Gabe Newell Sends Out Portal 2 ARG Email Blast

[E-Penguin]

When those numbers and symbols are removed they form: "4/19/2011_7AM=4/15/2011_9AM."

This is the most interesting part, as it says the 4/19 is = to the 4/15. I believe they may release Portal 2 early or due to a Bathysphere having a possible relation to the bathysphere (its an Icrebreaker so why wouldnt it have a Bathysphere?)

My thoughts are that either Portal 2 is going to be released early or that some HL2:ep3 information might be released.

EDIT: The Bathysphere kinda looks like one of those cores that was in GlaDos looking at the now.

Are you saying that the Bathysphere is related to itself?

Interesting...

 

[Sporky111]

I hate to be optimistic after all this time, but I think this may finally be the big crossover between Half Life and Portal.

There is apparently going to be an Achievement in Portal 2 called "Ship Overboard", and to get it you have to "Discover the missing experiment".

Perhaps the bathysphere is going to play a role in getting to the Borealis.

 

[Dr. Paine]

Come to think of it, it does look more like a diving bell than a personality sphere...

http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/images/11/apr/diving.jpg

There's a theory that this bathysphere was part of the Borealis experiments experiment and that they were experimenting on Portals underwater. The world in Half Life 2 had very low water levels, and I'm wondering whether those underwater portals had something to do with that.

Conspiracies are fun!

Actually, the low water levels are because of the Combine- the game was originally supposed to make mention of their taking Earth's water, among many other resources, but it never made it in.

 

[Godhead]

Calling it right now. Release on the 15th, and preload on the 19th. Just because they can.

 

[subtlefuge]

It sounds enough like Valve to think that it would be fun to just announce Ep. 3 for no reason right before Portal 2.

Although, at this point I have no optimism left.

Edit: the anagrams containing "probe". "core", and "bore" are all interesting alternatives to the most likely "reboot process". Also, it could be something other than an anagram entirely...

 

[BehattedWanderer]

Didn't strike me much of sounding like Glados. Cave Johnson maybe? And bathysphere makes me think of the Portal 2 'Ship Overboard' achievement, for discovering the missing experiment, which really makes me think Chell will get to discover the Borealis.

I'm really liking this trend of cross-IP stories, of things that continue through different games, in what was once thought different universes. I would love to see more studios presenting this. Imagine Nintendo doing it, outside of the Smash Bros context. Mario hearing about Dreamworld, Samus travelling to the Lylat system, Donkey Kong entering a temple with a mural of the Hero of Time's exploits on it. We've already seen the start of cross-continuity movies with Marvel's recent juggernauts. Let's see games do the same.

Portal was always part of the Half-Life 'verse. Remember the line about Black Mesa in "Still Alive"?

Distinctly, but I wasn't referring to just Half-Life and Portal.

The thought occurs: it's also an anagram of "reboot corpses".

 

[JET1971]

reboot corpses... maybe a possible tie in with the L4D verse to the HL verse. now that would be crazy.

 

[Wintermoot]

has anybody put the codes into a translator? I,m pretty sure the numbers translate into a phrase/text
(it might have something to do with EP3)

 

[V TheSystem V]

Apparently, one of the messages sent out was a Google Maps screen. Seven letters were on it, and they spelt out 'Prelude'. Something that overshadows the upcoming event? I wonder what that could be...