Portal 2 ARG Unleashes Flood of Concept Art

[Kapol]

I thought most of the box art concepts were horrible. The only one I really liked were the ones with the sky-panels, and even then I hated the eye one. Any box art that had a person on it was automatically thrown out in my mind, as one of the main aspects of Portal was the sense of just how alone your character was. Putting a human on the box art doesn't really share that. The other images were interesting, though I have a feeling a lot of it has much more to do with the ARG then the game itself, especially the Cher concepts (it's pointless to have concepts like that if it's the same character, I'd think).

Some of those android designs are very Ghost in the Shell-esque, I'm a massive fan of those sort of uncanny valley design principles. But obviously, when you're making a game where you have to gravitate towards your co-op protagonists, it helps that they aren't repulsive semi-human machines.

Personality spheres are much more... huggable.

The giant chickens are obviously the main component in constructing portal guns. As we all learned from Bionic Commando a organic brain is the only way to get electronics to work. (Robots made the same way). So simple.

Apparently they put chickens through the portal test chambers before they used humans. Evidently, they all died.

Bet there were some sweet BBQ's on those nights. Just need some cornbread and corn on the cob.

Damn, I want to work at Aperture now.

Well you won't want to when I flood it with a deadly neurotoxin...

 

[Ldude893]

Giant chickens anyone?

I am so going to buy this game.

 

[Mr.Amakir]

It appears artists came up with some really hideous costume ideas for Chell...and apparently wanted to change her race.

No, the other girl is Mel which would have been a character playable in co-op before the robots were made so Valve could explain the constant respawning in the co-op mode

 

[NLS]

Tremendous. I like the fat robot with the red belly button best.

My favourite as well

 

[SomeBritishDude]

I wonder why Valve felt it necessary to even try and redesign Chell, she's still the same character, so I don't see why some concept arts even had her changing ethnicity... it's a bit... mind boggling.

(Watch as out of nowhere there's a "Create a Chell" mode in Portal 2)

Early on they were planning it to be a completely different character. They only changed it when play testers where miffed that GLaDOS didn't recognise them. The game is really about the relationship between yourself and GLaDOS, Chell isn't even really a character. Players wanted that relationship to develop, which makes sense.

 

[Pedro The Hutt]

Hah, that's odd, I was really hoping there'd be a different protagonist than Chell in Portal 2, so it's due to testers that Chell had her freedom she gained from defeating GlaDOS taken away again in the new ending.

Captcha: user yonsit

 

[Seagoon]

brilliant!

 

[Dr. Paine]

It appears artists came up with some really hideous costume ideas for Chell...and apparently wanted to change her race.

No, the other girl is Mel which would have been a character playable in co-op before the robots were made so Valve could explain the constant respawning in the co-op mode

That, and watching people die that often isn't quite as funny. But they did mention wanting to re-design Chell in the beginning, playtesters put a stop to that.

It seems the writers are taking this as an opportunity to explain Chell a bit more, she's almost at Gordon Freeman status. Except it's been pretty much confirmed that she can actually talk (which hey, that opens up NPC possibilities in Episode 3, one of the major thoughts against it was how a game could function with two silent characters.)

 

[Flauros]

This is great. I was imagining puzzle rooms in different configurations, but if it just has SOME of these things in it...wow. Its gonna be like Bioshock with its environment.

I hope we run into LOTs of interesting things. Bioengineered chickens, humanoid robots that act like they have a brain clot...

 

[GeorgW]

I've been ninja'd on both my point several times, but I'm gonna ignore all you lesser beings and still say my point, since I have legions of humans just waiting for me to say something on this subject.
The chicken was Chell's predecessor, and most of those cover arts are better than the real one. Can't find the chicken in the pictures though, but I've only zipped through the miniatures.

 

[JET1971]

why does 7, 19, 24,and 26 of 30 in the box art have an EA stamp on it?

 

[justnotcricket]

Y'know, some (Note: some, definitely not all) of those box art designs are way better then what they ending up going to with.

Also, I strongly approve of tank-top Chell.

Just saying.

You mean Lara Croft wearing Chell's pants? =P That's what I thought of when I saw the green tank top. Seriously, I thought it was like a TR joke or something...

 

[Littlee300]

The giant chickens are obviously the main component in constructing portal guns. As we all learned from Bionic Commando a organic brain is the only way to get electronics to work. (Robots made the same way). So simple.

Or the twin robots
I hope they do what Japan does and don't just go for the most bad ass looking box art but the more artistic and powerful ones.

 

[Foxbat Flyer]

This all looks awesome! I cant wait for its release. And giant chickens FTW (and possibly giant cows?)

 

[joes]

It appears artists came up with some really hideous costume ideas for Chell...and apparently wanted to change her race.

No, the other girl is Mel which would have been a character playable in co-op before the robots were made so Valve could explain the constant respawning in the co-op mode

i heard its so we wouldn't have to watch humans get cut apart by lasers and crushed. better for the rating this way.

 

[joes]

the box art could have been so awesome.

another waste of a box in the video game world...

 

[Fusionxl]

The Aperture pictures, 10 out 17.

"With an evolving computer technology industry on the rise, it's only a matter of time before the population grows to big for its shoes"

I'm sorry, when did this crap escape the confines of internet into general use?