Crazy Valve ARG Teases ... Portal 2? *Update*

[gmer412]

So wait. There's a shot of Vortigaunts holding hands. Is it possible this is a joint reveal of both Ep. 3 and Portal 2? Because that shot (the vortigaunts) makes zero sense in Portal.

 

[Miral]

Now I'm feeling old. I just realized I haven't even used a modem since before my first son was born. (When was the last time you had to deal with "parity, data, and stop bits"?)

Two days ago. But then, I work for a company that does a lot of real-time hardware control over serial ports.

I was wondering what that content update was about ("federal and state spectrum management regulations", heh). And I was just replaying Portal a month ago. Guess it's time for another round.

 

[Singularly Datarific]

Good lord.
Anyways, this proves that any species with a decent communications hub can easily decode anything sent their way.
*rushes to radio telescope to start sending "Top Gear" to Alpha Centauri*

 

[Steve the Pocket]

Dang it, I don't have time for this. I hope this new minigame doesn't expire on the 11th; chances are I won't get around to playing it till then. I probably won't be able to do it anyway; I still haven't managed to find all the friggin' cameras, much less hidden radios.

Well, the link goes to the right page, but the link text is off; it's steganography, not stenography. Encrypted messages, not shorthand.

Whaaa? I know some Gregg and I felt all important there for a second and you made me feel bad.

If it makes you feel any better, one of the teasers when The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (the film) first came out involved "Vogon writing" that turned out to be secretarial shorthand for "We apologize for the convenience."

Mark my words, though: the next meme will involve "portholes".

Tell you what, just for that, if the Borealis's portholes come into play in any way in this new game, I will totally try to make "Now you're thinking with portholes" a meme. I'm sure it's crossed Valve's minds a few times by now anyway...

Also I'm calling the plot twist in Portal 2, assuming they're still planning to set it at the Enrichment Center:

Spoiler

The Combine bust into the facility halfway through, indicating that both Portal games take place between the first and second Half-Life games. The new protagonist has to fight his/her way out using only the portal gun.

 

[Dr. Paine]

I'm calling it now. Ep 3 and Portal 2 are one and the same.

Thats what I have been thinking, cause at the end of Ep2 Gorden and Alex are on there way to a Lost apature science Cargo ship.. which could have a copy of the portal gun on, for Gorden to have some fun with.

My vote's going towards the Morse code messages being a hint for Episode 3- potentially Mossman sending them out, but I'd be more comfortable betting on it being Chell and/or GLaDOS. (Basic theory is that Mossman died in the Borealis, her radio was taken, message was sent.) As for the rest (the text with the images, I don't know what to make of the images themselves yet), that's all Portal 2/ApSci history lesson.

All I know for sure is that I really hate having a 360 and can't take part in this for another year at the earliest, and by then there'll be no mystery.

 

[Racistman3d]

Hey valve, why don't you stop adding hats to tf2 and making internet scavenger hunts and just work on Ep 3? Portal 2 would still be awesome, but I would like to know what happens in Ep 3 before this century ends.

 

[lapan]

I'm gonna say the same as ZeroDotZero, Episode 2 and Portal 2 will be the same, Gordon will have to fight Glados at some point and gets the Portal Gun.

 

[ProfessorLayton]

This is very good news. Also, I would ask people to shut up about Episode 3, but what's the use? Any mention of Valve these days and the first thing everyone says is "WHERE'S EPISODE 3?" I loved Portal, and I'm sure Portal 2 will be great as well. I can also wait a little while for Episode 3.

 

[fd18e3d0-816e-11e4-b4a9-0800200c9a66]

How did they turn a 32-bit hash into a phone number when hashing is only one way?

 

[Cowabungaa]

I'm telling you, Portal 2 and Half Life 2: Episode 3 will be one and the same game!!!

The ending of Episode 2 already hinted to Aperature Science and thus Portal, suggesting some sort of tie-in. I'm so sure I'm right, like, so sure.

[sub]Okay maybe not, but it's an exciting theory isn't it?[/sub]

Also, damn you Valve and your marketing genius, making us so incredibly excited with your unlimited creativity.

Edit:
Ahhh frell, already ninjaed with the theory. Ah well, it's still cool.

 

[AdamG3691]

This was con-fu-sing
I'm making a point here: What-The-Fuck
It's hard to understand the complex stuff you did here
Seriously Va-alve
You guys real-ly need
To make Ep-Three
For the good of all of us.
Except the haters and trolls.
But there's no sense crying over every de-lay.
You just keep on waiting till you die of old age.
And the series gets done.
And you have a lotta fun.
And we finally see Gordon speak!

My god, did I just make that up?

I WIN!

I...Love...You...

If you loves safe science so much then why don't you marry it?

do you want to marry it?
WELL I WON'T LET YOU

am I the only one who noticed that?

 

[Otterpoet]

You know what this shows me? That people have WAY to much %$&^ing time on their hands.

Maybe if Valve spent more of their workday on the actual product rather than being 'clever' (AKA: pulling smarmy Abercrombie bullshit) we'd have the %$&^ing game by now! It's like your Significant Other teasing you with sex, but only if you complete a scavanger hunt-Sudoku-Where's Waldo combo-puzzle.

Here's a puzzle for you Valve: Guess what finger I'm holding up!

 

[johnman]

This is pretty awesome, the tease and the method people used to figure it out. I would of just though, "Weird but meh" and carried on playing

 

[BonerMacTittyPants]

Jeez you people at the Escapist are slow.


Just a note, why don't you change the title from "...Portal2?" to "...Portal2/Ep3?"

The info doesn't say it's just Portal, there is some data on Ep3 that people just don't fucking bother to read, and start their little "I DON'T WANT PORTAL2 BRING THE EP3" rage.

You're just pissing people off and giving Portal a bad name.

 

[Newbiespud]

Portal 2? Crap. You mean I'm gonna have another game to study? Could it possibly top the first?

I don't know... Portal's emotional journey was long, intense, and completely satisfying. Could I pick up another one and trust that it will be just as satisfying? Come on Valve, don't let me down here.

Yes, I know it's all up in the air right now, but I'm considering the hypothetical scenario.

 

[The_root_of_all_evil]

Of course, we'er not ovelooking the fact that episode 3 could be portal 2.

'pologies for spelling . headache.

black mesa versus aperture science anyone?

 

[Jared]

Just wonder where this is all going...

 

[Gaderael]

Man, how can you not love VALVe? Screw the Wii, VALVe has just made the most interactive video game of all time.

 

[John Funk]

Jeez you people at the Escapist are slow.


Just a note, why don't you change the title from "...Portal2?" to "...Portal2/Ep3?"

The info doesn't say it's just Portal, there is some data on Ep3 that people just don't fucking bother to read, and start their little "I DON'T WANT PORTAL2 BRING THE EP3" rage.

You're just pissing people off and giving Portal a bad name.

The majority of the information is Portal, there's a little bit that could HINT at Episode 3; But not enough to warrant being put in the title.

And you should really can the attitude.

Edit: The more I think about this, the more it just confuses me. There's a tiny bit here that COULD POSSIBLY hint at Episode 3, so rather than have people "pissed off" and "giving Portal a bad name" by their same "HEY VALVE WHERE IS EPISODE 3" that comes out in *every* Valve-related thread, you'd rather I offer false hope, draw threads where there is the most circumstantial data, and tease people by putting Episode 3 in the headline where it really shouldn't be?

That's one of the stupidest things I've ever heard.

 

[MR T3D]

HL3: alyx will get the portal gun at first, maybe something happens to her allowing you to use it.