Portal Update - new achievement, Mind Screwing ahoy

[Revising Ocelot]

http://steamcommunity.com/stats/Portal/achievements/

Right at the bottom. There's been a flurry of Steam forum speculation on the whole meaning of this.

It's a progress achievement, 26 things you have to do. There were radios that played a version of Still Alive in various places in the game... now there's new ones. If you pick them up and take them elsewhere, at some points they start playing something else... either Morse code or strange computer beeps.

Apparently the beeps are SSTV images (whatever that means), which come out as things like these:

http://img138.imageshack.us/img138/4015/dino8.png
http://img13.imageshack.us/img13/8295/dino20.png
http://img148.imageshack.us/img148/3913/dino26.png

Those images will probably get deleted due to heavy traffic soon, but meh.




So, there are 3 conclusions what this may lead to:
A) Portal 2.
B) Half-Life 2 Episode 3 (yeah whatever)
C) Valve trolling us.

[Azisien]

Why do they have to be mutually exclusive options?

[Revising Ocelot]

Because Valve already did their 100-year Mega Awesome with the Orange Box. Wait another 98 years.

[Bells]

New cyber voice
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ksbyi40PqaI

some morse code
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nVB9_WxmsRc

Bunch of images

dinosaur2 - http://img685.imageshack.us/img685/2862/dino2.png
dinosaur3 - http://img169.imageshack.us/img169/5395/dino3.png
dinosaur4 - http://img40.imageshack.us/img40/8126/dino4.png
dinosaur6 - http://img199.imageshack.us/img199/474/dino6t.png
dinosaur7 - http://img186.imageshack.us/img186/804/dino7.png
dinosaur8 - http://img138.imageshack.us/img138/4015/dino8.png
dinosaur9 - http://img291.imageshack.us/img291/1900/dino9z.png
dinosaur10 - http://img502.imageshack.us/img502/6002/dino10.png
dinosaur11 - http://img62.imageshack.us/img62/5893/dino11.png
dinosaur13 - http://img442.imageshack.us/img442/2015/dino13.png
dinosaur14 - http://img99.imageshack.us/img99/6633/dino14.png
dinosaur15 - http://img203.imageshack.us/img203/2716/dino15.png
dinosaur16 - http://img51.imageshack.us/img51/3671/dino16.png
dinosaur18 - http://img4.imageshack.us/img4/5874/dino18.png
dinosaur19 - http://img222.imageshack.us/img222/8443/dino19.png
dinosaur20 - http://img13.imageshack.us/img13/8295/dino20.png
dinosaur21 - http://img13.imageshack.us/img13/6334/dino21.png
dinosaur22 - http://img10.imageshack.us/img10/6657/dino22.png
dinosaur23 - http://img85.imageshack.us/img85/4641/dino23.png
dinosaur24 - http://img222.imageshack.us/img222/1385/dino24.png
dinosaur25 - http://img168.imageshack.us/img168/4139/dino25.png
dinosaur26 - http://img148.imageshack.us/img148/3913/dino26.png


EDIT:

Everything seems to point towards some sort of code that brings the experience outside of the game. The main theories so far is a pathway to a oldschool style BBS connection, or server, or something older than IRC... other is a Fax or Telephone number


EDIT 2 : It seems to be a Telnet number (425) 822-5251.


EDIT 3:

http://i.imgur.com/5wbap.gif

The system version is 3.11 1200 which you COULD put as March 11 - 2010

EDIT 4:

Login and password are "Backup"

http://i.imgur.com/sNO9z.png
http://i.imgur.com/PAKSf.png

[PyrosNine]

Uh-oh. I finally got out of that damned experimental center, beaten the crap out of Glados with my bare hands and maybe a PC I managed to smuggle in, and now she's in o-ur telnets, bakkin up her data.

And of course Aperture would have an old school back up system. Their founder suffered from Psychosis induced by lead poisoning and their AI is powered by dead steal a wish foundation and counter-Heimlich maneuver victims.

A glimpse into his madness:---- RECORD ENDS ----
-- CAUTION: UNEXPECTED DISCONNECTION EXPECTED ( #838 )
---- BEGIN RECORD 'C:\07533945.935\09823219.940' (570 BYTES) ----
MEMORANDUMS: Filed under CJohnson: 1564029-G

&&*&)90 &^@^@% &@!%@$%@!&@^ ((#(kjkjsdsajdlkdjsk ^@%% and do not 2612%^54talk
to me about casualty rates. The bean counters told me I couldn't fire a man
just for bein in a wheelchair. Did it anyway! Ramps are expensive. Or when
they said I couldn't practice beekeeping in the office. They should have told
that to the honey that won first place in the state finals! &43$$$ $#@^^&@*&^

Hell, they even said I couldn't cheat death. You know where I'd be if I
followed the rules? Dead! Dead, and honey prize-less!
---- RECORD ENDS ----
-- CAUTION: ANOMALOUS EMOTIONAL RESPONSE DETECTED ( #654 )
---- BEGIN RECORD 'C:\08692436.580\05637080.262' (8340 BYTES) ----

[Mirai Gen]

C) Valve trolling us.

Pretty much their bread-and-butter at this point.

[Bells]

Pyros, is that the IRC leaked document? Because the word out there is that this one is fake

[PyrosNine]

I'm not sure. i have seen like, four videos on the subject that all went by too fast for me to see anything.

[Bells]

new images surfaced

http://i.imgur.com/Z01I6.png

I call this spotty at best... might be official, might not... take it with a grain of salt.

Why?

Because of this

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4070/4400092571_1bd293569b_o.jpg
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2781/4400092635_faba02e0db_o.jpg

This shows HL enemies with Portal Turrets.....

[Mirai Gen]

Black Mesa vs Apeture Science?

[Jagos]

Smells like we may have some portals for Freeman.

[Melfice]

Black Mesa vs Apeture Science?

In the left corner! Aperture Science Turret!
In the right corner! Gordon Freeman!

FIGHT!

[Jagos]

Freeman used Gravity Gun!

It's Super Effective!

[PyrosNine]

Yeah, any use of impulse 101 in portal makes it laughably easy.

::Gravity Gun::

Turret: WHO ARE YOU?

Gordon: I'm Gordon Freeman Bitch! *punts into item removal field*

Turret: AYYIYIYIYIYIYIYIYIiyiyiyiyiy!


The current theories range that our attempts to access Telnet are actually reviving Glados, that Cave Johnson will be the glados of the next game (?) and that the events of Portal actually happen long before Half Life 2, not after.

[Mirai Gen]

Gordon: I'm Gordon Freeman Bitch! *punts into item removal field*
I hope to god that's a Kickboat reference.

[Geminex]

Gordon:... *punts into item removal field*

Fixed that for you....

[MFD]

In all fairness, the reason the turrets were such threats was only because you didn't have any weapons. I'm sure Freeman could take them down with a crowbar.

[Geminex]

Hey, don't underestimate turrets. The ones in the original half-life could be quite a bitch if they caught you at close range, and those were just flash-light sized barrels on a tripod. I'd hate to see what the ones in Portal could do to him.

[mauve]

Please say this means Half Life Ep 3 please say this means Half Life Ep 3 please say this means Half Life Ep 3!!!

I'd hate to see what the ones in Portal could do to him. Alternately, I'd love to see what I could do with a portal gun in Half Life. As if gravity gun kills weren't fun enough. :D

[Bard The 5th LW]

Please say this means Half Life Ep 3 please say this means Half Life Ep 3 please say this means Half Life Ep 3!!!

Alternately, I'd love to see what I could do with a portal gun in Half Life. As if gravity gun kills weren't fun enough. :D

From what I understand, it (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gKg3TUPQ8Sg) is possible. There's a "how to" video linked in the description.

And I hope to God this is some sort of foreshadowing for a sequel. Whether it be Portal, Half Life, or both in a sort of combo finale.

[Jagos]

Mauve, that's just too overpowered...

*shudders with ecstasy at the possibilities*

[mauve]

Imagine using both the portal gun and grav gun in succession. Make a portal loop, then shoot a cinder block through it until it gets enough momentum to one-shot-kill a strider. Then move the portal exit somewhere interesting.

I like this plan. Valve should get on this.

[The Wandering God]

I believe this is meant to represent Dr. Mossman's transmission that takes place at then end of Episode 2.

Video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nM9QoP3ghlo

At 1:42 seconds, Kleiner says:
We have coordinates, blueprints, hailing frequencies. Quite ingenious of Dr. Mossman to hide it all in the carrier wave.

Which makes me believe this has just as much to do with Episode 3 as it does with Portal.

In other news, Mauve always has the best avatars. (Seriously, The Thin Man and MST3K. Who's awesome? You're awesome.)

[mauve]

I believe this is meant to represent Dr. Mossman's transmission that takes place at then end of Episode 2. Oh, I forgot about that! That's a good point. I HOPE THIS MEANS MORE HALF-LIFE, VALVE.

Also:
In other news, Mauve always has the best avatars. (Seriously, The Thin Man and MST3K. Who's awesome? You're awesome.) Thank you! :D

[Revising Ocelot]

Another update today. "Added valuable asset retrieval".

Having done the Transmission Received achievement today, I found out what this second update was... have a gander at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vq9oKn-SJCU if you don't want to find the change yourself.

Basically this means Portal 2 is going to be a sequel.

[The Wandering God]

Portal 2 is officially announced (http://store.steampowered.com/news/3559/) for a holiday release this year.

Game Informer (http://gameinformer.com/mag/portal2.aspx) will be revealing more info in the coming weeks.

http://media1.gameinformer.com/images/site/pages/p2/portalwrap2.jpg

I'm still sad it's not Episode 3, but...

FUCK YEAH, PORTAL 2!

[Bells]

Also it seems it will have CO-OP campaign

http://www.gamestop.com/Catalog/ProductDetails.aspx?product_id=77276

[Mirai Gen]

Chell possibly returning? I guess that's what the new ending was hinting at.

[Donomni]

Hopefully A) this is gonna be released for consoles(I know, VALVE), or B) that my PC can handle it, like I found out it could for the first one... it's demo, at least.

[Amake]

Imagine using both the portal gun and grav gun in succession. Make a portal loop, then shoot a cinder block through it until it gets enough momentum to one-shot-kill a strider. Then move the portal exit somewhere interesting.

I like this plan. Valve should get on this.
Part of me is frustrated that Valve seems to be beating me to making my dream game where you run amok with weapons that bend time, space, matter, energy, gravity and your own consciousness any way you like them. Another part is pleased I won't have to make it myself.

Oh yeah, Portal 2. Sounds neat.

[synkr0nized]

I was wondering why there wasn't a thread on this all here, and then I finally saw this one.


If they can deliver to me more GLaDOS, I will be very happy. The game might even suck as far as puzzles go, but I won't care.

[Doc ock rokc]

Part of me is frustrated that Valve seems to be beating me to making my dream game where you run amok with weapons that bend time, space, matter, energy, gravity and your own consciousness any way you like them. Another part is pleased I won't have to make it myself.


Tis not true gravity. Its merely Zero point energy manipulation. I can't wait for a game where you can control your own gravity!

[Mirai Gen]

Jury's still out on this one for me.

I mean sure this may be Valve and all but...I'm honestly not sure if this'll be as uniquely amazing as the first was.

[Amake]

Yeah, I was thinking if you shoot it at something bigger than yourself you'd be attracted to it. And with the alternative setting the direction you shoot in would become "down".

By the way isn't zero point energy the theory where if you sustain an infinitely small absolute vacuum it would generate energy from nothing? I wonder how they got from there to "gravity gun".

[Mirai Gen]

Because it creates a small point of gravity in a contained line that locks objects into place. Gravity gun, hence, because it's easier and Alyx doesn't give a shit enough to call it a "Zero-Point Energy Manipulator" like Dr. Fussy McBitch does.

[Bells]

GLAdOS doesn't have a Male voice this time around. It's another Robotic character that might be sharing the screen alongside her!

[synkr0nized]

Jury's still out on this one for me.

I mean sure this may be Valve and all but...I'm honestly not sure if this'll be as uniquely amazing as the first was.

It'll definitely fall short. The original experience of it all the first time one plays Portal can't be reproduced.

[Viridis]

Jury's still out on this one for me.

I mean sure this may be Valve and all but...I'm honestly not sure if this'll be as uniquely amazing as the first was.

In that aspect, I see them as similar to Pixar. Even when they're not the best in their field the stuff they make is still better than average and worth playing.

[Mirai Gen]

It'll definitely fall short. The original experience of it all the first time one plays Portal can't be reproduced.

True, but I've been finding Bioshock 2 not nearly as compelling as the first one just due to the fact that there weren't enough significant changes.

Likewise, I can't see the changes being made to Portal as anything but detrimental.

So it's an odd issue.

[Pip Boy]

We all know how thorough valve is with these pranks on their players. Has anyone though to camp outside their HQ with a radio tuned to 85.2 FM for a day or so and see if anything weird is being broadcast?

[The Artist Formerly Known as Hawk]

Tis not true gravity. Its merely Zero point energy manipulation. I can't wait for a game where you can control your own gravity!

Prey. To an extent at least.

But on topic, we all knew another Portal was coming, it was inevitable, just like we all knew another Half Life was coming after the first game was released, and seeing as how well Valve pulled that one off, well...

[Art of Hilt]

Portal 2 looks like there's going to be Outdoor Levels.
I mean, look at that Game Informer magazine cover. Look at all those plants.
Either Outdoor or Greenhouse. Either way.

It's strange to me personally because part of the original Portal was the dichotomy between the white and clean testing grounds, and the grim and dark world behind the panel, like the theatrical difference between a stage and the backstage. The stage was where you were introduced, and the backstage is where you found out the terrible truth of the lab's underworkings.

That metaphorical binary was, to me, a big part of the first Portal. If they're going for a different feel for the second, I mean... yeah, it would make sense. It would make it different from the first. But what would it be, and would it be good, is what I'm curious about.

[Amake]

I demand that if you fire the portal gun into the sky there's a risk of the world collapsing.

But yeah, I liked that dual world thing as well. Though the real eye-opener was when you got a bugged portal through the walls of the game itself. What a mindbender.

Though nothing beats simply making two facing portals with a small room between them and running through them over and over, following behind a hundred images of yourself doing the same, until you forget which one of you is the real you and which of the rooms is real and then the realization hits you that you're looking at yourself from the outside and and the floor seems to fall away from under you and videogames will never be the same again. . .

Wait, what were we talking about?

[Doc ock rokc]

Prey. To an extent at least. IF you go that way you could say Ratchet and clank did it first. But what i mean is the alternative setting the direction you shoot in would become "down".

...that...Think about it.

But on topic, we all knew another Portal was coming, it was inevitable, just like we all knew another Half Life was coming after the first game was released, and seeing as how well Valve pulled that one off, well...

They pulled it off very well. But I do agree the Mystery would be gone. That's why Bio 2 wasn't as good as bio 1. The mystery was gone.

[Mannix]

In case anybody didn't notice, the voice at the end is speaking in a German accent.

[Mirai Gen]

Scans from Game Informer. (http://www.facepunch.com/showpost.php?p=20604156&postcount=674)

At least they're good for something.

[The Wandering God]

Wow, I can hardly believe that VG Cats predicted the nursery posters in this strip (http://www.vgcats.com/comics/?strip_id=249). Unless Valve saw it and liked the imagery.

Anyways, that is certainly a lot of info to digest. And it is interesting how almost all of those images were in the BBS ASCII format thingy.

[Viridis]

The co-op players look interesting and the teamwork involved in that mode interests me. I hope the personality sphere is the Curiosity one. Though, they did say they'd be silent...

And the quotes from what can only be GlaDOS are still hilarious.

[Amake]

I love how they call things things like "Thermal discouragement beam". It's a wonder they ever lost a contract to Black Mesa.

Kinda worried about the "augmented length" of the game the article mentions however. Portal 1 was the final nail in the coffin for games padded with unnecessary length, but that statement can't be interpreted as anything other than "We're taking this finely tuned and timed blockbuster film of a story and putting in every deleted scene we can find and making up a few more so people will think they're getting more value out of it".

It's never a problem when people want more of what you're putting out, damnit.

[greed]

Yes it is if they're releasing this as a full size game. Fun as Portal was if I had to pay full price dollars for it I'd feel kind of cheated.

[Amake]

Buut it never cost as much as regular games do. I think I got it for 20 bucks a week after release, and that was a rip-off compared to Orange Box.

Still, I'm thinking more of the time investment than the money. If I can choose between having my mind-hole blown for four straight hours or suffer through eight hours of frustration and tedium, even if it has four or possibly even five hours' worth of brilliance sprinkled throughout, I think I'll go with the faster alternative. It's just so fascinating when they show it can be done, to cut all the extraneous fat out of a game and approach something resembling professional storytelling with tempo and timing and shit.

[Revising Ocelot]

Interesting to see those two robots 'holding hands', just like one of the ASCII pictures hinted at. I haven't recognised other scenes, but it looks like the whole Aperture lab has been dismantled and we're forced to pick our way through the wreckage in the wilderness at certain points.

If bewildered Combine start showing up wondering what's going on, it'd be more awesome than you can shake a stick at.

[Viridis]

If bewildered Combine start showing up wondering what's going on, it'd be more awesome than you can shake a stick at.Especially if you can screw them over with portals and turrets.

[The Wandering God]

This isn't quite on topic, but it is related in a way and I didn't feel it was worth starting another thread for.

So, on newest TF2 blog, they had another issue of http://www.teamfortress.com/images/posts/mailstorm_large.

But take a close look at the cover.

http://img521.imageshack.us/img521/6931/episode3.jpg

[Revising Ocelot]

I've been thinking for a while that Valve decided "fuck Episode 3, we'll just make it Half Life 3 and release it in 6 years". I'll take a guess... they make a new version of Source for Portal 2 and build HL3 on that. *shrug*