's job" images as well (stab at Halo) I like it when game developers really get the community involved and excited for the game!
-= I don't want to be dead, I want to be alive! Or... a cowboy! =-
nekollx
March 05, 2010 at 10:27am
I kinda hate how they dumbed down Samus though. Now she's just some "chick in armor"
She's the Hared of the Chihu people, genetically modified to be half bird alien and her armor is one of a kind. The SNES games even made a point of this when she met a "blue samus" who was a cheap knockoff who tried to replicate her armor and got pwoned by Space Pirates.
------------------------------
Coming soon to Lulu.com --Tokusatsu Heroes--
Five teenagers, one alien ghost, a robot, and the fate of the world.
nadako
March 03, 2010 at 11:55pm
When valve cam to digipen and played Narbacular Drop they were like this game suks who would want to play this. this game is crap a couple months later they came back and was like hey you guys have something here. And they hired the team! A couple of years later we get portal. Some times i just love this school.
Boot camp for gamers Digipen: Its hell in here let me out!
nekollx
March 03, 2010 at 10:28am
I'm making a note here...HUGE SUCCESS!
------------------------------
Coming soon to Lulu.com --Tokusatsu Heroes--
Five teenagers, one alien ghost, a robot, and the fate of the world.
Caboose
March 03, 2010 at 11:45am
It's hard to overstate my satisfaction.
btw, we still need to meet up in STO. I'll be on tonight. Prob. around 6pm MST
-= I don't want to be dead, I want to be alive! Or... a cowboy! =-
nekollx
March 03, 2010 at 12:10pm
they do what they can, because, they must.
hum MT thats like what 8 pm pst?
------------------------------
Coming soon to Lulu.com --Tokusatsu Heroes--
Five teenagers, one alien ghost, a robot, and the fate of the world.
Caboose
March 03, 2010 at 12:58pm
Except the ones who are dead.
No, it'll be 5pm PST. I'm 1hr ahead of you
-= I don't want to be dead, I want to be alive! Or... a cowboy! =-
nekollx
March 03, 2010 at 1:02pm
and threw it into a fire....
ugh i don't get hope from work till around 7pm PST
------------------------------
Coming soon to Lulu.com --Tokusatsu Heroes--
Five teenagers, one alien ghost, a robot, and the fate of the world.
Caboose
March 03, 2010 at 1:22pm
You're skipping lines dude!!
I'm sure I'll still be online then. I'll have to sign off at around 10:30mst (9:30pst)
-= I don't want to be dead, I want to be alive! Or... a cowboy! =-
Caboose
March 03, 2010 at 11:44am
So don't buy it.You seem to complain a lot about Steam and Valve. Why not just close your account, delete the client, and be done with them. Buy all your games from D2D, or retail stores then.
-= I don't want to be dead, I want to be alive! Or... a cowboy! =-
heronhaus
March 03, 2010 at 9:41am
Hmmm... The Half Life series, TF2, Portal, Left 4 Dead 1 and 2, Counter-Strike, Day of Defeat, the Source engine, amazing sales twice a week, thriving gaming community, the ability to play games on any computer... I'm still looking and I can't seem to find this "garbage" that the post mentions.
Caboose
March 03, 2010 at 11:42am
Mmmm Half-Life series! It's kinda funny. I never really got in to HL1, but then I played through, and beat HL2, then went back and played through HL1. Or maybe it's not funny... I dunno.
Either way, I agree. I've seen no garbage coming from Valve. They make some top notch digital entertainment. Even their "small" games like Portal, or Left 4 Dead series are just as good, if not better than the huge AAA titles you seefrom some other devs.
I can't wait for Portal 2. And maybe, JUST MAYBE, we'll get HL2-EP3 with it... Another Orange box thingy?
-= I don't want to be dead, I want to be alive! Or... a cowboy! =-
majorsuave
March 03, 2010 at 5:45am
This is good news. I hope an eventual Portal 2 does not come alone.
HL2E3 is still up there on my wish list.
And while we're at it... a full blown HL3 to follow suit.
Back a few years Valve had enough resources to develop Episode 2, TF2 and portal at once. Now I should believe that all them developers did for the past 2 years is work L4D 1 and 2 and a few patches?
I can feel a major game in the air something grand, perhaps as big as a '77 Le Mans - those things were huge.
I Jedi
March 03, 2010 at 1:23am
This honestly makes me very happy to hear this. :} I LOVE Portal, and this will be great news to hear from Valve... I still want my HL: EP 3!
